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Sofi Award Finalists for Outstanding New Product of 2012 Announced

Sun, 27 May 2012 13:00:00 EST

Merguez sausage from New York, Three Pepper Relish from Atlanta and Bacon Schnecken from Cincinnati are among the 10 finalists for the sofi Awards for Outstanding New Product of 2012. Here is a list of the finalists:

Cable Car Delights, Inc. - The Latest Scoop Ginger Pear Sorbet
Charlito's Cocina - Trufa Seca - Dry Cured Truffle Sausage
Emily G's - Three Pepper Relish
Epicure Foods Corporation - Pico Bello
K.L. Keller Imports - Talcott Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Carneros Estate
Les Trois Petits Cochons - Merguez Sausage
Queen City Cookies - Bacon Schnecken
Sid Wainer & Son - Jansal Valley Basil Crystals
Spoonable LLC - Brooklyn Butterscotch
The Rogers Collection - Finca Pascualete Mini Torta

Winners will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony on June 18, 2012, at the NASFT's Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. The event will be hosted by Jose Andres.

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Crystal Renn Covers Vogue Mexico

Sun, 27 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

Crystal Renn covers the May 2012 issue of Vogue Mexico. She's wearing a tropical print dress by Salvatore Ferragamo. Crystal is a brunette for Vogue Mexico. Just recently, she appeared on the cover of Schon magazine as a blonde in a cover shoot by Ellen Von Unwerth.

Photo: Vogue Mexico

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Ricky Lauren Talks New Book, The Hamptons

Sat, 26 May 2012 08:00:00 EST

ABC's Deborah Roberts talked to Ricky Lauren, the wife of Ralph Lauren, about her new book, The Hamptons. The book includes 100 healthy and season recipes. It also includes tips and advice on entertaining in true Hamptons style and simplicity. The book also contains photos and personal snapshots of the Laurens. Ricky shared some of her watercolors and delicious looking food with Deborah. Ricky says her family is the most important thing in her life. You can find Ricky's Rum-Laced Brownies recipe here, her Very Berry Smoothie recipe here and her Cinnamon Vanilla Challah French Toast recipe here. Take a look:

Photo: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Steve Carell and Ellen Play Charades

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:00 EST
Steve Carell and Ellen played charades on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ellen had trouble with Steve's "popsicle" and "row boat" charades. They are both hilarious at charades. Take a look:

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Jennifer Lopez Releases New Single: Goin' In, Featuring Flo Rida

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:40:00 EST

Jennifer Lopez's new single, "Goin' In," was released on Ryan Seacrest's show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest. The single features Flo Rida. It was produced by GoonRock. The dance single will be released on June 19th. It will be part of the soundtrack for Step Up Revolution. Here is the audio:

Image: Island Def Jam

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Berenice Marlohe is the Face of Swarovski's Fall 2012 Campaign

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:34:00 EST

French actress Berenice Marlohe is the face of an upcoming Swarovski campaign. Swarovski also stars as Severine in the upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall. Marlohe models Swarovski's Kingdom of Jewels collection in the Fall 2012 campaign.

Photos: Swarovksi

(via Harper's Bazaar)

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Ingrid Michaelson is Transformed Into Other Singers in Blood Brothers Music Video

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:15:00 EST

The music video for Ingrid Michaelson's folksy single, "Blood Brothers," has been released. Ingrid is transformed into other artists - Lady Gaga, John Lennon, Amy Winehouse, Gene Simmons, Madonna, David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust) and Beyonce - in the interesting music video. Take a look:

Photo: Mom And Pop Records

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David Hasselhoff Starts Gumball 3000 Race

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:00:00 EST
David Hasselhoff helped kickstart this year's Gumball 3000 road rally in Times Square. This year's road trip adventure runs from New York City to Los Vegas, with stops at Niagara Falls, Indianapolis 500, Detroit, St Louis, Route 66, the Grand Canyon and Death Valley. Hasselhoff was wearing a Farrah Fawcett t-shirt at the launch event. Take a look:

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Leap Motion is a Gesture Control Device for PCs

Sat, 26 May 2012 21:45:00 EST

Leap Motion is a new gesture control device for the PC. The device, which sits in front of your computer or laptop, plugs in using a USB port. The Leap senses your individual hand and finger movements independently, as well as items like a pen. The Leap can distinguish your individual fingers and track your movements down to a 1/100th of a millimeter. The Leap will retail for $69.99. It currently available for pre-order at Leapmotion.com. Take a look:

Photo: Leap Motion

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Nest Launches Beach Collection Inspired by Sea Urchins

Sat, 26 May 2012 21:00:00 EST

Nest has launched its Beach collection for 2012. The collection includes handmade porcelain containers with designs inspired by sea urchins. The fragrance in the Beach collectoin captures the essence of sparkling turquoise water and lush coconut married with juicy melon and a base of lotus flower and sensual woods.

Laura Slatkin, founder and CEO of Nest Fragrance, says, "My new fragrance, Beach, reminds me of brilliant, tranquil turquoise waters and ocean breezes ... it transports me to where I want to be most of the time. "I cannot wait to bring the collection to East Hampton; the sea urchin-inspired vessels will look so beautiful in our home. My Beach Collection is the perfect summer hostess gift!"

The new Nest fragrance collection can be found here on Neiman Marcus's website.

Photo: Nest Fragrances

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Chef Christian Sinicropi Discusses Menu, Inspiration for Special Jurors' Dinner at Cannes Film Festival

Sat, 26 May 2012 20:35:00 EST
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Chef Christian Sinicropi of the Martinez Hotel in Cannes, France. Chef Sinicropi discusses his inspiration for a very special dinner during the festival. The jurors for this year's festival are director Nanni Moretti, actress Hiam Abbass, actress Andrea Arnold, actress Emmannuelle Devos, fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, actress Diane Kruger, actor Ewan McGregor, director Alexander Payne and director Raoul Peck. Each of the juror's plates was personalized: for example, each of the directors' plates had images and quotes from films they had done. It's a very clever idea. It was a very time-consuming project -- he says he never gets to see films during the film festival, because his schedule is just too busy. The interview is in French, with English subtitles. Take a look:

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Magician Pours Beer From His iPad

Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:00 EST
A magician appears to pour a beer from his iPad at the German "Hofbraeuhaus" in Munich. The tourists seem especially amazed by the special beer pouring ipad app. Take a look:

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Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham Carter Star in Prada Short Film

Sat, 26 May 2012 19:33:00 EST

Prada released a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Roman Polanski, the film stars Sir Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham Carter. Helena plays a very wealthy woman who goes to see her psychiatrist (Kingsley). The patient kicks off her Prada heels after hanging up her purple Prada coat and reclining on the patient's couch. She begins to tell the doctor about her dream and how her father's money really was a curse, but the doctor can't concentrate on what she's saying. He simply cannot take his eyes off that coat. Finally, he gives in. He caresses the coat, then puts it on and preens in front of the mirror. The tagline is "Prada Suits Everyone." The film is called The Therapy and it's quite funny. Take a look:

Photo: Prada

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De Beers Creates Talisman Crown to Celebrate Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Sat, 26 May 2012 18:22:00 EST

De Beers celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in creating the De Beers Talisman Crown. A total of 974 diamonds were used to create the crown, including a 73 carat central rough diamond at the top of the piece. The crown is inspired by The Talisman Wonder, created by the House in 2011. The De Beers Talisman Crown will be on display at Harrods, London until 15th June 2012.

Photo: De Beers

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Chef Lindsay Autry Grills Healthy Memorial Day Feast

Sat, 26 May 2012 16:44:00 EST
Chef Lindsay Autry, who was one of the top three finalists on Top Chef: Texas, shows The Today Show's Lester Holt how to grill lemony chicken legs with pepperocinis, capers and feta. Lindsay creates a marinade for the chicken legs made of olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. She says to marinate the chicken overnight if you can. She grills the chicken for 20-30 minutes and uses a thermometer to pull it off the grill when it hit 165 degrees.

After the chicken is ready she makes a sauce of capers, pepperoncinis, olive oil, feta and parsley, and spoons it over the cooked chicken. She also makes boiled fingerling potates with Argentine style grilled chorizo and a tomato vinaigrette. It looks healthy and delicious. Take a look:

You can find Lindsay's recipes for Lemony grilled chicken legs with pepperocinis, capers and feta, Grilled broccoli n' cheese and Grilled potato "salad" with chorizo and tomato here.

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Kristen Stewart Covers the June 2012 Issue of Elle

Sat, 26 May 2012 15:44:00 EST

Kristen Stewart covers the June 2012 issue of Elle magazine. Kristen wears a beaded tulle dress from Ralph Lauren Collection on the cover, which was styled by Joe Zee. In the interview, Kristen talks about acting and the ring rumored to be from Robert Pattison.

On the Intensity of Her Roles: "It's one of the reasons I want to act. I love living in different worlds, because a lot of times mine is pretty nice and easy."

On Seeing Herself on Screen: "Laurence Olivier was asked, 'Actors, what's the impulse? Why?' And he was just like, 'Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me...' That was his answer. But at the same time it's like, 'Nooo, don't look at me. Look at some version that I'm going to present to you. Let me control it.'"

On Her Ring Rumored to be From Rpatz: "Everyone wants to know. Everyone knows already - it's ridiculous."

You can see some photographs from the cover shoot here. Here is a video of the cover shoot where Kirsten also dresses as a man:

Photo: Tom Munro/Elle

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Clowns Celebrate Clown Day in Lima, Peru

Sat, 26 May 2012 15:00:00 EST
Colorful clowns celebrated Clown Day in Lima, Peru. Over 600 people took part in the Clown parade. One of the clowns was decorated as Captain America. The clowns want Clown Day to be an officially recognized holiday. Take a look:

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David Beckham Plays Ode to Joy With Soccer Balls

Sat, 26 May 2012 14:00:00 EST
David Beckham plays Beethoven's Ode to Joy with soccer balls and a 15-foot wall of drums in this promotional video for Samsung's Galaxy Note. It's a cool video. This would make a great exercise if you could find your own 15-foot wall of drums. Take a look:

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Children Can Become Seriously Ill From Consuming Laundry Detergent Packets

Sat, 26 May 2012 13:00:00 EST
The American Association of Poison Control Centers has issued a warning about children eating single dose packs of laundry detergent. The AAPCC says some young children and toddlers who swallow these small packets have become very ill and have required hospitalization. Other children have gotten the product in their eyes, resulting in significant eye irritation. Here are some highlights of the incidents:

Ten minutes after a 20-month-old swallowed a laundry detergent packet, the child developed profuse vomiting, wheezing and gasping and then became unresponsive to even painful stimuli.
A 15-month-old who bit into a pack and swallowed a mouthful had profuse vomiting and, after arrival at a hospital, had to be put on a ventilator for airway protection.
A 17-month-old bit into a packet and then rapidly developed drowsiness, vomited, breathed the product into the lungs, and had to be put on a ventilator.
Dr. Michael Beuhler, medical director of the Carolinas Poison Center, says, "The rapid onset of significant symptoms is pretty scary. Other laundry detergents cause only mild stomach upset or even no symptoms at all. Although we aren't certain what in the product is making the children sick, we urge all parents and caregivers to make sure laundry detergent packs are not accessible to young kids."

Dr. Richard Besser discusses the danger posed by colorful detergent packets for ABC News. Some of these colorful detergent packs resemble candy, which explains why toddlers are eating them. Take a look:

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Ikuo Yokoyama's Tsunami Motorcycle to be Preserved at Harley-Davidson Museum

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

Ikuo Yokoyama's Harley-Davidson motorcyle traveled 4,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean following Japan's devastating Tsunami on March 11, 2011. The motorcycle still contained the license plate when it was found inside an insulated cargo van container by Canadian Peter Mark on a remote beach on British Columbia's Graham Island at low tide.

Working with news agencies and representatives from Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada and Harley-Davidson Japan, contact was made with 29-year-old Yokoyama, who lost his home and currently lives in temporary housing in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Harley-Davidson offered to return his bike. But still struggling to rebuild his life in the aftermath of the disaster, Yokoyama respectfully declined. Although grateful for the offer to repatriate his motorcycle and touched by the outpouring of support from Harley riders around the world, Yokoyama requested to have it preserved in the Harley-Davidson Museum in honor of those whose lives were lost or forever changed by the disaster.

Yokoyama says, "It is truly amazing that my Harley-Davidson motorcycle was recovered in Canada after drifting for more than a year. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to Peter Mark, the finder of my motorcycle. Due to circumstances caused by the disaster, I have been so far unable to visit him in Canada to convey my gratitude. Since the motorcycle was recovered, I have discussed with many people about what to do with it. I would be delighted if it could be preserved in its current condition and exhibited to the many visitors to the Harley-Davidson Museum as a memorial to a tragedy that claimed thousands of lives. I am very grateful to Harley-Davidson for offering me an opportunity to visit the museum, and I would like to do that when things have calmed down. At the same time, I would like to meet Peter, who recovered my motorcycle, to express my gratitude. Finally, I would like to thank all people around the world once again for their wholehearted support of the areas hit by the earthquake and Tsunami. I would like to ask them to help convey messages from the Japanese people about the tragedy of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which was a disaster of historic proportions."

Photo: PRNewsFoto/Harley-Davidson

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Holographic Helpers Coming to New York Airports

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:50:00 EST
The Port Authority in New York City has announced plans to introduce hologram helpers, called Customer Care Representatives, at New York City airports. These holographic reps speak 27 different languages. The Port Authority says this is the first time this technology will be used at an airport in North America.

The Port Authority says, "The computerized, hologram-like avatars will provide automated, basic information to travelers in LaGuardia's Central Terminal Building, Newark Liberty's Terminal B and JFK's Terminal 5 when they are installed in early July."

Here is a video example of one of the airport holograms - AVA, the Airport Virtual Assistant - boasting about all she can do. The second clip shows AVA directing people to the correct gate. Take a look:

The Orly Airport in Paris, France has been using the holograms since last year. The avatars are not true holograms. They are actually projections delivered onto a human-shaped piece of Plexiglass.

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