Camera showdown: iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5 tested in the wilds of Patagonia

One of our favorite travel photogs, Austin Mann, snapped up an iPhone 5 and flew to Iceland last year in order to pit Apple's latest flagship against its prior king in a bitterly cold camera test. This year, Mr. Mann hopped a flight down to Patagonia in order to pit the iPhone 5s' sensor against that of the 5. One of the more remarkable findings was the dynamic exposure applied to panoramas with the 5s; in his testing, pans that involved dark and light subjects were accounted for properly without the use of HDR. The result was a far more evenly lit panoramic image, whereas prior iPhone cameras tended to blow out a portion of the image to compensate for another portion.

The 5s also demonstrated dynamic range that was said to be "remarkably better" than on the 5. In post-processing, images taken with the 5s maintained integrity far better than the 5 when using Snapseed to recover details lost in shadows. Not surprisingly, shutter lag has gone from impressive to "nonexistent," and he noted that the 5s' burst mode is intensely useful for action shooters who need to quickly grab a litany of shots (say, of a lion pouncing on its next meal) and select the one with just a few swipes.

The iPhone 5's camera was certainly no slouch, but Apple's tweaking seems to have produced a markedly superior camera on the 5s. Interestingly, in a gallery of side-by-side comparison shots, the 5s displayed results that were a bit flatter with less noticeable contrast. According to Mann, "photographers will liken this to a RAW image, which doesn't look as nice off the bat, but has a lot more flexibility for editing on the backend." For more comparisons -- including a look at the 120FPS Slo Mo mode -- point your browser of choice right here.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/12/camera-showdown-iphone-5s-vs-iphone-5-tested-in-the-wilds-of-p?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000589
Tags: Jordan Linn Graham   Cody Rhodes   lsu football   justin timberlake   megyn kelly  

2 killers escape Fla. prison with bogus documents

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — At first glance, the paperwork ordering the release of two convicted murderers serving life sentences in a Florida prison looked legitimate.

So the guards at Franklin Correctional Institution in the Florida Panhandle put one of the men on a bus and opened the gates for the other to ride away with family. Authorities now say prison officials were duped by the court documents, which included a fake motion from a prosecutor and a judge's forged signature.

As prison officials, prosecutors and courts across the state scrambled to make sure no one else had been mistakenly released, police were searching for the two men who already had a head start. Joseph Jenkins was let out Sept. 27, and Charles Walker was freed Oct. 8.

Prisoners have had varying success trying to use bogus documents to escape. Many forgeries are discovered early, but there have been cases where inmates walk free.

In the Florida case, Chief Circuit Judge Belvin Perry said Thursday there were several red flags that should have attracted the attention of the court clerk's office or the Corrections Department. Namely, it's rare for a judge to order a sentence reduction, and even more uncommon for the request to come from prosecutors.

"One of the things we have never taken a close look at is the verification of a particular document to make sure it's the real McCoy," said Perry, whose name was forged on the paperwork. "I knew that that was always a possibility, but you never want that possibility occurring in the way that it did."

Jenkins, 34, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1998 killing and botched robbery of Roscoe Pugh, an Orlando man.

State Attorney Jeffrey Ashton said he learned Jenkins had been released when Pugh's family contacted his office. They reviewed the paperwork and found that it was a fake, then notified law enforcement. Later, they discovered Walker's release documents were also bogus. The paperwork also forged prosecutors' signatures, Ashton said.

It wasn't clear exactly who dummied up the paperwork or if the two cases were connected.

Upon hearing of Jenkins' release, his former attorney, Bob Wesley, said he was sure "it wasn't a cunning master plan."

Wesley, now the public defender for metro Orlando, recalled his client's crime and said Jenkins broke into a home of someone he knew and was "not smart enough to pull his ski mask down."

Walker was convicted of second-degree murder in a 1999 slaying in Orange County. He told investigators that 23-year-old Cedric Slater was bullying him and he fired three shots intending to scare him.

Walker's then-defense attorney, Robert LeBlanc, now a judge in Orlando, refused to comment.

Department of Corrections spokeswoman Misty Cash didn't know which prisoner had been dropped off at the bus station, but said officials routinely work with inmates who are getting out.

"If they need a bus ticket, we'll provide that for them," she said.

In a statement, Corrections Secretary Michael Crews said his agency was reviewing records to make sure no other inmates had been released in a similar fashion. The agency said later Thursday it verified the prisoners' release information with the clerk's office, though this could have been done by checking the court's website or contacting the office directly. The statement didn't say which one the agency did.

Ashton said another man serving a life sentence for attempting to kill a law enforcement officer was also scheduled to be released using forged documents, but an investigator discovered the scheme in the spring before he was freed.

Other inmates have escaped with fake paperwork. In 2010, a Wisconsin killer forged documents that shortened his prison sentence and he walked free. He was captured a week later. In 2012, a prisoner in Pennsylvania was let out with bogus court documents and the mistake wasn't discovered until more than three months later.

Florida state Rep. Darryl Rouson, the Democratic ranking member of the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, said the Legislature should hold hearings to examine the agency's procedures.

"This is unconscionable, almost unthinkable," said Rouson, a St. Petersburg lawyer.

Republican Gov. Rick Scott said he was focused on the manhunt.

"The first thing you do when something like this happens is solve the problem you have at hand," he said. "We need to apprehend these individuals and that's what we're doing."

In both cases, the forged paperwork included motions from prosecutors to correct "illegal" sentences, accompanied by orders allegedly filed by Perry within the last couple of months. The orders granted a 15-year sentence. Perry is best known for presiding over the Casey Anthony murder trial in 2011.

Leesa Bainbridge, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Clerk of Courts, said the office moves thousands of pages of court documents a day and currently has no way of authenticating those that pass through to other agencies.

"We're kind of like the post office," Bainbridge said. "It comes in and we move it along."

Bainbridge said officials in the clerk's office plan to talk about what measures, if any, can be put in place to make sure something similar doesn't happen again.

"This is something we take very seriously," she said. "We don't find this funny."

Perry said changing the type of paper orders are printed on, or requiring a phone call to the judge's office could help. More technologically advanced measures may have to be implemented as Florida's court system finishes transitioning into a paperless system, he said.

"I think this will open that discussion," Perry said.

___

Farrington reported from Tallahassee.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap

Follow Brendan Farrington on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bsfarrington

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-killers-escape-fla-prison-bogus-documents-230219717.html
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Environmental Defense Fund launches toolkit to help fishermen and managers

Public release date: 17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Rahel Marsie-Hazen
rmarsie-hazen@edf.org
415-293-6105
Environmental Defense Fund

Manuals, guides and reports to design sustainable and profitable fisheries, including those with limited data

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA October 17, 2013) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today launched the world's most comprehensive toolkit for designing and implementing management systems that can restore the resiliency, sustainability and profitability of fisheries around the world. Visit http://www.fisherytoolkit.edf.org.

"Global overfishing is a 21st century problem that people have been trying to fix with 20th century solutions," said Kate Bonzon, Director of EDF's Catch Share Design Center. "Our toolkit provides low cost, cutting-edge and highly replicable solutions to help fishermen and fishery managers achieve economic and ecological recovery, even in fisheries lacking adequate data."

According to a recent study in Science, 80% of global fisheries lack important data for stock assessments, a critical first step toward sustainable fisheries. EDF's toolkit includes a guide dedicated to bridging this gap, providing fishermen and managers with key resources and expertise.

Developed in conjunction with more than 80 global experts, the toolkit reflects the experience of successful and diverse fisheries around the world. It highlights pragmatic solutions to pressing problems and provides guidance that fishermen and managers can use to navigate the administrative hurdles they often face.

"Each year, poor governance costs the global fishing industry as much as $50 billion," said Michael Arbuckle, Senior Fisheries Specialist for the World Bank. "EDF has developed a valuable tool that can help fisheries managers create economic and social benefits for the many fishers and communities dependent on the resource for their future."

The toolkit includes more than a dozen design, planning and educational features:

• An updated Catch Share Design Manual that guides fishermen and fishery managers through a step-by-step process to design catch shares, an approach to managing fisheries that allocates secure areas or shares of the catch to participants
  
• A dedicated volume on designing Cooperative Catch Shares, which includes in-depth guidance on effective co-management of fisheries
  
• A dedicated volume on designing Territorial Use Rights for Fishing (TURFs), including new concepts for addressing the unique challenges of nearshore fisheries
  
• Guides on science-based management for fisheries that have limited data and transferable effort share programs, a form of rights-based management that has served as a stepping stone towards more effective, long-term management solutions
  
• More than a dozen in-depth reports on fisheries, from Samoa to Spain, that have customized catch shares to meet their goals
  
• A searchable database of global catch share fisheries, accessed through an interactive map
  
• "What's the Catch?," an online game that allows players to captain their own vessel and experience the ups and downs of commercial fishing

For decades, EDF has worked alongside fishermen and fishery managers to end overfishing by developing proven fishery management solutions.

"I needed advice on how to suggest management decisions for the Prawn fishery in Sweden and the design manual has been my guide," said Peter Olsson, a Swedish fisherman who catches Norwegian lobster and herring out of Smgen, Sweden.

"We believe access to helpful, easy-to-use tools is key to developing sustainable and profitable fisheries," said Amanda Leland, Vice President for EDF's Oceans Program. "And we want to ensure these tools are readily available to managers and fishermen around the world."

###

Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on our Oceans Twitter and Facebook, and follow our EDFish blog.

Environmental Defense Fund's Catch Share Design Center is a diverse team of global fishery experts who are dedicated to providing research-driven insight on improving fisheries management. From data to design, the center equips fisheries stakeholders with the tools and resources needed to create and maintain sustainable and profitable fisheries.

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 17-Oct-2013
[


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]

Contact: Rahel Marsie-Hazen
rmarsie-hazen@edf.org
415-293-6105
Environmental Defense Fund

Manuals, guides and reports to design sustainable and profitable fisheries, including those with limited data

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA October 17, 2013) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today launched the world's most comprehensive toolkit for designing and implementing management systems that can restore the resiliency, sustainability and profitability of fisheries around the world. Visit http://www.fisherytoolkit.edf.org.

"Global overfishing is a 21st century problem that people have been trying to fix with 20th century solutions," said Kate Bonzon, Director of EDF's Catch Share Design Center. "Our toolkit provides low cost, cutting-edge and highly replicable solutions to help fishermen and fishery managers achieve economic and ecological recovery, even in fisheries lacking adequate data."

According to a recent study in Science, 80% of global fisheries lack important data for stock assessments, a critical first step toward sustainable fisheries. EDF's toolkit includes a guide dedicated to bridging this gap, providing fishermen and managers with key resources and expertise.

Developed in conjunction with more than 80 global experts, the toolkit reflects the experience of successful and diverse fisheries around the world. It highlights pragmatic solutions to pressing problems and provides guidance that fishermen and managers can use to navigate the administrative hurdles they often face.

"Each year, poor governance costs the global fishing industry as much as $50 billion," said Michael Arbuckle, Senior Fisheries Specialist for the World Bank. "EDF has developed a valuable tool that can help fisheries managers create economic and social benefits for the many fishers and communities dependent on the resource for their future."

The toolkit includes more than a dozen design, planning and educational features:

• An updated Catch Share Design Manual that guides fishermen and fishery managers through a step-by-step process to design catch shares, an approach to managing fisheries that allocates secure areas or shares of the catch to participants
  
• A dedicated volume on designing Cooperative Catch Shares, which includes in-depth guidance on effective co-management of fisheries
  
• A dedicated volume on designing Territorial Use Rights for Fishing (TURFs), including new concepts for addressing the unique challenges of nearshore fisheries
  
• Guides on science-based management for fisheries that have limited data and transferable effort share programs, a form of rights-based management that has served as a stepping stone towards more effective, long-term management solutions
  
• More than a dozen in-depth reports on fisheries, from Samoa to Spain, that have customized catch shares to meet their goals
  
• A searchable database of global catch share fisheries, accessed through an interactive map
  
• "What's the Catch?," an online game that allows players to captain their own vessel and experience the ups and downs of commercial fishing

For decades, EDF has worked alongside fishermen and fishery managers to end overfishing by developing proven fishery management solutions.

"I needed advice on how to suggest management decisions for the Prawn fishery in Sweden and the design manual has been my guide," said Peter Olsson, a Swedish fisherman who catches Norwegian lobster and herring out of Smgen, Sweden.

"We believe access to helpful, easy-to-use tools is key to developing sustainable and profitable fisheries," said Amanda Leland, Vice President for EDF's Oceans Program. "And we want to ensure these tools are readily available to managers and fishermen around the world."

###

Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on our Oceans Twitter and Facebook, and follow our EDFish blog.

Environmental Defense Fund's Catch Share Design Center is a diverse team of global fishery experts who are dedicated to providing research-driven insight on improving fisheries management. From data to design, the center equips fisheries stakeholders with the tools and resources needed to create and maintain sustainable and profitable fisheries.

---

[


| E-mail



| Share

]

 

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/vc-edf101713.php
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No beards! 'Duck Dynasty' stars unrecognizable

TV

Anna Chan
TODAY

1 hour ago

Mention "Duck Dynasty," and the first things that come to mind are likely the Robertson family's giant, bushy beards and camouflage gear. Yet in a 2001 photo obtained by Life & Style, the stars of A&E's hit show look more like Abercrombie & Fitch models than the scruffy guys viewers have come to know.

Courtesy of Life & Style

Gone is the backwoods look. Instead, from left, Willie, Alan, Ms. Kay, Jase and Jep are sporting clean-shaven faces, healthy tans, nice 'dos and no camo. In fact, they look much more like the multi-millionaires that they are — thanks to their family-run duck-call business — than they do on their hit show. (Dare we say that Willie even resembles "Chicago Fire" star Taylor Kinney?)

Granted, the photo was taken eight years before their first show, Outdoor Channel's "Duck Commander," but the change in appearance over 12 years (and a hit cable program) is pretty astounding. Even cooler, mom Kay, 62, actually looks younger now.

Art Streiber / A&E

From left, Si, Ms. Kay, Jase, Korie, Willie and Phil Robertson.

"Duck Dynasty" airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on A&E.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/beards-duck-dynasty-stars-are-unrecognizable-8C11411204
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Mo. sex assault case expected to get fresh start

This photo taken on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013 shows the house in Maryville, Missouri that was burned while Melinda Coleman was trying to sell it. A 14-year-old girl who says she was raped by an older boy from her school could get another chance to bring the case to court after a prosecutor criticized for his handling of the case asked that a special prosecutor review the allegations. The girl's mother, Melinda Coleman, claims justice was denied when prosecutor Robert Rice dropped felony charges in March 2012, two months after she says her daughter was plied with alcohol, raped, then dumped on the family's front porch in sub-freezing temperatures. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)

This photo taken on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013 shows the house in Maryville, Missouri that was burned while Melinda Coleman was trying to sell it. A 14-year-old girl who says she was raped by an older boy from her school could get another chance to bring the case to court after a prosecutor criticized for his handling of the case asked that a special prosecutor review the allegations. The girl's mother, Melinda Coleman, claims justice was denied when prosecutor Robert Rice dropped felony charges in March 2012, two months after she says her daughter was plied with alcohol, raped, then dumped on the family's front porch in sub-freezing temperatures. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)

This photo taken on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013 shows the house in Maryville, Missouri that was burned while Melinda Coleman was trying to sell it. A 14-year-old girl who says she was raped by an older boy from her school could get another chance to bring the case to court after a prosecutor criticized for his handling of the case asked that a special prosecutor review the allegations. The girl's mother, Melinda Coleman, claims justice was denied when prosecutor Robert Rice dropped felony charges in March 2012, two months after she says her daughter was plied with alcohol, raped, then dumped on the family's front porch in sub-freezing temperatures. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)

Melinda Coleman listens to a question during an interview in her home in Albany, Mo., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013. Coleman says justice was denied when charges were dropped against the boys that her 14-year-old daughter said sexually assaulted her and a 13-year-old friend. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

County prosecutor Robert Rice, left, and Sheriff Darren White, back, hold a news conference outside the Nodaway County Court House in Maryville, Mo., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013. Rice announced that he's asking for a special prosecutor to look at the case of a 14-year-old girl who says she was plied with alcohol and raped by a 17-year-old acquaintance. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

County prosecutor Robert Rice, right, and Sheriff Darren White hold a news conference outside the Nodaway County Court House in Maryville, Mo., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) — The case of a 14-year-old girl who says she was raped by an older boy from her Missouri high school and left passed out on her porch in freezing temperatures is expected to get a fresh start under a special prosecutor.

A special prosecutor will be able to launch his own investigation, interview witnesses and work independently from the local prosecutor who's faced intense scrutiny for dropping felony charges in the case last year, experts said Thursday.

"The idea is really to have a third party who is removed from the process, who can bring the appearance of objectivity and neutrality," said Richard Reuben, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Law. "At the end of the day they would look like a prosecutor who is truly independent."

The new prosecutor's final decision carries high stakes: It could settle the debate over whether Rice was right to drop the charges, or validate the accusers' outrage by pushing the case toward a trial.

Nodaway County prosecutor Robert Rice filed a motion Thursday for a judge to appoint a special prosecutor in the case, which has gained new attention after The Kansas City Star published results of a seven-month investigation.

The case and the publicity has shaken the small college town of Maryville, where the girl's mother, Melinda Coleman, said her family was forced to move after being harassed over the allegations. Her house in Maryville burned down while the family was trying to sell it, but a cause hasn't ben determined.

Coleman, was outraged when Rice dropped felony charges in March 2012, two months after she says her daughter was plied with alcohol, raped, then dumped on the family's front porch. She said her daughter's 13-year-old friend was raped by another boy the same evening.

"I think it's really good that we have a chance to have someone listen objectively," Coleman said Thursday. "That brings a lot of healing in itself."

Rice insists the initial investigation collapsed after the Colemans became uncooperative with investigators — something Coleman has denied.

Anchored by Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville may be best known as a football town, illustrated by the giant "bearcat" paw prints painted on Fourth Street and leading the way to the university's football stadium. Signs in the windows of local shops and bars support the Bearcats, whose annual game against rival Pittsburg State University is so big it's played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and dubbed the Fall Classic.

Since the Star's story was published, the town has been deluged with negative reactions, most of it coming from people on social media who have condemned the town for seemingly abandoning sexual assault victims. The case now is the talk of the town, and locals are anxious for a resolution.

"I have some friends who get together, but since this has been going on, they have to sit and argue their opinions," said Kyle Ponder, a 22-year-old lifelong Maryville resident. "This is splitting the town in two."

Few have disputed the central facts of the case. Daisy Coleman was 14 on the night in January 2012 she and 13-year-old friend drank alcohol they stashed in a closet, sneaked out of the Colemans' Maryville home and met with three boys, including two 17-year-olds.

Daisy's mother says one of the older boys sexually assaulted her daughter while the girl was passed out, while the 15-year-old boy forced the 13-year-old to have sex in a different room. The second 17-year-old was accused of recording the incident involving Daisy on his cellphone.

The two older boys were initially charged as adults with felonies, while the younger boy's case was handled in the juvenile system. Months later, Rice dropped all the charges against the older boys, saying the victims had invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The boys have insisted the sex act involving Daisy Coleman was consensual.

Authorities say the cellphone video had been deleted and investigators at the regional forensics lab in Kansas City could not recover it from the cellphone.

The Associated Press does not generally name victims of sexual assault but is naming the Colemans because they have been granting public interviews about the case. The AP is not naming the accused boys because there are no active charges against them.

Rice says he's asking for a special prosecutor only because media stories have questioned the integrity of the county's justice system. He stands by claims that the case fell apart only after the Colemans and the other girl refused to answer questions.

A special prosecutor could seek to interview the original prosecutor as a witness in the case but would conduct an entirely separate investigation. A special prosecutor would investigate if there's been a crime and would have the authority to bring charges, said Reuben, the professor at the University of Missouri.

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said special prosecutors are used often in Missouri. Zahnd, who has asked for special prosecutors and has also served as a special prosecutor, said the designation in Nodaway County could be given to any other lawyer in the state, including another county prosecutor or someone from the Missouri Attorney General's Office.

About a block off of Maryville's town square, Fred Robertson was cutting hair Thursday at his barbershop when the case came up. Robertson said it's sad that the town has been caught up in the media spotlight for something most people had nothing to do with.

"You can work all your life to have something good, and something like this can tear it up in a short time," he said. "There are no winners."

___

Maria Sudekum contributed to this report from Kansas City, Mo.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-17-Missouri-Teen%20Sex%20Assault/id-827f258dc2044df8952257caefc9b424
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Budget talks begin, but no guarantee of success

House Budget Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., walks to a meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 in Washington. Senate leaders announced last-minute agreement Wednesday to avert a threatened Treasury default and reopen the government after a partial, 16-day shutdown. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

House Budget Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., walks to a meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 in Washington. Senate leaders announced last-minute agreement Wednesday to avert a threatened Treasury default and reopen the government after a partial, 16-day shutdown. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., walk to a news conference after voting on a measure to avert a threatened Treasury default and reopen the government after a partial, 16-day shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013. The bill moves next to the Republican-controlled House. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional budget negotiators aren't guaranteeing success as they begin talks aimed at solving the nation's budget problems.

Republican and Democratic leaders of a joint House-Senate committee met for breakfast Thursday morning as they started talks.

The committee was formed as part of a deal to reopen the government and extend the government's ability to borrow money.

Both GOP Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state are promising to search for common ground.

But Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama is cautioning against raising expectations, and Democratic. Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland says just talking doesn't guarantee success. But Van Hollen notes that not talking guarantees failure.

The committee has a mid-December deadline.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-10-17-Budget%20Battle-Negotiators/id-23d87ccee8354f9791bf328984e14fa8
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Tech Startups Face All The Usual Challenges And More In Gaza

Building an IT startup in the Gaza Strip isn't simple: Electricity is sporadic, there's no mobile 3G and even if you can sell your app outside Gaza's tightly controlled borders, it's difficult to get paid. Still, IT has some advantages in Gaza, and the possibilities have fostered a crop of devout entrepreneurs. At a first-of-its kind session to win seed money this week, Gazan entrepreneurs pitched, among other things, an app that uses music to help colorblind people dress well, a sports social network and 3-D printing for the masses.

Copyright © 2013 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

Building an IT startup on the Gaza Strip isn't simple: electricity is sporadic, there is no 3G network. You can sell your product outside Gaza's tightly controlled borders, but it can be difficult to move the money back into Gaza. Nonetheless, half a dozen entrepreneurs from Gaza recently pitched their ideas for consideration in a unique program, one that could catapult their businesses into the global marketplace.

NPR's Emily Harris reports.

EMILY HARRIS, BYLINE: Lina Shamia is a soccer fan. Real Madrid is her favorite team, and she and friends gather at a cafe or apartment in Gaza City to watch televised games whenever they can. She noticed that a lot of people in Gaza do the same.

LINA SHAMIA: After the end of the game, they have a social talk, discussing the game itself and analyzing it, and sharing their opinions of it. So we thought about translating this idea into an online world.

HARRIS: Specifically, an online social network centered around sports. Lina co-founded Datrios, a Gaza startup that just won $14,000 in seed funding from Oasis500, a Jordanian firm. Salwa Katkhuda is Oasis' investment manager.

SALWA KATKHUDA: There are several sports networks. But this specific company has certain unique selling points, like the Arabic interface, like allowing crowdsourcing, which is something that these networks don't have.

HARRIS: Another just-funded Gaza startup is developing an app to help people who are colorblind choose clothes. Color Vision takes a picture of what you want to wear, then tells you the colors using text, or music.

MANAL SLEEM: Every color has tune of a piano. So when red, do.

(SOUNDBITE OF A TONE)

HARRIS: Manal Sleem came up with this idea thanks to a friend who is colorblind, and uses a stand-alone device to help her distinguish between colors.

SLEEM: But this device is too expensive. It's from Germany. Yeah, but I get the same solution by one point nine nine dollars.

HARRIS: One dollar ninety nine cents.

SLEEM: One dollar - $1.99.

HARRIS: And even though it's hard for Manal herself to travel outside of the Gaza Strip, her app could be sold anywhere.

One hundred sixty four Gazan entrepreneurs applied for a chance to pitch their ideas to the Jordanian investment firm. Seven got a shot. Three, so far, have been chosen for funding. Salwa Katkhuda of Oasis500 says she's looking forward to working with these groups from Gaza.

KATKHUDA: They are hungry to start their own business. They are ready to work really hard. They are ready to beat the odds and they have that culture embedded in them.

HARRIS: In addition to the $14,000, each startup will participate in several months of intensive training then have a chance to pitch other investors for a lot more money. This business accelerator is a partnership with the humanitarian aid organization Mercy Corps.

John Ross directs Mercy Corps Digital Economy Program. He wants to build a blueprint from this experience in Gaza.

JOHN ROSS: A model that can be replicated in other countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa; we're looking at Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, West Bank and Gaza.

HARRIS: Young IT entrepreneurs in Gaza hope this recent chance to pitch outside investors won't be their last.

Emily Harris, NPR News

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

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Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=235570841&ft=1&f=1004
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