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Blake Krikorian

An Armenian-American Entrepreneur And Technology Trailblazer

Blake Krikorian is a co-founder and the former CEO of Sling Media, a consumer electronics company that builds the highly acclaimed Slingbox.

The company was founded in 2004. It was purchased in 2007 by Echostar Communications for $380 million dollars.

Krikorian started his career at General Magic, which created the Magic Cap operating system for mobile intelligent communicators and Telescript, an agent-based network programming language for the emerging electronic marketplace (pre-Internet). At General Magic, Krikorian assisted industry-leading telecom and consumer electronics companies such as NTT, Sony, Mitsubishi Electric, Sanyo, OKI and Matsushita/Panasonic in creating and defining new products and partnerships.

In 1994, Krikorian co-founded the Philips Mobile Computing Group, which was funded by Philips Electronics. As group product manager, he built and co-led the team that defined, created, delivered, and marketed the award-winning Velo 1 Windows CE Handheld PC and its associated product line.

Krikorian then left Philips Mobile Computing Group to serve as senior vice president at Metis Associates, an information technology consulting firm and incubator of core technology companies. He led the creation of Metis’ first incubated company, Mainbrace Corporation, which developed and licensed software technologies and manufacturable device platforms to system OEMs, service providers, and semiconductor vendors. Krikorian served as the company’s president for the first two years of its operation. Mainbrace was acquired by BSQUARE in 2000.

Krikorian attended UCLA, and earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering.

Source: Crunchbase.com

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From Ararat To Zion

The story of the Armenian presence in Holy Jerusalem from the early beginnings of Christianity

AGBU Montreal is proud to announce that Mountain Lake PBS will be broadcasting the TV Premiere of the multiple award-winning documentary From Ararat to Zion on Sunday the 20th of March 2011 at 7:00 p.m. and rebroadcast it on Sunday April the 24, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.

The colorful mosaic of Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land has been shaped over two thousand years. Pilgrims have brought their stories with them, and left their memories with the land.

Here the documentary filmmakers have given us a view of some essential passages in these stories, to reveal the precious identities which the stories preserve. They follow the paths taken by Armenian pilgrims as they travel between two focal points of history – from the Mount Ararat to Zion, from A to Z.

For the filmmakers themselves, the process of making this film became a pilgrimage they will remember throughout their lives. They personally experienced the perils of the journeys made so long ago by pilgrims who called themselves “those who witnessed death.”

The documentary communicates the spirit of pilgrimage which has nurtured and sustained the sanctuaries and monasteries of the Holy Land over the centuries. At the cost of immeasurable sacrifices and immense exertions, pilgrims have come to the Holy Shrines to witness the earthly presence of God.

The viewer sees the Holy Shrines through the pilgrims’ eyes. Though they may have been put on display many times before, these special places emerge anew in the film, revealing their otherworldly essence and life-transforming power.

The film shows such striking scenes as the Holy Sepulcher by night, the colorful spectacles of Easter in Jerusalem, the Ceremony of Holy Light, Mount Sinai in Egypt, the Monasteries of the Judean Desert, the summit of Mount Ararat

The documentary is woven together to make an impact at every level, through the exceptional narration of Aidan Quinn, the beautiful music of Lisa Gerrard, and the striking visuals and rich personal reflections.

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VIZA (rock band)

Their website defines VIZA as “a passport into a musical endeavor that touches its conspirators, cultural, spiritual, and literal influences, while translating them into a perfect balance of old world nostalgia, modern experimentation and social revival.”

Our translation: damn good music!

If you haven’t already heard of the rock band VIZA, you’re in for a real treat. Comprised of a bevy of talented multi-national band members, many of whom are of Armenian descent, they bring a fresh new experience to today’s “been there, done that” rock music scene.

Don’t believe us? Check out this awesome video for their wickedly beautiful song “Breakout the Violins”, directed by Tadeh Daschi.

Now, that’s good stuff!

Wanna see and hear more? Here’s their latest release “Trans-Siberian Standoff”…

Do you believe us now?

While there’s no doubt that their music is strong enough to stand on its own, it doesn’t hurt that the band is managed by Serjical Strike, the company that’s run by System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian.