Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/2/2014

Home prices accelerated in October

U.S. home prices rose at a faster year-over-year pace in October than in September, snapping a seven-month slowdown. Still, home values are rising more slowly than they were earlier this year, when 12-month gains were averaging nearly double their current pace. More at the AP.

Guest Column
Florida farms bursting with innovation

We can never let up in our support for research and development for the state's farms. With the economy improving and the state budget picture much brighter than it has been in years, we have an opportunity to put resources into innovation.
» Read Jack Payne's full column here.

Jack Payne is the University of Florida's senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and head of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Citrix appoints chief strategy officer

Fort Lauderdale-based software developer Citrix Systems said Monday it has appointed a new chief strategy officer, Geir Ramleth. Ramleth, who will report to Citrix chief executive Mark Templeton, formerly led Bechtel Corp.'s transformation to cloud-based workplace services. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

For school project, next stop is space

It looks like a green, high-tech coffee can with tape-measure arms and side solar panels. It was designed by a team of Florida students and built by students at Florida International University. And if all goes according to plan, it will be launched into space in mid-2015. More at the AP.

After Black Friday, Cyber Monday, a day for giving

Folks feeling overwhelmed by the flood of advertising pleas to part with their dollars on Black Friday or Cyber Monday get a change of pace today. It's "Giving Tuesday," a day of charity wedged in a season of buying. More at the Tampa Bay Times.

Entrepreneurs wanted for Unpitch South Florida event

Palm Beach Angels managing member Jeff Brown is hosting the first Unpitch South Florida dinner, which will bring together about 12 local angel investors and venture capitalists with 50 to 60 entrepreneurs. The idea is to take both groups out of the pressure cooker for a couple hours. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Out of the Box
Girl Scouts "byting" into digital for cookie sales

Watch out world, the Girl Scouts are going digital to sell you cookies. For the first time since sales began nearly 100 years, Girl Scouts of the USA will allow its young go-getters to push their wares using a mobile app or personalized websites. But only if their scout councils and guardians say OK.