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FAQ LEAP (Learn, Engage, Adapt, and Plan) Week
- When and where is LEAP (Learn, Engage, Adapt, and Plan) Week?
- Are my parents allowed to come to LEAP Week?
- What requirements are there before I am allowed to register for classes?
- I have received the results for my Math placement test but have not yet received the results for my English placement test. Is that normal? And what about my Chemistry placement test?
- What do I need to bring for LEAP Week?
- Where can my parents and I stay if we are coming in from far away?
- When do Fall classes begin?
- How do I get to WCSU for LEAP Week?
- When will I get information about LEAP Week?
- Where do I park for LEAP Week?
- I am a transfer student. Do I really need to attend LEAP Week?
- How do I register for LEAP Week?
- What is the "Entering the Gates" ceremony and why is it important?
- What do I do if I need accommodations for my disability during LEAP Week?
- What do I do if I need special dietary accommodations?
- What if I am a part-time student?
- What if I am an adult or non-traditional student? Do I still need to attend LEAP Week?
- Will I be able to purchase my books during LEAP Week?
- How do I find out about how to get involved on campus?
- How do I get an ID Card?
- Where do I go to pay my bill or find out about Financial Aid?
- When can new students move into the residence halls?
- What type of meal plans are available and who can get them?
- What immunizations must I provide in order to register for classes?
- Do I need to show any other immunization if I will be residing on campus?
Technology Frequently Asked Questions
- What computer facilities are available at WCSU?
- How do I get a WCSU Windows account?
- Should I get a University email account?
- What is a WestConnduit account, and where can I get one?
- Should I bring my own computer?
- I want to purchase a computer to bring to WCSU. What should I buy?
- Is WCSU Wireless?
- How can I use my computer in the Residence Hall (ResNet)?
- I am not very computer savvy. Where can I get help?
When and where is LEAP (Learn, Engage, Adapt and Plan) Week?
LEAP Week begins on August 24th. A schedule with all of the week's activities will be posted on-line.
What requirements are there before I am allowed to register?
The following information must be in place before you can register for classes:
- make your $200.00 non-refundable deposit
- CT State Law requires all students submit required immunizations on the Connecticut State University Student Health Service Form provided in your admission packet or available at www.wcsu.edu/healthservices/onlineforms.asp. These forms should be mailed or faxed (203-837-8583) to Health Service before the start of the semester or you may bring them when you come to campus for Orientation.
- you will need to have taken any applicable placement test as noted in your admissions packet (Math, English, and Chemistry)
If you missed Summer Orientation and need to catch up, you will be sent your schedule along with a package of information to help you get on track for the Fall semester. Transfer students need to meet with an advisor as soon as possible after being accepted (don't forget to bring your program sheet to the meeting). If you just now got accepted to WCSU, please make an appointment with the Advisement Center online or call them at 203-837-8397 to register for classes.
What immunizations must I provide in order to register for classes?
Connecticut State law requires students to present immunizations in order to register for courses. Please go to www.wcsu.edu/healthservices and click on immunization requirements for details.
Do I need to show any other immunization if I will be residing on campus?
All residence hall students are required by Connecticut State Law, Public Act 01-93, to have documented proof of immunization with meningococcal vaccine (menactra or menomune) before arriving on campus. Please submit your proof to the Health Services office located in front of Litchfield Hall, Midtown campus. Also, you may fax your information to (203)837-8583.
When do Fall classes begin?
Classes begin on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.
How do I register for LEAP Week?
You do not have to register for LEAP Week. But, if you have any questions you can call 203-837-9700 or send an email to email@example.com.
What is the "Entering the Gates" ceremony and why is it important?
During the "Entering the Gates" ceremony, you, as a new member of the WCSU community, will enter through the university gates, symbolically leaving behind your life as high school student or student at another university. Led by the university president, deans, and faculty in academic regalia, you will enter and accept your new role as a responsible member of the WCSU community and university life.
This tradition was started in 1999 and has been a part of the LEAP Week activities ever since. Similar traditions have been part of opening ceremonies at many other colleges and universities around the country, including Ivy League schools such as Penn or Brown.
Students should line up around 12:00 p.m. on the Alumni/Friends Circle. Make sure you wear your new WCSU t-shirt which you'll receive at check-in. Parents may line-up on the paths leading from the gates to the Science Building lawn where the Opening Ceremony will be held. Faculty and staff will also assemble around 12:15 p.m. in the Alumni and Friends Circle next to Old Main and the Gates to lead the procession.
It's time to take on your new role and be proud of it!
When will I get information about LEAP (Learn, Engage, Adapt and Plan) Week?
You will receive an email about LEAP Week in mid-August and a reminder email will be sent to all students later in the month. Your best source of information, however, will be the detailed schedule posted on the web which will be updated continuously as we get closer to LEAP Week.
What do I need to bring for LEAP Week?
If you are planning to buy or rent your books, bring cash or credit cards and a copy of your schedule. If you have not yet submitted your proof of immunization, please bring that with you as well.
If you're a commuter student, bring your WCSU ID card to the events and get a taste of what WCSU is all about!
If you're a resident student, remember to move in only at the appointed time as indicated in the email you received (or will receive). Bring a print-out of your residence-hall check-in time which should be displayed in your car window. Below is a short list of items you should bring. For more detailed information, check out the "What to Bring to Campus" pamphlet or refer to the Housing & Residence Life website.
- Clothes for hot and cold weather
- Toiletries
- Bathroom Linens
- Bedding (sheets for a regular-sized twin bed, comforter, pillow, pillow case, etc.)
- Laundry supplies (detergent, dryer sheets, quarters, etc. Laundry facilities work from your WestConnect account on your card, and save you money. You may want to consider loading some cash on your ID card.)
- Computer
- Other essential items
Are my parents allowed to come to LEAP Week?
Yes, there will be activities for your parents on the first day of LEAP (Learn, Engage, Adapt, and Plan) Week, August 23rd such as the "Entering the Gates" and "Opening Ceremony" as well as the Barbeque immediately following the "Entering the Gates" ceremony. Your parents are invited to stay for dinner but would have to pay for that.
Where can my parents and I stay if we are coming in from far away?
Here is a list of hotels that are only about 10-15 minutes away from our Midtown and Westside campuses:
Midtown campus:
Westside campus:
- Crowne Plaza Danbury
- Ethan Allen Inn
- Hotel Zero Degrees
- Maron Hotel and Suites
- Residence Inn by Marriot
- Spring Hill Suites
How do I get to WCSU for LEAP Week?
Directions and a map can be found here: http://www.wcsu.edu/campustour/.
Directions from the local airports can be found here: /orientation/travel.asp
Where do I park for LEAP Week?
Student parking at the Midtown campus is available only in the parking garages. Parking restrictions apply. Student parking at the Westside campus is in the assigned commuter and/or resident student lots. Please consult the parking area chart for details. Please check our website for directions at http://www.wcsu.edu/campustour/.
Students moving into the residence halls will have received an email with a half hour appointed time for move-in. Cars need to be unloaded quickly and then have to be moved to one of the parking garages.
I am a transfer student. Do I really need to attend LEAP Week?
Yes. We encourage all students to attend not only to familiarize themselves with resources and services available at WCSU but also to get to know other students, form connections, and make friends by having a good time together. If you have not already gotten your ID card and computer accounts, now is the time to do so considering you will need them for the start of the school year.
What if I am a part-time student?
Part-time students are invited and encouraged to attend LEAP Week. Just like our full-time students you can learn something about WCSU and get to know other students in a fun and informative setting. If you have not already had the time to do so, now is also the time to make sure you get your ID card, computer accounts, buy your books, etc.
What if I am an adult or non-traditional student? Do I still need to attend LEAP Week?
Yes. There will be a lot of information available during orientation that is important to all students.
What do I do if I need accommodations for my disability during LEAP Week?
If you have a disability and require special accommodations for LEAP Week or your classes, contact WCSU's AccessAbility Services office at (203) 837-8225. To find out more information you can go to their website: www.wcsu.edu/accessability.
Will I be able to purchase my books during LEAP Week?
Yes, there will be time during or after LEAP Week for students to purchase their books. Textbooks may be purchased with cash or check (valid Government issued ID required). Bring a printout of your class schedule. Credit cards will be accepted only if the cardholder is present. Follett gift cards will also be accepted for all purchases. If you put money into your WestConnect account, you can use your WestConnect card at the bookstore. Books can also be ordered online from the WCSU Bookstore website and will be delivered directly to your residence hall on move-in day at no extra charge. Some textbooks are also available for rental and in detail format. See the WCSU bookstore website for additional information.
How do I find out about getting involved on campus?
You can visit our website, http://wcsu.edu/studentlife/clubsbridge/, to see what student organizations are already on campus or how to form your own club or organization. During LEAP Week you can meet many of the student organizations at Club's Carnival.
How do I get a parking decal/ID Card?
Parking decals were discontinued effective July 1, 2016. Students no longer need any stickers or decals. However, parking locations are limited to the two parking garages on the Midtown campus, and the commuter lots and Centennial Parking garage on the Westside campus.
Where do I go to pay my bill or find out about Financial Aid?
The Cashier's Office is located on the first floor of the Old Main Administration Building where you will be able to handle all billing inquiries or you may visit their web site at http://www.wcsu.edu/cashiers/. Bills are due in full in mid-July for Fall, and mid-December for the Spring semester.
The Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment is also located on the first floor of the Old Main Administration Building where you can find answers to any of your financial aid concerns, or go to http://www.wcsu.edu/finaid/.
When can new students move into the residence halls?
New students who are registered as full-time (12 credits or more) will be eligible to move into their residence hall on Monday, August 24, the first day of LEAP Week. Students who are not yet registered for 12 or more credits will need to see the Registrar prior to the move in date. Please check your WCSU email for your specific half hour move-in time-slot (this email will be sent in early August). Print that email and display the time prominently in the windshield of your car. For detailed information regarding the move-in process, please click here.
What type of meal plans are available and who can get them?
Please check the following website for more information: https://wcsu.sodexomyway.com/dining-plans/index.html
What do I do if I need special dietary accommodations?
If you have special dietary requirements, please contact the office of Student Affairs at 203-837-9700 to let them know what you need and special arrangements can be made through Food Services.
What computer facilities are available at WCSU?
WCSU offers a number of staffed facilities where you can receive assistance from our friendly student staff. We also have 24 hours computer labs available for student use. For a complete list of facilities and hours, please visit: www.wcsu.edu/technology/students/pubfac.asp
How do I get a WCSU Windows account?
A WCSU Windows account is necessary for students to access the University's network from the computer centers, classrooms, labs, residence halls, and wireless network. You will be able to get your account information during Summer orientation, LEAP (Learn, Engage, Adapt, and Plan) Week, and any other time during the semester from the following staffed computer centers on campus: Midtown Computer Center (Haas Library), Westside Computer Center (WS 117), and the Student Technology Training Center (SC 225). http://www.wcsu.edu/technology/students/pubfac.asp
Should I get a WCSU email account?
Yes, all students are required to get a WCSU email account for official WCSU business. Once your account has been created, you will have access to your email from any computer on or off-campus that has access to the Internet by visiting https://mail.wcsu.edu, or by logging into WestConnduit and clicking on the email link. You can obtain your WCSU email account credentials at any of our staffed computer centers on campus. http://www.wcsu.edu/technology/students/email.asp
WestConnduit is WCSU's campus portal. WestConnduit allows you to see your grades, course schedules, academic history and financial aid information, and allows you to register for classes and make payments to the university. It also provides access to Blackboard, WCSU's online course management system, campus and personal announcements, the campus events calendar, and convenient links to other university resources.
WestConnduit can be accessed by visiting www.wcsu.edu and clicking on the WestConnduit link.
Should I bring my own computer?
You do not need to bring your own computer. However, a laptop with wireless capability can be useful. In case you do not own a computer, WCSU has a number of computer facilities available for student use. Some are open as early as 8am, and close as late as 11pm. Some are open around the clock. You can find more information about the computer labs here: http://www.wcsu.edu/technology/students/mt-wscc.asp. You can also learn more about the 24 hour labs here: http://www.wcsu.edu/technology/students/24specs.asp.
I want to purchase a computer to bring to WCSU. What should I buy?
Almost any new desktop or laptop computer purchased today from one of the leading computer manufacturers (IBM, Apple, Dell, Compaq, Gateway, etc.) should be more than adequate for basic student use on campus.
Western Connecticut State University offers fast and reliable wireless network access to students, faculty, and staff on the Westside and Midtown campuses. For locations and more information, visit https://support.wcsu.edu/?ht_kb=which-university-network-do-i-connect-to. To use the wireless network, your laptop, tablet, or other mobile device must be equipped with a wireless network adapter. WCSU's wireless network uses SSIDs of "Western" , "Western-Student", and "Western-BYOD" for easy connection. You will be prompted to log in using your Windows account credentials.
How can I use my computer in the Residence Hall (ResNet)?
For more information on the available wireless networks visit: https://support.wcsu.edu/?ht_kb=which-university-network-do-i-connect-to
I am not very computer savvy. Where can I get help?
The general computer centers, located in room 117 of the Westside Classroom Building and at Midtown on the first floor of the Haas Library, employ student lab assistants who can provide assistance based on their individual knowledge. However, students needing extensive help should visit the Student Technology Training Center (STTC) in room 225 of the Student Center on the Midtown campus. More information about the STTC can be found at: http://www.wcsu.edu/sttc.


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You Look Like
'You Look Like' is a comedy roast battle where every joke starts with the phrase "You look like." Hosted by Atlanta comedian Ben Popkin, this unique show is a comedy battle of burns in 3 rounds featuring 6 of ATL's best comedians.
First Round: "You look like" battle
Second Round: Surprise guest speed roast
Championship Round: "You look like" battle
Watch the quickest wits from Atlanta go toe to toe and see who makes it through all three rounds to be crowned this month's champion!
Show Details
- Ticket Price: $15.00
- Door Time: 4:30 PM
21 & over
Two drink minimum

subset: commoncrawl


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Police arrest 3 in assault on Wisconsin RB Ball
Montee Ball suffered concussion in attack near campus
MADISON, Wis. — Police have arrested three suspects in the assault on Wisconsin running back Montee Ball.
Ball sustained a concussion when he was attacked by several men near campus Aug. 1.
A police report said three 21-year-old Madison men were arrested Tuesday afternoon. They were all arrested on charges of party to the crime of substantial battery.
Police identified the suspects as Wendell J. Venerable, Deonte J. Wilson and Robert A. Wilks.
All three are University of Wisconsin-Madison students, WISC-TV reported.
The police report also said detectives are still investigating a fight at a house party July 27 involving students, players and other individuals. While Ball was present, police found no evidence he was involved, according to the police report.
One person received hospital treatment for an injury suffered during the fight, but nobody has been charged so far.Police arrest 3 in assault on Wisconsin RB Ball
Ball, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season as a junior, has said he had nothing to do with the fight. He hopes to be ready for the season opener.
On Wilson's Facebook page, just before his arrest Tuesday, he had posted a status update. It read, in part, "I have been non-violent for well over a year now, yet they are trying to crucify me because somebody has to take the blame," WISC-TV reported.
There's no word yet on when the suspects are due in court.


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Europe reaches the Moon
ESA PR 59-2004. During the night of 15 to 16 November, ESA's SMART-1 will reach the first of its closest approaches to the Moon after a 13-month journey. Then the spacecraft will begin adjusting its orbit around the Moon in preparation for a scientific investigation of its surface, starting in January.
During the long cruise, consisting of a spiralling orbit around the Earth that brought the spacecraft close to the lunar capture point, SMART-1 achieved all the technology demonstration goals of the first part of the mission.
The exciting final manoeuvres to enter a stable lunar orbit, the challenges of the journey and the results of the SMART-1 technology tests paving the way for future interplanetary missions, will be presented at a press conference on 16 November at ESA/ESOC in Darmstadt (Germany), starting at 08h00.
Media representatives can also follow the press conference by videoconference from ESA/HQ in Paris, France, ESA/ESTEC (Noordwijk – the Netherlands) and ESA/ESRIN (Frascati – Italy). At each site ESA specialists will be available for interview.
Please return the attached accreditation form to the establishment of your choice.
Europe reaches the Moon – press conference
|Welcome, G. Winters, D/OPS
|Introduction, D. Southwood, D/SCI
|SMART-1 is at the Moon. Cruise records from the small technology genius, G. Racca, Smart-1 Project Manager, ESTEC
|Ion-propulsion test: a successful technology demonstration, G. Saccoccia, Head of the ESA Propulsion Division, ESTEC
|Manoeuvring Smart-1: a new era in space navigation, O.Camino, Smart-1 Mission Control Manager, ESOC
|New technologies for the space science of the future, B. Foing, Smart-1 Project Scientist, ESTEC
|Conclusions: glorious times for planetary exploration at ESA, D. Southwood, D/SCI
|Q & A and splinter interviews
|End of event


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Health leaders will continue to press Port Metro to conduct wider health-impact assessments of diesel exhaust and coal dust in the Lower Mainland after the go-ahead was given to an expanded coal terminal in North Vancouver.
Port Metro says its review of Neptune's $200-million expansion included health and environmental issues, but their jurisdiction does not extend beyond port boundaries.
Critics say the wider implications of transporting coal through the Lower Mainland on open train cars have not been properly considered.
Diesel locomotives that haul coal trains produce exhaust that enters the atmosphere.
Diesel exhaust can effect the heart and lungs and has been linked to lung cancer, B.C. Lung Association program manager Dr. Menn Biagtan said Wednesday. The effects of coal dust are less well known, she said.
Another Port Metro project is still under review at the Fraser Surrey Docks to establish a terminal on the Fraser River for exporting thermal coal mined in the Western U.S. to produce electricity in Asia.
"We were expecting this because we know they had the authority," Biagtan said of the North Vancouver decision. "We are pro-economic growth; however, we should not sacrifice public health and we know we need to do a lot more on health-impact assessments."
The lung association was among 28 groups and individuals that sent a letter Dec. 17 to Port Metro calling for a delay in both coal terminal projects until the "cumulative regional health impacts" could be evaluated. The groups included the Public Health Association of B.C., which includes representatives of health authorities, post-secondary institutions and the non-profit sector.
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway study has found that "roughly" 225 kilograms of coal dust can be lost from each car during transit.
Both Lower Mainland projects will see an increase in train traffic of one train a day. Port Metro couldn't say immediately how many cars were in each train.
The Coastal and Fraser health authorities also called Dec. 17 for a greater role in assessing the health risks associated with port developments.
The authorities are expected to meet with Port Metro in the next few weeks.
Coastal Health Authority spokeswoman Anna Marie D'Angelo said the authorities do not have a position on the coal terminal projects, "but we definitely want to be involved if there's a need for a health impact assessment."
Fraser Health chief medical health officer Dr. Paul Van Buynder stressed that they were asking to be part of the process, but hadn't passed judgment on any potential health effects.
"We cannot comment on health concerns until the proposals have been properly assessed," said Van Buynder in an email.
Jim Crandles, the port's director of planning and development, said they are willing to sit down with the health authorities to explain how their review process works.
But he stressed that they did evaluate dust, diesel exhaust and noise, which are not expected to increase. That's largely because of equipment upgrades, he said.
"Ours is not a less rigorous review, it just doesn't involve other jurisdictions," said Crandles.
He noted the two coal projects don't trigger higher-level Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) review processes because they are considered small projects on existing port lands.
Crandles added that notices were sent out to nearby residents and open houses were held.
And while the port does not have jurisdiction outside of port lands, he said they are confident spraying measures to keep dust down on rail cars are effective.
BNSF Railway spokeswoman Courtenay Wallace said they also require coal shippers to use a spray to keep coal dust from being lost in transit.
She said the company's study in the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming — the coal supply for the Fraser River terminal — showed that most coal dust is lost close to the mine source.
It's a concern for the rail line because accumulated coal dust harms the stability of its track structure, Wallace said.
A group protesting the expansion of the coal terminals because of the potential health concerns, but also because of climate change, said they are not giving up their fight.
"It's a huge grey area. There's this regulatory gap, and no one has responsibility," said Kevin Washbrook, the director of Voters Taking Action on Climate Change.


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Russian Ministry Of Culture Publishes Draft Anti-Piracy Law; Requires Takedowns Within 24 Hours
from the bad-ideas deptPresumably as part of the overall agreement for Russia to be allowed to join the WTO, the Ministry of Culture there has published a draft of its anti-piracy law (via @PostActa). Here's the google translation of a story on the roem.ru site:
The Ministry of Culture has published the text of the draft law "On amendments to some legislative acts of the Russian Federation in order to stop the violations of intellectual property rights in the information and telecommunications networks, including the" Internet "," designed to combat Internet piracy - the amendments proposed to the Federal Law "On Information, Information Technologies and Protection of Information" and the Code of Administrative Offences.As can be seen, the key element is a 24-hour takedown requirement. There's a range of fines for non-compliance, increasing rapidly according to the size of the business involved. What's not clear is how "violations" are to be established or how access is to be blocked if sites are outside Russia. The rapid take-down requirement would imply this is the usual "guilty until proven innocent" approach. That's also suggested by the following comments from leading Russian Internet companies, who are plainly unhappy with the proposal:
According to the text of amendments, site owners and hosting providers will have to remove content that violates the copyright, or block access to it within a day after treatment the original.
Representatives of Internet companies (Yandex and Mail.Ru) responded with disapproval of the draft law in the comments to "Kommersant". The head of the legal service of Anton Malginova Mail.ru Group, the project was prepared without the involvement of industry experts, and existing legislation fully protects the rights holders.This indicates that the draft law was drawn up without any input from people who actually understand the Internet. Given that extraordinary fact, it seems unlikely that groups representing the public were asked, either. We'll have to wait for more details to emerge to see how exactly things will work in practice, but it certainly looks like Russia is adopting the worst ideas from the West in its headlong rush to "respectability".
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+


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Exactly what was needed.
Reviewed By Kenneth M (LEMON GROVE, CA) Reviewed for a 1988 Honda Prelude —9/11/2017 9:00 AM
First of all, AutoAnything was true to their word on their price match promise. I did find the part for significantly less money, but AutoAnything beat that price by $1. Secondly, the part was delivered in a very timely manner and arrived in perfect condition. The part installed easily and (so far) works perfectly. It includes a "limited lifetime warranty". I'm not really sure what the "limits" are, but I hope to not have to find out!


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A quick and easy skillet meal that can be easily adapted for left over Kraft dinner. Bonnie Wright made this for lunch alot! I don't know where she got the recipe or if she made it up but my family certainly had it alot for lunches.
1 package Kraft Macaroni and cheese
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes,petite diced
1/4 cup ketchup
1-2 tablespoons sugar
|Grandma "Peach" Wright in her kitchen
Family Recipe Friday – is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike. Whether it's an old-fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them on Family Recipe Friday. This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.


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Administration of Hot Water Extract Diatomae Caetoceros Ceratosporum via Injection Enhances the Immune Resistance of White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei against Infectious Myonecrosis Virus
Immune resistance of white shrimp against disease can be enhanced through the administration of immunostimulant. Some of sea microalgae extracts has been proved trough examination to be able to stimulate immune system of shrimp. The objective of this study is to know immune response of Litopenaeus vannamei injected with hot water extract Chaetoceros ceratosporum (HWEC) doses of 5, 10, 15 and 20 µg·g-1 body weight (BW) against Infectious Myonecrosis (IMNV) virus infection. The findings show that C. ceratosphorum administration can enhance immune response of L. vannamei infected by Infectious Myonecrosis virus, indicated by the increasing number of hemocytes (THC), total protein plasma (TPP), phenolokxidase (PO) activity, and respiratory burst (RB) activity. Highest immune response is achieved by injection dose of 15 µg·g-1 shrimp body weight. The increase of shrimp immune response leads to the increase of shrimp immune system against IMNV infection, so the survival rate of L. vannamei infected by IMNV is higher than positive control and similar to those of negative control.
Full Text:PDF
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5296/ast.v1i2.3889
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As Hewlett-Packard prepares its customers for the end of nearly 30 years of e3000 computing, the company affirmed last week that it remains on previously announced schedules to stop production of the venerable systems by the end of this year and eventually end support of the product in the coming years while hoping to ease customers into other HP platforms during the transition.
HP's e3000 Software Product Manager Michael Schneck briefed reporters last week on the phaseout plan for the e3000, a high-end, PA-RISC-based server running HP's proprietary MPE/iX operating system, saying the company doesn't want the product to "go out with a thud." HP announced the phaseout in November of 2001.
The company's plans for the phaseout include a halt to sales of new hardware this year, patch releases of MPE/iX, and a software discount promotion to assist e3000 customers in the transition to HP-UX, the company's UNIX operating environment. The company is also making a final series of storage releases meant to ease the hardware platform into retirement. The announcements come in the face of obvious efforts by rivals like Sun to draw customers preparing for the e3000's end-of-life away from HP altogether.
Server and Chassis Upgrade Sales End This Year
According to Schneck, the company will stop selling server and chassis upgrades to the platform October 31 of this year. Upgrades to processors, add-ons (such as embedded disks, I/O and network cards, and memory) for the PCI-based A/N-Class systems will continue to be available through October of next year. For the Series 9xx e3000s, user license ugprades, add-on software and application conversion kits to assist in the transition to HPUX will be available through December of 2006.
New Storage Products Available
HP's e3000 Hardware and Storage Product Manager, Kriss Rant discussed new storage options for the platform, including new 73GB 15k rpm and 146GB 10k rpm embedded disk drives for the A-class e3000 and new 36GB and 73GB 15k rpm drives for the N-class systems. The new drives became available March 1 of this year.
Rant also discussed the company's new VA 7110, a virtual array enclosure meant to replace the VA 7100. According to Rant, the new enclosures offer support for up to 45 disks (as opposed to the VA 7100's 15) and also support the new 146GB disks the company has released. According to Rant, the new enclosure is "priced right at the sweet spot of the 7100" for an enclosure with 13 disks.
Finally, Rant discussed the DS2110 SCSI JBOD enclosure, which replaces the company's DS2100. Rant said the new enclosure, scheduled for release April 15 of this year, supports both new Ultra320 and existing Ultra160 SCSI mechanisms.
Software Discounts Aimed To Keep Customers in the HP Fold
In addition to the roadmap for a hardware phaseout and improvements to storage options in the platform's twilight, HP also has a mix of software updates and incentives on the agenda for the next year.
Recent releases of MPE/iX included a July, 2002 release of version 7.5, and the release of PowerPatch 2 for MPE/iX Release 7.0. Still expected this year is MPE/iX Release 7.5 PowerPatch1. According to Schneck, the anticipated release "is more of a bugfix-type patch release. [It] symbolizes stabilization and working the bugs out." Schneck said the release is due ahead of HP's November 2001 predictions.
The company is also targeting e3000 customers considering their next platform move by offering discounts on its UNIX variant, HP-UX. According to Schneck, HP has offered e3000 customers a 50% discount against the list price of its Enterprise and Mission Critical OE's for PA-RISC since March 1. Additional products including compilers and performance tools are also part of the discount program. HP representatives have claimed that 95% of the company's e3000 partners have committed to transitioning to HP-UX.
Beyond the End of Support
Schneck said the company is aware that customers will likely continue to use the platform past its December 31, 2006 end-of-support date. To that end, he said HP will "allow access to existing patches, key docuementation and some . . . technical content." At this point, he said, the company hasn't finalized plans for distribution of that material. He also said the company intends to remove barriers to the creation of platform emulators by third party developers, though he couldn't comment on the nature of HP's "fairly immature" plans in that area except to say the company will make the process "as simple as we possibly can."
Schneck also pointed out that the company is maintaing a Web site at www.hp.com/go/e3000, which includes Webcasts, information about regional transition/migration planning teams, and access to the company's customer newsletter.


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Washington (CNN) -- Republican Scott Brown was sworn in Thursday as the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts to fill the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, and immediately signaled opposition to President Obama's spending plans.
Brown's new Senate colleagues applauded after the ceremony on the floor of the Senate chamber conducted by Vice President Joe Biden, in his capacity as president of the Senate. Democratic Sen. John Kerry, also of Massachusetts, and Brown's wife, Gail Huff, accompanied Brown into the chamber.
At a news conference after the ceremony, Brown thanked Massachusetts voters who gave him a surprise victory in the January 19 special election in a state that had not elected a Republican senator since 1972.
"I can't promise I'll be right in every vote I make. I'm sure I'll make mistakes from time to time," Brown said. "But I will try to learn and grow and do the very best job I can on a day-to-day basis."
Brown's election victory stripped Senate Democrats of their 60-seat Senate supermajority, imperiling the ability of Obama and Democrats to push major legislative priorities such as health care reform through Congress.
The Republican upset in Massachusetts also raised fears among many congressional Democrats of a potential GOP landslide in November's midterm elections.
A fiscal conservative who holds some moderate views, Brown was noncommittal on whether he would support a Republican filibuster in coming Senate consideration of some Obama nominees for government posts.
He also said he needed to talk to generals in the field before deciding to support Obama's call, supported by top military leaders, to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding a ban on gays in the military.
Brown made clear he opposes the spending policies of the Obama administration, stating that the $862 billion stimulus bill passed last year "didn't create one new job" in Massachusetts or across the country. He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks, instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate.
That prompted a response later from Jay Carney, spokesman for Biden, who said, "Anyone can go to recovery.gov (on the Internet) and see that Massachusetts state and local government, businesses and community organizations have already reported directly funding over 9,000 jobs in the state last year -- and that's based on a only a portion of the total $8.4 billion in (stimulus) funds that have already gone to Massachusetts."
He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks, instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate.
At the same time, Brown said he would consider each piece of legislation on merit, rather than whether it was proposed by one party or another.
"If I see a bill that's good for my state first, I don't care where it comes from," Brown said. "If it's good for Massachusetts, I'll consider it."
Thursday's ceremony occurred a week earlier than originally planned.
Massachusetts officials had said it would take a few weeks after the election to certify the result of Brown's victory. In a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Secretary of State William Galvin on Wednesday, Brown's attorney said the senator-elect had planned on being sworn in on February 11, but had been told that several Senate votes would be held before then.
"For this reason, he wants certification to occur immediately," attorney Daniel Winslow wrote.
The certification occurred Thursday, allowing Brown to officially fill his seat later in the day.
"There's no hidden agenda," Brown said of his push to get certified this week instead of next. "It's because I want to get to work."
Asked why his daughters didn't attend the swearing-in, Brown explained one of them, Ayla, had a college basketball game to play Thursday and the other, Arianna, had a college exam.
"The Bibles I used for today's swearing-in belong to my daughters, and I stacked them one on top of the other and took my oath on them," Brown said.
Brown will be taking over Kennedy's coveted office space in the Senate Russell building. Sen. Paul Kirk, who was appointed to fill the seat after Kennedy's death, currently occupies the office and will move out.
Several Senate sources tell CNN that the Senate Rules Committee, which assigns office space, decided to give Brown the office space as a matter of convenience.
Because of his seniority, Kennedy had one of the most coveted office suites in the Senate complex. It is located in the Russell building, down the hall from the Rotunda, and has balconies that overlook the Capitol.
CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report.


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Yes, our team really pulled together for this latest release. I'm excited, about both the product and our new marketing.
The latest podcast is 1280x720. Last year's were 1280x800. Oddly enough, the shorter resolution turns out to make the video slightly larger when reduced for the iOS. A new web camera, dedicated studio space, and professional lighting enabled us to increase the size of my "talking head" to widescreen. I like the result better too.
Thanks for the accolades—and you're going to love Accordance 10!
Edited by Timothy Jenney, 20 August 2012 - 12:23 PM.


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Sony BRAVIA KDL-55HX853 3D LED TV full review
The Sony BRAVIA HX850 is the newest model in Sony's 2012 TV line-up, and is the second most expensive TV on offer. It's got a slightly higher price than the comparable Samsung ES7500 and LG LM8600. It has excellent picture quality in both preset and calibrated modes, but the Sony interface is beginning to look dated. See also Group test: what's the best TV?
Sony BRAVIA HX850: Design
The HX850 is the top new release for Sony this year, but it still sits under the HX925 — a 2011 release that the company is keeping on until 2013. Visit Samsung PS50C6900
Like the HX925 the BRAVIA HX850 is a 'Monolithic Design' Sony TV, with no visible bezels or disruptive design cues. We tested the HX850 with its optional stand, which includes more powerful speakers and a six-degree backwards tilt, but the bundled stand is also attractive and fits in with the TV's sleek and futuristic design.
The HX850 isn't nearly as glossy as the earlier HX925, and that's a very good thing. We used the HX850 in a room brightly lit by fluorescent lights and while it is moderately reflective, distractions can be minimised with careful room placement. The optional stand is more likely to reflect ceiling lights due to its rakish cant. We wouldn't use the HX850 in a room where a large light source like a window is directly in front of the TV — a matte screen (like a Sharp or some Panasonics) is a better choice here.
The screen is finished in a single sheet of Gorilla Glass, but the bezel of the Sony BRAVIA HX850 does intrude around an inch from the TV's edge on all sides. When it's switched on, the HX850 doesn't have the same impressive borderless effect that we liked on the LG LM9600. The deep black bezel does make the on-screen image look more contrasty and impressive, though.
Sony BRAVIA HX850: Interface and apps
The remote control that's bundled with the Sony BRAVIA HX850 is a cut-down version of last year's model, and it's a little confusing. The buttons are small, there are a lot of them and it's not really clear what they all do. We would have preferred a simpler remote bundled with a more comprehensive on-screen interface.
The on-screen menu interface of the Sony BRAVIA HX850 is functionally very similar to the one used in last year's models. We wish text was crisper, larger and higher-resolution, as the smooth white-on-black is hard to read from a distance. Samsung is currently our benchmark for a quality menu interface, while Sharp shows what's possible with a simple interface on a non-Smart TV.
The Sony Entertainment Network brings all the company's video, music and apps into one place on the BRAVIA HX850. Sony has consolidated 2011's BRAVIA Internet Video and Sony Internet TV into the Sony Entertainment Network, adding features like Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited along the way.
The SEN interface relies on large icons and is easy to navigate, but the underlying applications are the same as last year. ABC iView, for example, desperately needs an update: instead of the sleek interface of the Web browser version, the Sony interface is a glut of video icons and little more.
The Entertainment Network interface is split into apps, video and music, with an additional favourites section. The apps are free (although some like Quickflix require in-app payment) and are already loaded onto the TV. Video and music purchases are made through Sony's Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited services — Music Unlimited is subscription-based but videos can only be temporarily rented with no unlimited subscription option.
Heading into the app section shows a description box for each app that's not filled out by the information inside it. The interface generally looks a little slap-dash; we think it could use more work.
Sony BRAVIA HX850: Connectivity
The BRAVIA HX850 has a range of analog and digital inputs that is comparable to other 2011 and 2012 LED and plasma TVs.
The TV's four HDMI ports are more than enough for average home use — we don't expect many living rooms to have more than a Blu-ray player in them these days, especially since most TVs (including the Sony HX850) can record TV shows, making a PVR redundant. The HDMI ports are distributed across the side and bottom panels of the HX850's rear.
An optional break-out connector lets the Sony HX850 receive analog composite and component video. There's also a built-in analog composite video port on the TV's rear facing outwards, along with two of the three total analog audio inputs.
There's an Ethernet port on the bottom panel and two side-mounted USB 2.0 ports for Internet and external media connectivity respectively. NTFS file systems aren't supported over USB, so you'll need to make sure flash drives or hard drives are formatted using FAT. We had no problems playing MKV, AVI, MP4, MP3, WAV, JPG and BMP files on the Sony HX850 through either USB port off an external hard drive.
Wi-Fi is built into the Sony HX850, with 802.11b/g/n supported. The HX850 has Wi-Fi Direct, so content can be directly streamed to the TV from any compatible laptop, smartphone or other mobile device.
Like older Sony BRAVIA TVs, the HX850 supports an optional USB Skype camera which, in conjunction with a Skype app, turns the TV into a big-screen Web video phone.
Sony BRAVIA HX850: Specifications
The Sony BRAVIA KDL-46HX850 is the 46in version of the HX850 Series LED TV. There's also a 55in KDL-55HX850, which comes with a $700 higher pricetag of $3999.
The 46in screen of our test Sony BRAVIA HX850 is, as you'd expect, a Full HD 1080p one with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The HX850 is equipped with Sony's X-Reality Pro picture engine for a range of real-time picture quality enhancements like edge sharpening and dynamic contrast.
The backlight of the BRAVIA HX850 is made up of white LEDs arranged around the bezel of the TV. Being an 'edge-lit' LED TV the HX850 is reasonably thin compared to most plasma and LED back-lit TVs.
Sony rates the HX850 as a 'MotionFlow XR 800' TV. This means it's a 200Hz panel with backlight scanning, which strobes the LED backlight in between video frames to help smooth out motion. This is the approach taken by most LED TV manufacturers. While the 200Hz mode's overly-smooth effect may be too smooth for some viewers, having the option is a good thing for those that want it.
Sony BRAVIA HX850: Picture quality
We tested the Sony BRAVIA HX850 with an Apple MacBook Pro playing 1080p, 720p and 480p compressed MKV files over HDMI, a Sony BDP-S580 Blu-ray player playing Full HD 1080p Blu-rays over HDMI, and a TiVo HD PVR playing recorded HD and SD digital TV content over HDMI. We also tested various video file types on the BRAVIA HX850's two USB 2.0 ports.
The Sony BRAVIA HX850 has generally good picture quality in its preset modes. Standard mode is more accurate than we are used to, with good (but bright) colours and only a little over-brightening of white and over-darkening of dark areas on screen. The Cinema 1 profile is a little less vibrant and more accurate, with a warmer colour temperature that is more faithful to the original video source.
After adjusting the BRAVIA HX850's various video settings — generally lowering colour gain and bias for individual colour channels, raising the colour temperature, moderating brightness and sharpness — we found that the TV's picture quality went from good to excellent. We would strongly recommend getting this TV professionally calibrated if you purchase it — some minor adjustments can make its picture quality significantly more impressive than straight out of the box.
Colour performance is very good for an LED TV, with plenty of detail and fine gradation, and little to no crushing of detail in heavily saturated areas. Black levels are quite good — not as deep as a good plasma, though — and we didn't notice any significant clouding or backlight bloom in dark scenes.
The lack of local dimming on the Sony BRAVIA HX850 does mean that it's not able to display the detail in deepest, darkest black on-screen areas if there's something bright on-screen as well. The backlight does dynamically brighten and dim the screen if the majority of content is brighter or darker, so for most non-cinematic viewing it's perfectly acceptable.
Sony's performance with high definition video content is generally very good and the HX850 doesn't disappoint in this area. With our Blu-ray video the BRAVIA HX850 was easily able to display minute on-screen detail without any over-sharpening or fuzziness. This is a TV that will flatter your Blu-ray collection.
Standard definition video also looks pretty good — not the absolute best we've seen, but the HX850 is still able to up-scale DVD content to suit without introducing any artifacting or excessive blurring.
We generally kept the Sony HX850 in its Clear or Clear Plus Motionflow mode, as this kept fast-moving scenes looking generally blur-free. The HX850 handles fast motion well and we didn't notice any unnatural jitter, although detail is not as clear during movement as it is during more relaxed scenes.
3D is largely unchanged from last year's TVs. Sony offers slimmer, lighter, sleeker glasses this year, but the size of the active shutter lenses is largely identical. There is still a small amount of cross-talk visible during fast-motion scenes in 3D movies — the problem is lessened during slower scenes but is still very slightly visible.
Sony BRAVIA HX850: Conclusion
Sony's second-best TV for this year has great picture quality. We think it's still edged out slightly by the more versatile HX925, but it's excellent for watching Blu-rays and digital TV alike. The interface aside, the Sony HX850 is a TV we can strongly recommend.
Sony BRAVIA KDL-55HX853 3D LED TV: Specs
- Screen resolution: 1920x1080
- Screen size: 46inMaximum refresh rate (motion handling): 200Hz
- Display technology: LED-backlit LCD
- Display aspect ratio: 16:9
- 3D capable: Yes
- Viewing angles: 178, 178
- Power rating (Watts): 120W
- Number of HDMI ports: 4
- Number of USB 2.0 ports: 2
- Wired Terminals / PortsComponent, Composite, Digital audio, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 2.0, VGA (D-sub)
- Wi-Fi (wireless networking): Yes
- Wireless technology supported: Wireless 802.11n, 623 x 944 x 40mm, 17.4kg


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Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Virginia State Parks.
Invasive insect pests and diseases are threatening the future forests of Virginia. The transport of firewood is one of the primary means by which these harmful insects and diseases spread. Quarantines have been issued by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to restrict the movement of firewood from counties where the pests have been found to counties without them.


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Steve Nicol hasn't been shy about his admiration for the Atlantic Coast Conference and the players it produces, as the Revolution's head coach has annually drafted players from perennial powers Wake Forest, Virginia and Duke.
Tomorrow morning, Nicol will witness an example of the conference's talent up close and personal when the Revs take on Duke in a close-door scrimmage at 9:15 a.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park.
While the game is perhaps an opportunity for Nicol and his technical staff to do some early scouting for next year's MLS SuperDraft, that task is undoubtedly a distant second behind preparing the current squad for the start of the 2010 regular season, which kicks off next Saturday, March 27, when the Revs visit the LA Galaxy at The Home Depot Center.
Following a 2-0 win over the Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) last Saturday night in Charlotte, the Revs have now scored eight goals and conceded just two en route to a 2-1-0 record in the 2010 preseason. A 6-0 victory over a team of local college all-stars in Orlando highlights those statistics, while a 2-0 loss at the hands of fellow MLS side FC Dallas in the preseason opener is the only blemish.
Because of the packed schedule in North Carolina – seven training sessions and three games in 12 days – Wednesday morning's meeting with Duke could provide an opportunity for many of the Revolution's younger players to play significant minutes.
Nicol has stated his intention of resting a majority of the players who started last weekend against Charlotte, so those who saw action as second-half substitutes against the Eagles could find themselves in the starting lineup on Wednesday.
One of those players is 24-year-old Mike Videira, who spent time as both a central midfielder and withdrawn forward in a 30-minute stint in the win over Charlotte.
Now in his second season with the Revolution – and his third professional season overall after spending one year in Europe – Videira hopes to have more of an impact in 2010 after making 12 appearances (including five starts) in 2009.
For Videira, the meeting with Duke is not only an opportunity to play significant minutes in preparation for the season, but also a chance to line up against his alma mater.
A native of Milford, Mass., Videira spent four years (2004-07) representing the Blue Devils. For three of those years, he played alongside current Revolution teammate Darrius Barnes, who is nursing a quad injury and will not play against his former school.
"I'm excited for the game," Videira said. "It should be fun. It'll be a good test for us to play our second game [just a few days after playing Charlotte]. We'll see if we can keep the wins coming."
During the course of four years on Tobacco Road, Videira became quite accustomed with Duke's soccer program. He scored 17 goals and added 15 assists in 80 career appearances with the Blue Devils, and was a three-time semifinalist for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy.
As if that wasn't enough familiarity, Videira also spent one week in January training with the current Duke squad as he prepared for the 2010 preseason. That recent interaction has given him valuable perspective on the type of challenge the Blue Devils will provide on Wednesday morning.
"I know a lot of the older guys I used to play with," he said. "And now I know a lot of the new guys who weren't there when I was because I trained with them for a week. The guys are really into it, they're really committed, and there's a lot of camaraderie on the team."
Another player eager for more playing time is fourth-year midfielder Nico Colaluca, who joined the Revolution in a midseason trade last May. A tenacious presence in the middle or on the wings, Colaluca has shined in the 2010 preseason, and earned an assist on Kenny Mansally's insurance goal in the recent win over Charlotte.
In a way, Wednesday morning's scrimmage against Duke differs from the other two matches on the North Carolina trip. Both the Eagles and Carolina RailHawks (NASL) are professional organizations, and both of those matches were scheduled for nighttime kickoffs in front of large crowds. Meanwhile, the meeting with the Blue Devils will be played behind closed doors shortly after 9 a.m.
From Colaluca's standpoint, the fact that his opportunity to start a preseason match might come against a college team rather than a professional opponent doesn't matter in the slightest.
"For me, it doesn't really matter who we're playing," he said. "I'll take every game the same way. I'll go out there, take care of my business, and try to have a good showing for the coaches."
Whether Colaluca, Videira, or anyone else impresses Nicol enough to earn playing time in the season opener against the LA Galaxy could be known as soon as Saturday night, when the Revolution takes on the RailHawks in the club's final preseason match.
Nicol has already said he plans to use a full-strength lineup in that game, so many answers could come into focus in the next few days.
But the RailHawks and the Galaxy will be discussed another time. For now, the Revs are focused on the Blue Devils


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Suunto ambassador Ueli Steck is soon heading to the Himalaya to climb Nuptse, a 7861 m monster in Nepal only 2 km from Everest. Follow our four-part series about Ueli and climbing partner Colin Haley's journey as they acclimatize and make their one time push to the top.
After climbing 117, 000 vertical meters in the Alps this summer for his #82Summits project, Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck is "super motivated" to take on a grande mountain.
In one week the Swiss Machine – famous for his lightning fast solo ascents – is travelling to Nepal to begin acclimatizing for an alpine-style attempt on Nuptse, via its formidable south face.
Click here to read more about Ueli Steck
© Jon Griffith
Ueli is drawn to Nuptse because the south face reminds him of the Grand Jorasses north face, one of the most famous walls in the Alps – a highly technical climb Ueli has done several times. But, while the Grand Jorasses north face towers 1200 m above the valley below, the south-face of Nuptse is 2500 m and 5 km wide.
In 2003, Russian climbers Valeri Babanov and climbing partner Yuri Koshelenko made the first successful ascent of Nuptse via its south-face, using fixed ropes. For this they won the prestigious Piolets d'Or award. However, it came hard won – for Valeri the successful ascent followed three consecutive failed attempts in two years.
Since Valeri's ascent in 2003, no one has again summited Nuptse via the south-face.
"It's never been repeated because it's a really hard route," Ueli says. "It's a really technical route. That's why I want to go there –it's another step for me in developing technical, high altitude climbing."
© Jon Griffith
Ueli believes Nuptse will be more difficult than his famous 2013 solo ascent of Annapurna, one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. That climb won Ueli the Piolets d'Or award in 2014.
"I think it's definitely harder than Annapurna south face, technical wise," he says. "The route I did on Annapurna looks insane, but technically it wasn't hard."
Ueli is also motivated by the fact that no one has done a successful high altitude, technical climb in the Himalaya in the alpine-style.
"The true alpine style means you don't leave fixed ropes, you carry everything on one single ascent," Ueli explains. "It's a single push climb – you cannot go up part of the way, come down again and then go back up."
Whereas Russian climber Valeri Babanov and partner used fixed ropes, Ueli and climbing partner Colin Haley won't be.
"It's going to be interesting to repeat that route in more of an alpine style," Ueli says. "Sometimes it's really cool to realise what other people have climbed.
"The fact that someone did it before, means I have much more knowledge, which means I can climb harder because of that knowledge.
"I know Valeri very well and for me it's an honour to repeat one of his routes."
Ueli and Colin will spend about two weeks acclimatizing to the higher altitude on the north face of 6440 m Cholatse. Ueli expects the ascent and descent of Nuptse to take between four and five days.
Stay tuned for the second instalment in our four part series. Part 2: acclimatizing.
Main image credit: © Jon Griffith


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With a keen eye on sustainability in every facet of our business, we grow and make best-quality blends and single varietals in limited quantities. We exist as cohesively as possible with the forces of nature on the west side of the town of Paso Robles, in the heart of the Central Coast of California.
Adhering to the belief that form follows function, Shale Oak was built by a carefully crafted team. While each individual is a strong expert in her/his respective field, the group was able to synergistically come together to plan, plant and build a vineyard, winery and tasting room that would have next to zero impact on the surrounding environment. Essential elements included sustainably farmed vineyards, a Gold LEED certified winery, an array of solar panels, daylight modeling in both the winery and tasting room, regionalistic native landscaping, as well as elutriate, rainwater reclamation and reverse-osmosis water systems.
We have two vineyards; one here at the winery, the other just a few miles away in PleasantValley. We farm both of them using sustainable practices, with careful attention paid to energy efficiency, water cleanliness and conservation, safe pest management, and wild habitat preservation. The two vineyards total about 70 acres, and are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Albariño, Viognier and Pinot Gris.
Shale Oak's owner, Al Good, is an entrepreneurial farmer. A born and raised Virginian, he worked on both the east and west coasts early on, as an employee, a partner and eventually an owner. He developed a holistic understanding of the agriculture business along the way. Al also realized the best way to genuinely manage a business is to take care of the land that offers you fortune, while striving to deliver the absolute best product possible. His sense of stewardship is what drives Shale Oak to be an authentic sustainable vineyard and winery, make best-quality wines, and offer a uniquely educational experience to our guests.
We make wines of varietals that grow best here. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel, we offer a white blend, a Cabernet-based blend, and a Syrah-based blend. Our production is quite limited, and every bottle is made and sold exclusively here at our GuestCenter.
The Tasting Room at Shale Oak is warm and casual, but with an educational element. It is a place where you, our guest, can choose your experience – taste, tour, picnic, learn about sustainability, or simply kick back, open up your laptop, and enjoy the free WiFi. The building itself is open and airy, designed to take advantage of the day's natural light. As our weather is ideal much of the year, we encourage guests to enjoy our courtyard, covered outdoor patio and walking paths, all created to highlight this beautiful place.


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Thrifted floral blouse and tank top, DIY distressed jeans, SM department store shoes
If you like this look HYPE it!
It's officially summer, I know I know I hate the heat,
but actually I got to appreciate summer much better now.
I hate to say this but I'm loving dressing up in florals, brighter,
pastel colors now which I never appreciated before.
I got to appreciate a lot of things now and learned to adapt
what is more appropriate than trying to wear winter clothes in the
middle of summer which is totally me.
XOXO Miki


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"I'm not sending my kids or your kids or any American soldiers to fight for stalemate"
Steve Watson
July 23, 2013
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul slammed the Obama administration's "world policeman" outlook on foreign policy and accused the president of intentionally planning to "fight to a stalemate" in Syria in a speech Monday.
Appearing at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Kentucky, Paul condemned the administration's policy of endless war, and appealed for a more humble approach to oversees affairs.
"For our country's sake, certainly for our soldiers' sake — for the sake of every veteran who ever donned a uniform and fought for this country — America's mission should always be to keep the peace, not police the world," Paul urged.
"There is no greater priority for the federal government than the defense of the Constitution and the nation," Paul added. "Yet, sometimes I think our defense is weakened by our overeagerness to be involved in every civil war on the planet."
The Senator asserted that US military involvement in Egypt, Syria and Libya was not based on "common sense" rationale, and that the nation's military and civilian leaders now "often don't think" before they act.
"Last week I was told by the administration, you know what their goal is in Syria? To fight to a stalemate," Paul told the audience.
"I've told them I'm not sending my kids or your kids or any American soldiers to fight for stalemate. When we fight, we fight to win, we fight for American principles, we fight for the American flag and we come home after we win."
The Senator also voiced great displeasure that the US government was willing to see weapons it is supplying to so called rebels be used against millions of Syrian Christians who oppose the Assad regime anyway.
Describing the situation as "a great irony", the Senator stated "I, for one, will fight with every ounce of my energy to prevent arms, American arms, that you paid for, from being used against Christians."
As Infowars reported today, the atrocities against Syrian Christians continue to be carried out by Obama-backed FSA rebels.
Photos have emerged showing the aftermath of an alleged massacre of a Christian village in Syria during which men, women and children were slaughtered and churches desecrated.
Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones' Infowars.com, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham, and a Bachelor Of Arts Degree in Literature and Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University.
This article was posted: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 12:19 pm


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text: textture-bg By JJ Jorgensen Posted January 5, 2016 In textture-bg2016-01-052016-01-05https://www.storagespotutah.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/logo.pngThe Storage Spothttps://www.storagespotutah.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/logo.png200px200px 0 JJ Jorgensen JJ loves to help businesses grow. He has helped start and develop several companies including BluSpôk. He is currently the founder and CEO. Recent PostsStartup Savvy: The Network Part 3Startup Savvy: The Network Part 2Startup Savvy: The Network Part 1The Startup Slump


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Who you gonna call to direct "Ghostbusters 3?" Ivan Reitman.
"Yes," he said, when asked by MTV News if he would be returning to the franchise as director.
The director's last effort behind the camera was 2006's "My Super Ex-Girlfriend," starring Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. He directed both of the original 1980s "Ghostbusters" films.
And he said that work on the long-rumored third film was underway.
"They have delivered a draft," he said of writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who previously wrote "Year One" together. "We are working our way through another draft… good work is being done and all of us have our fingers crossed."
Though he wouldn't comment on plot specifics, Ivan said fans have much to look forward to.
"There's some very cool things in the new draft, let's put it that way," he said.
"Ghostbusters 3," which is expected to see a younger generation taking over from the original cast, will hopefully "start shooting in this next year," he confirmed, with a 2011 release likely.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: A-dorkable Stars Of Hollywood!
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: Harold Ramis Talks 'Ghostbusters 3'
PLAY IT NOW: Battle On The Beach For 'Year One'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Ghostbusters - Movies - Geek Chic - Luke Wilson - Uma Thurman


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Segment 1 – Jack Nadel, Successful Entrepreneur and Author of the "Evolution of an Entrepreneur", explains how you can take control of your future, by finding something you love and putting yourself 100% into it.
Segment 2 – Steve Schwartz shares the financial success he built, following his time in the military and the lessons he learned along the way.
Segment 3 – Dr. Jonathan Smith provides his insights into our body's battle with Free Radicals and how the Ariix line of products, especially Rejuviniix, can help you fight back.
Segment 4 – Successful Entrepreneur and Author, Lynn Allen-Johnston discusses how we deal with rejection and fears of rejection in the world of sales.


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Enhance your time reading and exploring God's Word. Experience a whole new level of biblical study with Thomas Nelson's "NKJV" "Center-Column Reference Bible." This Bible is filled with references and study aids to strengthen your Bible reading. Ideal for individual study, teaching, and ministry work, this trusted edition of the Holy Bible will enhance your time exploring the beauty and meaning of God's Word.
Features include:
Part of the CLASSIC SERIES line of Thomas Nelson Bibles
"Center-Column Reference Bibles" sold to date: More than 2.7 million
The New King James Version(R)--More than 60 million copies sold in 30 years
Thomas Nelson Bibles is giving back through the God's Word in Action program. Donating a portion of profits to World Vision, we are helping to eradicate poverty and preventable deaths among children. Learn more and discover what you can do at www.seegodswordinaction.com.
Read More


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| 2020-06-11 08:18:14
Lawson Products management to meet virtually with KeyBanc
Virtual Meeting to be held on June 11 hosted by KeyBanc.
Opening Day: Quicken Loans parent raises only $1.8B in IPO » 08:5808/0908/09/20
Rocket Companies, the…
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ON Semiconductor to explore sale of Niigata manufacturing facility » 16:1208/0808/08/20
ON Semiconductor…
ON Semiconductor announced it is exploring a sale of its manufacturing facility in Niigata, Japan. "The intended sale of Niigata facility is part of the company's plan to optimize its manufacturing footprint and sharpen its focus on highly differentiated power, analog and sensor products. The company will begin searching for strategic buyers to enter into a mutually beneficial arrangement that is expected to facilitate an orderly transition of products from its facility in Niigata to other facilities in its network. The Niigata facility is an automotive qualified facility, which meets the IATF 16949 global industry standard for quality management. The company believes that the facility is an attractive semiconductor manufacturing asset. The site is run by a highly skilled and productive workforce capable of managing a large mix of technologies. The Niigata facility consists of two co-located wafer fabs with 215,000 square feet of clean room space, located on a 40 acre campus with 1.1 million square feet of building space. The large campus, existing infrastructure and capability of eight inch wafer manufacturing provide potential buyers a compelling growth opportunity. Currently, the facility supports the company's BCD, BiCMOS, CMOS, Discrete and Smart Discrete technologies. ON Semiconductor remains committed to growing its presence in Japan, and the company recently added a large eight-inch wafer fab in Aizu to its manufacturing footprint. ON Semiconductor plans to continue to invest in its various functional groups, such as field service, research and development, solution engineering centers, and manufacturing plants to better serve its customers in Japan," the company stated.
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ON Semiconductor sees Q3 revenue $1.2B-$1.33B, consensus $1.27B » 16:1008/0808/08/20
Based on product booking…
Based on product booking trends, backlog levels, and estimated turns levels, the company anticipates 2020 third quarter revenue to be approximately $1.20B-$1.33B. GAAP and Non GAAP gross margin for third quarter of 2020 is expected to be between 32.0%-34.0%.
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ON Semiconductor reports Q2 EPS 12c, consensus 2c » 16:0908/0808/08/20
Reports Q2 revenue…
Reports Q2 revenue $1.21B, consensus $1.18B. "Despite disruption from COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to make strong progress towards our key strategic initiatives. To achieve our gross margin target, we have accelerated the pace of manufacturing optimization. In addition, we have made outstanding progress in ramp of our 300mm manufacturing processes at East Fishkill fab with our 300mm wafer production starting in the second quarter, significantly ahead of schedule. With expected decline in COVID-19 related costs and ongoing recovery in global macroeconomic activity, we expect to see sustained improvement in our margins. Our design win pipeline continues to expand rapidly with multiple strategic wins for our power, analog and sensor products in automotive, industrial, and cloud-power applications. We are beginning to see moderate recovery in demand across most end-markets and geographies, and we expect this recovery to continue in near term driven by improving global macroeconomic activity," said Keith Jackson, president and CEO of ON Semiconductor.
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SelectQuote participates in a conference call with RBC Capital Markets » 13:3008/0808/08/20
Healthcare Analyst Morgan…
Healthcare Analyst Morgan holds a conference call with CEO Danker & CFO Sadun on August 13 at 2 pm hosted by RBC Capital Markets. Webcast Link
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Berkshire Hathaway buys back $5.1B in Berkshire stock during Q2 » 10:5708/0808/08/20
Berkshire Hathaway said…
Berkshire Hathaway said in its earnings release that, "Approximately $5.1B was used to repurchase Berkshire shares during the second quarter bringing the six-month total to $6.7B. At June 30, 2020, insurance float - the net liabilities we assume under insurance contracts - was approximately $131B, an increase of $2B since year-end 2019."
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Berkshire Hathaway reports Q2 net earnings $26.3B vs. $14.1B last year » 10:5508/0808/08/20
Berkshire Hathaway…
Berkshire Hathaway reported second quarter net earnings of $26.3B, or $16,314 per Class A share equivalent, from $14.1B, or $8,608 per Class A share equivalent, in the year-earlier period. The company had reported a $49.7B loss in the first quarter. Berkshire noted in its earnings release that, "One unusual item to note occurred during the second quarter: On April 8, 2020, GEICO initiated a $2.5B 'give-back' to policyholders with respect to policies renewed and newly issued policies during the six month period beginning on April 8, 2020. For accounting purposes, the 'give-back' will be spread over the twelve month period beginning on April 8, 2020. The effect was to increase GEICO's underwriting profits during the second quarter that will lead to less favorable results - even perhaps underwriting losses - in the third and fourth quarters."
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U.S. TikTok, Tencent WeChat bans could be threat to Nasdaq rally, Barron's says » 10:3508/0808/08/20
This past week, the White…
This past week, the White House opened a new front in the cold war fight with China by issuing executive orders banning U.S. companies from working with TikTok and Tencent's (TECHY) WeChat, Connor Smith writes in this week's edition of Barron's. The TikTok news wasn't a surprise as the Trump administration has target it for weeks, leading Microsoft (MSFT) to consider a purchase of TikTok's U.S. operations, but the Tencent news stunned investors, the author notes, adding that the news rippled through the videogame industry, where Tencent is a dominant force. The company owns Riot Games, publisher of League of Legends, and holds a 40% stake in Epic Games, publisher of Fortnite, and also has stakes in companies like Activision Blizzard (AVTI), Ubisoft (UBSFY), Snap (SNAP), Spotify (SPOT) and Tesla (TSLA). Reference Link
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Way of watching movies might be changing forever, Barron's says » 10:1908/0808/08/20
"Mulan" is…
"Mulan" is coming to Disney+ and how we watch movies might be changing forever, Ben Levisohn writes in this week's edition of Barron's. Disney's decision to bring the movie to its subscription service shouldn't come as surprise with few signs that Americans were ready to return to movie theaters, but "Mulan" is no "Artemis Fowl," which was added to Disney+ free to subscribers, with the live-action remake of its 1998 animated feature costing an additional $29.99 to watch, the author notes. If Disney's digital strategy is good for its stock, as investors seem to feel comfortable with where Disney is headed, it most certainly not for the shares of traditional movie theaters, the publication adds. Reference Link
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Lennar among companies whose high-vote shares trade at a discount, Barron's says » 10:1108/0808/08/20
Lennar (LEN; LEN.B) is…
Lennar (LEN; LEN.B) is one of the country's leading home builder and is also among the companies with dual classes of stock, Andrew Bary writes in this week's edition of Barron's. In the case of Lennar and a few others, the high-vote stock trades at a sharp discount to the lower-vote stock, offering investors a cheaper way to gain ownership, with the potential bonus of a closing of the gap between the two stocks, the author adds. Other names whose high-vote shares trade at a discount to the lower-vote stock include Brown Forman (BF.A; BF.B), Liberty Broadband (LBRDA; LBRDK), Liberty Formula One (FWONA, FWONK). Reference Link
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Microsoft could grab TikTok 'for a song,' Barron's says » 10:0308/0808/08/20
Near the start of the…
Near the start of the pandemic, TikTok became the most download app in a single quarter and it's the first social media platform in the past decade to have a shot at rivaling Facebook (FB) and its Instagram platform in users, if not profits, Jack Hough writes in this week's edition of Barron's. That makes it all the more surprising that Microsoft (MSFT) might walk away with TikTok "for a song," the author adds. Facebook and Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) would love to bid, but they're in the regulatory naughty corner, fresh off an antitrust hearing in Congress, along with Amazon.com (AMZN) and Apple (AAPL), the publication notes. Reference Link
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Estee Lauder stock could shine after pandemic, Barron's says » 09:4708/0808/08/20
Estee Lauder was a…
Estee Lauder was a winning stock before the pandemic hit, then came COVID-19 and the shares sold off as costumers grew more interested in buying Lysol than lipstick, Teresa Rivas writes in this week's edition of Barron's. However, investors should consider buying on the dip as recessions historically have had little lasting impact on the business, the author contends, adding that Este Lauder shares are richly valued but still have room to rise. Reference Link
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Apple may not be overvalued at near $2T, Barron's says » 09:3908/0808/08/20
Apple (AAPL) shares came…
Apple (AAPL) shares came tantalizingly close to the historic $2T threshold this past week, Barron's Eric Savitz writes in this week's edition of Barron's. For years, bulls asserted that Apple shares looked cheap on most typical valuation metrics, but the rally has driven the stock to its highest level in at least a decade based on whatever metric you want to use: price to earnings, price to sales, price to book, the author notes. Nonetheless, with Shopify (SHOP) trading for 50 times sales, Zoom Video (ZM) trading for 40 times and Microsoft (MSFT) trading for 10 times sales, Apple at $2T is no longer cheap but also not crazy, the report contended. Reference Link
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Week in review: How Trump's policies moved stocks » 07:3208/0808/08/20
Catch up on the top…
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Microsoft's Courtois sells over 15,000 common shares » 18:1008/0708/07/20
In a regulatory filing,…
In a regulatory filing, Microsoft executive VP Jean Philippe Courtois disclosed the sale of 15,140 common shares of the company on August 6 at a price of $215 per share.
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UPS intends to slap big fees on large shippers during holiday season, WSJ says » 18:0408/0708/07/20
UPS (UPS) intends to levy…
UPS (UPS) intends to levy hefty fees on large shippers during the holiday season, reflecting the added complexity and cost of an expected crush of online orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wall Street Journal's Paul Ziobro reports. The fees will test the ability of big retailers, including Amazon (AMZN) and Target (TGT), to offset costs during a holiday season when shoppers will be more likely to avoid crowded retail spaces and rely more on ordering goods online, Ziobro notes. The parcel delivery company said the fees could total as much as $3 per package for ground shipments and other lower-priced shipping options and up to $4 per package for air shipments, the author says. Reference Link
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TCF Financial's Henak sells 21,000 common shares » 17:5108/0708/07/20
In a regulatory filing,…
In a regulatory filing, TCF Financial EVP of National Banking William S. Henak disclosed the sale of 21,000 common shares of the company on August 5 at a price of $27.3384 per share.
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Arbor Realty files automatic mixed securities shelf 17:3608/0708/07/20
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BAE Systems awarded estimated $144M five-year Air Force contract » 17:3208/0708/07/20
BAE Systems has been…
BAE Systems has been awarded an estimated $144M five-year firm-fixed-price requirements contract for common avionics and electronic components applicable to B1-B, ASQ-151, APX-113, ALQ-172, USM-464, AN/ALQ-155, ALQ-161, USM-638, B-52 platforms. This contract provides for sustainment of spares/buys, repairs and engineering services related to various systems and components that are sole source to BAE. Work is expected to be completed March 22, 2026. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. FY20 Consolidated Sustainment Activity Group funds will be used, but no funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center is the contracting activity.
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X4 Pharmaceuticals files $150M mixed securities shelf 17:3108/0708/07/20
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Fastly files automatic mixed securities shelf 17:3108/0708/07/20
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Parsley Energy's Dalton sells 60,000 common shares » 17:0708/0708/07/20
In a regulatory filing,…
In a regulatory filing, Parsley Energy's Ryan Dalton disclosed the sale of 60,000 class A common shares of the company on August 7 at a price of $11.14 per share.
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ATIF Holdings receives noncompliance notice from Nasdaq » 17:0408/0708/07/20
ATIF Holdings announced…
ATIF Holdings announced that it received a written notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq indicating that the company is not in compliance with the Nasdaq listing rules as a result of not having held an annual meeting of stockholders within 12 months of the end of the company's fiscal year on July 31. The notice is only a notification of deficiency, not of imminent delisting, and has no current effect on the listing or trading of the company's securities on Nasdaq. The notice states that, under the rules, the company has 45 calendar days to submit a plan to regain compliance with the rules. The company intends to submit a plan to regain compliance with the rules within the required timeframe. If Nasdaq accepts the company's plan, Nasdaq may grant the company an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the company's fiscal year end, or until January 31, 2021, to regain compliance. The company is planning to hold its annual shareholders meeting on November 3.
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U.S. Silica announces resignation of Brad Casper as President » 16:5008/0708/07/20
U.S. Silica Holdings…
U.S. Silica Holdings announced that Brad Casper has resigned from his position as the company's president to pursue other opportunities effective August 31, 2020.
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Theravance Biopharma price target lowered to $30 from $35 at Piper Sandler » 16:4908/0708/07/20
Piper Sandler analyst…
Piper Sandler analyst Tyler Van Buren lowered the firm's price target on Theravance Biopharma to $30 from $35 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares after the company posted "flat" Q2 results. Van Buren said the "flat" results were likely due to pressures from the pandemic, and he believes the launch shoult further inflect with an eventual approval in asthma. The analyst added that he continues to expect data readouts from the ampreloxetine and TD-1473 trials in 2021.
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One of those wacky Intelligent Design creationists (Jonathan McLatchie, an arrogant ignoramus I've actually met in Scotland) has a theory, which is his, to get around that obnoxious problem of pseudogenes. Pseudogenes are relics, broken copies of genes that litter the genome, and when you've got a gang of ideologues who are morally committed to the idea that every scrap of the genome is designed and functional, they put an obvious crimp in their claims.
So here's this shattered gene littered with stop codons and with whole exons deleted and gone; how are you gonna call that "functional", creationist? McLatchie's solution: declare that it must still be functional, it's just edited back into functionality. He uses the example of GULOP, a gene responsible for vitamin C synthesis, which is pretty much wrecked in us. Nonfunctional. Missing big bits. Scrambled. With missing regulatory elements, so it isn't even transcribed. No problem: it's just edited.
As I mentioned previously, the GULO gene in humans is rendered inactive by multiple stop codons and indel mutations. These prevent the mRNA transcript of the gene from being translated into a functional protein. If the GULO gene really is functional in utero, therefore, presumably it would require that the gene's mRNA transcript undergo editing so that it can produce a functional protein. It's not at all difficult to understand how this could occur.
Yes, RNA editing is a real thing. RNA does get processed before it's translated into protein. McLatchie has a teeny-tiny bit of knowledge and is abusing it flagrantly.
I've hammered out dents in a car, and I've touched up rust spots with a little steel wool and a can of spray paint. My father was also an auto mechanic and could do wonders with a wrench. Auto repair exists, therefore…
…patching up that vehicle should be no problem at all, right? I expect to see it cruisin' down the highway any time now.
Maybe two cans of spray paint this time…?


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In which Slate pulls an old classic out of the archives of the now-defunct Lingua Franca magazine. The topic: an enigmatic millionaire and amateur philosopher who, under the pseudonym "A.M. Monius," wrote an audacious metaphysical treatise called "Coming to Understanding." From the article:
"Coming to Understanding" is a remarkable document. As Ermanno Bencivenga observes in his review, in its sheer temerity the work resembles such philosophical landmarks as René Descartes's Meditations, Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, and Arthur Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Idea. (Bencivenga describes it as "a self-standing piece of reflection which asks to be judged on its own merit.") With few citations and nary a footnote, the manuscript seeks to provide "a large-scale account of reality, its origin, purpose, and how it hangs together." The questions it engages are grand: Does reality have a purpose? Why are things intelligible at all?
As a work of metaphysics, "Coming to Understanding" picks up where science leaves off. The purview of science is the world of "contingent beings"—things that might not have existed, or might have been otherwise, such as you, me, electrons, mountains, and the law of gravity. Science strives to explain the nature, properties, and causes of these contingent beings, which as a whole make up our physical reality.
But science does not and cannot explain why there are contingent beings in the first place. That is a question for metaphysics: Why do contingent beings exist? Or, put plainly, why is there something rather than nothing?
In answering that question, A.M. Monius laid out a new vision of the underlying architecture of reality:
"Coming to Understanding" proposes replacing the theists' God with reality as a whole, or Being. It also advocates replacing God's personal intention (that contingent beings come to love God) with an impersonal, fundamental good (that contingent beings come to understand the form of Being). Having made these substitutions, A.M. Monius reaches the following conclusion: "Contingent being exists for the sake of the coming to understanding of the form of Being Itself by contingent being." In other words, "the central theme of the whole drama of reality" is that beings like you and me and A.M. Monius come to understand the purpose and structure of reality.
And as it happens, the purpose and structure of reality are precisely what A.M. Monius has on offer. In sophisticated detail, the last two-thirds of "Coming to Understanding" are devoted to a discussion of categories similar to Aristotle's, such as the Universal, the Particular, the Spatio-temporal, and the Cognizable. A.M. Monius believes that these categories demarcate the fundamental types of Being and—in light of their interrelations—suggest the purpose of contingent being.
Silly? Maybe a little bit. But what makes A.M. Monius such an intriguing figure — both to myself and, I think, his critics in academia — is his ambition and fearlessness; his willingness to look silly for the sake of answering really big questions. If there are many contemporary analytic philosophers out there who share Monius' temerity, I haven't encountered them.* (That said, if you do know of any, please leave their names in the comments.) Maybe it took a precocious amateur to do what no sane, reputation-conscious academic would ever attempt.
I often miss these grand projects, unrepentant skeptic that I may be. Regardless of whether you think they describe anything true about the universe — regardless, in fact, of whether you believe there's any such thing as a metaphysical fact — they at least give you a different lens through which to view the world. Think of it as accidental phenomenology.
*Some philosophy nerds would probably point to On What Matters, but Parfit's subject matter there is limited to ethics.


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Google Inc.s decision to stop selling its Nexus One Android smartphone through its online store might disappoint some customers hoping to limit the role of wireless carriers in the smartphone buying process.
Google Inc.'s decision to stop selling its Nexus One Android smartphone online might disappoint some customers hoping to limit the role of wireless carriers in the smartphone buying process.
In marketing circles, Google's decision, which comes less than six months after launching the online store, is fairly striking. The ramifications of the reversal will resonate in a U.S. smartphone market that is still obviously dominated by the carriers.
On reflection, it seems amazing that online sales ever would have worked, since customers want to hold and use smartphones before shelling out the cash for them. Google's online sales concept failed mainly for that reason.
As Google's vice president of engineering, Andy Rubin, admitted in a blog post on Friday: "It's clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone, and they also want a wide range of service plans to [choose] from."
Some analysts predicted late last year that Google's online concept wouldn't work , mostly because of the cost of an unlocked phone, double the price of a subsidized one purchased from a carrier.
They also noted that the unlocked concept hasn't caught on in the U.S. as it has in Europe. And they saw that buying any piece of electronics sight-unseen can be risky.
Google started selling its Nexus One in January, unlocked at $529 or for $179 with a two-year contract with T-Mobile. Users could also get an unlocked version for AT&T's network.
Customers can still buy Nexus One from Google's online store , but it isn't clear for how much longer, as Google plans to stop selling them entirely on the Web once stock has increased in retail stores. Google's Web presence will eventually become a showcase for Android phones, Rubin said.
At the time of the announcement of the Nexus One in January, analysts and Google seemed to value the marketing concept of online smarpthone sales as a bigger idea than the Nexus One device itself. As it turns out, however, it's really all about the device.
Rubin said at the time that the Google online store and smartphones that access the Web are a great way to support Google's core business of advertising, even adding the Google wasn't trying to make a profit on sales of the Nexus One hardware.
Google also explained the online philosophy in a blog post in January by Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management. "The goal of this new consumer channel is to provide an efficient way to connects Google's online users with selected Android devices," he wrote.
The Nexus One was to be the first "in what we expect to be a series of products which we will bring to market with our operator and hardware partners and sell through our online store... We expect to add more operators, more devices and more countries in the future..."
Verizon Wireless was one carrier Google expected to add, but Verizon decided to drop it and instead to promote the HTC Droid Incredible .
Sprint Nextel announced it was going to carry the Nexus One, but said last week it had dropped Google's phone from its line-up . "Nexus One will not be coming to Sprint's [network] given the upcoming availability of the award-winning HTC Evo 4G," a spokeswoman confirmed today. The Evo 4G arrives in June 4.
None of the major carriers nor Google would say which retailers or carrier stores are expected to carry the Nexus One in the U.S., although T-Mobile seems the most likely to do so.
Explaining Google's reversal, Gartner Inc. analyst Ken Dulaney noted the problem customers had with not being able to use the device, but also how Google angered the carriers, which have been the traditional retailers and have fostered long-term relationships with millions of customers for decades.
Jack Gold, an analyst at J. Gold Associates, said despite all the promotion of the Web-based smartphone store, said Google really wanted "primarily to get smartphones on the street," in whatever way it could.
He said selling direct online resulted in sales of an estimated 200,000 Nexus One phones. "It was about getting an early kickstart to market and Google did that by selling a a couple hundred thousand," Gold said.
He said that decisions by Verizon and Sprint to support the Incredible and the Evo are not so much a failure of the Nexus One, as much as a recognition that the Nexus One was getting older, when the life span of a smartphone is now only between nine and 12 months.
The Incredible and Evo can be seen as "successors" of Nexus One in a market of Android devices that will become increasingly fragmented, with different carriers offering their own flavor of Android, Gold added.
Because the subsidized prices for smartphones are going to continue to be much less than for unlocked phones, carriers will continue to win out and remain the "primary channel" for buying mobile devices, Gold added.
Having seen its reversal with Nexus One, it's fair to ask, will Google ever return to Web sales of Android devices?
"Never say never with Google," Gold said. "They might offer Web-based sales on a tablet device."
Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst, added, "perhaps this kind of [online sales] move with work for Google down the road."
He said that Google, as big and powerful as it is, really doesn't have the swagger of the carriers, which may be the most telling point of all in Google's reversal. "Google is not a heavy hitter in wireless -- yet," Kagan said.
Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld . Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed . His e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com .
Read more about smartphones in Computerworld's Smartphones Knowledge Center.
This story, "As big as Google is, Nexus One online store's failure shows wireless carriers still rule" was originally published by Computerworld.