text:
Well, here is a first. It is The Delightful Mr F normally reads the improving books in our house, but today, I am pleased to report, I have read some non-fiction.
On September 9th 2015, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II will be the longest reigning monarch in British history, having ruled for longer than Queen Victoria's reign of 23,226 days. Whilst Buckingham Palace have said there won't be any celebrations, I thought it might be nice to read up a little about the Queen.
I went off to the local bookshop and was instantly overwhelmed by the number of books about the Monarch. I decided to go with Andrew Marr's book which he wrote for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. I enjoy his TV documentaries, and a quick read of the first few pages convinced me it wasn't going to be too dry. At home I settled in for a long haul.
This is another case of my having to eat humble pie. My goodness this was good. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting a book full of wonderful insights, not just not the Queen herself, but into how the Monarchy fits into the British Constitution. I am quite fascinated by our constitution. It is made up of all sorts of random bits of law and legislation from the last thousand years or so, so it isn't terribly coherent, and has seemed to cause some quite difficult moments during the sixty odd years of the Queen's reign. For instance, can a member of the royal family have a civil marriage? Apparently the answer is yes, but only after many legal experts have poured over the documentation.
The book isn't solely about the queen. In the early chapters we get to understand some of the issues which lead to her being in line for the throne in the first place, if things has been different, she never would have been Queen. We learn about what is expected of her as the head of state and how that role has changed as social norms have changed.
All in all it is an absolutely wonderful combination of social and constitutional history. Whether you are pro-monarchy or anti-monarchy, or whether you don't mind one way or the other, this is a fantastic book to spend some time with. My only wish is that I had the hardback version so I could see the lovely photos on glossy paper*.
*Superficial? Me?


text:
Welcome to Tech Treats, our weekly feature where we provide our clients with the latest news on all things digital marketing. From current trends and innovations, to fresh tips on getting the most out of your paid adverts, we'll ensure you're always kept in the loop!
Device ID targeting on Google
Google have followed Facebook's lead and developed device ID targeting on their AdWords platform. This allows people to be shown adverts based on them having (or had) an app installed on their mobile. The function works over both Android and iOS and is pitched as able to drive engagement. Google recommends incentivising repeat purchases/ special offers.
Google's blog entry is here.
The TJM take: Google following Facebook is a little bit of a 'me to' play, but a necessary building block for future development.
Google is currently limited to targeting people who have already downloaded the app. Where Facebook trumps this by allowing you to match other users using look-a-like custom audiences. This enables you to target new customers as well. The first iteration of Google's platform is limited by comparison. The data Google holds about users is not as easily index-able as that of Facebook (Google+ failed as a data capture). Where we feel this will become very powerful is when they are able to align things like user movement, places of work/ home etc.
Mobile design
Following the launch of the Accelerated Mobile Pages, Google have released more official guidance on how they feel a good mobile sites and apps should work. There are no huge surprises here, but the developer's area provides some best practices on elements like in app search, payments and the like.
Moot points direction?
Google get a lot of things right, but as above, they have yet to nail a convincing social media platform. This is now costing them dearly. Without a place where users willingly give up their personal information, like what brands they like, what causes they support and who they are friends with, Google look clumsy when compared to Facebook.
Google has just hired Chris Poole (username 'Moot') who created and managed the image board 4chan.com . With 22 million visitors a month, 4chan has been responsible for Rick Rolling, exposing various celebrities in compromising photos and seeding the hacktivist group Anonymous.
If rumours are true, 'Moot' is set to repoint the direction of Google's social presence. The TJM team feel that the secret will be to increase time spent, so You Tube may get more closely rolled in.
Having tried Google+ as a safe play, it will be interesting to see what this roll of the dice gives Google!
Facebook to re-write the dictionary
OK – perhaps not re-write, but gather an up to date glossary of all newly coined terms and track their rise and fall.
Facebook will be on the hunt for all 'slang, terms of art, portmanteaus, syllabic abbreviations, abbreviations, acronyms, names, nicknames, re-purposed words or phrases, or any other type of coined word or phrase' on the web.
There are many possible uses, ensuring auto type is correct is the least exciting. Also on the list for possible development are:
- Better understanding trend adoption – making 'viral' content production and exposure much more scientific.
- Use in AI – If Facebook can understand how we create and develop ideas, perhaps Facebook can create Sky Net 2.0 (we are serious on the premise, if not the application of this idea)
- Increase the accuracy of UrbanDictionary.com – the quality has tanked of late.
Are there any topics you'd like covered in future Tech Treats updates? Send us a message on social media or drop us an email.
Want more news? Sign-up for our newsletter and you'll always be kept in the loop!
Get helpful blogs, guides and news sent straight to your inbox each month, as well as weekly Tech Treats updates. Sign-up by filling in the form below.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Sith Empire was known to have a variety of uniforms and armor for their military personnel with the idea of having them stand out amongst their enemies. This ranged from simple uniforms to full armor suits.
Sith TrooperEdit
Sith troopers had armor with reflective styling and black face mask, the armor covered the wearer completely, and even had a one-way visor. They also were protected by sixteen silver plates attached to their uniforms. The majority of Sith troopers wore armor with a silver sheen, some higher ranks wore crimson colored armor.
Sith officer, maleEdit
Sith Officers wore a blue jacket with campaign ribbons on the left breast, as well as rank symbols on either shoulders. They wore light gray pants as well. They also had black boots and black belts on which they carried their blaster and comlinks. A hat symbolized officer status. Gloves were optional.
Sith GeneralEdit
Generals wore a uniform identical to the regular Sith officer's uniform save for more medals, with green and had red cufflinks.
Sith Fleet CommanderEdit
Fleet Commander uniforms consisted of a black jacket with gray rank identifying pauldrons at either shoulder. There were campaign ribbons on the left breast, and a red sash coming down from right shoulder. Red and gold command status symbols were worn at their left and right collar. They also had light gray pants and a gray hat.
Sith and Dark JediEdit
Sith WarriorEdit
Sith Warriors wore mainly red and black. They had bulky, red, shoulder pads and what appears to be an overcoat. They also wore a red helmet with a small slit, presumably to look out of. They wore black pants and large brown boots. Sith Warriors did not use weapons, fighting instead with their armored hands.
Sith MarauderEdit
Sith Marauders wore black tops and pants, they also wore a black belt and shoes. It appears that under their black top they wore a red top with a slightly higher collar.
Sith AcolyteEdit
Sith Acolytes wore green and orange with black boots and an orange hood. They wore fingerless gloves and left their face, apart from the hood, unguarded.


text:
Enquire Contact form
- Description
DetailsRich, High Clarity Sound to Any Home Theater System High sensitivity and wide dynamic range for contemporary digital sources Waveguide horn allows the sound field to be shaped and controlled for optimal spatial expression in home theater environments PMD (Polymer-injected Mica Diaphragm) cone woofer combines high-performance materials and design for extreme accuracy Highest quality internal Monster Cable wiring High frequency response dome tweeter delivers clear, natural highs Bi-wiring connectivity Beautiful Yamaha piano finish with elegant elliptical form
- Specification
Enclosure Type:3-Way Bass Reflex
Magnetically Shielded:No
Freqency repsonse:45Hz - 50kHz
Sensitivity:89 dB/2.83 V/1m
Nominal impedance:6 Ohms
Cross Over Frequency:700 Hz, 4 kHz
Dimensions (HxWxD) :1000x230x350mm
Add your review
- Reviews
- Delivery
Providing your item is in stock, the order is usually dispatched within 24 hours. Please remember that postage and packing is completely free for orders over £50*. Out of stock items will be dispatched as soon as they become available, out of stock items can take between 4 to 21 days for dispatch.
Deliveries usually take 1-3 working days. The majority of orders are sent via our couriers'; Interlink Express on a next-day-delivery service. Smaller, low value or light-weight items are normally posted using Royal Mail Recorded or Royal Mail Special Delivery.
Once your product has been dispatched, you will be notified via email and sent a unique consignment number, you can use this number at http://www.interlinkexpress.com to check the status of your delivery. If you have provided a mobile telephone number, Interlink's Predict service will notify you by text (and email) of a one-hour delivery window. If the window they suggest is inconvenient, you can change the date of delivery to a later one via text or email.
*We ship free of charge to mainland UK addresses, excluding the Scottish Highlands or 'Out-Of-Reach' Scottish locations. Please consult the post-codes below to see if your location falls within this category. If you are still unsure, please contact us on 01432 354921. We also ship to Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Scilly Isles, Scottish Isles and Scottish Highlands, however delivery to these locations will incur a charge and can only be sent via a 2-day service.
Shipping Costs Mainland UK (Next-Day) Offshore/Out-of-reach (2-day)Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Scottish Islands, Scilly Islands Republic of Ireland (2-day) Under £50 Orders £7.50 £12.50 £15.00 Over £50 Orders FREE £19.99 £29.99 Surcharge Orders £50.00 £69.99 £79.99 Saturday Delivery £12.99 N/A N/A Sunday Delivery £12.99 N/A N/A
Post codes exempt from the free delivery service include:
Scottish Highlands Post Codes: AB30-38, AB41-42, AB44-56, FK17-99, G83, IV1-28, IV30-39, IV52-54, IV63, KW1-14, PA21-33, PA34-40, PH15-26, PH31-41, PH49-50
Islands Post Codes: HS1-9, IV40-51, IV55-56, KA27-28, KW15-17, PA20, PA41-49, PA60-78, PH42-44, ZE1-3
Northern Ireland: All BT postcodes
Channel Islands Post Codes: JE, GY
Scilly Isles Post Codes: TR21, TR22, TR23, TR24, TR25
- Press & Awards


text:
We are proud to offer you 2 options to stay subscribed with our posts
- The RSS FEED and
- News letter (Powered By Feed Burner).
RSS feed : The best way to keep up with our articles regularly is by putting the Tech Stream RSS feed into your feed reader.
The Newsletter :You have another option too, Subscribe to our News Letter to get things in your Mail Box. News Letters are sent out on every New Article Lanuch. We have made an effort to clean to keep the focus on the content. With just a single ad box we manage to keep it clean and simple. Thank you for support, and we will make sure to keep your subscription worthwhile.
We promise we won't spam you.
Last 5 Articles
All Articles >
MySQL as Database Option
Data Protection Laws Around the World
NodeJS Overview
Server Side Render ReactJS Application
How to Deploy React JS application
News Letter
Subscribe to our email newsletter for useful tips and valuable resources, sent out every new article release.


text:
Director Brett Ratner has resigned as a producer of the 2012 Oscars after making an anti-gay slur in public.
The remark came during a question and answer session at a screening for his new film "Tower Heist". The director replied to a question about his working methods claiming, "rehearsing is for fags."
Ratner said in an open resignation letter: "As painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents,"
The Academy said that Ratner, 42, handed in his resignation on Tuesday morning and has been no word as yet on his replacement.
Ratner, whose films include X-Men: The Final Stand and the Rush Hour franchise, was appointed as a co-producer of the 2011 Academy Awards in August.
His appointment was seen as unconventional, but was touted as someone who could bring some controversy to the ceremony which has seen rating's decline in recent years.
"Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable," Academy president Tom Sherak said in a statement.
"We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent."
Sherak also added that Ratner "did the right thing for the Academy and for himself."
In a letter addressed to "the Entertainment Industry," Ratner said: "Over the last few days, I've gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said in a number of recent media appearances.
"To them, and to everyone I've hurt and offended, I'd like to apologize publicly and unreservedly."
Ratner has caused controversy a few times in the past with his outspoken behaviour. Most recently, he confessed to the US radio talk show Howard Stern that he forced Lindsey Lohan to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases when she was "very young."
During the show, Ratner said: "I'm a hypochondriac. Before I go all the way, I send the girl to the doctor and check them for everything. My doctor has a test to tell if you're going to catch something in the future even."


text:
The pumpkin from yesterday's post is a YEAR old. Maybe that is normal and I'm overreacting, but I think it probably should have rotted by now. I purchased this cute little pumpkin from a grocery store somewhere, I don't remember which store, about a year ago for fall decorating. I understand that under ideal conditions, some hard squashes can last for a very long time, however...
1. This squash has NOT lived under ideal conditions. It has been subjected to extreme temperatures (but not frozen and then thawed) and wild temperature swings.
2. It has been packed and transported during a move.
3. It sits in my kitchen now and gets subjected to the odors and humidity of cooking and cleaners.
4. It has occasionally sat in direct sunlight for long periods of time.
And now, a year later, it is not even soft. Considering how fast some other things rot, this disturbs me a little. What the heck did they spray it with that it is so well preserved? I am glad I am not eating that pumpkin. I keep thinking of the advice of Michael Pollan: Don't eat anything that is incapable of rotting. I suppose at SOME POINT, this would eventually rot. Now I am on a watch to see how long it does last. Any thoughts?


text:
tracker/scout (Cybertron)
Research & Exploration (Earth)
Alt mode: B2 Spirit
CatsCradle appeared out of nowhere, a mystery to herself and others. She remembers very little before she became a Decepticon, but she harbors a deep hatred for Autobots with no recollection as to why. Her tracking abilities are an asset in many situations, from scouting out an unfamiliar area, to tracking down a targeted individual. Her calm and quiet mannerisms enable her to stay focused, in either solo or group missions, although her stubborn tendencies sometimes keep her on a project past necessity or prudence. Her slight build and armoring, which is an asset in recon missions, are not well suited for heavy combat, and so she is best paired with a larger ally to do the brunt of the fighting while she uses her extreme agility to dart in, disable, and dart out again. Her weapon of choice is a katana-type sword that she carries in an old-fashioned sling on her back. Her fingers are also tipped with claws. She is able to weave a net of energy between her hands (thus her name), which can be used as a protective forcefield, or as an entanglement if she casts it over an opponent or prey that she is tracking. She finds heavy ranged weapons a hindrance, but she has twin laser mountings that fold out from her forearms. Because she knows she is not suited for heavy fighting, she has honed her shooting skills and also is useful as a sniper. Her largest liability is her amnesia, which is a huge emotional weakness for her.
The only thing Cats remembers besides her almost-instinctual fighting skills and hatred for Autobots is a paralyzing sense of horror. She was living almost wild on the streets of Cybertron, insignia-less, damaged from some unknown trauma, and almost starving from lack of energon. She has no idea how long she lived this way, as her systems were too damaged to keep track.
One day, she saw a Decepticon and Autobot fighting and, despite that the only functional weapons she had were her claws, she leapt out of the shadows and tore the Autobots throat out. The Decepticon took her back to the camp, where she went through repairs to everything except her memory. This was not long before the Star Drive and the Ark left on their mission.
Cats memory files are intact and the relays repairable, but she is so terrified at the sense of horror that haunts her, that she absolutely refuses (to the point of panic) to have them repaired. Her lack of history and her refusal to provide one has made rising through the ranks difficult, as she has to rely entirely on the present. Her skills have gotten her as far as she is, but there is always that unknown background. She is prone to nightmares, because the memories are there, just not consciously accessible.
She will function on little sleep, because of the nightmares. She is also wary around any type of medical personnel, because they are always trying to convince her to have her memory repaired. She is terrified one day the repairs will be done while she is unconscious and without her consent. If she cannot find a medic she trusts, shes more likely to limp away and hope her own internal diagnostics will take over the healing process.
Cats is... unobtrusive. She tends to blend in, do her job, and blend out again, whether it is on a solo or group mission. This ability to blend is one reason why she is a good tracker. After all, it would be rather difficult to track down someone in hiding, if the tracker was loud and flashy.
She is uncomfortable around new people, because she is self-conscious about her lack of history. She spent the 4 million years the Ark was buried on Earth in active duty, so she actually does have a history of her own, but emotionally, she has a hard time accepting that. She doesnt mean to appear aloof -- she actually has a quirky sense of humor, but it sometimes takes a while for that to appear. She has spent so long surrounded by combat mechs who have paid very little attention to her, that she has become used to being ignored and unnoticed
She is very loyal to anyone she does accept as a friend, both protective and supportive. She is very dedicated to whatever mission shes assigned, sometimes to the point of obsessing. She has had to prove herself so many times, that she cant get out of the habit, even though it isnt as necessary now as it was when she was a nameless, damaged femme from the back streets of Cybertron.
For the most part, her ability to blend enables her to interact with others fairly well. However, she is very sensitive to remarks about her loss of memory. She is afraid of people finding out just how scared she is to remember, or about her nightmares, because either are weaknesses. She is running from these fears in a society that disdains running, so she fiercely tries to compensate.
She also does get snappish when shes over-tired, which happens more often during the times when the nightmares are more worse than others, as she will try to function on as little sleep as possible.
25ft tall, light build. Armor midnight-purple. Face, hands, armor trim silver-grey. Pink accent band around helmet edge. Insignia on left upper arm. Claw tips on all fingers. Carries sword in sling over back. Optics dark purple. The wings from her jet mode form a sort of half cape, to mid-back. Her jet mode is similar to a B2 Spirit.
Strength: 5
Endurance: 5
Agility: 9
Intelligence: 7
Courage: 6
Charisma: 5
Sharp Shooting: 8
Hand-to-hand: 8
Tech: 2
Stealth, forcefield (in both modes)
Sword, lasers (mounted in wrist-cuff armor), forcefield (entanglement net), claws.
Will also occassionally use laser rifle, although does not prefer to carry one around. Used only for sniper missions.
Her cats cradle entanglement net/forcefield takes quite a bit of energy, and is powered by the same force that powers her lasers. The shield is good for one round, but will also leave her lasers unpowered until the energy builds up again.
Cats is probably not going to be able to find any peace until she deals with her amnesia. On a deep inner level, she knows this. But she cant bring herself to admit it yet, and she might not ever be able to. She has been running from her memories for well over four million years -- acceptance is not going to happen any time soon. But she longs for some type of inner balance, and doesnt know how to achieve it.
Decepticon Cause:
The Empire was the only thing she had. With no history to define her, she threw herself into the cause, for something to believe in, to live for, to create her own personality around. It really is all shes ever known, except for the time she lived as a street-scavenger. And as long as she is so devoted to the cause, that is that much of her that isnt lost in those vanished memories.
Her hatred of the Autobots is a deeply emotional reaction, more than any specific political reason, and the reasoning behind that is also lost in those vanished memories.
Amendment (after end of first
season, four months into the game)
Cats spent millions of years, rarely emerging from her shadows. After so many years of suspicion and lack of trust, revolving around her refusal to have her memory repaired, she simply became used to it. It was a type of protective camouflage, surrounded by mistrust and supported by her constant fear that someday she would be ordered to face her lost memories.
When Megatron re-emerged, her world changed. As the word went out that the Decepticon leader was alive and well, other Decepticons returned after their long absences. One of these was the last survivor of the Diplomatic Corp, Diktat. Diktat didnt quite play by the same rules as everyone else, and the stigma that surrounded Cats never seemed to phase him. He was the first to draw her out of her corners, the first one who not only would talk to her but also listen to her. He was under the opinion that if Cats had indeed been an Autobot plant, it would have surfaced millions of years ago. Cats knew some of Diktats reputation, knew that she should be terrified of the wily diplomat, with his beautiful words backed with his subliminal programming, but the meeting changed her life and brought her out of the shadows permanently.
Shortly after that, Diktat approached her with the news that he was reviving the Diplomatic Corp, and that he was considering her for membership. And shortly after that, the warlord Straxus had her transferred to his command for specialized training for his covert operations team. Cats threw herself into the training, seeing opportunities for the first time that she never thought shed ever be offered.
Then the first real communication from Earth arrived in the form of Divefire, bringing news of the troops on Earth and a shipment of energon. The dark and brooding Seeker-derivative brought out a sense of mischief and laughter in Cats that she didnt know she had, and that laughter brought a light into Divefires life that had been missing for eons. Their souls touched.... and Divefire was sent back to Earth.
Cats was devastated. For the first time in her life, she had had a focus, a direction in her life: the covert ops team and a chance at the elite Diplomatic Corp. But Divefire had made it plain that he did not approve of either Straxus or Diktat... and also that Cybertron held bad memories for him, and that he did not want to remain on the only home Cats remembered.
However, the bond between them proved to be stronger than distance. Divefire was a department of his own on Earth, researching and exploring the new planet, and he told Cats that there would be use for her on this new world. He had asked her before to come to Earth with him, and she had refused. This time, she put aside her Cybertronian life and came to Earth as the second member of Earth Research and Exploration, a completely new function on a new planet, and a new life.


text:
Or Login using BecomeGorgeous
Please fill the form below and follow the further instructions.
You are about to receive a email from us please make sure to check your spam or junk folder and add our email [email protected] to your contact list.
Thank you!
Published on: 25 Jun 2011 by cookies12389
First slip light green L.A. colors lip stick over your upper lip
Second slide light brown la colors over your bottom lip.
third rub light silver sparkle over either lip and then rub together
fourth pair with artemis eyes blush or hair or all three
fith lnow that this can take awhile to profect so be pactient
Good luck and attract thoose boys
good luck to get that first kiss
good luck to get that first date perfect
this works for all of them so good luck ;)


text:
Recent Posts
Tagsassessment assessment and feedback Babington Community College Collaboration computing CPD digilit digilitleic digiLit Leicester digiltleic digital literacy e-safety English Martyrs' Catholic School flipped classroom Geography innovation iPad iPads Josie Fraser learner voice Leicester libraries LRC LRC Connect maths mobile learning MP6 Nether Hall School observation OER open education Open Educational Resources personal learning networks PLN policy resources schools SEN sharepoint staff development TCOLC The City of Leicester College The Lancaster School twitter young people
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, and should be attributed to Leicester City Council SchoolTech
Tag Archives: The Lancaster School
City-wide school staff digital literacy network
Just before Christmas 2015, we launched a call to secondary and special education schools across the city to participate in a new peer led network, designed to focus supporting school staff digital literacy and CPD. The network builds on the … Continue reading
Posted in open education, Project Update, School Projects Tagged CPD, Crown Hills Community College, digilit, digiLit Leicester, digilitleic, digital literacy, Ellesmere College, English Martyrs' Catholic School, Judgemeadow Community College, Leicester, Moat Community College, Nether Hall School, OEP, OER, open education, open educational practice, Rushey Mead Academy, school improvement, school staff, schools, SEN, St Pauls Catholic School, staff development, teaching and learning, The City of Leicester College, The Lancaster School Leave a comment
Blog 2! Using voice activated software
Ruth Fairley is a Special Education Needs (SEN) teacher at The Lancaster School – an all boys secondary (ages 11-16) school in Leicester. Ruth's innovation project explores the use of iPad accessibility features and apps to support students with learning … Continue reading
Technology to support English as an Additional Language
Post by Simon Newman, EAL Coordinator, The Lancaster School: Simon previously reported on the professional development innovation project he undertook this year, exploring the use of iPad features and apps to support students working with staff in the school's English … Continue reading
iPads for writing, using voice activated technology!
Ruth Fairley is a Special Education Needs (SEN) teacher at The Lancaster School – an all boys secondary (age 11-16) school in Leicester. Ruth's innovation project explores the use of iPad accessibility features and apps to support students with learning … Continue reading
Posted in Innovation Projects Tagged dyslexia, iPads, mobile learning, SEN, The Lancaster School, voice recognition software 1 Comment


text:
Flying This Summer? Pack These Healthy Snacks!
Whether you are flying for business or pleasure this summer, you may find it challenging to eat healthy snacks and meals during your flight and at the airport. To take some of the stress out of traveling, use my airport survival guide to make healthy choices no matter where you're headed.
First, it is important to know that you can actually bring your own snacks onto the plane. Lots of people think because they can't bring drinks from home that snacks are off limits as well. There a plenty of healthy options that you can take so that you aren't left with just the salty crackers or sugary cookies they pass out on the plane. Here are my favorite plane-friendly snacks:
- Individual baggies of unsweetened dry cereal (stick to 1 cup servings)
- Fresh or dried fruit (keep portion to 1/4 cup)
- Baby carrots or mini sweet peppers
- Half of a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole-wheat bread
- Granola or snack bars (look for ones with at least 3g of fiber, no more than 200 calories, and at least 4g of protein)
- Air-popped popcorn in baggies
- Individual applesauce or mixed fruit containers (natural, without syrup)
- Unrefrigerated fat-free pudding cups
- Nuts and/or seeds (keep portion to 1/4 cup)
- String cheese (must be refrigerated within 4 hours)
It's a smart idea to drink an extra glass of water before you fly and a glass every hour that you're in the air. Flying causes dehydration because you breathe faster when there is a lower level of oxygen available, which causes water loss. If plain water doesn't sound appealing to you, ask your flight attendant for a glass of sparkling water with a wedge of lime or with a splash of fruit juice.
Eating at the airport? Throw together your own meal by pairing together these items from one-stop shops and food carts: - One protein: container of lowfat yogurt, hard-boiled egg, 1 oz. package of nuts
- One fruit or veggie: fresh fruit, raw veggie pack with low-fat ranch or hummus, 1 oz. package of dried fruit
- One whole-grain carbohydrate: 5-6 whole-grain crackers; one small bag of popcorn, half of a whole-wheat bagel
And I absolutely love this website for city-specific airport tips. It lists all the places to eat in every major airport, along with suggestions on what to order. Safe and healthy travels to you this summer!
Comments? Requests? Tweet me @sarahjaneRD or @SELFmagazine or find me on SELF'S Facebook Page!
Related Links:
Stay-Slim Travel Secrets
How to Have Your Best Vacation Yet
21 More Healthy Snack Ideas
For daily nutrition tips follow SELF on Facebook and Twitter.
Get SELF on your iPad and Kindle Fire!


text:
LPA Spring Music Program- May 14th04.29.2015 | Comments Off on LPA Spring Music Program- May 14th
Join us for a night of music, performed by your favorite LPA students! Thursday, May 14th 5:30 P.M. 4:30-5:00- Doors Open to … Continue Reading
Join us for a night of music, performed by your favorite LPA students! Thursday, May 14th 5:30 P.M. 4:30-5:00- Doors Open to … Continue Reading
In 2nd Grade, we have been studying the History of St. Louis. Students have begun a research project on monuments in our great city. We partnered with … Continue Reading
Teachers have a Professional Development Day on Friday, April 24th. We look forward to welcoming your families back on Monday, April 27th.
Ms. McInnis' Kindergarten class planted seeds during the first week of April. We have been learning about the parts of a plant. This is in part of … Continue Reading
First Grade has been investigating the three states of matter. We've been doing experiments to explore the processes that change matter – melting, freezing and evaporating. We … Continue Reading
First grade has been focusing on an author study the last few weeks during our read alouds. They have been exploring different books written by Doreen Cronin. … Continue Reading
LPA is excited to welcome new faces to our Instructional team for the 15-16 school year. Each of these educators is dedicated to the mission of … Continue Reading
Our 2nd grade Brownie troop will be collecting personal care items from Friday, April 17th to Thursday, April 23rd. All items donated go to local pantries for … Continue Reading
This week the owls have been learning about plants. We are identifying what plants need to survive, observing different types of plants, and learning parts of plants. … Continue Reading
LPA will be closed on Friday, April 3rd. We will resume our normal schedule on Monday, April 6th. Enjoy the 3-day weekend!


text:
PART 1: Thoughts on Working in a Series can be found HERE
Friday, August 31, 2012
PART 1: Thoughts on Working in a Series can be found HERE
8 comments:
- Robin said...
Another gorgeous piece Sandy! Thanks so much for your words of encouragement, I have many unfinished projects that started to feel like "work" and were put aside for another day. You've inspired me to roll up my sleeves and get busy with them. Have a great day and wonderful weekend.
- August 31, 2012 at 6:17 AM
- Lady Locust said...
I may have mentioned it before, but I so love that spoon! You are genius. Another beautiful piece - soothing pallet for this set. You do beautiful work.
- August 31, 2012 at 8:04 AM
- Vee said...
Is this piece meant to be a part of a set with the first or is it a stand alone one? Probably either way... Your branches speak to me even more than the birds...something's brewing for me and my little Haven here...We shall see if it goes anywhere.
SMART...now that could be used on many levels.
The mixpod is doing very well by the way...enjoying it.
- August 31, 2012 at 9:26 AM
- bobbie said...
Another beautiful piece! And I love your words and thoughts about the process ~ setting goals is hard for me, so hearing about your struggles is SO encouraging!
Hugs ~
PS ~ I can see why you were a little crazy after finishing the third piece's weaving ~ the amount involved in each piece beggars belief!!
- August 31, 2012 at 1:42 PM
- Kadee @KadeeWillow said...
Sandy... great words of advice blended with not only the upside of things but the downside! Sometimes we can look at an artist's finished product and think how easy it all came to them. Realistically? I know that's not true but it's so easy to get caught in that way of thinking. Anyway, I love how, as you scroll down the post, bits of the whole get exposed .. doled out one at a time. Making us look at all that depth! Beautifully done!
- August 31, 2012 at 3:43 PM
- Amy said...
I like piece two! The paper weaving is really nice, and I love the spoon remnant.
- August 31, 2012 at 7:05 PM
- Katherine Wolak said...
I absolutely LOVE the project!!!! The spoon-egg blew me away, Ive never thought of that! :D The bird and quote is just brilliant!
- September 1, 2012 at 12:18 AM
- amy of four corners design said...
Sandy - its been wonderful and insightful to read about your process about completing these pieces...I don't always pay attention to the process...just plow on ahead...maybe if I did make some goals it would help. This series, along with the artwork would make a fantastic article in either Somerset or ClothPaperScissors...I encourage you to shop it around!
- September 1, 2012 at 9:52 AM


text:
This is not a question asking how to stop an attack. This is simply a thread for anyone and everyone to discuss ideas for preventing, dealing with, and keeping your server alive during these attacks.
Do not discuss using 3rd party software, this is a place to make your own ideas and read others.
Post examples if you'd like. Post ideas how to filter out flood attacks. Post ideas how to keep your server alive while being under a heavy DDoS attack.


text:
We've probably all seen those simple diagrams where an electronic signature authenticates the key pair used to create the signature. For electronic commerce, authenticating a key pair might not be adequate. For business transactions, each key pair needs to be closely bound to the consumer that owns the key pair. An electronic certificate is a credential that contrasts an integral pair to the entity that owns the key pair. Digital certificates are issued by certification authorities,
therefore we trust the binding prescribed with the certificate.
A Digital signature is fine for verifying e-mail, but stronger verification methods are needed to associate an individual, like the demonstration in our earlier post where we used it to allow access to an app for watching the BBC News abroad. to the binary bits on the network that are purporting to "belong" to Tom Smith. For electronic commerce to work, the association has to be of a power that is legally binding. When Tom Smith has an electronic certificate to advertise to the planet at large, he is in possession of something which might take more trust than the "seal" that was made by his own digital signature.
You might trust his digital signature, but what if a few other believed authority had trust in Tom Smith?
Wouldn't you then trust Tom Smith a little more? A digital certificate is given by an organization that has a reputation to defend. This organization, known as the certificate authority (CA), may be Tom's employers, an independent organization, or the government. The CA will take measures to set some truths about Torn Smith before issuing a certificate because of him.
The certificate will normally hold Tom's name, his public key number, the serial number of the certificate itself, and validity dates (issue and expiry). It'll also bear the name of the issuing CA. The whole certificate is digitally signed by the CA's own private key.
Lastly we've achieved a mechanism which may be used to allow individuals who've no previous relationship to set each other's identity and participate in the legal transactions of electronic commerce. It's certainly more efficient and secure than using something like geo-location which simply determines your identity based on your location. So for example, a web site might determine nationality by using your network address – e.g a British IP address needed to access the BBC online.
Certificates, if delivered correctly, inspire trust among Internet traders. It's not, however, as easy as it might sound.
Certificates expire, are missing, are issued to the wrong person, or have to be revoked because the detail held on the certificate is wrong–maybe the people key number was threatened–and this leads to a large Certificate Control effort or even a campaign.
The X.509 v3 certificate format is a standard used for public important certificates and is broadly used by Internet security protocols (like SHTTP). Based on X.509 v3, digital certificates are being used increasingly as electronic credentials for identification, non- repudiation, and even authorization, when making payments and conducting other business transactions on the Internet or corporate Intranets.
Just as within our credit card system of today, where millions of credit card numbers issued by any bank in the world are electronically confirmed, so it will be the use of digital certificates will demand a clearing house network for certificate confirmation of a comparable scale.


text:
Crisis... what crisis?
Bhutan's king turns a blind eye on the human disaster of his making
I can't just sit in a camp doing nothing,' says 25-year-old Chet Nath Timsina, one of 88,000 Bhutanese refugees living in exile in Nepal. 'I think I shall have to participate in the next march.'
He is referring to the latest strategy by refugees to draw attention to their plight by walking from exile in Nepal, through India, and back to their homeland – the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Their ultimate goal is a face-to-face meeting with the country's despot and absolute monarch, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
What the Bhutanese want is simple: to be allowed to return home and to be assured that they will have full human rights once there. Since 1988 a sixth of the population has been expelled from their country under the 1985 Bhutan Citizenship Act which revoked the citizenship of tens of thousands of Bhutanese. Most come from the fertile south and are Hindus of Nepali ethnic origin. The king is a Buddhist and of Tibetan ethnic origin. Over 50 per cent of Bhutanese are of Nepali ethnic origin and so if the expulsion continues – and there is no sign of it abating – that will mean an awful lot more refugees pouring over the borders.
Timsina's story is fairly typical. His family – farmers in the South – were expelled in 1992 after his father was forced to sign a 'migration' document. Human-rights abuses were rife in the region when they left. 'People in our village were very much afraid. Girls and women were being raped by Government soldiers who had occupied schools and other buildings. Homes were destroyed.'
Timsina's family had been in trouble with the authorities since his parents took part in an anti-Government protest a few years earlier. As a result his brother, though a trained agronomist, was blocked in his attempts to get a job. Timsina himself was denied further education. He has remedied that now and is training teachers in the refugee camp.
Back in Bhutan the persecution continues, with torture being used routinely on dissidents. Meanwhile the King of Bhutan flatly denies that there is a Bhutanese refugee crisis. He claims that the refugee camps in Nepal are filled with Indians and Nepalis, not Bhutanese. This is dismissed as nonsense by humanitarian-aid workers – as well as the document-holding Bhutanese inmates who actually make up 97 per cent of the camps' population.
Marching from Nepal to Bhutan will be no easy matter for Timsina and his fellow protesters. They will have to go through India – a country unsympathetic to their plight. Many protesters on previous marches have been turned back or arrested and incarcerated – India has an important deal with Bhutan involving the supply of hydroelectric power from the kingdom. The Nepali authorities are more sympathetic. Apart from providing a refuge they are also appealing to their powerful neighbour, India, to mediate a solution. But India is reluctant to do so.
The UN High Commission for Refugees, for its part, provides humanitarian assistance in the camps but does not consider trying to broker a political solution as part of its mandate.
One of the few bodies to have spoken out for the refugees is the European Parliament, which has called for their urgent repatriation and full restoration of human rights. 'This has been a great encouragement to us,' says Timsina.
Vanessa Baird
For more information contact:
The Bhutanese Refugee Support Group:
Rachael Reilly, 69 Grafton Way, London, WIP 5LN, UK.
Tel: 0171 637 3592/01227 471 760.
Colin Izod,
5 Little Twye, Buckland Common, Tring, Herts, HP23 6PB, UK.
Tel: 0194 758106.
Fax: 01494 758938.
Polio-free prospect
Efforts to vaccinate children in Eastern Africa against polio have been so successful that the region should be polio-free by the year 2000. The incidence of polio in East Africa dropped by 91 per cent between 1988 and 1995, from 1,813 to 160 cases. Mass vaccination campaigns, in which polio vaccines have been given to under-fives across entire East African nations in the space of days or weeks, have been particularly successful.
WHO Press Release.
Poisoned Andes
Poisonous waste from a zinc mine owned by the President of Bolivia, the World Bank, and Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ), a British based multinational company, is causing one of the worst environmental disasters ever to strike Latin America, according to European scientists. The scientists say that the collapse of a dam at a mine high in the Andes released up to 400,000 tonnes of sludge loaded with heavy metals, which has polluted 300 kilometres of river. The sludge has killed aquatic life and is threatening the livelihood of 50,000 of the region's subsistence farmers. Rivers swell from a trickle to flood the farmers' smallholdings each time the rains come.
New Scientist, no 2057.
Rent rebate
When American and Russian officials negotiated a 20-year rental agreement for the US ambassador's ornate Moscow residence in 1995, annual rent was set at 120,000 roubles, to be paid in dollars at the official exchange rate. That amount was worth about $170,000 then. Under the present exchange rate, it's equivalent to $22.56. Understandably, Moscow wants to revise the agreement, but the US is 'in no rush to do so'.
World Press Review, vol 43, no 11.
Young guns
A government decision to ease restrictions on gun ownership has sparked a new debate on gun control in Israel. Interior Minister Eli Suissa, the man behind the new regulations, believes that everyone's personal security would be enhanced if more citizens bore arms. Labour member of parliament Chaim Ramon, a former interior minister, disagrees, arguing that a committee appointed by Parliament a year ago 'found that when more people have guns, the number of disasters increases'. The relaxed regulations would allow anyone who has served in an army combat unit or as an officer in the armed forces to own a gun, and lowers the minimum age for a gun permit from 21 to 20.
World Press Review, vol 44, no 1.
Uzbekistan cigarette market opens for business
The tobacco industry has claimed another victim. In a promotional supplement on Uzbekistan distributed by the London Times, British American Tobacco (BAT) gloats over a recently acquired 51-per-cent stake in the local tobacco monopoly. UZBAT, as the subsidiary is called, aims to invest $292 million in factories, fermentation plants and leaf research. Sales are set to reach 25 million cigarettes by the end of the century, and there are plans to make Uzbekistan the springboard for sales across Central Asia and into Russia.
UZBAT's marketing has been predictably slick and efficient. Attractive stickers, given out free to shopkeepers, adorn every available kiosk window. Trolley buses resemble mobile cigarette packets.
Ironically, the flag-ship brand-name chosen to lead the fleet of home-grown cigarettes is Saraton – Arabic for the Cancer zodiac sign. Future addicts are, however, unlikely to get the pun: health warnings are thin on the ground. TV promotions are of the usual Incredible-Hulk-meets-Stunning-Woman-and-they-all-live-happily-ever-after-in-a-cloud-of-cigarette-smoke variety, without a warning in sight. Glossy international brands such as Lucky Strike, Kent and Hollywood – made by BAT's American subsidiary – either carry no warnings at all or leave them in English.
UZBAT's tactics have, however, incensed students. In a letter to BAT's British headquarters last April they wrote: 'Are you aware that you are poisoning our life and our generation with your tobacco business?… You are using the people's naiveté for your own benefit. They have no power to protest against the power of a Western company.'
Although UZBAT has the largest stake in Uzbekistan, US rivals Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds/Nabisco are doing their best to capture the lungs of tomorrow's smokers. Special 'export only' packets of Pall Mall and Camel testify to the commercial battle that's raging.
A group of ten-year-olds asked me to settle a bet for them. They were arguing over the meaning of the word 'Marlboro'. One was convinced it meant 'cigarette', the other that it meant 'cowboy'. But over one thing there was no dispute. One day, as soon as they could get away with it, they would all be trying these 'beautiful American cigarettes'.
The lives of Central Asia's youth are up for sale to the highest and most attractive bidder.
Jennifer Balfour
Explosive outcomes
Oil company fuels flames of conflict
The Canadian oil company Arakis International is pressing ahead with plans to build a $930 million oil pipeline from the Bentiu oil fields in southern Sudan to the Red Sea coast – protected by 10,000 Iranian revolutionary guards and Executive Outcomes, the South African private-security firm.
Sudan is embroiled in a bloody civil war in which the control of oil resources in the south is a major issue. Arakis has the backing of the National Islamic Front (NIF) regime in Khartoum in the north. Following agreements with two renegade Sudan People's Army (SPLA) commanders in the south, the NIF regime has assured Arakis that its operations can proceed without any security threat.
Arakis, however, is less confident. In addition to the promise of Iranian revolutionary guards and the NIF regime's own Popular Defence Forces, the company has hired Executive Outcomes to recruit mercenaries – following the example of Sierra Leone, where South African mercenaries have been used to protect diamond-mining operations in the midst of another civil war. The idea is to make the area of the oil field itself almost impossible for the SPLA to infiltrate and sabotage.
Arakis shares jumped in value on the announcement of the security deal. The company cleared another key hurdle last August when the US Government ruled that Sudan was not subject to trade and investment sanctions under anti-terrorism laws, thereby opening the door to possible joint-venture deals with US oil companies.
According to the Sudan Democratic Gazette, a London-based magazine published by exiled Sudanese, one of the renegade SPLA commanders, Kerubino Kuanyin, has been 'massacring the local populations in his own native area in a bid to quell any likelihood of opposition to the oil exploitation'.
Weakened by internal schisms, the Southern Sudanese appear powerless at present to prevent their oil reserves from being exploited by Arakis International and the NIF regime in Khartoum. But, says the Gazette, this could be the catalyst that unites Southerners. 'Not even Arakis International,' it warns, 'will be able to say in the future that it did not know what it was getting into'. The outcome, in an area already saturated with arms and devastated by years of brutal conflict, could be explosive.
Newslink Africa
DDT damage
The Mexican Government plans to phase out DDT in malaria control over the next ten years in favour of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. It is prioritizing a reduction in organochlorine pesticides such as DDT because of the link between organochlorines and cancers. The Government also plans to enhance the enforcement of restrictions against DDT use in agriculture, which continues despite being made illegal in 1990. The Ministry of Health reported organochlorine residues in 146 out of 439 samples examined between 1993 and 1995. Food contamination could account for the occurrence of unexpectedly high levels of DDE, a breakdown product of DDT, in the breast milk of women in Mexico City. According to an Environmental Health Perspectives report, Mexico is the leading DDT user in Latin America, and breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among Mexican women.
Pesticide Monitor, vol 5, no 2.
To most Indians, turmeric is a part of growing up: a classic 'grandmother's remedy', the yellow powder or paste has been applied to the scrapes and cuts of generations of children. But last year two American scientists were granted a patent to use this plant extract in its powder form for healing wounds. The scientists claimed they were the first to use turmeric for this purpose. The ensuing public outcry prompted the Government in Delhi to file a case against the American patent at the US Patent and Trademark office in Washington DC. The furore has ramifications way beyond the use of turmeric. Indians see the American patent as blatant 'biopiracy' – yet another attempt by the West to profit from their traditional knowledge.
New Scientist, no 2053.
Junk ads
TV food advertising aimed at children undermines the importance of healthy, balanced diets, according to a study of 11 European countries, Australia and the US. Food accounts for by far the largest proportion of all advertisements aimed at children in 11 of the 13 countries – in Australia over 230 during a 20-hour period – while confectionery, breakfast cereals (mainly sweetened) and fast-food restaurants account for over half all food advertisements. A nutritional analysis of the advertised foods in the UK found that 95 per cent were high in fat and/or sugar and/or salt.
A Spoonful of Sugar. Copies from Consumers International, 24 Highbury Crescent, London N5 1RX, England.
tel: +44 171 226 6663,
fax: +44 171 354 0607.
The red thing
Bulgaria's second city, Plovdiv, is torn over what to do with a remnant of the country's communist past: a larger-than-life concrete statue of a Soviet-era Red Army soldier. The city council wants the Kalashnikov-toting fighter torn down, but Plovdiv's communist minority has filed suit to block the action. Meanwhile, a group of French architects has suggested constructing a glass pyramid – like that at the Louvre in Paris – around the monument, which stands on a picturesque hill above Plovdiv. Coca-Cola, ever-ready for a promotional opportunity, has offered to encase the statue in an enormous Coke bottle.
World Press Review, vol 43, no 11.
'In the end, shooting first wins.'
Thomas Jones, Director of Special Studies,
Boeing Space and Defense Group.
Issue 288 Contents
home page
This article is from
the March 1997 issue
of New Internationalist.
You can access the entire archive of over 500 issues with a digital subscription. Subscribe today »
Help us produce more like this
Patreon is a platform that enables us to offer more to our readership. With a new podcast, eBooks, tote bags and magazine subscriptions on offer, as well as early access to video and articles, we're very excited about our Patreon! If you're not on board yet then check it out here.


text:
We partner with exciting startups and top brands to create outstanding digital products and services. Using the latest open-source technologies and iterative design methods, we are constantly motivated to make products with purpose.
The UN's International Labour Organization produces statistics and trends on global employment; we helped them visualize this data like never before.
View Project
We designed and developed the new React Native mobile app for MODOMOTO – Germany's first and largest Curated Shopping Service for men.
From day one, we have been the product team for this Dublin-based property start-up, developing a set of tools for Property Management Communications.
Our very own travel start-up! We invented, named, branded, designed and built this travel app. 10 things to check out and check off in each destination. Simple.
We developed everything from branding to build to get this start-up from idea to launch super-fast. Almost as fast as these guys can change your locks!
+49 (0) 30 8876 4997
Kottbusser Damm 103a
10967 Berlin
Google maps →
+44 (0) 161 818 4997
2B 22 Lever St
Squareball Digital GmbH ©2004 - now.


text:
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Tara Donovan
Tara Donovan (b. 1969, New York) is an American artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She is known for site-specific installation art that utilizes everyday materials whose form is in keeping with generative art.Donovan grew up in Nyack, New York. Her studies began at the School of Visual Arts, New York in 1987-88. Donovan received her BFA at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington, D.C. in 1991, and earned her MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 1999 when she received her first interview in Articulate Contemporary Art Review. Before attending VCU, Donovan tended bar and waited tables for six years, and didn't quit her day job until 2003, when her first New York solo show, at the Ace Gallery (when it had a branch in New York), proved a breakout success.
All images Copyrighted
Friday, 6 January 2012
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Product Description
AR7300 is formulated from a concentrated blend of organic esters and additives in a synthetic PAO base. It is an advanced oil specifically designed for the most demanding conditions in road or race 2-stroke engines. AR7300 provides improved lubrication and anti-wear characteristics.
Combined with an added combustion modification technology AR7300 has demonstrated in both bench and field tests to reduce smoke production and increase horsepower in 2-stroke engines. Operating temperatures are also reduced by as much as 30%. AR7300 is a ready to use oil. Use AR7100 if you require an advanced additive pack to blend with an existing 2-stroke oil.
- Improves lubrication & Anti-Wear Properties
- Enhances Combustion to Maximize Available BTU
- Increases Horsepower & Torque
- Reduces operating temperatures
- Maintains a cleaner engine
- Reduces Smoke
- AR7300 is compatible with all auto-lube and pre-mixed 2-stroke engines.
Usage Instructions:
- For pre-mixed applications, mix AR7300 with fuel at the ratio recommended by the engine manufacturer.


text:
Moderator: Mr. A. Horne, General Director, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Bahrain
GSR Discussion Paper on Coexistence of traditional and IP interconnection, [presentation]
Ms. Natalija Gelvanovska, Head, Network and Access Division, Communications Regulatory Authority, Lithuania
Ms. Natalija Gelvanovska, Head, Network and Access Division, Communications Regulatory Authority, Lithuania
Interactive panel discussion:
- Coexistence of both worlds: how can traditional strongly regulated interconnection coexist with self-regulated IP interconnection?
- Data transport/interconnection: who pays for what?
- Net neutrality: what does it mean? Is it a developed country issue? How will it affect developing countries?
- Mr. C. Lizcano Ortiz, Executive Director, Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones (CRC), Colombia
- Mr. Hirohisa Furuichi, Director, Tariff Division, Telecommunication Business Department, Telecommunication Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications(MIC), Japan
- Mr. S. A. M'Poue, Secretary General, Agence des Télécommunications de Côte d'Ivoire (ATCI), Côte d'Ivoire
- Mr. E. Ndukwe, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria
In the internet world they use a completely different model. In the PSTN they now move to a different network. The IP-world has now come to telephony. The dilemma is what the new model will be.
Colombia: We got a regulatory framework that looks in a converged way at markets. Colombia focuses on QoS, Content, Effectiveness and Efficiency, renumeration for the networks. The role of the regulator is critical.
Ivory Coast: Our laws don't look at IP. Nationally we can't do IP interconnection. Internationally we can. We all know what regulation is for. But IP interconnection is not an issue yet in our country
Japan: We use interconnection mosty for traditional networks. We do unbundling in Japan. We have changed our interconnection rules to fit with the new networks like mobile and broadband. We think that it has had a good effect. NTT is now rolling out an ALL-IP FTTH network. For us the problem is how to separate the pricing for different services. We need a different accounting system for NGN Services. It was very difficult to calculate this well. It was also difficult to convince NTT to open up more Points of Interconnection.
Mediteranean country: we are struggling with the same problems as Japan. We are going to hybrid networks with IP in the core and all other technologies go to the edge. We are very interested to see how QoS is introduced and how it is costed.
Answer Japan: In Japan we have discussed Bill and Keep we have discovered it is too early to move to Bill and Keep. One of the problems is to end up with a transparent system. Secondly we see that it will have great impact on the User Tariff. It would allow the dominant carrier to do something …. (don't know what)
Middle East country: The main problem with IP interconnection is Quality of Service. In order to solve this we need to monitor QoS
Japan: we have monitored the network congestion. And we look at traffic imbalance. We have promoted Internet Exchange Points. We further try to do practical experiments with QoS.
Moderator: with deep packet inspection we can monitor the Quality of Service statistics. It is more than solveable.
Question: how to deal with a transition phase.
Answer: it is an issue… needs to be solved when time is right. It is necessary to open up forums and to discuss openly.
Moderator: In Bahrain we have a full-IP network. The incumbent hasn't put forward an Wholesale IP interconnect. We think this is because it is more expensive and we won't accept it.
Question: I have comment. In the internet networks it wasn't about termination. It was about peering. From the basic model of the internet it was hard to do regulation and we don't regulation we think. We don't need to regulate the interent. We need to move to peering and transit.
Answer: In Lithuania the incumbent doesn't want to peer anymore. But how do I deal with that. I found that I have no real tools for that.
European nation: how do you do the costing in NGN?
Japan: The basic approach to calculate network costs is similar. We did a basic calculation and then modified it by a QoS factor.
Mod: It would be good to have a forum on this topic.
Middle East: The ITU is already dealing with questions regarding interconnection and the Hybrid networks. I do think the ITU can deal with this very well and we don't need an extra forum on this subject.
Colombia: complements the ITU on its work on interconnection already.
Middle East: I would like to ask about the question on interconnection on symmetrical and asymmetrical network. The size of the networks is very important. Large operators and smallers have different traffic load.
Japan: we implement both symmetrical and asymmetrical interconnection. We do pay attention to net neutrality as well as not to have anyone block content of others. So there are rules for packet shaping.
Question: How does Japan deal with the numbering in NGN network
Mod: We're all looking at how to deal with this problem in the future. The thing was that incumbents weren't present in the IP world. In Bahrain we're now looking at the costing of IP-services. Fundamentally there shouldn't be a difference between the IP world and the old-world. But we should move to IP fast as the hybrid model is causing more problems than solving them.


text:
One of the most convenient ways to go online and stream your favorite music, videos or check on your social networks is by using a smartphone. One such smartphone, the #Samsung #Galaxy #S6, allows you to connect to the Internet either by using a Wi-Fi network or through a mobile data subscription. A lot of people will prefer a Wi-Fi connection though since it won't eat up their data allowance. There are however some issues that can occur when using Wi-Fi. This is what we will be discussing today as we tackle the Galaxy S6 will not connect to Wi-Fi network issue & other related problems.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy S6 or any other Android device for that matter then feel free to contact us using this form. We will be more than happy to assist you with any concern that you may have with your device. This is a free service we are offering with no strings attached. We however ask that when you do contact us try to be as detailed as possible so that an accurate assessment can be made and the correct solution can be given.
If you would like to browse the previous parts in this series then check out this link.
You may also reach us at our Facebook and Google+ social media accounts.
S6 Will Not Connect to Wi-Fi Network
Problem: I purchased this phone only four weeks ago. It was working fine. Then after a week we switched internet providers at our house. Now the phone will not find our Wi-Fi. We have tried typing in the name, but it will not even locate it. No other device in the house is having this problem (television, computers, other cell phones), they are all still running on the same with the same password, etc. This, to me, would suggest it is the device, not the internet connection, etc. We did a factory reset on the s6 and it still will not locate the Wi-Fi. PLEASE help!
Solution: Are you able to turn on the Wi-Fi switch of your device? If you are able to then you should be able to search for your Wi-Fi connection. Try to check if this issue is isolated to your own network by having your phone connect to another Wi-Fi network. If you have a coffee shop near your place or if your neighbor has a Wi-Fi network then try to temporarily connect to it. If the phone is able to search and connect to other Wi-Fi networks then this could be a router configuration related problem. Your router may not be broadcasting its SSID making it invisible to your phone. Try to access the administration panel of the router and check on this.
If your phone is unable to detect other Wi-Fi networks then this could already be a hardware issue since you mentioned you already performed a factory reset. I suggest you have your phone checked at an authorized service center.
S6 Not Automatically Connecting To Mobile Data
Problem: Whenever I leave wifi, my apps (gmail, snapchat, facebook, AP news, google maps, etc. ) stop working. I have my mobile data turned on (chrome still works) and I'm not limiting background data. This has been going on for months. Whenever I get home, I suddenly receive 10-15 notifications. I've contacted samsung and they were very unhelpful; verizon said the problem wasn't on their end. I'd really love some help – I've run out of ideas.
Related Problem: When I leave a WiFi connection area and enter any data area (4g/4gLTE/3g) I need to restart my phone in order to access the data (internet/Facebook/MMS/etc). MMS will not download, internet shows lost connection icon, no data available until I reset. This is 90-95% of the time. With that said, I never have to restart when going from a data are to WiFi. Do I have a setting that is not correct on my phone or is this a system/phone issue? I've also heard of others having the same problem. Please assist
Solution: Before doing any troubleshooting make sure to check that your phone has an active mobile data subscription and that your phone can connect to your mobile data.
Since the issue occurs whenever the phone switches from Wi-Fi to mobile data then the culprit could be some form of corrupt data or it could be caused by a third party app. Follow the troubleshooting steps listed below to resolve this issue. Move to the next step if the current step fails to solve the problem.
- Wipe the cache partition of your phone from the recovery mode. This deletes any temporary data in the device which could be causing this problem.
- Start the phone in Safe Mode. Check if the issue occurs in this mode. If it doesn't then it could be caused by a third party app installed in your device. Find out what app this is and uninstall it.
- Backup your phone data then do a factory reset.
S6 Not Connecting To Wi-Fi Network After Marshmallow Update
Problem: Since downloading and updating to 6.0.1, my phone has been unable to hold a connection to any WiFi. My saved networks still appear but have a note indicating that they're turned off (e.g. "NETGEAR82 Turned Off"). When I attempt to connect to a network, it will momentarily connect before breaking connection with the notification "Wi-Fi Disconnected". I am positive that the networks are functional, as other devices are working perfectly on these networks. I've heard from other S6 owners that they've experienced this same issue. Please help, since I don't have unlimited data!
Solution: Try restarting the router and your phone first then check if your phone is able to connect to the router. If it doesn't connect then you have to forget the Wi-Fi network from your device. Search for it again then connect to it. You should also try to do a network setting reset from the phone settings.
If the above steps fail to resolve the problem then I suggest you backup your phone data then do a factory reset. This is a highly recommended procedure that needs to be done whenever issues occur right after a major software update. What this does is it takes out any old software data that has not been removed during the update procedure and is now causing a conflict with the new software version.
S6 Wi-Fi Does Not Turn On
Problem: I am having this issue of wifi turning on and off by itself and now it is idle it is not even turning on. Somebody suggested me to factory reset the phone but it didn't worked. What can be the possible problem because there is not any hardware problem but some firmware problem as per some mobile phone expert told me can you please help.. Thank You.
Solution: If your phone is still running on its stock software and you already did a factory reset which failed to fix the problem then there's a chance that this problem could already be hardware related.
You can however try to check if a corrupt software is causing this problem by flashing your phone with an updated stock firmware. Instructions on how to perform this procedure can be found at several of the popular Android forums online. If this fails to resolve the problem then I suggest you bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it checked.
S6 Freezes When Connected To Wi-Fi
Problem: keeps freezing when connecting to wi fi and everytime I open up facebook or messenger app it keeps saying waiting for network either though I have internet signal. It just keep crashing and wont work. it worked before this update to marshmellow 6 on my s6.
Solution: Whenever your phone freezes when using a Wi-Fi connection the main culprit is usually corrupt data. Try to start your phone in recovery mode first then wipe its cache partition. If this fails to resolve the problem then I suggest you backup your phone data and do a factory reset. This is a highly recommended troubleshooting step for devices that experience issues right after a software update.
Engage with us
Feel free to send us your questions, suggestions and problems you've encountered while using your Android phone. We support every Android device that is available in the market today. And don't worry, we won't charge you a single penny for your questions. Contact us using this form. We read every message we receive can't guarantee a quick response. If we were able to help you, please help us spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends.


text:
It happens once a year. Stampin' Up! announces their retirement list for stamps, bundles, paper, accessories, and outgoing InColors. Before they're gone forever, be sure to grab your favorites before they're gone. And some retiring products have discounts of up to 50%!
Ink, paper, and accessories are available while supplies last! Retiring stamp sets will all be available until May 22. After that it's while supplies last or until May 31st.
There are two ways to see what's retiring.
Here are a few of my favorite retiring products:
Shop now, before your favorites are gone!
Happy Stamping!
Leave a Reply.
Michelle Irinyi
Stampin' Up!
May 2019
"All Images © 2018 Stampin' Up!
This blog is my sole responsibility as an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator and the use of and content of the classes, services, or products offered on the DBWS, personal blog, website, or other Internet medium is not endorsed by Stampin' Up!"


text:
New interesting feature of Oracle 12c
This looks like an interesting feature of Oracle 12c. I'm still not sure about the security implications but it does say interesting things about pure network monitoring security tools. Now, more than ever, what you see on the network can be something completely different than what runs on the database. So, you can see a […]
McAfee wins best database security solution award
Nice way to bring some coolness to Oracle statistics
Dark Reading – Database Security
I was interviewed for a nice article about database security on Dark Reading. The interesting question, I think, is not wether to invest in DB security. To me, it's a given that you have to do it (even though some customers still don't agree). The question is – how will the threat landscape change if [...]


text:
Man City star Gabriel Jesus celebrates ONE WHOLE YEAR unbeaten in competitive football
Win over West Brom means Gabriel Jesus has not lost a single match in 12 months with Palmeiras, Brazil and Man City
MANCHESTER CITY star Gabriel Jesus has gone an entire year without losing a match.
His side's 3-2 win at West Brom on Saturday meant Jesus has avoided defeat in every competitive match he has played over the past 12 months.
Amazingly Jesus' last defeat came on October 29, 2016 when Palmeiras lost 1-0 at Santos.
Admittedly he did miss three months of last season with a broken foot.
But, even so, his run still stretches to 35 competitive games for City and Brazil.
In fact, his only actual defeat came in a friendly international against Argentina in the summer.
The 20-year-old hit another remarkable milestone when he passed the 50-goal mark faster than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He reached his half-century of senior goals in City's Champions League clash with Napoli - his 50th strike in 118 senior appearances for Palmeiras, City and Brazil.
SUMMER SALES Manchester City will make a move for Alexis Sanchez next summer
Jesus reached that personal tally six games faster than Argentina ace Messi – and nearly twice as fast as Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo.
Jesus scored 28 goals for Palmeiras, who he helped to the Brazilian championship in 2016, and has bagged seven for Brazil.
Added to that come 15 for the Blues to reach his 50.
Messi hit his 50th goal in his 124 appearance for club and country, scoring in a 5-1 win over Levante in February 2008.
Ronaldo boasts a sensation record now, ut back in the day his 50th goal for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United and Portugal arrived in his 221st appearance.
That was when the Red Devils beat Portsmouth in November 2006.


text:
How to Get Sh*t Done will teach you how to zero in on the three areas of your life where you want to excel, and then it will show you how to off-load, outsource, or just stop giving a damn about the rest.
Want to Turn You Life Around? Ask Yourself These 3 Important Questions


text:
Anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time knows that I'm a big Bloglines fan, and use it as my main aggregator on the desktop/browser, and the mobile version on whatever wireless device I have on hand.
I've been wanting to try out the mobile version of Newsgator Online. I'm a fan of the Outlook version, and while I don't miss the ability to read feeds offline (impossible with Bloglines), I thought I'd give Newsgator Mobile a shot. There's a 14 day trial period before I have to pay the $29/year for the Consumer Gold package, which includes the Outlook version, Mobile version, Online version (free anyway), and Nick Bradbury's great standalone aggregator FeedDemon once version 1.6 is out of beta.
Thoughts so far: I'm using a very small subset of the 700 or so feeds that I'm subscribed to (the "Short List", specifically) for testing. The fact that they added the ability to group and read feeds by folder is crucial – this wasn't there last time I looked at Newsgator, and was a deal killer for me. I like the fact that it only shows feeds with unread items (something I've been wishing for in Bloglines Mobile for a long time). Speed wise, the pages take a really long time to load, even over my speedy EVDO connection on my Samsung i730. On the other hand, the feed items are more up to date than Bloglines, which only polls once an hour or so.
So far, so good. If the slow page loading issue doesn't persiste, I might just switch. It meets all of my requirements, and I'd kind of like to be able to sync my feed items and read state (critcal!) across the web browser, Outlook, and mobile browser. I might even start reading feeds offline – like there's ever a time that I'm not connected… 😉


text:
Flowers. And a dream.
One of you asked for more dream pictures. That's hard. You have to have a dream. You have to remember it. Then, you have to figure out how to illustrate it.
I know that we dream all the time. Especially in deep REM sleep. I also know that we remember a very slight percentage of our dreams.
I decided to make a picture that looked and felt like a very pleasant dream. Layering flowers seemed like a good idea. I managed to find a couple of images that just worked together. Really well.
If there is a dream hidden here, think of this. The magenta, purple colored flowers are clouds. The yellow and white flower is the sun. The sun is bursting through the clouds. That's how I see it. The late John Lennon, when asked what his songs meant, replied, "Whatever you want them to mean."
Same thing here.
The picture. Two photographs of flowers. Mixed, matched and layered.


text:
17 October 2007 was the day that Sakis Gouzonis joined MySpace, the world's largest music social network. Many incredible things have happened ever since!
Today, Sakis Gouzonis has more than 75.000 friends in 192 countries and territories, who support him every single day. This is a particularly huge number of people and countries!
Over the last two years, listeners have been spreading the word about Sakis Gouzonis on MySpace. Bloggers, journalists, music reviewers and writers from all over the world have been publishing reviews and articles about Sakis Gouzonis' music. DJs and radio producers have been playing Sakis Gouzonis' music on their shows. Numerous e-mails, public comments and private messages have been exchanged.
A special thanks goes out to all of you who keep downloading Sakis Gouzonis' music and getting his CDs. Your support is very important and much appreciated.
Read the related press release.
News #38


text: USMEF Technical Services Department Staff The USMEF Technical Services Department is headed by Senior Vice President, Export Services Paul Clayton Email Paul Clayton (303) 226-7331 Technical Services Manager Travis Arp covers Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. Email Travis Arp (303) 226-7332 Technical Services Manager Cheyenne McEndaffer covers the European Union, Russia and surrounding region, sub-Saharan Africa and the Western Hemisphere. Email Cheyenne McEndaffer (303) 226-7327 Technical Services Specialist Lindsay Cammel is responsible for coordinating international audit and veterinary team visits, information management, and trade leads Email Lindsay Cammel (303) 226-7320


text:
Available through December 19.
Despite its many imperfections, it's clear that there's a massive want for the Razer Phone. Razer's first attempt at the smartphone market isn't necessarily the worst we've ever seen, and if the 120Hz refresh rate and sturdy build are reasons enough to overlook its poor camera performance and dim display, there's a new deal that makes this one of the best times to pick up Razer's latest.
Between now and the end of December 19, you'll get a free Leviathan Mini Bluetooth speaker when ordering a Razer Phone through Razer's website. The Leviathan Mini typically costs $180 on its own, so you could certainly ask for a worse freebie.
The Leviathan Mini supports Bluetooth 4.0, aptX technology, NFC, and claims to offer up to 10 hours of non-stop music playback. You can connect two Leviathan Minis with Razer's Combo Play feature, and the included carrying case makes transporting the Leviathan Mini as easy as can be.
To take advantage of this deal, add the Razer Phone to your cart, enter in promo code PHLVLUP, apply it, and the Leviathan Mini will automatically pop up.
via Android Central – Android Forums, News, Reviews, Help and Android Wallpapers
December 18, 2017 at 11:26AM


text:
Home > Notebook Reviews and Ultrabook Reviews> Dell XPS 13
What's hot: Excellent build quality and top notch materials and components. Good backlit keyboard, works with large high resolution monitors, nice display. One of the best Ultrabooks on the market.
What's not: Fan can be boisterous when working the notebook hard, trackpad not the best.
Reviewed March 9, 2012 by Lisa Gade, Editor
in Chief (twitter: @lisagade)
Editor's Update, March 2013: Read our review of the latest Dell XPS 13 that replaced this model.
Not so very long ago, there was just one Ultrabook on the market, and it didn't run Windows, nor did it go under that Intel-invented moniker: the MacBook Air. Now we've covered Ultrabooks (13.3" super thin and light notebooks with Intel Core i Sandy Bridge CPUs and SSD drives) from Asus, Lenovo, HP, Acer and Toshiba. The Dell XPS 13 is late to join the Ultrabook party that started around the holiday 2011 season, but if you haven't yet picked up one of these svelte yet powerful machines, you'll be glad you waited to see what Dell brings to the table.
What's Inside?
Intel created the Ultrabook concept, so they guide the specs. That means you won't see much variation among makers beyond display resolution and casing materials. Some ignore the Intel spec and use a conventional spinning hard drive rather than an SSD (Acer Aspire S3) to bring costs down, and others stretch the Ultrabook definition to 14 or 15"-- the Lenovo IdeaPad U400 and the upcoming 14" Fujitsu Lifebook to name two. Dell goes with the usual Intel Core i5 1.6GHz ULV CPU and a Core i7 ULV option, 4 gigs of RAM, a 128 or 256 gig SSD and a 1366 x 768 display. While some Ultrabooks started higher than Intel's hoped for $999 or under price tag (the Asus Zenbook UX31 comes to mind), Dell managed to get the XPS 13 in with a starting price of $999 while using premium materials. Display quality and build materials are manufacturers' two key differentiation points for Ultrabooks, and Dell definitely went to town with materials.
Build Quality and Materials: Superb
The Dell XPS 13 has an aluminum lid, a black painted magnesium alloy keyboard deck and a very cool looking and feeling carbon fiber bottom. Build quality, fit and finish and even the box are top notch. It makes a mockery of the HP Folio 13 sitting beside it on our desk; an Ultabook that costs just $50 less than the Dell but uses everyday design elements and plastics and ships in your typical HP cardboard outer box with foam retainers. Of course, looks aren't everything and the box is exciting for the first 10 minutes, but material quality and durability are rather important, so Dell competes nicely with the Asus Zenbook UX31 and the 13" MacBook Air, its two aluminum-clad chic competitors.
The 13" MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13.
The XPS 13 weighs 3 pounds, which is average for Ultrabooks (the HP Folio is currently the heaviest at 3.3 lbs. and the Toshiba Portege Z830 the lightest at 2.5 lbs). It's 0.24" at its thinnest point up front and 0.71" at the rear. The laptop looks like a Dell when it comes to the black keyboard deck and fondness for curves. Happily, the over the top design elements like the shiny spiral hinge and weird speaker grilles found on the XPS 14z and 15z are gone. The lozenge-like aluminum lid is very attractive, though MacBook Air derivative. The tapered sides make for a slim look and feel, and the carbon fiber that covers the bottom and wraps around the sides looks and feels simply wonderful. It's got a soft touch feel, is grippy and has that checkered gray pattern that says carbon fiber (you know what I'm talking about, sportscar geeks).
Ports are rarely in abundance in Ultrabooks, and the XPS has a particularly small motherboard and chassis since Dell was trying to make a 13" machine with an 11.6" footprint (in reality they managed something in between). That means there's no room for an SD card slot or wired Ethernet, but you do get two USB ports (1 is USB 3.0) and a Mini DisplayPort that can drive huge monitors. The machine has Intel Advanced N dual band WiFi with Bluetooth and it has Intel WiDi to wirelessly use your TV as a second monitor if you have something like the $99 NetGear Push2TV.
The left USB 2.0 port is quite close to the charging port, and we couldn't use one of our chunkier SD card readers with the charger plugged in. We switched to a smaller footprint card reader and managed just fine. The charger itself is the usual very compact brick and it uses a 3 prong plug like most Windows PC chargers. The Dell has a smart battery indicator on the right side: press it and the four LEDs will give you an idea of remaining charge even if the laptop is off.
Deals and Shopping:
Dell XPS 13 Video Review
Display, Gorilla Glass
The display is covered in edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass, which is common on higher end smartphones and a few tablets, but is rarely seen on notebooks. The gloss WLED (white LED) display is very bright at near 300 nits, and it has good but not class-leading contrast with pleasing colors. Color saturation is good and natural looking--a plus for image editing. Viewing angles are notably better than the Toshiba Portege Z830 and HP Folio 13, and are on par or a bit better than the 13" Zenbook, though the Dell trails in contrast. The Zenbook is still the king for brightness, and the Toshiba display is quite bright, but the Dell is more than adequate for even very bright environments and is significantly brighter than most laptops in the sub-$1,000 category.
The only Ultrabook display that I like better than the Dell's is the MacBook Air that has even wider viewing angles and higher contrast. I'm not sold on high resolution 13" panels, having owned and used an Asus Zenbook UX31 for several months--it was hard on my eyes and I found myself increasing font sizes in Windows and apps, negating some of the benefits of the higher resolution. But if you're 25 with good vision, you might adore a higher resolution panel. Sadly, there are no IPS Ultrabooks, likely because that would significantly increase cost, but we wouldn't mind seeing it as an option for those willing to spend more.
Given the notebook's design where the display drops behind the bottom section when open, the display doesn't tilt back very far. We'd like 10 to 20 degrees more tilt to accommodate more viewing scenarios.
External Monitors: MiniDisplay Port Means Versatility and Power
We absolutely applaud Dell's decision to go with a Mini DisplayPort rather than HDMI because this allows us to drive big monitors that are higher resolution than 1920 x 1080 HDMI. Mini DisplayPort adapters of all kinds are available since Mac laptops have used them for a few years, and you can pick up $10- $20 Mini DisplayPort to HDMI or VGA if you need them. There are also DVI and dual link DVI adapters, though dual link DVI adapters are pricey. We tested the XPS 13 with our 30" Apple Cinema Display running at 2560 x 1600 connected as an extended monitor and it worked beautifully. Likewise you can use Dell's own UltraSharp U3011 30" and Ultrasharp U2711 27" monitors.
Keyboard: Good for Writers
The first crop of Windows Ultrabooks had abysmal keyboards. That's the price we paid for the uber-thin design that leaves little room for key travel. The Asus Zenbook's keyboard isn't a writer's dream, nor is the Toshiba Portege Z835's since both suffer from low travel and little tactile feedback. The Dell XPS 13's Chiclet keyboard is another story, with good key travel and tactile feedback. I obviously spend a lot of time writing and the keyboard has been a pleasure to use to write this review. The keys are relatively roomy given the 13.3" chassis, with an ergonomic shape that helps keep your fingers on the keys. The white backlighting is very even with little light bleed from the key edges. The HP Folio 13 comes in second: though it lacks the sculpted keys, it has good travel and feedback, even if the backlighting isn't as pleasing as the Dell's. For those of you considering the MacBook Air as well, it also has an excellent keyboard by ultra-portable standards.
By default, you'll need to use the Fn key to use keyboard quick settings for brightness, sound and more. If you'd rather not have to hit the Fn key for these settings keys on the top row, you can change it in BIOS.
This is one of the quicker Ultrabooks: though Intel mandates the hardware platform, we've seen some variation in performance among brands. The Asus Zenbook UX31 and 13" MacBook Air (technically not an Ultrabook since it doesn't ship with Windows) live at the high end of the speed scale. The 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M ULV Dell joins them, scoring 9850 on PCMark Vantage. There's a $1,499 1.7GHz Core i7-2637M option that also ups SSD capacity to 256 gigs, but we find the Core i5 suitably fast and the performance gains with the i7 not worth the 50% price premium. Instead we'd spend our money on the middle configuration that sells for $1,299 and upgrades to the 256 gig SSD. Dell uses very fast SATA 3 Samsung SSD drives, and our 256 gig configuration came with excellent the 6Gbps Samsung PM830 mSATA drive. Benchmark speeds were over the top in PCMark Vantage with a 40,575 score, which is twice as fast as the HP Folio's SSD drive. Nice.
The SSD ships with 4 primary partitions, though Windows Explorer will show only the C drive. There's a tiny Dell utilities partition, a 20 gig recovery partition, the C drive (212 gigs on our 256 gig model, approximately 80 gigs on the 128 gig model) and an 8 gig hibernation partition. Intel Ultrabooks that support Intel's Rapid Start feature use the hibernation partition to shave time off wake from hibernation times. It took our machine only 8 seconds to resume from hibernation and 15.6 seconds to cold boot from a shutdown. You can change the time it takes before the system hibernates using the BIOS' Rapid Start settings, and you can disable it if you wish to remove that partition. The machine also supports Intel's Smart Connect Technology (an Ultrabook feature from Intel that didn't make it to many models), which you can control in BIOS. It periodically wakes the machine from sleep and makes a network connection to update social networks and email (the screen doesn't turn on, so you won't see it working this bit of magic).
The laptop has 4 gigs of DDR3 RAM that's soldered to the motherboard like most Ultrabooks. That means RAM isn't upgradeable though the mSATA drive and wireless card are. Both the Core i5 and i7 are second generation Intel Sandy Bridge models with Turbo Boost 2.0. We probably won't see Ivy Bridge (third generation) Ultrabooks until Q4 of 2012.
Windows Experience Index:
Processor: 6.3
Memory: 5.9
Graphics (Aero): 5.6
Gaming Graphics: 6.3
Disk: 7.9
PCMark Vantage:
Dell XPS 13: 9850
HP Folio 13 (1.6GHz Core i5): 8936
Asus Zenbook UX31 (1.7GHz Core i5): 10,021
Toshiba Portege Z830 (1.8GHz Core i7):
Temperature and Fan
Our XPS 13 with the Core i5 runs at 45-55 Centigrade when doing office and web tasks, which is well below the 100 degree max allowable CPU temp. When playing 3D games, the CPU temp rises to the mid-60's, which is perfectly acceptable. With the initial BIOS release, the cooling fan was on frequently and was often loud, but with the A02 BIOS, it runs without excess noise. The notebook pulls air in from the bottom (be careful not to smother the air intakes) and exhausts it from the rear edge. The keyboard and deck do not heat up, and the bottom never got hotter than 92F (carbon fiber doesn't get as hot as metal bottomed laptops).
Wireless, Software and Warranty
The Dell ships with Intel Centrino Advanced N-6230 wireless and Intel 3.0 + High Speed Bluetooth. That's a good wireless card with dual band WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 300Mbps throughput, 2 antennas and support for Intel WiDi wireless display. Though we're sure Intel would like it if all Ultrabook manufacturers used Intel wireless, the percentage isn't that high: you'll find it on the Toshiba Z830 but not the Asus Zenbook or quick ship HP Folio 13-1020US model. The Lenovo IdeaPad U300 uses a slower Intel single band WiFi module. There's no built-in Ethernet, but you can use most any USB to Ethernet dongle on the market if you need wired networking.
Dell doesn't assault the machine with bloatware. You get the usual MS Office 2010 Starter Edition, various Dell utilities, better than average facial recognition software that works for Windows logon and websites, a month McAfee Anti-virus trial, Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and Adobe Premiere Elements 9. Skype (Premium 1 year subscription) is pre-installed, along with the Zinio magazine reader and the sad Blio ebook reader and store. Dell's Stage UI (a useful desktop launcher widget plus a custom Dell Stage video player and more) and a nifty Accuweather widget round up pre-installed software.
We don't usually discuss warranty and support in detail, but Dell has worked hard to turn around their tarnished reputation, and the XPS line ships with better than average coverage. Dell's XPS line of products include upgraded 24/7 tech support, which we took advantage of when we needed free system restore discs (the drivers disc, Adobe Premiere Elements 9 and Photoshop Elements 9 discs are in the box, but not the restore disc). The experience was quick, friendly and the reps spoke good English and didn't torture us with scripted questions. They also followed up by phone and email and sent the discs FedEx next day air. Dell also includes a year of accidental damage protection (spills, display cracks, surges and other accidental mayhem), a year of on-site service (if remote access can't fix the problem) and a year of LoJack (though the software was missing from our unit).
Graphics and Gaming
The Dell, like all 13" Ultrabooks, uses Intel HD 3000 graphics, which is more than adequate for everyday office apps, web, video playback up to 1080p and Photoshop work. For video editing, you're better off with a larger, faster full Core i5 or i7 notebook: using Windows Live Movie Maker and the included Adobe Premiere Elements 9, our Dell exported a 10 minute 1080p AVCHD video to 1080p YouTube format in 30 minutes. Video editing and adding effects was very responsive, despite slow export times.
Ultrabooks and their HD 3000 graphics aren't intended for 3D gaming and they can't touch midrange dedicated graphics cards, but we gave the XPS 13 a test with some fairly current and demanding 3D titles: Left 4 Dead 2, Mass Effect 2 and Crysis 2 (in order of difficulty). The Dell did great with Left 4 Dead 2, and managed 23-30 fps at native resolution in Mass Effect 2 with all effects turned off (it was playable). Crysis 2 is a hungry beast, and we saw 20 fps at native resolution, and that didn't improve much when we dropped down to 800 x 600 resolution.
Here's a short video of the Dell XPS 13 playing these games, with FPS showing courtesy of FRAPS, and game settings for each.
Battery Life
The Dell XPS 13, like all Ultrabooks, has robust battery life by notebook standards. In our tests with WiFi on and brightness set to 50% (a little too bright for low ambient light settings), the Dell averaged 6 hours on a charge. That's about the same as our 13" Asus Zenbook using the same settings, and shorter than the HP Folio 13 that sports the longest battery life at the expense of slightly lower performance and a much dimmer display.
The Dell XPS 13 has become one of our top Ultrabook picks. You really can't go wrong with most first gen Ultrabooks since they share similar specs and shoot for higher end appointments, but Dell has a winner with their combination of premium materials, excellent performance and great looks. The XPS 13 is extremely sturdy yet slim, uses innovative materials like carbon fiber and a Gorilla Glass display and is the most compact 13" Ultrabook so far. Dell uses premium parts like Intel Advanced N-6230 wireless and Samsung's fast PM830 SSD, while the competitors often go with lesser parts to keep costs down. This is a fast Ultrabook with a very good backlit keyboard and a pleasing display, even if we wish there were an IPS option. Recommended.
Price: $999 to $1,499
Web Site: www.dell.com
Related Reading:
Ultrabook Guide
Best Ultrabooks Rated
Dell XPS 13 vs. 13" MacBook Air Comparison
Dell XPS 13 vs. HP Folio 13 Comparison
Display: 13.3", 1366 x 768 WLED backlit display. Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics. Mini DisplayPort and Intel WiDi wireless display.
Battery: 6 cell, 47 WHr Lithium
Ion battery (sealed inside). 45W compact world charger included. 5 LED battery charge level indicator on notebook's side.
Performance: Intel Core i5-2467M processor (1.60 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.30 GHz). Intel Core i7-2637M processor 1.70 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.80 GHz. Intel QS67 chipset. 4 gigs DDR3 RAM (not upgradable) and 128 gig or 256 gig SATA 3 6Gbps SSD drive (Samsung PM830).
Size: 0.24-0.71 x 12.4" x 8.1 inches. Weight: 2.99 pounds.
Camera: 1.3MP with dual digital array mics.
Audio: Built
in stereo speakers ( 2 x 1.5W, 3W total), mics and 3.5mm combo stereo headphone/mic
jack. Waves MaxxAudio 4 HD audio.
Networking: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 dual band
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 High Speed.
Software: Windows
7 Home Premium 64 bit. MS Office 2010 Starter Edition, Adobe Premiere Elements 9, Adobe Photoshop Premier Elements 9, Skype, Zinio, Blio Reader, McAffee 1 month trial and various Dell utilities including Dell Stage.
Expansion and Ports: 1
USB 2.0 port, 1 USB 3.0 port, Mini DisplayPort and 3.5mm headset jack.
All Phone Reviews
Smartphone Reviews
Android Phone Reviews
Windows Phone Reviews
HTC Phone Reviews
LG Phone Reviews
Motorola Phone Reviews
Nokia Phone Reviews
Samsung Phone Reviews
Sony Phone Reviews
AT&T Phone Reviews
Sprint Phone Reviews
T-Mobile Phone Reviews
Verizon Phone Reviews
Unlocked GSM Phone Reviews
All Tablet Reviews
Android Tablet Reviews
Tablet Comparisons
Android Tablet Comparisons
Laptop Reviews
Ultrabook Reviews
Laptop Comparisons
Best Ultrabooks
Bluetooth Headsets
iPhone and iPad Accessories
eBook Readers
iPhone Game Reviews
iPad Game Reviews
iPhone Case Reviews
iPad Case Reviews
RSS News Feed
About Us
Contact Us
Site Map