text:
Casiño: Aquino's antigraft bid hollow without FOI
With no transparency, at least P400B will be lost yearly to corruption, Malacañang told
Philippine Daily InquirerDAVAO CITY—Partylist Rep. Teodoro Casiño said President Aquino's delivery of the keynote address in the anticorruption forum in Davos would be hollow without a real Freedom of Information (FOI) law being enacted.
Casiño urged the President to certify the bill as urgent so that the House leadership can proceed with its passage to meet the Feb. 6 deadline.
"Malacañang has been stalling the passage of an FOI bill, even the severely watered down version at that," said Casiño.
"President Aquino's FOI version is so limited that transparency and accountability are restricted, illustrated by the many exemptions that cover corrupt practices, human rights violations and policy making," he said.
This as former Manila Rep. Benny Abante said that without an effective FOI law, some P400 billion would be lost to corruption annually.
Citing statistics from international watchdog, Transparency International, Abante said at least 20 percent of the national budget is lost to corruption annually because of the lack of transparency in the government.
"Because our officials do not fear public scrutiny in the absence of FOI, for 2013 alone the Philippines may lose P400 billion to corruption. This amount is nearly the combined budget of the departments of education, health, agriculture and social welfare—enough to ensure that a huge portion of the populace is given access to basic social services, food, clothing, shelter, medicine and education," Abante said.
Abante, former chair of the House committee on information, prodded lawmakers to hasten the measure's passage and to take the FOI bill more seriously.
"Giving Filipinos their right to information empowers them. It is the necessary first step in promoting genuine accountability and transparency in the government. Continue to ignore that and we continue to lose billions in public funds through secret deals and under-the-table transactions," he said in a statement.
He said the country stands to lose billions of pesos if the bill died.
"Other countries had to grapple with an unsympathetic policy environment to enact their version of the FOI. Jordan in the Middle East has it. Our Southeast Asian neighbors, Indonesia and Thailand, have it. Nearly a hundred other countries in the world have their FOIs. After nearly a hundred years of independence and despite what our Constitution mandates, it is unfortunate that the Philippines could not enact its own FOI," he said. Nico Alconaba, Inquirer Mindanao
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Texas Politics
Blogging politics, elections and the Capitol with the Austin bureau
Posts filtered on Category
Budget battle costs TribFest congressional participants, Cruz to appear by video
The ongoing federal budget battle has the potential to shape political careers, daily lives and yes, even TribFest. The third annual Texas Tribune Festival has heavily touted co-founder and editor-in-chief Evan Smith's interview Friday evening with U…
[Read More]
Special session on redistricting questioned
Taking exception to statements by Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in an op-ed piece published Monday by the Houston Chronicle, the Texas Senate's Democratic Caucus chairman filed a proposed change to the current Congressional redistricting plan, arguing that a Washington D.C. federal court had found it was drawn with "discriminatory intent." […]
[Read More]
Perry heads to Colorado, Nevada for Romney
The presidential campaigns keep tapping Texans to make their cases in battleground states. Earlier this month, it was state Rep. Joaquín Castro, a Democrat from San Antonio who is nominated for a congressional seat, stumping for President Obama in Colorado – and his twin brother, San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, making the incumbent's case in […]
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Henry Wrigley was named the Topps Minor League Player of the Month for July, as he batted .370 with three home runs and 18 RBIs.
J.P. Howell has pitched 22 consecutive scoreless innings, continuing his streak with a scoreless sixth inning. He has now tied Fernando Rodney for the most consecutive scoreless innings by a Rays relief pitcher in franchise history.
David Price will go for his 15th victory Saturday, and will attempt to become the first pitcher in franchise history with two 15 win seasons.
Since Evan Longoria returned to the lineup, the Rays have scored 26 runs in his four games.
Topics: Fernando Rodney, Henry Wrigley, J.P. Howell


text:
I have a PHP function that executes a MySQL query with a few variables defined. I need the BETWEEN
clause of the SQL statement to work with the variables, where one of the variables is the DateTime()
Here the $start
variable should be making a new time and then the value I have in my database should be between this time and the $finish
variable i have defined.
$start = new DateTime();
$finish = '2013-10-06 17:06:52';
$value = $this->GetOffset();
$this->db->select("esolar + $value AS Esolar", 1)
->where('siteid', $siteid)
->where("time BETWEEN '$start' AND '$finish'")
->where('esolar <', 1000000)
->where('esolar <>', 0);
$query1 = $this->db->get()->result_array();
$Esolar1 = $query1[0]['Esolar'];
However when I do it I get this error:
A PHP Error was encountered
Severity: 4096 Message: Object of class DateTime could not be converted to string


text:
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text:
NPE Linux Embedded Controller
TechBase Co. Ltd.
We offer GPRS Linux Embedded Controller called NPE.
Device from the NPE series is the industrial computer, equipped with the efficient processor RISC ARM9 with preinstalled in the Flash memory operating system Linux ver. 2.6. The computer is equipped with the Ethernet 10/100 BaseT port, two RS-232 ports, RS-485 port, 8 binary inputs and SD cards reader. The NPE computer cover is especially adapted to the installation in difficult industrial conditions on the DIN bus, and assures quick and comfortable installation in the target location. The relatively small dimensions and the IP21 standard cover, no moving parts (fans, discs) assure the failure-free operation in the industrial objects as well as in various cabinets. Moreover, the NPE computer may be optionally produced in versions with enhanced operational temperature range (-25 ¸ 70°C).
Currently, the automation, telecommunication and supervision systems require the independent control or devices monitoring with the RS232 and RS-485 interfaces, or equipped with the standard interfaces, like the binary or analogue inputs-outputs. It becomes the real challenge, when it is necessary to use the autonomous solution, which enables the independent work with the devices with serial ports without loading the central computer. In such situations the industrial computer from the NPE series is the perfect solution, which may independently perform most of activities, e.g. change data through the serial ports, perform the data analysis in the real time, buffer the collected information, communicate through IP, visualize the process through the Web site and many other functions, according to the user's needs.
To get price list or more infromation, please sent me e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, or contact via web site:
www: www.gprs-controllers.com
www: www.a2s.pl/en
more information about GPRS Linux Embedded Controller called NP
Can you send to me a full data sheet of this device and the prices list.
Best Regards
Linux has become a key foundation for supporting today's rapidly growing IT environments. Linux is being used to deploy business applications and databases, trading on its reputation as a low-cost operating environment. For many IT organizations, Linux is a mainstay for deploying Web servers and has evolved from handling basic file, print, and utility workloads to running mission-critical applications and databases, physically, virtually, and in the cloud. As Linux grows in importance in terms of value to the business, managing Linux environments to high standards of service quality — availability, security, and performance — becomes an essential requirement for business success.
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Stackato private Platform-as-a-Service technology from ActiveState extends your private cloud infrastructure by creating a private PaaS to provide on-demand availability, flexibility, control, and ultimately, faster time-to-market for your enterprise.
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text:
Found November 03, 2012 on
Hockey Fan Land:
One of the biggest surprises so far this season in the KHL has been the resurgence of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl after the tragic plane accident last September. A huge part of their success has been Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov. Since signing with his former junior club on Sept. 27, he is 7-2-0, 1.94 goals against average and .942 save percentage. His best outing was a 24-save shutout on Oct. 27 against Severstal Cherepovets. Varly also shined best in shootouts, going 3-0 and saving all nine shots he has faced. Lokomotiv does not play again until Nov. 14, when they host Zdeno Chara and HC Slovan Bratislava. The big question will be can Varlamov keep his success going when the lockout is lifted? For Avalanche fans, hopefully, the answer will be yes. General manager Greg Sherman spent a first- and a second-round pick on the young netminder, hoping he can be the goaltender to lead the Avs back to the promised land. Many believe Varlamov can be that guy, as long as he stays healthy and l...
Original Story:
PRESS RELEASE: Calvin Pickard amasses 42 saves, beats brothers old team
NHL Forum Discussions
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January 16, 2014
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text:
Noble Tunes and Tales w/Erin Yeaman | |
Event Type: Story Times Age Group(s): Children, Preschool Age Date: 6/4/2013 Start Time: 10:30 AM End Time: 11:30 AM Description: This preschool program features stories accompanied by renowned Celloist Erin Yeaman. Don't miss this local favorite! Registration is requested but not required.
Library: Noble
Driving Directions
Location: Coman Culbert Community Room Registration Ends: 6/4/2013 at 10:00 AM Contact: mark Contact Number: 872-5713 Presenter: erin yeaman Status: Closed |


text:
The best music and talk stations
Playlists for any mood or activity
Custom radio by artist or song
New & classic episodes on demand
Parween Sultana was born in Gowgong in Assam in 1950. She was steeped in the lore and lives of the great musical masters by her father, Janal Ikramul Majib, a classical music devotee and a great admirer of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. From an early age her father would take her to music festivals. "I come from a very conservative Muslim family and Muslims are very, very conservative," she told me in 1991. In spite of this, her father encouraged her dawning interest in singing. It led in time to the much frowned-upon practice of singing in public. She debuted on stage at the age of nine. In 1965 she recorded her first EP for EMI India, and in 1967 her first LP for the same label. She trained with Chinmoy Lahiri for ten years before failing health necessitated him suggesting a replacement in the Bombay-based Dilshad Khan. She balked at this initially, only accepting him as her guru in August 1974. They married on August 26, 1975. Since then they have each pursued solo careers parallel to their duo work. An adjunct of her classical work is her occasional moonlighting in the Indian film industry. She has, for example, sung for the soundtracks of Ashary, Kudrat and Pakeezah. ~ Ken Hunt
Parween Sultana
Vyakul Nainan Neer Bahayen, Pa...
Nis Din Japa Karoon Tero Naam
Tarse Nain More,aali Mohe Bich...
Guru Charanan Raj,jagi Ri Sari...
Raag Mishra Pilu
Sheila Chandra
M.S. Subbulakshmi
Vilayat Khan
Kishori Amonkar
Budhaditya Mukherjee


text:
So, you're underpaid. Who's not? In fact, according to UBS Wealth Management's latest Prices and Earnings report, only two of the 70 best-paying cities on earth are in Canada — Toronto comes in at No. 14, Montreal at No. 15 — meaning, chances are, you surely don't earn what you're worth.
Where should you consider moving, then, to target those truly high wages? Click through to find the 10 best-paying towns in the world.
* All wage levels are compared to a benchmark score of 100 for New York City (where the per capita personal income for 2009, according to U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, was $52,037), which is used as a relative baseline. Figures considered are pre-tax and before payroll deductions.


text:
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text:
5 mg SONATA (Sonata 5 mg)
Generic Name: zaleplon
Pill imprint 5 mg SONATA has been identified as Sonata 5 mg.
Sonata is used in the treatment of insomnia and belongs to the drug class miscellaneous anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics. Risk cannot be ruled out during pregnancy. Sonata 5 mg has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs in schedule 3. The drug has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse of the drug may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs in schedule 3.
See also related documents.
Images for 5 mg SONATA (Sonata 5 mg)
- Generic Name:
- zaleplon
- Imprint:
5 mg
SONATA - Strength:
- 5 mg
- Color:
- Green & White
- Shape:
- Capsule-shape
- Availability:
- Prescription only
- Drug Class:
- Miscellaneous anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics
- Pregnancy Category:
- C - Risk cannot be ruled out
- CSA Schedule:
- 4 - Some potential for abuse
- Manufacturer:
- Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
More about Sonata (zaleplon)
Consumer resources
Professional resources
Compare with other treatments for:
Pill Identifier
Search by Imprint, Shape or Color
Note: All fields are optional. Use the pill finder to identify medications by visual appearance or name. All Rx and OTC drugs in the US are required by the FDA to have an imprint. If your pill has no imprint it could be a vitamin, diet/herbal/energy pill, illicit or foreign drug. More about imprint codes...


text:
Manufacturer's Description
The Xeon E52690 2.90 GHz Eight Core Processor from Dell is designed to enhance the performance and the speed of your system. This processor features an integrated 10 MB cache and 8 GT/s bus speed that gives the processor core faster access to larger amount of data used most often. It supports SpeedStep Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Its Thermal Monitoring Technologies protect the processor package and the system from thermal failure through several thermal management features. Packed with more features, the Xeon E52690 2.90 GHz Processor is the ideal choice for virtually all of your data demanding or standard enterprise infrastructure applications. This product has been tested and validated on Dell systems. It is supported by Dell Technical Support when used with a Dell system.
The Specs
Quick Glance |
Related Processors - Unboxed/OEM
Intel Xeon X5560 ProcessorInformationSKU322006359-02MPNSLBF4UPC0 |
$75.00 |
HP (Hewlett-Packard) Xeon X5570 2.93 GHz Processor Upgrade - Socket FCL...A Giant Leap for IT and Business CapabilitiesIn many organizations, IT... |
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Intel 2.53GHz Intel Xeon E5540 Quad Core 5800MHz 8MB Cac...InformationSKU322005979-02MPNSLBF6UPC0 |
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Intel Xeon X5680 Hexa Core Processor (3.33GHz, 12MB L3 C...SLBV5 X5680 Xeon 3.33ghz 12mb Cache 6.40gt/S Qpi Processor. |
$865.00 |
HP (Hewlett-Packard) Xeon E5520 2.26 GHz Processor Upgrade - Socket B L...A Giant Leap for IT and Business CapabilitiesIn many organizations, IT... |
$75.00 |


text:
Article Information
Related Articles
- Ecosystem stewardship: sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet
Ecosystem stewardship: sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Volume 25, Issue 4, 1 April 2010, Pages 241-249
F. Stuart Chapin, Stephen R. Carpenter, Gary P. Kofinas, Carl Folke, Nick Abel, William C. Clark, Per Olsson, D. Mark Stafford Smith, Brian Walker, Oran R. Young, Fikret Berkes, Reinette Biggs, J. Morgan Grove, Rosamond L. Naylor, Evelyn Pinkerton, Will Steffen and Frederick J. Swanson
AbstractEcosystem stewardship is an action-oriented framework intended to foster the social–ecological sustainability of a rapidly changing planet. Recent developments identify three strategies that make optimal use of current understanding in an environment of inevitable uncertainty and abrupt change: reducing the magnitude of, and exposure and sensitivity to, known stresses; focusing on proactive policies that shape change; and avoiding or escaping unsustainable social–ecological traps. As we discuss here, all social–ecological systems are vulnerable to recent and projected changes but have sources of adaptive capacity and resilience that can sustain ecosystem services and human well-being through active ecosystem stewardship.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (378 kb) - Accommodating climate change contingencies in conservation strategy
Accommodating climate change contingencies in conservation strategy
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Volume 28, Issue 3, 1 March 2013, Pages 135-142
Lindsey Gillson, Terence P. Dawson, Sam Jack and Melodie A. McGeoch
AbstractSpecies ranges are seldom at equilibrium with climate, because several interacting factors determine distribution, including demographic processes, dispersal, land use, disturbance (e.g., fire), and biotic interactions. Conservation strategies in a changing climate therefore cannot be based only on predicted climate-driven range shifts. Here, we explore conservation and management options in a framework for prioritizing landscapes based on two 'axes of concern': landscape conservation capacity attributes (percentage of protected area, connectivity, and condition of the matrix) and vulnerability to climate change (climate change velocity and topographic variation). Nine other conservation actions are also presented, from understanding and predicting to planning and managing for climate change. We emphasize the need for adaptation and resilience in populations, ecosystems, and the conservation environment itself.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (356 kb) - New strategies for conserving tropical forests
New strategies for conserving tropical forests
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Volume 23, Issue 9, 1 September 2008, Pages 469-472
Rhett A. Butler and William F. Laurance
AbstractIn an interval of just 1–2 decades, the nature of tropical forest destruction has changed. Rather than being dominated by rural farmers, tropical deforestation now is substantially driven by major industries and economic globalization, with timber operations, oil and gas development, large-scale farming and exotic-tree plantations being the most frequent causes of forest loss. Although instigating serious challenges, such changes are also creating important new opportunities for forest conservation. Here we argue that, by increasingly targeting strategic corporations and trade groups with public-pressure campaigns, conservation interests could have a much stronger influence on the fate of tropical forests.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (2142 kb) - …more
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Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved.
Current Biology, Volume 20, Issue 6, R257-R258, 23 March 2010
News focus
Add/View Comments (0)New climate change scenarios
Nigel Williams
- Climate change could impact both wealthy and poorer nations. Nigel Williams reports.


text:
After the Matt Prater missed field goal, Tampa Bay took over on its own 37-yard line. The Bucs crossed midfield on a 24-yard reception by wide receiver Vincent Jackson.
On the next play, linebacker Von Miller came off the edge and strip-sacked quarterback Josh Freeman. The Bucs recovered the loose ball, but lost 7 yards on the play. It was Miller's 15th sack of the year.
Freeman hit tight end Dallas Clark a play later for 9 yards, bringing up a fourth down from the 37-yard line. Tampa Bay attempted a field goal, and Connor Barth converted on the 55-yarder to make it 31-16 Broncos with 3:28 remaining.


text:
Obesity and Weight Management |
Thyroid04/10/2008 |
my son is 11 and he weighs196 could it be his thyroid?
Although many people think of the thyroid when they develop a weight problem, it is actually a very rare cause of weight gain. Your doctor can examine your son and test him, if necessary. Far more common is high caloric intake from foods and beverages combined with increased sedentary activity, such as TV, computer, and video games. These lifestyle choices interact with the family genetic tendencies to cause excess body weight.
Robert D Murray, MD Clinical Professor of Health Behaviors & Health Promotion Retired Professor of Human Nutrition College of Medicine The Ohio State University |


text: firstname.lastname@example.com Katherine BurkhuchHospitality Ministry InternI am a Senior Religious Studies and Political Science double major from Southern California. When I am not in class you will probably see me working with Campus Ministry, in my Equestrian gear or at a sporting event with the Pep Band. I also enjoy baking and simply spending time with friends. I have been working as a Hospitality Minister since I started at SCU. I have always felt a sense of community and comfort with Campus Ministry and the Hospitality team and hope to help foster this same feeling for others. |


text:
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text:
Article Information
Related Articles
- Large-Scale Structural Analysis of the Classical Human Protein Tyrosine Phosphatome
Large-Scale Structural Analysis of the Classical Human Protein Tyrosine Phosphatome
Cell, Volume 136, Issue 2, 23 January 2009, Pages 352-363
Alastair J. Barr, Emilie Ugochukwu, Wen Hwa Lee, Oliver N.F. King, Panagis Filippakopoulos, Ivan Alfano, Pavel Savitsky, Nicola A. Burgess-Brown, Susanne Müller and Stefan Knapp
SummaryProtein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) play a critical role in regulating cellular functions by selectively dephosphorylating their substrates. Here we present 22 human PTP crystal structures that, together with prior structural knowledge, enable a comprehensive analysis of the classical PTP family. Despite their largely conserved fold, surface properties of PTPs are strikingly diverse. A potential secondary substrate-binding pocket is frequently found in phosphatases, and this has implications for both substrate recognition and development of selective inhibitors. Structural comparison identified four diverse catalytic loop (WPD) conformations and suggested a mechanism for loop closure. Enzymatic assays revealed vast differences in PTP catalytic activity and identified PTPD1, PTPD2, and HDPTP as catalytically inert protein phosphatases. We propose a "head-to-toe" dimerization model for RPTPγ/ζ that is distinct from the "inhibitory wedge" model and that provides a molecular basis for inhibitory regulation. This phosphatome resource gives an expanded insight into intrafamily PTP diversity, catalytic activity, substrate recognition, and autoregulatory self-association.
Summary | Full Text | PDF (3728 kb) - Low-Resolution Structure and Fluorescence Anisotropy Analysis of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase η Cata...
Low-Resolution Structure and Fluorescence Anisotropy Analysis of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase η Catalytic Domain
Biophysical Journal, Volume 92, Issue 12, 15 June 2007, Pages 4424-4432
Huita C. Matozo, Maria A.M. Santos, Mario de Oliveira Neto, Lucas Bleicher, Luís Mauricio T.R. Lima, Rodolfo Iuliano, Alfredo Fusco and Igor Polikarpov
AbstractThe rat protein tyrosine phosphatase η, rPTPη, is a class I "classical" transmembrane RPTP, with an intracellular portion composed of a unique catalytic region. The rPTPη and the human homolog DEP-1 are downregulated in rat and human neoplastic cells, respectively. However, the malignant phenotype is reverted after exogenous reconstitution of rPTPη, suggesting that its function restoration could be an important tool for gene therapy of human cancers. Using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and biophysical techniques, we characterized the intracellular catalytic domain of rat protein tyrosine phosphatase η (rPTPηCD) in solution. The protein forms dimers in solution as confirmed by SAXS data analysis. The SAXS data also indicated that rPTPηCD dimers are elongated and have an average radius of gyration of 2.65nm and a Dmax of 8.5nm. To further study the rPTPηCD conformation in solution, we built rPTPηCD homology models using as scaffolds the crystallographic structures of RPTPα-D1 and RPTPμ-D1 dimers. These models were, then, superimposed onto ab initio low-resolution SAXS structures. The structural comparisons and sequence alignment analysis of the putative dimerization interfaces provide support to the notion that the rPTPηCD dimer architecture is more closely related to the crystal structure of autoinhibitory RPTPα-D1 dimer than to the dimeric arrangement exemplified by RPTPμ-D1. Finally, the characterization of rPTPηCD by fluorescence anisotropy measurements demonstrates that the dimer dissociation is concentration dependent with a dissociation constant of 21.6±2.0μM.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (1238 kb) - LAR-RPTPs: synaptic adhesion molecules that shape synapse development
LAR-RPTPs: synaptic adhesion molecules that shape synapse development
Trends in Cell Biology, Volume 23, Issue 10, 1 October 2013, Pages 465-475
Ji Won Um and Jaewon Ko
AbstractThe synapse is the most elementary operating unit in neurons, creating neural circuits that underlie all brain functions. Synaptic adhesion molecules initiate neuronal synapse connections, promote their stabilization and refinement, and control long-term synaptic plasticity. Leukocyte common antigen-related receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases (LAR-RPTPs) have previously been implicated as essential elements in central nervous system (CNS) development. Recent studies have demonstrated that LAR-RPTP family members are also involved in diverse synaptic functions, playing a role in synaptic adhesion pathways together with a host of distinct transmembrane proteins and serving as major synaptic adhesion molecules in governing pre- and postsynaptic development, dysfunctions of which may underlie various disorders. This review highlights the emerging role of LAR-RPTPs as synapse organizers in orchestrating synapse development.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (812 kb) - …more
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Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Neuron, Volume 78, Issue 5, 813-826, 5 June 2013
Add/View Comments (0)Interactions between a Receptor Tyrosine Phosphatase and a Cell Surface Ligand Regulate Axon Guidance and Glial-Neuronal Communication
Hyung-Kook (Peter) Lee1, Amy Cording1, 2, Jost Vielmetter1 and Kai Zinn1, ,
1 Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
2 Present address: Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
• A method to find genes encoding ligands for orphan receptors• A type III receptor tyrosine phosphatase, Ptp10D, binds to Sas, a cell surface protein• Sas and Ptp10D work together in longitudinal axons to regulate midline crossing• Glia and neurons can communicate via interactions between Sas and Ptp10D
- We developed a screening method for orphan receptor ligands, in which cell-surface proteins are expressed in Drosophila embryos from GAL4-dependent insertion lines and ligand candidates identified by the presence of ectopic staining with receptor fusion proteins. Stranded at second (Sas) binds to the receptor tyrosine phosphatase Ptp10D in embryos and in vitro. Sas and Ptp10D can interact in trans when expressed in cultured cells. Interactions between Sas and Ptp10D on longitudinal axons are required to prevent them from abnormally crossing the midline. Sas is expressed on both neurons and glia, whereas Ptp10D is restricted to CNS axons. We conducted epistasis experiments by overexpressing Sas in glia and examining how the resulting phenotypes are changed by removal of Ptp10D from neurons. We find that neuronal Ptp10D restrains signaling by overexpressed glial Sas, which would otherwise produce strong glial and axonal phenotypes.


text:
The film of The Golden Compass/His Dark Materials (again with the changing of British book titles for stoopid Americans) is flawed, but I'm damn sorry they wouldn't finish the whole series.
I like the girl playing Lyra. Kidman is weak as Mrs. Coulter, but Daniel Craig is great as Lord Asriel. And Sir Ian as a great fighting bear? Yes and yes.
I just stared The Affinity Bridge by George Mann. Thus far, it's a little too derivative of Doyle, though Mann changes Watson into Emma Peel, but he has a good, flowing style.
More zombies, however. I think I'm done with zombies for a loooong while after this.
Thanks—I have a guy, independent book seller here in town who has a book that I do want. Well, he has many books I do want. So I'll probably trade with him.
This is like Sophie's Choice!
Sorry Stephen Hunt, but your steampunk is not my steampunk. Out you go.
It was good—I will definitely look for the next in the series. The premise is basically Holmes and Watson in a steampunk setting, but the characters work well off of each other, and Mann has a great twist in the epilogue.
Apparently it's been reblog FindingSherlock night for me … sorry about that. You all must be getting sick of it by now.
I actually have read The Affinity Bridge, and though I won't deny it was entertaining, I wasn't overly impressed with it, myself. It was very superficial and mostly felt like a…
Excellent review—says all that I wanted to and much more. I still recommend Mann, but yes, 'superficial' is apt.
(Source: brevetcaptain)
Started book 2 of Cherie Priest's Steampunk US Civil War series, Dreadnought. Good stuff on the whole so far—better writing than book 1, Boneshaker.
Interestingly, in her alternative history, by 1872 the War is on-going, but almost all the Confederate states have freed their slaves and Texas (independent republic) and Florida are offering homesteading deals to the freemen.
Priest seems to be making the case that the War was about States' Rights, not slavery. Not a position I'd endorse, but a very compelling plot-device.
Paul Thomas Anderson and Robert Downey doing Pynchon's Inherent Vice? This appeals to my interests.
Finished Dreadnought, and while I have skipped the middle book in her steampunk trilogy Clementine, I feel like I'm finished with the Clockwork Century.
Not sure why, exactly, as I like Priest's writing style for the most part. She certainly got more confident in her writing and her overall creation as Boneshaker progressed into Dreadnought, and I appreciate how much research went into her descriptions of Civil War-era Seattle, Richmond, Chattanooga, the railroad system, etc.
But taste is taste, and I like a more playful verbal style I think—I've stared Nick Harkway's The Gone-Away World, and man, does his style appeal to my ear. Layers of words—a compost pile of images and descriptions and sly word play that dances on the page.
I've been turning and turning in the widening gyre of a proposed book on the theory and praxis of steampunk. I'm sure there's a book here. Probably many books.
I'm deeply intrigued by the use of Victorian settings—the debts to Arthur Conan Doyle and especially the many adaptations of Holmes and Watson give a visual noir feel to much of steampunk, and the brass and hyper-stylized accoutrements of much of steampunk are clearly fun to play with. But the mores of the 19th Century, the lure of 'Empire' and imperialism, the sweeping industrial, economic, and martial changes going on also give steampunk a rich tapestry to weave into and out of. But the central question of why look to Victorian clothes, styles, customs, and settings should probably be the focus of this book. I need to think on this.
But for now, I'm diving into The Gone-Away World; I liked Dreadnought and recommend it, but can't say I'm going to follow Priest's career that much more closely than say George Mann's.
Diving into some theory this morning. Because why not? How often does one get to read sentences like:
Everything is metamorphosed into its opposite to perpetuate itself in its expurgated form. All the powers, all the institutions speak of themselves through denial, in order to attempt, by simulating death, to escape their real death throes. Power can stage its own murder to rediscover a glimmer of existence and legitimacy. (Simulation and Simulacra 19)
Stuff like this, and Baudrillard's contention that the Gulf War wasn't 'real,' sound like complete nonsense. And maybe it is. But when Sarah Palin claims that the 1st Amendment is being abrogated by the Supreme Court supporting the Westboro Baptist Church's heinous (but rightly protected) protests, Baudrillard may just be the voice of reason.


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Review Alienware 18 Notebook
Superlatives. Alienware does not make any compromises with its latest 18-inch monster. You can not only select the best mobile quad-core processors in the configurator but also the fastest high-end graphics cards. The manufacturer also combines two of these models for a dual GPU system to increase the performance even further. Continue reading to find out whether the high price is justified.
For the original German review, see here.
We already mentioned that the customer can customize the Alienware 18. You can choose between different components depending on the base configuration you select.
The cheapest Alienware 18 is the standard configuration for 2,200 Euros (~$2975) with 8 GB RAM, a Core i7-4700MQ, a 750 GB hard drive, a DVD burner as well as two GeForce GTX 765M GPUs. We already reviewed the latter combination in the Schenker XMG P723.
More powerful but also more expensive is the next model in line for around 2,500 Euros (~$3381). While the processor, memory and optical drive are identical, you get an additional 64 GB mSATA SSD (only SSD cache). Graphics are handled by two GeForce GTX 770M in SLI that we could not review yet. If you can spend even more money, you can also get the configuration for 3,000 Euros (~$4057) with a Core i7-4800MQ, 16 GB RAM and Blu-ray drive. The other components are similar to the less expensive version.
Our review unit is based on the top configuration, which starts at 3,150 Euros (~$4260) at the time of this review and has been massively upgraded by the manufacturer. Instead of a Core i7-4900MQ, you get the extremely powerful Core i7-4930MX CPU. Other differences are the storage solution (512 GB mSATA SSD), the operating system (Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit) and the graphics card (GeForce GTX 780M SLI). Retail price: 4,260 Euros (~$5761).
Dell (parent group) frequently changes the hardware options, so the mentioned configurations and prices could already differ by now. All models use the same 18.4-inch Full HD display with a glossy surface and ultra-wide viewing angles (Super PLS). The manufacturer also deserves credit for the large 8-cell battery.
The Alienware 18 is a rather large device. The case is also very bulky and very heavy with dimensions of 457 x 328 x 58 millimeters (~18 x 13 x 2.3 inches) and a weight of almost 5.5 kilograms (~12.1 pounds).
Because of the consistent design, there are many similarities with the smaller siblings. Just like the Alienware 14 and Alienware 17, the 18-inch version also has an extremely high-quality display cover, which is made of anodized aluminum according to the official specifications. The manufacturer uses a soft rubberized surface for the display bezel and the area around the keyboard. You should only see fingerprints if you have very greasy fingers. A big drawback of the dark colors is the high visibility of dust particles.
Otherwise, the case leaves a great impression. The excellent build quality is typical for Alienware and is clearly superior to many competitors. Only the Asus G750 leaves a similarly good quality impression.
Despite the rather futuristic design, we prefer it over the predecessor. Compared to the M18x R2, the new version is a bit more dignified and less playful. The stability however did not change. Thanks to the bulky construction, you cannot really dent it anywhere. Only the keyboard and the touchpad can be slightly pushed in.
Other characteristic features are the laser engraved nameplate and the extensive illumination. Besides the manufacturer's branding and the two lines on the display cover, you can also light up the input devices and the entire base unit. The preinstalled Command Center (see screenshots further below) enables the wildest color combinations.
A few words about the hinges: Alienware integrated a very firm opening mechanism so you will have to hold the base unit down when you open the display cover. The notebook is intended for stationary operation; we cannot recommend frequent transport because of its sheer size.
Even though the connectivity was reduced (no VGA, eSATA, S/PDIF & ExpressCard), users can look forward to a comprehensive port variety. Starting at the right side we get an RJ-45 Gigabit LAN port in the rear area and two USB 3.0 ports. Further at the front is the stylish slot-in drive, which is accompanied by a 9 in 1 card reader.
The majority of ports are on the left side of the case. Alienware did not only integrate a mini DisplayPort and three stereo jacks but also two more USB 3.0 ports. The power connector is surrounded by a Kensington Lock and an HDMI port. Excellent: The digital video port can also be used as an input and transfer 7.1 sound. Except for the stereo jacks, there is no criticism with the port layout.
Most of the ports are in the rear area so you should not have any problems with attached peripherals like a mouse. The connectivity is completed by a 2 megapixel webcam and two digital microphones (each above the display)
A product from Broadcom handles all wireless communications. Besides WLAN, the notebook also supports Bluetooth 4.0. Our range test did not show the best results for the adaptor. There was often only one bar with a distance of 15 meters (~49 feet/several walls); other competitors are better in this regard.
Wired networks can be used with the Killer e2200 controller. According to the homepage, the product was optimized for online gaming and media streaming. Especially gamers should benefit from the prioritization of latency-sensitive applications.
Hardly any notebook is as easy to maintain as the Alienware 18. You just have to remove three screws and two bottom covers to gain access to almost all important components.
While the battery is secured with two screws, the optical drive and the hard drive bay (2x 2.5-inch) are fixed with four screws. Between the three case fans are also an mSATA slot and two memory slots. The wireless module and the secondary memory slots (four memory slots for up to 32 GB) should be beneath the keyboard.
The manufacturer preinstalls several applications, drivers and tools without exaggerating it. Besides AlienAutopsy (system information) and AlienRespawn (backup and recovery), there is also the already mentioned Command Center. There are several tabs for the case illumination, energy-saving features and adjusting the touchpad as well as macro keys.
A flash player and a PDF reader are also preinstalled. Thanks to Cyberlink PowerDVD 9.6 you will not have to buy special software for Blu-ray playback.
The times of extensive goodies (base cap, leather manual and mouse pad) at Alienware are over for environmental reasons. The scope of delivery is nonetheless quite extensive compared to many other notebooks. The box contains a quick start guide, safety information, an applications DVD and a resource DVD.
If you order your device with Windows 7, you will also get an additional recovery DVD. You can also create your own backup if you want to or use the recovery partition on the hard drive. The large 330-Watt power supply unit occupies a lot of space: 197 x 97 x 42 millimeters (~7.8 x 3.8 x 1.7 inches) and 1,330 grams (~2.9 pounds) clearly surpass a standard PSU.
The 12-month warranty can be extended to 24, 36 or 48 months (180-380 Euros, ~$243-514). Dell uses terms like In-Home-Service, Next Business Day Service and Premium Phone Support. You can also purchase accident protection for an additional charge (55-175 Euros, ~$74-237).
Input Devices
Alienware does not rest on its laurels in regard to the input devices, either. Instead of angled and convex keys, you now get sharper-edged and boxier keys that show similarities to the Clevo barebones P170SM (One K73-3N) and P177SM (Schenker XMG P703).
A direct comparison shows that the Alienware keyboard is softer and a bit spongy, but that does not mean that the input device lacks precision. The typing experience is very good in our opinion. This verdict is based not least on the good key size (~18 x 18 millimeters) and the reasonable noise development.
It takes time to get used to the five macro keys. They are at the left edge and can be assigned with three commands each. You might accidentally hit the wrong key at the beginning because of the shifted main keyboard. The layout is otherwise stylish.
The quadrifid numeric keypad is an enrichment, just like the shifted arrow keys and the convenient comfort features. You can use the F-keys to control the display, the wireless module, the speakers, the optical drive, the HDMI input and the illumination.
Concerning illumination: Alienware is one of the few manufacturers that split up the keyboard into four zones that can be illuminated with different colors. The feature would be perfect if we could regulate the intensity.
The touchpad leaves a very good impression. Thanks to the slight indentation and the extensive illumination (is automatically deactivated after a while) you can also locate the mouse replacement in a completely dark environment.
Another advantage is the smooth surface with excellent gliding capabilities. Dimensions of 100 x 56 millimeters (~3.9 x 2.2 inches) are also respectable but we are not sure why the manufacturer did not integrate an even larger unit if you consider the large palm rest.
It is also strange that only a few of the supported multi-touch gestures are activated ex-works (for example zooming). If you want to browse comfortably through documents, you will have to activate that option in the touchpad driver. Besides a classic scroll bar in the peripheral area there is also a two-finger gesture. The touchpad is typical in terms of precision; inputs are usually executed without problems or delays.
No surprise for Alienware experts: The dedicated mouse buttons have a very soft pressure point or stroke, respectively, and are very similar to the keyboard.
The picture quality meets the requirements of the high retail price. Contrary to the current anti-glare trend, Alienware integrates a glossy panel with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The manufacturer speaks of a WLED panel that is supposed to have modest energy consumption and high color stability.
Information X-Rite i1Pro 2 Maximum: 342 cd/m²Average: 314.9 cd/m² Brightness Distribution: 87 % Center on Battery: 342 cd/m² Black: 0.38 cd/m² Contrast: 900:1 |
There is definitely no criticism with the basic qualities. An average brightness of 315 cd/m² is very good, just like the black value of 0.38 cd/m². Only very dark passages show a slight but not annoying shade of gray. A contrast ratio of 900:1 also confirms the premium claim of the notebook.
The interesting values for professional users (gamma, saturation, color accuracy...) cannot quite keep up with the Alienware 14, but are still significantly better than many rivals. Just compare our CalMAN screenshots with the Toshiba Qosmio X70 (AUO209D) or the MSI GS70 Stealth (Chi Mei N173HGE) and you will see the difference.
Outdoor use is not really a strong suit of the Alienware 18. You have to deal with many annoying reflections because of the glossy display surface. This is not completely compensated for by the high luminance. Depending on the daylight and the angle, you will even have to live with reflections indoors. This is obviously no problem at night.
The processor is a high-end model based on Intel's latest Haswell architecture. You can choose between the affordable Core i7-4700MQ (2.4-3.4 GHz) up to the wickedly expensive Core i7-4930MX (3.0-3.9 GHz), which is also integrated in our review unit.
Intel specifies the TDP of the quad-core CPU with 57 Watts to enable the high clocks. That is 10 Watts more than the less expensive siblings. The eight MB L3 cache is similar to the Core i7-4900MQ (2.8-3.8 GHz) while the Core i7-4700MQ and Core i7-4800MQ (2.7-3.7 GHz) are only equipped with 6 MB. All processors share the same manufacturing process: Like its Haswell siblings, the Core i7-4930MX is also produced in 22 nm.
Intel's Hyperthreading technology is also supported: The processor simulates four virtual cores and can execute up to eight threads simultaneously. The main feature of the Core i7-4930MX however is the free multiplier, which makes overclocking very easy.
Turbo Boost
Unfortunately, our review unit cannot use its full Turbo Boost potential. While the CPU worked with 3.1-4.0 GHz in single-core benchmarks, it only ran with 3.2 GHz in multi-core benchmarks. This result is sobering and not even close to the alleged potential of the Core i7-4930MX. It could reach up to 3.7 GHz in theory; 3.2 GHz are comparable to a Core i7-4700MQ.
If you spend that much money for a processor, you can expect the corresponding performance or the CPU upgrade makes no sense. We will have to wait and see if Alienware fixes this issue; some benchmark results show a negative impact of the limited Turbo Boost.
CPU Performance
The Core i7-4930MX gets a good result in the Single CPU Test of Cinebench R11.5. 1.85 points for the top version are around 9% faster than the Core i7-4900MQ (1.70 points @ Schenker XMG P703) and 13% faster than the Core i7-4800MQ (1.64 points @ One K73-3N). The entry-level Core i7-4700MQ even falls behind by almost 20% (1.51 points @ DevilTech Fragbook DTX).
The situation changes in the Multi CPU Test, which is a bigger challenge for the notebook. Because of the comparatively low clock the Core i7-4930MX only manages 6.97 points. Despite its lower nominal clocks, the Core i7-4700MQ is actually on the same performance level (6.91 points @ Toshiba Qosmio X70). We should see around 7.5-8.0 points from the 57-Watt CPU under ideal conditions.
We recommend you get a Core i7-4800MQ at most since the expensive models do not offer a good price performance ratio anyway.
Cinebench R10 | |
Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit | |
Core i7-4930MX |
Core i7-4900MQ |
Core i7-4800MQ |
Core i7-4700MQ |
Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit | |
Core i7-4930MX |
Core i7-4900MQ |
Core i7-4800MQ |
Core i7-4700MQ |
The 18-inch notebook is equipped with two Nvidia graphics cards (Kepler architecture). Besides the GeForce GTX 765M SLI, Alienware also offers the significantly more powerful versions GTX 770M SLI and GTX 780M SLI. The latter was eagerly awaited by the community. That is no surprise when you have a look at the outstanding specifications of this high-end system.
1,536 CUDA cores are just as enormous as the 3.54 billion transistors and the 4,096 MB GDDR5 video memory (256-bit interface). Even though the core clock of 823 is comparable to the GTX 765M (850 MHz) and GTX 770M (811 MHz), the GTX 780M can manage a comfortable lead. It supports the GPU Boost technology and can raise its clock up to 850 MHz under load.
This performance is even further increased by the second 28 nm GPU; however, the customer will have to live with the drawbacks of a dual GPU system. High driver dependency, huge energy consumption and demand for cooling as well as micro stutters: The Alienware 18 is not perfect for everybody.
Especially new games might not have an associated SLI profile in the driver yet. The notebook might even be slower than a single GPU system in the worst case. However, only four of our 32 tested games were affected (Rome II, Company of Heroes 2, Dirt: Showdown & F1 2012), which translates to 12.5%. This good result cannot be reached by the main rival AMD.
Concerning the driver: Our review unit came with ForceWare 326.45 preinstalled. It is a current driver and should be somewhere between the official ForceWare 320.49 and the beta driver 326.80 in regard to the state of development. During this review, Nvidia released version 327.23.
GPU Performance
The SLI system has a clear advantage over single GPUs in the synthetic benchmarks. A good example is Unigine Heaven 3.0 with 1920x1080 pixels, high details and normal tessellation. 133 fps for the Alienware 18 are not only remarkable but also 70% ahead of a single GTX 780M (76.8 fps @ One K73-3N). Two GeForce GTX 765 cards are even slower (66.7 fps @ Schenker XMG P723). Only a dual GPU system with two Radeon HD 8970M GPUs can almost keep up with the SLI system; the AMD duo is only 8% behind (One K73-3S).
As expected, the performance in the latest 3DMark Fire Strike is not as good. The Radeon HD 8970M CrossFire is slightly ahead of the Nvidia competition with the beta driver 13.8 (GPU score: 10,354 vs. 10,091 points). Two GTX 765M are just as far behind with 5,351 points as a single GTX 780M (5,744 points).
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
GeForce GTX 780M SLI (326.45) |
GeForce GTX 780M (311.27) |
GeForce GTX 765M SLI (320.49) |
Radeon HD 8970M CF (13.8) |
3DMark Vantage - 1280x1024 P GPU no PhysX | |
GeForce GTX 780M SLI (326.45) |
GeForce GTX 780M (311.27) |
GeForce GTX 765M SLI (320.49) |
Radeon HD 8970M CF (13.8) |
Help |
Storage Solution
Alienware equipped our review unit with two hard drives, a 750 GB HDD and a 512 GB SSD. The Samsung SSD SM841 is a very compact mSATA drive that competes with the 840- and 840 Pro-series (each 2.5-inch).
According to the AS SSD Benchmark, the small mSATA version does not have to hide behind its bigger siblings - quite the contrary. It is even faster than the standard SSD 840 (514 & 331 MB/s @ One K56-3N2) with 515 MB/s (sequential reading) and 425 MB/s (sequential writing). The performance is also very good with small data blocks.
The Alienware 18 does not disappoint when it comes to the access times either: 0.07 and 0.05 ms (read/write), respectively, are excellent. The LiteOn LMT-256M6M in the Alienware 14 cannot keep up in many disciplines and "only" manages an overall score of 901 instead of 1,055 points. In short, the Samsung SSD SM841 is a good choice.
All configurations of the high-end notebook are shipped with a 7,200-rpm Western Digital WD7500BPKT-75PK4T0. Despite the old magnetic storage technology, the 750 GB hard drive offers surprisingly high performance. Maximum transfer rates (read & write) of up to 130MB/s (CrystalDiskMark) are very respectable for a conventional HDD. The combination of an mSATA SSD and a classic HDD not only results in a great system performance for the Alienware but also enough storage for your personal data.
System Performance
We can see that the Alienware 18 is one of the most powerful notebooks on the market when we have a look at the system benchmarks. Especially the SSD improves the results significantly. 21,000 points in PC Mark Vantage and 5,740 points in PCMark 7 are comparable to other desktop replacements like the Asus G750JH, Bullman C-Class 5, Deviltech Fragbook DTX or MSI GT70H.
Help |
Gaming Performance
We already expected it: The 18-inch notebook can take the performance crown in almost every game. Even complex titles ran smoothly with maximum details and activated anti-aliasing, at least if an SLI profile was available. A performance below 40 fps is more the exception than the rule.
Even very demanding titles like Metro: Last Light, Crysis 3, Hitman: Absolution or Far Cry 3 are no problem for the notebook. Issues with micro stutters were rare, the experience was usually very smooth and older or less demanding games ran with more than 100 fps (Borderlands 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, FIFA 13, Dishonored, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Dead Space 3 and many more).
If you combine all gaming benchmarks, you can see that the SLI system improves the performance by around 40%. This is not bad but not overwhelming either. For comparison, the significantly less expensive Radeon HD 8970M CF (only 9% slower on average) showed a performance increase of 33%. However, Nvidia also offers the better driver support. Contrary to the One K73-3S, there were almost no problems with the Alienware 18 (crashes, graphic issues, performance drops...).
Another reason for the comparatively small advantage of the GeForce GTX 780M SLI over the AMD competition should be the CPU limitation in some titles. Both dual GPU systems have so much performance that the processor becomes the limiting factor. The difference gets bigger with the GeForce GTX 765M SLI, which only offers half of the performance.
You can see all the results in the table below the verdict.
GPU | Overall Performance |
GeForce GTX 780M SLI | Basis (average of ~30 games) |
Radeon HD 8970M CrossFire | -9% |
GeForce GTX 780M | -29% |
GeForce GTX 765M SLI | -38% |
low | med. | high | ultra | ||
Battlefield 3 (2011) | 130.9 | 124.2 | 83.6 | fps | |
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) | 101.8 | 87.3 | fps | ||
Anno 2070 (2011) | 240.5 | 174.4 | 107 | fps | |
Alan Wake (2012) | 122.7 | 86.6 | fps | ||
Risen 2: Dark Waters (2012) | 112.1 | 88 | 82.1 | fps | |
Dirt Showdown (2012) | 78.6 | 73.8 | 55.4 | fps | |
Max Payne 3 (2012) | 88.4 | 86.4 | 82.1 | fps | |
Sleeping Dogs (2012) | 139 | 109.4 | 72.2 | fps | |
Counter-Strike: GO (2012) | 263.4 | 261.9 | 257.3 | fps | |
Guild Wars 2 (2012) | 57.6 | 54.3 | fps | ||
F1 2012 (2012) | 128 | 118 | 100 | fps | |
Borderlands 2 (2012) | 142.8 | 134.6 | 126.4 | fps | |
Fifa 13 (2012) | 400.3 | 420.8 | 390.3 | fps | |
Dishonored (2012) | 130 | 130 | 130 | fps | |
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) | 60 | 60 | 60 | fps | |
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012) | 256.4 | 199.4 | 148.6 | fps | |
Hitman: Absolution (2012) | 64.9 | 57.9 | 56.2 | fps | |
Assassin´s Creed III (2012) | 82.3 | 81.8 | 53.7 | fps | |
Far Cry 3 (2012) | 120.8 | 86.2 | 55.6 | fps | |
Dead Space 3 (2013) | 410.4 | 384.1 | 254.2 | fps | |
Crysis 3 (2013) | 96.3 | 78 | 47.2 | fps | |
Tomb Raider (2013) | 365 | 273.1 | 130.1 | fps | |
SimCity (2013) | 145.9 | 108.3 | 57.1 | fps | |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 233.5 | 208.5 | 94.5 | fps | |
Metro: Last Light (2013) | 104.4 | 79.3 | 53.7 | fps | |
GRID 2 (2013) | 143.9 | 134.9 | 93.2 | fps | |
Company of Heroes 2 (2013) | 53.7 | 43.6 | 20.7 | fps | |
Dota 2 (2013) | 100.4 | 96.3 | fps | ||
Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2013) | 117.6 | 98.6 | 70 | fps | |
Saints Row IV (2013) | 78.9 | 68.8 | 68.2 | fps | |
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013) | 121.4 | 105.3 | 64.7 | fps | |
Total War: Rome II (2013) | 170.7 | 131.4 | 31.6 | fps |
System Noise
Even though the cases are completely different, the noise development reminds us of the M18x R2. Depending on the energy profile and load, the noise varies between hardly audible 30 dB(A) and slightly audible 34 dB(A) during idle. 36 dB(A) during DVD playback are also reasonable.
You can really hear the 18-inch notebook under load (3D applications). 40 dB(A), which we measured in the first scene of 3DMark 06, should only be annoying for sensitive users, especially since the three case fans spin fairly evenly and do not tend to pulsate (Alienware 17).
Other gaming notebooks like the One K73-3N (47 dB(A)) or the Schenker XMG P703 (46 dB(A)) are significantly louder in this scenario. The system noise is comparable to the MSI GT70H (41 dB(A)) and the Toshiba Qosmio X70 (42 dB(A)).
Based on our experiences, the Alienware 18 is neither very quiet nor very loud. You cannot really criticize the Alienware 18 when you consider the performance of the components. The 53 dB(A) below are only the result of the stress test. If you want your gaming notebook to be as quiet as possible you should have a closer look at the Asus G750JH.
Noise Level
Idle | 29.6 / 31.3 / 34.2 dB(A) | ||||
DVD | 36.1 / dB(A) | ||||
Load | 39.6 / 53.2 dB(A) | ||||
| |||||
30 dB silent |
40 dB audible |
50 dB loud |
min: , med: , max: Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) |
The temperatures are somewhere between average and good. Let's start with the surface temperatures. We measure 32-33 °C (89.6-91.4 °F) during idle; the One K73-3S (HD 8970M CF) was almost 4 °C cooler (down around ~83 °F) in our review despite its compact construction.
It is a similar situation under load. While the Clevo barebones warms up to 31-32 °C (87.8-89.6 °F) on average after one hour maximum load with the tools FurMark and Prime95, we can measure 35 °C (95 °F, top) and 34 °C (93.2 °F, bottom) for the Alienware 18; the maximum value is 41 °C (105.8 °F). However, the overall temperature development is very modest and even longer gaming sessions should not be a problem.
The components leave a mixed impression. On the one hand, it is very positive that neither the GPU nor the CPU exceeds 90 °C (194 °F) even under maximum load and level off at around 80 °C (176 °F). However, this is only possible because of the automatic throttling of the components. While the processor dropped to 2.7 GHz (- 300 MHz compared to the nominal clock), the core clock of the GeForce GTX 780M SLI dropped to 614-666 MHz. That is a deficit of 25 and 19%, respectively.
Similar to many other manufacturers, Alienware pays a little too much attention to the temperatures and does not allow a lot of headroom. At least the benchmark results do not suggest continuous throttling. Our stress test simulates a very impractical scenario, but it is still annoying because the throttling is not really necessary.
Max. Load |
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Maximum: 40.9 °C Average: 35.2 °C | Maximum: 39.7 °C Average: 33.5 °C |
Alienware uses a 2.1 system, which was designed in cooperation with Klipsch. It consists of two speakers (front of the case) and a subwoofer (bottom). The sound experience of the high-end notebook comes close to the Asus G750JH, but cannot quite keep up with the quality of the MSI GT70H.
Besides the excellent maximum volume (even sufficient for large rooms), we want to mention the Dolby Home Theater v4 support; the software comes with individual profiles and an equalizer. You should always activate this technology since it improves the sound quality.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Enormous is a good adjective to describe the energy consumption. While a typical single GPU notebook with Nvidia's Optimus technology needs between 10-30 Watts during idle, we measured between 29 and 49 Watts for the 18-inch monster. A Radeon HD 8970M CF system like the Clevo P370SM is on a similar level with 35-46 Watts.
Both rivals are also very close in 3DMark 06 with 155 vs. 159 Watts. Only maximum load shows the impact of the faster graphics cards and the more powerful processor: 322 Watts are significantly higher compared to the One K73-3S.
Power consumption
Off / Standby | 0.1 / 0.6 Watt |
Idle | 28.8 / 39.0 / 48.8 Watt |
Load | 155.5 / 321.6 Watt |
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 940 |
Battery Runtime
Similar to our consumption measurements we tested the battery runtimes with activated SLI and activated illumination. Despite the high battery capacity of 86 Wh, the Alienware 18 is not a good choice for longer road trips.
Even if you can use it under perfect conditions with minimum display brightness and activated energy-saving features, you will have a hard time exceeding a runtime of 3.5 hours. Two hours DVD playback and 2.5 hours web browsing are also mediocre at best (medium energy saving).
Gaming sessions with the 18-inch notebook only last for an hour. However, the mobility is probably not the deciding factor for most potential buyers since the Alienware 18 was designed as a desktop replacement.
Note: You can also use the integrated graphics card (longer runtimes) if you restart the notebook via Fn + F5.
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness) | 3h 23min | |
WiFi Surfing | 2h 26min | |
DVD | 1h 54min | |
Load (maximum brightness) | 1h 04min | |
Alienware once again lives up to its reputation as a manufacturer of high-end notebooks. The successor of the M18x R2, simply called 18, not only impresses with its dignified design but also with the excellent performance. Nothing comes close to the performance of an SLI system with two GeForce GTX 780M GPUs at the moment. Combined with a quad-core processor and a Solid State Drive the notebook even manages the most demanding applications. The retail price is consequently very high.
The integrated Super-PLS panel is quite unusual: Saturation, viewing angles and contrast ratio are even superior to some IPS competitors. Other highlights are the adjustable illumination, the generously-sized palm rest and the excellent build quality. This is combined with good upgradeability and maintainability as well as an extensive port variety.
However, we did not really like the WLAN performance, the size of the power supply unit and the fact that the battery is fixed with screws. The limited mobility is a general problem of a desktop replacement, but the notebook is even very big and heavy for an 18-inch device. The limited Turbo Boost during multi-core applications and throttling under maximum load might also scare off some potential buyers.
The Alienware 18 would have gotten a very good rating if it had a matte display. It just misses the 88% in this configuration.


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Colourful studio portraits ~ Techniques and Pictures
December 31st, 2009
Here is my technique for creating striking studio portraits using a grey background and the Lovegrove Studio Collection of gels. Grid collections like the one above make fantastic large acrylic products or canvas prints for the home. They are easy to shoot, command high prices, and they look great in a studio shop window too. Here's how I shot the one above.
The Paint on the back wall of my studio is Dulux Ice Storm 2. It is as near a neutral as you can get with pigment and comes from their professional range. You will need to get it mixed for you. The computers at Dulux paint mixing centres have the recipe built in. The top light is a Bowens 1200ws head in a Wafer 140 soft box. The head is set to quarter power. The reflector is my original triflector bought in 1994. It was designed by the legend Stu Williamson. The background light is a Bowens 750ws head fitted with a Maxilight reflector. The two backlights on Henri, my model are Bowens 750ws heads with beauty dishes fitted with grids to avoid flare.
The gels were all photographed illuminating the grey background whilst Henri posed in the foreground to give a true skin tone reference. The gels were simply clipped to the flash head reflector with a single small crock clip (These will be available from the consulting site by mid January) and the power of the flash head was adjusted to reveal a range of luminance values with each colour.
I have now put together the definitive collection of gels from literally hundreds of candidates. As part of the product preparation for the Lovegrove Studio Collection I shot every shortlisted gel to see how it looked in camera. Each one has been chosen because of the mood or character it evokes in a digital image. The way a gel photographs is often very different to it's visual appearance so all the assessing was done using digital files straight from camera. It's easy to see colours that work when you are looking at real photographs rather than gel swatches.
With such vibrant colours to hand, it is vital to be in tune with subtle shade and hue changes. A small hue shift can have an enormous effect on the mood a picture evokes and putting together a great collection of gels has been like creating a paint collection for houses.
I've put in a bit of hard work over the past two months to put this collection together so that hopefully you can enjoy creating beautifully lit masterpieces to transform your clients homes. If you shoot hair shots for stylists, accessories for fashion designers, make over portraits or magazine covers then these gels are for you. If you don't shoot any of the above but you want to have a bit of fun then these are for you too because for less than the cost of just one roll of background paper you could be the master of colour wherever you shoot. Each gel is 12″x 12″ (305mm x 305mm).
The full set comprises 38 gels and will hopefully be available by the SWPP convention on the 15th of January. Each gel can also be cut into 12 Honl sized (4″ x 3″) smaller gels if you want to add some colour to your Speedlight work. The complete set of gels is expected to cost £45 – £50.
For wider shots, larger studios, or to create gradient backgrounds, it is advisable to use two or more background lights and gel sets.
See the full portrait colour swatch of gels here showing the effect of various power levels of light shone through each one. Then let me know your favourites using the comments box at the foot of that post.
If you found this helpful, you may also like to read Studio portrait lighting with minimal kit ~ feature article and Studio Lighting Pictures and Techniques
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86 Comments Add your own
1. richie | December 31st, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Love it! This is New & Very Refreshing…
2. Iain King | December 31st, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Thanks again for giving away your techniques Damien. I really like this concept and it's something that i can see being very popular. Something to work on over the next few weeks.
Hope you and your family have a fantastic New Year.
3. Sean Gannon | December 31st, 2009 at 6:17 pm
This is a great set up. I use it a lot in the studio. It works well for couples, kids and even for corporate shots with more muted background colours. Its very fresh and client buy lots of them.
4. Alan Reid | December 31st, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Hi Damien, What make are your beauty dishes fitted with grids? I have been searching for large grids, the biggest Bowens do is 7″. I can't find any in the Bowens range to fit their beauty dish.
5. damien | December 31st, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Hi Alan, I got mine on Ebay. Take a look at this Ebay item: 360213363704 and wait for a UK one to come up if you want.
6. damien | December 31st, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Hi Richie, Iain and Sean,
Thanks for the compliments. Cheers, Damien
7. Robert Brook | January 1st, 2010 at 1:45 pm
I've been looking for a suitable gray paint for the wall behind my monitor to help with colour comparisons this Dulux Ice Storm 2 paint looks ideal for that purpose as well as my studio walls. What colour did you paint the studio ceiling Damien?
kind regards
8. Alan Reid | January 1st, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Thanks Damien, thats just what I want. Happy New Year!
9. david ruddle | January 1st, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Hi Damien
A timely post as I'm moving in to a new studio on Monday and will be decorating it in grey. I have used Little green Paint Company's paints before with success but it was quite pricey. I've tried looking up Ice Storm on Dulux's site but there doesn't seem to be any mention of it. Was it difficult to obtain? I realise in needs mixing in store but would have thought there would be some mention of the range on their site. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place!
10. damien | January 1st, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Hi Robert, I can't remember the name of the ceiling paint but I know it isn't white. White is the worst possible colour in a studio.
11. damien | January 1st, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Hi David, just go to a Dulux paint mixing place and ask for Ice Storm 2. Forget trying to look it up. It's as good as a secret. Cheers, Damien.
12. Ken McBride | January 1st, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Hi Damien
What Colorama grey colour would you recommend to replicate your Ice Storm 2 colour. Cheers and Happy New Year. -
13. damien | January 3rd, 2010 at 1:39 am
Hi Ken,
Charcoal is the closest match. Mineral Grey might be better for you depending upon the size of your studio. The bigger the studio the lighter the background can be. Because you can move your model and subject lights further from the background and hence reduce spill.
Happy New Year,
14. Mark A | January 3rd, 2010 at 6:29 pm
Hi Damien.
Are those hair lights on a "hi-glide" system or just boom arms?
15. Mark A | January 3rd, 2010 at 6:29 pm
sorry forgot to enable email followup
16. damien | January 4th, 2010 at 1:00 am
Hi Mark, Yes, I have 6 lights on Hi-Glide so I can shoot all my walls in one session without lots of rigging. I bought the Hi-Glide on Ebay for £250 from an art college that was closing down. I hope you and Kirsty have a great New Year. Damien.
17. Mark A | January 4th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Thanks Damien – yes I am looking forward to 2010 – although we had our best year yet in 2009 – so its hard work to ensure another one follows!
18. Jay D | January 6th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Hi……New too you'r website and blog,fantastic reading. I love the gels you use to create these lovely coloured backgrounds. I am fairly new too photography but i do have one speed light at the moment. What kind of light can i use for the background light to use the gels when they come on sell. I have bin looking at the The Arri 300W Junior Fresnel lamp, Is this like the sort of light i need?
Glad i found this site,I have learnt things from just browsing around.Jay
19. damien | January 9th, 2010 at 12:55 am
Hi Jay,
The Arri is not the right tool for you. I'd invest in another flash unit. A Speedlight that you can use with a Ezy-Box as a keylight. You can use both Speedlights off camera and take them on location too. One Speedlight can be fitted with a gel while the other is used in a softbox or with a ringflash adapter. The Arri is a tungsten balenced light and not easy to mix with flash from a Speedlight. Damien. -
20. John Doran | January 11th, 2010 at 1:33 am
I am an avid fan of your work and have learned so much. I wish to thank you for your input on Prophotonut, also I have found your DVDs highly valuable in theead up to where I am now as a photographer.
Thank you.
21. damien | January 11th, 2010 at 1:42 am
Thanks John, Have a great 2010. Damien.
22. Tim Hind | January 14th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I'm new to this site, but will be a regular visitor from now on. very informative. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Love your work.
23. John | January 17th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Really great set of photos and makes a cracking wall display.
I am new to this site and find your work very inspiring and will be following all you do.
Thanks for sharing -
24. Karl B | January 18th, 2010 at 10:50 am
damien, it makes me chuckle when i hear even the best of the best shop on Ebay, what a bargain…
see you soon
25. damien | January 19th, 2010 at 12:26 am
Thanks Tim, I'll try and keep up the good work. There is plenty in the archives so do dig deep. Damien
26. damien | January 19th, 2010 at 12:29 am
Cheers, John. I've loads of new ideas to share with you guys this year. Apart from the blog, I write a column in Photo Pro magazine each month. Cheers, Damien.
27. damien | January 19th, 2010 at 12:30 am
Hi Karl, I'm an Ebay addict. I use Auction Sniper too. See you soon, Damien.
28. Julian | January 20th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Damien, hello,
I just love reading your blog, there's always something new and very interesting.
I tried this with my Interfit 150 head, and it went out awful, since I see different shaded of color through the gel I have.
It's like an orange circle which I suppose a reflector, and around it I see red.
Is it happening because the flash is not too strong or is it the gel? Or may be a reflector.
Also, it covers smaller part of the walls then you have. I am planning to buy your gels set, but the question is whether I need to change my hardware.Thank you so much,
Julian -
29. damien | January 21st, 2010 at 12:11 am
Hi Julian,
Thanks for your kind words. Your interfit 150 is probably creating a 'hot spot' and this can demonstrate itself in one of the colour sensors in the camera clipping. Clipping in the red channel looks like a orange/ yellow hue shift rather than just a luminance rise.
Hardware is a likely cause of your woes. Try moving the 150 another 2m from the background and leave the exposure set the same. If the result is a clean colour of mid tone density fading rapidly towards black at the corners then the reflector is not wide enough and the original shot was over exposed.
Once you have the kit to create a clean colour background then you will be able to make the most of our gels. A Speedlight with the wide diffuser flipped out gives an even enough light source so with the right reflector the interfit should be up for the job.
30. Andi Goodman | January 21st, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Hi: love these gels…just out of curiosity, is the soft box above the tri flector or above the model…
also have you ever had an issue with cerise type colours looking red on the camera lcd (5d) (and in lightroom until rendered)…makes it very tricky to guess the outcome
any way here's my first effort with these gels…doing my head in a bit trying to remember which one is which once they're in camera
31. martin | January 23rd, 2010 at 9:26 am
Julian – its most likely that the reflector you are using has an insufficiently wide beam angle. Don't know about the Interfit, but on my Elinchroms and at reasonable distance the background light needs a 90 degree (16cm) reflector. The 'standard' 50 and 60 degree reflectors give the hotspots you describe.
32. damien | January 23rd, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Hi Andi,
The softbox is above the triflector and infront of the model.
33. damien | January 23rd, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Martin is spot on. You need a wide angle reflector or a dedicated background lighting reflector. I use a Maxi lite reflector on my Bowens kit.
34. Andi Goodman | January 23rd, 2010 at 5:23 pm
thanks damien…am loving the results with these…the link in previous post above has my fav 8 colours
35. Ivan | January 26th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Brought my gels at the SWPP and spent the wek painting a wall in the studio, ready for the weekend. Really pleased with the results. Thanks for the advice at the convention and love the gels -
36. Ivan | January 30th, 2010 at 8:04 am
What would your recommend for the best covering on a floor when taking these kind of images.Like when you have a subject sitting on the floor, to continue the colour as your images show. Many thanks
37. damien | February 7th, 2010 at 12:26 am
Hi Ivan,
Sorry for my delay in replying. I missed your comments somehow. I use grey paper background rolls when I need seamless backgrounds. If I need a colour to continue past my subject to the foreground then I have to use coloured gel or use the theatre trick of using a colour wash from the back and a follow spot from the front. The pool of white light just seems right.
Cheers, Damien.
38. Jacek | February 7th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Hi Damian,
Good work, your concept is great. I painted wall ( dulux ice storm 2 ) now i'm lookin for wide angle reflector, my regular 18cm is too spot.
What do you think about Lee Filters – Saturates Pack seria Colour Magic ?Thanks, Jacek
39. damien | February 11th, 2010 at 12:28 am
Hi Jacek,
Thanks for your kind words.
I've never heard of seria Colour Magic. Lee Saturates pack is just that. Very saturated bold colour – not subtle, perfect for stage performances, lighting a band etc with Par cans. I've used a few of the colours before, but as you can see I've chosen a completely different set of colours for my collection designed specifically for photographic portraiture. My gels are all made by Lee too;)
If you use a medium wide reflector you can expect some vignetting. I like the look – See my latest post. Another way is to light the background from both sides. Far more even but needs two lights and two sets of gels.
Regards, Damien.
40. Robert Heard | February 13th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Hi Damien,
I love these vibrant gel portraits. I have a white paper background and am struggling to get any noticeable change in colour when shooting with gels. Have you got any advice please?
Thanks Rob -
41. Mark A | February 14th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Hey Rob
You need to use coloured gels on a dark background for them to work. Dark grey is the best but black also works…
42. Andi Goodman | February 14th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Hi Rob: Mark is right grey is ideal. When i used a white background I had to turn the backlight right down to prevent the head completely blowing out the colour and was very careful not to get other lights spilling over on to the background…
even then you'll probably find them washed out…. -
43. Elena | February 18th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
This looks great! What a wonderful variety of possibilities! I shoot mainly kids and love the colour, but I don't have a studio so I would like to know if you think that the gels will work with a mobile grey textile background, too? I could set that up quickly…
Thanks, great website! And let me know if you are coming to Italy in 2010 as I would love to attend one of your workshops! -
44. damien | February 25th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Hi Robert, As Andy said, grey is better than white. However you can usually get some great pastel looks with a white background. Just remember to keep your subject lights off the background. Damien
45. damien | February 25th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Cheers, Andy and Mark for your answers while I've been away. Damien
46. damien | February 25th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Hi Elena, Thanks. Italy was 2009 and it's Holland's turn this spring. Yes the gels will work well with a grey textile background on location. Cheers, Damien.
47. Brian | February 26th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Hello, I've just ordered a set of gels As for the grey background, I mostly shoot on location therefore I don't think I ought to turn up at someones house with a tin of Dulux Ice Storm paint!! I read a previous answer to a question on here which said the nearest paper roll would be Charcoal. I was just wondering if the colorama smoke grey would be ok as they do that colour in a 3/4 roll, which would be about the right size for portability, compared to a full length which would be too big and a 1.35m length which might be too small.
48. damien | February 27th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Hi Brian,
As I say, the shade of grey is dependent upon the size and type of space you are shooting in. A white walled room will need a darker grey to reap the maximum benefit. With the background light switched off the background should look black and with the background light on full power without a gel it should be pure white. I hope this helps. We use Calumet Smoke and Calumet Storm depending upon shooting location. You can cut a paper roll down to size with a wood saw
49. Brian | February 27th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Hi Damien, thanks for your reply. I've ordered the Charcoal paper
50. Penny | March 16th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Hi Damien,
Do you have any suggestions on using your Gel's with a lastolite hi-lite background? I primarily shoot kids so would ideally like the floor to be lit as well, not sure if that is possible. The background I have is white but I also have a black material cover.
51. damien | March 21st, 2010 at 9:52 am
Hi Penny,
Gels and the Hi-Lite are not an easy option because any light you put on the front of the unit including spill from your keylight will washout the colour effect. Normally with the Hi-Lite any spill just adds to the white and is fine.
Regards, Damien.
52. Chris | June 16th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
hi damien, this is a great idea. if i cannot find the dulux ice storm 2, can i get the paint shop to colour match a grey card? will that work? my choices of paint are behr or benjamin moore (canada).
53. Stephen Robinson | August 5th, 2010 at 11:04 am
I got my Dulux Ice Storm paint mixed at B and Q… £31 for 5 litres. I used No 2.
54. chris | August 28th, 2010 at 5:29 am
Hey Damien,
Just wondering if the bright green gel would work as a chroma key backdrop?
55. damien | August 30th, 2010 at 1:01 am
Hi Chris,
It could do but the trick to chroma key is even lighting. I'd use more than one light to light a chromakey background for people pictures. Green is used because there is little green in skin Other colours work too. All you need is a single colour to create a clipping path.
Kind regards,
56. Harpreet Castleton | October 4th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Hi Damien,
Just wondering which shade of grey background paper you would recommend from Creativity International? They offer Storm, Cloud, Smoke, Seal and Charcoal grey! I shoot portraits in a 'white box' studio. If you're not familiar with the CR papers which would you recommend from Calumet, Storm or Smoke grey? (for shooting using gels).
57. damien | October 9th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Hi Harpreet,
The size of your studio is going to determine what paper you use. In larger spaces you can use lighter paper and still get it to expose to black. In small and light spaces you need to opt for darker paper.
I hope this helps.
58. Karlb | October 25th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Thanks for sharing so much information and your beautiful photos with us! may I shoot 2 questions :)?
Where are your seminars held?? (do you have a link where we can see the schedule too??)? and Can you please tell me which size is your softbox???
59. damien | October 31st, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Hi Karl, I use a Bowens Wafer 140. Here is my schedule of seminars: http://www.lovegroveconsulting.com/the_training_zone.aspx There is a calendar too here: http://www.lovegroveconsulting.com/portals/0/calendar/calendar.html
Thank you for your kind words, Damien.
60. Bryan Grant Photography | November 23rd, 2010 at 2:29 am
thank you i finally get it….i needed someone to spell it out for me
61. Bernadette Boon | February 12th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
thank you for sharing.
gr -
62. damien | February 26th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Thank you Bernadette.
63. katie morley | March 2nd, 2011 at 4:11 pm
hi, i'm newish to photography! Do you have to have grey background to use the colour gels on the back light or will a white background do? Do you have the back light on all the time or does it go off with the flash lights?
64. Bryan Grant | March 17th, 2011 at 3:14 am
just picked up my gels cant wait to get started
65. damien | March 23rd, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Hi Katie,
Welcome to photography. I hope the magic of capturing images stays with you forever. I use a grey background so that I can achieve all luminance values from black (with the background light switched off) to white. I create white with the background light switched on full power and with no gel in place. With this range of luminance I can create some fantastically varied colours.
The darkness of the painted or paper background required depends upon several factors. The colour of the walls to the left and right, the colour of the ceiling and the distance from the subject to the background. If your studio walls and ceiling are white they will reflect the subject lights and lift the lightness of the background so you will need a darker grey to be able to produce a true black. If you can create a true black you can add a splash of light through a blue gel to create a midnight blue etc. If there is spill light hitting the background or the background is too light the depth of colour that can be achieved will be disappointing.
The background light is a flash light. I do not leave the modelling light on because it will 'cook' the gel.
I hope this helps,
66. damien | March 23rd, 2011 at 12:48 pm
Thanks Bryan,
Explore the possibilities and enjoy the process.
67. chris | March 28th, 2011 at 8:28 am
Hi Damien,
Loving the gels!!!
I am having a little trouble trying to get full body shoots with the floor and backgriound the same colour.
Do you use a gel on the background and then another pointed at the floor of the same colour?Would this create a colour cast on the models feet or dress?
Refering to your comment here >
I have to use coloured gel or use the theatre trick of using a colour wash from the back and a follow spot from the front. The pool of white light just seems right.How do you do this? any links?
Sorry about all the questions i am just very excited about the poetential images by using your gel set.
Cheers, Chris.
68. damien | April 30th, 2011 at 8:36 am
Hi Chris,
The coloured gels used in the way I use them is for head and shoulders only. You can light a background but you need to keep your subject separate from the background for the obvious reasons you describe. I dont have a link for the theatre trick I describe but you can see it on all the 'talent' shows. A black or grey floor paint lit with colour from behind.
To shoot full length shots with a infinite colour you need a paper roll of a painted infinity cove. I use paper rolls and have a few of them in my studio for when I need them.
Kind regards,
69. chris | June 2nd, 2011 at 1:41 am
Thanks so much for the feedback Damien.
70. cristian | July 25th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
simplemente, hermoso…. adj. simply beautiful (from Google translate)
71. damien | July 25th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Thank you Cristian. (gracias Cristian)
72. Wanda | November 6th, 2011 at 12:50 am
I love this idea, but cannot paint the walls. Does Savage make a color of seamless paper that would work in place of this color gray?
Wanda -
73. Maryann | November 15th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
How does one get this paint color in the U.S.?
74. damien | December 8th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Hi Maryann,
Go to a commercial paint supplyer and ask them for the neutral colour codes. Nearly all paint companies make the ISO set of shades that includes 6 neutrals from black to white. Each company gives them unique names. Alternatively take in a Pantone swatch and the paint company can type in a code to the mixing computer. Some companies do it, and some dont. It's what architects use to specify pint colours on commercial jobs.
I hope this helps,
75. Richard Martin | December 22nd, 2011 at 9:13 am
Hi Damien,
Thanks for taking the trouble to write about this. I have found it very useful and will now put it into practise. -
76. damien | December 28th, 2011 at 9:09 pm
Hi Richard,
Practice makes perfect! Enjoy your photography, it's the best motivator and reward one can have.
Cheers, Damien. -
77. Wie gebruikt nog gels om &hellip | April 4th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
[...] veranderen, ook zwart. Wie gebruikt gels, en op jullie externe flitser of een studio flitser? http://www.prophotonut.com/2009/12/3…ts-techniques/ http://www.prophotonut.com/2009/12/3…icture-sample/ Hier hebben ze vb een houder waar de [...]
78. Derek Pether | June 24th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Hi Damian
I've had the gels for a year and only used them very occasionally, but from next week I'm getting my own studio, so I intend to go to B&Q to get the paint mixed up. Let's hope they know what I'm talking about!
Derek Pether
79. damien | July 14th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Hi Derek,
Good man,
You need a Deep Matt Base, and the colour is Ice Storm2. If they type that in the mixing computer it will give them the magic formula.
Kind regards,
80. Daniella | November 3rd, 2012 at 2:07 am
Hi Damien,
I'm a college student and this is just what I needed! I didn't think this was possible but I knew there had to be a way of having different colored backgrounds (apart from Photoshopping it/actually having different colored backgrounds) and this will be super helpful for my shoot next monday!
Do you think this could work if instead of a gray background I had a white background? Thanks in advance, and greetings from Mexico!Daniella Murillo.
81. damien | November 4th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Hi Daniella,
Thank you for your comment. White is usually a problem unless you are in a very big studio. White walls or backgrounds should be avoided as much as possible in studios as stray light rattles around and you lose control of it. With your subject correctly lit but the background light off the background should be black. Most high key studios never achieve this. If you switch on the background light on full power the background should be white. This way you can have every density of colour from your gels. A deep midnight blue is amazing but looks like a washed out baby blue on a white background.
I hope this helps.
82. Canvas City Prints | March 4th, 2013 at 2:29 pm
I made a quick call to Dulux to get the paint code ice storm 2 and here it is 00NN16000 hope this helps anyone else struggling to find this shade.
83. damien | March 16th, 2013 at 12:37 am
Good info 'Canvas City Prints'. Thanks
84. Scott | July 5th, 2013 at 3:41 pm
Hi Damien, I bought a set of your coloured gels and I'm having a hard time lighting my subject without spilling light onto the background and washing out the colour from the gel. I have a limited space (12ft deep room) and am using a speedlight with gel for the background, and a westcott appollo softbox for lighting the subject.
Do you have some recommended settings and distances that would work? -
85. damien | August 17th, 2013 at 12:09 pm
Hi Scott,
The Westcott appollo is the culprit. It's lighting your background as well as your subject. Use the Westcott at 90 degrees to the background and use a grid on the front of the Westcott. Make sure you have a grey background if you want saturated colours. The ino sheet on how I work with the gels is here: http://www.lovegroveconsulting.com/portals/0/PDFs/lovegrove_gel_technique.pdf As you will see my softbox is 90 degrees to the background and rigged from above.
Kindest regards,
86. Scott | August 19th, 2013 at 2:36 pm
I will give that a shot, thanks!
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Gary Doyle doesn't only have his own talk show on 570News, he also shares his blog about topics of lifestyle, money, health, finances and more.
See more blogs2009? That Can't Be Right.
If this is 2009, then I've been around for 52 years. It doesn't seem possible, but a quick check of the mirror verifies it. Here's to a renewal in the New Year. A renewal of spirit. Spend some times with your kids, and if you're lucky enough, your grandkids. Listen to some new music. Read a book from an author you've never heard of before. Always let your significant other pick out your ties and never underestimate the healing power of an apology.


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1st Pontygwaith Scout Group
Welcome to the 1st Pontygwaith Scout Group website.
Latest posts
- February 3, 2014, Making bird boxes at the farm!
- February 3, 2014, Chinese night.
- February 2, 2014, Snow!
- September 30, 2013, Other events in 2014.
- September 30, 2013, 2014 May 17th – Activity day at Daerwynno.
- September 30, 2013, Scouts London Trip – March 21st to 23rd 2014
- September 30, 2013, February Half term camp 2014.
- September 30, 2013, Scouts Halloween party and one night camp – 25th October.
- September 30, 2013, Cubs Halloween party at the scout hall – 25th October.
- August 7, 2013, Dorset Camp 2013 Photographs
Plans for the future of the Scout Group
We would like to celebrate our 70th anniversary by building a new Scout Hall, as most of you are aware the present hall since it was built in 1968 has seen better days and is no longer able to meet the needs of the Group.
The primary aim of this project is to provide a better quality environment that enables us to develop our activities and reach out to more young people in the Rhondda Fach. In 2013 we celebrate our 70th Anniversary. It would be nice to do it in style by providing our young people with a modern building in which they can participate in scouting activities. They really need and deserve it!
The Group was successful in applying for a grant from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to undertake a feasibility study. The consultants employed to undertake the study have produced a sketch design for the new building which is attached to this document.
Part of the design brief for the proposed building was the creation of a facility that could serve the wider needs of the community during the day. The group would be pleased to hear from any organisation that might be seeking accommodation for the delivery of community oriented activities in the Rhondda Fach. If you require any further information please feel free to contact the Group by using our contact details on the website
The Scout Association's Aim and Method
The Aim of the 1st Pontygwaith Scout Group is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.
The method of achieving the aim of the Association is by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training and learning by doing, guided by adult leaders.
Please use the links along the top of the pages to obtain current news, the links down the side contain more general information e.g. how to join, where we can be found e.t.c.


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Cam Young walks us through "The Chase" in his latest Orhan Kolenovic directed video.
Get to know the "Best In Show" artists @ SXSW (A3C's Official SXSW Showcase)
2013 A3C standout, Schoolboy Q, drops Oxymoron
2014 A3C Artist Submissions are NOW OPEN!!!
Dates Announced for 2014 A3C Festival…. Wed, Oct 8th – Sun, Oct 12th
A3C Hosts 1st Annual Official SXSW Showcase… Best In Show


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Hungry and annoyed
So the federal government has done it again.
The goal of the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act passed in 2010 and taking effect this school year was to feed hungry children during school hours who may not get enough to eat at home while simultaneously battling childhood obesity.
It appears the two issues are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but the federal plan claims to addresses both.
The solution — smaller lunches at higher prices. The results — hungry and unhappy students.
Children who were not hungry before are hungry now and children who were hungry before are even more hungry now.
Some of the most dramatic changes implemented were: smaller entrées, including reduced portions of bread and protein; 1 percent flavored milk was replaced by flavored fat-free milk; increased portions of fruit and vegetables; and a price increase of 10 to 15 cents per meal taking the price to the $2.60 to $3.25 range.
These new regulations are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, signed by President Obama in December 2010, with the new guidelines taking effect this school year.
When children, at the beginning of the school year, began to complain about being hungry shortly after having eaten lunch, or right after school at the beginning of extra curricular activities, the advice from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was for parents to send their children to school with snacks to be eaten after school prior to taking part in afterschool activities.
Great advice, but what about children whose families are in need of federal help? What about the children who were hungry and the federal government claimed to be helping them with the breakfast and lunch programs at school. What about children whose parents send them off to school without breakfast or lunch? Does the federal government think the parents who do not give their children breakfast and lunch, will send a snack for after school?
FYI to the federal government, children are not obese because they eat school lunches. Many children are obese because they don't get enough exercise. They don't walk to or from school, they don't eat healthy meals at home and they do lots of sitting in front of the computer and the television.