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March 10, 2008
TECHNOLOGY: July 05, AU Edition
From cough syrups to eyeglasses for cows, Martha McKay takes a peek into a very tiny future
At the nanotechnology show in New York City recently, companies touted the state-of-the-art, from quantum dots to microscopes powerful enough to see atoms.And then there were two guys from Cleveland hawking cough syrup.If you follow the nanotechnology industry closely, this sort of thing isn't surprising.
But if you don't, such seemingly humdrum technology on display alongside the advances at the fourth annual NanoBusiness conference might seem unusual.
Spend time with nano-experts and one thing becomes clear: nanotechnology is more commonplace than you might think – from nano-engineered eyeglass coatings used on one in five pairs of eyeglasses, to sunscreens and stain-resistant fabrics.
One of the most hyped areas of technology since the Internet, nanotechno- logy is the study and engineering of really small things – particles and gizmos from 1 to 100 nanometres, or a billionth of a metre, in size to be specific. The paper you are reading this on is about 100,000 nanometres thick.
As you might expect, there are hundreds of ways of using nano-sized particles and devices, with new ideas popping up all the time.
The U.S. government will pour an estimated $1.3 billion into nano-based R&D with a particular emphasis on such areas as cancer research. Here in Australia, governments are putting up $100 million for domestic nanotechnology research this year.
Jeffrey M. Jaffe, president of research and advanced technologies for Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs, told conferees how telecommunications networks could be transformed by nano-sized devices. Tiny power supplies working together with nano-sized microphones, tiny sensors and video displays could one day give us a communications 'wallpaper'.
Even the ability to have 'several microphones inside a phone would be a tremendous (sound quality) improvement', he said.
Out at the New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium, university researchers have 60 to 80 nano-based projects under way.They include building a stress gauge to strap on the back of a fruit fly. The tiny device will enable scientists to tell if the drosophila is asleep (they don't have eyelids, in case you wondered). Researchers, who
study fruit flies because they are well-suited to genetic studies, want to be able to test whether their modifications to the fruit fly's sleeping patterns work.
They are also looking into ways to build an electronic nose that can smell, a real-time DNA analyzer, and what they call a 'rubber mirror', which would map the imperfections of your eye and allow the creation of perfect corrective lenses.
'We could fit a cow with glasses', says David Bishop, vice president of nanotech-nology research at the labs.
But along with purely scientific uses for nano-devices, many companies hope to turn a profit – the motivation behind Cleveland-based Five Star Technologies and its cough formula. Nano-emulsions and dispersions made using a patented technique called controlled-flow cavitation make the cough syrup adhere to the throat better.
Gerry Weimann, Five Star's CEO, doesn't think consumers really care about the 'nano' aspect of the syrup, which is made by another company called Improvita Health Products.
'Most people are just looking for a good experience – not a lot of people wonder about the technology behind it', says Weimann.
Posted by InvestigateDesign at 11:47 PM | Comments (0)
TECHNOLOGY: Dec 05, AU Edition
What makes a storm a killer? Scientists are searching for the early warning signs, say Jeremy Manier and E.A. Torrier
The two hurricanes that roared into the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year were identical in nearly every way. Born in the same region near Haiti, the storms called Katrina and Rita reached monster status in the warm waters off Florida and swirled toward major cities along the coast.
But before they struck, the two hurricanes underwent subtly different yet fateful changes deep within them that resulted in Katrina reaching land with considerably more destructive power – and a far greater death toll – than Rita would nearly four weeks later.
That divergence is stirring ardent debate among experts eager to build better theories of what separates less intense storms from those that become historic killers. The battle of ideas will help shape how experts study hurricanes and prepare for the next big one.
One explanation in this case may be the movement of deep, warm currents in the Gulf that fed Katrina but slipped to the side of Rita days before that storm reached land. Some researchers believe a Gulf system called the loop current played a major role in the evolution of Katrina and Rita.
During both hurricanes, government scientists deployed a battery of experimental tools to measure deep ocean temperatures and currents where the storms passed through the Gulf. Experts hope the new information will improve forecasters' ability to predict the intensity of future hurricanes.
"We're looking at what we did with these storms as a poster child for techniques we might use in the future to get better observations on the interaction between hurricanes and the ocean", said Peter Black, a meteorologist with the Hurricane Research Division of the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Hurricanes are among the most complex weather systems that bedevil meteorologists, in part because of the peculiar way the storms can change their nearby ocean environment, which in turn can affect the power of the hurricane.
One way to think of a hurricane is as a vast engine that converts ocean heat – its fuel – into high winds. A shortage of fuel or other glitches in the engine can reduce the storm's strength.
An example of this is when a hurricane's winds churn up cold water from the ocean depths, robbing the storm of the warm water it needs to sustain high winds. Deep, warm currents such as the loop current in the Gulf can reduce that effect. They provide more fuel for the storm to rage without picking up colder water from below.
Both Katrina and Rita strengthened as they passed over the loop current, experts said. Katrina headed straight from the current to the shore, where it unleashed destruction across a heavily populated region. Rita was just as powerful at its peak, but it took longer to reach shore after it moved off the deep current, losing energy along the way.
"Rita peaked early", said Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "It was on its way out when it hit the coast."
Researchers have recognized the importance of that interaction between hurricanes and the ocean only in the last 10 years or so, Emanuel said. In fact, some experts at the National Hurricane Center in Miami still doubt that deep temperatures played a decisive role in building up the two storms.
"That stuff about the loop current – it doesn't hold water, so to speak", said Stacy Stewart, a hurricane specialist at the Hurricane Center. "You have to have a lot of other conditions right to allow the storm to extract energy from the water."
She pointed out that other factors also affected Rita's decline, including a lack of moisture in the hurricane's middle levels. As it hit land, the storm also was undergoing eye wall replacement, a poorly understood phenomenon that happens in cycles with the most powerful hurricanes and often saps their strength.
Katrina and Rita were unusual from the start, in that they were "Bahama busters" that took shape in the Caribbean rather than off the coast of Africa, which spawns most of the storms that become hurricanes. Hugh Willoughby, a hurricane researcher at Florida International University, said the wind shear – a change in wind speed at different altitudes – was too great for large storms to develop near Africa.
That wasn't the case in the Caribbean, where Katrina and Rita formed within a few hundred miles of each other.
"They were almost like twins," Willoughby said.
At 11 a.m. on Aug. 24, the National Hurricane Center announced the formation of Tropical Depression 12, the storm that became Katrina, about 200 miles southeast of Miami.
Actually, it was an energizing small squall that started off the coast of Africa but never formed into a storm because of the wind shear. Some of the formation came from a different tropical depression that ran out of gas.
Tropical Depression 14 was spotted on Sept. 17 at 11 p.m., about 500 miles southeast of Miami. This was the birth of Rita.
The storms were nourished by the exceptionally warm waters of the Atlantic, a pattern since 1995. But in both cases, high pressure across much of the United States blocked the storms from turning northward, a trend for much of the last two years. Instead, they headed west over the open ocean.
"Both would have turned otherwise," said Keith Blackwell, a hurricane researcher at the University of South Alabama, "and we would have heard from them no more."
In the Gulf of Mexico, both hurricanes moved over the loop current, which moves around the Gulf and exits south of Florida into the Atlantic, becoming part of the Gulf Stream current.
Black of NOAA's Hurricane Research Division said the data his team gathered this year should help improve computer models used to predict hurricane intensity. Forecasting intensity remains a glaring weak spot in hurricane models, experts say, even as the ability to anticipate where a hurricane will go has improved greatly.
The workhorses of Black's research are small, disposable probes called AXBT devices, which are dropped from planes and measure the temperature of the ocean at depths up to 1,000 feet. Black got his probes as Navy surplus, leftover from Cold War efforts to track enemy submarines using sonar.
He said it would help attempts to gauge hurricane intensity if the US government would buy more temperature probes and make their deployment a routine part of hurricane tracking.
"We're just about out of these hand-me-downs," Black said.
Posted by InvestigateDesign at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)
TECHNOLOGY: Nov 05, AU Edition
A new internet numbering system could computerize everything, reports Brian Kladko
The Internet is running out of real estate. Just like a city, the Internet's virtual space is divvied up into addresses – not e-mail addresses, but Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Each numerical address represents a piece of the Internet, and you can't connect to the Internet without one.
The current version of the Internet has more than four billion IP addresses. But soon, that might not be enough.
Fortunately, there is a solution: a new system that will not only provide an address for every person on earth, but every animal, every electronic device, every mechanical part. Everything, not just everyone, could be connected.
"Because you have the ability to link everything to everything else, you could conceivably have your cell phone control up to 250 different electronic appliances in your home", explains Alex Lightman, an inventor, writer, entrepreneur and one of the most ardent boosters of the new system, called Internet Protocol version 6.
IPv6, as it's known, is a set of international standards, or protocols, that allow computers to understand each other. It will replace IPv4, the standard that has enabled the Internet to function since its creation 35 years ago.
IPv4 worked fine when the Internet was used by a bunch of computer scientists. Now that everyone wants a piece of it, IPv4 is seen as increasingly obsolete.
Most people aren't even aware of their IP addresses, because most people don't own one: the addresses belong to government agencies, universities and companies. When someone logs on from home, they borrow an address from a pool of addresses owned by their Internet provider. Although there are still 1.3 billion addresses yet to be assigned, that's not enough to accommodate two of the most exciting trends of the Internet – high-speed mobile computing and Internet telephony. Both technologies depend on the ability of two computers to communicate directly with each other. Every mobile device, for example, will need its own IP address to tap into the Internet with a broadband connection.
The U.S. Department of Defense has realized the possibilities. It's converting all of its computerized systems to IPv6 by 2008, so that it can create a "Global Information Grid" – a military network that would provide commanders in the Pentagon and front-line soldiers a wealth of information about battle conditions.
But drumming up interest among private companies, and their customers, is more difficult. So proponents are dangling the prospect of an automated, remote-controlled future: one that will be made possible by giving an address to every device, not just computers.
IPv6, for example, could make it easier to get a taxi when you're getting drenched. In Japan, sensors with their own IP addresses have been attached to taxis' windshield wipers.
When the wipers start moving in response to rain, that information is collected through the Internet. Taxi companies use the information to redirect their fleets to rain-soaked locations.
If ordinary household devices can go online, manufacturers could monitor them to make sure they're working right, or diagnose a problem when they're not.
If a digital video recorder has its own address, the owner could tap into it from another city and download a show it had previously recorded.
In other words, the Internet won't just be about sitting in front of a computer, reading Web sites or tapping out messages. It will be about controlling the minutiae of our lives, down to the most mundane details.
"Your refrigerator could call the store when it needed to and order more milk because it would know you were out of it", explains Doug Barton, general manager of the international organization that distributes addresses. "There are some pretty grandiose ideas behind some of these things."
When addresses were first doled out, the United States – which invented the Internet – got most of them, even though many are going unused to this day. But when Asian countries finally got on board, they couldn't get nearly as many, which is another factor that is pushing many to advocate for IPv6. At one point, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had more addresses than China.
"There is a real sense of injustice about how the addresses have been provided over the years", said Jim Bound, a Hewlett Packard computer engineer who heads a group promoting IPv6 in North America.
Thanks to a reform of the way addresses are assigned, as well as a technological workaround that allows many network users to share one address, the depletion of addresses that some people had predicted just a few years ago has still not come to pass.
But Chinese officials continue to complain about a disparity.
Countries throughout East Asia see IPv6 as a remedy to past wrongs, as well as their best hope of catching up to, or surpassing, the United States.
IPv6 conferences in Japan and China attract thousands, and Japanese prime ministers even mention it in speeches.
Some IPv6 missionaries, such as Lightman, say the United States will pay for its complacency. As the rest of the world moves to a different standard and starts slapping addresses on everything with a circuit, the United States will lose its technological edge.
"We're a bunch of rubes with respect to the new Internet", Lightman says.
But even some IPv6 boosters, such as Bound, say it's only a matter of time before companies realize its potential.
"We are not the overweight, sloppy ex-heavyweight champion", says Bound, who helped select the IPv6 standard. "What we are is someone who's ahead. And therefore, for new technology, we have the luxury of operating at a slower pace. We'll get there when we need to get there."
Posted by InvestigateDesign at 07:34 PM | Comments (0)
TECHNOLOGY: Mar 05, AU Edition
Paul Wright takes a caffeinated tour of Sydney's suburbs to test go-anywhere broadband
The setup procedure for my new Unwired broadband modem was extremely fast and friendly. Four clicks and I was off to the car to test whether mobile internet access really means mobile as in "while driving from place to place", or mobile as in dangling in one spot while slowly turning around and around while singing "It's a Small World After All" as the parents weep quietly in the corner of the baby's room because all they want is just one night of sleep, is that too much to ask?
First stop: Birdies' Cafe, Alexandria. Fast call to the Good Lady Wife because I forgot to bring the demo password, and I was off into the wild blue internet. Popular myth has the first telephone call being from Alexander Graham Bell to his assistant Watson to help him with an acid burn. In a remarkable coincidence, the first Unwired email I received was an eerie reflection of Bell's plea; it begins "Mr Watson, I need you...to help get $93 million out of the Bank of Lagos."
The tests were performed using a Toshiba Pentium 3 600 notebook, test websites chosen for load speed were the Sydney Morning Herald, as a popular local website with medium graphics content, and instapundit.com, a very popular US website with low graphic content. Most tests were performed in business hours.I recommend turning on the "Reception Assistant" whenever going online from a new location. Without this, there is no way to tell why the system is not connecting.
Cafe Bianchi, Summer Hill. Reception: four bars. Download speed: good. Watching: movie trailers from Hoyts.com.au. Coffee: excellent. People: ugly.
The modem has no battery indicator, so user won't notice when it tanks. Like the reception, this is irritating in extremis, and means one more thing to check when a page won't refresh. Also, the modem needs to be physically switched off after use. This is an entirely new habit to form, and for the first few days, expect the modem battery to be as flat as a pancake every morning.
Starbucks, Park Street, City. Reception: off the chart. Load speed: excellent. Service: where's my triple espresso?! These people are moving at the speed of mud.
Make sure the computer you are using has an ethernet port. That's the one that looks like an overweight telephone socket. Without it, you'll have to deal with the mutants at Tandy as they gibber incomprehensibly about what sort of cable you need while making insulting comments about your manhood because you actually require assistance with your computer.
Big roundabout, Sydney Park, Alexandria. Reception: poor; connection dropped out. Repeated laps of roundabout failed to regain signal. Other motorists increasingly rude. Decided not to explain reason for driving behavior. Left before police arrived.Since this is a free demo account, I decided to test e-mail load speed by signing up for every possible spam site, porn offer and scam letter I could get my hands on. I want every part of my body enhanced and enlarged with cheap generic medicines supplied to me by the wife of the former Chief of the Army of Nigeria. And Hot College Chicks will then Want To Meet Me Now.
Blackwattle Bay park, walking the dog. Or rather, sitting down while the dog chases the trams on the overhead railway. Computer says it has many, many spyware programs. Decide to download and install Ad-aware software. Reception: hovering between 2-3 bars. Download speed for a 2Mb program file: 8 minutes. I mean, sitting in the middle of a sunny park, no visible means of communication, and it takes 8 minutes to reach out across the other side of the world to get a free program that will prevent marketers from tracking my internet movements? Eight minutes! May as well be living in Russia!
As an aside, it's worth noting that the software used by Unwired cannot be exported to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya or North Korea. So if you were planning on making a killing re-exporting wireless broadband to countries that still communicate by writing notes on their enemy's livers, think again.
Note to Unwired: when I'm driving over the Harbour Bridge and need to email ahead to have someone open the wine, I do not want to have to wait to get a connection. A man is not a camel, you know.
A glance through the User Guide produces some interesting examples of Tech-Speak. My favourite came at the top of the document, where they urged me to put in the Quick-Start CD to assist in installing the User Guide. Perhaps this is included to throw those annoying North Koreans off the scent.
When using the Unwired modem in a public space, the signal strength can be enhanced by holding the modem up higher, placing it next to a window, or moving g it about the room. While this may have an effect on connection speed, it will definitely make sure everyone in the restaurant knows you're an Unwired user and therefore at the bleeding edge of technology. As with every other broadband service provider, reading Unwired's pricing plans rapidly causes glazed-eye induced bouts of keyboard face. If your boredom threshold is so high you are willing to pay extra for the grass-growing cable channel, I commend you to the pricing plan page. For the rest of us, I recommend choosing blindly, and hope there isn't a kidney forfeit clause in the fine print.
Interesting thought: will mobile broadband spell an end to fights over bar bets? Who will resort to fisticuffs over the level of influence Seneca had over Pliny the Elder (well it comes up where I drink), when the dashing Unwired user can swiftly settle the matter to the satisfaction of all parties?
One significant problem with the Unwired system is that you can't tell if it will work in your house or place of business, until you actually purchase the whole deal, get it delivered, install it, and spend a few hours shouting at the screen to get it running. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, but in the meantime, you've parted with some hundreds of the readies, and signed up for a year-long contract, which you now have to inveigle your way out of. There probably isn't a way around this, but it's still annoying. For instance, the on-line mapping of coverage in Sydney tells me I have access from my house. I relayed this slowly and loudly to the Connection Assistant, to little avail. No connection.
All in all, Unwired is a nifty system that portends serious changes to the way we will do business in the future. For home use, it is more cumbersome, and less reliable, than a wireless LAN, but Unwired still offers speed and big-time convenience for road warriors. To say nothing of that increasingly rare commodity, major pose value.
Posted by InvestigateDesign at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
TECHNOLOGY: May 05, AU Edition
Josephine Cooper reports that Pioneer's latest plasma TVs are finally living up to the technology's promise
Plasma screens are the trophy wives of the television world. Seductive in their shiny slimness, deep-pocketed men (often in league with their partners) have been damning the cost and throwing over their old, boxy boob tubes for these new, younger, skinnier models from almost the first day they came on the market.
But that doesn't mean these new relationships have always been happy: along with the initial entry price, flat-panel plasma units generally require expensive accessories such as tuners to get them out of bed in the morning. What's more, while they start out as bright young things, the dirty little secret of this wall candy is that they are also subject to burnout: leave it on too long, or with the contrast set too high, and the bright, vibrant colours of the unit's first heady days start to go drab and fade. Furthermore, from their first day out of the box, plasmas have a problem handling dark colours, especially black, properly: because every gas cell in a plasma unit is on all the time, and because there is no black backdrop as in a standard TV, it takes a lot of power to come close to displaying the dark range of the spectrum properly. Even at the best of times, plasma owners have for years had to live with blotchy being the new black.
Plasmas have what might be called a long memory as well; many users report that just a couple of weeks of watching, say, CNN is enough to burn the network's logo into the screen for good. (Think of how a bank's logo and welcome message is always faintly visible in an ATM screen, no matter what is being displayed. Now imagine having spent several thousand dollars for the privilege of that burn-in.) Part of this has been avoidable by keeping contrast set low and the channels flipping during the first few weeks of a unit's life, when such burn-in is most likely to occur, but until recently, it's also just been a problem that plasma users have had to either learn to live with or figure out tricks to avoid.
And in what may be the ultimate insult, many plasma buyers are discovering that despite all the money they spent on them, their new loves aren't really up for a long Sunday afternoon watching sports.
Although manufacturers have been struggling with the problem for years, until recently, most plasma units suffered from all sorts of unpleasant (and unpleasant-sounding) syndromes when they tried to handle fast-motion action of sport, such as jitters and smearing.
Unlike a standard TV, the plasma screen simply can't keep up with the action, which means that on many units, a flying football or cricket ball will appear like a comet, complete with tail. It can also mean problems with lip-syncing: depending on the quality of image
being fed it, sound doesn't always keep up with motion, and everyone starts to look like they're in a poorly-dubbed old Japanese movie.
On the flip side, the good news is that this young technology is great with the kids: plasmas are absolutely tailor-made for digital productions such as Pixar movies, which explains why flicks like Finding Nemo and Toy Story get so much play at the electronics retailers.
It's all almost enough to make a plasma buyer want to go back, tail between his legs, to his old conventional unit: 'I want you back. I'm sorry I dallied with that new technology. Remember all the great times we had watching the Ashes together?'
Or, as one online commentator put it recently, 'Plasma TVs cost a hilarious amount of money, and are ridiculously non-durable. If you'll excuse me, I'll go back to my still-good-looking, several-years-old rear projection big screen TV.'
Plasma screen manufacturers have started to realize that they have a real problem, both in terms of the real limitations of their product and, just as if not more important in the tough world of the marketplace, reputation. Makers of plasma units at all price and size levels are all waking up to the fact that they need to either lift their game, or get out of it. Sony, for one, has reportedly decided to withdraw its plasma screens from the market, and Fujitsu has sold half its own plasma business – there were just too many problems.
On the other hand, electronics maker Pioneer has decided to take things in the other direction and break through some of the barriers that have become all too apparent in the flat-panel market and create what might be called next-generation plasma TV. And it seems to be working: their latest models, (the PDP505HD and PDP435HD, coming in at 50 and 43 diagonal inches respectively) received top honours from EISA, the largest editorial multimedia organisation in Europe.
Pioneer has so far succeeded by tackling head-on the biggest problems of plasma TVs thus far. For one thing, the whole issue of colours and skin tones and natural-looking reproduction has been solved through what they call their 'Advanced Super CLEAR Drive System': basically, this means that their panels can recreate a ridiculously huge number of colours, 2.79 billion to be exact. This is a huge advantage when it comes to faithfully reproducing colours at the dark end of the spectrum, ensuring that blacks are truly black. Unlike previous plasma units, which were great only for certain limited types of programming (especially those demonstrated at the shop), these are screens that really are good for everyday TV watching.
A second advantage of Pioneer's new product is that they have ditched the traditional glass panel filter that traditionally sits on the front of plasma units. Because the glass filter often had the annoying side effect of creating multiple reflections between the filter itself and the display unit, Pioneer developed 'direct colour filter' technology that not only is crisper (and lighter) than old-fashioned glass panels, but also improves contrast, making images clearer in bright locations.
One more thing that Pioneer has done right: They've recognized that there are more places for a flat-panel unit to go then just on a wall, and as such have come up with a pretty schmick-looking stand to hold the thing. Free speakers are a nice extra touch, too, even though the recommended retail price of the two units have just dropped by a thousand dollars a piece – the 43-inch model clocks in at $6,999, while the top-end 50-incher will set you back $8,999.
Posted by InvestigateDesign at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)
TECHNOLOGY: June 05, AU Edition
Mobile phone phishers will always have Paris, writes Chris Cobb. Will they have you too?
Paris Hilton may have unwittingly provided us a glimpse of a new technology menace when telephone numbers from her personal address book appeared on the Internet in February, after her mobile phone was apparently hacked.
It appears as though she may have company in the not-too-distant future, Internet security experts say.
The proliferation of 'smart' phones, which are mobile phones with the brains of a personal computer, means users increasingly will confront the same risks as desktop and laptop Web surfers and e-mailers – including spam, worms, viruses and phishing.
Phishing, an e-mail ploy to trick computer users into revealing personal data such as credit-card numbers and passwords, has grown dramatically in the past year to become the scourge of the wired world.
The number of phishing messages jumped dramatically in the second half of last year – 300 percent to 1,000 percent by various counts – and the total continues to grow, says Alfred Huger, senior director of engineering for Symantec Security Response, a Cupertino, Calif., maker of anti-virus software and other security products.
The cost of phishing scams to consumers and corporations – estimated by one expert at several billion dollars – is hard to determine precisely because financial institutions are reluctant to provide such sensitive data, but phishing is on the increase and becoming more sophisticated.
'The low-hanging fruit has been swept up', Huger says, 'but people are having success at it. More people are coming into the game.'
Phishing hasn't shown itself to be a serious threat yet on mobile phones, but it may be just a matter of time.
'As more financial applications, like shopping and banking, become accessible on mobile phones, they will be targeted by hackers,' says Stephen Cobb, a St. Augustine, Fla., information-security expert and author.
Along with the threat of phishing, mobile phone users likely will have to deal with worms and viruses, which could steal private information, delete files or worse, experts said.
'It hasn't happened yet, but when it hits it, it could hit spectacularly', says Richard Ford, a research professor at the Center for Information Assurance at Florida Institute of Technology.
'One nasty cell-phone virus could bring down an entire network.'
One bright spot is the diversity of operating systems in the smart-phone arena. Unlike the PC world, where Microsoft Windows is the dominant OS, the mobile sector is home to several distinct OS.
'That makes it more challenging for hackers', says Philip Marshall, an analyst for the Yankee Group, a tech research firm. 'They can't attack as many systems with a single virus. They have to modify the virus for different phones.'
Wireless-industry officials said steps are being taken to try to head off such problems.
'We've learned from all the worm and virus attacks on PCs, and we're aware of what can happen,' said Eric McGee, spokeswoman for Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, a Washington, D.C., trade group.
'The problem will get worse before it gets better', says Stephen Cobb.
'The consumer has been sold the Web as a wonderful place to bank, shop and meet with friends, but without appropriate disclaimers as to the dangers.'
'Phishers exist off the gullibility of the average user.'
Posted by InvestigateDesign at 11:07 AM | Comments (0)
TECHNOLOGY: Apr 05, AU Edition
Nokia's feature-packed 9300 communicator over-delivers on just about every score
Ialmost got arrested because of the Nokia 9300, I liked it so much. I had just gotten the handset to review the day before, and had spent the previous 24 hours eagerly trying out every one of its bells and whistles when, out of sheer exuberance, I turned the thing on in a place I should not have: aboard a QANTAS puddle-jumper that had just landed in Canberra.
Now, we were safely on the ground and the door to the plane was open when I decided to turn it on and check my voicemail, so I just assumed that any danger that a rogue SMS could have sent us hurtling to a fiery death had well and truly passed.
As it turns out, they do things differently in our nation's capital.
Not only did a stewardess practically yank the thing out of my hand as I stepped out onto the tarmac, but as I walked to the terminal a burly fellow passenger who claimed to be part from the Transport Safety Bureau clapped me on the shoulder saying, "Mate, you cannot have that thing on anywhere airside at this airport! It carries the potential of jail and a very heavy fine!"
Perhaps he thought I had paid retail for the thing – just about anywhere you look, the pricetag tips over into four-figures territory – and needed to have a little more of my wealth redistributed.
By the time he was done, we were through the little building and I was diving out the door into a waiting cab, briefcase in one hand, schmick silvery mobile in the other, one step ahead of the law.
Brushes with authority aside (I doubt I would have been so eager to play with a $49 pre-paid jobby), the Nokia 9300 is a truly life-changing little bit of technology. Yes, it's a good deal bigger than most phones on the market, but that's because there's more to it than just about any other handset available today. For one thing, it flips open to reveal a little QWERTY-layout keyboard which, though too small for even the slenderest fingers to type comfortably on, works great when held in both hands with each thumb working one side.
Above the keyboard is a little colour screen that is small but rich and crisp enough to manage a Windows-style operating system – which is where the thing's real grunt and growl becomes apparent. One can surf the Web (though for me this was more fun in theory than in practice; I may have just been unlucky but attempts to load even quick, text-heavy sites took forever) and, more usefully, send and receive e-mail from one's own ISP's POP3 server as well. And, happily, it's no more difficult to configure than Outlook Express.
(Another advantage of the screen: there's a great little built-in golf game that shows up a treat. Not only does it save your round mid-play – allowing one to play a quick hole in a free moment and come back to the round later – but for me at least, it perfectly mimicked my playing style. As in real life, gimme putts just sometimes failed to drop, and even when my electronic setup and swing were completely in order, my drives still sometimes just skittered harmlessly along the ground, coming to rest just past the ladies' tees).
Some of the other features seem a little less necessary, if only because the idea of working on something so small takes some getting used to – both physically and mentally. Not only does one have to get one's small-motor skills back up to snuff to work the keys and joystick that serves as a mouse, but I found something unnerving about the fact that I suddenly had a phone with a better display and more available memory than my computer. Although it is possible to do so, I don't think I ever see myself knocking up a quick Excel-compatible spreadsheet or PowerPoint-compatible presentation on my mobile. If that sort of work is required on the road, I'll bring along my laptop.
But the Nokia 9300's real selling point, I think, is to the cashed-up technophile road warrior: with its own suite of PC software and docking station (a.k.a. "Connectivity Desk Stand"), the phone becomes an organiser par excellence. For those who travel a lot for business, especially overseas, one can easily see how the 9300 would be a God-send. Between the phone's tri-band EGSM capabilities (in other words, it will work on five continents), the ability to grab e-mail on the go and write coherent responses without having to hit the "2" key three times just to type a "c", and the contact and personal organizing software which syncs everything up with a home or office PC, those who spend anything approaching serious time travelling overseas for business will find this thing indispensable.
Finally, some quibbles: Why doesn't the 9300 have a camera? With so much in the way of communications capabilities, it seems a waste not to be able to take a happy snap on the thing and then e-mail it around the world.
Also, a speakerphone function would be nice as well; while obviously not polite for, say, shared offices, the one-touch loudspeaker on my own Nokia flip-phone is a lifesaver in loud spaces, and I was surprised by how much I found myself missing it once I started using the 9300.
Ultimately, the best thing I could compare this phone to would be a big super-luxury car – say, a Bentley. Oversized, more powerful than most people need, and many times more pricey than something more utilitarian that will still get you from A to B. Admittedly, the Nokia 9300 is not for everyone, but for those who can and will really take advantage of all its features, it remains a great piece of engineering and a really useful toy.
Posted by InvestigateDesign at 02:52 AM | Comments (0)
TECHNOLOGY: Sep 05, AU Edition
Have laptop? Get a PDA smartphone to make yourself fully mobile, suggests Ian Wishart
Stuck in traffic, and desperately trying to remember the name of that Turkish café further up the line so I could phone in an order ahead. Could I recall it? Not in a lifetime. I only did a little hooch in my youth, but I swear I can feel the loss of every single one of those brain cells two decades down the track.
My options were limited: try and play 'guess the name you're after' with Directory Assistance, or simply turn up at the café and wait a further 20 minutes for the kebabs to cook. Neither option appealed.
Enter, the PalmOne Treo 650 smartphone. For a magazine that utilises the latest technology and software, the efficiency gains from making staff fully mobile have been tremendous. Even so, the Treo 650 has been a voyage of discovery. Combining all the bells and whistles of the Palm range with a mobile phone, the Treo range offers a versatility lacking in other PDAs. Frankly, I'd been sceptical of the PDA craze largely because I couldn't see much point in them. Those who have laptops, use them. Those who don't, use PDAs. Or so I thought. To a large extent, this remains my perspective. I still can't see the merit in trying to do screeds of real work on a handheld device – texting is great for teenagers but you're not exactly going to write King Lear on a mobile phone, are you? Sure, any PDA worth its name offers synchronicity with laptops or desktop PCs, but unless the PDA is fully wireless and independent in its own right then it still relies on said PC or laptop for its internet access which – to me – seems a little like putting an eagle on a leash. Great, so your PDA can link through your PC to go online. Yippee! Why not just use the PC to go online in the first place.
Ah, but the PalmOne Treo is an eagle set to wing.
Stuck in traffic, brain ticking over in that aforementioned mental dash for some kind of solution to my Turkish kebab dilemma, when suddenly a third option springs to mind: use the Treo's mobile internet to Google a Turkish café in the suburb concerned, and see what turns up. Within seconds, not only had the café-whose-name-escaped-me popped up on the Treo's screen, but the phone's intuitive web interface gave me the option of dialling the café phone number at the tap of a stylus. And, after making the call, the experience was consummated by Treo offering to add the café to the address book.
Oh so easy, and it all took about 35 seconds – less time than it takes to navigate Telstra's service menu.
The beauty of the Treo is that its web browser looks and works like a full monty browser: you get pictures, hyperlinks, the works. The PalmOne software supplied with the 650 optimises the internet so that websites download more quickly than you'd expect to your mobile phone.
As outlined above, Investigate magazine staff are equipped with the latest notebook computers and Telecom's EVDO mobile broadband (for the NZ edition) and Optus mobile broadband in Australia. Thus, for heavy duty mobile journalism/production demands, we're generally using notebooks. Where the PalmOne range slots in, however, is on those occasions where a notebook is too bulky or overt to be useful. The supplied software, again, provides an interface for Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel or Powerpoint) to be optimised automatically and uploaded to the Treo, where I can either reference them in meetings or edit them on the run before emailing them to a colleague via the Treo's online email function.
That email function, in the first instance, is a programme called Versamail 3.0, which comes as standard with the Treo. Others, like SnapperMail, can be purchased for a small extra fee. Initially it was the Versamail programme that gave me some grief on the phone. Thanks to interconnectivity issues between Vodafone (suppliers of the 650) and Telecom Xtra, one first has to purchase an extra service from Xtra for $2 a month before you can download email and – as I was to discover – a technical quirk with the Versamail software meant you couldn't upload email to send via your Xtra account, you had to find another email provider to do this with. Conveniently, Vodafone allow the use of their own SMTP outgoing mail server so that problem was eventually solved. Alternatively, I could have purchased SnapperMail which works perfectly well with Xtra's SMTP servers. The software integrates with Microsoft Outlook, although not with Business Contact Manager – if you use BCM you'll need to select all your business contacts and copy them into the Outlook Contact directory in order for the Treo to see them.
The Treo also comes equipped with a digital camera and VGA video camera – again, a useful function both for home and business. Images and documents are either stored on the Treo's 32mb internal memory or on an SD expansion card of your choice.
Bluetooth is standard on the 650, making for easy wireless synchronisation with the notebook computer or any other Bluetooth-enabled device you wish.
The 650 isn't cheap – at around $1,150 plus GST it's the price of a baseline laptop – but its versatility complements an existing IT setup. You wouldn't purchase a PDA if you didn't have a computer, and while you can get great PDAs for $400 upwards, without the mobile phone and internet coverage they're not necessarily the best value for money if you need portability AND mobility. On the other hand, the Treo also comes in a cheaper format, the Treo 600, which is a similar phone designed for Telecom's CDMA and 1X networks, rather than GSM. The Telecom version is on offer at $499, but differs slightly in that it doesn't offer Bluetooth and its battery is built in, which means once the battery's charge cycle is shot it's a bit of a mission to fix.
Because of Telecom's mobile internet framework, the 600 is reportedly slightly faster than the 650 online, but there's not a lot in it. PalmOne's agents in New Zealand tested their phones against the state of the art Harrier EVDO unit offered by Telecom, and found that on the Apple site, for example, the Palm units were only around 30% slower to download pages, despite the vast differences between the mobile internet and mobile broadband services on paper. That said, if speed is of the essence then you're likely to be using a full EVDO wireless card on your notebook anyway and sucking webpages out of the ether at 500kbs. EVDO on handhelds is still not as fast as it is for computers.
Significantly, both Telecom and Vodafone will be offering much faster mobile broadband speeds between now and the middle of next year as network improvements are rolled out. Even so, the 650 is plenty fast enough for my purposes, and I'm an internet speed freak.
Posted by InvestigateDesign at 12:32 AM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2007
Dragon Naturally Speaking 9.0: Feb 07 issue
Ian Wishart discovers speech recognition software is light years ahead of where it used to be
It was in the mid 90s that Dragon and I first became acquainted, and I won't say it was love at first sight. I remember walking into a Noel Leeming store and being told to come back in a week when the new, Dragon 2.0 version would be out - "much improved" on version one, the salesman assured me.
I bought it, and given the limitations of the old 486 processors (remember those?) and the software, it worked OK. Good enough to be novel, not good enough to write a novel, if you get the drift, and certainly not as fast as speaking or as fast as a good typist.
As a writer and book publisher, there were however certain tasks – like dictating someone else's handwritten book manuscript – that made speech recognition software useful.
I vaguely recall purchasing Dragon 4.0 at some point then misplacing it, and so purchasing Dragon 7.0 a couple of years ago when, again, I needed to dictate 50 pages of transcripts of a major Maori hui dating from 1861 for an Investigate article.
It would be fair to say I was impressed by Dragon 7.0 and its ability, once I had trained it, to handle complex Maori tribal names and places like Whakarewarewa. Nothing wrong with version 7 at all and I still have it on one of the office computers, but when Mistral Software – the NZ agents for Nuance who now own Dragon – sent through the latest release, Dragon Naturally Speaking 9.0, I have to say I was blown away.
The speed at which the software now translates as you speak is incredible, and the accuracy is stunning to boot. We used it over the New Year break here at Investigate to compile the John Key/Bill English interviews in this issue – I simply played back the interviews on my MP3 recorder and live-dictated the questions and answers into the computer. The software transcribed so rapidly (Dragon boast 160 words per minute) that most of the time it was waiting for me, while I was trying to repeat a politician's words on the wing so to speak whilst dropping the ums, ahs and pauses.
Like much of the software, and for that matter hardware, on the market today, Dragon 9.0 is capable of far much more than the average punter will use. In some programmes that's a negative because they're so complex to navigate and unlock. In Dragon's case the company has always erred on the side of idiots, offering a package that allows users to either dip their toes in or plunge in. Like peeling away the layers of an onion, regular use of Dragon 9.0 turns up new tricks and new options on a semi-intuitive basis.
It can, for example, scan a downloaded voice memo from a digital recorder, Palm handheld or Pocket PC device, and automatically transcribe and type it out. Bluetooth headphone support is built in, allowing you to pace the room wirelessly while dictating. If the idea of bells and whistles excites you, why stop at dictation? Dragon is also pitching virtually keyboard-free use of your computer simply by talking to it.
There's a memorable scene from the 1986 movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, where Scottie confronts a 1980s desktop computer and tries desperately to make it respond to his voice. It was to be a further 11 years before the first Dragon programme hit shop shelves to help make Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's futuristic vision real.
Dragon 9.0, however, is itself galaxies away from its 1997 ancestor. Nuance are boasting 99% accuracy with the latest version and, for the first time, no lengthy training process. In previous versions time had to be spent reading set scripts for yonks while the computer got used to your voice patterns. No longer. In what Nuance claim is a world first, it's virtually out of the box and go, and the software learns intuitively the more you work with it. Streamlined processing means coughs, sneezes, ums and ahs are all screened out, so they no longer appear on screen like a swearword in an Asterix comic.
As an office tool it's excellent. As a homework aid, it allows students to much more quickly add passages from books or encyclopedias to their work
There are specialized versions available for the legal and medical professions, and the standard version of Dragon 9.0 kicks in at NZ$259 with a "Preferred" edition aimed at small business/home business users at $449, and a Professional edition for corporate and network use available as well.
Posted by Ian Wishart at 08:55 PM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2007
When laptops go bang
When laptops go bang
Alex Goldfayn assesses the risks of inflight fires caused by laptop batteries
Distraught and scrambling off the United Airlines plane, the man ran out of the jet bridge past passengers waiting to get on board, clutching his laptop. Smoke poured from it. He ran to a relatively unoccupied area of the gate and threw the Lenovo computer on the ground. It ignited, shooting a 60cm flame upward.
"A few people yelled `terrorist,' and ran away," said Tom Mustaine, 30, who was sitting at an adjoining gate and witnessed the event at Los Angeles International Airport.
"The thing gave off a terrible, chemical smoke. It burned for about two minutes before they extinguished it. The whole gate area filled with noxious smoke. People were gagging."
This incident, which occurred in September, was the latest, most public, and perhaps the most dramatic in a string of laptop
battery fires.
It prompted Lenovo to recall more than 500,000 of its notebook batteries worldwide.
So far, more than 5 million notebook batteries in the United States - and nearly 10 million worldwide - have been recalled this year by manufacturers including Dell, Apple, Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba.
Every one of the recalled batteries has one thing in common.
"They were all Sony batteries," says Richard Stern, associate director at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov), the government agency that oversees consumer product recalls.
The recent spate of battery recalls falls under Stern's jurisdiction. The problematic units appear to have come from the same rather large "batch."
"It's a quality-control issue," Stern explains. "Sony has reported that for a certain batch of their lithium-ion production, there were metal particles located in a certain part of the battery cell that, under certain circumstances, could penetrate the insulating material inside the cell and create an internal short circuit."
Last month in Japan, a laptop battery sparked in a Fujitsu employee's hands as he was retrieving the battery from a user's home as part of the company's recall.
In June, a Dell laptop ignited in a conference room.
The United Airlines passenger's laptop that went up in flames at LAX started giving off smoke when he was seated on the plane.
My burning question is, what would happen if a laptop ignites in flight?
"On the plane, it would have been catastrophic," says Mustaine, who witnessed the LAX laptop fire. "I think there would have been an enormous panic. The smoke filled a large part of the terminal. It definitely would have filled the plane. It's an extreme fire causing an extreme inability to breathe."
What if a laptop ignites in an overhead compartment? Or under the seat in front of you?
Or worse, in the baggage compartment of the plane?
United Airlines, apparently not eager to discuss this issue in detail, responded to my inquiry with this e-mail: "When it is safe to use electronic equipment in-flight, for example not during take-off and landing, our customers can use their laptops."
But several non-U.S. airlines, including Virgin Atlantic and Korean Air, have been checking laptop battery serial numbers before passengers board.
Virgin's cabin crews, for example, check all batteries on Apple, Dell and IBM-made laptops. If the battery is on the recall list, it must be placed in checked luggage.
Airlines in the United States, however, provide no such safety checks.
"Airlines aren't allowing Scope and Crest on board, but they're allowing these batteries through," says frequent flier David Millman, chief executive of Rescuecom, a computer repair and support firm. "So far, we've been lucky, but it's a real danger."
Adds Mustaine: "I've thought about this a lot since seeing that laptop on fire. The laptop's going to burn until it's done burning (through the battery fuel cells and plastics). You have to let it do its thing. If there's fire on a plane, it makes people panic."
In a 2003 report, Britain's Civil Aviation Authority found that a lithium-ion battery fire "will almost certainly cause severe harm to any passengers in the immediate vicinity. There is also a risk that the fire will spread to adjacent flammable material, e.g. clothing, newspapers, rugs, carpet."
It went on to cite a "risk of harm from smoke inhalation to passengers and crew members, particularly if the electronic device is inside a carrying bag."
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is responsible for determining what can and cannot come on board U.S. flights, has not issued a ruling on the safety of passengers' laptop batteries.
But experts urge to keep the problem in perspective.
"There are well over 250 million laptops in use in the world," says Tim Bajarin, principal analyst at California-based Creative Strategies Inc. "And we've had less than 50 (battery fire) incidences recorded worldwide."
Adds the CPSC's Stern: "I assume risk every day. I can't control my environment unless I stay in my house."
Even Mustaine is going to keep flying - with his laptop.
"I think the airlines just need to be smart about it. This is obviously a bad batch of batteries. Just keep track of the known bad batteries and check for them before people get on board."
Here's hoping the airlines get the message.
Posted by Ian Wishart at 12:23 AM | Comments (0)


text:
gant by michael bastian
Results: 11 - 20 of 23
Eye on Fashion Week
Gant by Michael Bastian Fall 2013: American Dreaming
This season Michael Bastian's collection for Gant takes a nostalgia trip by way of Norman Rockwell's portfolio, and in the process reduces the concept of "American" style to its elemental core, where military garments,... read more
Wednesday, 1/30/2013 at 12:30PM
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
Exclusive First Look: Gant Spring 2013 Ad Campaign
Our friends over at Gant are mixing it up, quite literally, for their Spring ads, using pieces from all three of the company's collections (Rugger, Gant by Michael Bastian, and Gant) interchangeably throughout the... read more
Tuesday, 12/11/2012 at 10:30AM
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
First Look: Gant by Michael Bastian Cruise 2013
The Gant by Michael Bastian man grew a bit of a green thumb for the brand's in-between Cruise 2013 collection (dropping in stores before Spring's Galapagos adventure), as the designer was inspired by the... read more
Tuesday, 11/27/2012 at 10:00AM
- Tags:
- Cruise,
- Gant,
- Gant by Michael Bastian,
- Lookbook,
- Michael Bastian
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
This Just In: The Gant Crew is Coming to D.C.
Longing for some nouveau-dandy duds in the District of Columbia? Long no further. WWD announced earlier today that Gant has signed a lease for a 2,000 square foot space in Georgetown. In what couldn't... read more
Wednesday, 3/7/2012 at 5:28PM
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
Exclusive First Look: Feeling Lucky with Michael Bastian
The Gant by Michael Bastian Fall 2012 collection was a celebration of the designer's college days in Boston, when a mod revival was taking over student style and weaving its way into prepsters' closets.... read more
Thursday, 2/23/2012 at 4:45PM
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
Before the Show: Michael Bastian at Gant by Michael Bastian
In case you haven't seen an issue of GQ for the last five years, Michael Bastian started his eponymous label in 2006 and since then has emerged as one of the key members in... read more
Thursday, 2/16/2012 at 10:00AM
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
Scenes From NYFW: The Ladies of Gant by Michael Bastian
Michael Bastian's incognito coeds (shades and beanies) at today's Gant presentation were distracting us from all the dapper duds. It was like a much hotter version of Where's Waldo in there. See for yourself.... read more
Wednesday, 2/15/2012 at 8:15PM
- Tags:
- Fall 2012,
- Gant by Michael Bastian,
- Photos,
- fashion week,
- girls
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
GQ Office Style: GANT by Michael Bastian Zip-Front Alpaca Ski Sweater
Our associate editor Andrew Richdale explains his soft side: "I got this GANT by Michael Bastian sweater a couple weeks ago and it's been a bit controversial. (For the record: it's made of cruelty-free... read more
Thursday, 12/1/2011 at 12:15PM
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
This Just In: GANT Launches A New Men's Scent
With new store openings and amazing collaborations—who doesn't love Michael Bastian x GANT?—it seems like GANT is really on a roll....or in this case...a spritz. Developed in cooperation with iconic perfumer Pierre Wulff (above,... read more
Monday, 10/31/2011 at 2:45PM
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
Last Night: Michael Bastian Speaks to a Blogger Summit at the SoHo Apple Store
You couldn't reach for some change in your pocket without slapping at least three menswear bloggers at the Apple Store in SoHo last night, as CFDA "Menswear Designer of the Year" Michael Bastian fielded... read more
Wednesday, 9/21/2011 at 12:10PM
Results: 11 - 20 of 23
- The Winner of GQ's Most Stylish Man Showdown 2014 is...Kanye West
- Sneaker of the Week: Jordan x Fragment Design Air Jordan 1
- Exclusive: A First Look at Eddie Bauer Limited Edition by Ilaria Urbinati
- Rapid Reaction: The Final Round of GQ's Most Stylish Man of 2014 Showdown
- Steph Curry Talks His Collab With Express and His Extraordinary Season
- Your Daily Eye Queue: Protests at Mall of America, The Year in Questionable Hair, and More...
News + Politics
- The Ghosts of Afghanistan Will Show Up Everywhere (Even on the Set of Breaking Bad)
- Kent Brantly: The First American to Contract Ebola
- Are You Ready for the Singularity?
- Robert Draper Investigates Robert Durst, Cross-Dressing Real Estate Scion
- Can Scott Walker Unite the Republicans?
- Meet George Zimmerman's Family | GQ
How To
Food + Travel
- David Chang's Kitchen: Don't Get All "Fresh" with Me
- David Chang's Kitchen: Your Idea of Bologna is Total Baloney
- Chart: The Family Tree of Bourbon Whiskey
- Recipe: Semi-Summer Salad - Chef Jeff Taibe of Oak + Almond
- The Great Franco-Italian Pasta Experiment
- How to Pick from an Overpriced Restaurant Wine List

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hang tight!
Recipe by OlliesMom
"Baked oatmeal. Try with any fruit, such as apples, pears, or cherries."
Hmm. None of these ingredients are on sale today.
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2 cups
rolled oats
1 cup
unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup
light brown sugar
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon
2 cups
skim milk
1 large
egg, beaten
3 tablespoons
coconut oil, softened
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups
A nice, healthy way to start your day. I used frozen blueberries and baked them in individual ramekins which worked out very well. I would add a little more brown sugar the next time, but it was still very good.
Excellent! I left out the coconut but added a tablespoon of milled flax seed. It was perfectly sweet and moist as is. Delicious and healthy!
7 Ratings
To be perfectly honest, I don't like oatmeal but I made this to try to get more fibre into my diet and found that I really enjoyed it.
I followed the recipe pretty much to the "T" except for replacing the blueberries with a chopped apple and the milk with almond milk.
The reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is I found the amount of coconut flakes to be too much. Next time I will just reduce that amount.
I usually don't like to try recipes with this few reviews, but I had blueberries that were not sweet enough to eat, so instead of throwing them out, I used them for this recipe.
I am thrilled that I did. I had all the ingredients in the house, so it is pantry friendly. I used an small rectangular pan and followed the recipe exactly. This is outstanding. Definitely let it cool a bit. It is too hot to eat when it comes out of the oven; believe me, I tried and it doesn't taste as sweet when it is that hot.
The sugar in my opinion makes it just sweet enough and if my blueberries had been sweeter, it would have been as well. Even though the coconut was not sweetened, it just gives that special taste. If I would change anything, I would add some nuts, but it didn't need a thing. Perfect for company in the winter and I could see apples tasting great or even bananas. I will make this often.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Coconut-Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Serving Size: 1/5 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 5
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 422
Calories from Fat: 214
Magnificent main dishes for your holiday table are here, from roast beef to a Christmas goose.
Dozens and dozens of appetizers perfect for the winter season.
Delicious recipes, party ideas, and cooking tips! Get a year of Allrecipes magazine for $5!
A sweet baked oatmeal with raisins, milk, and eggs.
This oatmeal is rich, delicious, and very open to your creative touches.
Make a wonderful warm breakfast of simple apple and cinnamon oatmeal.


text:
Six people died following grenade attack in Rwanda capital Kigali
Kigali: At least 6 people are reported dead from the large blast that rocked a busy area of Kigali center Wednesday evening – which is going to change the lives of many people who were seriously injured. Police arrested 3 people on the scene, and spokesman Eric Kayiranga said Thursday that no new details were available as yet, as investigations continue. At about 20minutes to 19:00hours, a large explosion w ...Read more ›


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- Like
- Thanks for voting!
- Download
- Collection
GroteJo; October 27, 2010
Simone het ware super Sie darfen auch bij Mir komen hier in de Niederlande ??? Ich liebe Dir !!!
Jeff & Karen September 24, 2014
we are in our early 50s and my wife and i often have the the old slut that lives next door watch us fuck and milks my cock thanks for posting this film it reminds us of ourselves
ggg April 15, 2013
chubby boy April 13, 2013
thats right... the girl and boy are challenge together who is the best dick... cock and vagina...
olivier November 3, 2010
trop bandante les filles
geiler Puma April 7, 2011
Der Dicke kann ja seinen Schnuller ohne Spiegel gar nicht mehr sehen.
Sober September 15, 2011
Why is german porn always so ugly..
Bob July 12, 2011
My wife won't entertain a 3some... We are around this age and I would love to try a 3 or more-some. Wouldn't just lie there either! Women need pampering too. Airdrie-Bob
UncutLover July 7, 2011
Love the fat mature uc cock!
ES June 16, 2011
I love the tits on the wife.
HORNY March 13, 2013
me January 24, 2013
So thats what Ive got to look forward too
Steve February 11, 2012
Skip to 3:00 for the sex to start
shagga January 27, 2012
He really wanted to fuck Simone
x3 December 7, 2011
3 persons with boobs
stormy November 7, 2011
i guess fat nasty people need sex too
mikre February 27, 2012
2 blokes 1 female lol
george June 6, 2012
Where live the Wife with Dildo?She ist very hot!
Max November 13, 2012
Great ride...like it!!!
Rutherglen AL. September 19, 2012
This happens to be the best that i`ve seen i awhile two horny ladies and one lucky man getting his end away i would love to join in on the action especially with the guys wife cause she does suck and wank his dick the way my missus does to my cock and with the added attraction of the sexy blonde who i take her name is simone well i`d love to fuck her pussy with cock til i spray my cum all over her face and tits i`d love a threesome or perhaps a foursome with a like minded couple in their late 40`s early 50`s but sadly my wife wouldnt be up for it so thanks to heike,chris and simone for getting me all horny cheers the drinks are on you.
Glasgow Alan. September 18, 2012
I just love watching a couple just slighty older than my wife and sucking , licking and fucking whilst another woman watches then joins in for a piece of the action its got me all hot and horny with cock in hand wanking til i shoot my cum all over the laptop screen.
Uwe1 September 4, 2012
Die >Simone wuerd ich auch gern mal durchreiten :-)
old guy November 4, 2011
Fat and Boring....perfect!
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text:
Brooklyn Bed and Breakfasts
Brooklyn (formerly Swainsville) is a village in Jackson County, and is home to many fine B&B establishments. The Hot Air Jubilee is affordable, quality family... Read more
Brooklyn (formerly Swainsville) is a village in Jackson County, and is home to many fine B&B establishments. The Hot Air Jubilee is affordable, quality family entertainment featuring the beauty, color and imagination of hot air balloons along with other fun-filled activities for Mid-Michigan Communities. The Art In the Park is an annual event showcasing local art and crafts. The Clark Lake Golf Course is a top notch golf course in the area. The Kooters Creek Side Camp Ground is a very popular campsite in the area. If you are visiting the Kooters Creek Side Camp Ground, and desire less rustic accommodations, consider staying in a Brooklyn bed and breakfast or a Brooklyn inn. Jerry's Pub and Restaurant is considered the best place to go for a beer and food. Tank Scott's Family Restaurant is the most popular family restaurant in the area. Less
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B&Bs in Brooklyn
at $89
at $89
DEWEY LAKE MANORBrooklyn, Michigan
This century-old home sits atop a knoll overlooking picturesque Dewey Lake. Charm of the ...Read more
B&Bs in Towns near Brooklyn
at $169
at $169
THE ROOMS AT GRAYFIELDJonesville, Michigan
Located at the Depot, an 1890's Lake Shore and Michigan Southern passenger train station....Read more
at $69
at $69
QUIGLEY'S LOG HOME B&BHudson, Michigan
A beautiful, rustic log home where you can truly enjoy a natural, relaxing country atmosp...Read more
at $85
at $85
SHELTOWEE TRACE BED & BREAKFASTConcord, Michigan
Unique, rustic, secluded log-home retreat. A blend of modern pleasures with the feel of t...Read more
at $60
at $60
THE MEREDITH HOUSEPittsford, Michigan
Stately brick 1800's Bed & Breakfast Inn Nestled on 2.5 Quiet Acres!...Read more


text:
851 N. Quentin Rd., Palatine
(847) 359-7097; www.asahi-palatine.com
Prices: Appetizers, $5-$11; entrees, $10-$30; sushi nigiri, $3-$7; desserts, $2.50-$5.50.
Hours: Lunch - 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner - 5-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Try: Shrimp tempura, tako (octopus) nigiri, Spider roll, Sun Fire roll.
Tips: Casual atmosphere. Free parking in lot. Beer, wine and sake available. Sit-down and carryout service. Lunch specials.
In a bite: Asahi has made its mark for many years as a neighborhood source for reliable – if not cutting edge – sushi and other Japanese dishes.
KEY: ★★★★ Extraordinary; ★★★ Excellent;
★★ Very Good; ★ Good; Zero stars: Poor
Sushi has had a following in Asia for some 1,800 years, even though Americans first "discovered" it during the 1970s when Japanese restaurants specializing in the cuisine started to take root in this country.
Though the concept of eating raw fish wasn't part of our comfort zone, sushi's exotic mystique and appealing taste made quick converts. The crowd-pleasing inventiveness and artistry that chefs put into their sushi creations also added to its trendiness.
In recent years, sushi has become more westernized, reinventing itself by introducing new shapes and contemporary ingredients. Witness the arrival of avocado- and cucumber-filled California rolls and a roll made with lobster salad and mayonnaise.
Locally, Asahi, an unpretentious storefront eatery in a Palatine strip mall for the past 15 years, has made sushi a focus. It offers a broad selection of traditional and updated specialty maki rolls (50 in all) as well as 26 different sushi items served nigiri-style atop a small mound of rice or sashimi-style, minus the rice. The small place accommodates 32 diners at tables and booths plus seven at the sushi bar, a choice spot to sit because of the bird's-eye view of chefs rapidly engaged in preparing made-to-order meals.
Shrimp tempura, a shareable starter, was done just right. The dish — shrimp, thinly sliced sweet potatoes, green beans and broccoli all lightly battered and quickly deep fried — came with a light soy dipping sauce.
Other appetizers included pan-fried dumplings known as gyoza, broiled mussels covered with a fish roe sauce, spring roll with spicy tuna, skewered chicken yakitori with scallions and a teriyaki sauce glaze, among others.
For the main course, my dining partner and I found comfort with a reliable old favorite, Spider Roll, and a new gem, Sun Fire Roll. Each was divided into five tasty pieces. The former featured a crunchy fried soft shell crab in sushi rice. The latter, also in sushi rice, turned out to be an easy-to-like roll with mildly sauced barbecue eel, spicy crab and lettuce. Small side dishes of sliced cucumbers in a sesame dressing complemented the meal.
Various other available entrees, generally priced from $10 to $30, included salmon, beef, chicken and shrimp teriyaki with assorted vegetables and combinations of sushi and sashimi, one of which was a vegetarian offering. Tonkatsu, deep-fried breaded pork cutlet, is another main-course option.
On the sushi section of the menu, the sake (salmon) and hamachi (yellowtail tuna) looked inviting. So did the raw tako (octopus), which proved tender and chewy at the same time and thoroughly delicious.
Desserts are no biggie and lean toward ice cream (green tea and red bean) and mochi (ice cream encased in sticky rice).
A limited selection of wine, Japanese and domestic beer and hot and cold sake is available as well as tea and soft drinks.
Asahi's chefs are skillful craftsmen, although their food presentation often lacks flair. Where's the wow factor?
Similarly, the restaurant's service is efficient but basic. Napkins are paper, no heated towels are presented upon our arrival and any water required will come only upon request. The decor, too, while serviceable bears a mature patina that's starting to show its age.
Thomas Witom is a local free-lance writer.


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I have been using the NES miHealth device for the few months. During this time I have found that I have managed to recover more quickly, and any muscle strains that inevitably occur have disappeared within a day or so, never getting in the way of my next activity.
I am documenting first impressions of using the miHealth here, and will continue to post updates here with how it is helping my performances in training and everyday life.
First – a little about me. I am a 42yr old age-grouper Triathlete competing in all distances of triathlon (Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 and IroMan) I am usually fairly competitive in my age group, often finishing on the podium in local races and in the top 10-20% at the larger races.
Over the past few season, I have steadily improved both my biking and running performances, however I have had a string of lower leg issues (calves, Gastroc/Soleus) that has stopped me in my tracks on numerous occasions.
When a problem occurs, I am do my best to be careful to not make things worse, if I feel some pain during a run, I will stop and walk, (as frustrating as that is). I have learned to use rollers and self massage have visited a number of Physical Therapists, ART (active release techniques) and even had some dry point needling sessions. These techniques have worked in the past for the short term, however it has not stopped the pains from recurring. What is maddening is that when I seem to have one problem sorted out I will get some pain in a new place or the other leg (or both). This really has affected consistency in my training. And consistency is where you make big improvements.
After being introduced to the NES miHealth by a friend I immediately saw the benefit for any athlete that likes to push themselves. My best description would be a that it is like a TENS device (you know, with the electrodes) with many more options and uses.
My training schedule for this time of year (off season) is to focus on increasing my 5k/10k run speed, and 1hour bike power (FTP). To do this I am not training for endless long hours, rather around 8 hours of high intensity intervals that really test the body.
There are a lot of settings and usage options for the miHealth, what I have been using is the following:-
- After Sport – off body mode, for 10-15 minutes
- Muscle – on-body (using the electrodes) to focus in on calves & quads – 5-10 minutes. I have found that I can set the intensity to 40-50% for lower legs and a bit lower for my quads
- Physical rejuvenation – off body 10-15 minutes.
The off body usage is very interesting, I can turn the device on and either put it in a pocket or rest on my legs and you don't even notice it is there.
I really find that regular use of the miHealh has helped me recover and push myself harder than I have been able to before. Since using the miHealth I have had some muscle pains/strains each time it can use it to zero in on the problem area and often the next day I am back to my usual routine!
My overall impression so far is very positive. I have noticed that I am recovering more quickly, allowing me to continue with quality workouts at a high intensity, and with less issues with niggles/strains/general pain.


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A thousand years ago, Evansville was home to a thriving community of Mississippian Indians on the banks of the Ohio River. Archaeologists are uncovering the mysteries of these past inhabitants by combing over artifacts they left behind.
About Angel Mounds
Located on the banks of the Ohio River in southwest Indiana, Angel Mounds State Historic Site is one of the best-preserved pre-contact Native American sites in North America. Built between A.D. 1050 and 1400, the town was occupied by 1,000 plus Mississippians. The society built 11 earthen mounds as platforms to elevate important buildings. The original town covered an area of 103 acres and served as an important religious, political and trade center for people living within a 75-mile radius.
The site was abandoned before European explorers came to North America. Possible explanations for abandonment are depletion of natural resources, climatic changes or the collapse of the chiefdom.
More than 600 acres comprise Angel Mounds State Historic Site. The site includes an interpretive center, recreations of the Mississippian buildings and a working reconstruction of the 1939 WPA archaeology laboratory. The 500-acre non-archaeological portion of the site contains a nature preserve with hiking and biking trails.
Mississippian Culture
Mississippian culture was innovative and the first to extensively exploit agriculture and build permanent communities with thousands of residents. This economic and social system was made possible by the widespread cultivation of corn, which was nutritious and could be stored in large quantities. The town here lends its name to the Angel phase of Mississippian culture, found near the confluence of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers from the late 11th through the early 15th centuries.
After more than 300 years of constant occupation, the town was abandoned. By 1450, the site was empty, and no one knows for sure why the inhabitants left. The local supply of wood and game would have been depleted. Intense agriculture might have overworked the soil. There is no indication of attack from outside, but there may have been internal political upheavals. The reasons they left are questions archaeologists continue to research. The Mississippians dispersed but continued in the Ohio River valley through the early 1600s. These later Mississippians were also gone before the arrival of Europeans in Indiana.
Archaeology at Angel Mounds and
the WPA Archaeology Laboratory
In historic times, the site was a working farm of the Angel family. In 1938, with a donation from Mr. Eli Lilly, the Indiana Historical Society purchased the land to protect it from development. Starting in 1939, under the direction of Glenn A. Black, a crew of 277 Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers began excavating the site, recovering over 2.5 million artifacts.
The site was transferred to the State of Indiana in 1946, with Indiana University continuing the archaeological work. A replica of the original WPA building was built on the site in early 2013. The building contains exhibits on the WPA and its contribution to the site's research. The new lab facility is open during all site excavations and during special events.
Indiana University/Glenn A. Black Lab is responsible for excavations and research on the site.
Angel Mounds is open year-round!
Tuesday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m.
Closed on Mondays except Memorial Day, May 26 and Labor Day, September 1.
Purchase admission tickets in the Angel Mounds Interpretive Center.
|Children under 3
Indiana State Museum members and members of other State Historic Sites Friends Groups get FREE admission and a 10 percent discount in the gift shop!
*Child: ages 3 through 12
*Senior: age 60 and older
Group/School Tours: Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more and for school groups. Call 812.853.3956 to schedule your group.
Get directions to Angel Mounds State Historic Site.
Where to park
Parking is available at the Angel Mounds Interpretive Center.
Contact us
Mike Linderman
Site Manager
Haley Tallman
Program Developer
Jim Burton
Site Naturalist
Heather Stone
Education Assistant
Angel Mounds State Historic Site
8215 Pollack Ave.
Phone: 812.853.3956
A thousand years ago, Evansville was home to a thriving community of Mississippian Indians on the banks of the Ohio River. Each year, archaeologists come closer to uncovering the mysteries of these past inhabitants by combing over artifacts they left behind. Your students will make very personal connections with this prehistoric Native American culture and the natural landscape.
Academic topics covered:
- Prehistoric Native American culture (Mississippian ca. 1000 — 1400 A.D.)
- Archaeology
- Nature
- Star lore
Grades 3 – 12
Take a walk in Mississippian footsteps on this guided tour of the ancient village site.
Grades PreK – 12
Birds, Berries, Beavers & Bark
Discover how the "bare necessities" gave Mississippians the means to not only survive but thrive.
Corn Maze
All October
Rental Information
The site is available to rent for special events. There are also rooms available in the Interpretive Center for groups up to 80. For more information, please contact Mike Linderman, Site Manager, at 812.853.3956 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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4:51 minutes
Ballroom dance instructor Emily has been dating Levi for only eight months and has never met his family. Are Tori and Dean planning a wedding destined for the rocks or happily-ever-after?
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Tampa Bay, Florida Hotel ReservationMake Tampa Bay, Florida hotel reservations now for a vacation you will never forget. A breathtaking resort for family vacations and romantic getaways located along the Tampa Bay, Florida waterfront, the Resort and Club at Little Harbor offers the experience of a Caribbean Island getaway filled with fun activities and luxury amenities. Set on a private stretch of beach, guests of our Tampa Bay, FL resort enjoy spacious, well-appointed accommodations and suites with kitchens, a business center, complimentary internet access, 6,000 sq. ft.
We invite you to get to know more by contacting us now. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will be delighted to answer any questions, or to assist in making reservations. Online reservations can be made quickly and securely online here.


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The Ohio State University
Creating the Extraordinary Student Experience
Time: Monday, December 02, 2013 12:00 PM
Location: Ohio Union
Registration for the Student Involvement Fair - Spring Semester is available now until December 11th. It is first come first serve so register ASAP. The Fair will take place Tuesday, January 7, 2014 from 5-8 p.m. in the Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom, Cartoon Room, Lower Level and the Performance Hall at the Ohio Union. To register go to: http://ohiounion.osu.edu/things_to_do/wifair
Please contact Winter Involvement Fair Chairperson Carolyn Reis at firstname.lastname@example.com with any questions.
Carolyn Reis
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Hello, fellow chocolate lovers and all those reading The Chocolate Life!
I am relatively new to the world of chocolate and would appreciate any advice you were willing to give me.
May I please ask a favor?
I am looking for a contract chocolate manufacturer in either the US or Colombia who can produce 85 % plus cocoa, gluten-free and allergen-free batches (certified).
Can anyone suggest someone?
Thank you!
James Swanwick
Added by James Swanwick on May 23, 2011 at 5:28pm — 8 Comments
© 2014 Created by Clay Gordon.


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RangeMaxx® Ammo Can Field Box
- Smaller sized ammo-storing field box - easy to store, easy to bring along
- Holds 6–8 boxes of standard ammo
- Durable and lightweight polypropylene construction
- Great for storing small electronics or rangefinders
- Tongue and groove lid design resists water
- Hinged, lockable lid - water resistant tongue and groove design
- Easy-grip handle
Manufacturer model #: 1312-92.
RangeMaxx® Ammo Can Field Box 14 14
Incorrect dimensions When looking up this item on the web site I measured a box of my ammunition (300 win mag) to make sure that it would fit in this box. Based on the inside dimensions given there shouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately when it arrived I discovered that the real interior dimensions were smaller than those on the description. I've called Bass Pro and asked them to correct the misinformation. December 17, 2013
Just "Meh" Well, it beats the plastic storage container I've been using - barely. This thing feels much flimsier than I expected, and I highly doubt the plastic hinge and plastic handle will hold up after several trips to the range. Overall it doesn't hold very much and when full the handle feels like it's about to break off. The box feels like its price: cheap. So no real complaints I suppose, but with metal ammo cans readily available and similarly priced, I'll go with one of those next. December 13, 2013
Ammo Can What can I say? With the price and availability of the metal ammo cans, these are really proving to be a great alternative. Great price, no rusting and ordering online was simple and easy. Works fine. December 6, 2013
Excellent for the price I am using this box to carry spare parts on my boat. I was looking for something plastic so it won't rust or scratch the boat. This fits the bill perfectly. In addition, it is gasketed. I don't know if it is completely waterproof but it should be splash proof which is fine since it is in a storage compartment on the boat. October 21, 2013
1 Question | 6 Answers
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6 answers
Details:Does it have a rubber o-ring seal?
1 year, 8 months ago
A:No it does not
1 year ago
Top 1000 Contributor
A:No rubber, though the latch has a piece of metal to hold it tight. The handle and hinge are both cheap plastic and don't feel very durable at all.
1 year ago
- Greenville, NC(read all my Q&A)
A:It has a rubber gasket. I doubt it would do well submerged but it should be fine against splashing.
1 year, 2 months ago
- Fort Lauderdale, FL(read all my Q&A)
A:No... unfortunately there is no o-ring seal or gasket, but there is a well for one. So... you could essentially get one in there. Good luck!
1 year, 8 months ago
- San Antonio, TX(read all my Q&A)
A:It has a flat rubber gasket instead of an O-ring in the lid to seal against the box.
1 year, 8 months ago
- West central Florida(read all my Q&A)
A:The box's tongue and groove lid design resists water and features a hinged, lockable design for strength, does not have a rubber o-ring seal.
1 year, 8 months ago
- Springfield, MO(read all my Q&A)
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Precise Shooter does not accept FFL transfers from several companies.
We will price match their prices, however. Details are here.
Would like to buy something, but it is not on the site? Click here!
Walther P-1
Walther P-1 is a German military and police side-arm from 1957 to 2000. It is a post-war copy of P-38 which uses aluminum frame.
The pistols are chambered in 9mm Luger. They have great single-action trigger pull, and, of course, are capable of double action operation as well.
Please see this Wikipedia article for more information.
The pistols we have are in excellent condition, with bright, shiny bores. They come with one magazine.
The price is $350 -- SOLD.
If you are in Seattle area, please review our firearms buying process and use online reservation system on that page to make an appointment. You can also email us at email@example.com if you have any questions.


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Before the Congressional summer recess began, four committees approved major reform bills; negotiations continue among some members of another. Now Congress returns having heard an earful from constituents about health care. We are clearly at a crucial stage in our consideration of how, and to what extent, we should reshape our health care system.
What is the status of major reform bills? How do they differ from each other, and from the plan that may emerge from the Senate Finance Committee? What are some of the outstanding issues that will need to be decided to get a bill to the President's desk? Will the public option remain, or be replaced by nonprofit co-ops? What are some models for the co-op alternative? How far up the income scale will the subsidies for low income persons go under the various proposals? What financing mechanisms are on the table -- Capping the tax exclusion for employer-provided health benefits? Cuts in some Medicare expenditures? Will there be an employer mandate, and, if so, which employers will be affected? How ambitious will the final proposal be? How exactly do these proposals contain costs, and reform the delivery system, and how long will those steps take?
Attendees at this briefing, cosponsored by Eli Lilly, came prepared to pose whatever questions they had about the current health reform efforts to an expanded panel of prominent experts which included: Henry Aaron, The Brookings Institute; Joe Antos, American Enterprise Institute; Bob Berenson, The Urban Institute; Judy Feder, Georgetown University; and Dennis Smith, the Heritage Foundation. Julie Rovner, of National Public Radio, provided a status update on the progress of the bills under consideration. Ed Howard of the Alliance moderated.
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Video 3:00
A new Alliance for Health Reform video features Sister Carol Keehan of the Catholic Health Association of the United States addressing the challenges of quickly enrolling millions of Americans for health insurance this fall. Open season begins October 1 of this year, yet she says that up to 85 percent of those who will be newly eligible for Medicaid or for subsidies to buy private insurance in state-based exchanges don't know it. FULL TRANSCRIPT
Video (3:11)A new Alliance for Health Reform video features Douglas Holtz-Eakin of the American Action Forum, and a former director of the Congressional Budget Office, arguing that recent slower spending growth in health care won't continue."We also saw a slowdown in the mid-90s, and we all declared victory and it came right back. I think next year we'll see a noticeable uptick. There will be lots of new people entering the insurance markets because of the exchanges and the subsidies that come along with them, and those subsidies are very generous. … These are an invitation for people to get coverage and to buy more health care. I think that'll place a lot of pressure on spending."FULL TRANSCRIPT
Beginning October 1, insurance marketplaces open for enrollment, and millions of people will be eligible to purchase plans. To guide them in the application process, the federal government has invested in programs to train community organizations and hired staff.
The Toolkit, available here, details the ACA's employer requirements and penalty. It also includes information about the delay in the mandate to 2015, and analysis about its impact on employer-based coverage.


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Sculpted Maloof Inspired Rocker
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another view:sculpted rocker Many unusual and new skills for the accomplished wood craftsman are learned in this class. We will use the classic Maloof joint for attaching the seat to the legs. Sculpture is involved by carving with grinders and rasps. We will laminate the curves on the flexible back slats and the rockers. The crest rail is coopered and routed. Many jigs and time saving tricks are used. We will provide the wood of your choice, which will vary the material costs
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Tue, Jun 05, 2012
No injuries resulted from an emergency landing on a CT beach by a helicopter whose pilot was disoriented by low visibility in fog. Witnesses at the scene reported the aircraft flying low over the Thames River at approximately 1600 EDT before landing on a private beach adjacent to the Thames Yacht Club.
According to Capt. Steve Crowley of the New London Police Department, the aircraft was en route to Groton-New London Airport and got lost in the thick fog. "He was trying to find any place to land once he got fogged in and couldn't see," said Crowley. Information on the identity of the pilot or passenger was not available, although bystanders said the passenger was a fighter competing in a mixed martial arts competition at the Mohegan Sun Arena nearby. The casino reportedly sent a limousine to pick up the passenger but he had already left the scene in another vehicle.
The Groton Patch reports that Michael Peterson, steward of the Thames Yacht Club estimated the helicopter flew 10 or 20 feet over the building heading upriver. When it turned and began flying downriver Peterson tried to signal the pilot. "I was waving at him because he was going right toward the Pfizer buildings, and they're pretty tall," he said. Another witness, Don Gesswin said the helicopter had a close call with the mast of a sailboat moored in the river. "It was so close to a mast that we actually hid behind a boat, because we thought it was going to hit it," said Gesswin.
The New London Fire Department was first to respond, and Battalion Chief Keith Nichols said "The pilot was being very evasive and refusing to answer any questions." The aircraft involved was an Aerospatiale A-Star owned by Meridian Consulting I Corp Inc. of Kearny, N.J. It is part of the fleet of Liberty Helicopters, a charter company operating out of New York City. A spokesman for the FAA said that the aircraft would likely have to stay on the beach until it could be examined for any possible damage.
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