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Type | Public limited company |
Traded as | LSE: GSK NYSE: GSK |
Industry | Pharmaceutical Biotechnology |
Predecessor(s) | Glaxo Wellcome plc SmithKline Beecham plc |
Founded | 2000 (London) |
Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Key people | Chris Gent (Chairman) Andrew Witty (Chief Executive) |
Products | Pharmaceuticals, vaccines, oral healthcare products, nutritional products, over-the-counter medicines |
Revenue | £27.387 billion (2011)[1] |
Operating income | £10.397 billion (2011)[1] |
Net income | £5.458 billion (2011)[1] |
Total assets | £41.080 billion (2011)[1] |
Total equity | £8.032 billion (2011)[1] |
Employees | 97,389 (2011)[2] |
Subsidiaries | Stiefel Laboratories |
Website | www.gsk.com |
Type | Public limited company |
Traded as | LSE: GSK NYSE: GSK |
Industry | Pharmaceutical Biotechnology |
Predecessor(s) | Glaxo Wellcome plc SmithKline Beecham plc |
Founded | 2000 (London) |
Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Key people | Chris Gent (Chairman) Andrew Witty (Chief Executive) |
Products | Pharmaceuticals, vaccines, oral healthcare products, nutritional products, over-the-counter medicines |
Revenue | £27.387 billion (2011)[1] |
Operating income | £10.397 billion (2011)[1] |
Net income | £5.458 billion (2011)[1] |
Total assets | £41.080 billion (2011)[1] |
Total equity | £8.032 billion (2011)[1] |
Employees | 97,389 (2011)[2] |
Subsidiaries | Stiefel Laboratories |
Website | www.gsk.com |
GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) (LSE: GSK, NYSE: GSK) is a British multinational pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's fourth-largest pharmaceutical company measured by 2009 prescription drug sales (after Pfizer, Novartis, and Sanofi).[3] It was established in 2000 by the merger of Glaxo Wellcome plc (formed from the acquisition of Wellcome plc by Glaxo plc) and SmithKline Beecham plc (formed from the merger of Beecham plc and SmithKline Beckman Corporation, which was formed by combining the Smith Kline French and Beckman companies).
GSK has a portfolio of products for major disease areas including asthma, cancer, virus control, infections, mental health, diabetes, and digestive conditions.[4] It also has a large consumer healthcare division which produces and markets oral healthcare and nutritional products and over-the-counter medicines including Sensodyne, Boost, Horlicks, and Gaviscon.[4][5] In July 2012, GSK pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to a $3 billion settlement of the largest health-care fraud case in the U.S. and the largest payment by a drug company in the US.[6][7] The settlement is related to the company's illegal promotion of best-selling anti-depressants and its failure to report safety data about a top diabetes drug.[8]
GSK has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. As of 6 July 2012, it had a market capitalisation of £74.8 billion, the fifth-largest of any company listed on the London Stock Exchange.[9] It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
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GSK was formed in 2000 by the merger of GlaxoWellcome plc (formed from the acquisition of Wellcome plc by Glaxo plc), and SmithKline Beecham plc (formed from the merger of Beecham plc and SmithKline Beckman Corporation).
In 1880, Burroughs Wellcome & Company was founded in London by the American pharmacists Henry Wellcome and Silas Burroughs.[10] The Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories opened in 1902.[10] In 1959, the Wellcome Company bought Cooper, McDougall & Robertson Inc. to become more active in animal health.[10] The Wellcome Company production centre was moved from New York to North Carolina in 1970, and the following year another research centre was built. Glaxo was founded in Bunnythorpe, New Zealand, in 1904.[10] Originally Glaxo was a baby food manufacturer processing milk into a baby food of the same name: the product was sold under the slogan "Glaxo builds bonny babies" from 1908. Still visible on the main street of Bunnythorpe is a dairy factory (factory for drying and processing cows' milk into powder) with the original Glaxo logo clearly visible, it is now a car repair shop.
Glaxo became Glaxo Laboratories, and opened new units in London in 1935.[10] Glaxo Laboratories bought two companies, Joseph Nathan and Allen & Hanburys, in 1947 and 1958 respectively.[10] After the company bought Meyer Laboratories in 1978,[10] it started to play an important role in the US market. In 1983 the American arm Glaxo Inc. moved to Research Triangle Park (US headquarters/research) and Zebulon (US manufacturing) in North Carolina. Burroughs Wellcome and Glaxo merged in 1995 to form GlaxoWellcome.[10] In the same year, GlaxoWellcome opened its Medicine Research Centre in Stevenage.[10] Three years later GlaxoWellcome bought Polfa Poznan Company in Poland.[10]
In 1843, Thomas Beecham launched his Beecham's Pills laxative in England giving birth to the Beecham Group.[10] Beecham opened its first factory in St Helens, Lancashire, England for rapid production of medicines in 1859. The original factory was closed in 1994 and passed to the local college for re-development. By the 1960s, Beecham was extensively involved in pharmaceuticals.
In 1830, John K. Smith opened its first pharmacy in Philadelphia.[10] In 1865, Mahlon Kline joined the business which 10 years later became Smith, Kline & Co.[10] Subsequently, in 1891, it merged with French, Richard and Company.[10] It changed its name to Smith Kline & French Laboratories as it focused more on research in 1929. Years later, Smith Kline & French Laboratories opened a new laboratory in Philadelphia; it then bought Norden Laboratories, a business doing research into animal health.
Smith Kline & French Laboratories bought Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques (Belgium) in 1963 in order to focus on vaccines.[10] The company started to expand globally, buying seven laboratories in Canada and the US in 1969. In 1982, it bought Allergan, a manufacturer of eye and skincare products.[10] The company merged with Beckman Inc. later that year and changed its name to SmithKline Beckman.[10]
In 1988, SmithKline Beckman bought its biggest competitor, International Clinical Laboratories,[10] and in 1989 merged with Beecham to form SmithKline Beecham plc.[10] The headquarters of the company was moved to England. To expand research & development in the US, SmithKline Beecham bought a new research center in 1995. Another new research centre at New Frontiers Science Park in Harlow was opened in 1997.[10]
Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham announced their intention to merge on 17 January 2000.[11][12] Following receipt of necessary regulatory approvals, the merger was completed in December 2000, forming GlaxoSmithKline.[13]
In 2001, GSK completed the acquisition of New Jersey-based Block Drug for US$1.24 billion.[14] In July 2002 GSK House, located in Brentford, London, was officially opened as GSK's new world headquarters by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.[15] The building was built at a cost of £300 million and is home to around 3,000 staff.[15] In October 2006 GSK acquired the US-based consumer healthcare company CNS Inc., whose products included Breathe Right nasal strips and FiberChoice dietary fibre supplements, for US$566 million in cash.[16] GSK opened its first R&D centre in China in May 2007, located in Shanghai and initially focused on neurodegenerative diseases.[17][18]
Since 2008, GSK has been running clinical trials of a new malaria vaccine. The vaccine, which is known as RTS,S, has been in development for more than 25 years, at first for the American military and then with major support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The clinical trial is scheduled to continue through 2014 and will include tests on more than 15,000 children, starting at infancy.[19]
In February 2009, GSK head Andrew Witty announced that the company would cut drug prices by 25% in 50 of the poorest nations, release intellectual property rights for substances and processes relevant to neglected disease into a patent pool to encourage new drug development, and invest 20% of profits from the least developed countries in medical infrastructure for those countries.[20] The decision has received mixed reactions from medical charities.[21][22] Médecins Sans Frontières welcomed the decision, encouraging other companies to follow suit, but criticised GSK for failing to include HIV patents in their patent pool, and for not including middle-income countries in the initiative.[23]
In April 2009 GSK agreed to acquire the US-based dermatological pharmaceuticals company Stiefel Laboratories for US$3.6 billion (£2.5 billion).[24][25]
On 16 November 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a vaccine for 2009 H1N1 influenza protection (manufactured by GSK's ID Biomedical Corp. subsidiary) would join the four vaccines approved on 15 September.[26] In June 2010, the company acquired Laboratorios Phoenix, an Argentine pharmaceutical company focused on the development, marketing and sale of branded generic products, for a cash consideration of approximately $253m.[27]
In November 2009, GlaxoSmithKline formed a joint venture with Pfizer to create ViiV Healthcare. Viiv Healthcare received all of Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline's HIV assets.[28] ViiV Healthcare is 85% owned by GlaxoSmithKline and 15% owned by Pfizer. In December 2010, GSK announced its acquisition of the UK-based sports nutrition company Maxinutrition for £162 million (US$256 million).[29]
In February 2011, GSK announced plans to sell some "non-core" brands. In December 2011, the company agreed to a $660 million deal with Prestige Brands Holdings, which will take over 17 brands with sales of $210 million, including BC Powder, Beano, Ecotrin, Fiber Choice, Goody's Powder, Sominex, and Tagamet.[30] In March 2012 GSK announced plans to invest around £500 million in manufacturing facilities in Ulverston, northern England, designating it as the site for a previously announced biotech plant.[31]
GSK made a US$2.6 billion (£1.6 billion) offer for the United States-based biopharmaceutical company Human Genome Sciences in April 2012.[32][33]
GSK employs 97,000 people worldwide[34] of whom about 12,500 work in research and development. Its global headquarters are GSK House in Brentford, United Kingdom, with its United States headquarters based in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina[35] and its consumer products division based in the Pittsburgh suburb of Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The research and development division has major facilities in South East England, Philadelphia and Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. GSK has a presence in 99 cities across 39 countries.
GSK's single largest market is in the United States, which generates approximately 45% of its revenues, although the company sells its products in around 70 countries.
Major GSK facilities include:
GSK's current products include:
Oral healthcare products include the Aquafresh, Macleans, Biotene and Sensodyne toothpaste and related product ranges.
GSK's stock is listed on the London stock exchange and ADRs are listed on the NYSE.
As of December 2012, the current members of GSK's board of directors are:[36]
GSK has been active in a global alliance[clarification needed] to eliminate lymphatic filariasis.[37] Jean-Pierre (JP) Garnier, former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline has said, "The Egyptian data shows that we can now eliminate a disease that has plagued the world for centuries. We remain committed to donating as much albendazole as required to eliminate this disabling disease, but ultimate success will depend on continued long-term commitments by all partners across the globe."
In addition GlaxoSmithKline has been short-listed for awards such as the Worldaware Business Award for its work to eliminate malaria in Kenya.[38]
GlaxoSmithKline recently[when?] donated money to the British flood appeal, and was ranked first on the 2006 UK Corporate Citizenship Index for donations.[39]
GSK was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 2007 by Working Mother magazine[40] and was recognised by the International Charter for its efforts. GSK also received a perfect score of 100 percent from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2008 Corporate Equality Index, an annual report card of corporate America's treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) employees, customers and investors. GSK also supports employee diversity networks for groups such as ECN, PTPN, GLBT, AAA, etc.
On 14 June 2007, an article was published by Steve Nissen, Chair of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in the New England Journal of Medicine. This meta-analysis showed an increased odds ratio of myocardial infarction in patients taking rosiglitazone marketed as Avandia. More recently, the New York Times published an article detailing Nissen's conversation with pharmaceutical executives. These conversations were recorded unbeknownst to the GSK executives but are legal in the State of Ohio as long as one participating party is aware. Currently, a Congressional investigation has been initiated to determine what information was known at the time of the approval of rosiglitazone as well as post approval and whether or not GSK wilfully suppressed such information. In February 2010, GlaxoSmithKline tried to suppress publishing of a critical article[41] concerning rosiglitazone.[42] In July, a US Finance Committee Letter asserted GSK had "to publish studies in a timely manner that found problems with Avandia".[43]
In November 2007, a United States congressional committee released a report[44] describing intimidation of Dr John Buse (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)[45][46] by GlaxoSmithKline over his concerns about the cardiovascular risks associated with the company's anti-diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia).[47]
Paroxetine (Seroxat, Paxil) is an SSRI anti-depressant released in 1992 by GlaxoSmithKline. For 10 years, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) marketing of the drug stated that it was "not habit forming," which numerous experts and at least one court found to be incorrect.[48][49][50] Since the FDA approved paroxetine in 1992, approximately 5,000 U.S. citizens have sued GSK. Most of these people feel they were not sufficiently warned in advance of the drug's side effects—particularly the withdrawal syndrome, after GSK had specifically advertised the drug as non-habit forming. Since 2001 in the UK, lawsuits have been filed representing people who have been prescribed Seroxat. They allege that the drug has serious side effects, which GlaxoSmithKline downplayed in patient information.[51][52] In 2001, the BBC reported the World Health Organization had ranked paroxetine as the most difficult antidepressant to withdraw from. In 2002, the U.S. FDA published a new product warning about the drug, and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations said GSK had misled the public about paroxetine and breached two of the Federation's codes of practice.[53]
In early 2004, GSK agreed to settle charges of consumer fraud for $2.5 million (a tiny fraction of the over $2.7 billion in yearly Paxil sales at that time).[54] The legal discovery process also uncovered evidence of deliberate, systematic suppression of unfavorable Paxil research results. One of GSK's internal documents had said, "It would be commercially unacceptable to include a statement that efficacy [in children] had not been demonstrated, as this would undermine the profile of paroxetine".[55]
In June 2004, FDA published a violation letter to GSK in response to a "false or misleading" TV ad for Paxil CR; FDA stated, "This ad is concerning from a public health perspective because it broadens the use of Paxil CR [beyond the conditions it was approved for] while also minimizing the serious risks associated with the drug."[56] GSK claimed the ad had been previously reviewed by FDA, but said the ad would not run again.[57]
In March 2008 the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency concluded that GSK should have warned of the possible ill effects of taking Seroxat a lot sooner.[58] GSK could not be prosecuted under the old legislation. As of 2008, GlaxoSmithKline's prescribing information acknowledges that "serious discontinuation symptoms" may occur.[59] The court documents released as a result of one of the lawsuits in October 2008 indicated that GSK "and/or researchers may have suppressed or obscured suicide risk data during clinical trials" of paroxetine.[60] The suppression of unfavorable research findings on Paxil by GSK – and the legal discovery process that uncovered it – is the subject of Alison Bass's 2008 book Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial.[61]
In 2012 the U.S. Justice Department announced that GSK had agreed to plead guilty and pay a $3 billion fine, in part for promoting the use of Paxil for children.[62]
On 27 March 2007, GSK pleaded guilty in an Auckland District Court to 15 charges relating to misleading conduct brought under the Fair Trading Act by New Zealand's Commerce Commission. The charges related to the popular blackcurrant fruit drink Ribena, which the company had led consumers to believe contained high levels of vitamin C. As part of a school science project, Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo, 14-year-old schoolgirls from Pakuranga College in Auckland, discovered that ready-to-drink juice sold in 100ml containers contained very little vitamin C. Approaches by the two teens to the company did not resolve the issue, and after the matter was publicised on national consumer affairs television show Fair Go it came to the attention of the Commerce Commission. The commission's testing found that ready-to-drink Ribena contained no detectable vitamin C.
The company was fined $217,000 for the 15 charges. The number of charges was reduced from 88 and covered the period from March 2002 to March 2006. GSK maintains that it did not intend to mislead consumers and that the advertising claims were based on testing procedures that have since been changed. It was ordered to run an advertising campaign to provide the facts after it admitted misleading the public about the vitamin C component in its Ribena drink. Through its lawyer, Adam Ross, the company accepted Commerce Commission allegations that claims that ready-to-drink Ribena contained 7 mg of vitamin C per 100ml, or 44% of the recommended daily intake, were incorrect. The company also agreed television advertising claiming the blackcurrants in Ribena had four times the vitamin C of oranges, while literally true, were likely to mislead consumers about the relative levels of vitamin C in Ribena.[63]
On 2 July 2012, GSK pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to a $3 billion settlement of the largest health-care fraud case in the U.S. and the largest payment by a drug company.[7] The settlement is related to the company's illegal promotion of prescription drugs, its failure to report safety data,[64] bribing doctors, and promoting medicines for uses for which they were not licensed. The drugs involved were Paxil, Wellbutrin, Advair, Lamictal, and Zofran for off-label, non-covered uses. Those and the drugs Imitrex, Lotronex, Flovent, and Valtrex were involved in the kickback scheme.[65][66][67][further explanation needed] The government investigation of GSK was launched largely on the basis of information provided by four whistleblowers who filed two qui tam (whistleblower) lawsuits against the company under the False Claims Act. GSK settled the whistleblowers' lawsuits for a total of $1.017 billion out of the $3 billion settlement, the largest civil False Claims Act settlement to date.[68]


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On Thursday, March 28 join the Visual Arts Center (VAC) for the second edition of Focus Group, a new screening series centered on experimental film in its various formats, including but … Read the rest
Posts Tagged 'events'
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This month celebrate the rich history of Texas and commemorate the anniversary of the fall of the Alamo with a special screening of the 1915 silent film The Martyrs of the Alamo at the Bullock Museum. This is the earliest … Read the rest
Spring Exhibitions at the Visual Arts Center
The Visual Arts Center is thrilled to kick off the spring season last Friday with a fantastic opening reception for its five exciting exhibitions! Exhibitions this spring inspire distinct interpretations of the VAC's versatile and sweeping galleries through the creation … Read the rest
Save the date: "Face to Face" at the Harry Ransom Center
Join the Ransom Center for "Face to Face," the opening celebration for the photography exhibition Arnold Newman: Masterclass. Get a first look at the exhibition, enter a drawing for an Arnold Newman-inspired prize package, and enjoy refreshments from Austin … Read the rest
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Katy Wilson, public programs intern at the Blanton Museum of Art and a UT art education graduate student, organized Art on Tap: Craft Beer and Local Fare… Read the rest
Upcoming Events for Austin's Cultural Campus
Saturday, November 12: Bike Tour with Mellow Johnny's
Explore art, history, the humanities, and science while enjoying a casual bike ride! Join us Saturday, November 12, for a bike tour of Austin's Cultural Campus. Meet at 9 a.m. at Mellow … Read the rest

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South Ireland: Waterford to the Ring of Kerry
We find the icons of Ireland strewn along its fascinating south coast: Waterford's much-loved crystal factory, the Kennedy family homestead, the Dunbrody Famine Ship, and Kinsale's star-shaped fortresses. After learning why locals don't kiss the Blarney Stone, we visit elegant Muckross House. Then we savor the scenic charms of the Emerald Isle by driving the Ring of Kerry.
Travel Details
Wild Wicklow Tours
Wild Wicklow Tours covers the region with an entertaining guide who packs every minute with information and craic (interesting, fun conversation). With a gang of 40 packed into tight but comfortable, mountain-gripping buses, the guide kicks into gear from the first pickup in Dublin. Tours cover Dublin's embassy row, Dun Laoghaire, the Bay of Dublin (with the mansions of Ireland's rich and famous), the windy military road over scenic Sally Gap, and the Glendalough monasteries.
Gardens of Powerscourt
A mile above the village of Enniskerry, the Gardens of Powerscourt cover 47 acres within the 700-acre estate. The dreamy driveway alone is a mile long. While the mansion's interior, only partially restored after a 1974 fire, isn't much, its meticulously kept aristocratic gardens are Ireland's best. The house was commissioned in the 1730s by Richard Wingfield, first viscount of Powerscourt. The gardens, created during the Victorian era (1858–1875), are called "the grand finale of Europe's formal gardening tradition...probably the last garden of its size and quality ever to be created." I'll buy that.
Upon entry, you'll get a flier laying out 40-minute and one-hour walks. The "one-hour" walk takes 30 minutes at a slow amble. With the impressive summit of the Great Sugar Loaf Mountain as a backdrop, and a fine Japanese garden, Italian garden, and goofy pet cemetery along the way, this attraction provides the scenic greenery I hoped to find in the rest of the Wicklow area.
Dunbrody Famine Ship
Permanently moored on a river in the tiny port of New Ross, this ship was built as a re-creation of similar vessels that sailed to America full of countless hungry Irish emigrants. The Dunbrody is a full-scale reconstruction of a 19th-century three-masted bark built in Quebec in 1845. It's typical of the trading vessels that originally sailed empty to America to pick up goods; during the famine, ship owners found that they could make a little money on the westward voyage. On board, extended families camped out for 50 days on bunk beds no bigger than a king-size mattress. Commonly, boats like this would arrive in America with only 80 percent of their original human cargo (in worst cases, only 50 percent). Those who succumbed to "famine fever" (often typhus or cholera) were dumped overboard, and the ships gained their morbid moniker: "coffin ships."
Fishy Fishy Café
Fishy Fishy Café has spacious seating (indoor, balcony, and terrace) and a wonderful fish menu (though a bit overpriced). It's a good lunch or early dinner option. Look at the lobsters on death row in the tank and ponder this: Several years ago, a soft-hearted, deep-pocketed Buddhist tourist bought up the tank's entire supply of live lobsters and set them free in the bay (with stories to tell their crustacean cousins about how they'd been abducted by aliens). They've refilled the tank since. Owner Martin Shanahan's cooking prowess has led him to host a weekly cooking show on Irish TV.
Don & Barry's Kinsale Historic Stroll
To understand the important role Kinsale played in Irish, English, and Spanish history, join Don Herlihy or Barry Moloney on a fascinating 1.5-hour walking tour. Both guides are a joy to hear as they creatively bring to life Kinsale's past, place its story in the wider sweep of history, and make the stony sights more than just buildings. They collect payment at the end, giving anyone disappointed in the talk an easy escape midway through. Don't get hijacked by imitation tours that pretend to be "recommended by Rick Steves on his blog" — ask for Don or Barry. This walk is Kinsale's single best attraction.
Bulman Bar
Bulman Bar and Toddies Restaurant serves seafood with seasonal produce. The mussels are especially tasty; on a balmy day or evening, diners take a bucket and a beer out to the seawall. This is the only way to eat on the water in Kinsale. The pub, strewn with fun decor and sporting a big fireplace, is also good for a coffee or beer after your visit to the fort.
See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks.
Hi I'm Rick Steves, digging peat in Ireland. Even today some of this stuff keeps the home fires burning in a land so famous for its smiles and charm.
Ireland was never conquered by the Roman Empire. So even when Rome fell, dragging the rest of Europe into darkness, Irish civilization was able to flourish. While nicknamed the island of saints and scholars, it's also known as the terrible beauty for its bittersweet mix of political struggles, hunger, friendly people, and gorgeous landscapes.
We visit an ancient monastery, the finest formal garden on this garden island, cut Waterford Crystal, explore the ultimate-in-its-day British fortress, climb a legendary lighthouse, and enjoy some great Irish cuisine. And this episode is a family affair, as we'll be joined by Jackie, Andy, and my wife Anne — who's Irish and proud.
Ireland is the westernmost part of Europe. Starting in the Wicklow Mountains, we'll visit the monastery at Glendalough and Powerscourt Gardens. Then on to Waterford — where I'll join my family, visit the historic towns of Cobh and Kinsale, see the Rock of Cashel and Muckross House as we work our way to the rugged Ring of Kerry.
High in the Wicklow Mountains you'll see vast peat bogs — with freshly cut peat bricks drying in the wind.
Peat was Ireland's standard heating fuel for centuries. It's made from decomposed plants — kind of halfway to coal — which is sliced out of these bogs, stacked to dry, and then burned like presto logs in fireplaces and stoves.
In the old days, four or five good men could cut enough peat in a day to keep a family warm through the cold Irish winter. Today, a few locals — nostalgic for the smell of a good turf fire — still come up here to cut their own fuel.
The Wicklow Mountains, while only 10 miles south of Dublin, feel remote — remote enough to have been a handy refuge for the Irish who opposed English rule 200 years ago. When the frustrated British built this military road to flush out those rebels, the area became more accessible. Now this same road takes nature lovers through some of Ireland's richest scenery.
My friend and local guide Dennis O'Reilly, who leads tours through this area, is joining us as we explore the Wicklow Mountains.
Glendalough, which means "valley of the two lakes," hides Ireland's most impressive monastic settlement.
Dennis: This is St. Kevin's Church, a beautiful structure. St. Kevin came here in the sixth century and he lived by the upper lake in a cave.
And the monastery St. Kevin founded flourished despite repeated Viking raids throughout medieval times.
A thousand years ago, in an Ireland without cities, these monastic communities like Glendalough were mainstays of civilization. They kept literate life alive and provided a structure for rural Irish society. Today Ireland is dotted with the evocative reminders from this age of saints and scholars.
Dennis: The age of saints and scholars was when the rest of Europe was in the Dark Ages, but we in Ireland had all the scholars...
Rick: ...and the saints too...
Dennis: ...and the saints too...and they were here working away, making the manuscripts that we have now in our museums.
While it was later abandoned and ruined, pilgrims kept coming. This might have something to do with the fact that a pope said that seven visits to Glendalough had the same indulgence value as one visit to Rome.
Round towers were standard features in early Irish monastic settlements. They functioned as beacons for pilgrims, bell towers, and places of final refuge when Vikings came a-knocking.
Just a few miles from all this rugged beauty are the meticulously kept Gardens of Powerscourt — Ireland's finest. With much of it created during the Victorian era — in the mid-1800s — the Gardens of Powerscourt are called "the grand finale of Europe's formal gardening tradition...probably the last great garden of its size and quality ever created." For 350 years, the Viscounts of Powerscourt developed this garden. The statuary was collected from palaces throughout Europe.
A flier lays out a good walk for visitors. With the dramatic summit of the Great Sugar Loaf Mountain as a backdrop, this garden is a well-watered aristocratic fantasy.
Waterford, stretching along its river, is the main city of southeast Ireland. It claims to be the oldest town in the entire country.
To save time and keep my luggage safe as possible, I park in a secure and central pay lot. Waterford was once more important than Dublin, but today it's is a plain, gray, work-a-day town.
The Vikings landed here in 850 and established the town as base for piracy. They built Reginald's Tower, named after the first Viking leader. It was a stout corner of the original town wall.
This tower is considered the first building in Ireland made with mortar and one of this country's oldest surviving structures.
The Vikings chose to build their base here because it's located at the mouth of a series of rivers, which make up the largest natural navigation system within Ireland.
Their boats could sail 50 miles into Ireland from here. Back then, Ireland was made-to-order for Viking pillage and plunder — it had only scattered monastic settlements and small gatherings of clans.
And speaking of clans...My wife, Anne, and our two children — Andy and Jackie — are joining us here as we set off for a south Ireland adventure. B&Bs — like Les Brown's Townhouse — are an Irish forte and great for family travel.
Even with a car taking us right to the doorstep of our B&Bs, we pack light. Jackie and Andy each carry their own gear — one carry-on-the-plane size bag stored in the trunk, and a day bag with their music, games, books, and whatever they'll need to pass the time between stops.
We're heading out to Hook Head — with a lighthouse which marks the entrance to Waterford's important harbor.
Hook Head has one of the oldest operating lighthouses in this part of Europe — and as with most Irish sites, it comes with a great guided tour. On this island so saturated in legend, it's said that a saint and his monks came here in the sixth century. They discovered the bodies of shipwrecked sailors. Dismayed, they built a fire here to warn future mariners.
This building dates from the 13th century, built by the Anglo-Normans as a commercial beachhead for the rich Irish countryside they planned to conquer. The lighthouse was completely automated in 1996 and is controlled by a central computer. But, while modernized, it looks much as it did when the monks last manned it in the sixteenth century.
Guide: The monks came here for solitude and to save souls. It would have been their original task, I suppose, but they ended up saving lives. It probably became a bigger goal for them rather than saving souls.
Ireland, often called the terrible beauty, comes with a sad story. The original English colony, in some ways, it's the last English colony. And its feisty spirit pitted against the power of its mighty overlord meant centuries of suffering — compounded by a potato famine.
Moored in the town of New Ross is a reminder of those hard times — the Dunbrody Famine Ship...a memorial to the countless starving Irish who sailed to America on ships like this.
Guide: Welcome aboard the Dunbrody. You're standing, of course, on the decks. And this is a replica of the original Dunbrody built in Quebec, Canada back in 1845. The famine started back in the 1800s, about 1840. It was a very black period for Ireland and this was where the potato crop, the only crop the Irish had for food, was caught by blight, and that took over the crop and destroyed it for the Irish. A lot of people suffered starvation and as they were farm laborers back then, they had no other way of living, no other professions. So these ships came along and took away these Irish immigrants to America as they had a better life over there.
Now this ship was a good ship. She was not a "coffin ship." Now, coffin ships were sailing back in the famine times. They were horrible ships where up to 50 percent of the passengers died on the voyage. Terrible conditions on board, much too overcrowded, lack of fresh air, and food.
Down below, in what would have been steerage quarters, actors dramatize the hardships famine emigrants faced.
Actor: This is what we have to eat...for the week...for the six of us. I already know the children are hungry. And David, my poor husband, sick with the fever. I'm very worried, he may not last the voyage. Fifty days we'll be on this ship, I heard the captain say...fifty days.
The Dunbrody is a memorial to the victims of the famine. Before the 1840s Ireland had eight million people. About a quarter of them starved or emigrated. The economy and population didn't recover for over a century. Today Ireland's population is still only five million.
Before heading off to other destinations along the southern coast we're stopping at the nearby Waterford crystal factory, popular for its excellent tours.
Guide: So I'll welcome you to the blowing room. The techniques you'll see here this afternoon have remained unchanged for centuries. Now the structure in the center of the platform, that's our furnace and it burns at a temperature of 1,400 degrees centigrade. Now the furnace has been burning for 30 years and we keep it going on a continuous basis.
With a tradition dating back to the 1700s, Waterford is the largest and one of the most respected glassworks in the world. Tours give visitors a look at the entire production process and a chance to see many of the plant's 1,600 employees hard at work.
Waterford Crystal is best known for the beauty of its cut glass.
Guide: Now you may remember me telling you that in order to become a cutter you undergo eight years of training, however in order to cut these special pieces or trophies you'd actually require over 20 years of experience.
The cutting room produces many custom designs, including trophies for a wide range of sports.
Guide: This is one of our sporting trophies for 10-pin bowling — surprise, surprise.
The tour comes with an opportunity to actually meet a cutter, see his diamond-bladed wheel in action, and ask questions.
Cutter: It's much easier to understand if I show it to you rather than just listen to me talk. Six even cuts, same height, same depth. We only get paid for doing the good ones and I'm serious when I say that, OK.
You finish in the glittering salesroom, surrounded by temptations that are hard to pack...but easy to ship.
Public transportation here has improved quite a bit since Viking times, but bus and train schedules are still pretty frustrating for anyone trying to lace together lots of sights in the countryside efficiently. To explore Ireland, I usually rent a car.
Most of Ireland's roads date from much poorer times when they were used primarily by farmers and shepherds. While traffic is sparse, the combination of driving on the left and sharing these narrow roads with oncoming traffic can be a nerve-wracking experience. But with financial aid from the European Union, Ireland now has some fine highways. And zipping along these roads, you realize that this island is pretty small.
We've made our way to the south central coast of Ireland where the town of Cobh sits in an ideal natural harbor.
If your ancestors are Irish, chances are they left from Cobh. Of the millions Irish who emigrated to America, Canada, and Australia, nearly half sailed from this town.
Cobh's inviting waterfront is colorful and salty, with a playful promenade.
When Queen Victoria visited Ireland in 1849, Cobh was the first Irish ground she set foot on. Giddy, the town renamed itself "Queenstown" in her honor. Later, in 1922, to celebrate their new independence from British royalty — no longer so giddy — they changed the name back to its original Irish name, Cobh. And today rather than play cricket...the kids prefer the very Irish sport of hurling.
Cobh's major sightseeing attraction, filling its harborside Victorian train station, is its kid-friendly emigration and maritime history museum.
The first steam-powered ship to make a trans-Atlantic crossing departed from Cobh in 1838 — cutting the journey time from 50 days by sail to only 18. In 1912, the Titanic made its last stop here before heading out on its maiden and only voyage.
And in 1915, the Lusitania, a British ocean liner, was sunk by a German submarine just 30 miles from here. Over a thousand people died.
On vacation we give our kids a bigger allowance than usual but expect them to keep a journal, buy their own treats and souvenirs...and pay for their Internet time.
Distances here are short but rides can take longer than expected. Ireland's most fun when you're not in a rush. Roll down your window...enjoy the traffic jams.
Rick: What's your name?
Farmer: Aden Debrough.
Rick: I'm from Seattle, where are you from?
Farmer: Born and raised down here.
Kinsale mixes history and cuteness better than any town on Ireland's south coast. The long and skinny old town center is part modern marina and part pedestrian-friendly medieval town.
Along with its rich history, Kinsale has a laid-back Sausalito feel with a touch of wine-sipping class. As Ireland's self-proclaimed gourmet capital, Kinsale merges friendly old-fashioned Irish hospitality with quality restaurants. Competition is fierce and restaurants offer creative and tempting menus.
The Fishy Fishy Café is a fine place for...fish. It's like eating in a fish market surrounded by today's catch and a pristine kitchen. Marie and her staff hustle steaming plates of beautifully presented seafood to eager customers.
The Irish really do enjoy the gift of gab. And for travelers, that means excellent guides — like Don Herlihy in Kinsale — are available in any historic town.
In the 15th, 16th, 17th centuries, this harbor here, Kinsale, was the most important natural harbor along the coast of Ireland, by far the most perfect in an age of sailing ships, and ships ruled the waves. Countries with great fleets were great powers in their own right. And this was a time when the sun never set on the Spanish Empire. In 1601, the fourth , the very last Spanish Armada ever to sail, sailed into this harbor here with the idea of linking up with clans from the northern part of Ireland, that by allying they could drive the English out of Ireland and take liberty for themselves.
The Spanish sail in here, unopposed, 1601. About 5,000 camp within the town. The English surprise them with 10,000 forces on the high ground here. Approximately 6,000 Irish clansmen come downstream to link with the Spanish. They can't link up. The English have the high ground. They dominate the Spanish completely, releasing most of their forces to turn on the clans...it's a rout...
Rick: A bad day for Ireland.
Don: Dreadful. It led to the decline of the old Gaelic order in Ireland, the flight of the earls, no resistance in Ulster, so the English could go ahead with what was called the plantation of Ulster. Irish people driven off their lands, those lands planted with settlers from England and Scotland. When people ask me, how can that part of Ireland still be part of England? I tell them 1601, Kinsale.
That was a huge shock for the English. They suddenly realized the significance of this perfect harbor of Kinsale right on their doorstep. To rule the waves they had to secure the harbor. They invested in this enormous fort, Charles fort. Star fort, state of the art, 17th century, huge. For 400 years this fort was one of the principal strongholds of Britain in controlling Ireland. One thousand troops were based here until 1922. Ireland became independent of Britain and Britain finally gave it back to us.
The key weaponry here would be heavy artillery pieces, which are designed to respond to heavy artillery on ships, and then the fort itself is designed as a star — a star fort because it has points like points on a star. And the idea of the star fort, its construction was that within your own stone walls like here, you could always fire on your own outer walls, over there for example. If they were attacking us here they could be fired upon from within the fort from that wall.
Rick: That's brilliant.
Don: Yeah, so it's a crossfire idea.
Whether I'm leading tours, researching my guidebooks or just having fun on my own, I grab every opportunity to get local advice on good places to eat. In Ireland, people make time to join you for a drink and a chat. Don's taking me to his favorite spot.
The Bulman pub, strewn with fun decor and sporting a big inviting fireplace, is a great place for a beer after your visit to the fort. Like in Britain, Irish pubs are a communal living room. These people have a history here. They can tell the stories the old photos on the wall recall. Many of these customers are regulars whose parents were also regulars.
Unlike bars in America, children are welcome. And you can take your beer and conversation outside. Join the local gang to enjoy the fresh air...and the view.
The dramatic Rock of Cashel is one of Ireland's most evocative sites.
This was the seat of ancient Irish kings for seven centuries. St. Patrick baptized King Aengus here in about 450 A.D. In around 1100, an Irish King gave Cashel to the church and it grew to become the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland
Eight hundred years ago, this monastic community was just a chapel and a round tower standing high on this bluff. It looked out then as it does today over the Plain of Tipperary — called the Golden Veil because its rich soil makes it Ireland's best farmland.
On this historic rock, you stroll among these ruins in the footsteps of St. Patrick, and wandering through my favorite Celtic cross graveyard, I feel the soul of Ireland.
Rick: O.K., next we're going down to Cork to see the Blarney castle, then we'll go over to Killarney to see Muckross House and tonight we're going to sleep in Kenmare.
Andy: And then tomorrow we'll go around the Ring of Kerry.
Blarney Castle is five miles northwest of Cork — the big city of southern Ireland. The 15th-century castle is an empty hulk — with no attempt made to make it meaningful. Still, tour groups come in droves.
It's a pilgrimage as tourists line up to kiss a stone on its top rampart in order to gain "the gift of gab." For me, just watching the ritual — as the man lowers tourists over the ledge belly up and head back — makes the climb almost worthwhile.
The basis of all this goes back to the 16th century, when Queen Elizabeth I instructed the ineffectual Lord of Blarney to capture this Irish castle. He managed to put her off by his endless excuses, which she declared "all blarney."
For me, I much prefer touring Muckross House...the most visit-worthy English mansion in Ireland.
The stately home is set magnificently on a lake at the edge of Killarney National Park. Traditionally, many visitors approach by old time horse buggy. Admission includes a guided tour.
Muckross House feels lived in because it still is — with fine Victorian furniture cluttered around the fireplace under racks of antlers and Waterford crystal chandeliers.
Guide: This was Queen Victoria's bedroom. Now, Queen Victoria came to Ireland just once and during her visit she came to stay in Muckross House. The reason she didn't stay upstairs in the master bedroom was she had a fear of fire. So she requested that Mr. Herbert put a fire escape in place to ease her mind while she was staying in the house and it's also reported in local newspapers of that time that two fire engines awaited just out here in the gardens just in case fire was to break out.
The Victorian era was that 19th-century boom time when the sun never set on the British Empire. The industrial revolution — born in England — was powering the world into the modern age. The economy shifted from small farms to machinery and mass production. This gave urban English unprecedented wealth and power while rural Ireland sunk deeper into poverty.
Back then, Ireland was a British colony — with big-shot English landlords who lived comfortably right through the famine in homes like these.
Muckross House is near some beautiful countryside outside of Killarney, which makes a scenic drive to where we'll sleep tonight in the little town of Kenmare.
I like Kenmare because it's less touristy than Killarney, which is the standard jumping-off point for the Ring of Kerry tours. Kenmare has a remote and cozy feel, and because it's already on the peninsula it gives us head start on our Ring of Kerry joyride. The eternal beauty of the Irish landscape is most breathtaking with a sweep around the Ring of Kerry.
I hope you've enjoyed exploring the south part of the Emerald Isle. Join us next time for more of the Best of Europe. Until then, I'm Rick Steves. Keep on travelin'.


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Credit Unions are cooperatives. A cooperative (co-op) belongs to the people who use it, and operates solely for the members' benefit. The member-owners share equally in the co-op's direction, either directly as a volunteer, or by electing the board of directors that oversees policies and hires top management to run the daily business. It is a responsibility and privilege for members to contribute to the successful growth, direction, and integrity of the Credit Union.
Membership continues after leaving your employer, or the geographic area. Once a member, always a member!
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Scientists blame frustrated pet owners for the spread of the invasive Lionfish from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean. New research says that Lionfish in the Atlantic are growing larger and traveling to depths deeper than once thought possible.
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Larks get non-league win
Published on -7/23/2014, 1:29 PM
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Last season, the Hays Larks earned a bid to Championship Week of the National Baseball Congress World Series via a Jayhawk League championship.
Under the NBC's new format introduced last season, that meant the Larks would sit for nine days without a game before they began play.
With a second-place league finish this season, the Larks face the same scenario, only the layoff might not be quite as long. Hays is expected to begin play Aug. 1 or 2 in Wichita.
Wednesday night's game at Larks Park — the first of three to close the regular season — was exactly what Hays manager Frank Leo wants to see his team doing to prepare, and wants to possibly see more of it next week as the Larks get ready for this summer's run in Wichita.
The Larks (27-13) won 6-5 in non-Jayhawk League action against the Junction City Brigade, after holding off a late rally from the visitor.
"That's what we need," Leo said. "We don't need a 15-0 laugher. We need our guys to be intense, we need to do some small things to try and score some runs. And we need to play defense. Our defense was good tonight, and offense, we got key hits when we needed them."
The Brigade, which finished second in the Mid-Plains League (league tournament champion), did not qualify for the NBC. After the two play Friday, Leo hopes the two teams could work something out again next week, so the Larks are not facing down time.
"We need to get pushed and they pushed us," Leo said. "That's a quality team, and we get to see them again Friday."
Plus with the help of Larks veterans Aaron Breit and Justin Ziegler on Wednesday, Hays got a chance to rest some arms, and can get some more in the next two days to get some work in.
Breit, who played his last full season with the Larks in 2005, pitched for the second time this summer. The Thomas More Prep-Marian graduate and former minor-leaguer (Padres) worked five innings Wednesday. He gave up two earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. He was perfect through three innings.
"That's what a veteran does. He gives up a couple runs, he's going to keep his poise," Leo said of Breit. "He had a little bit left in the tank, came back out and had a good fifth inning.
"He ate up some big innings, and saved a lot of our guys for the next two nights, so they can get the work they need to get."
Ziegler, one of the Larks' top pitchers in 2012, pitched 2.2 innings, but struggled in the eighth with a 6-2 lead. Ian Bentley came in with the tying run at third to record the out, then worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
Breit (2-0, 1.80 earned-run average) could be added to the Larks' NBC roster for depth, if things are feeling right, Leo said.
"It's two good outings he's given us," Leo said. "We'll see how he's feeling if we have room on our roster. We've put him on our roster before, and it's really easy to do it again."
The Larks' offense, trailing 2-0 in the fifth got a big boost from newcomer Brooks Ballisterri. In just his second game in a Larks' uniform, the third baseman drove in the Larks' first run on a two-out single. That opened the door for a two-run home run by Tyler Detmer to give Hays the 3-2 lead. Then Hays took the 6-2 lead after a two-run double by Joe Hallock in the sixth.
"This is a great bunch of guys," Leo said. "They play their hearts out on the field, and they've done everything I've asked them do to."
That included several morning camps the Larks put on this summer, and various community events.
"They've done it without blinking an eye, and they've fought through some hard times," Leo said. "Where they were a month ago, and how we were struggling, and where they are now — that's a feather in the cap of those guys out there between the white lines, and the guys on the bench."
Counting the conclusion of the suspended game against Derby, Hays now has won seven straight, and 11 of its last 13. The Larks will wrap up Jayhawk League play at 7 p.m. today against Dodge City (18-23 overall, 10-23 JL).
"We need to get our work in." Leo said. "We have two more games for sure. We're preparing for the big prize next weekend."


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Training Day- UFC 184- Mark Munoz & Jake Ellenberger TEASER TRAILER! For more Boxing and MMA videos log onto http://www.fighthubtv.com Like us:http://on.fb.me/xWRC1f follow us:http://bit.ly/wACkIv Boxing videos! MMA videos! uploaded daily! Subscribe:http://goo.gl/vnzIb watch video >>
Teaser trailer for BAMMA 18: Duquesnoy Vs. Klaczek Tickets available now from: http://bit.ly/BAMMA18 watch video >>
Galera, o treinamento está cada vez mais pauleira. Não perca amanhã o Episódio 04. --- Step by step we will get there! Episode 04 is on tomorrow! You can't miss it! watch video >>
Não perca o episódio 03 que vai ao ar no dia 20/Jan. --- Don't miss episode 03 on January 20th. watch video >>
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Megan Olivi sits down with UFC light heavyweight Phil Davis for an extended interview. Hear Davis discuss life growing up, his famous pink shorts and his bout against Glover Teixeira at UFC 179. Watch the full interview here: http://www.ufc.tv/video/the-exchange-phil-davis watch video >>
Check out the teaser for episode 8 of The Ultimate Fighter Latin America and be sure to check out new episodes every Tuesday on UFC FIGHT PASS! watch video >>
BANG BANG! Official Teaser | Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif Check out the official teaser of the most awaited movie BANG BANG! starring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif directed by Siddharth Anand. The Bullets will fly on 2nd October. Subscribe to FoxStarHindi YouTube channel Here : http://goo.gl/tq91n6 Also Subscribe To FoxStarIndia: http://goo.gl/Y8HGhY FoxStarSouth : http://goo.gl/AO8IsZ Event: CageSport presents Super Fight League 35: America Date: October 4th, 2014 Doors: 6p First Fight: 7p Tickets: $35-$55-$100: available via the EQC box office and all Ticket Master Outlets 5 Round Main Event – SFL America Bantamweight Title Cory Vom Baur (7-2) vs. Victor Henry (7-1) Current CageSport bantamweight champion, Cory "Vicious" Vom Baur (Vancouver, WA) takes on top international fighter, Victor Henry, to fight for SFL America's inaugural bantamweight championship. In his last fight at the EQC, Vom Baur defeated World Series of Fighting fighter, Josh Rettinghouse for the CageSport Ban watch video >>
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For the first time ever, FOX Sports 1 premieres all-female fighters battling to be crowned a champion. The new season begins Wednesday, September 10th on FOX Sports 1. Find your local channel number at http://www.foxsports.com/channelfinder, or live stream through FOX Sports GO. More info at http://www.foxsportsgo.com. watch video >>
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Olivia Wilde, Adam McKay, Kathy Griffin + More in Celebrity Tweets of the Day
Today (July 16) was a day of stars sharing many secrets of the universe. Like secrets about how ads made them crazy, or secrets about what screenwriters are really thinking. They know the secrets to happiness and how to get cheese balls from Honey Boo Boo. Listen to the tweets of the stars. You could learn something.


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Android Ice Cream Sandwich ports piling up
Galaxy S2 and Optimus 3D ports show up just days after the release of Android 4.0 source code.
There aren't any official Ice Cream Sandwich phones available yet, but the ICS source code was released earlier this week, and already Android 4.0 is showing up on more phones.
Today we first saw the frozen dairy treat running gleefully on a Samsung Galaxy S2 and an LG Optimus 3D.
Here it is running on the S2, thanks to a French coder who goes by "Guillaume" on Twitter:
Today's new ports come in addition to earlier efforts that saw Ice Cream Sandwich show up on the older Nexus S, the Galaxy S, and the Thunderbolt based off the ICS software development kit.
We're still waiting to get an official release date for the Galaxy Nexus , the first official Ice Cream Sandwich phone, but it could be any day now. Meanwhile, here's a snippet of the Optimus 3D port, apparently in action somewhere in Portugal.


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This is just a simple poem I found in my journal some weeks ago:
Simple Day
An empty bliss with moving sighs the color of nicotine.
Rubber people come out heavy footed
walking on water like rainbows and Jesus.
Traffic passes by like birds on wheels.
Nature sweats a little blushed and embarrassed
tapping on windowpanes to wake up those inside.
Taffeta flowers stretching wide awake, abloom, walking
in the grass, in the streets.
Lightbulbs flickering as the sky steals its energy.
An omnipresent thief of play.
A sequel to a rainy day.
My DA account with more writings is here: http://ebo2.deviantart.com/


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Published by Tzer2 at 13:01 UTC, June 9th 2009
Ovi Store had capacity problems on the day it launched as demand for the service apparently far exceeded Nokia's estimates, but they seem to have cured that and Ovi Store now loads reliably. However, another problem has appeared which is rather annoying and frustrating: some items seem to be disappearing and reappearing at random. All too often people click on a game, app or other content and are greeted with the message "Sorry, this item is no longer available." even when it should be available. Let's take a look at the availability problems one by one, hopefully someone high up at Nokia is reading this.
- Some games appear in search results but clicking on them produces the message "Sorry, this item is no longer available." For example searching for "chop sushi" lists a game by THQ, but trying to visit that game's page gives us the oh-so-familiar error message.
- Some games' pages are accessible in certain countries but not others. For example one of our readers has reported that visiting the Katamari Mobile page in the UK gives a "Sorry, this item is no longer available." message, whereas here in Finland the same page at the same URL works fine.
- Some games' pages used to work fine but now don't work any more. For example the game page for Go Go Rescue Squad used to be accessible to this writer, but no longer is.
- Some games don't appear at all any more, even in searches. For example Nokia's own N-Gage games are supposed to be available through Ovi Store and n-gage.com even has a front page news item telling people about this, but the N-Gage games are absolutely nowhere to be found on Ovi Store. They're totally invisible in searches.
- All of these problems apparently occur on both the website and the Ovi Store application, so they seem to be problems to do with the main Ovi Store database.
- All of these problems occur even when the website's "All Phones" option is selected.
Now you see it...
Now you don't...
Categories: Software, Miscellaneous, Editorial Thoughts, Games
Platforms: Series 60, N-Gage, S60 3rd Edition, N-Gage, S60 5th Edition
i) browse store via web brower - it does not know what phone you have so either you enter any old one or not bother. |
ii) send link to phone which fires up the phone wap browser. It now knows what phone you are but the content item you were looking for is not compatible with your phone. As such the item you were originally attempting to download gives the impression of 'disappearing' but in reality whats happened is the 'app filter by device type' has changed between the two usages so whats available to one is not available to another. |
I cant believe nobody has reported on what happens if you purchase an app and the download stops half way thru. you are forced to re-purchase the app. if you reset your phone? you are forced to re-purchase the app. try emailing the ovi store support and see what their response is. hint, they tell you there's nothign they can do.
doesnt anyone else find this insanity????!!!?!?!?!?!?!? |
Tzer2, have you/AAS communicated these concerns directly to Nokia as well (beyond just hoping someone in Nokia will read this)? I would imagine you guys have some contacts there. :) At the minimum, I'd suggest you email/comment to the Ovi Blog administrators. Perhaps they would volunteer at least some explanation on what the heck is going on.
Lets face it, none of Nokias PC or web apps have ever been worth thier salt. I love the phones dearly, but evrything else from Nokia is bloated, resourse hungry and just plain crap!!! And they're calling themselves an Internet Company now. Haha!
I've read that Ovi has THOUSANDS of apps available but, having laboured through the site a few times, the most applications listed in any of the categories is 91. I'm in South Africa. |


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Posted at 11:51 AM in Houston, iPhone, Photography | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Our first baby girl was born a week ago! Take that, family tree!
Posted at 01:56 PM in Photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 03:30 PM in Photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
UPDATED: I flubbed the measurements when I wrote this down the first time... it's 2oz of tequila (ish) and similar (or a little more) of soda water. NOT 4!
Muddle the lime juice, agave nectar, and basil leaves in the bottom of a collins or other tall glass, thoroughly, to release the essential oils in the basil.
Fill the glass most of the way with ice. Add tequila and soda water. Stir.
On tequilas: I think any type of quality tequila (note: I don't mean any brand or name) will more or less work here, depending on your mood. I happened to be recently out of silvers and reposados, so I used an añejo (Riazul, quite excellent). The choice will definitely affect the flavor, so adjust to taste.
On sugars: since writing this, my wife informed me that agave nectar is pretty suspect as sweeteners go, as it often contains the sorts of sugars found in HFCS, and is a long way from a natural form of agave. So I've altered the recipe to use simple syrup. 3 Tbsp agave is probably a bit too sweet, anyway... definitely adjust to taste.
Posted at 11:35 AM in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A quick update... several people have asked about the Hario grinder modifications, and I'm sorry to say that Max's attempts to modify the Hario with bushings did not succeed. The tolerances on the Hario are just not tight enough to allow a bushing to consistently work. I'm not sure if the issue was that each grinder is different from every other, or if most of them simply wouldn't work even with the perfect bushing.
I hear that the search for a more suitable hand grinder is on, and there is a candidate, but I don't know more about it right now.
That isn't to say that the Hario is a bad grinder, but it isn't going to be very consistent, especially at coarser grind settings.
Posted at 08:25 AM in Coffee | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Wow. I've been busy! At the beginning of the year, I started a new phase of a project at work that has been wall-to-wall ever since. So le blog has suffered tremendously. Trying to get back to it now!
Posted at 08:18 AM in Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Our boys keep getting bigger! Surprising, I know. I had the studio gear set up and we threw them in there and took some pictures... love these!
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Posted at 12:30 PM in Photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Wow. We went to the U2 concert Wednesday night, and they did not disappoint. This is a band I've loved for more than 20 years, who have continued to produce new music throughout that time, and who have deeply impacted the world, far beyond music. I last saw them live 17 years ago, and seeing them again felt like seeing history. When they were finally done, after a surprisingly long (and wonderful) set, they walked off, together, on the long public walkway off the stage, not via the hidden walk underneath it, taking their time to enjoy and respect the fans.
The show was fantastic. I thought the sound was quite good, especially given the venue (Reliant Stadium), and of course, the stage was amazing and ridiculous and incredibly fun to watch.
The stage, before the show (shot with Pano on the iPhone):
The high point for me came fairly early in the show, when they played "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". It's a beautiful song, and the crowd was singing, and the sound was perfect, but there was something more; it was one of those moments infused with truth and history and beauty and community and love and worship.
I think my second favorite moment was "With Or Without You", near the end of the show. The lighting was incredible and the song sounded SO good. It's such a simple song in many ways, and Edge's guitar was just beautiful.
The articulated cylinder of LED screens was pretty amazing, and I would have loved to have seen those spotlights from outside the stadium:
They made good use of the stage an interacted with fans in 360 degrees. Here's Edge playing at the "back" of the stage:
It was all pretty awesome.
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houston, u2, concert
Posted at 09:59 AM in Experiences, Music | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 09:03 PM in Photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Wow, I've been getting a ton of "@-reply" spam in my Twitter mentions feed. I propose the following algorithm:
Something along those lines would prevent almost all @-reply spam from showing up in mentions feeds, I think. If Twitter is to succeed, this really needs to be dealt with (unfortunately).
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twitter, spam, mentions
Posted at 08:31 AM in Social Media, Twitter | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
We went on a road trip to Chicago for my sister-in-law's wedding (which I was photographing). My wife was extremely kind and researched all of the best coffee places along the route on CoffeeGeek and Barista Exchange, so I actually had good coffee in almost every city we spent any time. The notable exception was Kentucky, there was just not much there (apologies to any Kentuckians).
I did have one Starbucks latte (in Kentucky). It was wretched. I actually didn't drink it. Anyway... here are the places I went:
The Coffee Roastery, on Pearl St., Jackson, MS: I had to send my wife in because it was on a downtown corner and there was little parking to be found (and we had 3 kids in the car, of course). Got a latte, it was bad, I hardly drank it. Bleh.
Wired Espresso Cafe, on N. State St., Jackson, MS: Pretty good! Not a great latte, but far better than sbux or the one I got at Coffee Roastery. No art, though. I drank this one.
Kaldi's, on De Mun Ave, St. Louis, MO: Pretty good. Got a couple lattes for the road, they were good, not great. Better than anything I got in Jackson. No art, though.
Intelligentsia, on Jackson St., Chicago, IL: This is a weekday-only source of caffeination for Chicago folks, but it was closer to our hotel than the Randolph location (my favorite). Intelligentsia, of course, rocks. They're brewing on a 3-group Synesso, they have great coffee, etc. At this location, the temperature of my latte was a little hot, IMO, maybe 10 degrees hot. But excellent, as always, and good art. Blew away everything I'd had up to this point, of course.
Intelligentsia, on Randolph St., Chicago, IL: Ahhh... Saturday came and forced me to hop on the El to get over to the Randolph location, but I was rewarded with a perfect latte, beautiful latte art, and a ginger scone. It doesn't get better than this, really. I had maybe five lattes here over the course of our stay in Chicago, and they were all perfect. How anyone in Chicago can set foot in sbux, I don't know. Had a single-origin capp which was also excellent, though the latte is where my heart is. Also had a Clover of something that I don't recall now. Sad to leave!
Starbucks, Florence, KY: Worst latte ever. Except possibly one I had at Inversion back in Houston. Ugh. DID. NOT. DRINK.
Ray's Monkey House, on Bardstown, Louisville, KY: Decent latte. So much potential not being fulfilled! They roast their own, have decent equipment, with a little proper training they could make great coffee. It frustrates me when I find indie places like this that could be great but just aren't. Better than sbux, though. Side note: the whole time I couldn't help but laugh to myself about those "monkey-fighting snakes" in the edited-for-TV version of Snakes on a Plane (which I didn't see, but heard about, and with the name of the coffee shop, and, well, anyway...).
Crema, on 1st St. South, Nashville, TN: Great! We were debating which place to hit in Nashville when Heather found latte art pics from Crema, so it was decided. Had a brief but good conversation with the people there, and got a couple lattes for the road, which were excellent. Good art, the whole deal. Later on I figured out I was actually following them on Twitter already! (they're @CREMACREMA)
Primavera, on White Oak Dr., Birmingham, AL: Excellent. Had multiple lattes here (some for the road), all excellent. Good art. Again, great coffee people here... they roast their own, and clearly do a pretty good job of it. They sell Chemex gear, etc. I bought some beans to bring home. People of Birmingham, send them your business!
Cocoa Bean Pastry Shop, on Morris Ave., Hammond, LA: Decent coffee, not great, but great baked goods. This was a long shot and it turned out better than expected. Definitely better than hitting sbux. It got me home. :)
Technorati Tags:
coffee, travel, jackson, st louis, chicago, nashville, birmingham, hammond
Posted at 09:22 AM in Coffee, Travel | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
I upgraded to Snow Leopard yesterday, and it is fantastic. Noticeably snappier in every respect. The Exchange 2007 support is great, it took a while to initially sync all my mail (mass quantities), but after that it has been singing along. Address Book integration is nicely done, it doesn't try to merge, it keeps your accounts separated, but provides an All Contacts view. GAL search works too (and in mail compose).
Snow Leopard comes with 64-bit Java 6 out of the box, woohoo! I loathe Java, but as I'm working with it now, I am very grateful for the massive speed upgrade, and the JDK 6 support.
I installed MySQL 5.1 x86_64 and it runs perfectly. The PrefPane is 32-bit and requires an (automatic) relaunch of System Preferences, but that's no big deal, it is used infrequently.
*Everything* is faster. So far the only casualty is Checkpoint SecureClient, which I knew in advance.
Good stuff, Apple!
OH!! I also got back almost 15G of HD space! LOVE.
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apple, snow leopard
Posted at 01:20 PM in Apple, Macs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I have said before that corn bread may be the best food on Earth, but I may amend that to include a slight preference for spoon bread. My grandmother recently died and the family compiled some of her recipes. Spoon bread was one of my favorite things she made as a kid (2nd only to banana pudding, I think).
If you're aren't familiar with spoon bread, it's a variation on simple corn bread, that results in a mushy, slightly sweet, buttery "bread" that you eat with a spoon. TO. DIE. FOR. Literally, maybe, because it absolutely must be smothered in butter to serve.
Here 'tis:
Mix water, cornmeal, salt, sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until thick. Remove from heat.
Add butter, stir as it melts. Stir in soda. Beat the egg into the buttermilk and stir into cornmeal mixture.
Pour into a greased casserole. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until well set and nicely browned on top. (I needed 35+ minutes)
Serve hot (immediately), with butter.
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recipe, spoon bread
Posted at 08:03 AM in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
This morning I woke up to find Twitter had ceased to exist. Off the map. Gone. How will I tweet about Twitter being down?! Then I went to Facebook to post about Twitter being down... but Facebook was down too!! It's the Twitpocalypse!! What do I DO??
Then I remember I had a blog. Haha, we'll bring out the big guns. Take that, o thou whale of fail.
So now I have blogged about being unable to update Facebook about being unable to tweet on Twitter. Social media, what hast thou done to us??
UPDATE: But I can't post a link to this on Twitter... sigh.
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Posted at 08:26 AM in Social Media | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
No, not of this blog, though it will be getting there in not too many years. :)
My wife and I celebrated 10 years of marriage last week! We went to Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island in Michigan and had a fantastic time. No motor vehicles are allowed on the island (except emergency vehicles), so everything is got to by foot, horse, or bike. We loved it.
I took a bunch of picture (you're shocked), and put together a collection of black and whites that capture Mackinac for me. Here they are:
If you're ever looking for advice on Mackinac dining, lodging, etc., hit me up on Twitter or email. I can't recommend it enough as a "change of pace" vacation. We went sans kids, too, which helped.
Technorati Tags:
photography, travel, mackinac
Posted at 02:09 PM in Photography, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 02:02 PM in Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
So I upgraded to the 3GS on release day.
You may have seen my E71 vs. iPhone review last October. Well, the 3GS pretty much reverses that conclusion, and then some. Here are some of the topics, revisited:
Voice quality: Shockingly, iPhone 3GS. I was very surprised, but the 3GS voice quality (compared to the original) is much better, and the radio works far better in our house than the original did. I think I prefer the equalization on the E71, but that's only when comparing a tinny-sounding source in strong signal.
Responsiveness: iPhone 3GS, by far. The speed boost and 3.0 did the trick. It's fast, and typing is fantastic.
Email: iPhone 3GS. The better UI, now with plenty of speed, server-side search, fantastic Exchange support, etc.
Cellular/3G data: iPhone 3GS. I had an original iPhone before, of course, but the 3G on the iPhone 3GS is great, and probably in part due to the processor bump, things just go more quickly.
Maps: Tie. Again, responsiveness has made up the difference. I still love physical keys here, but the iPhone has other features that make up the gap, so I'd say this is a tie now.
Home Screen: iPhone 3GS. The bugs in the E71 have bitten me lately, and with the processor bump, the iPhone is more responsive and I get to things quickly. Amazing what a little speed will do for your user experience.
Contacts: iPhone 3GS. Again, processor and OS bump made search fast and easy. Very nice now.
Typing: iPhone 3GS. Typing is now very fast and responsive. I'm MUCH faster on the 3GS than on the E71.
Local connectivity: Tie. iPhone supports stereo bluetooth now and some interesting Wi-Fi stuff.
Tethering: Tie, once ATT turns it on. iPhone has this, just needs the bloody carrier to support it.
Camera: iPhone 3GS, by far. MUCH better photos and video, autofocus, etc. And no pathetic "flash" which ruins every picture.
Battery Life: E71, because it doesn't get used. The iPhone 3GS does suck down the battery if you use it a lot, but that's true of anything. The fact is, you want to use it a lot. Not so much with the E71.
Search: iPhone 3GS. E71 doesn't have it, or it's application-specific.
I'm no longer "bi-phonal". I carry the 3GS only. It does Exchange better, it does phone better, it does Internet WAY better, it has orders of magnitude more and better applications, it has a coherent platform, the UI is great, and so on.
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apple, e71, iphone, nokia, review
Posted at 04:49 PM in iPhone, Nokia | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
I learned this from Max at Catalina. It's very simple, but delicious and refreshing, especially in the insane Houston heat this summer. All I do is fill the Chemex up to its "naval" with ice, then brew a pretty light 1/2-pot of drip coffee on top of it. I have a 32oz Chemex, so I brew for 16oz. That's it. Serve over lots of ice, of course. Awesome!
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coffee, summer
Posted at 05:21 PM in Coffee | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
For the #twitcode contest (see: Twitter contest: what can you code in 130 characters?)
This Erlang code (98 characters) spawns N processes in a ring and sends a message through the entire ring. Try N=1000000 (1 million processes!!). In 135 characters, I could pass M messages through the ring, but there was no way to get that under 130. So this passes 1 message.
a(N)->X=b(self(),N),X!m. b(P,0)->P;b(P,N)->b(spawn(fun()->l(P)end),N-1). l(N)->receive T->N!T end.
Complete with module definition and export:
-module(r). -export([a/1]). a(N)->X=b(self(),N),X!m. b(P,0)->P;b(P,N)->b(spawn(fun()->l(P)end),N-1). l(N)->receive T->N!T end.
To run:
$ erl +P 2000000 Erlang R13B (erts-5.7.1) [source] [smp:2:2] [rq:2] [async-threads:0] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.7.1 (abort with ^G) 1> c(r). {ok,r} 2> P=spawn(fun()->r:a(1000000) end). <0.39.0> 3>
It should run in under a minute (w/ 1 million processes) on most machines, maybe noticeably less. Obviously 1000 processes or so is instantaneous.
Technorati Tags: programming, twitter, twitcode, erlang
Posted at 10:09 AM in Code | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)


text:
Interest Level
Grades 6 - 8
Reading Level
Grade level Equivalent: 6.1
Lexile® Measure: 830L
DRA: Not Available
Guided Reading: NR
- Classics
- Mystery and Suspense
- Animals
- Character and Values
- European
About This Book
When the Dearly's dalmatians have their first litter of puppies -- fifteen in all -- everyone is delighted. But their joy is shattered when the pups are kidnapped! The humans don't have a clue as to who the culprit is, but the smartest dogs in London are on the case -- and on the trail of the fur-loving Cruella de Vil, who will stop at nothing to have a Dalmatian fur coat!Items Added to Cart:
1 Paperback
2 Hardcover
1 Teacher's Edition
$48.99 Subtotal


text:
Originally designed by Top UK Hairdresser Shaun Pulfrey, for combing fragile, just coloured hair. The Tangle Teezer is the ultimate detangling hairbrush that won't pull or snag. The unique configuration of specifically designed teeth, flex just the right amount to detangle and help smooth the hair's cuticle without pulling or snagging hair. It has an innovative centralised concave design that delivers firm, salon style brushstrokes from roots to ends. Perfect to pick-up-your-preening pace! The result; smooth and shiny, knot-free hair.
*Products are available for online purchase within New Zealand, as well as to Australia and worldwide. Prices quoted are in NZD and include GST. Free postage condition does not apply to international delivery. Free postage condition does not apply to rural delivery within New Zealand, which is a charge of $7.00. Please allow up to one week delivery time for international orders.
Please note we cannot deliver to P O Box addresses, please provide a street address.
We are happy to take product and gift card orders over the phone and can arrange purchasing a product not listed in the online shop, just have your credit card details handy.


text:
Computer for Beginners
Computer for Beginners
Event Date:
Mar 25, 2014 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Students will be introduced to the wonderful world of the computer and an overview of the Internet, Email, and Microsoft Office in this non-credit entry level class. Classes will be offered at the Cumberland Community Center and Prince Edward Vocational-Technical Center.Note: this is a two-day course.
Students must pre-register by calling Anita White at 434-736-2004 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com
- Cumberland Community Center T/TH March 11 & 14 6–9 p.m. $25
- Prince Edward Vo-Tech Center T/TH March 25 & 27 6–9 p.m. $25
Seminars - Workshops - Workforce Development


text:
By Bernice Yeung, California Watch
Foster City drugmaker Gilead recently updated its application with the federal Food and Drug Administration for approval to market its HIV treatment medication Truvada as a HIV prevention pill.
If the FDA approves Truvada for preventive use, it "would be the first agent indicated for uninfected individuals to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV through sex," according to a company statement at the time of the filing last month.
Gilead's application, however, has sparked debate among public health advocates who argue that the wide availability of the drug would discourage safe sex and would, in fact, increase the incidence of HIV. Continue reading


text:
Flinny test builds - Android 4.x.x
Andromadus CM10.1 (JB 4.2) builds.
Build 4
Camera tweaks
Synced with CM...Quick setting customizations.
BT changes to do with BT mic, give it a try.
HTC Vision/G2/Desire Z
MD5 49abb7c83bd32f1d3fbd791d63ba0826
HTC Saga/Desire S
MD5 5629ec403084ad1ae33c048260f14bdb
MDDI kernel only flash if you have a MDDI panel - brightness still doesn't work etc but apart from that it should be as current feature wise as the kernels shipped with the roms.
MD5 30fbf4105f23adf5f2b8944449310ba6
Mirror site for files
Build 3
Many of the bug reports I'm getting are upstream issues at the moment which is to be expected as we are building from the mr1-staging branches of CM at the moment, I'll continue to merge fixed/additions from CM primarily with these builds, only looking at device specific issues until things have settled down a bit. Don't ask for features that are not in CM yet, yes I have added a few that I use myself (hey there has to be some perks :)) the rest I'll most likely leave for a bit longer as it complicates the merging a little.
CM10.1 synced to current mr1-staging branch main changes... Merged screen security settings and hardware key rebinding, few more DeskClock tweaks plus whatever else got fixed along the way.
Bluetooth should be more functional again, at least to the same level as the AOSP builds, the mic on my headset doesn't work yet but everything else does including controls.
Vision+Saga some fyodor tweaks and cleanups have been applied :)
Vision - Trackpad unlock fixed.
No changes
HTC Vision/G2/Desire Z
MD5 da2c7d418713cc4c6f7ddb31eb505524
HTC Saga/Desire S
MD5 7463b804be018e998d407e3761bcb1fe
MDDI kernel only flash if you have a MDDI panel - brightness still doesn't work etc but apart from that it should be as current feature wise as the kernels shipped with the roms.
Mirror site for files
Changelog and links for build 1
CM10.1 current
All of the stuff learnt from the AOSP builds has been incorporated so basically all hardware should work to the same level as it does in the AOSP4.2 builds.
If a feature is not there then it's not been ported/merged by CM yet, I will merge them as they do.
Vision - Trackpad unlock still inoperative.
All 3 roms using the same kernel souce/patch level.
re-added a config option for battery monitoring that seems to have been removed at some point back in (thanks to Authorita for pointing it out)
HTC Vision/G2/Desire Z
MD5 326f61ff670a106c7ad6625d329b8330
HTC Saga/Desire S
MD5 d8ffc4d2f868ab63540364523335faab
Build 2
CM10.1 current - Configurable unlock targets, new quick toggles, whatever else got merged have a look at a CM changelog for more info :)
Re-worked quite a bit of the camera stuff as CM started merging code that conflicted with what I had.
Vision - Trackpad works fine it's only the trackpad unlock code that needs figuring out.
Patched to 3.0.55
HTC Vision/G2/Desire Z
MD5 c823705e449eb9176aa95b363a6f8982
HTC Saga/Desire S
MD5 a4c62669f60421eb0a5add4c22ef9ede
hopefully u put the screenlock tweaks that were on cm10.
I've got issue with taking pictures with flash.
Flash turns off before camera takes picture, so all photos with flash are black or close to black :D
where is the menu for the developer option ?
(es: for activating the debug usb...)
Test with Quadrant Standard on my Desire Z:
Mimicry 1.5 -> 1960
Both overclock to 1400 and governor onDemand
There are still some tweaks to do?
Where is the configuration or option menu ?
All press on the build version a few times to get dev options and performance options back
:-| incredible !
I would never have guessed !
There are other tricks ?!
Just for info, it works on my DZ.
Cheers Nick, great work as always. Six roms! Nuts :-)
the quick setttings tab in the notification bar just disappeared and i have no idea how to bring it back!!
can you help??
Btw the rom is great
Alarm isn't working. When I try to open alarm tab clock is crashing and what do you think about Facebook sync ? Mimicry was synchronizing with photos to FAcebook.
When I try to take a photo with twitter clock crashed again. btw I'm using dz
Hey Nick.
Great work, again.
Finally bit the bullet and have gone CM10.1 as my DD.
Margianlly interesting comparison between AnTuTu on CM10 vs CM10.1
Score: 5291 vs 4995
RAM: 853 vs 600
CPU integer: 1080 vs 1032
CPU float point: 719 vs 718
2D graphics: 533 vs 509
3D graphics: 186 vs 174
CPU frequency: 1804 vs 1804
What could be causing RAM to degrade so significantly between these two?
CPU governer: ONDEMAND
I/O scheduler: Deadline
zRam: Disabled
Allow Purging of assets: Disabled
Kernal samepage merging: Enabled
16bit transparency: Disabled
Disable HW overlays: Enabled
Force GPU rendering: Enabled
Background process limit: Standard
Can't post in XDA ... not enough spam posts ;-)
After a bit of tinkering I got my DZ up to a rating of 5464. Happy camper!
Score: 5464
CPU integer: 1099
CPU float-point: 730
2D graphics: 507
3D graphics: 1706
Database IO: 275
SD card write: 150
SD card read: 167
CPU frequency: 1804
Minimum CPU frequency: 768
Maximum CPU frequency: 1804
CPU governer: On Demand
I/O scheduler: Deadline
zRAM: Disabled
Allow pruging of assets: Disabled
Kernal Samepage merging: Enabled
16bit transparency: Disabled
Disable HW overlays: Enabled
Force GPU rendering: Disabled
Background Process Limit: Standard
How tool do U use for setting this parameters ?!
These settings are available from Performance and Developer options.
To access the developer options you must enable them first.
Go to:
Settings -> About Phone -> Click on Build Number many times
You'll then be told "You are a developer" and the options will appear on the menu.
For added fun ...
Settings -> Android version -> Flick the bean many times ...
These settings are available from Performance and Developer options.
To access the developer options you must enable them first.
Go to:
Settings -> About Phone -> Click on Build Number many times
You'll then be told "You are a developer" and the options will appear on the menu.
For added fun ...
Settings -> Android version -> Flick the bean many times ...
clock keeps crashing, you should add the effects to change the way the drawer turns, i miss the cube effect.. that was in unofficial cm9 rom
setting on notification drawer moves to the right side of the screen makes it hard to press think its a bug, fixes only on landscape then goes back to the way it was..
u probably already know this but yeah we need hot reboot back
hopefully we can get that back tired of force closing apps in manager, rather just hold the back buttion.. and please fix the settings/Profile buttion on notification drawer its annoying trying to press it when its almost out the screen..last thing is screenlock longpress menu/home/back/search to activate certain apps.. just throwing it out there even if u know just in case..
no usb debugging...
but a good rom cm 10.1 works fine!!
but hope to have developer options soon in next rom!!
Is there a way to change the .com button from opening the browser? It interferes with using the Game Gripper for the phone.
trebuchet fail to start error on Desire S after boot up with flinnycm101_saga_04
Titanium Backup fails to get root access on build4. On previous build it was fine. I tried Fix permissions through ROM Manager but no use.
Any ideas pls!?
Thx in advance...
My bluetooth MW600 is detecting the phone as a regular audio device (PC). Not as a phone. Due to this the phone controls are not working.
Where are Performance & Developer sections?
To find Performance & Developer sections for example for enabling USB Debugging like it was under Applications Developers section now you just go to About phone and press 7 times on Build Number. Then messege will pop You are now developer. Thats a hidden way to hide from usual users developer tools. Then u will have Performance & Developer sections in settings.
I know that hardware on Desire S and Incredible S is similar.
Can i flash this ROM on my Vivo?
Or, may be, you can make different rom for HTC Incredible S?
Hallo guys,
the app FortiClient with this rom don't work... :-(
I think depending for the Linux kernel version... but I don't sure !
Somebody can help about that ?!
Great work Flinny ! Nothing but repect for your work. Using 10.1 build 4. I get a weird, distorted echo with every word. Bad enough that I cannot use. By the way, Bluetooth works awesome, better than any other rom.
Please disregard this comment. Reflashed 10.1 and it works perfect. Echo is gone and ROM is good ...
Again, great work Finny !
Everytime I hit the link, download is unsuccesful. Why? I desperately need an upgrade for my G2 phone!
1 装lbe无限重启,只好wipe了
2 蓝牙打开就自动拨号
3 蓝牙电话可以听到对方声音,但对方听不到声音
4 貌似chrome闪屏
For some reason build 4 doesn't connect to my car's radio, audio is ok but phone doesn't work. The phone says connected the radio gives an error. Also the audio player doesn't show me what is played from the phone, the previous version showed me the artist. But great work !
cm101 dont know what that is and this rom runs really slow cant see whos calling me when im in the middle of listening to a song or sending a text it lags, apollo randomly gets off repeat when it wants to and browser force closes for no reason..N we need flashlight back for long press buttions on lockscreen settings..
Works fine on Desire S: bluetooth audio ok, data ok, wifi ok, camera weird green tint after taking the photo but the photo is ok, flash ok. Thank you for your efforts
hey Flinny,
I know it's completely unsupported and not recommended, but how bad of an idea would it be to install this directly on top of Mimicry ICS without flashing? I'm a little sick of putting all of my settings back each time.
if anyone was thinking of doing this, I just bit the bullet, and I'm surprised and very pleased to say that there are zero issues so far -- I had to reinstall gapps, which I didn't expect to have to do, and it was very slow for about a minute after first boot, but otherwise, everything is hunky dory. probably still not recommended, but I'm feeling good.
no bugs, but the phone never did get faster after the initial dpkg marathon. did a clean install and now everything speedy.


text:
Meningitis Outbreak
Fungal Meningitis Infection Lawsuits
Health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say approximately 75 medical facilities in 23 states have received a contaminated steroid manufactured by New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Massachusetts. The steroid, methylprednisolone, is used mostly to treat older patients for lower back pain. Those states affected are California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and West Virginia. According to the CDC, it has found fungus, including Aspergillus and Exserohilum, in specimens from several patients causing meningitis.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Bacteria or viruses usually cause meningitis but infection can also be caused by fungi and parasites. According to the CDC, typical meningitis symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and stiffness of the neck. People with fungal meningitis may also experience confusion, dizziness, and discomfort from bright lights.
According to the FDA, two other drugs made by the New England Compounding Center now appear to be involved in the fatal meningitis outbreak. The FDA is now investigating one case of possible meningitis associated with an epidural injection of triamcinolone acetonide and two reports of fungal infection with Aspergillus fumigatus in two transplant patients who were given cardioplegic solution made by the company.
If you or someone you know has been harmed by a fungal meningitis infection caused by contaminated steroid injections, contact Sokolove Law for free legal consultation and to find out if a dangerous drug lawyer may be able to help you.