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"I feel healthy," Ruf said Friday. "I did some things this offseason to increase mobility and take some of the muscular injuries out of the game."
Ruf checked in early for spring camp, citing his continued transition to the outfield as the main reason for his early arrival.
"Having two to three years experience out there, it's nothing new to me," Ruf said. "I know the drills, I know what to do. I know what to expect out there. I know what balls I can and can't get to. It makes me a lot more comfortable."
Ruf hit .235/.310/.402 with three home runs in 102 at-bats over 52 games in 2014.
The Mets took a lead in the top of the fourth inning, but Ruf was able to put his team in front with his shot in the bottom half of the inning, though the Phillies would go on to lose. Ruf has hit ..152/.293/.364 with two home runs and four RBI in 33 at-bats.
"The way I see things," Sandberg said. "I basically wanted to give Ruf two days in a row, just to get his feet wet, see him against a right-handed pitcher, then go from there. But in all likelihood, at least after today it will be a scenario of ... I'd be considering a platoon system at first base."
Howard was actually out of the lineup against a right-handed pitcher Thursday, but Sandberg said he wanted to give Darin Ruf two consecutive starts after his callup. The Phillies face two left-handed pitchers during a three-game series against the Diamondbacks beginning Friday, so Sandberg may also get him some time off then.
Howard is struggling against both right and left-handed pitchers this season, but has 10 of his 15 home runs against righties. He is hitting .229/.314/.368 against righties, compared to .209/.275/.407 vs. the opposite hand.
General manager Ruben Amaro, however, told the Philadelphia Daily News that the diagnosis does not change the timetable of Ruf's eventual return to baseball activities. The team has yet to pinpoint a return date.
Ruf is dealing with wrist and knee issues, and still has some swelling in his leg. Ruf was placed on the Triple-A disabled list Thursday. He's received just 10 at-bats in the majors this season.
Ruf bruised his right knee and sprained his left wrist after running into a wall Tuesday. According to MLB.com, it is not yet known how long he is expected to be out, but he did need stitches for the knee injury.
Ruf was demoted from Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley on Sunday.
Ruf received just 10 at-bats in the majors, hitting .100. There was some talk about him potentially working his way into a platoon role, but the team had other plans.
"If it works. If it produces, then it becomes a possibility going forward," Sandberg said.
Ruf, who replaced Cliff Lee on the active roster, could go right back down when Lee's spot in the rotation comes up again Saturday. The team has not made a decision on that at this point, but will have to before Saturday.
"He could be here for three months or three days," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We're not sure yet."
Ruf will take the roster spot of Cliff Lee, who was placed on the disabled list Tuesday night. Ruf has hit .265 over 46 at-bats in the minors.
Ruf has yet to appear in a major league game this season after a promising 2013 in which he hit 14 home runs in 231 at-bats.
General manager Ruben Amaro told the Philadelphia Daily News Tuesday he expects Ruf to stay with the IronPigs through Saturday. The next step in his recovery will come later.
Ruf hit .250 (3 for 12) with two RBI in three games for Clearwater, while Martin tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings over three relief appearances. He allowed three hits and issued three walks.
Ruf went 0 for 3 in the game with a walk and a strikeout, but made it through all nine innings without incident. Manager Ryne Sandberg told MLB.com Thursday he is a candidate to start in right field when he comes off the disabled list, with Marlon Byrd possibly moving to center.
"He's getting at-bats," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I believe he's got four or five games under his belt."
Ruf has yet to play during the regular season due to the injury.
"He needs at-bats," the general manager said. "He needs to play in games. We'll start him off at extended and see where he goes from there but he needs at-bats."
"He's starting to progress," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "I'm not sure when we'll get him into games yet."
Ruf is on the disabled list due to a strained oblique. He has yet to play in the regular season.
The loss could hurt team depth. Ruf was seeking a starting spot in the outfield, but was at least slated to back up in left field and right field, as well as first base.
Ruf is slated for backup duty in left and right field, as well as first base. He has enjoyed a strongspring after showing some provide in 2013 with 14 home runs in 251-at-bats. But his 91 strikeouts were a concern.
"He's trying to get in the lineup on opening day," Sandberg said of Ruf, per the Philadelphia Daily News. "Looking at the at-bats and swings for the last 10 days of spring training, he's one of the hot bats. He would be a guy I want in there."
While Ruf is having a productive spring, he still has to earn a spot on the opening day roster.
"[His spring numbers] are good, that'll help him," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "But he's not a lock. Nobody is a lock."
Ruf hit 14 home runs with 33 walks in 293 plate appearances in 2013. Ryne Sandberg believes Ruf could be on line for 300 plate appearances this season.
"I like him at first base depending on how things go," Sandberg said. "If we need a righthanded bat against lefthanded pitching, we have the lineup for that. That could be Ruf in left field. He could be at first base."
His ability to get on base is a plus. Philadelphia drew fewer walks per game last year than any of its teams in the last 50 years. Ruf walked in a team-best 11.3 percent of his plate appearances a year ago.
The Phillies' outfielder/first baseman went 2 for 4 with one run and one strikeout. He is now batting .250 this season.
Ruf finished 1 for 3 with a walk and the solo blast. He has held his own in 172 at-bats this year, as his line sits at .256/.348/.512 with 21 RBI and 20 walks to go with 12 home runs.
Ruf, who walked once Sunday, is batting .236 (13 for 55) with six home runs and nine RBI in 16 August games.
Ruf has only notched 42 games over his career, and he's put up some pretty unsustainable rates. Ruf's average has been propped up by a ridiculous .370 career BABIP. Considering his career strikeout rate is over 30 percent, there's no way he'll continue to hit for a high average. On top of that, there's also reason to believe his power will taper off. Ruf has his a home run on nearly a quarter of his fly balls.
It's been a fantastic start to his major league career, but the overall performance has been fluky. Sell while you can.
"This is important for Ruf and [third baseman Cody] Asche and anyone who's getting to play like that, that's probably playing to be on the team or playing for a contract," manager Charlie Manuel told MLB.com Friday. "This is a big time for them. Not only that, it's a great chance. Sometimes you can go in and not get a chance like these guys are going to get."
In 27 games this season, as well as 12 a year ago, Ruf has pretty much proven his bat can play anywhere. In 126 career at-bats, Ruf is hitting .302 with eight home runs and 18 extra-base hits. The question will be finding a long-term home for him, with Ryan Howard still under contract at first base. The team thinks Ruf can learn the position well enough to survive, at least.
"He's not going to be a Gold Glover," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "But what he can bring to the table, we think he can bring to the table for us, warrants getting him as many at-bats as possible, even though we may sacrifice a little bit of defense."
Ruf went 0 for 4 in a 5-2 loss, while striking out twice, ending a 33-game on-base streak that was the longest in the majors. Ruf's average fell to .294, while his on-base percentage stands at .400 in 85 at-bats.
Granted, most 27-year-olds who hit .266 with seven home runs in 305 at-bats at Triple-A prior to a midseason promotion aren't so deserving of a second look. But last year, Ruf led all minor-leaguers with 38 home runs, and he did it at Double-A, which is usually a tougher adjustment than Triple-A. Maybe losing the battle for the starting left field job in spring training put him in a funk. Since arriving in the big leagues July 6, he has looked much more like the player who compiled a .299 batting and .380 on-base percentage over five minor-league, reaching base in all 24 of the games he's played so far.
But his greatest attribute is power. The 400-foot shots come so effortlessly for him. He has two already, including one against Kris Medlen over the weekend that would have left all 30 ballparks. He also has two home runs of more reasonable distance, giving him four in 81 at-bats.
And I predict more to come, making Ruf an ideal waiver claim for all those owners who lost Nelson Cruz to the Biogenesis suspensions.
Ruf hit .317 with 38 home runs in Double-A last year. He had three straight seasons of 30 or more doubles heading into 2013, and had an .882 OPS over five minor league seasons. He strikes out a decent amount, but nothing egregious for a power hitter. And he's sporting a cool .413 OBP so far this season.
While it's understandable to expect a rookie hitter to see a drop-off after a big start like this, Ruf could still finish 2013 with a .280 average and double-digit home runs. He's worth an add in most 12-team Roto formats as a corner infielder.
"I love his swing," manager Charlie Manuel said of Ruf. "I like the way the ball jumps off his bat. His home run the other night was on the inside of the plate and he hit it nice and easy. Nice and easy. The power is there."
Ruf is batting .310 in 17 games since his recall from the minors. He has two home runs and four RBI.
Ruf finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored, a walk and an RBI. Even with an 0 for 4 in the second game of the doubleheader, Ruf owns a brilliant .375/.483/.750 line in eight games this season.
Ruf had just one hit in the game, but it was his first home run of the season, a solo shot in a 5-1 loss. He finished the game 1 for 3 with a walk, bringing his average to .385 through five games.
Ruf is in the team's starting lineup Monday, and will hit seventh against Nationals pitcher Dan Haren. This marks Ruf's second straight start at first base. He's collected two hits in four at-bats in the majors.
Ruf opened the year in the minors after a disappointing spring training. He hit just .266 with a .408 slugging percentage and seven home runs in 82 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but Ruf said his poor numbers were combination of working on his swing and battling a thumb injury, which he said is 100 percent healed.
"I just put too much pressure on myself or something or other," Ruf said of his spring, per MLB.com. "I just settled in as time went on. It was still early, starting a couple of weeks earlier than I was used to. It took me a little bit longer to get back into the swing of things. I'm happy with the way I finished and the progress I made."
Ruf was hitting .266 with a .752 OPS and seven home runs for Lehigh Valley prior to his call up.
The fact that Ruf can only play in the outfield or first base also hurt his chances.
"I think the better fit was someone who could play all over the field," assistant GM Scott Proefrock told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We've got two (interleague) games. It would be hard to find (Ruf) a place to play, and it probably wouldn't be the right fit."
Ruf has a .772 on-base plus slugging percent at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, with a .262 batting average, a career-worst mark.
"(Darin) Ruf has done well, although he's coming off a little bit of a slump lately," Amaro said. "Ruf has done OK, but he still needs work in the outfield. While he's done OK offensively, I'm not sure he's better than the options we have."
Although, Amaro said Ruf is probably the top option at first base in case something long-term happens to Ryan Howard, who is battling a knee injury.
"I would think so. He's played first base about twice a week, so we know he can do that," Amaro said.
"He's been great, and he's getting better," Lehigh Valley manager Dave Brundage told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He's good enough right now to play left field. He hasn't been out there that long, and for the strides he has made and the adjustments he has made, he looks so much more comfortable."
In 22 games in left field this season, Ruf has made just one error in 42 chances while also playing eight games at first without a miscue. He has also discovered his groove at the plate, recording four homers and 13 RBI over his past 12 games.
Ruf is also batting .355 (11 for 31) in his last seven games as well, raising his season average to .250. His hot streak began with a two-homer outing April 28. Ruf has nine doubles, 14 runs and 15 RBI in 27 games.
Following his late heroics, the Phillies optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, essentially providing Domonic Brown the starting job in left field for the upcoming season. "He's gonna be a big-time hitter," manager Charlie Manuel said of Ruf. "I think he's got a bright career."


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this isn't going to make you all bond closer and tighter than you are now what it will do is make you sick
Sisterly Bonding? Tia Mowry-Hardrict Eats Twin Sister's Placenta
It appears as if the legendary twin stars of "Sister Sister" have a bond so deep that they're willing to endure some of the most uncomfortable situations to give the other twin satisfaction in their misery. Tamera challenged Tia to eat her placenta. The challenge was an apparent attempt at revenge since Tamera was challenged to tasting Tia's br*ast milk during her pregnancy.
Here's what Tia had to say of her sister's placenta: "Tasting Tamera's encapsulated placenta was very interesting! If you think about it too much, you're not going to like it, because all you're going to think about is that you're consuming placenta. But I was really, really surprised that it tasted pretty good mixed with a little bit of alcohol. It was definitely Tamera paying me back for making her taste my breastmilk. I tasted my own breast milk and I still think my breast milk was sweeter than Tamera's placenta!"
Although Tia's challenge may sound bizarre — and it is — women are encouraged to consume their own placenta as a natural fix to to fighting off post-pardum depression. New York Times blogger, Nancy Redd, wrote about her experience placenta-consuming experience in an blog post titled "I Regret Eating My Placenta." Redd alleges that after eating her placenta, her hormones were uncontrollable. "Part of the reason I wanted to eat my placenta in the first place is that I am fascinated by the human body and all that it can do," Redd wrote. "The placenta is an incredible organ that deserves celebration. But — as with the appendix and other organs that the body tends to deem unnecessary — once it comes out, maybe it should stay out."
19 Comments
Wow! How does your brain tell you to ask someone to do that….let alone someone actually doing it?
In Africa & India that is normal that they eat the Placenta if you have AGAPE (LOVE ) for some u should show it thats a Godly thing
This us beyond absurd!
oh Come on Now Girlz!!! Eating your sissy's placenta sounds just a Tad bit over the top. The breast milk tasting Okaay…."I GUESS" that could be fun with yall'z personality spitting and Laughing lol However, that other thing sounded HORRIFFIC! I am a huge fan of you both and I've seen the Love you guys have portrayed for each other so…. Leave the placenta tasting out k pumpkins! Love you Girlz Mwaahhh!!!!
Obseve humankind closely. If you have any relevant education in psychology your clarity of mind should lead you to understand that all humans are insane to one extent or another and regarding a multitude of subject matter. Knowing this should convince you that we are capable of thinking, believing, and doing absolutely anything! Certain issues one individual or group would consider completely sane can easily be seen as insane by another, and the fact that we are easily conditioned and assimilated into the most outrageous habits should give pause, but of course, when everyone is insane and flapping in the wind helter skelter we find the most retarded issues and subjects to be practical and rational!
As for placenta eating etc. It is all part of the multitude of garbage, lies, and propaganda that we humans are bombarded with and some take seriously. We truly are animals on a planet filled with animals. Most of which we are rendering extinct including ourselves!
So go ahead and do what you will, eat what you will, believe what you will. It's part of our overall lunacy! -
This is not an uncommon practice. It is known that mammals who give birth do eat their placenta or eggsac as nourishment so her offspring can feed without sapping her of her energy.
There are human mothers that do this, as well as plant the placenta by a tree to nourish it.
That is disgusting !! That's almost cannibalistic..
Yoko Ono ate hers back in the 1970's. This chick will put just about anything in her mouth. It is said to have healing properties. Whatever. Yuck.
IT also says if your wash your face with your own urine you will have beautiful skin.Guess what i will never have beautiful skin.You can also put the urine in your ear if you have an earache.but i guess i'll have to suffer because i'm not planning on doing any of it on purpose.
Them bitches is CRAZY!!
That is NASTY
I never liked these 2 fake wannabe white acting chicks anyway. Some white devil probably suggested that engage in this nasty disgusting act.
LMAO! If you have actually saw the show, you would know that Tia didn't actually "eat" Tamera's placenta. Tamera put a few drops of placenta, heavily diluted, with some brand of alcohol and with a medical dropper, dropped a miniscule amount on Tia's tongue. It's not like Tia sat at a table with a knife and fork and started eating away at some lump of a gland. This story is taking it way out of proportion. Either way, I wouldn't have went that far as to even taste that crap. But, to each his own. I don't judge anyone.
I guess we are all here responding to shocking and entertaining news. The positive thing about the crazy and mentally unstable behavior we have been preview to once again explore the content and substance of what it really means to be successful! We all live in a capitalistic society personal values are measured in terms of financial assets were level of exposure and fame if marketed appropriately should lead to financial growth.
I say all this because we all strive to be successful unfortunately the bizarre behavior of those who we stand in front of our eyes as examples of successful people who hard work and values are there to be emulated are proving to be a bit bizarre and outrageous. This sisterly bounding behavior of Tia Moury-Hardrict and her sister Tamera simply put in question their psychological state of mind.
I got disgusted just reading the headlne..ugh
I plan on eating mine!

subset: commoncrawl


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This article is excerpted from Sams Teach Yourself Android Application Development in 24 Hours, reprinted with permission of Sams Publishing. Coyright Lauren Darcey and Shane Conder, all rights reserved.
Every platform technology uses different terminology to describe its application components. The three most important classes on the Android platform are Context, Activity and Intent. While there are other, more advanced, components developers can implement, these three components form the building blocks for each and every Android application. In this article, we focus on understanding how Android applications are put together. We also take a look at some handy utility classes that can help developers debug applications.
An Android application is a collection of tasks, each of which is called an activity. Each activity within an application has a unique purpose and user interface. To understand this more fully, imagine a theoretical game application called Chippy's Revenge.
Designing application features
The design of the Chippy's Revenge game is simple. It has five screens:
- Splash - This screen acts as a startup screen, with the game logo and version. It might also play some music.
- Menu - On this screen, a user can choose from among several options, including playing the game, viewing the scores, and reading the help text.
- Play - This screen is where game play actually takes place.
- Scores - This screen displays the highest scores for the game (including high scores from other players), providing players with a challenge to do better.
- Help - This screen displays instructions for how to play the game, including controls, goals, scoring methods, tips, and tricks.
Starting to sound familiar? This is the prototypical design of just about any mobile application, game or otherwise, on any platform.
Certainly, you are free to implement any kind of user interface you desire. There are no real user interface requirements on the Android platform, other than that the application must be stable, responsive and play nice with the rest of the Android system. That said, the best and most popular applications leverage the users' existing experience with user interfaces. It's best to improve upon those features, when necessary, rather than reinvent them, so you don't force the user to exert time and effort to learn your application in order to use it properly.
Determining application activity requirements
You need to implement five activity classes, one for each feature of the game:
- SplashActivity - This activity serves as the default activity to launch. It simply displays a layout (maybe just a big graphic), plays music for several seconds and then launches MenuActivity.
- MenuActivity - This activity is pretty straightforward. Its layout has several buttons, each corresponding to a feature of the application. The onClick() handlers for each button trigger cause the associated activity to launch.
- PlayActivity - The real application guts are implemented here. This activity needs to draw stuff onscreen, handle various types of user input, keep score and generally follow whatever game dynamics the developer wants to support.
- ScoresActivity - This activity is about as simple as SplashActivity. It does little more than load a bunch of scoring information into a TextView control within its layout.
- HelpActivity - This activity is almost identical to ScoresActivity, except that instead of displaying scores, it displays help text. Its TextView control might possibly scroll.
Each activity class should have its own corresponding layout file stored in the application resources. You could use a single layout file for ScoresActivity and HelpActivity, but it's not necessary. If you did, though, you would simply create a single layout for both and set the image in the background and the text in the TextView control at runtime, instead of within the layout file.
Implementing application functionality
We've talked about how each activity has its own user interface, defined within a separate layout resource file. You might be wondering about implementation hurdles such as the following:
- How do I control application state?
- How do I save settings?
- How do I launch a specific activity?
With our theoretical game application in mind, it is time to dive into the implementation details of developing an Android application. A good place to start is the application context.
Using the application context
The application context is the central location for all top-level application functionality. You use the application context to access settings and resources shared across multiple activity instances.
You can retrieve the application context for the current process by using the getApplicationContext() method, like this:
Context context = getApplicationContext();
Because the Activity class is derived from the Context class, you can use this instead of retrieving the application context explicitly.
You might be tempted to just use your Activity context in all cases. Doing so can lead to memory leaks, though. The subtleties of why this happens are beyond the scope of this article, but there is a great official Android blog post on this topic.
Once you have retrieved a valid application context, you can use it to access application-wide features and services.
Retrieving Application Resources
You can retrieve application resources by using the getResources()
method of the application context. The most straightforward way to retrieve a resource is by using its unique resource identifier, as defined in the automatically generated R.java class. The following example retrieves a String instance from the application resources by its resource ID:
String greeting = getResources().getString(R.string.hello);
Accessing Application Preferences
You can retrieve shared application preferences by using the getSharedPreferences()
method of the application context. You can use the SharedPreferences class to save simple application data, such as configuration settings. Each SharedPreferences object can be given a name, allowing you to organize preferences into categories or store preferences all together in one large set.
For example, you might want to keep track of each user's name and some simple game state information, such as whether the user has credits left to play. The following code creates a set of shared preferences called GamePrefs and saves a few such preferences:
SharedPreferences settings = getSharedPreferences("GamePrefs", MODE_PRIVATE);
SharedPreferences.Editor prefEditor = settings.edit();
prefEditor.putString("UserName", "Spunky");
prefEditor.putBoolean("HasCredits", true);
To retrieve preference settings, you simply retrieve SharedPreferences and read the values back out:
SharedPreferences settings = getSharedPreferences("GamePrefs", MODE_PRIVATE);
String userName = settings.getString("UserName", "Chippy Jr. (Default)");
Accessing other application functionality using contexts
The application context provides access to a number of top-level application features. Here are a few more things you can do with the application context:
- Launch Activity instances
- Retrieve assets packaged with the application
- Request a system-level service provider (for example, location service)
- Manage private application files, directories and databases
- Inspect and enforce application permissions
The first item on this list - launching Activity instances - is perhaps the most common reason you will use the application context.
Working with Activities
The Activity class is central to every Android application. Much of the time, you'll define and implement an activity for each screen in your application.
In the Chippy's Revenge game application, you have to implement five different Activity classes. In the course of playing the game, the user transitions from one activity to the next, interacting with the layout controls of each activity.
Launching Activities
There are a number of ways to launch an activity, including the following:
- Designating a launch activity in the manifest file
- Launching an activity using the application context
- Launching a child activity from a parent activity for a result
Designating a launch activity in the manifest file
Each Android application must designate a default activity within the Android manifest file. In the manifest file of a Droid1 project, DroidActivity might be designated as the default activity.
Other Activity classes might be designated to launch under specific circumstances. You manage these secondary entry points by configuring the Android manifest file with custom filters.
In Chippy's Revenge, SplashActivity would be the most logical activity to launch by default.
Launching activities using the application context
The most common way to launch an activity is to use the startActivity() method of the application context. This method takes one parameter, called an intent. We will talk more about the intent in a moment, but for now, let's look at a simple startActivity() call.
The following code calls the startActivity() method with an explicit intent:
startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(), MenuActivity.class));
This intent requests the launch of the target activity, named MenuActivity, by its class. This class must be implemented elsewhere within the package.
Because the MenuActivity class is defined within this application's package, it must be registered as an activity within the Android manifest file. In fact, you could use this method to launch every activity in your theoretical game application; however, this is just one way to launch an activity.
Launching an Activity for a Result
Sometimes an activity wants to launch a related activity and get the result, instead of launching an entirely independent activity. In this case, you can use the Activity.startActivityForResult()
method. The result will be returned in the Intent parameter of the calling activity's onActivityResult()
method. We will talk more about how to pass data using an Intent parameter in a moment. Next: Managing activity state
Managing activity state
Applications can be interrupted when various higher-priority events, such as phone calls, take precedence. There can be only one active application at a time; specifically, a single application activity can be in the foreground at any given time.
Android applications are responsible for managing their state, as well as their memory, resources and data. The Android operating system may terminate an activity that has been paused, stopped or destroyed when memory is low. This means that any activity that is not in the foreground is subject to shutdown. In other words, an Android application must keep state and be ready to be interrupted and even shut down at any time.
Using activity callbacks
The Activity class has a number of callbacks that provide an opportunity for an activity to respond to events such as suspending and resuming. The table below lists the most important callback methods.
Key callback methods of Android Activities
Callback Method | Description | Recommendations |
onCreate() | Called when an activity starts or restarts. | Initializes static activity data. Binds to data or resources required. |
Sets layout with setContentView(). | ||
onResume() | Called when an activity becomes the foreground activity. | Acquires exclusive resources. Starts any audio, video, or animations. |
onPause() | Called when an activity leaves the foreground. | Saves uncommitted data.Deactivates or releases exclusive resources. |
Stops any audio, video, or animations. | ||
onDestroy() | Called when an application is shutting down. | Cleans up any static activity data. Releases any resources acquired. |
The main thread is often called the UI thread, because this is where the processing for drawing the UI takes place internally. An activity must perform any processing that takes place during a callback reasonably quickly, so that the main thread is not blocked. If the main UI thread is blocked for too long, the Android system will shut down the activity due to a lack of response. This is especially important to respond quickly during the onPause() callback, when a higher-priority task (for example, an incoming phone call) is entering the foreground.
The image below shows the order in which activity callbacks are called.
Saving activity state
An activity can have private preferences - much like shared application preferences. You can access these preferences by using the getPreferences() method of the activity. This mechanism is useful for saving state information. For example, PlayActivity for your game might use these preferences to keep track of the current level and score, player health statistics and game state.
Shutting Down Activities
To shut down an activity, you make a call to the finish() method. There are several different versions of this method to use, depending whether the activity is shutting itself down or shutting down another activity.
Within your game application, you might return from the Scores, Play and Help screens to the Menu screen by finishing ScoresActivity, PlayActivity or HelpActivity.
Working with Intents
An Intent object encapsulates a task request used by the Android operating system. When the startActivity() method is called with the Intent parameter, the Android system matches the Intent action with appropriate activity on the Android system. That activity is then launched.
The Android system handles all intent resolution. An intent can be very specific, including a request for a specific activity to be launched, or somewhat vague, requesting that any activity matching certain criteria be launched. For the finer details on intent resolution, see the Android documentation.
Passing information with intents
Intents can be used to pass data between activities. You can use an intent in this way by including additional data, called extras, within the intent.
To package extra pieces of data along with an intent, you use the putExtra() method with the appropriate type of object you want to include. The Android programming convention for intent extras is to name each one with the package prefix (for example, com.androidbook.chippy.NameOfExtra)
For example, the following intent includes an extra piece of information, the current game level, which is an integer:
Intent intent = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), HelpActivity.class);
 intent.putExtra("com.androidbook.chippy.LEVEL", 23);
 startActivity(intent);
When the HelpActivity class launches, the getIntent() method can be used to retrieve the intent. Then the extra information can be extracted using the appropriate methods. Here's an example:
Intent callingIntent = getIntent();
 int helpLevel = callingIntent.getIntExtra("com.androidbook.chippy.LEVEL", 1);
This little piece of information could be used to give special Help hints, based on the level.
For the parent activity that launched a subactivity using the startActivityForResult() method, the result will be passed in as a parameter to the onActivityResult() method with an Intent parameter. The intent data can then be extracted and used by the parent activity.
Using intents to launch other applications
Initially, an application may only be launching activity classes defined within its own package. However, with the appropriate permissions, applications may also launch external activity classes in other applications.
There are well-defined intent actions for many common user tasks. For example, you can create intent actions to initiate applications such as the following:
- Launching the built-in web browser and supplying a URL address
- Launching the web browser and supplying a search string
- Launching the built-in Dialer application and supplying a phone number
- Launching the built-in Maps application and supplying a location
- Launching Google Street View and supplying a location
- Launching the built-in Camera application in still or video mode
- Launching a ringtone picker
Recording a sound
Here is an example of how to create a simple intent with a predefined action (ACTION_VIEW) to launch the web browser with a specific URL:
Uri address = Uri.parse("http://www.perlgurl.org");
 Intent surf = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, address);
 startActivity(surf);
This example shows an intent that has been created with an action and some data. The action, in this case, is to view something. The data is a uniform resource identifier (URI), which identifies the location of the resource to view.
For this example, the browser's activity then starts and comes into foreground, causing the original calling activity to pause in the background. When the user finishes with the browser and clicks the Back button, the original activity resumes.
Applications may also create their own intent types and allow other applications to call them, allowing for tightly integrated application suites.
The OpenIntents.org website keeps a list of intent actions at www.openintents.org/en/intentstable. This list includes those built into Android as well as those available from third-party applications.
Working with dialogs
Handset screens are small, and user interface real estate is valuable. Sometimes you want to handle a small amount of user interaction without creating an entirely new activity. In such instances, creating an activity dialog can be very handy. Dialogs can be helpful for creating very simple user interfaces that do not necessitate an entirely new screen or activity to function. Instead, the calling activity dispatches a dialog, which can have its own layout and user interface, with buttons and input controls.
Important dialog methods of the activity class
Method | Purpose |
Activity.showDialog() | Shows a dialog, creating it if necessary. |
Activity.onCreateDialog() | Is a callback when a dialog is being created for the first time and added to the activity dialog pool. |
Activity.onPrepareDialog() | Is a callback for updating a dialog on-the-fly. Dialogs are created once and can be used many times by an activity. This callback enables the dialog to be updated just before it is shown for each showDialog() call. |
Activity.dismissDialog() | Dismisses a dialog and returns to the activity. The dialog is still available to be used again by calling showDialog() again. |
Activity.removeDialog() | Removes the dialog completely from the |
activity dialog pool. |
Activity classes can include more than one dialog, and each dialog can be created and then used multiple times.
There are quite a few types of ready-made dialog types available for use in addition to the basic dialog. These are AlertDialog, CharacterPickerDialog, DatePickerDialog, ProgressDialog, and TimePickerDialog.
You can also create an entirely custom dialog by designing an XML layout file and using the Dialog.setContentView() method. To retrieve controls from the dialog layout, you simply use the Dialog.findViewById() method.
Logging application information
Android provides a useful logging utility class called android.util.Log. Logging messages are categorized by severity (and verbosity), with errors being the most severe. The table below lists some commonly used logging methods of the Log class.
Commonly used log methods
Method | Purpose |
Log.e() | Logs errors |
Log.w() | Logs warnings |
Log.i() | Logs informational messages |
Log.d() | Logs debug messages |
Log.v() | Logs verbose messages |
Excessive use of the Log utility can result in decreased application performance. Debug and verbose logging should be used only for development purposes and removed before application publication.
The first parameter of each Log method is a string called a tag. One common Android programming practice is to define a global static string to represent the overall application or the specific activity within the application such that log filters can be created to limit the log output to specific data.
For example, you could define a string called TAG, as follows:
private static final String TAG = "MyApp";

Now anytime you use a Log method, you supply this tag. An informational logging message might look like this:
Log.i(TAG, "In onCreate() callback method");

You can use the LogCat utility from within Eclipse to filter your log messages to the tag string.
You've seen how different Android applications can be designed using three application components: Context, Activity and Intent. Each Android application comprises one or more activities. Top-level application functionality is accessible through the application context. Each activity has a special function and (usually) its own layout, or user interface. An activity is launched when the Android system matches an intent object with the most appropriate application activity, based on the action and data information set in the intent. Intents can also be used to pass data from one activity to another.
In addition to learning the basics of how Android applications are put together, you've also learned how to take advantage of useful Android utility classes, such as application logging, which can help streamline Android application development and debugging.


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A gunman who opened fire in a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killed 12 people and injured at least 38 others, reportedly including a 3-month-old baby. Read on for all the details.
A three-month-old was reportedly one of the many injured in a shooting incident that happened during the midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in a Denver suburb. The suspect allegedly spread tear gas in the Aurora theater, spraying innocent audience members with bullets, ultimately killing 12 people.
According to hospital workers, at least 38 others were injured, including children and a 3-month-old infant.
The suspect was arrested in the parking lot of the theater. He did not resist or put up a fight. Police are saying he is an Aurora man in his 20s, currently being identified as James Holmes. Police seized a rifle, a handgun, and another firearm found in the theater.
What a horrible tragedy. Our thoughts go out to the family of the victims, and wish a safe recovery for those who are injured.
– Christina Stiehl
More "The Dark Knight Rises" news:
- 'The Dark Knight Rises' Midnight Shooting — 12 Killed In Colorado Theater
- 'The Dark Knight Rises': Final Epic Trailer Debuts
- Anne Hathaway's Full Catwoman Suit Revealed, Ears & All! New Pic From 'The Dark Knight Rises!'
View Comment
Posted at 9:12 PM on July 22, 2012
I'm sorry, but saying it's the parents fault that the baby was shot is like saying it's a rape victims fault if they wore a short skirt.
This is not the result of children or babies being 'out too late'. This is the result of a madman choosing to hurt them.
You cannot blame a blissfully unaware victim for someone else's malicious choices.
Posted at 9:11 AM on July 21, 2012
What parent thinks it's acceptable to bring a child to an extremely violent movie, under any circumstances? I don't think it's judgmental to ask ourselves why there were children in this theatre. My kids are several years older than that and I don't take them places at midnight. Why would I? My role is to protect them. While there might be the occasional emergency that would warrant them being somewhere at midnight, I can't imagine doing it because I'm so selfish I have to go see a movie. When you have young kids, you just need to accept that there will be things you can't do anymore. You don't just keep doing what you normally do and drag the innocent children along with you.
Posted at 9:59 PM on July 22, 2012
While I don't take my children out that late or to movies like that I don't think its that big of a deal. They probably figured the baby would sleep duing the movie and they would get to do something relaxing together. Babies can be stressful, as I'm sure you know, and everyone handles it differently. Whats the difference if the baby is sleeping in his/her mother's arm while on the couch watching a movie or in a theater?
Posted at 9:53 PM on July 20, 2012
No one is taking away from the fact the baby is ok. Everyone is glad. And this BS about the parents going through enough trauma is ridiculous. Its plain selfish and irresponsible to take an infant to a movie at midnight knowing the movie wont end till 3am. Was it that important that you had to see Batman before everyone else? Have some respect and thought for your child. Hire a damn babysitter or get a loved one to take care of the baby while you go have fun.
Posted at 8:53 PM on July 20, 2012
For all the people who say they agree with taking a baby to a movie like dark knight at midnight…. here are my questions for you….. You don't think the loud noises and vibration at the movie theater would bother your baby???? (specially, from a movie like this… I mean this is not tellytubbies' movie we are talking about???? Wouldn't it affect their hearing???? I'm no doctor or a parent but I wonder what actual parents/medical professionals think about this… Personally, if I ever become a parent…I'd die for my kid and giving up pleasures like watching a premiere would be nothing next to that… I would gladly sacrifice my happiness for the welfare of my baby and I would never let my baby ruin someone else's evening either… If I can't be responsible or sacrifice my ways for my baby, I'd never become a parent and I would directly go to an abortion center.
Posted at 10:04 PM on July 22, 2012
I think your going a little overboard about the baby at the movies. Its not like a 3 month old, who I'm sure they know is sleeping during that time would remember the movie anyway. I've seen kids sleep through entire movies, and they are just fine afterwards. Babies can be very stressful and while its not ideal to bring a baby out that late its not harming the baby either.
Posted at 7:23 PM on July 20, 2012
Posted at 6:41 PM on July 20, 2012
Excuse me, but it is NOT your place to ask why the baby was there. Even if none of us, as parents, would take our baby, that does not mean that we can cast judgement on others. And we are in a time period when all the old rules have gone out the window. So let us put the focus where it ought to be: Whether you take your baby to a midnight showing of Batman or not, we have the right to feel safe. Unfortunately, I don't think we can anymore. Thoughts and prayers to the victims.
Posted at 5:27 PM on July 20, 2012
Teen mom
Posted at 4:08 PM on July 20, 2012
Posted at 3:57 PM on July 20, 2012
Posted at 7:04 PM on July 20, 2012
Posted at 3:54 PM on July 21, 2012
The time of this movie does not matter to me, because all babies have various sleeping schedules. What does bother me is the damage being done to the developing nerves in the baby's body every time an explosion happens on the screen and jolts the child awake. It is no different than if your infant falls asleep and you creep up to their crib and smash 2 frying pans together in their face, do you think that is a good idea? Will that help the infant's nerves and development? No, it's going to make them a jumpy, nervous wreck. Use some common sense and leave the baby at home in a quiet and relaxing enviroment.
Posted at 3:05 AM on July 21, 2012
Posted at 8:54 AM on July 21, 2012
The State should step in and give that child a good home??? You ought to be ashamed of your self.. 3month old babies can sleep through anything if mom or dad is holding them.. how dare you say something like that?? Taking a child away from a mother because she went to a midnight movie is hardly abuse!! Especially when there are parents who do drugs and leave their kids with any tom dick and harry just so they can go out and have a good time. She could still be nursing or whatever.. You are obviously not a parent. It's idiots like you that should not be able to comment on sites like this. No one knew what was going to happen.
Posted at 2:57 PM on July 20, 2012
That was my first thought, really who takes a 3 month old to the movies and a mid night showing on top of that. I have yet to take my 2 year old to the movies and probably won't until she's 5 or 6 and it will not be a mid night premier either. However my heart goes out to the baby and the parents. I would never want to even imagine having to go through that. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was affected by the shootings.
Posted at 2:35 PM on July 20, 2012
Posted at 11:37 AM on July 20, 2012
Johanna Carreno
Posted at 12:18 PM on July 20, 2012
I was just thinking the same thing… what kind of person takes a baby to the movies specially at MIDNIGHT!!!!!….that parent couldnt wait to see the movie at a normal hour…or for the dvd and watch it at home… r u such a fan that u couldnt think about your baby instead of you… when you are parent you always think about ur kid first!!!!…
Posted at 1:08 PM on July 20, 2012
tim cole
Posted at 2:11 PM on July 20, 2012
Posted at 3:17 PM on July 20, 2012
I kinda have to agree with this one. Though it may seem to some that it's not right or normal to have a baby out so late, it depends on the family. I just had a child, and she tends to sleep during the day and will be awake and active after about 9pm. Can't do much to change their sleeping habits til they get a bit older. Don't blame the parents who have just surely suffered the most tragic and heart wrenching night of their lives. We should all just be glad the little one is ok, and not one of the many victims who lost their lives.
Posted at 4:37 PM on July 20, 2012
Posted at 2:15 PM on July 20, 2012
Or a parent who couldn't afford a babysitter. Or who was visiting from out of town and didn't know one.
Once my husband was traveling for work during my birthday. He asked me to fly to meet him and bring our child so I met him and we went to dinner and brought our 2 year-old. He slept on my lap while we ate and then walked back to the hotel (which was down the block). Outside, a group of loud teenage girls began pointing and laughing at us, saying "who keeps a baby out at night?" It was about 10 o'clock. They may have been drunk…but I never forgot that night. In my mind, I knew he was safe with us but I learned that everyone has a different prospective.
Posted at 7:27 PM on July 20, 2012


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Number 11 in Series, "The Future of the Public Sector"
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Today, the easy financing mechanisms that fueled most of the 20th century domestic spending growth are no longer available. This, combined with high and automatic growth of entitlements, is driving our current long-term budget crunch. The floundering of government today is far more than an issue of changing ideologies or philosophies of government. A primary cause is the dramatic reversal in fiscal flexibility.
A striking aspect of our findings is that presidential ideology and political party do not appear to play a strong role in determining domestic spending. The top two domestic spending presidents Richard Nixon and Herbert Hoover are considered by some to be among the most conservative of the 20th century. Yet together they produced almost three-quarters of the domestic spending growth over the entire 100-year span.
In contrast, the liberal New Dealer, Franklin D. Roosevelt, is at the bottom of the list. Domestic spending actually fell by 3.6 percentage points of GDP during his tenure. How can this be? The massive World War II defense build-up crowded out domestic spending. Under FDR, defense increased by an enormous 37 percent of GDP. Domestic spending fell as the nation devoted over a third of its resources to the war effort. Perhaps more importantly, FDR's New Deal programs were primarily short-run or counter-cyclical in nature, and focused on unemployment compensation and jobs. Much of the spending was not intended to be permanent and, by the end of FDR's tenure, the nation had reached the full employment levels of World War II. Non-cyclical programs, such as retirement and health, remained quite small. Even at the end of the Truman administration, domestic spending was 1.6 percentage points lower than it had been when FDR took office two decades earlier. Finally, much of the increase in domestic spending in response to the Depression occurred prior to Roosevelt's presidency, under Hoover.
Also contrary to expectation, from the turn of the century until the end of the Wilson administration in 1921, the Progressive Era presidents did not increase their domestic spending by much. Spending on domestic programs fell under Taft and, when combined with spending under Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, yielded almost no growth for this era (a net increase of only 0.6 percentage points of GDP). During the Progressive years, activist governments focused on strengthening regulation of monopolies, food, drugs, railroads, and currency rather than increasing social spending. Government continued to concentrate domestic spending on veterans, as had been done since the Civil War. Outlays for veterans accounted for well over 40 percent of domestic spending for almost all of the Progressive era.
President Clinton is often considered a supporter of activist government, but domestic spending is not likely to rise under his administration, either. Over his first term, domestic spending only increased by a tenth of a percent of GDP, and under his budget proposal of February 1997 it would fall by that same amount over his two terms combined.
The Reagan administration performed closer to expectation. Domestic spending fell by 2 percentage points of GDP, the largest drop of all 20th century administrations other than that of FDR. The Reagan defense build-up added significantly to the pressure on domestic spending. The Reagan domestic cutbacks were quickly eliminated during the Bush presidency, at least in the aggregate.
To level the playing field among the presidents, some of whom presided over weaker economies than others, an alternative method of ranking them is to measure the change in domestic spending as a percentage of potential GDP. Potential GDP estimates economic output at full employment, thereby eliminating the effects of recessions and booms on the size of the economy. When the presidents are ranked this way, the story is basically the same: four of the top six are Republicans, the Progressive presidents combined account for little domestic spending growth, and Reagan remains near the bottom of the domestic spenders.
The drop since then amounts to about $800 billion more annually roughly $8,000 per household that we can now spend on domestic programs. This is on top of the hundreds of billions provided by simple growth in the economy, even while there was no significant change in average tax rates when all federal taxes are taken into account. Now it's easy to understand why some presidents were big spenders. They got to spend peace dividends. Truman did so after World War II, Eisenhower after the Korean War, Nixon as the Vietnam War wound down, and Bush in the post -Cold War era.
Apart from defense, other methods of easy financing were available in the first few decades after World War II. These allowed Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon to increase domestic spending more easily than other presidents. Rising inflation from the end of the Korean War until the late 1970s eroded the value of government debt, acting like a large tax on holders of outstanding bonds. This allowed the government to run significant deficits even while its debt-to-GDP ratio was generally falling.
Bracket creep in the individual income tax was another method of easy financing: inflation and the strong economic growth of the period (at least until economic growth slowed in the mid-1970s) pushed taxpayers into higher tax brackets. These sources of funds allowed the government to increase support for many domestic programs without appearing to pay for them through legislated tax increases or reductions in other domestic programs.
Steady increases in Social Security taxes provided yet more easy financing. The payroll tax rate increased about 3 percentage points per decade from 1950 to 1990, from 3 percent to 15.3 percent of taxable wages. Payroll tax increases during most of this period were hardly noticed. The tax started out small, changes were deferred until years after legislation passed, and most voters at the time were promised lifetime benefits far in excess of taxes to be paid.
Unfortunately, our fiscal policy not only moved away from easy financing, it moved into a straightjacket. What is fairly unique today, in comparison to much of American history, is that domestic policymaking is determined primarily by previous voters and policymakers. Their principal control comes from the entitlement programs, enacted in the past, that increasingly dominate federal government activity. The unbridled growth of programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid means that revenue growth for tomorrow is already spent. Indeed, it is overcommitted. Instead of moving from a peak of fiscal flexibility to a more normal state of affairs, we have moved to a trough.
This predicament is illustrated by the dramatic change in the composition of government spending over time. Entitlement spending increased from 28 percent of total spending in 1962 to 53 percent in 1995, while discretionary spending fell from 66 percent to 28 percent. (The remainder represents payments of interest on the debt, which has also put increased pressure on domestic spending since the late 1970s.) The shift from discretionary spending to entitlement and interest payments on the debt has severely curtailed our ability to address current needs or respond to current voter interests. Entitlements are not temporary. They are not designed to respond to any current measure of need. Perhaps even more important than these factors is entitlements' scheduled rate of future growth, regardless of the status of the economy. Programs such as Social Security and Medicare grow faster than the economy, so the revenues made available by economic growth are prespent on such entitlements. This pressure forces discretionary programs as well as entitlements without built-in growth into further decline. Spending on today's entitlements, therefore, is intrinsically different from domestic spending of the New Deal, because FDR's programs were designed primarily to be temporary in nature.
The current fiscal straightjacket explains why recent Republican and Democratic balanced budget proposals have similar effects on the size and composition of government. Under both parties' proposals, domestic spending as a percentage of GDP would not grow, defense spending would remain on a decline, and entitlement spending would continue to crowd out discretionary spending.
First, entitlement growth and the demise of postwar easy financing options continue to constrain government's ability to respond to current needs. As long as future revenue growth is entirely precommitted, deficit reduction alone, at least of the type we have had for the last 15 years, will never remove that constraint. Not even a balanced budget provides a cure. Pressure on discretionary programs such as community development and educational opportunity for children programs without built-in growth will not be relieved until precommitted growth for other programs is brought under control and a more level field is established.
Second, if younger generations have become less accepting of government, it is partly because they are denied ownership of current budgets.
Finally, we should grade presidents' budget policies less on their political philosophies and more on their vision in dealing with the fiscal opportunities and constraints that prevailed during their time in the White House.
About the Authors C. Eugene Steuerle is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. His books include Retooling Social Security for the 21st Century: Right and Wrong Approaches to Reform, 1994; and The Tax Decade: How Taxes Came to Dominate the Public Agenda, 1992 both published by the Urban Institute Press. He has worked under four different U.S. presidents on a wide variety of social security, health, tax, and other reforms.
Gordon Mermin is a research associate at the Urban Institute. His area of special interest is public finance.
Topics/Tags: | Economy/Taxes
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Hey, I was looking through our past messages from years ago and I was a total douche bag. How did I have any friends ? XD Anyways I was wondering what you have been up to lately ? I've been getting really nostalgic-y (i'm pretty sure that isn't a word) reading some of these old DQ posts. Feels like it was decades ago when we were messaging each other on our visitor pages.
Hey bby buttcheeks i went by in the forums and i saw you remember my old xmas pics and i went like <3333333333333333333333 Thanks to still remember a oldfag like me, have luck in life///xxash
And sexist as well! I'm offended D;
Ey u got anyting gainst black gays?! Dat sheep be racis u kno.
Yeah... no
Black sheep.
You're back again?
Dunno, apparently he was acting out again. We still speak on youtube and skype.
Ahhhhh what happened tu sheeply? D:
Hey, weren't you the one who drew that one picture with all of the old guards/ big posters of the forum?
Hmm...interesting. 'Cuz when I'm sending this message, the dialogue box is all funky colors.
Riding the waves of school and violin. Btw, what's up with these user customizations?
Bam. I just posted here. What is up?
Ha. Hahah. Hahahahaha. Hey, remember when I thought you were a guy and still was able to make a sexist joke?
Send an Instant Message to username Using...
DQ 1337 Member
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Cooking Light MARCH 1996
Place potato cubes in a medium saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes or until very tender; drain. Return potatoes to pan, and mash to desired consistency. Add milk, margarine, salt, and pepper; stir well. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.
Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with green onions and bacon bits.
Go to Full Version of
Baked Potato Soup with Bacon Recipe


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Thank you for your interest in the W&M Pathways program!
Please note that W&M Pathways registrants are accepted on a first come, first served basis due to limited space available on our trips.
Step 1: Fill out the Registration Form
You will need your William & Mary username and password to access the registration form.
Registration Form
**PLEASE NOTE** While we wish we could accept all registrants, submitting the online registration form is not a guarantee for a spot on your preferred trip. Once you have submitted your online registration we will do our best to place you on your first choice trip.
Step 2: Receive Confirmation
You will be sent a confirmation email with payment instructions, a gearlist, waiver, medical forms and itinerary for your confirmed trip. If there are no remaining spaces you will be put on a waitlist and we will contact you should spaces open up.
Step 3: Payment
There are two options for payment; credit card or check. We will send detailed instructions on how to pay for your Pathways trip upon confirmation of your registration.
If you have any questions, please do not hesistate to contact the Pathways Staff. [[melechner, Meghan Lechner]]
Welcome to William & Mary!


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SMIC's 2013 Advanced Technology Workshop Held In Shanghai Focusing On 40nm And 28nm Technology Offerings
SHANGHAI, May 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981), mainland China's largest and most advanced semiconductor foundry, held its 2013, also the 5 th, advanced technology workshop in Shanghai today. The workshop offered 40nm and 28nm IP and design solutions, and provided customers a chance for direct communication to promote technological innovation and cooperation. John Peng, Vice President and General Manager of SMIC's China Business Unit, mentioned in the opening speech that SMIC's 28nm will be ready for new tape-out in 2013, and its 20/14nm development is in preparation. Peng also addressed the importance of the China market and its growing share of SMIC's business. In addition, Tianshen Tang, Senior Vice President of SMIC Design Service, introduced SMIC's 40nm and 28nm technology and IP development roadmap to give insight on SMIC's value-added technologies and services. The workshop showcased SMIC's most up-to-date technology achievements on 40nm and 28nm, 40nm design and tape-out methodologies, eNVM platform for China market, SMIC foundation IP and special IP platforms, SMIC RF spice model and PDK introduction, and more. The workshop focused on 40nm and 28nm advanced nodes, with more than 200 invited senior IC design engineers in attendance. Executives and representatives from ARM, Ansys/Apache, BriteSemi, Cadence, Mentor Graphics, Innosilicon, Synopsys, and other SMIC partners also gave presentations on their IP offerings, design solutions, and application platforms.Peng marked the end of the event by thanking the attendees for their continued support and expressing SMIC's commitment to working closely with its customers to achieve further success.The workshop also featured an exhibition with SMIC partners displaying their products and services, including libraries and IP, EDA tools, and design services.
About SMIC
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China, providing integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 40-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm mega-fab in Shanghai, a 300mm mega-fab in Beijing, a 200mm fab in Tianjin, and a 200mm fab project under development in Shenzhen. SMIC also has customer service and marketing offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong.
For more information, please visit www.smics.com.
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The perfect place to stay and unwind in this beautiful setting, seeing is believing. The house is situated right on the beach it was difficult at times to leave the house. Your accomodation is spread out at the top of this wonderful house,we fall a sleep listening to the waves of the sea every night during out four night stay.... More
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Vivian Hsu and Singapore-based beau Sean Lee snapped in bridal glory over four days Down Under
Published on May 11, 2014 5:42 PM
Taiwan singer Vivian Hsu has posed in a series of romantic bridal shots with Singapore-based businessman Sean Lee, ahead of their Bali wedding next month.
Newly released photos showed the couple at sights such as Swan River, Wave Rock and the Fremantle Markets in Western Australia.
A statement said Indonesia-born Lee, who studied in Western Australia, sprang a surprise on Hsu by arranging the four-day shoot.
Hsu, 39, is living in Singapore following their registry marriage last February, said Apple Daily.
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5 Light, Comfortable and well made.Posted: 18/05/2011I recently purchased a new Samsung 3D television so I needed to buy some glasses. I sourced these through Google and found them on play. The glasses arrived and I followed the pairing instructions which where very simple. (Press a button for 2 seconds) the glasses paired with the tv, I then switched the tv to 3d mode and watched Sky 3D. The experience was amazing. The glasses themselves were very light and what weight that there was was spread around the head. I have used the Sony Infra red glasses and the Samsung ones were nowhere near as heavy. I watched tv for a couple of hours without getting a sore nose or head. All i can say is these glasses are amazing. the glasses can be charged off a PS3, Computer, TV or DVD player. I would definetley reccomend these glasses i would also reccomened buying them from play as i was unable to find them cheaper anywhere else.
1 RubbishPosted: 30/08/2009This is awful DO NOT BUY!!!!! The graphics are poor the gameplay is rubbish. this is the worst 1st person shooter on the PS3. Nowhere near as good as the first one. AVOID.
4 Best Fifa yetPosted: 30/08/2009I made the switch from Pro Evo last year and have not been dissapointed so far. This version is very polished. The gameplay is excellent and the sound track is awesome. The be a Pro mode is a good addition. The only reason that this did not get 5 stars is because of the poor free kicks. It is virtually impossible to make them a posotive when attacking. If EA sort this out for the next version then this will be the truly finished article.
3 AveragePosted: 30/08/2009I owned the first Virtua Tennis game and i expected this version to be as fun, but i was dissapointed as this game seems to have more wrong than right.Predictable AISlow progression up the rankingsAverage GraphicsLack of varietyIf you still have the original keep that one and dont upgrade.
4 Enjoyable TitlePosted: 30/08/2009This game is fairly simple but very well presented. The graphics are ok and the gameplay is easy enough to master. The only flaw is that it is very simple. It is possible to post some huge scores whilst batting. I do however think that it is the best cricket game Past or present for any format. If your a fan of cricket or just want to stick it to the Aussies again then buy this game.
5 OutstandingPosted: 30/08/2009This game is good. The Graphics are well detailed the movement of Batman is awesome. The story line is good and it takes you into the darker levels of gotham city. Arkham asylum is well constructed with plenty of areas to explore a must have title for PS3 owners.
4 Pretty GoodPosted: 03/02/2009I eagerly awaited the release of this game as COD 4 showed the future of first person shooters on the PS3. I was not dissapointed, this game looks and sounds amazing. The graphics have improved from COD 4 which does not seem possible. The effects of explosions and smoke are simple breathtaking. When using the flame thrower and hearing the screams it gives a nice sense of reality. The game is divided into 2 campaigns which you play consecutively. The american battle in the pacific and the russians charge on Berlin. The missions are varied allowing you to fight on foot, in a plane and in tanks. This is an Excellent game and a recommended purchase, the only criticism is that the single player campaign is over 2 quickly. I have not yet played this title on line but im sure it will be as good if not better than COD 4.
4 Good fun, all action shooterPosted: 03/07/2008This is a real good fun game. The gameplay is simple and the missions are reasonabley varied. The maps are big enough to be able to jump in a vehicle and burn around the enviroment. The ability to blow up buildings is a nice touch, knock down a wall to get at an enemy or do it just because you feel like it. The multiplayer is alot of fun. It is very hectic but it runs seamlessly. It is a little sad that there are no planes but helicopters, tanks, boats and jeeps are all their to control. All in all a very good fun shooter.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots (PS3) PlayStation3 3 New from £16.38 Free delivery Available used from £5.17
5 BrilliantPosted: 30/06/2008This game has been a long time coming, but the wait has been worth it. The graphics are truly stunning and snake moves effortlessly around the game zone. The sound is also amazing especially when using surround sound. the gameplay itself is very good. the idea is to play most of the game undetected; however, if you are compromised there is enough scope to allow you to play as a quick FPS. As is usual with the metal gear games their is a lot of cutscenes but this time you have the ability to skip through them. All in all a truly brilliant game.
3 Not as good as hypedPosted: 28/05/2008I eagerly awaited the arrival of the game and unfortunately it was dissapointing. The game has its good parts, using nectar and combining nectar with weapons(Knife & Grenades). The graphics are ok but they dont compare with COD4. The gameplay is also ok but its over in about 9 hours. The controls are nice and simple and you can control some vehicles overall Haze is ok but it could have been a lot better.