text:
Rangers lose Callahan for 4-6 weeks in loss to Predators
The Nashville Predators snapped out of their funk with a solid win at Madison Square Garden. The host New York Rangers might ask the visitors how they did it before they head back to Tennessee.
NHL STANDINGSHow is your team doing in the realigned NHL? Check out all the divisional races.
Nick Spaling and Rich Clune scored first-period goals, and seldom-used backup Carter Hutton made 28 saves as the Predators broke a five-game losing streak by beating the skidding Rangers 4-1 on Tuesday night.
New York geared up for a team-record, nine-game homestand, but three games into it the Rangers have only an overtime loss on the positive side of the ledger (0-2-1).
And now they will have to go the next four to six weeks without captain Ryan Callahan, who sprained his left knee in the first period. Callahan is second on the club with seven goals.
''Everyone has to step up a little more,'' defenseman Dan Girardi said. ''He brings a lot to the team, a lot of different characteristics.''
The Rangers were already playing without top defenseman Marc Staal, who sustained a concussion two games earlier.
Hutton (5-3-1) made his first start since Nov. 10 and his third appearance in that span as the Predators try to get by while No. 1 goalie Pekka Rinne (hip) is out. Marek Mazanec went 0-4-1 in the previous five games.
''I played a couple periods,'' Hutton said. ''We practice pretty hard, we train pretty hard. This was kind of something I was ready to do.''
Matt Hendricks made it 3-1 just 2:38 into the third, knocking in a loose puck from in front, with Clune earning an assist. Paul Gaustad scored an empty-net goal with 1:06 left and added two assists.
''I think everyone is going to sleep a little easier tonight,'' Clune said. ''We stopped the bleeding, but we have to move forward, ride the high on the plane, but refocus fast.''
Rick Nash cut New York's deficit in half in the second period and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 shots. The Rangers have dropped four straight at home (0-3-1).
''The only thing I know right now is it can only go up,'' Lundqvist said. ''It's extremely tough mentally, and you try to be positive. You have to.''
Despite a team meeting after their 4-1 loss to Washington on Sunday, several lineup changes - and a call-up from the AHL - the Rangers came out flat and fell into a 2-0 hole in the first period.
New York (15-16-1) added veteran forward Arron Asham to the lineup, but the Rangers still can't find consistency to their game.
''There were certain areas we talked about before the game,'' coach Alain Vigneault said. ''I thought we started off all right, but it makes it real challenging when you are down 2-0 early.''
Nashville was hardly impressive or overly aggressive, but the Predators made the most of their chances and scored twice on only six shots.
Spaling made it 1-0 with 6:15 left, right after the Rangers briefly avoided falling behind on another scoring chance in front. Spaling delivered a hard hit on defenseman Ryan McDonagh and then was free in front to score his fifth of the season before McDonagh could get back in the play.
Another breakdown produced the Predators' second goal 4:07 later. Hendricks raced the puck up right wing and flipped a perfect pass over the stick of Rangers forward Dominic Moore and onto Clune's blade.
POWER RANKINGSSeparating the best from the rest. Where is your team in our power rankings?
Clune, who had no points and 69 penalty minutes in 17 games this season, deftly shifted the puck from forehand to backhand and slid it past Lundqvist.
When the period ended, the Rangers were serenaded with boos as they trudged off to the dressing room.
''This crowd is a demanding crowd. You can hear the crowd getting on them, letting them know what they thought,'' Clune said.
New York enjoyed a better second period. Even though the Rangers were outshot 12-6, they scored the only goal.
Nash finished a crisp three-way passing play that started with Derick Brassard moving the puck to his left to Brad Richards, who quickly found Nash down low. Nash cut right to left across the crease and tucked in his sixth goal of the season at 6:38.
Brassard nearly tied it with 1:49 remaining in the second, but his hard drive struck a post behind Hutton.
''It was not the start we were looking for,'' Lundqvist said. ''Still, after two periods, it is just a one-goal game. We tried to fight back in the second and in the third.
''That third goal killed us.''
NOTES: Nash earned his 600th NHL point. ... Vigneault confirmed Staal's concussion, but said it doesn't appear to be as severe as his previous one a few years ago. ... Clune entered with four goals, 11 points and 208 penalty minutes in 78 NHL games. It was his second multipoint game. ... Earlier this season, Hutton became the seventh goalie to win a game with the Predators.
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text:
Jason Rhoades, Four Roads is the first major gallery exhibition of the work of this exceptional artist who died in 2006 at the age of 41.
BALTIC is open seven days a week from 10.00-18.00 except Tuesdays 10.30-18.00.
We offer many opportunities for schools and colleges, from group visits and artist-led sessions to work based placements within our Learning team.
Six is BALTIC's stunning rooftop restaurant brought to you by Fresh Element. Combining breathtaking panoramic views and great food, Six is open for lunch seven days a week and for dinner six days a week. Call: 0191 440 4948 to book or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Stay up to date with the latest announcements and news from BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.
BALTIC is one of the most iconic buildings in the north east and offers a stylish and unique location for civil ceremonies, wedding breakfasts and receptions.
BALTIC's Learning Fund supports those most vulnerable to experience art, learn about it and participate in it. Your donation matters.
BALTIC's project space at BALTIC 39 is closed during Spring 2015 for building remedial work.
BALTIC SHOP is offering FREE P&P on all Jewellery and Accessories online this month. With British designers like Tatty Devine, And-Mary & Bill Skinner, there is something for everyone. Click here to find out more.
Berlin-based Canadian artist Germaine Koh helped to welcome the Tall Ships Race to the Tyne with Relay: an intervention into the fabric of the BALTIC building.
Koh installed lights around the Level 4 outdoor viewing platform which flashed in Morse code - broadcasting messages received via SMS (text message). The beacon merged early technologies for communication and navigation with some of the more contemporary methods by which information flows today.
Visitors were able to text their own messages to Relay for the duration of the exhibition – at least one marriage proposal was recorded.
Click here to view all Library and Archive entries for Germaine Koh
There are no related items for this exhibition
BALTIC Centre for
Contemporary Art
Gateshead Quays
South Shore Road
0191 478 1810
31-39 High Bridge
Newcastle Upon Tyne
0191 261 3830
Open Daily 10.00-18.00
Tue 10.30-18.00
Free Admission
Donations Welcome
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Open Wed-Sun
Thu 12.00-20.00
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© BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art | Design by Founded | Built by band-x Media
BALTIC Flour Mills Visual Arts Trust, incorporated in England and Wales,
company limited by guarantee, No: 3589539 | Registered Charity No: 1076251

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hotel Villa Medici - Bad Schönborn
Waldparkstraße 20 - Bad Schönborn1-877-662-6988
Hotel Villa Medici is a 4-star hotel, housed in two beautiful buildings with Mediterranean interiors, offering all the modern amenities and quality services required to meet your needs and create the most relaxing atmosphere. The Italian restaurant offers exquisite European cuisine, and there is a bar where you can request a fine glass of wine or drink of your choice. The sauna and fitness center provide 2 saunas, an infrared sauna, along with aromatherapy treatments, plus a fitness center for a good workout. Start your day with a hearty breakfast served in the restaurant each morning.
For your professional needs, Hotel Villa Medici includes 9 rooms for meetings and specials events, and complimentary wireless Internet access. Outside parking is free.
These reviews have been left by customers who actually stayed at this hotel
Check Availability at Hotel Villa Medici
Breakfast at Hotel Villa Medici
A buffet breakfast is served between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM for a fee.
Facilities at Hotel Villa Medici
- Bar
- Restaurant/Dining
- Laundry service
- Lift/elevator
- Room service - limited hour
- Pets accepted
- Entire property is non-smoking
- Laundry room
- Garden
- Gym
- Multilingual staff
- Newspapers
- Front desk - 24 hour
- Luggage room
- City tour
- Sauna
- Massages
- Spa/Wellness Centre
- Meeting Room
- Internet/Email services
- TV Lounge
- Shuttle service from and/or to the railway station
- Free parking
Know before you go
- This property offers transfers from the train station. Guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
- Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
- Children 16 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
Check-in: between 2:00 PM and 6:30 PM.
Check-out: before 11:00 AM.
Please contact the property ahead of time if you are planning to arrive after 6:30 PM.
PolicyExtra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
City tax and/or any other fees charged by the hotel
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 15 for adults and EUR 7.50 for children (approximately)
- Pet fee: EUR 10 per accommodation, per night
- Rollaway bed fee: EUR 15 per night
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
National ratingHotelstars Union assigns an official star rating in Germany. This property is rated 4 stars and is displayed on this page as 4 stars.
Hotel Villa Medici reviews
- April 2012
- Venere Guest
- Single traveller
- Germany
Hotel Villa Medici reviews by TripAdvisor
Room Details
Hotel Villa Medici offers 88 guest rooms for your spa holiday. Televisions in each room offer entertainment at the end of a long day. Business travelers will have access to free wireless high-speed Internet access as well as desks and phones during their Bad Schoenborn visit.
Guest rooms are individually furnished, making each stay a unique experience. Private bathrooms are outfitted with hair dryers. Additional comforts include coffee/tea makers.
Irons/ironing boards can be provided on request.
Accommodation Services
- Telephone
- Extra beds
- Coffee and tea maker
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Ironing facilities on request
- Hairdryer in each room
- Desk
- Wireless Internet access
Distances from Hotel Villa MediciCorporate SAP Headquarters - 8.6 km / 5.4 mi
Sinsheim Golf Club - 12 km / 7.4 mi
Hockenheim Racing Track - 14.7 km / 9.1 mi
Sinsheim Badewelt - 16.1 km / 10 mi
Rhein-Neckar Arena - 16.2 km / 10.1 mi
Auto and Technik Museum Sinsheim - 17.1 km / 10.6 mi
Technik Museum - 19 km / 11.8 mi
Speyer Cathedral - 19.7 km / 12.2 mi
Schwetzingen Castle - 19.8 km / 12.3 mi
Heidelberg Castle - 21.7 km / 13.5 mi
University of Heidelberg Old Campus - 21.8 km / 13.5 mi
Heidelberg Church of the Holy Spirit - 21.9 km / 13.6 mi
Karl Theodor Bridge - 22.2 km / 13.8 mi
University of Heidelberg New Campus - 22.2 km / 13.8 mi
Thingplatz - 23 km / 14.3 mi
The preferred airport for Hotel Villa Medici is Colmar (CMR-Houssen) - 155.9 km / 96.9 mi.
Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property's location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance.
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 km and mile.
Transportation services Hotel Villa Medici
- Shuttle service from and/or to the railway station
- Free parking
We have the accommodation you need, all over the world
- • Hotel JAL City Kannai - Yokohama, Japan
- • Hotel Haveli - Jodhpur, India
- • Menzies Hotels Irvine - Ayrshire - Irvine, United Kingdom
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- • Hotel Nun Assisi Relais Spa Museum - Assisi, Italy
- • Hotel Prince de Ligne - Teplice, Czech Republic
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- • Hotel Untertor - Altstätten, Switzerland
- • Tverskaya 1 Apartment - Moscow, Russia
- • TianAn Rega Hotel - Beijing, China
- • Moorfield House Hotel - Ballater, United Kingdom
- • Hotel Nelva - Murcia, Spain
- • Pradamano Hotels, Italy
- • Helsinki Hotels, Finland
- • La Herradura Hotels, Spain
- • San Marino Hotels, San Marino
- • Saint-Hubert Hotels, Belgium
- • Lanjaron Hotels, Spain
- • Palmanova Hotels, Italy
- • La Barra de Maldonado Hotels, Uruguay
- • Miami Platja Hotels, Spain
- • New York Hotels, USA
- • Kiel Hotels, Germany
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- • Meran Hotels, Italy
- • Helena Hotels, USA
- • Montefrio Hotels, Spain


text:
The Tucson Urban League Weatherization Program enables low-income households to reduce their utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient. Application forms are available below. The Weatherization Assistance Program emphasis is placed on assisting the elderly, the disabled, and high energy users. Our services may include:
All work performed is determined by diagnostic testing for program compatibility. Services rendered are determined on a case by case basis. Available funding may vary.
In partnership with the City of Tucson, our program provides home repairs for qualified applicants. All potential repairs will be professionally assessed for program suitability. Service rendered are determined on a case by case basis. Available funding may vary .
Cynthia Dominguez, Administrative Assistant
2305 S. Park Ave. Tucson, AZ 85713
Phone: 520-791-9522 Ext 2605


text:
Annual PA Agronomic Education Conference - Register Today!
Registrations are now being accepted for the 2015 Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Conference, January 22-23, 2015 at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College. A reminder, the schedule this year is a Thursday/Friday. The conference will begin with registration at 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 22 and conclude by 2 p.m. on Friday, January 23.
The Conference Planning Committee and PAES Board are excited to be providing two days of sessions presented by speakers from within Pennsylvania as well as out-of-state agronomic specialists with a range of management and production expertise addressing all areas of agronomic practices including crop, pest, and nutrient management as well as soil and water conservation. Specific subjects to be covered include: Ag Economic Outlook; Palmer Amaranth and Waterhemp; Fertilizer Outlook and Management; Precision Agriculture and Data Collection; Utilizing Unmanned Arial Vehicles; Cover Crops; Herbicide Adjuvants; Crop Modeling; Weather Outlook; and Pasture Management. In addition to continuing education the meeting will provide productive networking opportunities and socializing, which always proves to be an enjoyable part of this meeting's tradition!
Continuing Education/Certification credits will be available for the Certified Crop Adviser, Pennsylvania Nutrient Management and Pennsylvania Pesticide programs.
Conference Agenda and Registration Info
Click here for complete details about the Conference including agenda and registration. Registration will be accepted two ways: 1) Online for those wishing to use credit cards at http://www.cvent.com/d/2rqnn2/1Q and 2) Via Fax/Email/Mail for those using checks or requesting invoices. Registrations received on or before December 31, 2014 will receive an early bird rate!
Those unable to join us for the conference but wishing to renew their Society membership may do so via the attached registration form as well.
Thank you for your support of the Society and the Conference!
Thank you to our 2015 PA Agronomic Education Conference Sponsors!
Companies wishing to sponsor the Conference may click here for levels and benefits.
Have Questions?
Contact Amy Bradford at email@example.com or 717-651-5920.


text:
This Video Of A Daddy Daughter Dance-Off Is The Best Thing To Come Home To
"Swing your partner round and round."
1. YouTube user Chessi Price uploaded a video of a dance routine her husband and daughter did when he came home from work one afternoon.
2. It features daddy and daughter dancing to the beat of Ke$ha's "Timber."
3. It includes a little bit of solo twerking.
4. A couple of twirls.
5. All this while the dad is still in work clothes.
6. Work clothes or not it is absolutely adorable.
Preview Your Response


text:
Meet the team: Karsten, Lead Level Designer
- LE-Lore
- 4
Although being extremely busy right now making MMX, our dev team member Karsten (LE-Karsten) has made a little space in his schedule to answer a few questions. Being a man of short, concise answers, Karsten does not put us in danger of tl;dr (and also brings up a very good explanation on why it might be good to be a dwarf).
Who are you and what is your role at Limbic Entertainment?
Hi, I'm Karsten and I'm working as a Lead Level Designer and Content Integrator at Limbic Entertainment.
What exactly does a Content Integrator do?
Simple, integrating content. For example, putting assets into the engine, layouting dungeons or integrating level logic. It's a bit of everything.
What does your average day at work look like?
E-mails, meetings, solving problems.
Can you give an example for the kind of problems you have to solve?
For example, a level designer asked for a glow effect moving up on several objects. Then my job is to find or organize a solution.
What is the best part about your job?
Creating awesome looking stuff ;D
What do you like most about MMX in general?
The focus on central gameplay.
What kind of gamer are you according to the Bartle test?
Would you rather be a human, elf, dwarf or orc?
Dwarf, they have the best beer :D
What are you currently playing?
Assassins Creed 3 & The Witcher 2
What's your motto?
Geht nicht gibt's nicht. (Roughly translated, that means "can't do, won't do" or "nothing is impossible".)
Your message to the fans?
Have Fun :)
Have you met our other team members yet? Check out our team video and the interviews with creative designer Julien, game designer Marcus and communicators Anna & Lore. More interviews are in the making and will be published on this blog soon.


text:
How to kill a process if its port is known? For example if a process is running at port
12345 then how it can be terminated in linux/ubuntu.
Take the 2-minute tour ×
Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It's 100% free, no registration required.
How to kill a process if its port is known? For example if a process is running at port
migrated from stackoverflow.com Oct 7 '13 at 13:09
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
You can use
to show what is listening on what port. You should see something similar to this (I've simplified the output somewhat).
That fourth column (0.0.0.0:80 in my example) will show you the port number (80 here) and the final column (2472/apache2) will show you the PID (2472).
You can then issue
where PID is the PID we found with the previous command. This will send SIGTERM to the process. If that fails, you may need to
but that is generally a less friendly way to kill process. For more info, you should checkout


text:
Coalition for Government Procurement President Roger Waldron said GSA's next-generation telecom contract could be skewed in favor of large providers.
The General Services Administration's strategy for its next-generation telecommunications services contract could exclude a huge segment of providers and duplicate some federal contract offerings, according to a procurement industry group.
GSA issued a request for information for Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) in April; comments are due by May 8.
The RFI is part of GSA's effort to develop a comprehensive framework and acquisition strategy for Network Services 2020, which will become the federal government's strategic sourcing center for network-based and network-enabled services. The agency plans to solicit bids for NS2020 in fiscal 2015.
According to Roger Waldron, president of the Coalition for Government Procurement, the plan sets up small and midsize suppliers to fail. The organization's concerns relate to the scope of services envisioned under the RFI and the designation of mandatory versus optional services, he added.
To be eligible to bid, potential contractors must propose a minimum/mandatory combination of voice and data services, Waldron said. That combination will be easy for large telecom suppliers but could be a big problem for other potential vendors -- such as cloud service providers -- that might not be grounded in traditional telecom offerings.
Companies that primarily provide data center services, network and security equipment, cabling, managed services, service-related labor and call-center services might not be able to bid as effectively for the contract as telecom companies could, Waldron said. "It all boils down to whether the contracting vehicle provides all kinds of services from companies or will rely on three or four large telecommunications providers," he added.
"The minimum/mandatory structure, combined with the optional products/services, will unduly restrict competition," he said.
The proposed rules could block a host of companies that are seeking to provide cloud services to agencies under GSA's Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, Waldron added.
Furthermore, he said NS2020's proposed structure duplicates "major portions of pre-existing GSA governmentwide contract vehicles, including Alliant and the GSA Schedules."
About the Author
Mark Rockwell is a staff writer covering acquisition, procurement and homeland security. Contact him at email@example.com or follow him on Twitter at @MRockwell4.
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Meet 100 women and men who are doing great things in federal IT.
Click here for the full list
Steve Kelman applauds the OMB's move to make career employees "goal leaders" for performance management initiatives -- but wishes it had come far earlier in the administration.
In an exclusive interview, Jimaye Sones, who was Defense Information Systems Agency comptroller from 2005 to 2013, says he was reassigned after revealing questionable accounting practices at the agency.
Through computer forensics training and internships, veterans are helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement tackle a backlog in child exploitation cases.
After two months on the job studying DOD's cybersecurity and IT needs, Secretary Ashton Carter is set to unveil a new Pentagon cyber strategy in Silicon Valley.
The failure of massive federal IT projects can usually be traced to poor management. The solution is as multilayered as the projects themselves.
Delivering business outcomes with continuously changing IT portfolios requires project managers to have a more entrepreneurial skill set.
The interconnectivity of the Internet of Things makes cyber threats inevitable, says NIST fellow Ron Ross.
Federal CIO Tony Scott says the new law could mean some CIOs will be out of work.
Most CFO Act agencies have made budget requests to fund Digital Services teams.
The GSA is moving aggressively forward with its Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiatives (FSSI) without considering the impact of the U.S. Economy. SBA recognizes that a Cost-Benefit Analysis as a minimum must be performed to evaluate the true NET BENEFITS of this procurement policy. There is much to be learned from the decision of a California Assembly Committee who evaluated the California Strategic Sourcing Initiative (CSSI):
FSSI COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS: If it's good enough for the California to put their Strategic Sourcing Program ON-HOLD for lack of a COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS, WHY NOT GSA !!!
FSSI COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS: If it's good enough for the California State Assembly Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review to issue RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS BEFORE IT ALLOWS STRATEGIC SOURCING IN CALIFORNIA IN THE HEARING ON JUNE 8, 2011, WHY NOT THE GSA: The Hearing was entitled.... A REVIEW OF STRATEGIC SOURCING AND IMPACTS ON SMALL BUSINESS Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I don't see how the GSA Telecom strategy fosters competition. GSA needs to go back to the drawing board on this one...
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text:
Happy New Year. I Guess.
I don't have eRobin's panache but here's a little something for the new year that seems appropriate.
Why Is Health Insurance So Expensive?
The predatory practices of the health insurance industry are one reason. The Boston Globe is reporting today that Humana Inc, one of the bigger insurers involved in providing the new Medicare drug benefit with some 2,000,000 seniors signed up in seven states, is going to raise the price for its Standard prescription drug coverage plan by 130% in Massachusetts. (more…)


text:
Birzman Two Piece Bench Workstand. An endurable work stand brings convenience and practical functions to bicycle assembling. Provide excellent strength to hold up most Mountain Bikes and Road Race by holding the front…
Birzman Two Piece Bench Workstand. An endurable work stand brings convenience and practical functions to bicycle assembling. Provide excellent strength to hold up most Mountain Bikes and Road Race by holding the front fork end and the bottom brackets of a bike. This work stand can be attached and fixed onto Birzman mobile carts and work.
Buying Guides
A buying guide that offers general advice on workstands
Customer Reviews
Currently unavailable
Currently Unavailable – Currently there is no available stock for this product.
We offer a range of delivery services for our UK and International customers. UK Customers can select our FREE standard delivery option on most non bike orders over £20. Or if you're in a hurry you can upgrade to our Next Day, Saturday or Sunday delivery services. You can also use our free Click & Collect service, where you can collect your purchases from a choice of over 50 Evans Cycles stores. International customers can benefit from FREE delivery on most orders and save UK VAT if we are shipping outside of the EU.
Bike build & delivery
UK bike delivery charge includes assembly by our fully trained mechanics, pre-delivery inspection and safety check, packing in our custom bike box, multi-tool and delivery from only £9.99 per bike.Click here to see how we deliver your bike
Standard, Next Day, Saturday & Sunday UK delivery
We offer a FREE standard delivery service on orders over £20, as well as Next Day, Saturday & Sunday delivery options to UK addresses. Click here for more details
Click & Collect
Using our Click & Collect service your order will be delivered to a choice of over 50 Evans Cycles stores nationwide for collection. This service is FREE of charge for all orders. To check store stock and collection times, use the "Check store stock" button above. Click here for more details
International delivery (Incl BFPO, ROI, Channel Island & Isle of Man)
We offer a FREE delivery service on most International orders. Orders delivered outside the EU are exempt from VAT. To calculate the charges for your order simply add products to your basket and proceed through the checkout process, where you will need to enter your delivery details. Our website will present you with the relevant delivery options and the charges for your basket of goods. Click here for more details.
Easy Returns
Our priority is to ensure that you are highly satisfied with your purchase. In the unlikely event that you are not, please feel free to return your goods within 90 days of the purchase date for a full exchange or refund. Returns can be made in your local store or sent back to our distribution centre.


text:
Leonardo DiCaprio visits Alberta tar sands for new documentary
(Photo: Twitter/DarrenAronofsky)
Less than 1% of destructive #tarsands mines are reclaimed. This one here makes @suncorenergy proud. Reassured? pic.twitter.com/C5orge8SYV
— Michael Brune (@bruneski) August 21, 2014
#tarsands surrounded by boreal forest @sierraclub pic.twitter.com/DA21ZIR2Nl
— darren aronofsky (@DarrenAronofsky) August 23, 2014
tailing pond more like a lake scarecrow. used to keep birds from landing. add some propane cannons and all is "safe" pic.twitter.com/Na3gzMFeLg
— darren aronofsky (@DarrenAronofsky) August 25, 2014
As part of their trip, the trio flew into the remote community of Fort Chipewyan, taking in the sights of Athabasca Lake and having lunch with 30 members of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. According to local resident Cookie Simpson, DiCaprio was in awe of the region's beauty and showed genuine care for the environmental plights facing the residents.
"Cameron came here and we never heard nothing back from him. He said he would help us out and we never heard anything," she said of the director's 2010 visit. "But Leonardo is here now and he seems much more caring, so much more interested. He's doing his documentary anyways on the environment. I'm sure when his movie comes out, I'm sure he's going to be on our side."
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Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick Bed & Breakfasts - Beautiful Chalet overlooking the Bay of Fundy
Saint John, New Brunswick Hotels & Resorts - Just minutes to the Reversing Falls, the Colonial Inn is close to numerous local attractions including Saint John City Market, Rockwood Park, Irving Nature Park, Cherry Brook Zoo, University of New Brunswick Saint John, and Harbour Station.
Saint John, New Brunswick Bed & Breakfasts - A quiet retreat for travelers to Saint John and area. We offer a Victorian or Cottage style room and a hearty breakfast.We are within walking distance to Uptown Saint John and many of restaurants and Attractions
Hampton, New Brunswick Bed & Breakfasts - Our luxury 4 1/2 star rooms (as rated by Canada Select) are located in our town's centre. Enjoy everything Hampton has to offer while keeping a tranquil, quiet, and private atmosphere which are perfect for relaxing away your days. Private Entrance
Saint John, New Brunswick Hotels & Resorts - our family-owned and operated motel offers comfortable, affordable accommodations, kitchenette units, Free wireless internet, and much, much more. You are just ten minutes away from hiking, whale watching, swimming, shopping to just reading and relax
Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick Bed & Breakfasts - The Artisan and Coastal suites are 2 completely furnished apartments suitable for 2-3 adults or a small family. 2km from the Hopewell Rocks,beautiful view from suites, king sized bed and double jacuzzi are all features in these clean, unique apts.
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Fredericton, New Brunswick Hotels & Resorts - The Fredericton Inn is a full service hotel and convention center with 200 modern guest rooms featuring Standard, Deluxe and Executive rooms. All guest rooms are equipped with complimentary Fiber-Op internet and HD TV.
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Seal Cove, Grand Manan New Brunswick, New Brunswick Vacation Rentals - Beautiful 6 bedroom house overlooking the historic fishing village of seal cove on the island of grand manan, has everything you need for a wonderful vacation, full kitchen, with dishwasher, fridge, s...
|Page: 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Find the perfect accommodations for vacations, romantic weekends and adventurous getaways. Find the right accommodations for your travels, from budget to luxury!
|Page: 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |


text:
Give your mobile phone unlimited power with this Exclusive home charger! Charge your own battery, charge your friend's battery, charge anyone's battery!
Features & Highlights
Why you should buy this product
Give your mobile phone unlimited power with this Exclusive home charger!
Charge your own battery, charge your friend's battery, charge anyone's battery! This incredible wall charger is built to charge all types of batteries. Not only is it great to Charge your Battery on trips away from home where you need it the most, but you can use this Charger at anytime, anywhere. It's easy to use, fast, and extremely convenient!
Travel Battery charger for all types of batteries.
Adjustable contacts works for virtually every type of cell phone battery.
Even works with batteries with more than 2 contacts!
LED charge indicator - indicates Power, Charging, and Full Charge status
Folding plug for compact travel.
"TE" (test) and "CO" (polarity) button checks for proper connection.
Great backup charger for all your cell phones!
Also available with LCD Screen! Click Here
Hey Geeks! Is this charger makin' your head hurt? Not sure what goes where? If you need a little help with this charger, please feel free to call our toll free number to speak to a customer support Geek. They can help answer any questions at: 1.866.433.5793
You Might Also Be Interested
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Customer Reviews
Oct 7, 2014 12:05:59 AM
Great buy !
Very useful, and it's exactly what I needed for traveling.
Aug 24, 2012 5:35:34 AM
Not Perfect but Charges and works around bad charging port problem!
While it's not designed optimally for securing/holding my particular battery in place, the main point is, it charges! If you're designing something for flexibility to adjust to a variety of sizes, "optimal design" is usually the sacrifice, but it does hold my battery if you set it carefully, if awkwardly (pos/neg metal connectors are close together at the very edge of the battery so it looks like it'll teeter out). When it was in my hand and I was trying to get the battery put in correct, the blue lights on the left lit up immediately when it connected properly - nice feature. When I plugged it in carefully so the battery wouldn't slip out, then the multi-colored lights on the right side of the unit started altering noting charging.
So overlook "ideal" knowing if you change battery styles, this charger can adapt to different styles. I bought a Droid X which are seemingly notorious for charging port and battery problems (probably why I paid $40 for it), so rather than shell out hundreds for a new phone and another 2-year contract, I just paid 7 bucks for this. Less than 50 bucks for an otherwise great smart phone that now charges - awesome!
Flexibility; blue lights turn on when you hit the connectors properly even when not plugged in, so you know you've done it right; + it works!
can hold batteries awkwardly depending on connector locations.
Jun 9, 2012 7:38:06 AM
Universal battery charger
A nice product, easy to use on multiple batteries. I bought it because of an upcoming trip to Alaska, I want to use my smartphone for pictures & videos instead of hauling a cam corder or camera. This charger allows me to have access to three charged batteries while still using the phone.
Apr 23, 2012 1:00:28 PM
universal cell battery charger
Not very durabale. What do you want for 7buck works great so .
Great idea but make a better porduct and charge more.
Robert Bage
Mar 7, 2012 11:01:48 PM
This cell phone charger is great can charge spare batterys,while charging the one in the phone.
James Ratay
Feb 4, 2012 5:53:00 PM
Most Amazing Product Ever!!!
So, I have a Casio Brigade, and i broke the charging port. I thought, darn, i guess i need a new phone. Before I leapt to buying a new phone, I searched on Yahoo how to charge a cell phone battery when the charging port is broke. I found a site with this product on it, and how the person was so happy they didn't have to buy a new phone. I was skeptical, but the 6.99 pricepoint was something i valued as a risk assesment of a product. I bought 3, just incase i might get a bad one or something. Well, not only do all three work, but the fact i bought a few is great, since I have 3 batteries. and can keep a full rotation. This simple 6.99 product saved me hundreds on a new phone (especially since my carrier doesn't like selling anything but smart phones..). I am Very satisfied, and so glad i found this product.
It Works. It is simply amazing, and it is so easy to use.
Nov 24, 2011 2:51:42 AM
ron russell
Apr 18, 2011 6:40:53 AM
it works
however I had to get someone to explain to me how it works as the box contained no directions
I have a whole bunch of cell phones to text, per my work, and this will help keep them charged when I can't find the right charger
nothing yet
Apr 14, 2011 12:49:01 PM
I was very skeptical and this works awesome and was super inexpensive. THANK YOU!
Works great and my phone would have been garbage without this because the prongs broke where I would plug in my charger.
Nothing! Even the shipping was practically overnight!
Feb 27, 2011 6:19:54 AM
Unique Item REALLY works well.
This "nothing like it" item really works well. When you are initially configuring the terminals, its built-in LED will insicate when you have made a positive contact. It does this without even having to be plugged in. Once plugged in, the charging starts. When DONE, another LED indicates such and you can go ahead and unplug it. It'd done AND full charged too. It may look a little strange but it works PERFECTLY.
- can be setup to CHARGE without being plugged in.
- Initial contact LED lets you know you have made the correct PIN cantact and the polarity is correct
nothing !
Aug 9, 2010 1:06:54 PM
1st day with it, its still charging its taking awhile tho:( , but i guess it works !
Jul 26, 2010 6:22:02 AM
Universal Cell Phone Battery Travel Charger
It was not very clear on how to use the device. The pictures provided in the instruction were not very clear. However the Battery Travel Charger does work.
It does as it claims it charges any type of cell phone
Understanding the instructions. Using the pictures did not help much.
Jul 18, 2010 4:16:31 AM
universal charger
it works extremely well,
fabulous godsend since the phone would have been garbage without it!
wish it had come with directions!
Jeffrey Bruns
Jul 6, 2010 11:55:33 PM
Universal Cell Phone Battery Travel Charger
Works great!
Difficult to figure out how to use.
Jun 30, 2010 4:32:46 AM
works very well
Its feels like a toy lol
Jun 21, 2010 12:35:23 PM
Works as advertised
USB port broke on my phone but was not ready to buy a new phone. Interestingly, I'm getting longer life out of my battery with the Universal Charger than I did when charging through my phones USB port. Probably because the USB was failing and I didn't realize it.
So I am VERY HAPPY with my purchase.
Jun 6, 2010 1:40:18 PM
Universal Cell battery charger
A+ Very simple and works like a charm.
works great
Instructions are made in China and the English is a little sketchy but this is not rocket science and it's pretty easy to figure it out. Kinda funny to read :)
Jun 1, 2010 11:33:37 AM
Universal Cell Phone Battery Travel Charger
I needed something to charge my cell phone and this worked great. Thank you.
May 26, 2010 11:11:16 PM
standalone cell phone charger
For being a universal product, it worked pretty good. Sometimes have to fiddle with getting the prongs set right, and then it only takes a few seconds.
The only standalone cell phone charger I could find for this phone.
Prongs have to be adjusted sometimes.... but not too big a deal.
Steve Smallwood
May 16, 2010 12:53:54 AM
Works okay.
Only item I have seen like this, and it works pretty good, except it doesn't charge one of my batteries. It should be better made, too. Overall, I would recommend this to a friend.
works as described
- very cheaply made
- buttons pop up, and aren't almost flush like they are supposed to be
May 10, 2010 7:13:25 AM
it works great but takes a long time to charge
annalisa vytlacil
Apr 16, 2010 5:12:05 AM
cool product!
I wish I had one after hurricane Ike, we could've charged all 3 cell phones in my household.
Apr 16, 2010 12:37:51 AM
great service
product works well. very prompt shipping
Apr 13, 2010 8:56:01 PM
Great charger
Operates as advertised. Good backup charger for the price.
Apr 12, 2010 10:31:29 AM
Great idea especially with these cheap, flimsy charging ports on expensive cellphones
The charging/USB port on my y daughter's LG Voyager broke loose and could not be repaired without having to shell out $100 to $150; however, I luckily ran across the universal cellphone charger from accessorygeeks.com on youtube and couldn't believe that there was cost-effective alternative to this dilemma. I purchased the UCPC with skepticism, but was surprised at how efficient the device worked, easily well worth the money! The only minor draw back is opening the plug prongs, which is difficult if you have large hands.
Works efficiently and as advertised
prongs are difficult to open if you have large hands
Apr 12, 2010 6:54:25 AM
overall good product
nicely made and pretty easy to use
would seem to work on all cell batteries
some areas on charger are only letters so a little confusing in beginning but with some thoughts figured out, metal contacts seem fragile so care should be taken when putting on charger just push on until light comes on not more
Apr 9, 2010 5:38:52 AM
Works Great!
This little gadget saved my new phone! This works great! The instructions were easy enough to follow, however, the light that indicates you have the correct polarity is red instead of green. The charge holds a long time. Thanks!
Easy to use, lightweight, works great!
Apr 7, 2010 2:51:04 AM
Came quick... ur 1st charge on it gunna take 24 hours...overall reall good
All good
No cons
Mar 31, 2010 4:11:54 PM
Lucked out finding this Godsend
So my Verizon LG Voyager's charging port became loose a few month ago and to charge it i had to either hold it in really hard or find something to keep it squeezed together. but then about 2 weeks ago it just stopped charging so i had to switch back to my old LG VX9900. and then the unthinkable happened: that shit failed on me too. 2 days ago when i was pulling the charger out of the port the whole damn port got loose and came off! last night it completely died on me and today i received my pkg in the mail with this universal charger so that just saved me about $80 cuz my only other option was to upgrade (which i was eligible for luckily) but i didnt wanna rush my choosing a phone. so now i'm looking at the 24-hr daily deals that vzw.com has going and i think ima buy the LG touch (upgrade price is $79.99 but if i wait for the 24-hr sale to roll around offering this i'll be able to purchase it at $29.99!!!).
saves you from having to upgrade earlier than anticipated or pay full retail price for a new phone.
the battery has to be off of the phone (but honestly i dont mind cuz that means i have a good excuse for missing my on-call shift hehe).
Feb 15, 2010 10:22:28 PM
A great universal charger
A great purchase. It made it possable for my daughter to use her cell phone, being that her phone can't charge the normal way. Also saved us a bundle by not having to buy a new phone. Buy the best from accessorygeeks not some other sites junk. Made that mistake once.
Easy to use, Informative web site video, great price. Does everything it is said to do. Very fast delivery service.
Doesn't come in Pink, HA HA just kidding. There is no cons
Feb 6, 2010 12:20:32 PM
Plug it in, go to bed
works as described but it's an overnight charger. Buy a second battery for your device, swap them out and charge for 9-12 hours.
Jan 29, 2010 12:05:12 PM
Great fix
This is great. The charging port broke on my verizon env and now all i have to do is put the battery in this charger every few days. I usually do it when i sleep because i dont like my phone off
Jan 21, 2010 9:18:15 PM
It's ok
Brought this to recharge HTC Droid eris's spare battery. It will charge but takes around 12 hours for a full charge. Also, when plugging in to an outlet, do not press all the way in. It will indicate as full if plug in all the way, leaving a little space will initiated the charge. When there's no alternative, its usable.
It does what it does.
Product requires adjustment to work properly. Takes a long time for a full charge.
Jan 21, 2010 9:51:50 AM
Universal Charger
This charger is a great choice and it came quick
Great price
Dec 29, 2009 3:25:41 PM
How long?
I ordered this product, but i'm wondering exactly how long it takes to fully charge a battery...?
Dec 25, 2009 11:56:42 PM
Cell Phone Universal Battery Charger
I have 2 LG EnV phones that are known for the charger port to fail. This charger is exactly what all EnV owners need to keep using their phone *WHEN* the charger port fails. The phones are great. Buy one of these first thing. You will need it or send in for repair. $$$$
Portable, many uses besides EnV.
Dec 17, 2009 10:08:33 AM
Terrific product, brought my daughter's LG EnV back to life
My daughter's LG EnV quit charging and I couldn't afford to replace her phone until she's eligible in 6 more month. This saved the day and will hold us over until we can get her a decent phone.
last hope for cell phones that won't charge their batteries
video on accessorygeeks makes setup easy
Battery sticks out awkwardly
Polarity button could be accidentally pressed (with predictable hilarity ensuing)
Dec 1, 2009 11:46:23 PM
Works great
I received the charger and used it right away. I watched the video on line to learn how, then used it with no problem.
It works like a charm and saved me a ton of money from buying extra chargers for individual phones.
works perfect
can use with all kinds of cellular battery's.
needs better directions on the box, but they do provide the video on line, so that makes up for it.
Nov 28, 2009 4:14:04 AM
Universal Travel Charger
I just bought the travel charger,my home charger it just broke,now i just pray that this one works for the price,i read all the reviews and all of them were positive :)
Nov 19, 2009 11:04:21 AM
Works Great
My husband was going to have to get a new phone because his charging port was messed up but I found this product online through a demo video on youtube and ordered it because it was so cheap and it works great! My daughter also lost her charger and it works for her battery too. Much cheaper than replacing phones and chargers.
Jesenia Vega
Nov 2, 2009 12:47:24 PM
Little helper
I really liked this product, I too was skeptical at first but it really worked. I was very confused about how to use the charger at first but once I did learn how to use it it worked great.
Works on most batteries, saved me from having to replace my Lg Env when the charger port broke !
Takes a little while to fully charge.
Oct 27, 2009 5:08:36 PM
What a great charger!
I bought three of these, one for work, one for home, and one for a friend. Great price, free fast shipping, and the chargers work great (there isn't much for instructions but it's reasonably easy to figure it out). Could have packaged the chargers a little better (everything was a bit squashed), but no harm done, and overall it was a great online shopping experience - John
Good charger, has worked in nearly every battery I have tried.
Goofy instructions.
Oct 24, 2009 7:53:21 PM
Pretty Cool Device
You cannot beat the price and delivery. To my surprise it actually works.
I think if this was advertised better - they would sell a lot more. I know a lot of kids that had to get new phones b/c the port broke. This solves that problem and expense.
Much Better then buy a new phone b/c the charge port is broke
It should come with directions..lucky the website has a tutorial. Once set up works like a charm.
Oct 8, 2009 5:00:00 PM
Universal Charger
My LG VX9900 charge port had broken on me, I thought there was no hope for it....but I purchased this charger hoping to save my phone......was alittle skepticule at first, but it WORKS, I now am able to charge my phone and use it again. just want to say $6.99 was worth it, and it shipped very fast
Jun 13, 2009 5:00:00 PM
Just What we Needed
Just we needed when the no longer working charging port of the phone was not covered by the warranty. Works great. Follow the directions on the video: no directions in our boxes. (We ordered two.)
Jan 5, 2009 4:00:00 PM
battery charge
Great product. Only worries were that the movable electrical contacts might get bent/damaged, but I have used it for >1year on multiple batterys without a problem.
Jan 5, 2009 4:00:00 PM
battery charger
Great product. Only worries were that the movable electrical contacts might get bent/damaged, but I have used it for >1year on multiple batterys without a problem.
Dec 4, 2008 4:00:00 PM
awesome stuff
This is truely life saver...
Ronald Powers
Jul 17, 2008 5:00:00 PM
Universal Charger
The charger worked fine in the beginning, After using it for awhile, the thumb tab to open the the charger broke off.
Lakendria Hayes
Mar 4, 2008 4:00:00 PM
I just purchased a phone and it wouldnt accept a charge, I wasvery pleased to find a product that works as good as it says it does......thanks
Brian D. Grindell
Oct 15, 2007 5:00:00 PM
Universal Cell Phone Battery Travel Charger
This is a fantastic unit. Could not find a charger for my spare battery for my cell phone or for a friends of mine. Works great although it does take a little more time to charge. I will be ordering more for friends.
hendrik james
Aug 21, 2007 5:00:00 PM
btc uni
wao good
To wong
Jul 2, 2007 5:00:00 PM
it works!
it works! i'm so happy, u saved my life after i bot two batteries wouldn't charge on my phone, thanks, guys! the flip case is great too!
Richard P. Greenblatt
Mar 8, 2007 4:00:00 PM
Universal Battaery Charger
This item is nice and compact and works very well. It beats carrying numerous different chargers and is easy to operate.
S. Wexler
Dec 25, 2006 4:00:00 PM
It actually works
I have a LG VX8600 and am used to having a spare battery charged and ready to go. I like having an exrta battery & a way to charge a battery by itself. I was a little skeptical about this product, but it actually works!


text:
A Semi-Hater Revisits Voyager
View Single Post
July 22 2009, 12:44 AM
Rear Admiral
Location: Ireland
Re: A Hater Revisits Voyager
Quantum which was magicked up by a wizard.
I went into this episode with bad memories, so I was pleasantly surprised by the first 20 minutes or so where there is some comedy that managed to make me laugh. While I'm not a fan of how Shmully's character developed annoying traits over the years (such as the holo-photography thing) in this episode he manages to be annoying and humorous at the same time.
Then the second half of the episode kicks in and Shmully decides to leave Voyager for a career as a singer. No, that would not happen, the necessities of the plot are forcing the character to do things he would never do and that absolutely kills this episode for me. This was a man who just last week was so overjoyed to return to Voyager that he abandoned his son, and they expect me to believe that he is going to throw it all away again for fame and the love of a badly-acted woman? Shmully may be a flawed individual who is a little too in love with himself, but he is not a moron.
SHMULLY: So, without further ado, I give you Harry Kim and the Kimtones!
How pathetic are these bastards that Harry Kim is considered the cool one?!
...so many different suns...
No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away.
" - The immortal Terry Pratchett
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text:
President Obama will explain his administration's decision to allow as many as 800,000 young illegal immigrants to apply for temporary legal status and work permits in a speech in the Rose Garden at 1:15 pm EST.
The sweeping proposal affects immigrants without criminal records who are under 30 years old, entered the country as children, have graduated from a U.S. high school, and can prove they've lived in the country for five consecutive years.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters that she believed the move "is the right thing to do," and will help the agency focus on deporting illegal immigrants who have criminal records. "It is not immunity, it is not amnesty," she said. "It is an exercise of discretion so that these young people are not in the removal system." The plan will not provide citizenship or permanent legal status to applicants, but will lift the fear of deportation. Congressional Republicans, however, disagreed--criticizing the move as an overreach of executive power and an encouragement of more illegal immigration.
Obama previously said that he did not have the power to stop the deportation of young people, and that only Congress could do so. The move may generate enthusiasm among Latinos: 85 percent of registered Latino voters said in a Latino Decisions poll that they support legalizing young immigrants who came to the country as children. The president enjoys a strong lead among Hispanic voters over Mitt Romney, but a lack of enthusiasm among these voters could mean they stay home on Election Day in swing states like Nevada, Colorado and Florida.


text:
1998 Chevrolet Astro Questions
All 1998 Chevrolet Astro Questions
Ask a Question
0-20 psi.and no more
front differentials gear ratio is 3.42 , its a gu6 differential out of a 98 all wheel drive astro van .
frequently battery will drain and wont start, charging system checks out ok, will start right up when jumpstarted, gauge reads about 14 volts will start for a day or a few days after being jump started and process has...
wanting instructions on how to replace the pinion bearing and seal and perhaps the pinion gear itself. The front end clunking, and popping. The rear end was replaced about two months ago. the van is an all wheel drive
on level street it is okay. tried even jumping up & down on the bumper to move the suspension/shocks everything seems ok
where on the engine
Trouble light comes on when pulling a trailer (my boat). First to second gear shifting becomes very hard, it gets slammed into gear
I cant get that nut to turn
just did this in driveway.fuel pump audible in start position don't know what else to check
How hard is it to do ?


text:
Cheap YOC to Olbia flights
Popular Flights from Old Crow, Yukon
Top Old Crow Flights to US Destinations
Top Old Crow International Destinations
Popular Flights from Olbia, Italy
Top Olbia Flights to US Destinations
Top Olbia International Destinations
YOC to OLB Route Map
Old Crow to Olbia Flights, Stats and Airplanes
Route information for flights from Old Crow YT to Costa Smeralda.
4,772.71 miles
OLB - Costa Smeralda Airlines
Browse the most popular airlines servicing the Olbia (OLB) airport. Visit their flights pages to learn more about the most popular routes these carriers fly.


text:
Stock Report: Macy's Inc (M) Report Updated: May 26, 2015 | Print This Page
Report Features:
Stock Analysis
|Fundamental Grade:
|Sales Growth:
|Operating Margin Growth:
|Earnings Growth:
|Earnings Momentum:
|Earnings Surprises:
|Analyst Earnings Revisions:
|Cash Flow:
|Return on Equity:
|Quantitative Grade:
|Total Grade:
Rating: Monthly View
Rating: Weekly View
|This Week:
|B no change
|Last Week:
|B no change
|Two Weeks Ago:
|B no change
Macy's Inc© quotemedia
Company Profile
Macys, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates stores and Internet Websites in the United States. Its retail stores and Internet Web sites sell a range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. The company also operates Bloomingdales Outlet stores that offer a range of apparel and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, handbags, and intimate apparel products. As of January 28, 2012, it operated approximately 840 stores under the names of Macys and Bloomingdales; and 7 Bloomingdales Outlet stores, as well as macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The company was formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Macys, Inc. in June 2007. Macys, Inc. was founded in 1820 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Recent News: Macy's Inc
|2015-05-27 00:00:00
|Non-EDGAR filing submitted by "insiders" prior to intended sale of restricted stock - Form 144
|2015-05-26 05:46:45
|Tix Corporation: Are Strong U.S. Dollar Fears Keeping This Stock Cheap?
|2015-05-26 01:13:33
|J.C. Penney: Q1 Was Just Practice Ahead Of The Big League Reports
|2015-05-18 14:55:19
|Department store chains eye new marketing mix
|2015-05-18 13:34:21
|Macy's Inc. Working Hard To Pull Off Strategic Growth Plans As It Earns Bullish Thesis
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text:
We are planning the 5th Annual Orlando Pottery Festival for 2015!
The Orlando Pottery Festival, Central Florida's Largest Pottery Event, began in 2011 when several members of the City of Orlando's Downtown Pottery Studio were looking for a place to celebrate their craft and sell their work.
With more than 50 potters from Central Florida showcasing their pottery and art, the inaugural festival drew over a thousand people to Loch Haven Neighborhood Center and an annual event was conceived.
The 4th Annual Orlando Pottery Festival was held on Saturday, December 6, 2014. This wonderful grass-roots event was at the same indoor location as previous years, located at the Orlando Ballet's Loch Haven Neighborhood Center, 610 N. Lake Formosa Drive, Orlando, Florida. The high quality of the artists' work, delicious food from swedeDISH and La Empanada, live pottery demos, delightful volunteers from East River High School, individual volunteers, and large crowd of pottery lovers made the event a triumphant success. Thank you to everyone who came out to support local art! We are looking forward to our landmark 5th Orlando Pottery Festival.


text:
Do we take the truck?
"Tá mé tú... Tá tú dom... Ón bhfarraige do anam, tháinig mé..."
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If you are charged with a criminal or traffic offense in central North Carolina, we can provide you with a legal defense in which you may have confidence and which assures the best possible outcome for you. Our legal advice is honest, straightforward, and based upon the facts of your case (the evidence) and the law as it applies to your case. With experience in criminal defense and in criminal prosecution, we have the experience upon which you may confidently rely to obtain the best result possible in your case.
Call us for a free initial consultation. (919) 270-5105.
We will provide honest, courteous, valuable, and zealous legal representation to all our clients.
We will ensure our clients understand the value and benefit of the legal service they are receiving .
Our legal fees will be set as a value of the service provided with an attempt to be competitive in the legal market without undervaluing the excellent service being provided.
(c) 2014 The Law Offices of Mark T. McCullough, PLLC - All Rights Reserved


text:
Tomato Adventure
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2008)
|Tomato Adventure
Graphic Research
|Chihiro Fujioka (director)[1]
|Game Boy Advance
|Release date(s)
|Role-playing video game
|Single-player, Multiplayer
Tomato Adventure (トマトアドベンチャー Tomato Adobenchā?) is a role-playing video game (RPG) developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance on January 25, 2002 only in Japan. It was directed by Chihiro Fujioka.[1]
The type of RPG this defines is an action-command RPG. Player controls DeMille (Demiru) through the Ketchup Kingdom while talking to people, entering places and collecting items. The object of the game is to save DeMille's girlfriend, Patharan, and the Ketchup Kingdom from King Abira by going through every village to obtain the missing parts of a robot that can give anyone access into the Gimmick Palace, a tower-like structure with a tomato on it. Instead of wandering endlessly inside places or entering battles randomly, Tomato Adventure displays enemies moving around on the screen while entering battles by bumping DeMille into them.
Battle system[edit]
During battles against enemies, the player must fight using toy-like weapons called "Gimmicks",[2] which require the player to play a mini game correctly in order to land direct hits on the enemies, depending on which Gimmick the player uses. While using Gimmicks correctly, the player will earn stars for the extreme attacks, but if the player increases the difficulty of the Gimmicks, the player will increase the attack points of the Gimmicks and earn more stars, while the mini games would be more difficult than before. When one or two gears light up above the Gimmick meter, the player now has the choice to use one of two extreme attacks, if the player has a partner joined in. If the player fails in any mini game, the Gimmick meter will drop down to zero, and the player will have to start it all over. There are four different types of Gimmicks.
- There are four types of Gimmicks:
- Time - This type makes you finish a mini game that requires timing, like pressing a button whenever something comes to a certain part.
- Speed - This type makes you finish a mini game that requires you to finish a task correctly before time runs out.
- Excite (or Doki-Doki) - This type makes you finish miscellaneous mini games.
- Input - This type makes you finish a mini game that either requires you to repeatedly hit the proper button(s) or to insert the information in a certain order or amount of times.
Gimica is a special card game that can only be available when the player talks to a card-like character named Gimicamania at the stadium in Ois Town after the player defeats the third Super Kid. However, there are also some other characters that the player can either duel with or receive a new Gimica Card from. The object of this card game is to make the opponent have less HP than the player's HP, or drop it to zero. There are two kinds of cards:
- Gimmick Cards - These cards are based on the real Gimmicks. They are used for both players to attack each other with them.
- Character Cards - These cards do certain things depending on who is on the card. The earliest character cards are two cards that would increase or decrease your Gimmick Cards' attack points, two cards that would move your Gimmick Card up or down one color rank, two cards that would increase or decrease the attack points of your opponent's Gimmick Cards, and one card that would increase your HP by 25.
Player must put his/her Gimmick Cards at a higher color rank than his/her opponent's; however, green beats blue. If both players have their Gimmick Cards on the same color rank, the player who has more attack points in his/her Gimmick Card will attack the opponent. If both Gimmick Cards' attack points are equal, it becomes a draw. If the player's opponent is at a higher rank, the player must either make his/her Gimmick Card's attack points the same (or nearly the same) as the opponent's in order to receive a small amount of damage, or move their Gimmick Cards up to the same color rank as the opponent's Gimmick Cards.
You can also play Gimica with Seremo if your rank on the Lard Collosuem is Level 2. At Level 3, You must play against Enokin. To rank up, Play and see the stars at the top side. Talk to him to see how many starts you gotten.
The story takes place in a land ruled by and intended for young characters, the Ketchup Kingdom, which is also filled with devices like Jack-in-the-Boxes. The protagonist is a hare-like boy in blue clothing name DeMille, who lives in a school bus with no wheels in a village on the outskirts of the Ketchup Kingdom called Cobore Village. DeMille is an outcast because he dislikes tomatoes. As a result, DeMille and other kids in Kobora who dislike tomatoes are referred to by people who like tomatoes as "Droppers", which are people who are banned and left locked up in Cobore Village until they like tomatoes. When he was watching television, he saw that the main antagonist, King Abīra, was celebrating a holiday called Tomato Day, while showing his project he created called the Super Cara-Cooker, a laser-like gun that transforms people, places, and things into dolls, toys, and playgrounds. Then, DeMille's television became severely damaged, while he went to his neighbor and friend, Seremo, and asked him if he would fix his television set. Then Seremo said he will, while he gave DeMille his first Gimmick, called the Gear Yo-Yo. After Seremo taught DeMille how to use it, DeMille's girlfriend in the pink clothing, Patharan, came to tell him that she wanted him and her to venture into the dangerous Toy Ruins to look for her Fantastic Toy, the Gimmick Robo, but then it wasn't there when they arrived. Then, two purple creatures with zippers on them, Brikky and Grikky, captured Patharan with a hook, DeMille grabbed on to her while being pulled up to the airship, called the Carorna No.2, piloted by Brikky and Grikky. As soon as DeMille and Patharan came aboard the airship, Brikky and Grikky received a call from King Abīra, who told them to bring Patharan to the palace and drop DeMille out of the airship. After DeMille fought Brikky and Grikky, they dropped DeMille from the airship into the Tomato Pond, then he walked and noticed that he was standing near King Abīra's home, the Gimmick Palace, a tall, red, tower with a tomato-shaped top. When he decided to enter and save Patharan, he encountered a wall that he cannot pass through. Then, a mole named Rereku told him that in order to pass through the wall, DeMille had to defeat the six Super Kids and obtain the six key items called Toy Parts. While DeMille went on his adventure, he encountered some people who joined forces with him to defeat King Abira, and save Patharan and the entire Ketchup Kingdom. His partners in order of joining him are Aretha, Sofubi, and Rereku.
- DeMille (デミル Demiru?) - The protagonist who players play as. He is a hare-like boy wearing blue clothing. As an outcast, he dislikes tomatoes.[3] He and the other kids who dislike tomatoes known as the "Droppers" are locked up in the remote village of Cobore until they like tomatoes. He doesn't take serious things too seriously; he's an easygoing optimist who goes a bit too far with his goofy mannerisms. What's more, he's easily flattered.
- Patharan (パサラン Pasaran?) - She lives in Cobore Village along with DeMille. Being a female "Dropper," she also hates tomatoes.[3] She's DeMille's girlfriend and a perky, cheerful heroine, but she was captured by Brikky and Grikky, who took her to King Abīra. DeMille and his friends work their way to save her and the entire Ketchup Kingdom. She is a rabbit wearing pink clothing.
- Seremo (セレモ?) - DeMille's friend and next-door neighbor who loves Gimmicks. He admires the Gimmick-inventing Hanzo Brothers and apsires to create his own Gimmicks. He loves teaching people about Gimmicks and battle skills.
- Aretha (アレサ Aresa?) - DeMille's first partner. She loves creating and playing anything mechanical. She also used to work for King Abīra. She is a rabbit wearing orange clothing. She enjoys tomatoes, but not peppers.
- Sofubi (ソフビー Sofubī?) - DeMille's second partner. When DeMille and his partners first encountered him, he was stuck in a snake-like tunnel in Ois Town. He is a chubby, rotund frog kid who designs clothes. However, his personal appearance his impeccable. He looks like a well-dressed, fashionable fellow, but personality-wise he's very calm and composed. He joins DeMille's party on their adventure because he wants to lose weight.
- Rereku (レレク?) - DeMille's third and final partner. He is a ninja-like mole and a very chatty cynic who occasionally crosses paths with DeMille's party and tells them secrets about the Super Kids. He also gives them spy data, which are usually video disc recordings of King Abīra, Brikky and Grikky taking Patharan's Heart Energy near the top of the Gimmick Palace. Part of the Ketchup Kingdom's secret service. Everyone in the game likens him to a cranky old man. His agent nr is 007, a reference to James Bond.
- Brikky (ブリッキ Borikki?) and Grikky (ゴリッキ Gorikki?) - King Abīra's minions. They appear to block DeMille's way, but every single thing this duo does seems to backfire on them. They are two purple creatures with zippers on them. Their favorite machine is the flying disc aircraft called the Carona No. 2.
- King Abīra (アビーラ王 Abīra-Ō?) - The main antagonist of this title. King Abīra is a tomato kid who loves tomatoes. As the leader of the Super Kids, this boy with a genius brain is the King of the Ketchup Kingdom. His IQ is over 500, and he always wears big sunglasses to hide his face. He sent Brikky and Grikky to capture Patharan, in order to obtain her entire Heart Energy, which is a combination of five different energies: Laugh Energy, Sad Energy, Anger Energy, Excitement Energy, and Love Energy. His goal is to insert Patharan's Heart Energy to his Super Cara-Cooker so he can turn everyone and everything into toys.
- Woops (オエーッと吐く Woops?) - The first Super Kids you will eccounter with. She is a girl with a large cup-like bathtub and she is holding a mirror.
- Auch (オーシュ Au-Chi?) - Second of the six Super Kids. He will be battled after you finish the music puzzle in Auch's Theatre. He is the guy which is holding a microphone and wearing a doughnut.
After AlphaDream developed and released their very first video game title, Koto Battle: Tengai no Moribito for the Nintendo Game Boy Color only in Japan, it got good ratings while Nintendo wanted AlphaDream's permission to develop an entirely new role-playing video game with them, titled Gimmick Land (ギミックランド Gimikku Rando?).[1] They got the name from an idea of a game structure that utilizes gimmicky, toy-like controls that make it an RPG with action elements.[1] They also hired Graphic Research as their co-developer. It was finished and almost ready to be released for the Game Boy Color in Japan, until Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance to make the Game Boy Color obsolete. After noticing that, Nintendo requested AlphaDream to redevelop and rename Gimmick Land as "Tomato Adventure" for the Game Boy Advance. Nintendo also requested AlphaDream to add some easily recognizable characters in which reflects the new title, so that the game would have a more marketable image.[1] Those were Nintendo's largest requests. Other changes are the quality of the graphics and audio being enhanced.[1] Only two screenshots of Gimmick Land were released to the public by the developers. On the release date of Tomato Adventure, Nintendo and AlphaDream announced a contest where twenty lucky winners won themselves 1 kg of famously sweet tomatoes from the Kochi Virtue Valley area.[4] The contest ended on February 28, 2002.[4]
- Tomato Adventure formed the gameplay basis for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, another game developed by AlphaDream. One of the bosses in Superstar Saga, "Hermie III", is even based on the "Yadotsuri" enemy in Tomato Adventure.
- On a related note, a couple of Tomato Adventure soundtracks were found hidden in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga after game hackers dumped its entire track list into GSF files. They are both emulations of the title screen opening of Tomato Adventure, but their quality is different. They sound similar to the sound of Game Boy Color music.
- ^ a b c d e f "『トマトアドベンチャー』開発者インタビュー". Nintendo Online Magazine. January 2002. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
- ^ "Ketchup on Tomato Adventure Plot Details". Nintendo Online Magazine. 2001-11-17. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
- ^ a b "Ketchup on Tomato Adventure Plot Details". RPGamer. 2001-11-17. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
- ^ a b Harnest, Michael (2005-02-06). "Get Your Tomatoes!". RPGamer. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
- ^ "Tomato Adventure GBA Game, Tomato Adventure Game Boy Advance". 1UP.com. December 24, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
External links[edit]
- Official websites
- Official Nintendo website (Japanese) (Translated using Excite.Co.Jp)
- Official AlphaDream website (Japanese) (Translated using Excite.Co.Jp)
- Official SpaceWorld 2001 website (Japanese) (Translated using Excite.Co.Jp)
- Official Nintendo Online Magazine website for Tomato Adventure and Magical Vacation (Japanese) (Translated using Excite.Co.Jp)
- Other


text:
Kryta is the last remaining human kingdom. (Orr is home to one of the elder dragons and Ascalon has been retaken by the Charr.) It is located in the center of the Tyrian continent, and is a green, semi tropical area. The human capitol of Divinity's Reach is located here, and to the southeast, Lion's Arch, which was the previous capital. It was flooded, and has since been rebuilt and become a port city that all the races of Tyria frequent.
This shows Queensdale, the starting area just to the south of Divinity's Reach, and the capitol itself.
The kingdom of Kryta contains the following explorable zones:
- Divinity's Reach
- Gendarran Fields
- Harathi Hinterlands
- Kessex Hills
- Lion's Arch
- Queensdale
- Valley Headland
What Links Here
Lion's Arch | Zones | Divinity's Reach | Feast of Dill Meatball Dinners | Entanglement
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text:
How to Make a Fake Leg Cast
Want to make a fake leg cast? Whether it is for a Halloween costume, or to play a joke on your friends, here is how-to do it!
1Get some toilet or tissue paper, an wrap it around your ankle, to the top of your knee.Ad
2Moisten it by dabbing water on it.
3Put another layer of toilet or tissue paper.
- Repeat this step until you have reached the desired thickness of the wrap.
4Wrap colored tissue paper, or sports wrap over the layers of toilet paper or tissue paper.
5Blow dry it on a low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Repeat this step until it is nearly dry.
6Let it air dry the rest of the way by propping your foot on a pillow.
7Now make a story up about how you got it. Maybe it could be about falling while cheer leading or playing football.
We could really use your help!
sleep health?
rate articles?
wireless networking?
- The sports wrap should cover most of the toilet paper.
- Use a lot of layers of toilet paper or tissue paper if you want the cast to be very thick.
- Sound sad and in pain to make it more realistic.
- It's more realistic if pre-wrap dipped in wet glue is used and you make fake signatures. Never cover your toes.
- Try to keep ankle at 90 degrees, to make it more believable.
Things You'll Need
- Toilet paper or tissue paper
- Water
- Blow dryer
Article Info
Categories: Pranks and Gags
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 17,081 times.


text:
42 U.S. Code § 17724 - Repealed.
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Section, Pub. L. 110–422, title III, § 307,Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4788, related to funding for research and development activities in support of other mission directorates. See section 40104 of Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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text:
Performance of an imaging reader for electro-optically reading direct part markings on workpieces is enhanced by ensuring that such markings are read in the vicinity of an ideal, focused, target plane, and by enhancing the contrast of such markings. Calibration and self-calibration of the reader improve performance.
1. A reader for electro-optically reading a direct part marking (DPM) in a reflective surface of a workpiece part, the DPM having different elements that reflect light with minimal contrast, comprising:
a) a solid-state imager for capturing the light in a reading mode over a field of view from the DPM elements located in a range of working distances relative to the reader;
b) a first light projector for projecting a first light pattern in a ranging mode in the field of view throughout the range;
c) a second light projector for projecting a second light pattern in a ranging mode in the field of view throughout the range in superimposition with the first light pattern, the light patterns having a predetermined visual relationship at a target plane within the range, the projectors being inoperative during the reading mode to prevent the DPM elements from reflecting the light from the patterns and saturating the imager, wherein the imager stores coordinates of the locations of the light patterns at multiple working distances throughout the range to self calibrate the reader; and
d) a handheld housing for supporting the imager and the projectors, the housing being movable to a reading position in which the predetermined visual relationship is obtained to enable the imager to capture light from the DPM elements located in a vicinity of the target plane.
2. The reader of
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10. A method of electro-optically reading a direct part marking (DPM)in a reflective surface of a workpiece part, the DPM having different elements that reflect light with minimal contrast, comprising the steps of:
a) capturing light the light in a reading mode over a field of view of a solid-state imager from the DPM elements located in a range of working distances;
b) projecting a first light pattern in a ranging mode in the field of view throughout the range;
c) projecting a second light pattern in the ranging mode in the field of view throughout the range in superimposition with the first light pattern, the light patterns having a predetermined visual relationship at a target plane within the range, the light patterns not being projected during the reading mode to prevent the DPM elements from reflecting the light from the light patterns and saturating the imager;
d) moving a handheld housing to a reading position in which the predetermined visual relationship is obtained to enable the imager to capture light from the DPM elements located in a vicinity of the target planet; and e) storing coordinates of the locations of the light patterns at multiple working distances throughout the range.
11. The method of
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to direct part markings on workpieces and electro-optically reading such markings by image capture and, more particularly, to improvements in aiming, ranging and illuminating such markings, as well as calibrating imaging readers during manufacture, and self-calibrating imaging readers during reading of such markings or other indicia.
2. Description of the Related Art
Direct part marking (DPM) allows workpieces to be directly marked, identified and traced to their origin, and its use is growing in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical equipment, tooling, and metalworking industries, among many others. Despite the ability to control very tight specifications on element size, width, spacing and so on, the lack of sharp contrast of machine-readable optical DPM codes directly marked on metal, plastic, leather, glass, etc., workpieces prevents traditional moving laser beam readers from electro-optically reading the DPM codes reliably. These moving beam readers emit a laser beam which reflects off the metal or glass workpieces as bright light.
To counter a variety of problems, such as lack of contrast, difficulty of maintaining precise element specifications, limited available marking areas, and a large amount of data to be encoded, the art proposed the use of matrix codes, especially the DataMatrix code, which reduces the required marking element size, precision and area, as well as contrast so that markings are able to be directly made on parts with, for example, steel or aluminum surfaces, and also proposed the use of imaging readers which use solid-state arrays similar to those used in digital cameras to capture an image of the marking. A microprocessor is used to analyze and decode the captured image of the matrix code.
Yet, the use of imaging readers, especially handheld readers, for reading marked workpieces has proven to be challenging. Contrast is still often less than desirable. Ambient lighting conditions are variable. Illumination from on-board illuminators is directed at variable angles. Reflections from ambient light sources and illuminators often appear in the field of view of the reader. Unlike machine-readable codes printed in one color (for example, black) on paper of another color (for example, white), DPM codes are typically difficult for a human operator to even find on the workpieces, which often have complicated shapes to further complicate finding the DPM code and aiming the reader directly at the DPM code for reading.
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide an improved aiming system for an imaging reader to read DPM on workpieces.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ranging system for an imaging reader to read DPM on workpieces.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved illuminating system for an imaging reader to read DPM on workpieces.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a calibrating system for an imaging reader to read DPM on workpieces, or other optical codes.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a self-calibrating system for an imaging reader to read DPM on workpieces, or other optical codes.
In keeping with the above objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a method of, and a reader for, electro-optically reading direct part marking (DPM). In accordance with this invention, a solid-state imager is operative for capturing light over a field of view from the DPM located in a range of working distances relative to the reader. A first light projector is operative, upon activation by an operator, for example, by manually depressing a trigger, and prior to operation of the imager, for projecting a first light pattern in the field of view throughout the range. A second light projector is operative, also upon operator activation and prior to operation of the imager, for projecting a second light pattern in the field of view throughout the range in superimposition with the first light pattern. The light patterns are preferably visually different and have a predetermined visual relationship at a target plane within the range. A handheld housing supports the imager and the projectors, and is movable to a reading position in which the predetermined visual relationship is obtained to enable the imager to capture light from the DPM located in the vicinity of the target plane. For example, the human operator may perform the movement of the housing.
Preferably, the first light projector includes a first laser and a diffractive optical element for configuring the first light pattern as an aiming pattern having a marker, and the second light projector includes a second laser for configuring the second light pattern as a laser spot. In this case, the predetermined visual relationship is an overlap between the laser spot and the marker. Also, the marker is preferably crosshairs, and the aiming pattern preferably includes a frame at least partly surrounding the crosshairs.
In another preferred embodiment, the first light projector includes a first laser and a first diffractive optical element (DOE) for configuring the first light pattern as a first frame bounding a first central marker, and the second light projector includes a second laser and a second DOE for configuring the second light pattern as a second frame bounding a second central marker. The predetermined visual relationship is one of an overlap between the first and second markers and a contact between the first and second frames.
Another feature resides in an illuminator in the housing for illuminating the DPM during image capture by the imager. The imager may be located at a centerline of the housing. Alternatively, the imager and the illuminator are located at opposite sides away from a centerline of the housing. An off-center illuminator creates enhanced and emphasized shadows in the DPM and enhances contrast.
Yet another feature resides in storing coordinates of an overlapped point of two markers (including one marker and one laser spot) within the field of view to calibrate the reader, and to provide additional information to improve image capture and processing.
Still another feature resides in storing coordinates of the markers (including laser spots) within the field of view during successive readings to self-calibrate the reader.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Reference numeral 10 in
A manually actuatable trigger 20 is mounted in a moving relationship on the handle 14 in a forward facing region of the reader. The user's forefinger is normally used to actuate the reader by depressing the trigger. A flexible electrical cable 22 may be provided to connect the reader to remote components of the code reading system. In alternative embodiments, the cable may also provide electrical power to the systems within the reader. In preferred embodiments, the cable 22 is connected to a host 24 which receives decoded data from the reader. In alternative embodiments, a decode module 26 may be provided exterior to the reader. In such an embodiment, decoded data from the decode module 26 may be transmitted to further host processing equipment and databases represented generally by box 28. If the cable 22 is not used, then a wireless link to transfer data may be provided between the reader 20 and the host 24, and an on-board battery, typically within the handle, can be used to supply electrical power.
An alternative embodiment incorporates a display and a keyboard, and optionally a wireless transceiver, preferably with an on-board decoder. The decoded data is then either transferred to a remote host computer in real time, or saved to an internal memory such that the stored data can be transferred to a host computer at a later time in batch mode, when the reader is physically connected to such a connected host computer.
A solid-state imager 30, as shown in
An illumination source 36 for the imager 30 is also provided to provide an illumination field for the imager. The source 36 preferably constitutes a plurality of light emitting diodes energized by power supply lines in the cable 22, or via the on-board battery. The source 36 is preferably pulsed in synchronism with the imager 30.
In accordance with the known art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,114, an aiming and framing system employs a laser source and a diffractive optical element (DOE). In accordance with this invention, the aiming and framing system is enhanced to also function as a ranging system, which is employed to improve performance of the imaging reader by assisting the user in locating the ideal target plane within the working range at which to read the DPM. In DPM, the working range is often short and, as described above, the poor contrast, the complicated shapes of the workpieces, the variable ambient lighting conditions, and so on, make it difficult for the user to find the DPM and aim the reader directly at the DPM.
As shown generally in
As shown in
As described so far, an aiming pattern consisting of a frame 52 and crosshairs 50 is generated at a hypothetical reference plane 48 within a range of working distances between WD1 and WD2. As shown in
Another laser diode 60 and another focusing lens 62 constituting a second light projector are mounted in the reader of
In use, once the trigger 20 is depressed to initiate decoding, the light projectors are energized, and the user sees the beam spot 66 and the aiming pattern on the workpiece and moves the handheld reader toward or away from the workpiece until the beam spot 66 overlaps the crosshairs 50. The user has now found the ideal distance to the DPM to be read and, of course, has centrally located the DPM within the aiming pattern. The imager is alternately activated with the aiming and ranging system after depression of the trigger such that when image quality is sufficiently good, a successful decode would be accomplished, even if the operator is still adjusting the distance between the reader and the workpiece.
The lens 32 of
As shown in
Thus, in use, a focus position is chosen, either by the user or via a programmed controller, prior to image capture based on a variety of criteria such as the code type (e.g., paper or DPM), or the code size (e.g., low- or high-density DPM). The user moves the handheld reader toward or away from the DPM until a desired focus position is indicated, or until a successful image capture and decode are achieved.
The aiming and ranging systems assist the user to improve reader performance. They are turned off during image capture, a necessary step in decoding DPM. This is because the laser beams are very bright compared to any other source of illumination, and thus, if left on, would saturate the parts of image where they are illuminating, and thus prevent the DPM code from being properly decoded. However, due to manufacturing variations, the aiming systems of different readers do not necessarily aim at the same image coordinates. One objective of the present invention is to allow a user to use the aiming system to point to the DPM code during scanning, and have the reader know to where the user is pointing to facilitate setting the exposure of the imager and finding the code. To function as such, each imager must be calibrated during manufacture.
In the calibration process, the exact locations of the aiming pattern, through different working distances, are captured in the image, and recorded as calibration data in a permanent memory of the reader. This process can be automated, by capturing images, at different working distances, of a known, such as uniform, background, (e.g., a plain piece of paper), but with the aiming pattern turned on during image acquisition.
Additionally, when the reader contains a secondary light projector for ranging purposes, the calibration data can contain the exact location of the point where the two light patterns or markers meet. This data is obtained by capturing an image with the target at the exact plane where the patterns or markers meet, overlap, or assume some predetermined relationship.
Depending on the design, however, it is possible for the calibration data to be invalidated by motion between the imager and the aiming system. Such motion could be caused by shock impact. In other words, while the calibration data is expected to be intact over a period of usage, the relative position and/or orientation of the imager and the aiming system may shift such that the calibrated data does not indicate where the aiming pattern is trained at anymore. This is expected to be less of a problem for longitudinal shift, or shift along the optical axis, as there is always a working range in which the codes would come into clear enough focus. However, the problem is more pronounced for lateral shift, as a small relative rotation could mean a large discrepancy between the location of the DPM code in the image and the location indicated by the calibration data. It is thus advantageous to perform calibration on a set interval during use, or to perform it whenever the imager shows reduced performance that cannot be attributed to other, more obvious, reasons, such as a dirty window.
One preferred method to correct the problem of "calibration lateral shift or drift" is an automatic recalibration (ARC) method described herein. By "automatic", it is meant that the user is not required to knowingly and actively participate in the method. The ARC necessarily differs from normal calibration done in the factory, as it is not assured that the target being scanned is in perfect focus. However, as can be proven mathematically, the trajectory of the laser dot 66 in the image, while the laser dot is imaged at different focal distances, forms a straight line 84 as depicted in
Therefore, to perform ARC, a set of images at different distances is taken, while the laser ranging features are turned on (same as in normal calibration). The images can be taken at different times, such as one image every time after the imager has performed a successful DPM reading. The images are not stored; rather, the coordinates (of two light patterns, such as the laser spot and the laser crosshairs) found from within them are stored. The set of coordinates derived this way are gradually updated to keep track of the "calibration drift", thus achieving ARC. Using this method, it is not necessary that an image be taken with the two laser-features overlap.
To successfully perform ARC as described here, two design constraints must be considered. First, the two laser beams should not be coplanar with the optical axis of the imager; otherwise, the two trajectories would be co-linear, and ARC as described here would not work. The other is that the two laser patterns that are meant to meet each other at the exact focus must be easily distinguishable. This second condition is satisfied by the first ranging feature discussed above, but not the second, unless the center dot in one of the patterns is changed into something else, such as crosshairs. Alternatively, the second condition can be replaced by one that enables images to be taken with only one laser projector turned on at a time, thus avoiding confusion between the two.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an imaging reader for electro-optically reading DPM, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.
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