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August 4, 2015
AUSTIN, Texas - A federal appeals judge says Texas cannot ban Planned Parenthood from receiving state funds.
Fifth Circuit Judge Jerry Smith agreed Friday that there's sufficient evidence the state's law banning Planned Parenthood from participating in the state's Women's Health Program is unconstitutional. He let stand an injunction blocking Texas from enforcing it.
Smith had stayed the injunction earlier this week so he could review it.
The law passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature forbids state agencies from providing funds to an organization affiliated with abortion providers. Eight Planned Parenthood clinics that do not provide abortions sued the state.
Texas officials have said that if the state is forced to include Planned Parenthood, they'll likely shut down the program that serves basic health care and contraception to 130,000 poor women.
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Welcome to Aeclectic Tarot!
We're dedicated to the diversity and beauty of Tarot cards, and have been here for Tarot lovers like you since 1996.
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Welcome to Performance Impacts
"Karrie's passion for developing leaders is contagious; her executive coaching capabilities are both progressive and practical. She has the ability to effectively interface with front line leaders and C-Suite executives. I call on Karrie for a variety of Organizational Effectiveness interventions."
-Director of Organizational Effectiveness, $3B healthcare organization
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All Firearms
Gun Parts
|Seller's Description
Old Marlin Model 20 octagon barrel pump .22 rifle. Everything is in working order, I've shot and operated this gun. It is in rough refinished condition. Stocks have been repaired / refinished, rear stock is not removable from the gun. Some of the metal has been buffed / sealed. Has steel buttplate. There is a bulge in the barrel about 6.5 inches from the end (pic 4 - pen points to it).
Like I said, it's definitely rough looking, but has a lot of character. Operates and shoot fine. Bore is rough, but the bullets go to point of aim if you can shoot. If you want a plinker that looks like grandad's without the price of a Winchester then this gun is for you.
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Phil Maturano here!
View Single Post
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 31
Re: Phil Maturano here!
Hey Phil!
I was looking for cascara/songo ideas and I came across clips from your video on YouTube. When I saw the 6/8 - 4/4 formula and demo it was like a light bulb turned on and what I had thought was so hard for all those years suddenly became really easy to understand and play. Thanks!
When are you going to have an NTSC version of your DVD? I may just go out and buy a new dvd player just to watch your video.
I am really interested in exploring more son/songo/cascara styles - Can you recommend a couple of recordings that I might want to check out? I have been listening to Buena Vista Social Club, Afro-Cuban All Stars and there is a really good local band called Papa Mambo that I have been checking out. What should a newbie to this stuff start with for good examples - especially bands with drumset players? As well, I am waiting to get my copy of "Conversations in Clave" in the mail - any other drum books/dvd's that you can think of (other than yours of course!)?
You are doing really cool stuff. Come to Canada and I will buy you a beer!
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- Willamette
- College of Law
- Resources
- Journals
- Willamette Law Online
- Intellectual Property
- 2014
- Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc.
Intellectual Property
Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc.
Date Filed:
Case #: 134 S. Ct. 2120
Supreme Court
Full Text Opinion: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/13-369
LexisNxis Link: 2014 U.S. LEXIS 3818
Westlaw Link: Unknown
Patents: The standard to determine definiteness of patent claims requires review by someone skilled in the art.
Opinion (Ginsburg):
The patent in dispute in this case is a heart-rate monitor used in conjunction with exercise equipment which claims
to filter out electromyogram signals (EMG) in order to produce a better electrocardiograph signal (ECG).
Biosig Instruments, Inc. is a heart rate monitor manufacturing company based in Canada and holds the patent in question.
Nautilus, Inc. is manufactures, develops and markets exercise equipment. Biosig filed this patent infringement suit
claiming that Nautilus sold machines which contained Biosig's patented technology, and did so without obtaining a license.
The District Court for the Southern District of New York heard the case and concluded the patent claim did not pass a requirement of definiteness under 35 USCS § 112. On appeal, the Federal Circuit court reversed and remanded stating the patent claim did pass definiteness.
The Supreme Court granted Writ of certiorari and now holds in a unanimous decision that the Federal Circuit court's standard allows ambiguity in some claims and therefore does not satisfy the definiteness requirement of 35 USCS § 112.
The Patent Act of 1870 required one or more claims with particularity and definiteness in order for the successful assignment of a patent. The Patent Act of 1952 also requires the claim to be particular and definite, and 35 USCS § 282 invalidates any patent that does not meet that requirement.
The Court stated that "Definiteness is to be evaluated from the perspective of an individual who is skilled in the relevant art." Additionally, definiteness is determined after "claims are to be read in light of the patent's specification and prosecution history", and section 112 of 35 USCS § 112 requires a "delicate balance". The standard adopted by the Court is "the certainty which the law requires in patents is not greater than is reasonable, having regard to their subject-matter." The Court further clarified that "the definiteness inquiry trains on the understanding of a skilled artisan at the time of the patent application, not that of a court viewing matters post hoc."
As such, the Federal Circuit court's ruling allowed too much ambiguity and imprecision. The case is REMANDED to the Federal Circuit court.


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Mark Callaghan posted a good test of the MySQL query cache in different versions. His tests clearly show that in 5.0.44 and 5.0.84 and 5.1.38, there is more query throughput when the query cache is disabled.
However, the tests are skewed — not on purpose, I am sure, and Mark admits he has not used the query cache before — but they are skewed all the same. Mark's error was that he assumed he could just turn on the query cache and see if it works. Most features of MySQL do not work that way — you have to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the feature in order to use it properly.
Mark's benchmark definitely reinforces that turning on the query cache without any knowledge of your system is a bad idea, and I agree with him on that. But it does not in any way mean that the query cache is always a bad idea. In fact, the MySQL manual page at http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/query-cache.html has some caveats about when the query cache is useful and when it is not useful.
It is important to know how the MySQL query cache works, so I will first explain that, and then explain why Mark's test is not a very good broad generalization. MySQL's query cache is not useful all the time, but it can be quite useful! If you are already familiar with the query cache, you can skip ahead to why Mark's benchmark is skewed.
How to use the MySQL query cache
Firstly, there are a few ways to use the MySQL query cache. You can disable it, which means no queries are cached; you can set it to cache all queries, and use a special keyword to not cache queries (replace
SELECT with
query_cache_type=1 or
ON will set the query cache in this way.
You can also set it to cache no queries except those that have a special keyword — you guessed it, replace
SELECT with
SELECT SQL_CACHE and a query will attempt to be cached. To set the query cache in this way, set
query_cache_type=2 or
What queries are cached
Regardless of which method you choose, not all possible queries are cached. Only deterministic SELECT statements are cached — a statement such as
SELECT count(*) from tbl is deterministic, while
SELECT NOW() is non-deterministic for the purpose of the query cache.* Queries that use user-defined functions, temporary tables,
INFORMATION_SCHEMA or
mysql system tables are not cached. Most
SELECT subqueries are not cached.
SELECT queries that are part of stored functions, triggers, views and events are not cached. However, in MySQL 5.1,
SELECT queries that contain a view can be cached. The MySQL manual page at http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/query-cache-operation.html has more detailed information on what is allowed and what is not allowed.
In the query cache, a hash of the query is stored along with the result. There is a variable,
query_cache_limit, which sets an upper limit on the size of the result set that can be cached. So even if a query can be cached, it may not be cached if the result set is larger than
How the query cache is used
The lifecycle of a non-prepared SELECT statement when the query cache is on (
query_cache_type > 0) is:
1) hash the SELECT query
2) check the hash against the query cache
3) if hash matches, returned the result set from the query cache. If not, the query is sent to the parser and executed in the usual manner, and results are stored in the query cache if the query is cachable.
This means that having the query cache on has some overhead, even if no queries are ever cached.
A query (and its result) is removed from the query cache when it is invalidated or pruned. A query is invalidated when any table it refers to has been changed, even if the changes do not affect the actual result set in the query cache. A query is pruned when a new query needs to be inserted into the query cache and there is no room; the query cache prunes queries using a least recently used (LRU) algorithm.
In other words, there will be a lot of unnecessary overhead with the query cache if a table is often written to, because queries using that table will be constantly removed from the query cache. This does not mean that if you have some tables that are frequently written to, you should turn the query cache off — you can use the
query_cache_type of
ON with the
SQL_NO_CACHE keyword to cache all except some queries, or you can use the
query_cache_type of
DEMAND and the
SQL_CACHE keyword in
SELECT queries to cache no queries except those you specify.
Why Mark's Benchmark is skewed
It is important to note that InnoDB was set up with:
and the
sysbench program was run with:
../sysbench --test=oltp --oltp-table-size=2000000 --max-time=180 --max-requests=0 --mysql-table-engine=innodb --db-ps-mode=disable --mysql-engine-trx=yes --oltp-read-only --num-threads=$nt run
I will explain what the important
sysbench variables are in context.
1) The benchmark used
sysbench in OLTP mode against an InnoDB table. The InnoDB buffer pool is hot after the table is created and populated, while the query cache is empty and cold.
InnoDB has its own cache — the InnoDB buffer pool.
sysbench is run with –oltp-read-only, meaning there are no
DELETE or
UPDATE statements. This is good; it means that the results are not skewed by query cache invalidations, though there may be pruning.
The first thing
sysbench does is preparation — it creates the table and populates it with data (2,000,000 rows as per
oltp-table-size). After this is done, the InnoDB buffer pool (2000M in size) has gone from empty to containing data. I do not know how large the row size of the sysbench table is; however, I can do some calculations:
2000 Mb * 1024 = 2,048,000 Kb / 2,000,000 rows = 1.024 Kb per row
This means that in order for some data to *not* be current in the InnoDB buffer pool, the row size had to be approximately larger than 1 Kb per row.
The manual at http://sysbench.sourceforge.net/docs/#database_mode shows the schema of the table that is used.
CREATE TABLE `sbtest` ( `id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment, `k` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0', `c` char(120) NOT NULL default ", `pad` char(60) NOT NULL default ", PRIMARY KEY (`id`), KEY `k` (`k`)
(note that you at least need to add a final parenthesis ")" for the query to work, and should also specify
ENGINE=INNODB if you want to test on your system).
So, that's two 4-byte integers, and two character fields…for the sake of argument, let's say you are using UTF-8 in MySQL 5.1, where utf8 is 3 bytes per character, that's:
4 + 4 + 120*3 + 60*3 = 548 bytes
Let's say you are using a version of MySQL that uses 4 bytes per character for utf8 (I know 6.0 was using that, not sure about 5.4):
4 + 4 + 120*4 + 60*4 = 728 bytes
So either way, all of the data in the table is already loaded in the InnoDB buffer pool when the test begins. The InnoDB buffer pool is already hot, whereas the query cache is empty.
On systems where a query can be cached and used instead of executing and having to look on disk for data, using the MySQL query cache will give you *much* better performance.
2) The query cache statistics are not given. It's very possible that the only thing that was measured was how much overhead the query cache provides if it is never used.
The queries that are run are the default (
oltp-test-mode is not set, and it defaults to "complex") which can be seen under the "Advanced transactional" heading in the sysbench manual at http://sysbench.sourceforge.net/docs/#database_mode. Only read queries are done, so the queries are:
SELECT c FROM sbtest WHERE id=N
SELECT c FROM sbtest WHERE id BETWEEN N AND M
SELECT SUM(K) FROM sbtest WHERE id BETWEEN N and M
SELECT c FROM sbtest WHERE id between N and M ORDER BY c
SELECT DISTINCT c FROM sbtest WHERE id BETWEEN N and M ORDER BY c
The values for the variables in the query are chosen at random, though they are sensible values. The testing time is very short, only 3 minutes of running time (
sysbench is called with
max-time=180). It is quite possible that all the
SELECT queries were put into the query cache and there was never a query cache hit. Of course there will be a lot of overhead if the query cache is never used! Particularly if it has to prune for more memory.
I would like to see
Com_select (number of
SELECT statements that did not use the query cache) and
Qcache_lowmem_prunes. That is what I look at for any system that has the query cache running, so I can determine the effectiveness of the query cache.
There is more in-depth information on how to find the usefulness of the query cache, query cache fragmentation, and a few ways to cache more queries in the MySQL Administrator's Bible on pages 427-434 — part of the "Caching with MySQL" chapter. I used the book to help me write this blog post, so I do think it is fair to cite my sources….even though it happens to be a source I created (and that's why I consider it a shameless plug, I have no shame citing my sources)!
So that all being said, the query cache is extremely useful when it is used for repeated queries. The benchmark Mark performed most likely did not actually use this. I have seen production environments fall apart when someone turned on on the query cache for all queries; Mark's benchmark proves that it is not a good idea to randomly turn on the query cache. You have to know what you're doing.
* for the purpose of replication, it is deterministic, but that's another topic.
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11 Responses to "Is the query cache useful?"
Do you have any benchmarks that show the query cache being useful in any sane production environment?
The problem with the query cache is that it sounds like a magical feature when it's really deeply flawed. Most users aren't going look at a feature that sounds as good as the query cache before turning it on. They just turn it on. Worse yet they turn it on at a time when they have less traffic and don't realize that when traffic grows the query cache is hurting their performance.
I think it's better to remove a feature that hurts performance for most users even though it may improve performance for a rare few, especially when alternatives exist for that minority.
I wonder if it would be possible to use memcached -> http://www.danga.com/memcached/
with clustering -> http://code.google.com/p/memcached/wiki/FAQ#Cluster_Architecture_Questions
to at some determined thingy(technical term) move the query cached queries to memcached cluster.. Of course dispose of them per thingy as needed by some mid tier thingy doing all this juggling.. I'll bet one could get very nice performance..
just a thought..theory.. speculation
I could have been much more clear.
The point of my post was that worst-case behavior of the query cache changed significantly from 5.0.44 (bad) to 5.0.84 (better) to 5.1.3X (bad again). Whether or not the query cache is useful is a different issue. Changes in code that lead to drastic changes in performance make stable systems much harder to build.
Are you aware of this behavior change in the query cache?
There were some cases in 5.0.84 where lock-waits for query cache locks would timeout allowing some sessions to ignore checking the query cache when there was mutex contention. That code is not in 5.0.44 and 5.1.38. It explains my results.
[…] of talk lately about the effectiveness or lack thereof of the MySQL query cache. I'm kind of […]
You said it's not widely used — actually I'd say about 90% of new clients I see ARE using it. This week even I saw someone with a 1GB query cache (I've seen bigger, but not often). I think that probably the most common reason for this is that intermediate-level users turn it on when trying to get more performance from their systems.
That's all just wild guessing.
Baron — Let me clarify — among the clients I've worked with that have upgraded, the query cache isn't widely used.
It's true that the query cache is widely used, though how many times do you end up turning off the query cache? For me it's about 50% of the time…..so I'm talking specifically about the subset of clients I've seen in the past 6 months or so….
Pythian checks that and many other variables on our initial audits of systems; so yes, we see it being used widely, but we ensure that we recommend using it only where appropriate, and we recommend turning it off when appropriate as well.
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Skip to Main Content
Theory To Practice
Business Update
Annual Report
> News Article
An eventful spring
Sound effect: A coach's whistle blowing
Okay folks, listen up! There are a lot of important events coming up in the next couple of months. Important for whom you ask? Important for you, Lehigh and your Alumni Association. I hope you can come back to campus for one or all of them!
If not, do not worry, we have the power to make you feel like you were here through stories with great images in the
Alumni Bulletin
and through video on the university Web site. So make sure to check out your
Alumni Connection
e-newsletter for the latest news each month.
From March 12-14, President Alice P. Gast travels to Los Angeles and San Francisco for the
California Swing
. The swing offers alumni the opportunity to meet Alice in small group settings followed by Q&A sessions. There will be additional receptions in Washington, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. Visit our
Presidential Receptions
Web page for more details as they become available.
You will hear me speak about this next event a few more times simply because of its historic importance for Lehigh. I personally invite and encourage all of you to attend Dr. Gast's official inauguration as Lehigh's 13th president on Friday, April 13 in Stabler Arena. Events celebrating the inauguration will span three days and include an academic symposium on Thursday, April 12 featuring outstanding scholars from Lehigh and other major universities. A Family Day of Service will be held Saturday, April 14 featuring a 5K run/walk, establishment of a community garden and an expanded version of the annual Spring Fling event for community children. For information on all of the inauguration events, check out the new
inauguration Web site
Save the date! On May 2, the Lehigh Club of New York honors a distinguished recipient with its prestigious "L-in-Life" Award. This year the 61st recipient, and the first female winner, will be Karen L. Stuckey '75.
Another reason to come back to South Mountain—the beginning of a new tradition on May 18-21 with "Linked by Tradition" Reunion 2007. Gather with your classmates to show the Class of 2007 what it really means to be Lehigh for Life! Click
for more information and to register.
Great! Now you know what events are coming up and I know you are writing the dates in your calendar before you delete this e-mail. You will receive specific details as it gets closer to each event date. You can always visit the
Alumni Association Web site
or call our general number at (610) 758-3135 with any questions.
Chris Marshall '88
Alumni Director
Posted on Friday, February 23, 2007
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You will find Sunset House with private pool on the edge of a small market town among the green, rolling hills of Limousin's famously beautiful countryside
This Charming Holiday Village Was Built With Respect For Nature and in Harmony With Its Surroundings. It Comprises a Total of 67 Wooden Houses and a One-Storey
Habitation Grande Anse is a hotel-residence hidden away on a hillside and surrounded by lush vegetation, just 300 meters away from the spectacular Grande
The Chateau de Bagnols is the finest five-star deluxe chateau hotel in France and is regarded by many as the finest vineyard chateau hotel in the world.
Former monastery and listed historical monument the Prieure dOrsan invites you on a journey back in time far from the hustle and bustle of the modern world
With an unbeatable view on the valley and at only 200 meters away from the center of the Mont Dore town and of all its activities, The Best Western Le
Being in the centre of France, the hotel is located in an exceptional setting, with views over the volcanic valley and the \"Massif du Sancy\" . It is
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Find great deals on quality Mougins, France hotels & resorts, or indulge at one of our luxury resorts. Take advantage of the many amenities that can be included with your stay such as in-room internet access, wifi, room service, fitness center, pool, hot tub, steam room, and shuttle services to and from the airport. Browse our Mougins, France hotels and resorts and plan your Mougins, France vacation today!
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All | Editorial | General Tech | Graphics Cards | Networking | Motherboards | Cases and Cooling | Processors | Chipsets | Memory | Displays | Systems | Storage | Mobile | Shows and Expos
Raptr's Top PC Games of April 2015
Subject: General Tech | May 15, 2015 - 11:56 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: raptr, pc gaming
The PC gaming utility, Raptr, is normally used to optimize in-game settings, chat and socialize, and record game footage. It also keeps track of game-hours and aggregates them into a list once per month, which makes it one of the few sources for this type of data on the PC. We were late on it last month, which means that another was posted just a week later.
April marks the release of Grand Theft Auto V for the PC. It went live on the 14th and, despite only counting for half of the month, ended up at 4th place. Next month's survey will tell us whether the post-release drop-off was countered by counting Grand Theft Auto for a full month, which is double what they have now. It was just 0.17% of global play time behind CS:GO. Despite an error on the graph, it knocked DOTA 2 down to fifth, and Diablo III down to sixth. In fact, just about everything below Grand Theft Auto V dropped at least one rank.
Only three games actually gained places this month: ArcheAge, Warframe, and Spider Solitaire. Yes, that game is now the 19th most played, as tracked by Raptr. You could sort-of say that Hearthstone gained a rank by not losing one, but you would be wrong. Why would you say that?
League of Legends dropped less than a percent of total play time, settling in at about 21%. This is just about on target for the game, which proves that not even Rockstar can keep people from having a Riot.
NVIDIA Releases 352.84 WHQL Drivers for Windows 10
Subject: Graphics Cards | May 15, 2015 - 11:36 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: windows 10, geforce, graphics drivers, nvidia, whql
The last time that NVIDIA has released a graphics driver for Windows 10, they added a download category to their website for the pre-release operating system. Since about January, graphics driver updates were pushed by Windows Update and, before that, you would need to use Windows 8.1 drivers. Receiving drivers from Windows Update also meant that add-ons, such as PhysX runtimes and the GeForce Experience, would not be bundled with it. I know that some have installed them separately, but I didn't.
The 352.84 release, which is their second Windows 10 driver to be released outside of Windows Update, is also certified by WHQL. NVIDIA has recently been touting Microsoft certification for many of their drivers. Historically, they released a large number of Beta drivers that were stable, but did not wait for Microsoft to vouch for them. For one reason or another, they have put a higher priority on that label, even for "Game Ready" drivers that launch alongside a popular title.
For some reason, the driver is only available via GeForce Experience and NVIDIA.com, but not GeForce.com. I assume NVIDIA will publish it there soon, too.
Oculus Rift "Full Rift Experience" Specifications Released
Subject: Graphics Cards, Processors, Displays, Systems | May 15, 2015 - 03:02 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Oculus, oculus vr, nvidia, amd, geforce, radeon, Intel, core i5
Today, Oculus has published a list of what they believe should drive their VR headset. The Oculus Rift will obviously run on lower hardware. Their minimum specifications, published last month and focused on the Development Kit 2, did not even list a specific CPU or GPU -- just a DVI-D or HDMI output. They then went on to say that you really should use a graphics card that can handle your game at 1080p with at least 75 fps.
The current list is a little different:
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290 (or higher)
- Intel Core i5-4590 (or higher)
- 8GB RAM (or higher)
- A compatible HDMI 1.3 output
- 2x USB 3.0 ports
- Windows 7 SP1 (or newer).
I am guessing that, unlike the previous list, Oculus has a more clear vision for a development target. They were a little unclear about whether this refers to the consumer version or the current needs of developers. In either case, it would likely serve as a guide for what they believe developers should target when the consumer version launches.
This post also coincides with the release of the Oculus PC SDK 0.6.0. This version pushes distortion rendering to the Oculus Server process, rather than the application. It also allows multiple canvases to be sent to the SDK, which means developers can render text and other noticeable content at full resolution, but scale back in places that the user is less likely to notice. They can also be updated at different frequencies, such as sleeping the HUD redraw unless a value changes.
The Oculus PC SDK (0.6.0) is now available at the Oculus Developer Center.
Budget headphones that are just good enough, Ozone Rage ST
Subject: General Tech | May 15, 2015 - 02:01 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, ozone, Rage ST, gaming headset
With a pricetag of $40 many may be a bit leery of purchasing the Ozone Rage ST Headset as it is significantly lower in price than most gaming headsets which implies lower quality too. It does use the 40mm drivers common in most headsets with a response range of 20-20kHz but the microphone is omnidirectional as opposed to unidirectional which means you will send background noise. Modders-Inc tried it out and were pleasantly surprised; while it has none of the extra features that $100+ headsets do, the overall quality was worth the price of admission. If you are in need of a headset but are strapped for cash, these are a good choice for you.
"Despite the stereotype, gamers are social creatures too. Competitive games after all requires another person to play with, but as expressive as some gestures may be such as virtual teabagging, it is not nearly as effective in conveying what you really feel when you shout out expletives through a headset. It feels very natural in fact that one almost feels …"
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- AKG K553 Pro Studio Headphones Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Razer Seiren Review at HardwareHeaven
- Tesoro Kuven Pro @ HardwareHeaven
- Creative Sound Blaster ZxR @ HardwareHeaven
- Sound Blaster X7 @ HardwareHeaven
What Makes a Mobile GPU Tick? Interview with ARM's Jem Davies
Subject: Mobile | May 15, 2015 - 01:56 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: video, mali, jem davies, interview, arm
Have you ever wondered how a mobile GPU is born? Or how the architecture of a mobile GPU like ARM Mali differs from the technology in your discrete PC graphics card? Perhaps you just want to know if ideas like HBM (high bandwidth memory) are going to find their way into the mobile ecosystem any time soon?
Josh and I sat down (virtually) with ARM's VP of Technology and Fellow, Jem Davies, to answer these questions and quite a bit more. The resulting interview will shed light on the design process of a mobile GPU, how you get the most out of an SoC that measures power by the milliwatt, what the world of mobile benchmarking needs to do to clean up its act and quite a bit more.
You'd be hard pressed to find a better way to spend the next hour of your day as you will without a doubt walk away more informed about the world of smartphones, tablets and GPUs.
Another juicy rumour; Lenovo wants MSI's gaming laptops?
Subject: General Tech | May 15, 2015 - 01:02 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: rumours, msi, Lenovo
When you think of Lenovo laptops you tend to think of suits and office suites, not Cheetos and Red Bull but DigiTimes has heard tell that this could possibly change. With Acer, Asustek's ROG and Dell's Alienware lineups all seeing decent profits from the niche market of high end gaming laptops the rumour is that Lenovo would like in on some of that filthy lucre. DigiTimes' source posits that MSI's gaming laptop subdivision would be the obvious target for Lenovo. It is possible that this is all hot air but Lenovo is a huge company and could easily afford to buy a division of a competitor, if they were willing to sell.
"Micro-Star International (MSI) has been successful in selling gaming notebooks and Lenovo is interested in acquiring MSI's gaming notebook business unit, according to sources from supply chain makers. However, MSI has denied the reports."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Elementary OS Freya: Is This The Next Big Linux Distro? @ Linux.com
- The Internet of Things: a jumbled mess or a jumbled mess? @ The Register
- Candy Crush Saga preloaded on Windows 10 is the key to enterprise sales @ The Inquirer
- Hackaday Prize Entry: A $100 CT Scanner @ Hack a Day
- You cannot be cirrus: 51 percent of Americans think storms bork cloud computing @ The Inquirer
Corsair's 128GB DDR4 Unbuffered Memory Kits - for the rich and famous
Subject: Memory | May 14, 2015 - 07:16 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Vengeance LPX, Dominator Platinum, ddr4, corsair, 128Gb
Corsair has just released the three largest unbuffered DDR4 kits available for enthusiasts who can afford the asking price. Two 128GB Dominator Platinum kits, one clocked at 2400MHz and one at 2666MHz along with a 2400MHz Vengeance LPX have just gone on sale. All three kits consist of eight 16GB modules which means that the number of motherboards that support these kits is extremely limited, the EVGA X99 Classified, ASRock's X99 Extreme4 and the Asus X99-E WS are among the few. As you can see below the investment is rather high but if you want bragging rights, or an amazingly large RAM drive then Corsair has a solution for you.
Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance PC components, today announced the availability of the world's first available 128GB DDR4 unbuffered memory kits. Available in Corsair's Vengeance LPX and Dominator Platinum Series lines, the new 128GB capacities give content creators an unprecedented amount of high-speed DDR4 SDRAM for memory-hungry applications.
The 128GB (8 x 16GB) DDR4 memory kits are designed for the latest Intel X99 series motherboards and support XMP 2.0 for the ultimate compatibility, reliability, and performance. The first available kits are rated at speeds of 2666MHz and 2400MHz and higher speeds will be announced soon. Like all Corsair memory, the new kits are backed by a lifetime warranty.
Dominator Platinum Series 128GB DDR4 Memory
The most advanced memory kits available, the Dominator Platinum series DDR4 modules feature a striking industrial design for good looks, patented DHX technology for cooler operation, and user-swappable colored "light pipes" for customizable LED lighting. Dominator Platinum memory is built with hand-screened ICs, undergoes rigorous performance testing, and incorporates patented DHX cooling technology for reliable performance in demanding environments.
Vengeance LPX Series 128GB DDR4 Memory
Vengeance LPX memory is designed for high-performance overclocking with aluminum heatspreaders for faster heat dissipation and eight-layer PCB for superior overclocking headroom. Each IC is individually screened for performance potential.
Pricing and Lifetime Warranty
Corsair Dominator Platinum and Vengeance LPX DDR4 memory kits are available from Corsair.com and Corsair's worldwide network of authorized distributors and resellers. All Corsair memory is backed with a limited lifetime warranty and Corsair customer service and technical support.
Podcast #349 - Death of Media Center, i7 NUC, Fractal Define S and more!
Subject: General Tech | May 14, 2015 - 02:46 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: podcast, video, supermicro, X99, Intel, amd, corsair, H100i GTX, H80i GT, fractal, define s, akracing, nvidia, shield, grid, epson, xeon e7 v3
PC Perspective Podcast #349 - 05/14/2015
Join us this week as we discuss the Death of Media Center, i7 NUC, Fractal Define S and more!
You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.
The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!
- iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
- MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Jeremy Hellstrom, Josh Walrath, and Allyn Malventano
Program length: 1:19:23
Week in Review:
News item of interest:
1:04:20 Epson's new 3D glasses
Hardware/Software Picks of the Week:
Jeremy: Skype Translator
Subscribe to the PC Perspective YouTube Channel for more videos, reviews and podcasts!!
Revisiting the Corsair AX1500i
Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 14, 2015 - 01:27 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Digital Power Supply, Corsair Link, AX1500i, 80 Plus Titanium
It has been almost a year since Lee reviewed the Corsair AX1500i, one of the best high wattage PSUs it has been his pleasure to test so it seems appropriate to remind you of it's quality with this review from [H]ard|OCP. While the PSU is not new and still costs more than the competition at $400 the 7 year warranty is better than most. The review is of two Corsair AX1500i PSUs, one provided by Corsair and one purchased from a retail outlet for reasons you can read about in the full review. In the end [H] gave this PSU a pass, they felt that the unchanged price was a strike against Corsair as are the claims of the marketing team but as far as performance this PSU provided solid power in even their torture tests.
"It is not every day that a company has the moxie to come out and say that it makes "the best" of anything, but that is exactly what Corsair is saying about its AX1500i computer power supply; "The best enthusiast power supply you can own." Of course that begs one question, "Is it, or isn't it the best enthusiast PSU you can own?" We answer that."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
- Super Flower Leadex Platinum 2000 W @ techPowerUp
- Corsair HX1200i '80 Plus Platinum' @ Kitguru
- be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W PSU @ Kitguru
- Antec VPF550 Strictly Power 550W Power Supply Unit Review @ NikKTech
- XFX TS Series 550 Watt PSU @ HardwareOverclock
You can teach a Wolfram Alpha new tricks
Subject: General Tech | May 14, 2015 - 12:35 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: wolfram alpha, stephen wolfram, image identify
You may have had the pleasure of using the Google Goggles image identification app, not so much for its successes as for its often hilarious misses. There is now a new image identification app from Wolfram Alpha which you can try out. The Register immediately tried a random picture of Stephen Wolfram who is apparently a podium in disguise but Image Identify seems very fond of capyberas. Head on over to amuse yourself and of course only use your pictures for proper training as we wouldn't want to reclassify the podium as Daddy, now would we?
"search your heart ..."
"WOLFRAM ALPHA has released a new site designed to help you identify any image that you throw at it."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- World's Rudest Robot Set To Simulate the Fury of Call Center Customers @ Slashdot
- Strange: There will be NINE KINDS of Windows 10 @ The Register
- Google Updates: Android tweaks, Chrome extension block and free Hangouts @ The Inquirer
- Heartbleed, eat your heart out: VENOM vuln poisons countless VMs @ The Register
- BONKERS apocalyptic WAR WAGONS circle Vulture South @ The Register
- The Launch Of The ASUS ZenFone 2 @ Tech ARP
Rumor: AMD Radeon R9 300-series Release Dates
Subject: Graphics Cards | May 14, 2015 - 07:00 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: tonga, radeon, R9, pitcairn, Fiji, bonaire, amd
Benchlife.info, via WCCFTech, believes that AMD's Radeon R9 300-series GPUs will launch in late June. Specifically, the R9 380, the R7 370, and the R7 360 will arrive on the 18th of June. These are listed as OEM parts, as we have mentioned on the podcast, which Ryan speculates could mean that the flagship Fiji XT might go by a different name. Benchlife.info seems to think that it will be called by the R9 390(X) though, and that it will be released on the 24th of June.
WCCFTech is a bit more timid, calling it simply "Fiji XT".
In relation to industry events, this has the OEM lineup launching on the last day of E3 and Fiji XT launching in the middle of the following week. This feels a little weird, especially because AMD's E3 event with PC Gamer is on the 16th. While it makes sense for AMD to announce the launch a few days before it happens, that doesn't make sense for OEM parts unless they were going to announce a line of pre-built PCs. The most likely candidate to launch gaming PCs is Valve, and they're one of the few companies that are absent from AMD's event.
And this is where I run out of ideas. Launching a line of OEM parts at E3 is weird unless it was to open the flood gates for OEMs to make their own announcements. Unless Valve is scheduled to make an announcement earlier in the day, or a surprise appearance at the event, that seems unlikely. Something seems up, though.
Firefox 38 Launches with (and also without) DRM Support
Subject: General Tech | May 13, 2015 - 05:06 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: mozilla, firefox, DRM
Mozilla has just released Firefox 38. With it comes the controversial Adobe Primetime DRM implementation through the W3C's Encrypted Media Extensions (EME). Or, maybe not. If you upgrade the browser through one of the default channels, the Adobe Primetime Content Decryption Module will appear in the Plugins tab of your Add-ons manager on Windows Vista or later (but it might take a few minutes after the upgrade).
Alternatively, you can use Mozilla's EME-free installer for Firefox and avoid it altogether.
I have mentioned my concerns about DRM in the past. EME does not particularly bother me, because it is just a plugin architecture, but the fundamental concept does. Simply put, copy protection does very little good and a whole lot of bad. If your movie is leaked before it is legally available in consumer's hands, as it regularly does, then what do you expect to accomplish after the fact? It takes one instance to be copied infinitely, and that often comes from the film company's own supply chain, not their customers. Moreover, it is found to reduce sales and hurt customer experience (above and beyond the valid ideological concerns).
Beyond the DRM inclusion, several new features were added. One of the more interesting ones is BroadcastChannel API. This standard allows a web application to share data between "contexts" that have the same "user agent and origin". In other words, it must be on the same browser and using the same app (even secondary instances of it). This will allow sites to do multi-monitor split screen, which is useful for games and utilities.
WebRTC has also been upgraded with multistream and renegotiation. Even though the general public thinks of WebRTC as a webcam and voice chat standard, it actually allows arbitrary data channels. For example, "BananaBread" is a first person shooter that used WebRTC to synchronize multiplayer state. Character and projectile position is very much not webcam or audio data, but WebRTC doesn't care.
Firefox 38 launched on May 12th with an optional, DRM-incompatible build.
Project Cars is finally here and it certainly is pretty
Subject: General Tech | May 13, 2015 - 02:52 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gaming, project cars
The Tech Report pulled out their wheel and pedals, tied their chair to their desk and tried out Project Cars, a game which shows off just what a good PC is capable of. The cars, tracks and weather are all rendered in amazing quality with lifelike reflections and lighting. Even better is the feel of the game, realistic handling work with the graphics to immerse you fully into the game. Their are options to help the novice driver get their skills up to speed and while there may not be quite as many tracks and cars to choose from as games such as Forza, the realism more than makes up for it. It will also work with a controller and Steam Big Picture for those who prefer to drive from the couch.
"In his latest blog post, TR's Geoff Gasior gets behind the wheel in Project Cars, a new PC driving game with realistic handling and jaw-dropping graphics. This may be the best-looking game in any genre, and it feels as real as it looks."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Grand Theft Auto V Review @ OCC
- Grand Theft Auto V IQ Features Performance @ [H]ard|OCP
- Flying Cathedrals Galore In First Battlefleet Gothic Trailer @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Star Trek games premiere on GOG.com
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt preload starts today @ GOG.com
- Wot I Think – Wolfenstein: The Old Blood @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Have Faith: Mirror's Edge 2 Slated For Early 2016 @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Humble Store Spring Sale
- Assassin's Creed Syndicate trailer and walkthrough video published @ HEXUS
- Fallout 4 cinematic trailer listed on CG artist's LinkedIn profile @ HEXUS
Newegg Jumping Gun on New AMD Game Bundles: GTAV and DiRT Rally?
Subject: Editorial | May 13, 2015 - 02:07 PM | Josh Walrath
Tagged: R9, newegg, GTAV, DiRT Rally, bundle, amd, 290x, 290, 285
AMD has been pretty quiet on the bundle scene, but I think we may have had their future plans revealed to us a bit early.
In case the offer gets pulled, here is a screen grab from Newegg on May 13, 2015.
Newegg is offering a number of AMD R9 based cards with one to two free software titles. The top end R9 290 and 290X products get both Grand Theft Auto V and DiRT Rally. The value of these two titles are around $95 US. The lower end cards look to only receive DiRT Rally, which is a $35 US value.
This a pretty nice bundle considering that GTAV is still very new, and DiRT Rally is an early access title that will have a bunch of free content added to it through the next 9 to 10 months.
So far no other retailer that I am aware of is offering this particular bundle. My assumption here is that Newegg jumped the gun before AMD was able to announce it.
Click here if you want to see these deals on the R9 290X GPUs.
UPDATE: Initial information from AMD is that it "is not an AMD bundle" so we aren't quite sure what to make of this. It could be a Newegg-specific bundle, but I haven't gotten any feedback from the reseller on the issue yet.
UPDATE 2: Well, we found this certificate for the DiRT Rally portion of the bundle on Newegg.com. Clearly this is an official AMD marketing promotion but we haven't yet found anything official on the Grand Theft Auto V side of things.
UPDATE 3: And now we have this Tweet from Newegg:
UPDATE 4: After another conversation with AMD, the company is reiterating its point that it is not directly involved in the GTAV bundles we are seeing today with AMD Radeon graphics cards on Newegg. According to AMD, the bundle was solely built by Newegg and the OEMs, which explains why we don't see similar offers on identical cards on Amazon. It's likely then that Newegg interfaced with Take-Two/Rockstar to get approval for the Grand Theft Auto 5 inclusion while the DiRT Rally portion was just a happy coincidence. (Also, apparently a week ago AMD launched the DiRT Rally bundle...who knew?!?)
Epson's new 3D glasses
Subject: General Tech | May 13, 2015 - 01:56 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Moverio BT-200, epson, 3d glasses
Epson has teamed up with NGRAIN to create the Moverio BT-200 smart glasses for use in industrial design and repair. The glasses are connected to a controller to minimize the weight of the actual glasses as well as allowing you control options on the 3D view you see through the glasses. The Register were not overly impressed with the image nor the interface but could certainly see the usefulness in the demonstrations that were conducted. One benefit the glasses do offer is dual usage, they can be used both to show 3D images as well as augmented reality overlays when looking at physical objects, allowing to use the interface you prefer.
"You may be really looking forward to 3D glasses but based on the latest tech giant's efforts, it may be some time.
Today we tried out Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses at IoT World in San Francisco and were left… underwhelmed."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Boffins brew 'Stop Light' that turns photons in fibre into memory @ The Register
- IBM silicon photonic breakthrough promises 100Gbps downloads @ The Inquirer
- TSMC to make SSD controller chips for Apple, say sources @ DigiTimes
- That DRM support in Firefox you never asked for? It's here @ The Register
- Apple reportedly plans to buy BlackBerry in bid to tighten grip on enterprise market @ The Inquirer
- TP-LINK Archer C9 Wireless Dual Band Router Review @ Madshrimps
Spring has sprung, time to buy a new system and hide from the sun
Subject: Systems | May 12, 2015 - 03:55 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: system guide
The Tech Report have just finished up their latest System build guide, with updates to the Budget, Sweet Spot and High End machines. The components involved each get a page to allow you to see the differences in recommendations at a glance, both in performance and price. The example Budget build now includes the $100 Crucial BX100 250GB, the last of the builds to upgrade to an SSD. Also included is a quiet, yet overclockable Stealth Fighter which weighs in at an estimated $1500 and should satisfy any gamer that can't afford their Maxwellator XXL. Take look at their recommendations and compare it to our own Hardware Leaderboard for an overview of the parts that will give you the best bang for your buck.
"Ready to build a new PC? The latest edition of our System Guide features our picks for everything you'll need to put together a shiny new system."
Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
- System76 Meerkat: The Perfect Mini PC for Multimedia or Desktop @ Linux.com
- Boston Venom 3401-7T @ eTeknix
- CyberPowerPC Syber Vapor I Review @ Neoseeker
- Intel NUC5i7RYH w/ i7-5557U Review @HiTech Legion
- NZXT Doko: Your PC Anywhere (Sort of...) @ Modders-Inc
- Intel's Compute Stick miniature PC @ The Tech Report
Use your SHIELD to stream games over NVIDIA GRID at 1080p
Subject: General Tech | May 12, 2015 - 02:40 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gaming, shield, nvidia, grid
Ryan and the crew have tested out NVIDIA's GRID, the cloud streaming service that lets you play games at 720p, as long as you have a 10 Mbps down connection on a network with a NVIDIA GameStream-ready 5 GHz Wi-Fi router and 60 ms or less ping time to a GRID server. In testing Ryan did notice lag but he still found them playable once he mentally adjusted to the delay.
Today NIVIDA announced an upgrade to the GRID service, 35 of the 50 games on the service can now stream at a full 1080p and 60fps including Batman: Arkham Origins, Devil May Cry 4 and Dirt 3 Complete Edition. In order to properly enjoy the HD quality you will need a compatible router from the list linked to above and connection of at least a 30 Mbps down, with 50Mbps being recommended by NVIDIA for best results.
The new SHIELD Hub beta is available to SHIELD owners by following the link in NVIDIA's blog post here. They also announced the addition of Bionic Commando to their library, playable at the new resolution.
Need another reason to try out Win10? How about live translation on Skype
Subject: General Tech | May 12, 2015 - 01:48 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: windows 10, win 8.1, translator, Skype Translator, skype, microsoft
The Skype Translator service has been available for users that signed up and were approved by Microsoft for testing. It has now been made available for any and all users of Windows 8.1 or the Windows 10 pre-release. It can translate audio to and from English, Spanish, Italian or Mandarin in real time and can translate instant messages from another 50 languages. You will of course need someone to call who speaks a different language from you to see how bad the eggcorns are but watching live translation is always impressive. You can see it in action at The Inquirer and the link for the software is at the bottom of the article.
"MICROSOFT HAS MADE its Skype Translator Preview available to all Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 users."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Microsoft: Insiders using Windows XP or Vista won't get free Windows 10 upgrade @ The Inquirer
- Windows 8.1 - still a dead duck or worth the move for 4K? @ Kitguru
- Microsoft's run Azure on Nano server since late 2013 @ The Register
- GPU Malware Can Also Affect Windows PCs, Possibly Macs @ Slashdot
- Mildly successful flying car crashes - in mildly successful test flight @ The Register
- Microsoft Is Confident In Security of Edge Browser @ Slashdot
- MediaTek outs Helio X20 10-core chip with three processor clusters for better battery life @ The Inquirer
- Intel RealSense App Challenge Winners @ Intel
Giveaway! Take home a 20th Anniversary ASUS GeForce GTX 980!
Subject: Graphics Cards | May 12, 2015 - 12:11 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: GTX 980, giveaway, contest, asus, anniversary
I bet many of you are going to feel a little old as you read this, but ASUS is celebrating its 20th anniversary of being in the graphics card market! Starting in 1996, when ASUS launched its first discrete graphics product based on the S3 Virge/DX GPU and running through 2015 with the release of updated GTX 900-series and AMD Radeon 200-series cards, ASUS has been a pivotal part of the GPU landscape.
To celebrate this achievement, ASUS built a new, gold, 20th anniversary edition of its GeForce GTX 980 product, limited to only 200 units in all of North America! And the best part? You can win one right here on PC Perspective for FREE!
This amazing graphics card has some killer features:
- 4GB GDDR5 memory at 7.0 GHz
- 1317 MHz Base / 1431 MHz Boost clocks
- 8+8-pin power connections
- DirectCU II 0db Fan Technology
- Memory Defroster
- "Safe Mode" VBIOS reload
- 14-phase Super Alloy power
How do you enter for this prize? Pay attention, there are some specifics!
- First and foremost, you must be subscribed to the ASUS PCDIY email list, which you can sign up for at http://pcdiy.asus.com/. Repeat: this is a requirement!
- You must leave a comment on the news story here and tell us what you love about ASUS graphics cards or the new 20th anniversary GTX 980 Special Edition!
- This is a global contest - so feel free to enter from anywhere in the world!
- You can gain other entries by utilizing the Gleam.io form below!
PCPer / ASUS 20th Anniversary GTX 980 Contest
The contest will end on May 15th at 9pm ET so be sure to get your entries in early!
Dual watercooling loops in a Mid-Tower
Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 11, 2015 - 05:21 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: define r5, fractal design, water cooling
Over at Techgage is an interesting post about installing dual watercooling loops, GPU and CPU, in to a Fractal Design R5. It is more of a work log than a how to but it covers all the basic investigation you should do before installing a watercooling loop as well as the steps involved in putting it together. That they managed to fit a pair of 240mm Nemesis radiators into a mid-sized case is impressive, the overall tidiness of the build even more so. Check out the build log with pictures right here.
"After we posted our look at Fractal Design's Define R5 a couple of months ago, it didn't take long before Matt was craving not just a chassis upgrade, but a water cooling one, as well. With the chassis in hand, join him as he takes you through the process of setting up a dual loop setup, and tells you what he thinks of working with the Define R5."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
- SilverStone Tundra TD03-E CPU Liquid Cooler @ Benchmark Reviews
- Corsair H100i GTX @ HardwareHeaven
- Noctua L9x65 Low Profile Heatsink Review @ Hardware Asylum
- be quiet! Pure Rock @ techPowerUp
- Raidmax Hyperion @ techPowerUp
- SilverStone Raven RV05B-W @ NikKTech
- NCASE M1 @ techPowerUp
- NZXT H440 Razer Special Edition @ HardwareHeaven
- Aerocool Aero 1000 Chassis @ Kitguru
- Zalman Z11 Neo Mid-Tower Case @ Benchmark Reviews
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text:
Matt Scherer
As someone who is passionate about technology, this is my blog designed to help educate people about social media. As well, I want to use this social media forum to bring our growing tech community together.
Monthly Archive for December, 2011
Online portal helps Hawaiian family adopt Texas children
Online technology has helped a lot of causes and business processes, but until I began working with the folks at St. P.J.'s Children's Home, I had never known about the web sites that assist potential parents find children to adopt. Several weeks ago, during the weekly staff meeting, the management team at this southside children's […] [Read More]
Four local Cyber Patriot teams advance to next level
MIAMI — Here in the home of the would-be NBA champs, I was glad to see this email from Chris Cook, one of the founders of the Cyber Patriot program in San Antonio. Cook's latest missive caught me up on the December competition for the open division. "Congratulations to all 19 of our San Antonio […] [Read More]
Organizations should change their viral response time
Sitting in line at a computer store yesterday, I overheard one of the clerks talk about the FeDex delivery story. If you have been out of touch like my oldest step daughter who just returned from her honeymoon in the south Pacific, you may have missed the guy from the Memphis-based delivery service dropping a […] [Read More]
New Horizons to offer free LinkedIn class
If you know of someone who has served in the military or is on active duty who is concerned about their next career objective, I hope you will share this free LinkedIn opportunity with them. As a disabled vet, I understand the difficulty in transitioning from the military to a civilian life. So, I am […] [Read More]
Tebow mania obvious in south Texas
If you want to have perfect strangers strike up a conversation with you, wear a Denver Broncos' hoodie. I wore mine downtown to show my son-in-law's family the Alamo and the River Walk before the wedding with my step daughter and her beloved. Throughout the guided tour of the Alamo and the Pearl Brewery, I […] [Read More]
InnoTech adds IT exec awards to 2012 program
In this article, Matt Scherer details how people can nominate folks for two IT awards…… [Read More]
AFCEA conference to attract leaders in infosecurity
Gen. William Shelton, commander, Air Force Space Command, is set to speak Dec. 15 as the keynote luncheon speaker for the Second Annual AFCEA Alamo ACE conference at the La Cantera Resort, Dec. 15 at 11 a.m. "We have worked to bring together many of our military leadership in information assurance, military intelligence and medical […] [Read More]


text:
Gear Review
Cru Jones
Not bad if they are on sale
I was able to snag these on sale and they were a decent tire, wear was ok and I didn't get any cuts in the tread. Not as sticky as other tires in the corners and the wear was respectable. They are worth it if you can snag a discount but don't compare to the other 60-80$ tire options (Michelin or Vittoria are my preference)
I am guessing the other reviewer may have had a freak, manufacture error on his
View More Details on Hutchinson Atom Comp Tire


text:
A method for producing a film over a topologically non-planar surface of a material which has a sputter etch rate which is higher in a direction parallel to the plane of the wafer than in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the wafer. Key steps in the process include first, depositing the material by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition while simultaneously sputter etching it. Then second, sputter etching the material. Using this two step process, a substantially conformal or sloped film is produced by repeating the steps consecutively until the desired thickness is obtained. The film can then be substantially planarized if desired, by an extended sputter etch to selectively remove material having a sloped surface rather than a flat surface, since the etch rate is higher parallel to the plane of the wafer than perpendicular to the wafer. If a thicker planar surface is desired, additional material can then be deposited by steps of simultaneous plasma chemical vapor deposition and sputter etch, or by consecutive steps of simultaneous plasma deposition and sputter etch followed by sputter etching.
1. A method of producing a film over a wafer that has a topologically non-planar surface of a material having an RF sputter etch rate which is higher in a direction parallel to the plane of the wafer than perpendicular to the plane of the wafer, comprising the steps of:
(1) depositing said material by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition while simultaneously sputter etching said material as it is deposited;
(2) after step 1, sputter etching said material; and
(3) repeating steps 1 and 2 as a pair N times, where N is an integer and N≧1.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein after steps 1 and 2 are repeated N times, the material is further sputter etched until a substantially planar surface of the material is obtained.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein after the further sputter etch, step (1) of claim 1 is repeated M times, where M is an integer greater than zero.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (2) of claim 1 is repeated every time step (1) is repeated for said M times.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein said material is a dielectric.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the material is SiO2.
This invention relates to plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and ion sputter etching, and particularly to combinations thereof to achieve in-situ insulating dielectric film coverage of underlying metal interconnect lines for very large scale integrated (VLSI) structures.
In the topology of deposited dielectrics, the construction of VLSI devices has become increasingly important as lateral device dimensions approach, and in some cases become smaller than, the heights of topological features. The importance of dielectric surface topology arises primarily from the need to conformally coat the dielectric layer with metal, and then to etch the metal cleanly. Typically, when using physical deposition of PECVD, the resulting step coverage shows reentrant surfaces such as illustrated in FIG. 1. This is due to shadowing which causes lower deposition rates at the corners near the bottom of a step than at the top of a step. If the deposited dielectric is then planarized using resist and etching, voids can be created where the reentrant surfaces closed on themselves during deposition. Hence, if the dielectric topography is not planarized before physical depositon of metal, the metal layers can become discontinuous on the reentrant dielectric surfaces because of shadowing. Or, if CVD is used to deposit the subsequent metal, the metal layer is conformal, thus solving the open circuit problem, but may result in shorting of adjacent etched conductors. This latter result is due to the anisotropic etch of the metalization layer because of shadowing by overhanging dielectric.
To remedy this problem, two approaches are generally used: (1) bias sputtering of quartz (see "Study of Planarized Sputter Deposited SiO2 ", by C. Y. Ting, et al, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., 15(3), May/June 1978), and (2) plasma enhanced CVD (see "Sidewall-Tapered Oxide By Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition", by Gregory C. Smith, et al, J. Electrochem. Soc., No. 85, Vol. 132 No. 11). Using bias sputtered quartz, the basic mechanism relies on the fact that the sputtering removal rate on solids depends on the angle of ion incidence. Due to this anisotropy, sputter etching is performed simultaneously with the deposition of oxide to tailor the topography of the sputtered film. As a general rule, however, the topography created by such a technique is typically only partially planarized due to time constraints. Complete planarization often takes many hours.
In using plasma enhanced CVD, the approach taken is to deposit oxide using PECVD and to simultaneously sputter etch to control the topographic modifications. Again, the results provide only partial planarization as a practical matter.
In performing the mothod of the invention, the process approach uniquely combines plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technology with ion sputtering etching technology in a manner that has in-situ capability to achieve insulating dielectric film coverage of underlying metal interconnect lines for VLSI structures either in a conformal structure or a substantially planarized structure.
The general method applies to producing a film over a topologically non-planar surface of a material which has a sputter etch rate which is higher in a direction parallel to the plane of the wafer than in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the wafer. Key steps in the process include first, depositing the material by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition while simultaneously sputter etching it. Then second, sputter etching the material. Using this general two step process, a substantially conformal or sloped film can be produced by repeating the steps consecutively until the desired thickness is obtained. The film can then be substantially planarized if desired, by an extended sputter etch, since the etch rate is higher parallel to the plane of the wafer than perpendicular to the wafer. If a thicker planar surface is desired, additional material can then be deposited by a prolonged step of simultaneous plasma chemical vapor deposition and sputter etch, or by consecutive pairs of steps, where the first step is of simultaneous plasma deposition and sputter etch, which is followed by a second step of sputter etching.
FIG. 1 shows a typical problem of reentrant surfaces for step coverage resulting from prior art techniques.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic of a cold wall deposition chamber used to practice the method of the invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates the conformal surface over an interconnect obtained using simultaneous plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputter etching.
FIG. 4 illustrates different degrees of conformality or planarity which can be achieved using a method of the invention whereby a series of steps of simultaneous plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputter etching are followed by sputter etching, the differences in planarity being due to different times for the final sputter etching.
FIG. 5 illustrates a substantially planarized surface which can be obtained by a method of the invention whereby a series of repeated cycles are used where each cycle is made up of simultaneous plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition plus sputter etching followed by sputter etching alone.
FIGS. 6a-6d show the results of the method of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5 at different stages during the process.
FIG. 7 is a table providing a first example of the process parameters used to practice a method of the invention.
FIG. 8 is a table providing a second example of the process parameters used to practice a method of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a graph of film growth rate as a function of RF power.
FIG. 10 is a graph of self-induced D.C. bias versus RF power during the sputter etch mode (i.e. no deposition).
FIG. 11 is a graph of film growth rate as a function of nitrous oxide to silane ratio.
FIG. 12 is a graph of sputter etch rate perpendicular to the wafer plane as a function of chamber pressure.
FIG. 13 is a graph of sputter etch rate parallel to the wafer plane as a function of chamber pressure.
To illustrate the method of the invention, it is best first to described the apparatus used to practice the method. Shown in FIG. 2 is a schematic of a CVD system used in this interlayer dielectric process (ILD) which is substantially similar to the CVD system described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,157, issued Jan. 21, 1986, assigned to Genus, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., and incorporated herein by reference. The standard system has been modified slightly to change some of the process gases, so that the total complement of process gases includes N2 O, Ar, SiH4 and NF3 under the supervision of a gas control system 13. This system is a cold wall, CVD system with plasma enhanced deposition capability with an electrically grounded vacuum process chamber 15 and an electrically isolated heated turret assembly 17 where wafers are mounted. Also, mixing chambers 14 are independently cooled. RF energy up to 2500 watts at 13.56 MH, is available from a generator 19 which is coupled to the heated turret 17. The turret also acts as an electrode, through a DC blocking capacitor and matching network 21. This geometry permits the generation of a gaseous plasma in process chamber 15 as well as a self-induced DC voltage which negatively biases the turret electrode 17 to below ground potential due to the equilibrium state of the plasma. The relatively large diameter of electrically grounded process chamber 15 (˜60 cm) in comparison to the diameter of isolated turret electrode 17 (˜30 cm) provides a substantial difference in the surface areas of these electrodes which in turn corresponds to a large value for the induced negative bias on the turret electrode. (For a given plasma potential, the induced negative bias increases monotonically with the ratio of the areas of these two electrodes.) This self induced negative DC bias voltage between the electrodes acts as an accelerating potential for positive ions in the plasma which causes the ions to bombard the wafer, thereby sputter etching it. Because of the capabilities of the apparatus, the etching process can be performed either simultaneously as materials are deposited, known hereinafter as the simultaneous dep/etch mode, or simply as an independent sputter etch without deposition, known hereinafter as the etch mode. In practice, the system can be used in three distinct process approaches to achieve an interlayer dielectric film, depending on the type of film desired, ie. depending on the selected degree of conformal or planar coverage desired over the underlying topology.
Process 1
In this process, the system is used entirely in the simultaneous dep/etch mode to achieve a conformal film such as that illustrated in FIG. 3, and corresponds substantially to the prior art methods for dielectric interlayers as described previously in the Background of the Invention. The plasma enhanced CVD of dielectric material and the sputter etching away for the deposited material occur at the same time, but with a net accumulation. Depending on the process parameters selected, various degrees of conformal or sloped step coverage can be achieved with the film basically replicating the underlying topology. This approach typically cannot be utilized to achieve planar film coverage. FIG. 3 shows the results of two sequential steps of a simultaneous PECVD/sputter etch over a substrate 31 having a metal layer 32 thereon. The deposited layers are D1 and D2.
Process 2
In this process one or more steps of dep/etch (simultaneous deposition and sputter etch) are followed by a single sputter etch step. During the etch step, no reactant gases are flowing and therefore no film deposition occurs. The process parameters for each of these steps can be selected to achieve a particular set of film results. A high degree of sloped coverage including full planarization is achievable with this approach, although with less than optimal film properties or machine throughput performance. The results of this process are illustrated in FIG. 4, which shows a substrate 41 having a metal layer 42 thereon. The sequential steps of dep/etch result in a thick layer of dielectric D over the substrate and metal layer. Etching is then used to etch back the dielectric layer. Etchback lines E1-E6 illustrate the results of etching for different lengths of time, the time to reach etchback line E6 being larger than the time to reach the etchback line E1.
Process 3
This process is one of repeated, sequential operation. By repeating shorter duration versions of the single dep/etch step plus etch step grouping of Process 2, two or more times with process parameters optimized for each cycle, both film properties and machine performance can be optimized concurrently. This process is preferred when sloped coverage or a high degree of planar coverage is required at minimal loss of machine throughput. FIG. 5 shows the results of the process over a substrate 61 having a metallic layer 62 thereon. The repeated cycles of dep/etch plus etch results in a layered structure 55 of dielectric which can be made substantially planar.
The results of this third process are illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 6a-6d. In FIG. 6a, the substrate 61 with metal interconnect layer 62 is shown with successive layers 63 through 70 deposited thereon. The layers are produced by successive steps of simultaneous dep/etch with each such dep/etch followed by an etch. Each etch performed alone, ie. without simultaneous deposition, selectively removes the film corner produced by the simultaneous dep/etch, so that repeated cycles provide the structure of FIG. 6a which has a sloped coverage. FIG. 6b illustrates the results of further repeated cycles of the steps dep/etch plus etch which has been stopped after a predetermined thickness has been reached which covers the metal interconnect layer 62. After achieving the desired thickness in FIG. 6b, the duration of the final etch step is extended to achieve the degree of planarity desired. In the situation as illustrated in FIG. 6c, which is typical for the process, etch rates parallel to the plane of the wafer are as much as five times faster than etch rates perpendicular to the plane of the wafer so that sloped surfaces 73 are generally etched away faster than flat surfaces 74. Also, depending on the process parameters chosen, this selectively can range from 3 to 15 times. Surfaces 75 and 76 illustrate the results of successively longer final etch times to achieve planarization. After the degree of planarization desired is achieved, additional steps of dep/etch plus etch are performed to obtain the desired film depth over the entire substrate 61 and interconnect 62 such as shown in FIG. 6d.
Since Processes 1 and 2 are included in Process 3, only Process 3 will be described in detail by way of example. The first example chosen corresponds to deposition of SiO2 on a silicon substrate having a metal interconnect thereon (typically aluminum) with a step height of 5000 A and a width of 8400 A. As illustrated in the process sheet of FIG. 7, the process begins at steps 1 and 2 with an initial process setup to let the chamber equilibrate and to stabilize gas pressures. This is followed by a sequential grouping made up of a simultaneous dep/etch using SiH4, Ar, and N2 o at step 3 to put down SiO2 on the substrate surface; an etch of the SiO2 at step 4; and a repeat at step 5 of the setup stabilization used in step 2. (The particular process parameters are also given in FIG. 7.)
This first sequential grouping at steps 3 through 5 are then repeated 4 times in steps 6-17 but for a time of 400 seconds at each etch step rather than 300 seconds as in the first sequential grouping, so that by step 17, approximately 5100 A of SiO2 have been deposited on the substrate and the interconnect. (The shorter time of 300 seconds for the first etch was used to ensure that the first etch did not penetrate the first deposited layer.) At steps 18 and 19, the repeated sequence of steps of dep/etch plus etch are performed for further extended times, twice the previous times, in order to obtain thicker layers of material a slightly faster average deposition rate and a singular process in the sense of there being fewer steps. Such extended times are generally avoided during the first several cycles, since it is typically important to lay down relatively thin films at first to avoid having keyhole-type voids in the deposited film which can be difficult to correct by later depositions. After process stabilization at step 20, a standard dep/etch is performed followed by an extended etch for 4000 seconds at step 22 in order to planarize the rather angular surface produced by the previous steps. Process stabilization is again performed at step 23, and a standard dep/etch plus etch sequence is performed at steps 24-26 to increase the thickness of the planarized SiO2 film. Finally at step 27, a dep/etch cap is deposited over the surface in order to obtain some additional thickness and a clean oxide surface on top of the interconnect. At this point the surface is substantially planar, and has a thickness over the interconnect of about 3500 A with a maximum deviation from planarity of less than 15%. (similar to contour E5-E6 in FIG. 4), i.e. the maximum deviation above the mean height of the deposited layer is less than 15%.
A second example is illustrated by FIG. 8, which is a process sheet for producing a planarized film over a substrate having an aluminum interconnect with a one micron height and a one micron width. In this example, a single step (Step 1) is used for chamber stabilization. The process begins as before with an initial dep/etch plus etch followed by stabilization (Steps 2-4), with a reduced time of 300 seconds for the etch, but with a constant RF power of 2500 watts for each of the steps. (This power level was used throughout since some experiments showed somewhat improved film quality for depositions at this high power.) This first triad of steps is followed as before with a sequence of triads of identical steps, except for an increase in time to 400 seconds for the simultaneous dep/etch in each one. This sequence of triads is continued until a thickness of SiO2 of about 6500 A is obtained at step 19, this sequence of thin layers being built up to avoid keyhole-type voids as before. From step 20-29, the times for the dep/etch and etch steps are doubled to put down the material at a higher rate. Then at step 30 a final etch is performed to substantially planarize the surface. With this exemplary process, the surface over the interconnect has a thickness of about 4000 A, with a maximum deviation from planarity of less than 15%.
For situations where wider linewidth interconnects are used, the final time required to achieve planarity appears to increase substantially. For example, for a four micron wide interconnect which is one micron in height, the final etch at step 30 to achieve comparable planarity would be increased by 100 minutes.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the relative times of the various steps, the process gas pressures and flow rates, and the RF power are all variables which can be manipulated within the constraints of the apparatus to optimize film quality and machine throughput. To that end, several experiments were run which led to the selection of the process parameters of FIGS. 7 and 8 which were described earlier. For example, FIG. 9 shows the relationship between film growth rate and RF power for a simultaneous dep/etch step. For a substantial range of the RF power, the lowest chamber pressure yeilded the highest growth rate. With the ILD apparatus described earlier, the lowest chamber pressure which could be consistently maintained at the high gas flow rates for the dep/etch was 70 mT. Also, the maximum growth rate at a chamber of 70 mT occurs at about 900 watts of RF power as was used in the first example above.
FIG. 10 is a graph of DC bias versus RF power for the etch step. This graph indicates that one should use the lowest chamber pressure achievable with the maximum RF power, which for the ILD chamber was 30 mT with the Argon at a flow rate 200 sccm and an RF power of 2500 watts.
FIG. 11 shows the growth rate of the dep/etch step as a function of the ratio of N2 O to SiH4 for different chamber pressures. Again the highest growth rates occur at the lowest pressure. Here, the graph also indicates that the growth is faster as the ratio of N2 O to SiH4 becomes more stoichiometric, ie. a low ratio. However, other experiments dictated a ratio of 14 to 1 based on the film quality obtained.
FIG. 12 illustrates the perpendicular Rf etch rate as a function of chamber pressure, and FIG. 13 illustrates the parallel RF etch rate as a function of chamber pressure. FIG. 12 indicates that a lower chamber pressure increases the perpendicular etch rate and FIG. 13 indicates that the maximum parallel etch rate occurs at about 30 mT. Hence, 30 mT was chosen as the operating chamber pressure for the etch step.
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Mōri Hidemoto
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2008)
Mōri Hidemoto (毛利 秀元?, November 25, 1579 – November 26, 1650) was a senior retainer beneath the clan of Toyotomi throughout the latter Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. Hidemoto was the eldest son of Mōri Motokiyo and initially began service under the Toyotomi at the time at which he was of the age to become a military commander under his cousin Terumoto, the head of the Mōri clan. Within the year of 1597, Hidemoto became a highly redeemed figure beneath the Mori, and, by variable means, was chosen specifically by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to lead the Second Invasion of Korea's Army of the Right, where he respectively wielded 30,000 soldiers. Hidemoto was additionally backed by six generals that were assigned to his right wing: Katō Kiyomasa, who possessed 10,000; Kuroda Nagamasa, who wielded 5,000; Nabeshima Naoshige with 12,000; Ikeda Hideuji tasked with 2,800; Chōsokabe Motochika, who wielded 3,000; and a certain Nakagawa Hidenari, who respectively possessed 2,500. With these preparations thus made, Hidemoto and his mutual supporters led the initial Japanese offensive within the Korean province of Gyeongsang, where they marched towards Jeonju after assaulting Busan, presently taking both Sacheon and Changpyong. Following this campaign, Hidemoto obtained a far greater sum of power beneath him, justifiably by means of becoming the governor over the provinces of Suo and Nagato, which he held up until the decisive Sekigahara Campaign of 1600.
Initially within this campaign, Hidemoto was determined to rationally support the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu—dubbed as the 'east'--and as his cousin, Terumoto, possessed 128,000 soldiers that he would use to mutually back the Western forces of Mitsunari, Hidemoto, intending on assisting the Eastern forces of Ieyasu, gathered his armaments with great immediacy, equipping himself with 15,000 soldiers and stationed his entire army on Mt. Nangu, where his generals were equally distributed along the eastern borders of this mountain. To make the circumstances go from beneficial to entirely detrimental, Kikkawa Hiroie, General of Hidemoto, refused to move against the Eastern forces during the battle's beginning; and as Hiroie was the leading general of the army, Hidemoto was restricted from ascending to the frontlines, placing him with little other choice than to resentfully retreat without offering his mutual support to the Tokugawa. And as a general resolution to such an event, Hidemoto's initial fief was dropped from 200,000 to a moderate 50,000 out of sympathetic consideration to Terumoto's service, causing Hidemoto a justifiable level of humiliation. Regardless, Hidemoto surmisably remained as a primary commander under Ieyasu throughout the Period of Edo, where he more than likely assisted within the Sieges of Osaka and the later Shimabara Rebellion before eventually dying during the year of 1650.[1][2]
- ^ http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Mori_Hidemoto Mori Hidemoto – SamuraiWiki
- ^ The Samurai Sourcebook
|This biography of a daimyo is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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Namibian investigators have found no indication of mechanical malfunction on the LAM Mozambique Embraer 190 which crashed while en route from Maputo to Luanda.
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But initial examination of the wreckage as well as preliminary data from the recorders shows "no evidence" of mechanical failure, it adds.
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Flight TM470 came down at around 13:00 local time in the Kavango region of northeastern Namibia.
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Driver behaviour
Fuel saving tips
Encourage your staff to try the following tips for a month:
Drive smoothly
Accelerate smoothly. Change gear early, but don't labour the engine. If you drive an automatic, choose economy gear switching as this will keep the engine speed down.
Watch your speed
Reducing your speed by 10 km/hr can knock around 10% off your fuel consumption.
Look ahead, maintaining a safe following distance, and you'll keep at a more constant speed. This uses less fuel than constantly accelerating and braking.
Care for your car
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Keep your load down
A heavier vehicle means more drag. If you do not need the heavy items in the boot all the time, leave them at your business and just transport them when you need them. Take roofracks or luggage boxes off your car when you aren't using them.
Limit idling time
If you are going to be stationary for more than 30 seconds, switch off your engine.
Calculate your fuel economy
The first step to improving your fuel economy is knowing exactly how much fuel your car is using right now. You can calculate exactly how much fuel you are using by following the steps below next time you fill up.
- Make a note of where your fuel gauge needle is, for example empty, a quarter full
- Fill up your car and keep your fuel docket which shows how many litres you bought
- Reset the trip meter before you drive off
- Drive around as you normally would. When the fuel gauge reaches the same point as in step 1, write down the distance you have travelled from the trip meter
- To find out your fuel economy in litres per 100 km, divide the number of litres of fuel used by the distance travelled, then multiply this figure by 100.
- Your result - the smaller the number, the better your result.
You can also find out what fuel consumption to expect from a car of your make and model, and compare it to other similar cars using Fuel$aver.
What is good fuel economy?
A New Zealand car uses on average 11.2 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (km) travelled. However this figure is an average of all the cars on the road - including a lot of big, old gas-guzzling vehicles.
You can expect a new small car to deliver fuel economy of less than 6 litres per 100 km.
A new medium-sized family sedan can deliver fuel economy of around 8 to 9 litres per 100 km.
More information
- Learn more about fuel myths and tips
- Compare fuel economy, safety ratings for cars, and environmental impacts at rightcar.


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Legacy Group - Transforming Your Identity, Discovering Your Authentic Self Month of September 28-October 26 , 2014This workshop's start date has passed.
Workshop Details
Our emotions can be hugely important in determining the quality of our lives. They occur in every relationship we care about – in the workplace, friendships, with family members, and in our intimate relationships. Emotions can, and often do, arise very quickly. Our conscious self usually does not participate in or even witness what, exactly, triggers an emotion at any particular moment. That speed can save our lives in an emergency, but it can also ruin our lives when we react rather than respond.
Using an Emotional Intelligence framework, Tanya McGinnity will lead participants on a journey to witness their current capabilities and be encouraged to reach their highest potential. By establishing trust we create an energetic container in which participants will feel safe to dive deep into their souls through guided imagery and self-reflective questioning. By reflecting on negative patterns they will be able to determine the false identities that have been informing their negative self-talk. This transformative course is dedicated to a deep exploration of vision, identity, values, and emotions in order to live intentionally and with purpose, connected with a radiant life force.


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The Schuylkill Carbon Marine Corps League!
Serving Eastern Schuylkill and Carbon County area of North Eastern PA. We rotate our monthly and special meeting locations. Please see our events calendar for times and locations.
All information in this website is to be used for our League's activities only. Unauthorized use of this website and or its information is strictly prohibited! Views and comments made in this site does not mean endorsement by the government of the United States of America, the US Veterans Administration, the USMC or the National/Regional/State Head Quarters of the Marine Corps League.


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Athletics Department Hosts 54th Annual All-Sports Gala
More than 300 student-athletes, coaches and staff members reflect on one of the most successful athletic campaigns in Friar history.
Caitlin Malone Earns All-America Honors
Malone becomes the 10th player to earn All-America recognition for the field hockey program all-time.
Three Field Hockey Players Earn All-Region Honors
Caitlin Malone named to First Team; Daniella Bernasconi and Henni Tietze claim Second Team recognition.
Field Hockey Set To Begin BIG EAST Tournament Action Friday
No. 4 seed Friars will face No. 1 seed Connecticut in the BIG EAST semifinals on Nov. 7 in Providence, R.I.
Five Field Hockey Players Earn All-BIG EAST Honors
The Friars' five selections are the most for the program since 2007.
As a Graduate Student: Started all 20 games... Recorded nine points on three goals and three assists... Notched a season-high three points vs. BIG EAST foe Georgetown with one goal and one assist (10/10)... Credited with the game-winning goal in a 5-1 victory over Quinnipiac (10/5)... Finished her careeer at Providence with 42 points on 13 goals and 16 assists... She leaves PC tied for 17th all-time in career assists (16)... Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... Named All-BIG EAST First Team (unanimous selection), NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region First Team and earned the program's "Pride Is An All-The-Time-Thing Award"... Selected to participate in the 2014 NFHCA Senior All-Star Game... Became the 10th player in program history, and first player since 2009, to earn All-America honors (Third Team)... Providence College Female Athlete of the Year for Team Sports... BIG EAST All-Academic Team.
As a Senior: Started all 18 games at center-midfield... Tallied five points on one goal and three assists... Recorded a season-high three points vs. Brown (10/2) on one goal and one assist... Named All-BIG EAST First Team and earned a spot on the Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region Second Team... Named Providence College Female Athlete of the Year at the 53rd Annual All-Sports Gala.
As a Junior: Started all 18 games at center-midfield... Led the Friars in points (27) and finished second among her teammates in goals (nine) and assists (nine)...Finished season ranked ninth in the BIG EAST in points, tied for 10th in goals, third in points per game and tied for fifth in assists... Tallied a career-best four points in three games against Kent State (9/3), Georgetown (9/14) and Vermont (10/8)... Scored a career-high two goals, twice, in games against Georgetown (9/14) and Vermont (10/8)... Scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory against Villanova during BIG EAST regular-season play (10/13)... Recorded a career-high two assists against Kent State (9/3) and Harvard (9/8)... Registered eight multiple-point games... Scored at least one point in 12 of 18 games... Earned the program's "Mountain Climber Award"... Named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on October 15... Earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team and the Longstreth / NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region Second Team.
As a Sophomore: Played 12 games for the Friars... Recorded her first collegiate point on one assist vs. Iowa (9/9).
As a Freshman: Joined the team during the fall as a walk-on and was awarded a spot on the roster as a redshirt. In High School: Attended Ossining High School where she earned four varsity letters each in field hockey and lacrosse... Also earned letters in basketball and track... Two-time All-State selection (2008-09)...All-Section (2007-09)...Four-time All-League pick (2006-09)...Named Ossining's Female Athlete of the Year (2010).
Personal: Born November 28, 1992…Daughter of Mark and Ann Carroll Malone...Has one sister, Molly, and two brothers, Luke and Patrick…Graduated in May 2014 with a degree in psychology and completed a minor in business studies... Enrolled in the College's graduate program and is pursuing a master of education in counseling.
NFHCA Division I All-America Third Team •2014
All-BIG EAST First Team • 2013, 2014
All-BIG EAST Second Team • 2012
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team • 2014
NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region First Team • 2014
NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region Second Team • 2012, 2013
NFHCA Division I Senior Game • 2014
Pride Is An All-The-Time-Thing Award • 2014
Mountain Climber Award • 2012
Providence College Female Athlete of the Year • 2014, 2015
BIG EAST All-Academic Team • 2015
Official StoreOfficial Online
Friar Field Hockey Blog:...
The Providence College field hockey team checks in with Friartown about their travels and experiences on the team's foreign tour to the Netherlands and...
Friar Field Hockey Blog:...
The Providence College field hockey team checks in with Friartown about the first couple days of the team's foreign tour to the Netherlands and Germany. The ...
Caitlin Malone Earns All-Ame...
Providence College graduate student Caitlin Malone (Ossining, N.Y.) caps off an impressive field hockey career with the Friars, earning Longstreth / NFHCA...
Three Field Hockey Players...
The 2014 Longstreth / NFHCA Division I All-Region Teams were released on Monday, Nov. 17. Three Providence College field hockey players earned All-Northeast...
Field Hockey Falls To 3rd-Ra...
The Providence College field hockey team fell to 3rd-ranked Connecticut, 3-1, on Nov. 7 in the BIG EAST Conference semifinals held at Lennon Family Field in ...
Field Hockey Set To Begin...
Providence College enters the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship as the No. 4 seed and will face No. 1 seed Connecticut in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 7...
Five Field Hockey Players...
The BIG EAST Conference released its post-season award winners and All-BIG EAST honorees for field hockey on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Five members of the...
Steph Guglielmo Named BIG...
Providence College senior forward Steph Guglielmo (Castle Rock, Colo.) was named BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week for field hockey on Nov. 3....