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A computer-implemented method is described for determining an efficient transportation route comprising: compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, the travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over the travel segments; receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, the positional data including an origin and a destination; and providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from the origin to the destination using the travel data, the first efficient route including one or more of the travel segments.
Also described is a computer-implemented method for providing transportation services comprising: receiving a transportation request from a passenger; tracking the passenger's position following the request using positional detection logic; and transmitting positional data identifying the passenger's position to a pickup vehicle.
1. A computer-implemented method for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:
compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, said travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over said travel segments;
receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, said positional data including an origin and a destination; and
providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said first efficient route including one or more of said travel segments,
wherein said destination is a pickup point of a passenger submitting a transportation request and said origin is a current position of said vehicle.
2. The method as in
3. The method as in
4. The method as in
5. The method as in
6. The method as in
transmitting a pickup confirmation to said passenger responsive to receiving a response from a first driver indicating that said first driver can service said request.
7. The method as in
8. The method as in
9. The method as in
10. The method as in
providing a driver of a vehicle with a second efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said second efficient route including one or more of said travel segments.
11. The method as in
12. A system for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:
communication means for receiving travel segment data from one or more transportation vehicles;
route determination means for analyzing said travel segment data and calculating a first efficient route from an origin to a destination based on said travel segment data; and
transportation request means for receiving passenger transportation requests over a wireless network from a passenger's wireless device, said transportation requests including said destination.
13. The system as in
wireless communication means for receiving said travel segment data over a wireless network from said one or more transportation vehicles.
14. The system as in
15. The system as in
16. The system as in
17. The system as in
18. A computer-implemented method for providing transportation services comprising:
receiving a transportation request from a passenger;
tracking said passenger's position following said request using positional detection logic; and
transmitting positional data identifying said passenger's position to a pickup vehicle.
19. The method as in
20. The method as in
21. The method as in
22. The method as in
re-transmitting positional data identifying said passenger's position to said pickup vehicle at periodic intervals.
23. The method as in
re-transmitting positional data identifying said passenger's position to said pickup vehicle at periodic intervals.
24. The method as in
re-transmitting positional data identifying said passenger's position to said pickup vehicle responsive to movement of said passenger.
25. A computer-implemented method for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:
compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, said travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over said travel segments;
receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, said positional data including an origin and a destination; and
providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said first efficient route including one or more of said travel segments,
wherein said one or more drivers are selected based on a price which said passenger is willing to pay and a price said one or more drivers are willing to accept.
26. A computer-implemented method for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:
compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, said travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over said travel segments;
receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, said positional data including an origin and a destination; and
providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said first efficient route including one or more of said travel segments,
wherein said travel data includes an amount of time expended by a vehicle in traveling across a portion of said travel segment.
27. A computer-implemented method for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:
compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, said travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over said travel segments;
receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, said positional data including an origin and a destination;
providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said first efficient route including one or more of said travel segments; and
providing a driver of a vehicle with a second efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said second efficient route including one or more of said travel segments.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of transportation services. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved system and method for providing transportation services over a data communications network.
2. Description of the Related Art
The automobile is one of the most successful inventions of all time but automobiles and the industry surrounding them are also responsible for more pollution and toxic waste than any other product of the industrial era. Unfortunately, the typical use of automobiles—in particular personal automobiles—is extremely inefficient. On a typical day, one can see large numbers of personal automobiles parked and not in use. This represents a large base of underutilized capital goods. At the same time, the use of alternative modes of transportation that are more efficient—public transportation, taxis, private cars—is either inconvenient or too expensive.
Private automobiles are both ubiquitous (at least in industrialized countries) and inefficiently utilized, in part because the modern consumer wants the "on demand" transportation services a waiting car represents. In a typical rush hour commute virtually every car is driven by a sole driver. A more convenient and efficient utilization of automobiles and other forms of on-demand transportation could replace a large number of automobiles and therefore be a boon to consumers, the environment, and congestion on our highways. If applied to other on-demand resource situations, it could also be used to enhance the efficiency of industry and commerce.
A computer-implemented method is described for determining an efficient transportation route comprising: compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, the travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over the travel segments; receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, the positional data including an origin and a destination; and providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from the origin to the destination using the travel data, the first efficient route including one or more of the travel segments.
Also described is a computer-implemented method for providing transportation services comprising: receiving a transportation request from a passenger; tracking the passenger's position following the request using positional detection logic; and transmitting positional data identifying the passenger's position to a pickup vehicle.
A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture for implementing various embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method according to one embodiment of the invention.
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that these embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of these embodiments.
Embodiments of the invention described below provide for an automated method for convenient, efficient allocation of personal transportation and other on-demand transportation resources. These embodiments may also be extended for use in a variety of scenarios in which a mobile resource requires scheduling and allocation of that resource.
Embodiments of the invention may be implemented within a networking architecture such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. The particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a wireless communication network 120 for supporting communication between two or more wireless devices (e.g., device 160). The wireless communication network 120 may also include a communication link to a larger network 110 such as the Internet over which a plurality of servers 130 and clients 140 communicate.
In one embodiment, a personal wireless device 160 operated by a user 170 transmits and receives data as well as audio signals. For example, in one embodiment, the wireless device 160 (and/or the wireless network 120) is configured to transmit and receive data using the Wireless Application Protocol ("WAP"). The WAP is a communications standard which specifies an application framework and associated network protocols for wireless devices such as mobile telephones, two-way pagers and personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), and which leverages existing mobile networking technologies (e.g., digital data networking standards) and existing Internet technologies (such as Extensible Markup Language, URLs, scripting, and various content formats).
Regardless of the type of wireless data transmission standard employed, the wireless device 160 of one embodiment is capable of communicating with servers 130 and/or clients 140 over the network 120 and/or directly over the wireless network 120 (e.g., with servers 125). In one embodiment, one or more transportation vehicles 180 are also equipped with wireless devices (not shown) capable of transmitting and receiving various types of data over the wireless network 120.
In one embodiment, the vehicle 180 may also be configured with a personal information device such as a computer and optional interface components such as display, audio components, a keyboard, a touch-screen, a joystick, . . . etc, to be used by a passenger during transport. In addition, the system may include AM/FM radio reception, TV reception and display, and/or Internet access via the wireless network 120.
In one embodiment, the personal wireless device 160 of the user 170 and/or the driver contains a location-identification capability. For example, the wireless device 160 may include Global Positioning System ("GPS") logic or cell-based locator logic (e.g., such as the positioning technology developed by Snap-Trac™, Inc). In an embodiment which uses a form of GPS technology, the wireless device 160 may transmit and receive positional data to/from one or more global positioning satellites 150.
In one embodiment, one or more data centers equipped with servers 130 and/or 125 for providing the transportation services described herein (hereinafter "transportation services") are operated and maintained on a regional basis, based on the demands of the marketplace and/or the geographical scope of the service. These services, described in detail below, may include a customer billing system, a customer profiling system used for advertising, merchandising, and/or content delivery to transportation system passengers 170.
System operation according to one embodiment of the invention will now be described with respect to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 2 as well as the network architecture of FIG. 1. This embodiment employs the wireless network 120 and/or the Internet 110 to coordinate the on-demand or scheduled pickup and drop-off of passengers 170. It should be noted that various wireless and terrestrial communications technologies may be employed while still complying with the underlying principles of the invention. For example, the vehicle 180 may be equipped with a device for communicating using the Global System for Mobile Communications ("GSM") protocol, the General Packet Radio Service ("GPRS") protocol, and/or any other communication protocol/standard capable of communicating data, audio and/or video. In one embodiment, described in detail below, the vehicle 180 is equipped with a television receiver and/or an AM/FM receiver.
At 210, a user 170 of the service indicates her need for transportation from point A to point B by transmitting a transportation request from the wireless device 160 and/or from a client computer 140 connected to the network 110 (if one is available). Accordingly, she may connect to a data center server (e.g., to server 130) over the wireless network 120 and/or the Internet 110.
In one embodiment, the passenger's 170's location is automatically known by a GPS tracking device (not shown) embedded in the wireless communication device 160. Based on the GPS tracking information, at 215, a lookup performed on a data center server 130 (and/or 125) determines one or more suitable pickup locations for the passenger.
In one embodiment, the potential passenger 170 is provided with a number of options for pickup based on larger-area data such as, for example, zip code, area code, and/or the potential passenger's cellular zone. Alternatively, or in addition, the potential passenger 170 may be prompted by servers (e.g., 130, 125) at the data center to enter a destination address, a time-frame within which she needs/wants to have the transportation available (e.g., immediately at the airport, tomorrow at 2:00 PM), and/or any other relevant information (e.g., number of passengers who need to be transported, class of service, type of vehicle, minimum safety record and reliability of the driver, . . . etc).
The data center may then provide the potential passenger 170 with a price at which the requested transportation service will be rendered, based on the vehicles available and the price at which the drivers of those vehicles are willing to provide service. Under this embodiment, different drivers (or other entities in control of pricing and/or resource allocation such as other transportation companies)may choose to provide transportation services using different pricing schedules (e.g., $0.90/mile, $20 per trip within 10 miles, . . . etc). Alternatively, each driver who signs up with the transportation service may be required to agree to a standard pricing schedule. Alternatively, a driver's rate may be based on that driver's experience, timeliness record, safety record, or other driver-specific variables.
In one embodiment, the potential passenger 170 may quote a price which she is willing to pay for the transportation and the data center may match that price with an appropriate driver/vehicle 180 if one is available (i.e., with a driver in the area willing to accept the quoted price). In this embodiment, the data center may auction drivers to the highest bidding passengers. Similarly, passengers may be required to enter prices that represent minimum or maximum acceptable prices for the transportation. In one embodiment, one of the many auction mechanisms known in the art are used to match passengers to drivers or other transportation resources.
Regardless of how a price is selected, at 220 the data center identifies one or more vehicles 170 to comply with the transportation request based on the specifics of the request. The determination as to which vehicle is a most "appropriate" match for the passenger may be based on a number of different factors including, for example, the location of the user, the quoted price, the number of passengers, the class of service or type of vehicle requested (e.g., private or shared car, extra cargo space), whether a destination is provided (e.g., roundtrip journeys may be better for resource allocation), the length of time the driver has been driving or other safety/regulation-related factors, and/or the timeliness of the driver.
In addition, in one embodiment, the data centers may factor in the current traffic conditions to make a driver selection (or, for that matter, a pickup point selection). Thus, a driver who is relatively further away from the pickup point may be selected if he has a quicker path to the passenger based on traffic conditions. Any of the foregoing factors, alone or in combination, may be used to render a driver/vehicle selection. If an acceptable vehicle cannot be identified, the passenger may be offered an opportunity to choose from a list of next-best alternatives (e.g., different class of vehicle, different arrive time, local rental car or bus service).
In addition, a prioritized list of driver candidates may be compiled at the data center. In one embodiment, the location of each vehicle 180 is known because of positional information gathered automatically from the vehicle's 180's wireless device. Alternatively, or in addition, the driver of the vehicle 180 may manually transmit positional information to the data center on a periodic basis.
At 225, once an appropriate vehicle has been identified, the data center sends a pickup request to the driver of that vehicle 180 indicating that a potential passenger 170 is available and/or additional information related to that passenger 170 (e.g., the number of passengers, the time period within which the passengers require service, the location of the passengers, . . . etc). In an embodiment which generates a prioritized list of driver candidates, the initial driver candidate may be selected from the top of the list.
In one embodiment, if the driver accepts the pickup, the driver then confirms an estimated arrival time (e.g., within the time period specified by the passenger 170). If the driver accepts, a confirmation code associated with the transportation transaction may be generated. In one embodiment this may simply be the user's 170's telephone number. Alternatively, the driver may indicate that she is unable or unwilling to make the pickup (determined at 230), in which case another suitable vehicle/driver is identified from the prioritized list of vehicle/driver candidates (in an embodiment which employs a prioritized list). In one embodiment, the passenger 170 is notified by the data center of the progress of her request.
Once a driver has accepted, at 235 a message is transmitted to the user/passenger 170 confirming pickup location, time, a quoted price and/or the confirmation code for the driver. In one embodiment, the passenger 170 is then asked to confirm that these parameters are acceptable. If so, then the driver is notified of the confirmation. At this stage, the passenger's cell phone (or other wireless device) number may be transmitted to the driver and/or the driver's cell phone number may be transmitted to the passenger 170, so that the two can communicate directly over the wireless network 120.
In one embodiment, the passenger's and driver's cell phone numbers (and any other potentially confidential data) are kept only at the data center and communications coordinated through the data center. In one embodiment, the driver and passenger are each given a unique identifier separate from their cell phone number or other wireless access device.
The driver then proceeds to the pickup point. As the driver continues on her way, she may update the passenger 170 of any changes to the arrival time estimate including, for example, the fact that she has arrived at the pickup point. These updates can be in the form of either a "pull" transmission (e.g., wherein the passenger's wireless device 160 periodically polls the server 125 or 130 for a pickup update) or a "push" transmission (e.g., wherein the server 125 or 130 automatically transmits an update to the wireless device; or, alternatively, wherein a confirmation telephone call is placed to the passenger).
Alternatively, or in addition, the updates may be comprised of a combination of both pull and push communications technology (e.g. pull up to a fixed time before arrival then a push notification). In one particular embodiment, the pull mechanism is a periodic reference to an updated WAP page or Web page by the wireless device 160, and the push mechanism is a Short Message Service ("SMS") message or pager notification transmitted by the server 125,130 for wireless environments and/or an email or instant message for wired modes.
In one embodiment, the data centers may utilize live operators to dispatch and update users on the progress of a particular transaction (e.g., how close the driver is) in addition to the computer-implemented updates described above. Alternatively, or in addition, an interactive voice response ("IVR") system may be programmed to provide user updates (e.g., such as those employed by Tellme™ Networks and others).
While the passenger 170 waits for the transportation, she can notify the data center and/or the driver that she has decided to cancel the trip, change the pickup time, pickup location, and/or any other changes to her itinerary.
When the driver arrives, the driver and passenger 170 may exchange confirmation codes to verify that they are matched correctly. In one embodiment, this exchange may occur via a communication through the wireless network 120. Alternatively, or in addition, the code exchange may occur directly between devices (e.g., through a short-range communications medium like an infrared communication link or a Bluetooth protocol link).
As mentioned above, in one embodiment, passenger and/or driver billing information is maintained at the data center. Accordingly, when driver arrives at the destination, a new billing record may be generated in the billing database. The bill may be directly applied to the passenger's credit card, or, alternatively, may be mailed to the passenger. Similarly, the driver's account may be credited by the amount of the bill or some percentage of the amount.
In one embodiment, the user may use a computer such as client 140 connected to the Internet 110 to schedule or request transportation (i.e., rather than a wireless device). In this embodiment, pickup locations may be entered directly by the user and/or stored in a cookie on the user's hard drive. This embodiment could be in the form of a dedicated kiosk or a general-purpose computer anywhere on the network 110. In this embodiment, a cookie may correspond to multiple locations to allow for multiple resources (e.g., such as a laptop computer). In one embodiment, users may schedule pickups for future dates/times from the client 140 as well as the wireless device 160. In this embodiment, the billing system may be programmed to provide discounted transportation fees for transportation scheduled far enough in advance.
Pickup points may be determined using a variety of techniques including, but not limited to, identifying the nearest addressable building or the nearest street crossing; pre-selecting a number of pickup points in a given area; using pickup points frequently chosen by other similar passengers based on collaborative or other matching technology; and/or using pickup points designated by others other entities such as a driver, an airport authority, a city bus authority, . . . etc.
In one embodiment, pickup point data is stored and analyzed at the data center depending on the hardware and software sophistication on the user's wireless device 160. Alternatively, or in addition, all or some of the pickup point database may be cached locally on wireless devices 160 to improve response time (i.e., if the wireless device 160 is capable of caching data). One embodiment of a lower-cost wireless device includes a manual input for new pickup points and a historical record of past/recent pickup points, thereby reducing the need for repetitive data entry. One embodiment of a more fully featured wireless device would also cache data such as driver profiles, advertising, and other information.
In one embodiment of the invention, in addition to the foregoing features, a passenger may dial a phone number and arrange for a pickup using either a human-answered or automated data entry system. This alternative can be combined with some of the other automated features above to maximize the flexibility of the transportation system.
In one embodiment of the invention, a map of the region surrounding the pickup point may be displayed on the user's wireless device 160 or computer 140 to simplify the process of selecting a pickup point. The user may select a particular point on the map and this data may be transmitted to the data center for processing. Moreover, once a point has been identified at the data center (e.g., based on driver availability), the data center may transmit a map to the user with an indication of the pickup point.
Using confirmation codes (as briefly described above) will help to promote integrity and trust of the overall transportation system. Passengers who use the system will feel secure that they are being provided with a driver whose activity is monitored and who will, therefore, be held accountable. Similarly, drivers will be servicing customers who are known to the data center. In one embodiment, a reliability measurement is generated for drivers and/or passengers based on driver/passenger data maintained at the data center (e.g., passenger 'xyz' is on average 5 minutes late to meet the vehicle) and/or based on feedback from the drivers and passengers (e.g., passengers may rate the friendliness or cleanliness of the driver or vehicle). Various other reliability and/or quality measurements may be factored into the data center analysis while still complying with the underlying principles of the invention.
In one embodiment, entertainment and/or workspace services are uniquely tailored to the preferences of the passenger in the vehicle (e.g., through the personal information device). For example, a personal stereo in the vehicle may be automatically set to a passenger's preferred radio stations and/or work documents may be made available via a connection to a shared document service on the Internet 110 (e.g., through the wireless network 120). A passenger code (or other mechanism for tracking the passenger's preferences) may be used to identify the passenger's preferences from a passenger profile database maintained at the data center. Alternatively, or in addition, the wireless device 160 may be bundled with a long-term memory device (e.g. a hard disk) to store relevant personalization data, personal documents and/or files. In one embodiment the passenger code may be the same as the confirmation code described above.
In one embodiment, the computer or other personal information system may receive the passenger/confirmation code through one of several optional mechanisms. For example, the passenger or driver may enter it directly; it may be automatically transmitted through an interconnection with the central dispatch system (e.g., over the wireless network 120); and/or it may automatically be provided via a direct wireless connection with the passenger's 170's personal wireless device 160 (e.g. via a Bluetooth protocol link).
Moreover, the personalized resources may be provided in either a Internet-disconnected or Internet-connected mode. In the disconnected mode, the resources are selected among those available on the local storage device. For example, a passenger 170 may have a preference for particular radio stations which are pre-selected as options. In addition, through a linkage with the location information and mapping data, periodic updates on the progress of the journey may be presented to the passenger. In a connected mode, certain Internet resources (e.g., the passenger's personal homepage) may be made available. In addition, the connected mode may include the ability for the passenger's personal data to be pre-cached on a local hard disk in the vehicle 180 as the vehicle 180 is in-transit to the pickup point.
In one embodiment, an optional service tied to the customer code or other personal identifier would provide targeted advertising based on the preferences and other information (e.g., demographic information) available about a passenger. Because many personal information displays are customized to the tastes of a particular customer, it is possible to target advertising to these passengers based on their profiles, customer data, trip origin, trip destination, and/or point in the progress of the trip. For example, on the way to the destination, advertisements for local restaurants or other stores may be transmitted to the passenger's 170's wireless device 160. Moreover, the advertisements may also be linked with a loyalty program or a special drop-off discount. In one embodiment, the advertising may be displayed on the in vehicle personal information device.
In one embodiment, the various transportation features described herein may be linked to a billing system that provides for a variety of different business models. In addition to those discussed above, these include, for example, a flat subscription price that allows for unlimited use of the system; limited use based on time in the transport, distance traveled, boundaries crossed (e.g. within a city limit); billing on a per-trip basis with a calculation made for each proposed trip; whether a destination address is provided; discounts/surcharge for various groups or affiliates, scheduling travel in advance, length of stay over, etc.; discounts/surcharge for particular destinations such as the billing address of the passenger 170, or an airport or restaurant; whether a round-trip is requested; discounts for accumulating adequate frequent traveler or other loyalty-program points; billing groups to a corporate account or other group account; payments from certain business destinations that pay for passengers to be let off at particular locations (e.g. a shopping mall, a restaurant or other retail outlet); pre-paid billing similar in principle to a pre-paid telephone card (this allows people without credit histories to use the service); and/or including other types of transportation services such as light rail, bus, airlines, etc, on either a one-off basis or as a subscription style "pass". In one embodiment, payments made by business destinations (and/or other discounts or surcharges) may be passed on, in whole or in part, to the subscriber.
In one embodiment, a subscriber to the system may be permitted to have up to a certain number of guest passengers during the subscription period, either under a flat (e.g., monthly) fee or for a small surcharge. Certain restrictions may be placed on this feature. For example, guests may be required to be dropped off before (or at the same time as) the subscriber.
In addition, in one embodiment, a single membership may be shared among several different passengers. Once again, limits may be set on this type of passenger usage including, for example, service usage of only one member at any given time (e.g., similar to what certain ISPs do to limit abuse by multiple user IDs under a single membership). Users under group memberships may be permitted to share a predetermined number of miles or time under a billing plan (e.g., similar to group packages for cellular phones). In this embodiment, users may be required to be part of the same physical household.
In one embodiment, a passenger may use a car that he/she owns to pay for the service. For example, the passenger would transfer title of a car worth $10,000 to the an organization connected to the billing system. The organization would credit the passenger with some amount of service. The organization may sell the car and may, as an inducement, offer credits for more than the value of the car. The organization may also issue credits for purchasing goods and services via the personal information display or other credits, including a refund directly to the former car owner.
One embodiment allows for a "hub and spoke" system of transportation, which would increase pickup and delivery densities and reduce costs. In this embodiment, a subscriber receives an estimated drop off time that may include a stop at a hub. Like an airline reservation, the subscriber will be advised by the data center of which connection he/she must catch and the departure time for that connection. Unlike previous systems, however, in this embodiment, a central system tracks the estimated arrival times for each subscriber that has a connection and verifies that a seat is available (and optionally reserves a specific seat) and may also request that a departing connection not leave until the incoming passengers arrive.
Optionally, the connections may be via transportation vehicles other than an automobile such as, for example, the subway, inter-city rail, light rail, airlines, bus, or ship/ferry, to name a few. In this embodiment, different transportation links may be selected for the user based on the price the user is willing to pay for the transportation services. Moreover, the user may be presented with a group of transportation link options from which to select when planning a trip (e.g., bus from point A to point B, then automobile from point B to point C).
One embodiment of the invention may be used for coordinating a single shared resource that is cooperatively owned. For example, existing services allow an individual to purchase a portion of an airplane or jet and share its use among other owners. Unlike prior systems, however, this embodiment of the invention would provide centralized tracking and coordination among the members sharing the resource (e.g., at the data center). For example, a resource calendar may be maintained at the data center, setting forth days when each member is to be allocated the resource. In addition, the location of the resource could be continually tracked at the data center so that other members know exactly where it is at any given time. One embodiment of the invention may be used to coordinate a pool of shared mobile resources such as fractional jets or car sharing.
One embodiment of the invention would allocate a pool of transportation resources (rather than a single resource) between a plurality of passengers. This embodiment may be implemented under a variety of resource sharing business models, including those discussed above. For example, passengers may pay a periodic subscription fee for the right to use the transportation resources on a regular basis. Certain limitations may be placed on users in this embodiment. For example, the periodic payment may be for the right to use transportation resources for a limited number of miles or hours, after which the passenger may be required to pay a surcharge. In addition, the type of resource used may factor in to this calculation. For example, each mile/hour used in a luxury automobile may be equivalent to 1 mile/hour in a compact car. Various other business models may be implemented consistent with the underlying principles of the invention.
In one embodiment, the user may request a vehicle to perform a delivery in lieu of arranging for the delivery by a delivery service. In addition, the service may also be used to deliver a particular transportation resource (e.g., a rental car, a cooperatively owned automobile, etc) to the passenger. The foregoing embodiment may be useful for long-distance trips, further mimicking the full value proposition of car ownership. Embodiments of the present invention include various steps, which have been described above. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable instructions. The instructions can be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor to perform certain steps. Alternatively, these steps may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components.
One embodiment of the invention employs a peer-to-peer system for linking drivers to passengers (rather than a system with a centralized data center). In this embodiment, the user's request may be routed through the wireless network 120 directly to one or more drivers within the passenger's geographical area. The location of the passenger in this embodiment may be determined using any of the location techniques described above. For example, the location of the driver may be identified based on the cellular cell within which the request was received. Any potential drivers within that cell may then be automatically transmitted the user's cell number so that the driver may call the passenger to coordinate transportation directly. As described above, the request may be sent to the most "appropriate" driver first based on variables discussed above (e.g., price, safety and/or reliability of the driver, class of service, number of passengers, . . . etc). In one embodiment, interactions between passenger and drivers occur between nodes on a network (e.g., an Internet protocol (IP) network) with direct communication between the network nodes.
A further application of embodiments of the invention is to allow for a more precise method of hailing a taxi. Rather than relying exclusively on sight for evidence of waiting fare, a driver could use the invention to identify where passengers are available. There are benefits for passengers in avoiding inclement weather and minimizing opportunities for racial and other visually-based discrimination.
A further application of the invention is to allow a taxi or other mobile resource to find the location of the passenger when the passenger changes location over time. For example, a passenger may be walking down a street while waiting for the driver. Periodic updates on the location of the passenger allows the driver to find the passenger.
In one embodiment, location and travel time information from a vehicle is periodically and/or continually transmitted and tracked by the data center. This real-time travel data can be used by the data center in a variety of ways. For example, in one embodiment, this data is used to determine an optimal route from the pickup point to the destination and/or from the driver notification point (i.e., the point from which the driver accepts the pickup) to the pickup point. In this embodiment, the amount of time taken to travel certain segments of the trip may be evaluated by compiling and analyzing drive times for all other vehicles over these segments. The results of this analysis may then be used by the system to determine the most efficient route for the driver to take to the pickup point and/or to the passenger's destination. Thus, if another driver recently encountered construction or other backups on a particular street, this information will be used to reroute other drivers to minimize delays. In one embodiment, the driver may be presented with several alternate paths, each with an estimated drive time, from which the driver may select. In one embodiment, these paths may be displayed graphically using a mapping technology which graphically illustrates the various paths on a map.
One embodiment of a system and method by which the foregoing analysis and routing can be accomplished is as follows: A map is divided into travel segments. These segments can be as small or as large as appropriate, depending on the circumstances. For example, a single city block might be a travel segment in the city and a 2 miles section between two exits might be a travel segment for a highway. As vehicles travel through a segment, the time of their entry and exit is monitored. In one embodiment, the location identification device (e.g. GPS) calculates the location and transmits it to a data center whenever it enters or exits a travel segment. In one embodiment, location information is regularly transmitted on a periodic basis. In this embodiment, a calculation is made between two measurements to calculate the speed of travel and distance traveled. Regardless of which embodiment chosen for communicating location and time information, the data is stored in a database or other data structure.
Various analysis can be performed to determine whether a travel segment is slower than expected. For example, a simple average over time can be calculated to establish a typical speed and variations from that average indicate slowdowns. Another example is to have average speeds for different times of day to account for times such as rush hour congestion. Another example is to determine variations from comparable speeds of neighboring paths (e.g. city blocks). Another example is to compare the speed with posted speed limits. In addition, there are other optimization and anomaly detection algorithms known in the art that may be employed in the routing analysis. Information on current traffic conditions can be used to develop more efficient routing using these routing algorithms.
In one embodiment, the speed of travel is also transmitted to a data center and that data is used to calculate the speed of travel for a particular segment. Similarly, in one embodiment, data related to traffic congestion can be input manually or automatically to allow information from police, emergency teams, and other sources of traffic information to be factored into the analysis for different travel segments.
Elements of the invention may also be provided as a machine-readable medium for storing the machine-executable instructions. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnet or optical cards, propagation media or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. For example, the present invention may be downloaded as a computer program which may be transferred from a remote computer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection).
Throughout the foregoing description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Accordingly, the scope and spirit of the invention should be judged in terms of the claims which follow.
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Monthly Archive for September, 2009
Still waiting on Fanuzzi
Man, I hope Nick Fanuzzi is worth all of this attention. Is it a matter of his potential as Rice's quarterback or is he simply the best option at this time? Regardless, the sophomore is still injured (shoulder sprain), and he wasn't able to throw any more than he did yesterday. So, what does that […] [Read More]
Tech-UH draws 258,000 but misses Top 10
I slightly underestimated the Houston TV audience for the Texas Tech-Houston game. It drew 258,000 viewers, good for 13th place in the weekly totals, but fell short of the 300,000-plus that watched Tech-Texas a week earlier. Here are the 10 most-watched prime-time shows in Houston for the week of Sept. 21-27, according to Nielsen Media […] [Read More]
A light football Thursday and other news and notes
Half of the area's high school football games will be televised on Thursday. Bet you'd never thought I'd say that, huh? Well, I can say that because there are only four games (two of which will be televised). The game of the night will be at Spring ISD's Leonard George Stadium as Westfield hosts Klein […] [Read More]
Dynamo-Pachuca is here: Who will win? You tell me
Duels between MLS and Mexican First Division clubs are always interesting for a number of reasons, my favorite being the clash of contrasting styles and how opponents attempt to adjust. It's the technically superior league vs. the faster, physically stronger league. I'm generalizing, but you get the idea. What makes tonight's CONCACAF Champions League duel […] [Read More]
Rockets toughen training camp with Mexican brawler Beck
Recognizing the need for toughness with Ron Artest now in Los Angeles, the Rockets signed 6-8 forward Romel Beck of Mexico. After being criticized for his role in igniting a brawl during a "friendly" with Uruguay (below), the chair-swinging Beck (at least I think he was one of the chair-wielders) was kicked off the Mexican […] [Read More]
To build or not to build? That's the $64 million (give or take) question.
Kevin Sumlin likens the Houston Cougars' football season to a poker game. Win one game, the next one gets bigger. Keep winning, and the stack of chips for the taking — or losing — gets bigger and bigger. "The price of poker," Sumlin said. Could the Cougars' surge into national prominence prompt UH movers and […] [Read More]
Von Smack? Miller halfway to Aggies' '08 sack total
COLLEGE STATION — A host of Texas A&M players have auditioned for offensive left tackle this season, with mostly poor results. Turns out it's probably not their fault. It's Von Miller's. "He's destroyed the confidence of our left tackles," Aggies coach Mike Sherman said, smiling. "Those guys are having nervous breakdowns out there. Poor Michael […] [Read More]
Breaking news on the Great Helmet Caper. Bad news about a Coog.
Add one more UH football player to the list of victims in the Great Helmet Caper. UH linebacker Marcus McGraw had 19 tackles in a 29-28 victory against Texas Tech on Saturday, but he couldn't corral his helmet during the chaotic celebration on the field after the game. "I kind of tossed it up in […] [Read More]
Scott, Collins to miss rest of the season
Texas safety Christian Scott and wide receiver Brandon Collins will miss the entire 2009 season due to NCAA academic issues, UT announced Tuesday. Both players had been sidelined since opening week while they awaited word from the NCAA as to whether they'd made sufficient academic progress toward a degree. Scott, a third-year sophomore, was one […] [Read More]
Wait and see on Fanuzzi
Nick Fanuzzi threw Tuesday, but the results were mixed. David Bailiff said all of the velocity wasn't there, but Fanuzzi does have a better range of motion in his right shoulder, leaving everyone optimistic that he might be able to go Saturday against Tulsa. Another evaluation will be conducted tomorrow. Nothing new on the rest […] [Read More]
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subset: commoncrawl


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Gear Review
Tommy Nankervis
BIKND Helium Air-Cushioned Bike Case
Best bike bag ever, made even better by the fact is has a sack to store it in when not in use. Bike bags are a hassle at the best of times to store in the garage or wherever, but with the sleeve this bike bag comes with, it rolls up into a convenient size and shape to store very easily.
So aside from being a super-safe bag for your bike (with room for two pairs of wheels, and lots of other bits and peices), the ability to pack up small gives it "6-Stars"!
View More Details on BIKND Helium Air-Cushioned Bike Case


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MILWAUKEE, Wis. 5/7/12 (PennWell) -- Black & Veatch has been selected to design a new powerhouse for We Energies' Twin Falls hydropower plant.
Black & Veatch will replace a nearly 100-year-old facility at Twin Falls, which will be built on the Wisconsin side of the Menominee River. The facility will have a capacity of 9 MWwhen it is completed in the summer of 2016, a release says.
The current 6.1-MW powerhouse sits on the Michigan side of the river and features five turbine-generating units, according to Black & Veatch.
Constructing the new Twin Falls plant before decommissioning the current facility will not only prevent a stoppage in power supply, but also it will allow continual water passage, We Energies says.
The utility company operates 13 hydropower plants in east central and northern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. The facilities have a total combined capacity of 86 MW.
It was also recently announced that Black & Veatch has been selected by the Santa Clara Valley Water District for urgent repair work at California's Anderson Dam.


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Computer Science
Computer science is the study of the basic principles of computing, or how computers work. It encompasses not only programming, but also operating systems networking, security, graphics, hardware architecture, artificial intelligence and much more.
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The applications of computers to business and data management are the subject of the program in information systems, which is housed in the Sigmund Weis School of Business.


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R&B / Pop Songs Music Chart - January 17, 2010
January 18, 2010 Chart RecapWelcome to the Booth's......Read More
Jah Cure ft. Phyllisia - Unconditional Love
In summer of 2007, world-renowned reggae heavyweight Jah Cure was released from prison after serving eight years for a crime the artist maintains he did not commit. Though such an experience would leave most bitter and jaded,...Read More
Chris Brown - Sing Like Me
With his current single, Crawl, Chris Brown reclaimed his place in the hearts of listeners in the Booth and beyond, earning a more-than-impressive four-star average reader rating and soaring to the number-one spot on our own...Read More
Jay Sean ft. Sean Paul & Lil Jon - Do You Remember?
With the lead single off his forthcoming U.S. debut album, Lil Wayne collabo Down, Jay Sean made an impact that won't be soon forgotten – last week, the record hit number one on Billboard's Hot 100. Now, the Jayded/Cash...Read More
Usher ft. Nicki Minaj - Lil Freak
When it comes to Lil Freak, the latest leak from the immortal Usher, I could talk about a lot of things. I could mention that the production, a slowly bumping, sonically steaming beat from Usher's hit making partner Polow...Read More
R. Kelly ft. Tyrese, Robin Thicke & The-Dream - Pregnant
Sex in the kitchen, sex in a zoo, sex in a closet, it's no secret that R. Kelly loves him some sex, and the seemingly inevitable outcome of all that freakiness is the new track Pregnant. Now I stopped being shocked by...Read More
Tayma Loren ft. The-Dream -Tipsy
Beer goggles (or Patron goggles, as the case may be) aren't just for the fellas – on her latest buzz single and first Booth feature, rising R&B starlet Tayma Loren confesses that, when she's Tipsy, every guy looks like a...Read More
Jagged Edge - You Look Good With Me
Some couples look like they were made for each other – you know, the ones who get mistaken for husband and wife despite having met only hours before. OK, I don't think that happens much outside of romantic comedies, but you...Read More
Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris - Break Your Heart (Remix)
Ever since the founding fathers decided to revolt against the crown Americans have been suspicious of anything coming from the U.K., but just like The Beatles and Rolling Stones in the '60s, a new generation of English...Read More
Tweet - Anymore
After making an appearance on last month's VH1 Hip Hop Honors to pay homage to Missy Elliot, singer Tweet is back in the spotlight. This time around the focus is on her though, and the first official single from her...Read More
Jaheim ft. Jadakiss - Ain't Leaving Without You (Remix)
With his last feature, current single Ain't Leaving Without You, R&B veteran Jaheim swept Booth regulars off their feet, snagging four and five-star ratings from readers and staff alike. How do you jazz up a track that was...Read More
Omarion ft. Gucci Mane - I Get It In
Apparently Omarion's icebox has finally thawed. Almost three years after the young R&B star became a grown man on his sophomore album 21, Omarion is back with his new single, the marching-band banger I Get It In. Over some...Read More
Sammie - Wake Up
Do you ever get the urge to slap your unconscious mind upside the head, even though it's your head? When my alarm went off this morning, my dream-self was in a mad rush to make it to the airport in time to catch a flight. Way...Read More
Jagged Edge ft. Gucci Mane & Trina - Tip of My Tongue
I know my mind can get a little dirty, but what else are you supposed to think when you hear that notorious baby makers Jagged Edge just put out a new song featuring Trina titled Tip of My Tongue. On Tip of My Tongue, the...Read More
Lloyd ft. Rich Boy - Everyday
If the Booth is any indication – and let's be honest, it always is – Lloyd's new project Like Me: The Young Goldie EP is going to be a monster. Pusha proved to be a smash, Take It Off and Like Me were both highly...Read More
Shanell ft. Ne-Yo & Lil Wayne - The Other Side
Here to represent the "softer, sexier side of Young Money" (to quote her MySpace page), newly-signed singer Shanell has teamed up with her label boss and an R&B big-name to take listeners on a trip to The Other Side. The...Read More
Raheem DeVaughn - I Don't Care
Feeling a little apathetic today? This just might be your jam. On the second single off his forthcoming junior album, Raheem DeVaughn tells the world just how indifferent he is to his naysayers' opinions, particularly when it...Read More
Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart
Regular readers know all too well how deep my love for Alicia Keys runs (a love which she's sadly unaware of) so I won't rehash my feelings again here, except to say that I love nearly everything the R&B goddess does....Read More
Usher ft. T.I - My Bag
Honestly, it hasn't been a good couple of years for Usher Raymond. Once the undisputed king of the r&b world, lately Usher's been struggling, releasing a mediocre album Here I Stand, divorcing his wife and, fittingly,...Read More
R. Kelly - Echo
I won't front, every time Robert Sylvester Kelly releases a new track I get more excited than Fat Joe at a taco truck. After the insanity that was Trapped in a Closet, I realized that a Kells track could be about absolutely...Read More
Sample Text - Sample Link


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Whallonsburg Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve presents its highest honor, the Paul Schaefer Wilderness Award, to Gary Randorf for a lifetime of achievement in protecting and educating the world about the wild Adirondack Park.
The award will be presented in absentia to Randorf's close friends at a ceremony during the organization's Annual Meeting at The Grange in Whallonsburg on Saturday morning, Oct. 5. Randorf now lives in North Carolina, but used to live in Essex. Following the presentation, Bonnie MacLeod will present a slide show of Gary's wild land photography, courtesy of the Adirondack Council.
In addition, Adirondack Wild presents its Wild Stewardship Award to Champlain Area Trails (CATS), headquartered in Westport, for that organization's effectiveness in creating and stewarding trails in the Champlain Valley to link communities and ecosystems. Chris Maron, Executive Director, and Katharine Preston, Board Chair, will accept the award.
John Davis, a resident of Essex and former Conservation Director for the Adirondack Council, former staff for the Foundation for Deep Ecology, former editor of Wild Earth and land manager with the Eddy Foundation will also receive the organization's Wild Stewardship Award.
Adirondack Wild's annual meeting and award presentations are free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Oct. 5 at The Grange. For reservations and directions to The Grange, visit adirondackwild.org.
Randorf began his career in 1972 as an ecologist with the NYS Adirondack Park Agency and conducted, along with the legendary Clarence Petty, a comprehensive review of Park's wild, scenic and recreational rivers. He later became executive director of the Adirondack Council, where he led that organization to new heights as a Park advocate. He became a leader in the fight to combat acid rain's devastating impacts on the Park's fish, soils and freshwater. Later, Randorf returned to the APA as an educator and interpreter for the new Park Visitor Interpretive Centers.
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Active.com API
The Active.com API provides read-only access to data produced by systems within The Active Network. This includes things like running events, tennis tournaments, triathlons, high school sports ranking data, and campground availability data for 97% of the US and Canada's national and state/provincial parks. Assets include events, races, tournaments, facilities, classes and leagues. Several sites, including livestrong.com and ESPN, are active consumers of the API. All of the Active.com APIs are read-only and return public data. As a result, no security measures (SSL, Oauth) are required. The API uses RESTful protocol and responses are formatted in XML.
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DD Smart
|DD Smart is an initiative taken by Dunkin Donuts to provide customers with health and fitness data.
|FYIfly leverages the Active.com API to show different active events based on location.
|Eventful allows users to see events in their are based on location.
|Connecting people who are living, studying or working outside their own country. Uses Russian social network Odnoklassniki. Immipad is a social network and marketplace that uses several Active and Google APIs.
Best Place Live
|Realtime content from bestplacetolive.com helps users find job opportunties, travel and leisure destiniations, real estate trends, concerts and more in over 1500 cities.


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Posted at: 01/23/2013 1:13 PM
By: The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A candlelight vigil is planned Wednesday and funeral services are scheduled Friday for the family of five slain in southwest Albuquerque over the weekend.
Officials with the Calvary Albuquerque church say members are organizing a candlelight vigil for the Griego family at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
A "Life Celebration Service" for the family is scheduled at the church at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
Greg Griego, a former pastor at the church, his wife, Sarah, and three of their young children were found shot to death in their home Saturday. The couple's 15-year-old son, Nehemiah Griego, has been charged in the case. Bernalillo County sheriff's officials say the teen told them he killed his family because he was angry with his mother. They say he also planned to shoot people randomly at a Wal-Mart and contemplated killing his 12-year-old girlfriend's parents.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Kentucky's testing provider is the Kentucky Department of Insurance. To learn more about registering for your actual exam, visit www.doi.ppr.ky.gov.
You must complete state-approved prelicensing education in Kentucky before you can take the state exam. The appropriate forms to obtain your prelicensing certificate will be included
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© 2015 ExamFX - All Rights Reserved.


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Non drummer here picking out heads for my kit
So first off I'm not a drummer. I play bass and own a mix matched drum kit that I kind of ended up with awhile back. I'm starting a rock cover band and our drummer doesn't own a kit and isn't really a drummer yet, just a bass player who knows how to play drums and wants to get more into it. I'm setting up our jam room and kind of acting as band leader. He will be using my kit but I will be getting the kit ready for him since I know he knows nothing about drum hardware yet. I need to pick out heads for it and need some help. Here are the shells I have.
Pearl Forum 22 inch bass drum, 13 inch tom and 16 inch floor tom
Pearl Export 10 inch tom
Tama Rockstar Snare drum
I want something that will work well with most any rock music and last awhile. A friend who is a drummer will be helping me tune it up and give some pointers to our drummer but he suggested coated heads and I just don't like the sound of coated heads in rock music.
I already bought Remo Emperor clears for the tom batter heads. From the sound of them I feel like they will be higher quality than ambassadors and more versatile than pinstripes. All the toms have ambassador resonant heads which I won't be replacing.
On the bass drum I have a remo fiberskin reso unported head and a worn out aquarian superkick II on the batter side. I would like to replace both so we can have a ported head for micing. I have no idea what to choose for the kick drum I only know that I can't afford much so the high price of bass drum heads makes me anxious.
On the snare I was thinking just a coated ambassador.
We will be playing a mixture of alternative songs from Alice in Chains to Nirvana and some early Tool stuff.
Can a real drummer please advise me if my head is in the right place on all this. I just want the most versatile rock kit possible for the best price.
Re: Non drummer here picking out heads for my kit
Clear Emperors over Clear Ambassadors is a rock standard. For the kick batter, you could try a Superkick 1, or another standard is the Remo PS3 - it's premuffled so one on the front and one for the batter should be good to go without anything in it. You can read up on this forum on how to port the front head easily, or Aquarian makes a couple pre-ported front heads. Of course Evans makes great stuff too, all totally your call. Any simple coated head should work for your snare, and if you want to replace the snare side head, make sure you get one specifically made for that, they're much thinner than normal batter heads. You sound like you're on the right track already. Feel free to ask any questions.
Re: Non drummer here picking out heads for my kit
You could use an Ambassador-X head on the snare batter. It is a thick single ply head that is in between the Emperor and the standard Ambassador.
Very durable but also sensitive.
Re: Non drummer here picking out heads for my kit
The toms are fine. However the Fiberskyn, ehhh... not so much. There's a Kickport per installed Powerstroke 3 head combo or just get a Powerstroke 3 head. Get a Superkick.
Re: Non drummer here picking out heads for my kit
Quick Google search and I found this on Sean Kinney from Alice in Chains:
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Finding the best Samsung Galaxy Note 4 case is the the first thing you should do after buying your beloved phablet. However, finding the best Samsung Galaxy Note 3 or Note 4 case is not an easy task. As with case of iPhone 6 cases, several manufacturers have produces cases for Galaxy Note 3, but only few of them deserve purchasing. According to reports, the main problem that faced most of the previous Galaxy Note 2 owners is the large screen vulnerability to crack. It's extremely easy to crack it that's why you should be careful when choosing a protective case for your Galaxy Note.
In Best Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Cases website, I have collected (what I think) the best cases and screen protectors that can genuinely protect your Note 3 device from shocks, dust and accidental drops.
I have categorized the available cases in the market into many different categories. Depending in your preference, you may choose between flip, wallet, pouch, leather or kickstand cases and so on. Most of the Galaxy Note 3 covers in this website are high-end cover because I believe great smartphone such as the Note 4 and Note 3 deserves great case.
Best Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Cases
Choosing the best case is something subjective, so the best case for me might not suit you and vice versa. Below, I have selected the best case from each category (in my opinion) so if you're not happy with my selection, feel free to navigate through the different categories and pick your one.
#1 Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Official Case
Samsung has announced the Galaxy Note 3 on 4th of September 2013 and the Note 4 on the 4th of Sep 2014 along with 4 types of official cases: S View Cover, the traditional Flip cover, LD cover and Swarovski case.
One thing to mention before diving into the Best Samsung Galaxy Note 4 covers is the new material used for the back cover. The traditional plastic back now has a faux leather effect added to it, finished with a delicate faux-stitched trim. This is a really a dramatic change from the ordinary plastic cover of Galaxy Note 2, and feels much better in the hand than earlier Notes family members.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 S View case is available on sale for $23.99 through eBay.
The S View cover lets you use the Note 4 without even opening the flip as it includes a cut-out window where you can see all important informations like the time, weather, missed calls or text messages. Your Note 4 will wake up when you open the flip and goes to sleep when the flip is closed showing limited info and notifications.
The other announcement was the normal Flip cover .
The normal Flip case does look like the S View cover, however, it does not offer the opening windows. The flip case will be available in different colours including satin yellow, electric red, chrome grey, glittery green, and midnight blue and finally metallic orange.
If you are note willing to spend fortune on genuine S View cover, I have collected the best-selling unofficial S View Covers for Galaxy Note 3, and the good part is, most of them are priced for $10 or less.
#2 Neo Hybrid TPU Case from Spigen
This is one of the most beautiful Samsung Galaxy Note 4 TPU Cases from Spigen the well-known name when it comes to building premium quality cases who's proud to have 100% customer satisfaction. What makes this Note 3 case so special, that it does not compromise what it was produced for: protection. This case provides the ultimate protection by using high-grade materials to further improve shock absorption and impact protection. Furthermore, Galaxy Note 4 Neo Hybrid case is engineered and designed in a way to secure the phone grip and reduce slippage. You can customize your Neo Hybrid the way you want with a variety of available colours such as Red, Yellow, Silver, Black and Blue. Last but not least, the case is available on Amazon for both for Note 3 and Note 4 with free shipping.
#3 I-Blason Armorbox
Manufactured by I-Blason, the I-Blason Armorbox for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is made from polycarbonate hard shell, which has an added advantage of a flexible inner layer made from TPU which offer your smartphone full protection, meaning your smartphone has dual-layer protection. Drops, falls and scratches should not make you worry as this case will safeguard your Galaxy Note 4 completely.
Your screen is taken care of by the front cover, meaning your screen is safe against everything. The inner TPU lining also protects you against shocks by absorbing all shocks that may threaten you and your smartphone. This case comes with accurate cut outs that eases your access to ports, like the headphone jack, cameras and USB Port.
Priced at $9.99, this wonderful case for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 comes in various color ranges like black, blue, pink, green and white. Get your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 I-Blason Armorbox today and protect your smartphone absolutely.
#3 Otterbox Defender for Galaxy Note 3
The Otterbox Defender is one of the best rugged Galaxy Note 4 cases because of its durable material and multi-layer build. The inner layer is made of polycarbonate while the outer is made of synthetic rubber slip case with a belt-clip and built-in screen protector. The Defender does not only covers the phone body, but it also cover all phone ports, jacks, buttons and camera to guard it from dust and debris. In a nut shell, Otterbox Defender is considered one of the best protective cases for your Galaxy Note 3 against all kind of impacts, scratches, dust and smudge. The case is available in Black, Grey, Blue and Purple and is now for sale through OtterBox official website for $59.95 and also on Amazon for the same price. however, it goes out of stock very quickly.
#4 Spigen Slim Armor S View Case for Galaxy Note 3
This is the newest series in Spigen arsenal that has been introduce recently to rival the official Samsung Galaxy S View Cover. The case is absolutely beautiful, durable and can attract attention from the first sight. It's fully compatible with S View features providing easy access to the phone's basic functions without having to open the flip. However, to be able to use the S View feature, the original back cover has to be removed so that the case chip can connect to the internal part of the Note 3. Unlike the official S View cover for Galaxy Note 3, the Spigen case has a side latch to ensure the phone is kept well secured inside the case. The case also features a rotatable hinge that facilitates the 360 degree folding of the flip giving it a unique advantage on top of it's competitors. The Spigen Galaxy Note 4 S View Slim Armor Case is available in Black and White and it's now sold on Amazon and eBay for $56.99
#5 i-Blason Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Kickstand Case
i-Blason is my favourite kickstand case for Galaxy note 3 and LG G4.It has a stylish design, rugged build with dual layer and it's very portable thanks to the locking belt swivel. The outside is made of hard polycarbonate shell to improve impact resistance while the inside case is made of silicon and designed in a way to further absorb shocks. The case has extra cushion in the 4 corners for more durability. It's extremely easy to install, assemble and to use as well. The belt swivel hostler allows you to get the phone in and out so quickly. Additionally, the kickstand is amazingly flexible, so you can rotate horizontally or vertically which way you want it. This Galaxy Note 4 case is available in various colours such as Black, Blue and Red and is on sale on Amazon for Note 3 and Note 4 on the region of $14
#6 Fall Fashion Wallet Case
In my personal view, this is the most beautiful wallet case for the Galaxy Note 3. The case features sleek design, stylish look and feel premium thanks to the quality materials used. The case can be used in different ways: as a flip case, wallet case and as a kickstand case convenient to watch videos in landscape mode. The case sports double-layer protection, where the inner case is made of soft fabric and the outsider is made of premium synthetic leather to increase the shock and drop resistance. Instead of using Magnet which proved to have interference problems with S-Pen functionality, this Wallet case uses a snap clasp to secure the phone in. Additionally, it has multiple slots for ID cards, credit card, and for some cash as well. The case comes with a bonus secure RFID blocking sleeve for credit cards approved by the US government. Finally, this Galaxy Note 4 case is compatiible with Note 3 and available in 7 colours and on sale for just $7 on Amazon at the time of writing.
#7 Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Case from Spigen
Another beautiful slim TPU case for Galaxy Note 3 from Spigen. The Bounce case is considered to be one of the slimmest TPU premium cases with just 12.9 mm height which mean that it only adds up 4.6 mm to the original 8.3 mm heigh of the Galaxy Note 3.
The Bounce has of the most sophisticated design, with symmetric cross symbols embedded into the case and covered with a layer of glossy coating which makes the case always clean and subtle.
As you may noticed that the Galaxy Note 3 has a very small bezel, however, Spigen went the extra mile and designed the Bounce to even cover that tiny bezel with a 1mm lip to extra protection and grip. Furthermore, the case features 1.5mm tapered lip so that you don't worry about getting any scratches when the phone is facing down.
The Bounce case is available is Black and Silver and is on sale on Amazon for $9 for both Note 3 and Note 4.
#8 Galaxy Note 4 Wooden Case from DSStyle
DSStyle have a wide range Galaxy Note 3, and Note 4 cases however, I picked up the Wooded case because of it's uniqueness in the market. The case is very stylish and fashionable and suits both guys and girls. It has precise cut out around ports, buttons and camera. The case is very light weight thanks to the Polycarbonates material used, however, it does perfectly protect your Samsung Note 3 from shocks and drops. The case is only available on sale from DSStyle official website for just $14.99 however, we have teamed up with DSStyle to offer you 5% off discount when you use the code "WelcometoDS" at the checkout. DSStyle promises to dispatch all orders within 24 hours and offers worldwide shipping.
#9 Luxury Wallet Leather Case
This beautiful and affordable Leather case features a smooth synthetic leather with sturdy and delicate stitching to ensure a long life of your Galaxy Note 4. It also sports a durable synthetic leather exterior to perfectly protects the device from the outside while its soft interior safeguards the precious screen. The case has got 3 card holders to keep your credit and business card safe as well having a snap to secure the phone in the case while not in use which give is it an advantage over the official Samsung Galaxy Note 4 cases. The case can also be used as stand view when you turn it horizontally making it convenient for watching videos or reading emails. The case is only available in Black and it's now on sale for $6.99 saving 30% off the original price.
#10 Zagg InvisibleShield for Galaxy Note3
I my self is a big fan of the innovative Zagg InvisibleShield brand, as it is the only protector that does not add any bulk to your device, as well as it's 100% transparent, so you won't even feel that you have a screen protector on. I would like to emphasize on the fact that Zagg InvisibleShield is scratch proof, dust proof and is military graded, that's why Zagg is offering life-time guarantee for it. This product has received substantial excellent customer reviews, thanks to the 65 million protectors sold worldwide in the recent few years. The protector is made in the US, and it is indeed the best screen protector you can have for your Galaxy Note 3, taking into account that it was first produced to protect military helicopter blades. With the new Zagg InvisibleShield for Note 3, you have the option to choose between screen protector only or full body coverage, which I strongly recommend. One thing to mention here, that this protector covers the front and back only, so I would advise getting a bumper case to protects the sides which you can find in Best Galaxy Note 4 Cases. The protector is only available on sale through the official InvisibleShield website, however, Zagg sells cheaper variants on Amazon as well.
#11 i-Blason Halo Series
Afetr the success they had with thier protective case for Galaxy S6, iBlason came up with another powerful case made to protect your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Smartphone. It comes with front edges that are raised to protect your screen when placed facing down. The I-Blason Halo Series for Galaxy Note 4 has anti-slip properties that ensure your smartphone sticks to your hands thus harder to drop. Scratches are catered for by the 3H premium material from which this case is built from. Cameras, censors, headphone and USB ports are easily accessible through this marvelous case that has perfect cut-outs on its surface. A clear view to your Galaxy Note 4 is provided for by its bumper that makes you view your smartphone normally. The I-Blason Halo Series Case for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is available in clear/black, clear/white, clear/green and clear/blue colors. A cheap price of only $5.99 is is what an owner of a Galaxy Note 4 has to pay.
#12 Supcase Note 4 case
Supcase Note 4 Case is a case for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 made with both looks and protection in mind. Protection is guaranteed by the polycarbonate and thermoplastic polyurethane material which offer your smartphone complete protection against falls, drops and scratches. Its Snap-on front cover is built to protect your screen fully from scratches and cracks. Having a small and fitting size makes your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 light thus installing this case to your smartphone does not add great weight to it. Accessibility to ports like headphone jack, USB, speaker and camera is made easy due to the exact cut-outs made to this case for Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The Supcase case is available in several colours for both Note 3 and Note 4 respectively.
#13 Spigen Slim Armor
From its name, the Spigen Slim Armor offers your Galaxy Note 4 full protection by it having TPU and Polycarbonate material that assures dual protection. A Web Pattern TPU case in the Spigen Slim Armor ensures that you never worry about shocks as it absorbs all shocks. Slimness of this case makes it lightweight, thus easy to install and carry around. Your tempered glass screen is also protected by this case due to it having a 0.88mm lip that enables you to place your smartphone on the table without worrying about scratches. This case for Galaxy Note 4 is fairly priced at $14.99 while Note 3 case is priced for $19.99. Colors available in the likes of shimmery white, electric blue, coral pink, electric red, mint, metal slate, gunmetal, baby black.
#14 i Blason Unity
Falls and drops are natural to everyone. This is the reason why I-Blason came up with I-Blason Unity case for Samsung Galaxy Note 4. This case has a hard outer shell which is rubberized and an inner TPU cover to protect your smartphone at all time. Style is also taken care of as this case has a modern sleek look that will add class to your smartphone. Bumpers are added on the edges of your smartphone thus offering advanced protection to your Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Its easy to Snap-on and disassemble parts are very cheek and can allow even kids to use the case. It makes it easier to install and being lightweight makes your smartphone easy to carry. Precise cut-outs on the case make ports easily accessible thus you don't have to remove the case to access your ports. The camera has an enlarged cut-out to eradicate wash out effects which in turn optimizes your picture quality. Space grey, black, white, pink and blue are the colors which are available at an amazing price of only $9.99.
#15 Spigen Slim Wallet for Note 4
This a premium wallet case for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that comes with an additional stand feature. This feature allows you to enjoy view your entertainment like movies by adjusting the angle of the stand. You can also carry your driving license or credit cards, thanks for the wallet slots available in the case. Installing this case to your Galaxy Note 4 does not add a lot of weight since the Spigen Slim Wallet is made perfectly and is very slim, thus does not add any bulk to your smartphone. This fitting case for your Galaxy Note 4 is readily available in black, Azalea Pink, Mint and silver colors. A price of only $22.99 makes it affordable to all the holders of a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Smartphone.
#16 Spigen Bumper
The Spigen Air Cushioned Bumper Case for Galaxy Note 4 comes with flexible edges and a heard bask panel that warrants dual protection to your smartphone. From its name, this case has Air Cushion technology at the corners to make your Galaxy Note 4 drop resistant. Protection is not the only priority because this case is built to perfection and provides you a stylish loo, thanks to its elegant design. Scratches to your smartphone are avoided by the lips on the front, back and side which protect your screen and back panel from scratches, thus giving your smartphone a longer lifetime. This awe-inspiring case for Galaxy Note 4 is created with perfection and is available in crystal clear, gunmetal, mint and metal slate colors at an amazing price of only $9.99.
#17 Poetic Cover
Your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphone is quite pricy thus the need to protect it at any cost. The Poetic Cover is a unique product that comes to protect your Galaxy Note 4. This cover is ultra-slim that makes your smartphone lightweight. Lips on the case protect your screen form scratches and falls thus accords your smartphone a longer life. Protection is also assured by the hard plastic material, which is used in the manufacture of this cover. The double layer of Hybrid TPU and polycarbonate materials have shock absorbing capabilities that protect your Galaxy Note 4 smartphone from shocks. Your ports are well covered by sealed tactile buttons, thus help to keep dust away from your smartphone interior. Its outer shell is made of waterproof material thus if your Galaxy Note 4 falls in water or gets rained on, it will surely repel the water away, thereby keeping your smartphone safe.
This superb cover for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is available in Black color at the cheapest price yet, $2.85, thus head online or to your nearest store and grab a piece of the Poetic Cover for your Galaxy Note.


text:
Stoke City where probably the real success story of the Premier League last season as they displayed with great endeavour what can be achieved if you have the self belief and confidence to succeed.
Alongside the likes of David Moyes at Everton and Roy Hodgson at Fulham, Stoke City manager, Tony Pulis deserves praise for the excellent job he did in not only keeping Stoke City in the Premier League when relegation was expected but actually keeping them safe with a fair degree of comfort in the end.
Pulis is a manager who should be admired because he has great integrity, honesty and firmly believes in his own players and the determination and management ability he displayed to help keep Stoke City up was exceptional. His key strength is that he knows the exact strengths of his own players and he knows how to get the very best out of them. Pulis has always made it clear that he understands his City squad are not as technically gifted and that he has no real superstars, but he also knew that he has a squad that would give absolutely everything for him and the tremendous Stoke City fans.
Stoke City's real strength last season was their home form, inspired by the extremely vocal and passionate fans and clearly that is going to be key to their Premier League campaign again this season, but Tony Pulis will want to try and make sure Stoke City represent more of a threat away from home as well this season.
As with every other manager in the football league, Tony Pulis is looking to add further quality to his squad and if he can bring in players that have the qualities complement the likes of Ricardo Fuller, James Beattie and Liam Lawrence then Stoke City can have confidence in once again confirming their place in the Premier League with comfort.
Pulis will be under no illusions about the task he faces and he knows that the pressure to keep Stoke City up this season will be just as great and the task of doing so just as tough, but last seasons tremendously positive experience should give them the confidence in their own ability to achieve what they set out to.
PREDICTED LEAGUE POSITION:- 14th


text:
Environmental Benefits of Organic Agriculture
farming is not simply the substitution of approved input materials. It
is the replacement of a treatment approach with a process approach to
create a balanced system of plant and animal interactions."
Climate change presents challenges for farmers in all parts of the world. Conventional agricultural practices have contributed to climate change through heavy use of fossil fuels--both directly on the farm and in the manufacturing of pesticides and fertilizers--and through degradation of the soil, which releases carbon. The depletion of soil organic carbon (SOC) through conventional farming has not only released carbon into the atmosphere, it has also limited the fertility and water holding capacity of soils worldwide.
The adoption of organic methods, particularly no-till organic, is an opportunity for farming both to mitigate agriculture's contributions to climate change and to cope with the effects climate change has had and will have on agriculture.Good organic practices can both reduce fossil fuel use and provide carbon sequestration in the soil through increased soil organic carbon (SOC). Higher SOC levels then increase fertility and the soil's ability to endure extreme weather years. Organic agriculture relies on non-chemical ways of maintaining fertility, managing pests and controlling weeds, thus eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizers and toxic pesticides.
Climate Resources


text:
Gundaker Enrichment Fund
Established in 2004 by Robert G. Gundaker '64, and his wife, Isabelle, the grant provides students with small income-replacement stipends and helps cover transportation and other expenses in order to allow students to partake in various internships and study-away experiences over the summer.
The Gundaker Enrichment Fund has:
- Covered the transportation costs and fees for six students who traveled to Belize to participate in medical clinics as part of the SU CASA Belize program.
- Enabled a music education major to study music in Vienna.
- Allowed a theatre major to intern at a playhouse in upstate New York.


text:
Anglo-Saxon England: Volume 33Hardback Anglo-Saxon England
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- Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
- Format: Hardback | 404 pages
- Dimensions: 154mm x 232mm x 40mm | 721g
- Publication date: 13 June 2005
- Publication City/Country: Cambridge
- Edition statement: New.
- Illustrations note: 8 b/w illus.
Product description
It is red-letter day in Anglo-Saxon studies when a previously unknown Old English text comes to light. In 2002, as the result of some outstanding scholarly detective work, a fragmentary homiliary, containing exegetical homilies for the Sundays after Pentecost, came to light in the Somerset County Records Office in Taunton. The manuscript apparently dates from the middle years of the eleventh century; but questions of when and where and by whom the homiliary was composed can only be answered by close philological study of the Old English text itself. The present volume of Anglo-Saxon England contains a printed edition of this interesting text, and detailed philological analysis leads to the extraordinary hypothesis that the text may have been composed by someone whose native language was not English, and who was apparently unfamiliar with the mainstream of English homiletic composition, best illustrated in the work of 'lfric. The usual comprehensive bibliography of the previous year's publications in all branches of Anglo-Saxon studies rounds off the book.
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Table of contents
List of illustrations; 1. St Aldhelm's bees (De uirginitate prosa, cc. iv-vi): some observations on a literary tradition Augustine Casiday; 2. Poetic words, conservatism and the dating of Old English poetry Dennis Cronan; 3. The several compilers of Bald's Leechbook Richard Scott Nokes; 4. 'lfric and late Old English verse Thomas A. Bredehoft; 5. Abbot Leofsige of Mettlach: an English monk in Flanders and Upper Lotharingia in the late tenth century Michael Hare; 6. The Taunton Fragment: a new text from Anglo-Saxon England Mechthild Gretsch; 7. Pre-Conquest manuscripts from Malmesbury Abbey and John Leland's letter to Beatus Rhenanus concerning a lost copy of Tertullian's works James P. Carley and Pierre Petitmengin; 8. A third supplement to Hand-List of Anglo-Saxon Non-Runic Inscriptions Elisabeth Okasha; 9. Bibliography for 2003 Debby Banham, Carole P. Biggam, Mark Blackburn, Carole Hough, Simon Keynes, Paul G. Remley and Rebecca Rushforth.