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Systems and methods for website and application monitoring and testing inside from a private network are presented. An agent module resident on an agent device inside the secured network periodically sends an HTTP message to a controller server and receives an HTTP response. The agent module parses out a set of instructions from the content of the HTTP response and executes the instructions. The agent module collects and compiles responsive information resulting from the instructions being executed and sends the compiled information to the controller server for storage and reporting.
1. A system for interrogating a target server hosting a website or an application, the target server accessible for data communication via one or more data communication networks, comprising:
an agent device connected to a private network, the agent device having a data storage area and a processor;
an agent module stored in the data storage area of the agent device, the agent module configured to be executed by the processor on the agent device;
a controller server communicatively coupled with said agent module via an external network and the private network, wherein communications between the controller server and the agent module pass through a security system of said private network, the controller server configured to receive monitoring messages from said agent module;
a target server communicatively coupled with said agent module via one or more data communication networks, wherein the agent module is configured to send a message to the controller server, the message comprising a unique identifier for the agent module, the agent module further configured to receive a responsive message from the controller server, parse the responsive message to obtain a sequence of instructions, and execute the sequence of instructions to interrogate the target server.
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14. A computer implemented method for interrogating a target server hosting a website or an application, the target server accessible for data communication via one or more data communication networks, comprising:
receiving a request from an agent module, the agent module located within a private network and communicatively coupled with a controller server via the private network and an external network and the agent module communicatively coupled with a target server via the private network, the request comprising an identifier that uniquely identifies the agent module;
obtaining an instruction set for the agent module, the instruction set comprising executable commands;
providing the instruction set to the agent module via the external network and the private network; and
receiving information from the agent in response to the agent's execution of the executable commands in said instruction set.
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19. A computer implemented method for interrogating a target server hosting a website or an application, the target server accessible for data communication via a private network, comprising:
providing an agent module installed on an agent device located on the private network, the agent module configured to send and receive communications with a controller server located outside of the private network, the agent module further configured to send and receive communications with a target server via the private network;
sending a hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP) message from the agent module to the controller server, the request comprising a unique identifier for the agent module;
receiving at the agent module an HTTP response from the external server, the HTTP response comprising a set of instructions in a content portion of the HTTP response;
parsing the HTTP response at the agent module to obtain the set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising target server interrogation instructions;
executing the target server interrogation instructions by the agent module; and
sending responsive target server interrogation information from the agent module to the controller server.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of website and application performance monitoring and testing and more particularly relates to the field of website and application monitoring and testing from a private network.
2. Related Art
Conventional website or application performance monitoring and testing solutions address the need for web enabled businesses to measure the speed and reliability of their websites and applications as seen by a global audience accessing them over the internet. There are two types of conventional solutions, namely conventional external and conventional internal solutions. Conventional external solutions lack the ability to access websites or applications which are resident on a customer's internal private network due to the fact that these internal private networks are protected by a firewall or other security system. In addition, conventional external solutions can not monitor and test from the point of view of the private network to websites or applications which are hosted outside the internal private network, for example via the Internet.
Conventional internal solutions suffer from the same limitations as traditional delivered solutions and are additionally problematic because they require a large, complex software installation with trained and dedicated staff to maintain them. One cumbersome solution that has been suggested to address these significant drawbacks of the conventional solutions is to provide a server inside the protected network. This requires a considerable amount of time to set up, configure, and maintain. This additionally requires the customer to spend a lot of time learning how to operate the server, including its software and hardware components. This type of solution also requires direct access to the private network. There are no existing solutions that can externally monitor a website or application that is located beyond a firewall or security system in a private network. Therefore, the industry has defined a need for a system and method that overcomes these significant problems found in the conventional systems as described above.
Accordingly, systems and methods for executing instructions behind a firewall are described herein that allow for monitoring and testing of websites or applications resident on private networks and further do not require complex proprietary solutions. A system for internal execution of instructions on a protected network is configured to install and execute an agent module on one or more agent devices that are placed within the protected network. The agent module is deployed in a native environment emulator that allows the agent module to operate on a variety of agent devices running a variety of different operating systems. This allows different agent modules that are running on different agent devices with different operating systems to execute the same agent instructions in the same compiled or interpreted language.
When the agent is initially deployed it generates a unique identifier that it sends to a controller server located outside the private network. The controller server maintains a set of instructions to be executed by the agent module. Periodically, the agent sends a message to the controller server requesting instructions for execution. In response, the agent receives instructions from the controller server. The instructions are downloaded as part of an Hyper Text Transfer Protocol ("HTTP") response in an inbound direction so that they may pass through the firewall or other protections of the private network where otherwise agents in a secure network can not otherwise be typically contacted. The instructions received by the agent can be interpreted code, compiled code, pseudo code, script, operating system ("OS") commands (including shell commands), or application programming interface ("API") commands.
Execution of the instructions cause the agent to monitor a website inside or outside the private network, monitor an application inside or outside the private network, perform testing on a website or application inside or outside the private network, carry out administrative functions on the agent device, execute arbitrary instructions, etc. For example, upgrades and improvements to the agent module itself may also be made by sending the appropriate instructions and updates to the agent module. The results of the executed instructions by are recorded by the agent module and sent back to the controller server for storage and reporting.
The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, may be gleaned in part by study of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
Certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for systems and methods to monitor and test websites and applications located in a private network but controlled by processes (programs) running outside the private network. For example, one method as disclosed herein allows for a controller server to cause monitoring or testing agents on various agent devices deployed in private networks to execute a set of monitoring or testing instructions. The agents send an HTTP request to the controller server. In response, the controller server sends instructions embedded in the responsive content. The agent parses the responsive content to obtain the instructions and then executes the instructions and collects the results, which are then provided to the controller server.
After reading this description it will become apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications. However, although various embodiments of the present invention will be described herein, it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of various alternative embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Furthermore, as used herein, the terms monitoring and testing may comprise any sort of communications with a target device and also include active or passive gathering of information from a target device. Some examples of monitoring and testing include gathering status information, load testing, functionality testing, application testing, regression testing, or the like. Additionally, the term "interrogating" may also be used to mean all types of monitoring or testing that may be used.
In one embodiment, there can be multiple agent modules 22 in each agent device 20. There can further be multiple agent devices 20 in each private network 16. Each agent device is provided with a data storage area such as the illustrated data storage area 25. Each of the various agent devices 20 can be any sort of computing device that is capable of carrying out instructions and communicating over a network.
The controller server 10 maintains a set of instructions for each agent module 22. For example, one agent module may be tasked with monitoring an internal website while a second agent module in the same private network may be tasked with monitoring an internal application. Accordingly, one or more agent modules may be employed to carry out monitoring of websites 34 and applications 32 inside or outside private network 16. The instructions can include scripts, OS commands, compiled instructions, or references to executable scripts or programs already stored on the agent device 20.
In one embodiment, the controller server 10 responds to the request by the agent module 22 by sending the instructions as Extensible Markup Language ("XML") content through the Internet 12, through the firewall 14 and into the private network 16 where the agent device 20 is located. The instructions are able to pass through the firewall 14 or other protective barrier because they are communicated over the HTTP protocol in a inbound direction. In alternative embodiments, the instructions can be delivered in formats other than XML.
The agent module 22 parses XML content to obtain the instructions from the server 10 and executes the instructions to carry out monitoring or testing of the website 34 or application 32. In one embodiment the application 32 can be part of a website 34 and resident on the same server 30. Alternatively, there can be multiple applications 32 and websites 34 on one server 30. The separate applications 32 and websites 34 can also be on separate servers. In one embodiment the instructions provided from the server 10 can be interpreted instructions, OS commands or compiled instructions. Advantageously, the instructions can be executed inside the private network 16 to monitor or test websites or applications that are resident inside or outside the native environment provided by the agent module 22. In one embodiment, testing of websites can include load testing, functionality testing, regression testing, or the like.
The private network 16 may be any of a variety of private or public networks. The private network 16 may be a packet switched network or a circuit switched network. The private network 16 may be a personal area network ("PAN"), local area network ("LAN") or a wide area network ("WAN") and may be implemented over a wired or wireless physical network medium, it may also be any combination of networks. The private network 16 may also be a voice network or a data network or a combination o the two.
The agent module 22 sends a request to the controller server 10. In one embodiment, the request is advantageously sent as an HTTP POST, which provides a free form structure to the request and is unlikely to be quarantined or otherwise restricted by the security efforts implemented to protect private network 16. This is the request made by the agent module to the controller server asking what to do (i.e. what instructions to execute). An example post is as follows:
POST <http://www.webmetrics.com/results.cgi>
Content-Length: 540
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
In response to its request, the agent module 22 receives a series of instructions from the controller server 10 and executes those instructions. The results of the execution of those instructions are then collected by the agent module 22 and provided to the controller server. In one embodiment the agent module provides the results of the execution via an HTTP post. For example, the HTTP post may use a multipart/form-data content type. This type of post can have a variety of formatting types and can advantageously include binary data for more than one key/value form data elements.
In one embodiment, an agent module 22 is wrapped in a native environment emulator. This emulator allows the agent module 22 to execute instructions on any type of agent device 20 running on any type of operating system. In one embodiment the operating system of the agent device 20 may be Windows, Linux or DOS. The agent module 22 is installed in the agent device 20 and the emulator runs in the native operating system of the agent device 20. Accordingly, the instructions sent by the server 10 can be, for example, executable instructions under Linux and the emulator is advantageously configured to execute instructions under Linux regardless of the native operating system of the agent device 20. For example, the instructions from the server 10 can be Linux Perl script instructions and the native operating system of the agent device 20 is a Windows operating system. The emulator allows the Linux Perl instructions to execute on the agent device 20.
In one embodiment multiple agent modules 22 can be deployed on the private network 16. Once an agent module 22 is deployed it self generates an identifier. The agent module 22 sends its identifier to the controller server 10. Each agent module 22 in the system has its own unique identifier which is tracked by the controller server 10 and used to facilitate operations.
The customer 36 may view certain reports regarding the monitoring or other tasks performed by the various agent modules 22. The customer accesses this information at the controller server 10, as the controller server has compiled all the results received from an agent module 22 over time. For example, the results of instructions executed by an agent module are sent to the controller server 10 where they are stored and compiled in to reports. A customer 36 may connect to the controller server 10 (or some related server with access to the reporting data) and view the reports of the monitoring and testing performed by the agent modules 22. The agent module 22 may also be used to monitor one or more externally hosted websites 44 or applications 42 that are hosted on a network 40 that is accessible via the Internet 12.
In one embodiment, a service provider who operates network 40 and provides an application 42 or website 44 to its customer 36 via the Internet 12 may have the customer 36 deploy the agent module 22 on the private network 16 in order to monitor the quality of service level provided by the operator of network 40 and its respective applications 42 or websites 44. Advantageously, this provides the operator of network 40 with a customer-centric view to the quality of service being provided and also facilitates an understanding of the location of any problems associated with the use of the applications 42 or websites 44 experienced within the private network 16.
In one embodiment an example implementation includes a large company with 1000 sales representatives, 800 of which are located in the corporate headquarters office and 200 who are remote sales representatives and located in major cities around the globe. In
In our example, the company spends roughly one million dollars per year on the hosted SaaS CRM service, and therefore the company is keenly interested in how the CRM service performs at the company headquarters (i.e., for its 800 sales representatives in the corporate office). The company is also very interested in how the CRM service performs from remote locations around the globe via the Internet (i.e., for its 200 sales representatives outside the corporate office).
Advantageously, the company can install the agent module 22 in the corporate office location and configure the agent module 22 to periodically monitor and test the quality of the connection to the SaaS CRM service and certain metrics of the user experience with the SaaS CRM service which is accessed via the Internet 12. If the quality of the connection is determined to be low or the user experience determined to be unsatisfactory, the agent module 22 is configured to send an alert to the controller server 10. The controller server 10 advantageously correlates the alert from agent module 22 with all other alerts and data that has been gathered from around the globe (not just the location of the company corporate office) to determine if the low quality connection or unsatisfactory user experience with the network 40 is an isolated issue at the company headquarters or a more widespread issue with the SaaS CRM service. Advantageously, data from all aspects of the SaaS CRM service provided by the operator of network 40 can be correlated with all other data about any of the services provided by the operator of network 40. Thus, the correlation and determination is not just based on information related to the SaaS CRM service used by the company.
The administrator module 710 generates a unique identifier upon initial execution and sends the identifier to the controller server. The administration module 710 receives either compiled instructions, scripts, OS commands, or the like from the controller server. In one embodiment the scripts can be OS scripts or interpreted scripts. The administration module 710 executes the scripts or compiled instructions.
At step 305 the request from the agent module is parsed to obtain the unique identifier of the agent module. Once the unique identifier for the agent module is known, the controller server uses the identifier to look up the appropriate instructions for that agent module. For example, one agent module may receive instructions for monitoring a website while another agent module may receive instructions for testing an application, while a third agent module may receive instructions to update the application monitor module.
The instructions obtained by the controller server for the agent module can be compiled instructions (e.g., an executable program) or script commands to be interpreted and thereby executed at the agent module. At step 310 the set of instructions is sent to the agent module. Advantageously, the instructions are sent as part of an response to the request from the agent module.
At step 315 responsive information is received from the agent module. For example, the instructions sent to the agent module may cause the agent module to perform monitoring of a website and the results generated by that monitoring are collected by the agent module and returned to the controller server. This collected information that is compiled by the agent module as a result of executing the instructions sent at step 310 are what is received by the controller server in step 315. Advantageously, this information can be maintained and stored at the controller server so that it may be compiled with similar information and presented to a customer by way of an interactive report delivered via a browser interface, for example.
The controller server receives the request and obtains a set of instructions for the particular agent module associated with the unique identifier and provides those instructions in response to the request. Next, at step 410 the agent module receives the instructions from the controller server. In one embodiment, the instructions are interpreted script commands that are provided as content in the response from the controller server.
At step 415 the agent module parses out the instructions from the content and then executes the instructions. In response to the execution of the instructions, the agent module may receive certain data and other information related to the execution of the instructions. This data and other information is compiled by the agent module in step 420 and then sent to the controller server in step 425. Advantageously, the controller server may maintain this responsive information in a data storage area and compile reports and other presentations based on the responsive information in combination with other responsive information from the same agent module or from multiple agent modules.
If an error response is received from the agent module, as determined in step 605, the process proceeds to step 615 where a strike count is incremented. The strike count is maintained to keep track of how many error responses have been received from a particular agent module for a specific target. Advantageously, the number of strikes that will elicit a failure to respond error message can be a configurable parameter that is set by the customer. At step 620 the strike count is compared to the strike value, which is the configurable parameter set by an administrator. If the strike count is equal to the strike value, then the predetermined number of error responses has been met. If the predetermined number of error responses has been met, a failure to respond error message is sent as shown in step 625. If the strike count is less than the strike value, as determined in step 620, then the threshold number of error responses has not been reached and the process proceeds back to step 600 where the set of instructions are resent by the controller server to an agent module. The process continues until a successful response is received or a failure to respond error message is sent.
Advantageously, in one embodiment this process allows the overall system to operate under a software as a service model and provide the majority of the functionality in the system at a centralized server while the various agent modules that are deployed in the field can be utilitarian and executable on a variety of device platforms.
The computer system 550 preferably includes one or more processors, such as processor 552. Additional processors may be provided, such as an auxiliary processor to manage input/output, an auxiliary processor to perform floating point mathematical operations, a special-purpose microprocessor having an architecture suitable for fast execution of signal processing algorithms (e.g., digital signal processor), a slave processor subordinate to the main processing system (e.g., back-end processor), an additional microprocessor or controller for dual or multiple processor systems, or a coprocessor. Such auxiliary processors may be discrete processors or may be integrated with the processor 552.
The processor 552 is preferably connected to a communication bus 554. The communication bus 554 may include a data channel for facilitating information transfer between storage and other peripheral components of the computer system 550. The communication bus 554 further may provide a set of signals used for communication with the processor 552, including a data bus, address bus, and control bus (not shown). The communication bus 554 may comprise any standard or non-standard bus architecture such as, for example, bus architectures compliant with industry standard architecture ("ISA"), extended industry standard architecture ("EISA"), Micro Channel Architecture ("MCA"), peripheral component interconnect ("PCI") local bus, or standards promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ("IEEE") including IEEE 488 general-purpose interface bus ("GPIB"), IEEE 696/S-100, and the like.
Computer system 550 preferably includes a main memory 556 and may also include a secondary memory 558. The main memory 556 provides storage of instructions and data for programs executing on the processor 552. The main memory 556 is typically semiconductor-based memory such as dynamic random access memory ("DRAM") and/or static random access memory ("SRAM"). Other semiconductor-based memory types include, for example, synchronous dynamic random access memory ("SDRAM"), Rambus dynamic random access memory ("RDRAM"), ferroelectric random access memory ("FRAM"), and the like, including read only memory ("ROM").
The secondary memory 558 may optionally include a hard disk drive 560 and/or a removable storage drive 562, for example a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disc ("CD") drive, a digital versatile disc ("DVD") drive, etc. The removable storage drive 562 reads from and/or writes to a removable storage medium 564 in a well-known manner. Removable storage medium 564 may be, for example, a floppy disk, magnetic tape, CD, DVD, etc.
The removable storage medium 564 is preferably a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable code (i.e., software) and/or data. The computer software or data stored on the removable storage medium 564 is read into the computer system 550 as electrical communication signals 578.
In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 558 may include other similar means for allowing computer programs or other data or instructions to be loaded into the computer system 550. Such means may include, for example, an external storage medium 572 and an interface 570. Examples of external storage medium 572 may include an external hard disk drive or an external optical drive, or and external magneto-optical drive.
Other examples of secondary memory 558 may include semiconductor-based memory such as programmable read-only memory ("PROM"), erasable programmable read-only memory ("EPROM"), electrically erasable read-only memory ("EEPROM"), or flash memory (block oriented memory similar to EEPROM). Also included are any other removable storage units 572 and interfaces 570, which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit 572 to the computer system 550.
Computer system 550 may also include a communication interface 574. The communication interface 574 allows software and data to be transferred between computer system 550 and external devices (e.g. printers), networks, or information sources. For example, computer software or executable code may be transferred to computer system 550 from a network server via communication interface 574. Examples of communication interface 574 include a modem, a network interface card ("NIC"), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, an infrared interface, and an IEEE 1394 fire-wire, just to name a few.
Communication interface 574 preferably implements industry promulgated protocol standards, such as Ethernet IEEE 802 standards, Fiber Channel, digital subscriber line ("DSL"), asynchronous digital subscriber line ("ADSL"), frame relay, asynchronous transfer mode ("ATM"), integrated digital services network ("ISDN"), personal communications services ("PCS"), transmission control protocol/Internet protocol ("TCP/IP"), serial line Internet protocol/point to point protocol ("SLIP/PPP"), and so on, but may also implement customized or non-standard interface protocols as well.
Software and data transferred via communication interface 574 are generally in the form of electrical communication signals 578. These signals 578 are preferably provided to communication interface 574 via a communication channel 576. Communication channel 576 carries signals 578 and can be implemented using a variety of wired or wireless communication means including wire or cable, fiber optics, conventional phone line, cellular phone link, wireless data communication link, radio frequency (RF) link, or infrared link, just to name a few.
Computer executable code (i.e., computer programs or software) is stored in the main memory 556 and/or the secondary memory 558. Computer programs can also be received via communication interface 574 and stored in the main memory 556 and/or the secondary memory 558. Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system 550 to perform the various functions of the present invention as previously described.
In this description, the term "computer readable medium" is used to refer to any media used to provide computer executable code (e.g., software and computer programs) to the computer system 550. Examples of these media include main memory 556, secondary memory 558 (including hard disk drive 560, removable storage medium 564, and external storage medium 572), and any peripheral device communicatively coupled with communication interface 574 (including a network information server or other network device). These computer readable mediums are means for providing executable code, programming instructions, and software to the computer system 550.
In an embodiment that is implemented using software, the software may be stored on a computer readable medium and loaded into computer system 550 by way of removable storage drive 562, interface 570, or communication interface 574. In such an embodiment, the software is loaded into the computer system 550 in the form of electrical communication signals 578. The software, when executed by the processor 552, preferably causes the processor 552 to perform the inventive features and functions previously described herein.
Various embodiments may also be implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, components such as application specific integrated circuits ("ASICs"), or field programmable gate arrays ("FPGAs"). Implementation of a hardware state machine capable of performing the functions described herein will also be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art. Various embodiments may also be implemented using a combination of both hardware and software.
Furthermore, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and method steps described in connection with the above described figures and the embodiments disclosed herein can often be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled persons can implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the invention. In addition, the grouping of functions within a module, block, circuit or step is for ease of description. Specific functions or steps can be moved from one module, block or circuit to another without departing from the invention.
Moreover, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and methods described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor ("DSP"), an ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
Additionally, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium including a network storage medium. An exemplary storage medium can be coupled to the processor such the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium can also reside in an ASIC.
The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is further understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Man Allegedly Wrestles With Trooper on I-295 Then Gets Arrested
Here's a story you don't see every day, a guy wrestles a trooper on the interstate.
Here's a story you don't see every day, a guy wrestles a trooper on the interstate.
There are lots of ways to say "I love you," but this has to be one of the most unique.
You've probably heard about the heinous theft of thousands of dollars from the Winslow Wrestling Boosters. Well, now we can show our support and help out the program.
The Pine Tree Wrestling League Championships will be be held Saturday, March 29 at Cony High School in Augusta. This year the Winslow wrestling team is encouraging everybody to go pink!
It's a very special day. It's Friday! In case this terrible, terrible song doesn't quite capture how excited we are for the weekend (we so excited), here are some memes. In case the memes don't adequately express how excited we are for the weekend, just look for the person wearing no pants with a pitcher of sangria in each hand -- that's us. Enjoy!
With the 20th anniversary of WWE Raw in the rearview mirror, we couldn't help but think about all of the great superstars that have impacted the wrestling business over the past decade. Just who were the best wrestlers of the last decade?
A list sure to bring debate, rebuttals and "no f**king ways!" here are the top 10 wrestlers of the past ten years
Apparently kids need more "variety" today. That is one of the reasons why Fred Flintstone has been replaced by a professional wrestler on the Fruity Pebbles box. Although it is a "limited" run (only four million boxes), apparently John Cena is just the first of many people who will be gracing the brightly colored cereal's box.
Professional wrestlers may seem like tough guys, but underneath their shiny spandex outfits and long, flowing hair (clearly a sign of ultimate masculinity), they have hearts of gold. Daniel Bryan, for example, recently met with a seven-year-old boy who has had brain cancer for almost four years, and says he's Bryan's biggest fan. It's okay if you need to go grab some Kleenex before you look at the pictures.
Aaaaaand just to get your weekend started off right, here's a video of Honey Boo Boo hopping into the ring at a pro-wrestling show. The show was held by the Georgia Independent Wrestling Alliance, and the Thompsons happened to be guests


text:
We offer a variety of career-related, events, workshops, programs, counseling and online content to assist with your career development journey.
We provide workshops and events such as career assessments, job search strategies, and major exploration. Our workshops are designed to assist in career development, exploration planning, and preparation. Check the calendar to see what's happening this week!
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Resources designed to provide students with comprehensive information to create and update their resume and cover letter.
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Access our Jobs & Internships for a complete resource guide including information on internships, on-campus and off-campus employment.
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We provide a range of career counseling services to help you to identify career interests, conduct occupational exploration, design a career plan, and gain valuable hands-on, career-related experience to launch your career for success after CI.


text:
Got Milk? Unfortunately, for Some. Region's Dairy Farmers Crying Over Spilled Milk in the Aftermath of Severe Storms in Buffalo
The concerns of many in the central and western regions of New York State about this week's extreme weather have centered around transportation issues, public services, and the fact that the area's major sports teams have had to postpone games or change venues. But the storm has had an unforseen impact on another industry.


text:
Rafa Benitez's side are just four points behind Manchester City going into Sunday's intriguing clash at the Etihad Stadium.
Defending European champions Chelsea must first face Sparta Prague in the second leg of their Europa League last 32 game but Cahill already has one eye on the crucial domestic fixture at the weekend.
"We've obviously got a huge game tomorrow night, and then a massive game on Sunday," said Cahill.
"If we get a positive result on Sunday then that opens it right back up. We're taking it one game at a time but we'll be looking to do that.
"It'll be tough game away from home, but if we do get a positive result then obviously second place is within touching distance."
Cahill recognises the importance of focusing on the game against Sparta first though, with the Blues taking a 1-0 lead into the home leg at Stamford Bridge thanks to a goal from Oscar in the opening leg.
"You've always got to take teams seriously. They're a quality outfit, and made it tough for us away from home," he added.
"But we got a positive result, the away goal, but we still won't take it lightly. They've got some great players. Our home form in Europe is nine unbeaten, so hopefully that can continue."
Cahill also paid tribute to John Terry, who may partner him in the heart of the defence as he continues to work his way back from a knee injury.
"He's a massive character and leader for us. He's been struggling with his injury a bit, but has come back again," said Cahill.
"It's just great to have everyone back fit. You don't want people sitting in the treatment room if you can help.
"To have most of the lads back out there with us now is a healthy situation."


text:
Three Law Faculty Members Receive University Merit Awards
November 04, 2013
The USF School of Law has launched the Environmental Law Student and Alumni Society (ELSAS) to bring together alumni, students, and faculty interested in environmental, energy, and natural resources law. Law school alumni are a key resource for connecting students with the practice of environment law.
In Fall 2013, the Environmental Law Society, a student group, partnered with the offices of Career Planning, Alumni and Development, and the Dean to create the ELSAS. With the assistance of a 20-person Advisory Board composed of faculty and alumni, the ELSAS will sponsor one event per semester, including career panels and mixers that bring students, alumni, and faculty together. More generally, ELSAS will provide a resource for students interested in environmental, energy, and natural resources law, provide links among alumni sharing similar substantive interests, and create ongoing connections among faculty and alumni.
All USF faculty, students, and alumni are invited to join the ELSAS. USF alumni are also invited to join the law school's LinkedIn ELSAS subgroup.
"As a member of the faculty, I'm delighted to have a vehicle that easily connects our eager students with experienced practitioners, and that links me to the world of environmental and energy law practice," Professor Alice Kaswan said. "The ELSAS helps transcend institutional walls and foster USF's supportive and extended student, faculty, and alumni community."
Kendrick Li '11, real estate associate at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, who is an advisory board member of the ELSAS, said "The ELSAS is a great opportunity for students and alumni to connect over environmental issues we care about, both in our professional and personal lives."
The ELSAS will host its fall event, "Striking a Balance: The Bay Delta Conservation Plan and California Water" on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 6-8 pm.
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Politics & Government
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Wed May 8, 2013
Alabama Legislature Votes to Legalize Home Brewing
The Alabama Legislature has voted to legalize home brewing.
The Senate voted 18-7 Tuesday night for a home brewing bill. The bill passed the House earlier and now goes to the governor for signing into law. Gov. Robert Bentley said recently he had no objections to the bill because it does not allow home brewers to sell their beer or wine.
Alabama has been the only state prohibiting home brewing. The bill allows adults to make 15 gallons of beer or wine every three months.
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Multi-Ending Theatrical Production Staged by North High Drama Students
Sheboygan North High School is proud to announce the North High spring production of Murder's in the Heir. The play opens Friday, February 27, 7 p.m., North High Auditorium, 1042 School Avenue, Sheboygan. Performances are also Feb. 28, 7 p.m. and March 1, at 2 p.m.
The comedic murder-mystery is a classic "Who dunnit?" The play's twist is that the audience will help select the murderer for each of the performances, resulting in different endings, all of which had to be memorized by the actors. The cast and crew are a blend of seasoned veterans and newcomers to the North High stage.
"One of the triumphs of this production is the number of students who both auditioned and are involved in the production as actors and stage crew," said Jay Johnson, director of the production. There are 20 student actors and another 15-20 on stage crew.
The cast consists of Aristotle Leonhard (Simon Starkweather), Julia St. Pierre (Fiona Starkweather), Elijah Lewis, (Jordan Starkweather), Lauren Danen (Paula Thompson), Aristotle Leonhard (Simon Starkweather III), Corrin Menuge/Jonathan Wheeler (Bensonhurst), Sam Sheahan (Mrs. Trent), Lindsay Whelton (Minerva Walker), Lauren Ensor (Nancy Pollard), Jeremy Jochman (Rufus Jones), Tricia Lutze (Lois Van Zandt), Megan Gleason (Miss Withers), Moe Green (Kathy Collins), Kyle Whelton (Mike Davis), Stewart Leis (Gene Culpepper) and Matt Rickmeier (An Usher). Understudies are Pa Kou Vang-Minerva, William Schwaulb-Bensonhurst and Alli Jacobson-Lois.
The students also play critical roles in setting the stage and running the show. "We are very fortunate to have students like Sam Gilbertson and Brandon Bubb who have been leaders on the stage crew for several years, as well as a group of underclassmen who are excited to be involved in this creative process," said Johnson. "The production is a real collaborative effort between the stage crew and the actors."
Seniors Trica Lutze and Jeremy Jochman, familiar faces on the North High stage, both play prominent roles in the show.
"Even more than the work Tricia and Jeremy do on stage, it is their leadership off the stage that is such a great asset to the show," said Johnson.; "They both are talented actors who plan to study theatre at college, but more importantly, they are terrific young people who make those around them better."
The set design is by Pat Henderson. Deb Ericson and Karen Lutze designed costumes. Mark Ellis is the assistant stage manager and helped with stage construction.
Tickets are available 30 minutes before the start of the show and cost $6/adult, $3/student and $1/child. Activity passes and SASD courtesy cards are also good for free admission.
Sheboygan Area School District Press Release
February 24, 2009


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Jennifer Hudson Honored With Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame
From American Idol to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, Jennifer Hudson is proof that dreams do come true.
Yesterday, she was accompanied by her sister, husband and son as she stamped her way into the tinsel town elite by getting her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dazzling in a white mini-dress and werking that slicked down pixie cut, J. Hud looked flawless as she and her family posed for pics while fans yelled "I love you!" from the street.
During her speech, she said:
I knew I would get emotional and I'm sure my mom is in heaven like, 'Jenny, stop crying!' But now is the time to cry, Mama. It is. I don't know where to start because this is an amazing honor as we all know and I did not see it coming. I'm so honored to be here with so many that I love and I feel as though we're all a family. Even all of you guys. It's about — I love you, too! It's one thing to be in this type of position but it doesn't mean anything if you can't make a difference in the world to someone. I always say that anytime we go out. We make sure we treat everyone like family so with that being said, I'm so honored that all of my family is here with me today.
Later she shared her excitement with being honored and dished on the controversy of reality stars receiving stars (Does she really count as a reality show star??):
[This star] means everything. It inspires me to just wanna continue to say, 'Wow.' My new goal — I've been blessed to achieve everything I've dreamt about — so my new goal is like, okay, I want to have longevity. I want to be a staple in Hollywood, and this is a sign that I can be. It's like, 'Wow!' It makes me want to dream up bigger dreams.
On reality TV stars not being eligible for the Walk of Fame
I hope winning an Oscar cancels that out.
I'm a firm believer that if you keep at it, it has no choice but to give in. When I was eliminated from a reality show I said, 'You know what? That's okay because I'm walking away with a prize and that's my talent.' My gift and whatever it is I want, as long as I keep at it and work for it it will have no choice but to give in and here I am.
Go J Hud! So inspiring!


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Full detailed profile on Christina Boudreau Played by Karla Mosley on Guiding Light Daytime Soap Opera.
Karla Mosley
Birthday: August 27 1981
Remy slips out and calls his father for an update on his financial situation. Clayton's still having no luck. When Remy gets off the phone, one of his old gambling friends approaches and asks him if he's interested in an easy score. Remy is reluctant, though he certainly needs the cash. He agrees to do it. After they shake hands, Christina walks over and announces she has something to show him.
Christina brings Remy down to the park for a picnic. She shows him her high school yearbook. He's impressed by how active she was and asks her how she ended up with him. She had all sorts of plans, but none of them turned out the way they were supposed to. But she has found a man she wants to be with. "I was always smart in the classroom, but now I'm smart out of it," she says. They kiss. She makes a blueprint of her daycare center with sticks. He teases her. She asks him about the guy he was talking to before. He speaks about his gambling past and admits that he said yes to playing a game, but he changed his mind when he saw her face. She makes him want to be better. They kiss and she tells him she needs to meet an investor and will see him later.
Christina runs into Company and tells Buzz that she just got an appointment with the loan people but Marina can't go. Buzz offers to go in her place instead and they excitedly hurry off. They sit in the office and wait. He tells her about the Fifth Street Diner and the dreams he used to have. The agent arrives and tells Christina that her business plan is very impressive but there are no hard numbers, just estimates. They leave disappointed. Buzz says this is a travesty. Christina vows to fight on and become a successful business woman.
Remy returns to Company. Christina tells him that she was turned down for her loan. She puts on a brave face but admits that she worries this will be her second failure in a row. When she leaves to take a call, he walks out and runs into one of his old poker friends. He invites him to a game.
Inside, Remy is rehearsing how he is going to tell Christina that he was fired. She arrives and explains that she got her daycare license and has applied for a small business loan. Remy's impressed. She talks about her business plan. Marina listens and suggests that they use her house as a location. They talk about becoming partners. "I'm going to be living in a daycare center?" Buzz groans in dread. Remy offers to lend them some cash. Christina tells him that knowing he believes in her is what keeps her going. As he walks out, Buzz grabs him and asks him what he's doing. He has no idea. As Remy runs off, Buzz asks Frank what's wrong. Frank insists he's fine, even if he hasn't shaved for a few days.
Back at Company, Christina is shocked to have her grandmother Loretta walk in. After they hug, Buzz arrives. He and Loretta begin arguing about the sauce recipe she claims he stole. Loretta sits down with her granddaughter. As they look at her plans, Loretta tells her that she is just planning to become a babysitter.
Christine and Ashlee are lying around at the Cooper's boring Daisy. She wants to go drinking. They don't drink during the day and suggest she call James. Remy comes in. He tells Daisy that James is a 'tool'. She doesn't think that James is really one of the Spauldings. She calls him up. He offers to meet her later. She declares that they have to go out... and she doesn't mean to Company to hang out with her family. James shows up at the door. She asks him to the bar. He doesn't have an ID. They laugh. She tells him all about her fake ID business. James asks her to make him one. Remy wonders if this is a good thing to do in a cop's house. Daisy says that's what's fun about it.
Daisy and Christina go to Cross Creek to get Reva's camera. Jeffrey tells them that Reva is back from the hospital. They're impressed. He hands Daisy the camera and suggests they come back later. After they leave, Blake drops by to pick up her phone. She tells Jeffrey that Reva is with Josh in Company and having a lot of fun. He grits his teeth. She worries when she sees them like that; she doesn't want Jeffrey to become another victim of 'the Josh and Reva thing'. He leaves her to look after the baby. Once he's gone, Reva arrives. She tells Blake that Josh needs a distraction.
"Last time I saw you, you were addicted to computers but now it seems like you've moved in on my granddaughter," Buzz says to James as he gets him a coffee. Remy and James are awkward. James wanders over to Christina and she tells him about her daycare idea. He's a big supporter of small businesses and tells her to let him know if she needs an investor. As they sit down, she tells him her plans. He seems interested. Remy stares daggers at him and worries to Buzz about how naïve Christina is about the Spauldings. Buzz assures him that she'll be alright.
Marina and Christina run into Josh outside. He says hello to the kid and then goes inside. He shakes hands with Buzz and orders a pie for his brother. Josh asks him for some advice about what to do if he suspects his family is in trouble. Buzz suggests that he go with his gut.
« Back to Christina Boudreau profile


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Confession Nightclub
J.E. Irausquin Boulevard 348Palm Beach
Aruba12° 34' 6.8412" N, 70° 2' 40.7472" W
Confession is a boutique-style club with an amazing interior and enormous fully stocked bar. It's where the beautiful people party dance and drink the night away. Confession boasts a brand new state of the art sound system and the club has been extensively sound proofed to take the space to a new level! On the level of the world's best clubs, guests will be mesmerized by the music and the ambiance. Confession is located right on the high-rise strip in the same building at Gianni's Restaurant, opposite the Radisson Aruba Resort.


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8 Things She Hates About You
By: Lisa Jones
- Overview
- You're a Mess
- You're a Nag
- You Use Guy Talk with Us
- You're Vague
- You Stop Wooing Us
- You're Sloppy with Porn
- You Say No to Sex
- You Don't Call
More Sex Lists
You're a Nag
You ask how much our new haircut or handbag costs, yet conveniently don't mention your sportsbook.com account or the $200 you lost on the NCAA parlay. Until we're sharing a bank account with you, we're not all that interested in your opinions on how we should or should not spend our money.
And if we are sharing a bank account, here's something you should know: Reminding us when we're in the throes of post-retail bliss that we just blew all our disposable income for the month is not going to endear you to us. The perfect boyfriend response: "Wow, [fierce/sexy/hot] new [haircut/handbag/lingerie item]. I guess dinner is on me tonight!" Then wait a few days to bring up your financial concerns, by proposing we both start saving for something we want to buy together.
Sign up for our FREE Daily Dose newsletter for the best fitness, health, sex, and nutrition tips delivered to your inbox daily.


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With Touch ID in the iPhone 5s, Apple wasn't the first to integrate a fingerprint sensor in a smartphone, but it certainly popularized the feature as other manufacturers race to build similar technology into their next-gen iPhone competitors. HTC is packing in fingerprint sensors in its latest flagship devices and Samsung announced its new Galaxy S5 earlier this week with finger scanning as one of the standout upgrades. The verdict is still out on how Samsung's tech compares to Touch ID, but it is interesting to see how others are using fingerprint sensors while Apple keeps it closed to developers and offers very limited applications. With Samsung letting app developers access the new S5's fingerprint scanner for mobile payments and more right out of the gate, should Apple open the fingerprint sensor to devs in iOS 8?
Apple decided that initially Touch ID would be limited to unlocking the device and authorizing App Store and iTunes purchases. Samsung, on the other hand, has just announced an updated SDK that gives developers access to request fingerprint recognition and "Verify whether the fingerprint of the current user matches the fingerprint registered on the device." That opens up a ton of potential applications for Android app developers and could be a big selling point when consumers compare the iPhone's fingerprint features to the Galaxy S5. Samsung will be doing payments with the sensor through PayPal as well as device unlocking and a private mode that keeps certain content hidden until activated with the sensor. HTC has a feature that lets users assign each finger to a different app for quickly launching apps with a touch. Apple's limited Touch ID functionality is quickly starting to look outdated.
Will Apple open the fingerprint sensor to developers in iOS 8? CEO Tim Cook did all but confirm new functionality is on the way when talking about mobile payments during Apple's earnings call last month:
The mobile payments area in general is one we've been intrigued with. It was one of the thoughts behind Touch ID […] it's a big opportunity …
Even with the possibility for mobile payments using Touch ID, which we've discussed in the past, the question remains whether Apple will keep it closed to developers to focus on its own mobile payments system, slowly open up new functionality feature by feature, or simply allow devs the opportunity access the hardware freely for any number of use cases in their apps?
Leave a Reply
74 Responses to "Should Apple open the iPhone's fingerprint sensor to devs in iOS 8? [Poll]"
No. I would feel unsafe. However, I would be fine with exceptions to companies like Facebook, Twitter; companies that work with Apple.
You would seriously be ok with Facebook having access to your fingerprints because "Apple works with them"? A company that claims they own the rights to any image or post on their site….?! You are insane.
As another commenter alluded to, the authentication process itself would be a closed system. Absolutely NO 3rd parties should/would have access to authentication data beyond approval, disapproval and which finger provided the input. THAT is the ONLY data that should be exposed to any 3rd Parties ESPECIALLY PERSONAL DATA ABUSERS LIKE FACEBOOK.
you feel safe with facebook?
This has been the plan from development, so not sure why it's a question.
the question is not too clear.. It should not be opened to developers of course! it is kinda a privacy breach
The lack of a developer API was my single biggest disappointment with it's introduction and I've stated so here several times.
From the way iPhone development and advancements have gone, I'd hazard a guess that yes, that's the plan, and that it wasn't wide open from the get go to warm people up to the concept as well as to work out any issues with the system
No. I think Apple should keep it a secret. Why give shaddy devs the tools to figure out how to do bad things with it.
We have an iOS app that is used by drivers for paratransit (elderly and disabled). Often the riders have to sign on the device to show that they took the trip. This can be a potentially embarrassing scenario for somebody to handle an iPad with diminished hand control due to an illness or weakness due to a treatment like chemo or dialysis. If they could just touch the fingerprint sensor to prove ridership and we could look that up against a database, it would be an easier process for the rider.
The answer here shows specifically the problem with Apple opening TouchID to 3rd party devs. It's not so much the act of doing it but the perception of the general public about how their fingerprint could be used. It was hard enough when it wasn't opened up to 3rd party devs and some posts came out saying how the TouchID could be spoofed without thoroughly explaining the hard work that would be needed in order to do it. Apple would either need to explain to general users that the apps wouldn't have the fingerprint data but just get a yes or no answer. Samsung and other manufacturers fly by the seat of their pants and they will make it available to whomever. I just wonder why it's not as big a deal as it would be if Apple announced that they were doing it?
Apples walled garden approach to an OS and app development would also indicate they wouldn't open up the finger print reader completely to devs like myself.
However, what they might do is expose a simple API for devs to use, such as a simple function call to the OS to verify to the users identity (in a similar way to how apps need to get authorization from the user to use GPS, get access to the contacts list, etc), the return value from this function would be a straight forward boolean, confirming that the current user is the owner of the phone.
A function like this would enable apps to secure their apps by only allowing them to be used if the users identify was verified. I could also see this being used to accelerate payments done via PayPal and similar apps, though there would be other security implication that would come from authorizing payments using such a simple api.
Personally I'd love to have access to a function like the one described. It would massively improve the user experience IMO.
Apple should NOT allow access to the sensor. It should NOT allow access to fingerprint data, but it SHOULD provide a simple success/fail API to allow apps to auth against the sandboxed fingerprint data via iOS.
That way there's no opportunity for abuse, and apps can still avoid password entry. Really no other kind of access is required.
yea. That makes sense to me.
People should keep in mind that fingerprints should only be used for trivial authentication needs local to the device itself. Anything traversing a network should require a password as well.
Why? Because unlike passwords, fingerprints can't be changed if compromised, and they're fairly easily collected.
Right so lets say there is a bank app, chase for example. I don't think the password is stored local so it needs to be typed and sent over network each time. But what if the password gets saved to device like how keychain access saves passwords on a mac and then touch id is used as a way to authenticate autofill for the last saved password. You could still change your password, but if you try to use touch id after it has been changed it could could come up with a prompt to update the stored password. The situation being that if you did loose your device and were concerned someone could possibly lift your fingerprint you could change the password and your bank account would be safe. I'd be down.
As a developer: Yes and No. Yes I want users to be able to authenticate themselves and to be able to check that authentication via the SDK. No I don't want my or any other app constantly demanding users touch the fingerprint sensor.
what? why would it be constantly be demanding it? It would only be an option for any case were the user needed to input a password before. Like how when the user is asked for a password to buy an app from the App Store the password text field comes up but they could use touch id instead.
Because every single app that supported it would demand a swipe. Each would be implemented differently. It would also depend on the current design of the fingerprint biometric identification. Would it not be better if Apple provided an SDK that would verify the users' identity via the existing key chain and keep the actual implementation and hardware details away from the app developer? This way they are free to add retina scanning or change the way the fingerprint sensor works and our apps would keep running and not pester the user every time they switch apps.
The hardware Apple should provide access to is WiFi. WiFi was created for the public to use so why does Apple not provide an SDK for it? Android has a WiFi SDK. That means that many apps can never be ported to iOS because it lacks the basic ability for apps to communicate via WiFi. Apple has a very nice Bluetooth SDK so I have no idea why they ruled out WiFi communications.
Apple should open Siri API at first.
It really limits the potential of the hardware if it can only be used for first-party apps. I'm sure there's a way Apple can still maintain a high level of security while still allowing developers to use its functionality.
Not yet. They should endeavor to produce more and more hack-proof finger sensors and integrate them with face cam recognition with proprietary software.
I dont see the problem with Apple open up "access" to their fingerprint sensor since not even Apple itself stores the print data. Your fingerprint lives encrypted in your device's processor so there is nothing for Apple to "give away" beyond a "yes" or "no" access type. I suppose people who are freaking out about it simply do not understand that there is nothing to steal or to hack into, you either get more features or you dont, there are total of 0 security compromises in between.
I'm just wondering what the big deal is with this… So what if they have access to your fingerprint data..what can they do with it apart from making silicon fingertips like in the movies. The iPhone location service is far more intrusive if you ask me…it knows where you are and where you've been. Anybody can get your fingerprints..they just have to follow you around for a few minutes and as soon as you touch something voila…fresh fingerprints for the picking. Unless they find a way to reverse-engineer the fingerprint data to then re-send the data to the sensor making it believe you just entered your fingerprint then I don't see where the problem is.
Isn't this why Apple will have their own money service like PayPal? So Apple will have details for your cards and then use touch ID instead of a password :) so if you want to buy something off Amazon's iPhone app, it will use your Apple ID which is linked to your touch ID. So I think Apple will open it but they will have control and have their own service like PayPal.
I just wish I never have to type in a password for touch id purchases. (i.e. after you restart the phone, seems counterproductive since after you restart the phone you have to input passcode to use touch id for the phone itself, should that be protection enough for app store purchase???)
for sure No, after so many cases that developers were doing some sh*t with our contacts and personal data, if we handover our finger print to them, it means death of our life, i simply don't trust this much.
Yes, Apple should allow apps to request for a scan and know whether this was successful.
Developers shouldn't get any more access than that, though.
One other thing I'd love to see implemented… and should be relatively easy, depending on how the "ring" is scanned (electrically)… would be to allow users to change applications by swiping on the home button left and right.
The current double-tap solution is a bit clunky and slow. If the "ring" could detect swipes, it'd be very cunning.
NO!! this doesn't benefit anyone expect iphone gets hacked!
There are so many here that evidently haven't read the white paper, or anything that has been said about how the Touch ID sensor and accompanying private area on the chip works. Yes it should be opened up as there's no risk of your fingerprint going missing. As Apple isn't even able to retrieve your fingerprint, a third party developer most certainly won't be able to and I would be amused to see them attempt it. Just open up an API to authenticate with a simple 'YES' or 'NO' and you're done. I'd very much like to do my banking by Touch ID.


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EDWARDSVILLE -- Prosecutors plan to seek a life prison term for a man facing sentencing on convictions related to sexual attacks on two toddlers in southwestern Illinois.
Thirty-year-old Michael Burgund of Alton is to be sentenced Friday in Madison County. That's where a jury convicted him in December of six counts of predatory criminal sexual assault.
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Burgund was charged in April 2011 after going to Alton police and admitting he sexually assaulted two toddlers beginning in June 2008. The victims at the time were 2 and 3 years old.
Burgund testified during his trial and denied the allegations.
Burgund remains jailed in Edwardsville.


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Metal Gear Scanlon 4 - Part 06
Become Premium to Watch
This re-release seems unnecessary at first glance, but the conclusion of Kratos' journey serves up a level of spectacle that remains impressive in 2015.
Her Story is a bold and largely successful experiment in interactive crime fiction.
Rocksteady's gorgeous-looking third Arkham game refines its open-world format a bit and lets you drive a whole hell of a lot of Batmobile.
Franchise »
An AI companion is a computer-controlled ally who follows and aids you through your adventures or who requires your protection. The AI companion's survival is often essential to game and story progression.
Achievements are extra challenges added into video games that sometimes carry a point value or unlock bonus material, and are sometimes solely for bragging rights.
Grabbing the attention of a nearby enemy NPC. Usually leads to them attacking.
In game terms alchemy is typically an item creation system. Centuries ago it was the pursuit of changing normal metals into gold, unsuccessfully.
A fat ghoul-like creature that likes to prepare its own meals.
Ambient Occlusion attempts to realistically depict the way light reflects off surfaces and radiates throughout an area.
An often used plot device where the main character wakes up and has lost all their memories. The game usually centers around getting your memory back or uncovering the events that lead to your confusion.
A protagonist who lacks some or all of the qualities traditionally seen as heroic.
A plant-like creature in The Witcher which usually appears in spots where a serious crime has been committed.
An armored hound is a heavily armored, dog-like creature. They are generally mutated, either on purpose or by accident.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, commonly refers to the programmed behaviors of NPCs in a game, whether it's the fact that a soldier takes cover behind a wall in Gears of War, or that townspeople cheer upon your arrival to their village in Fable.
The absence of belief in the existence of gods.
The spiritual successor to the Infinity Engine. This 3D engine made its appearance in the Neverwinter Nights series, and provided a toolset along with multiplayer where players could be Dungeon Masters and make their own stories and play them out with friends.
A rogue character who doesn't obey the law, bandits are known to steal from people for their own selfish gain.
Poet and scholar, singer and narrator. A lover of wine, women and song, the bard is the iconic minstrel of the medieval world.
Barghest is a legendary, monstrous dog that makes an appearance in several RPGs.
Whether you're trying to stay alive for a certain time period or just trying to gain the upper hand in a fight, being able to make a barricade is crucial to your survival.
Winged, usually flying creatures, many of which enjoy perching on branches and defecating on unfortunate victims below. Legends say they bring good fortune to mobile game developers.
Games that are depicted with a predominantly black-and-white appearance, with sequences to this effect, or optional color filters.
The ability to stop or reduce the damage from an oncoming attack.
Necessary to sustain life in organic creatures, the crimson fluid known as blood tends to make appearances when the body's structure is compromised in some way, a very, very common occurrence in videogames.
When blood will splash textures on walls or floors and even roofs.
Most video game characters, even men, have no hair below their necks. Here are games where prominent characters DO have body hair.
A boss fight is a culminating challenge that pits the player against one or more enemies representing a greater threat and/or difficulty than those previously faced. These scenarios typically feature unique antagonists.
Video game bosses are usually the main antagonist, and arch nemesis of the main protagonist. In most cases the end of a game is when the main character defeats the final boss.
The deliberate animation of breasts, meant to titillate as a means to conform to more realistic physics.
It can't be helped; some game characters just don't know how to swim! This usually means automatic death as soon as they hit the water.
Videogames with extreme or controversial content will often be altered for release in certain countries, usually to comply with local laws or prevent cultural misunderstandings.
Games are sometimes divided by chapters, sections, acts, etc.
When your character is saved in one game and is usable in other games.
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Photography/Art: Courtesy of FASS
Correlation is a funny thing. Things sometimes go together in one way but are detrimental when joined in another. Take hydroelectric dams, for instance. Water force is used to spin turbines, which produces the electricity. But mixing water and that electricity is no good. The same goes for fuel and air. Everybody knows that it takes fuel, oxygen and spark to produce combustion, but having air in the fuel is detrimental to combustion. How can that be, you ask?
At its most basic explanation, a perfectly tuned combustion process needs precise amounts of all those aforementioned items, right? But they all have to be coming from their intended sources. Fuel from the line, air from the intake, that's how it's supposed to be. However, excess air in the fuel, which can be caused by many reasons, adversely disrupts the fuel's flow rate, and therefore, its true pressure reading. The bottom line is that reduced or interrupted fuel pressure means less horsepower, plain and simple. And how does the air become trapped in the fuel, you might also ask?
Way back in 1965, Cummins released a service topic (File No. 5-135) that discussed the phenomenon of air/vapor in fuel. This article came about because of complaints the company had been receiving about fuel filters being only partially filled with fuel when removed. The service topic explained how air/vapor forms, which was the cause of the filter not being filled with fuel. The following is a quotation from the Cummins Service Topic 5-135:
The source of the vapor is the fuel itself. Like water, fuel contains a certain amount of dissolved air depending upon the fuel temperature, pressure on the fuel, specific gravity and the amount of aeration to which the fuel has been subjected. Reducing the pressure on the fuel or increasing the temperature of the fuel releases the air. The amount released depends upon the degree of fuel saturation with air and the magnitude of pressure reduction or temperature increase.
That's a lot of words to say that the reason the filters weren't full of fuel was that as the fuel enters the filter, the heavier fuel drops to the bottom of it, and any trapped air rises to the top. The rest of the stuff is interesting but really is the answer to a question that nobody asked. (Engineers—they're all that way. You ask them what time the ferry gets in, and they tell you how to build a boat.)
Caterpillar also addressed the problem in 1990. Caterpillar released a special instruction (651-125, which stated,
Normally, No. 2 Diesel Fuel contains about 10% airs in solution, although the air is not visible." It goes on to say, "When the amount of dissolved air exceeds 10%, fuel rate and power output are reduced.
That is, there's always a certain amount of air trapped in the fuel when you pump it, so right out of the hole, you've got problems, because the trapped air is going to make your truck run less efficiently. We'll leave the question of why we're actually paying for air when we fill up for another day.
Fuel Air Separation Systems, or FASS, knows all this, and that's why the company produces systems that will remove that air from the fuel stream. FASS explains that the problem does begin with the fuel but is really exacerbated right there, in the fuel tank. There are many reasons for the fuel tank being a problem area: hot fuel under pressure being dumped into the tank via the fuel injection return lines; fuel sloshing around in the tank while driving; less-efficient pumps (and by that we mean suction type, inline pumps— not in-tank pumps, which provide a more-positive flow pressure with less agitation); and the fact that most fuel tanks are mounted below the height level of the injectors. All of these things contribute to agitation, which then leads to additional unwanted air particles becoming trapped in the fuel flow. (Agitation may be great for washing your clothes, but it really messes up fuel-flow properties.)
To get the most horsepower out of an engine, it must have a continuous stream of correctly pressurized fuel. Some fuel pumps pull the fuel out of the tank via suction, which can cause slight cavitations. Nature abhors a vacuum, so when cavitations occur in the fuel flow, air fills that empty space. This causes air bubbles to form and/or causes the fuel to vaporize slightly. Both are bad for an engine that is looking to burn as much fuel as possible.
When vaporized fuel occupies the space in the tubing that should have pure fuel, the injection of fuel into the combustion chamber is delayed by a millisecond. That may not sound like a long time, but when an engine cylinder is starved of fuel, even for a millisecond, not as much enters the chamber—thereby retarding the timing and robbing the engine of its full power potential.
It's also really bad for the injectors. Injectors depend on the fuel, not only for lubrication but also for help with how the injectors close.
What, you ask? Fuel flow affects how the injectors close and/or operate? It does, and here's how: When an injector opens and closes so many times a minute, there is some wear and tear. It is the fuel, itself, that lubricates and cools the injector tip. However, when there is air in the mix (combined with the dropping overall quality of the fuel itself), it robs the injector of those essential lubrication and cooling functions. When pure fuel is present, the closing injector works more smoothly. When only fuel vapor is present, the injector closes harder or slams shut with much more force. All of this could cause potential damage to the injector tip.
Then, there is the chance that when the air/vapor mixture—rather than fuel—appears at the point of injection, it may actually combust within the injector tip. Fuel vapor is much less stable than pure fuel, and given that with fuel and oxygen present, essentially in a mist form, and with the heat involved inside an engine, all three components needed for combustion are present. Needless to say, this is not good and could cause outright damage to the injector tip—or at least cause the injector orifices to erode over time. Pre-combustion and increased impacting of the plunger can be the cause of blown injector tips, which could damage pistons and cylinder walls.
As we said, FASS, along with a few other companies, such as Air Dog, has designed systems that will remove that unwanted air from the fuel system. These systems accomplish this via a combination of filtration and compression.
Once the fuel enters the unit, it is first run through a fairly standard water separator filter. Past that though, the fuel pump pressurizes the fuel, which force-feeds it into a second filter housing. There, dirt particles are trapped in the filter and any air vapor rises to its top. This air/vapor mix is returned to the fuel tank. What's left is pure fuel being forced from the bottom of the filter and fed eventually to the injectors. Pure fuel equals pure power.
And in this day and age of sky-high fuel prices, having pure fuel entering the engine improves mileage by 2 to 3 mph. When every bit of performance the fuel is capable of producing is being used to propel the truck, it's going to run better. It just stands to reason that it would then take less fuel overall to go the same distance.
Now, we've gone over the hows, whys and benefits of an air/fuel separator; but is an air/fuel separator really necessary for everybody? When asked that question, even FASS's Brad Ekstam (who's naturally trying to sell you one) candidly replied, "I don't know if you do. It depends on the truck and how many miles you drive per year."
However, Brad does add that you do need one if you want to get the most power out of your truck, get the most mpg possible and also better protect those expensive new (and large) injectors you recently installed.
As we stated, there are a couple of companies that offer systems to remove air from fuel. The offerings of both are based on how much fuel flow is required.
FASS's HD Series has a flow range of 90 to 260 gph and 8 to 70 psi—up to 160 psi when used with a FASS Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR) with a boost compensation port. The HD has the largest filter capacity of the FASS line. The company's Titanium Series has a smaller overall footprint than the HD Series. The flow is limited to 220 gph, but it will pump the same pressures as the HD Series. The Platinum Series features flow capabilities of 90 to 150 gph and pressures of up to 160 psi.
Air Dog offers its AirDog 150 and 100 models. As the designations imply, the 150 passes 150 gph while the 100 passes, you guessed it, 100 gph. Both have a preset pressure of 15 to 17psi.
This is the type of "performance" part that will work as a stand-alone part, as intended; it really comes into its own when it's one piece of a high-performance engine. It sure couldn't hurt to have one on a stock engine, because it should help both injectors last longer and improve mileage. An air/fuel separator may be just that edge you need when you get to the line and look over at that truck in the other lane. All things being equal, though, it stands to reason that the one who is pumping pure (or purer, anyway) diesel fuel into his engine will have an advantage over someone who isn't.
Tags: air, AIRDOG, Diesel fuel, FASS, Fuel


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Lamborghini unveiled its first sport-utility vehicle in almost two decades as the Italian supercar maker looks to expand its lineup to tap rising demand from emerging markets.
The Volkswagen unit unveiled the concept SUV, called the Urus, in Beijing on Sunday, a day before this week's auto show in the Chinese capital.
Lamborghini sees potential sales of 3,000 vehicles a year for the SUV, chief executive Stephan Winkelmann said. A final decision to produce the vehicle hasn't been made, he added.
"If you're going to enter a new segment, you have to remain true to your core values," Winkelmann said. "Our core values are uncompromising, extreme and Italian."
Lamborghini joins Bentley Motors and Fiat's Maserati in super-sizing their supercars a decade after Porsche broke with tradition and rolled out the Cayenne in 2002. The German maker of the 911 sports car now counts on the SUV for half its deliveries.
Demand for luxury SUVs, including the Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, is forecast to climb 49 percent in China to 265,200 units in 2015, almost three times the 18 percent growth in global sales for those vehicles, according to IHS Automotive.
Bentley, another Volkswagen luxury brand, displayed its own SUV concept at the International Motor Show in Geneva last month. China became the company's biggest market in the first quarter after sales surpassed deliveries in the United States for the first time, according to Chong Got, executive director of Bentley China.
Maserati will start production in 2013 of a Jeep-based SUV, currently called the Kubang, while Ferrari last year added the 260,000 euro ($344,000) FF family car, its largest model.
Porsche, which expects to double global sales to 200,000 vehicles by 2018, counts China as its largest market for the Panamera four-door sports car and the Cayenne.
Lamborghini discontinued the boxy LM002 SUV — dubbed the Rambo Lambo — in 1993 after a failed effort to make military vehicles.


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NYC Parks Events Calendar
Get up, get out, and do something! Just about any day of the year, you can find something fun, informative, and healthy to enjoy at an area park. Feel free to browse the listings below, or use the search tools to find an event that matches your interests and location.
Viewing 811–820 out of 18,040 events
from November 13, 2012 (x) to April 25, 2026
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Tai Chi in the Park
at Garibaldi Plaza (in Washington Square Park), Manhattan
8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Join us for summer health and fitness.
Category: Fitness, Seniors
Fitness Walk at Joe Michaels Mile
at Joe Michaels Mile: Western Entrance (in Crocheron Park), Queens
9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Come join us in a Fitness walking program that starts at the western end of Joe Michaels Mile.
Category: Fitness, Waterfront, Seniors
HSBC Children's Garden Summer Session at QBG
at Queens Botanical Garden, Queens
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
The HSBC Children's Garden at Queens Botanical Garden offers hands-on discovery for ages 5 – 12.
Category: Education, Nature, Kids
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum Adventures: Summer Sessions I, II, III
at Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Children entering grades 1 through 6 are invited to spend a week in the Children's Garden at Historic Bartow-Pell having fun and learning about ecology, sustainability,and local history
Category: Education, Nature, History, Kids
Exhibition: Tomorrow's World: The New York World's Fairs and Flushing Meadows Corona Park
at Arsenal (in Central Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
In celebration of the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the World's Fairs, Tomorrow's World will include never before exhibited vintage images from the Parks Photo Archive and…
Category: Education, Art, History, Seniors
The Bronx Meets Vienna: A Street Photography Study Exhibition
at Poe Park Visitor Center (in Poe Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
A Street Photography documentary performed in the Bronx, New York City and Vienna, Austria, gives insight into the daily lives of both cities.
Category: Art
Summer Camp in the Greenbelt
at High Rock Gate (in High Rock Park), Staten Island
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
It's not too late to register for camp this season at the Greenbelt.
Category: Kids
Bryant Park Yoga
at Upper Terrace (in Bryant Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Perfect your downward dog under the trees with YogaWorks instructors.
Category: Fitness, Outdoor Fitness
Dinosaur Safari: Mysteries Revealed
at Bronx Zoo (in Bronx Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
See more than 30 animatronic dinosaurs, including a 40-foot long tyrannosaurus rex, on this ride through the two-acre safari.
Category: Education, Nature, Kids
Garden Crew
at Mosholu Avenue and Broadway (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Get dirty helping out at the Compost Garden.
Category: Volunteer
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The popular Donkey Derby is on again this year on Sunday 10 June 2012 at the Botley Playing Field, Chesham. This family day out runs seven donkey races with a tote tent and has all the fun of the fair including many stalls to try your skills together with tombolas, bric-a-brac, a coconut shy, donkey rides and many others. Food stalls include a barbecue, tea tent and bar.
There is plenty of free parking. It is run by the Amersham & Chesham Lions Club in conjunction with the 3rd Chesham Scouts.