text:
Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Rwandas ICT minister, has announced that a nationwide 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network will be commercially deployed in August 2014. Agence Ecofin reports that the network is currently in its trial phase.
According to TeleGeographys GlobalComms Database, in March 2013 the Rwanda Development Board enlisted South Koreas KT Corp to establish a public-private joint venture company, Olleh Rwanda Networks Limited, in order to develop, construct and operate a nationwide 4G LTE network, as well as providing wholesale LTE infrastructure services to customer-facing cellcos and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). KT will control the management of the firm, while the Rwandan government will provide financial and administrative support. The would-be wholesale LTE provider is set to cover 95% of the population with LTE by 2017.
Source: TeleGeography.
Cameroons Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Jean Pierre Biyiti bi Essam, has announced that construction will soon begin on the countrys first internet exchange points in the cities of Yaounde and Douala. The implementation of internet hubs at the local, national, sub-regional and regional levels is a priority if we intend to solve the connection problems and improve the quality of service as well as lower interconnection costs, Business In Cameroon quotes the minister as saying, although he did not state the potential cost or planned timeframe of the project.
According to data published by Qatars Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and reported by Gulf Times, all segments of the population now have access to internet-enabled ICT devices (and in particular mobile phones), although smartphones and tablets are yet to fully penetrate the market. In its ICT Landscape 2014: Households and Individuals report, which monitors ICT access and usage behaviour in the country, the government is confident that use of basic online services such as e-mail, internet browsing, social networking and peer-to-peer file sharing is prevalent across all segments of society. The study confirms that the ongoing transition towards full access continues apace, and that mobile phones are now used by nearly 100% of the population, while smartphone penetration has reached 65% and laptop ownership has topped 93% up from 83% in 2012. Moreover, a rapid rise in the penetration of tablet devices means that as many as 52% of Qataris are now connected to the internet via such means, compared to just 32% in 2012. The ICT study goes on to say that whilst 83% of users access the world wide web for e-mail and 93% for social networking apps, only 18% use internet banking and 15% e-commerce. Finally, the ministry report notes that with the increase in smartphone and tablet penetration, the demand for mobile broadband has risen and household penetration now stands at 61%, compared to fixed broadband penetration of 94%.
Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM), the countrys second largest mobile operator by subscribers, increased its tariffs by an average of 14% at the start of this month, in response to the high inflation in the cost of utilities, goods and services. The company said in a press release that it must maintain profitability of its operations to support sustainable development of telecommunications in Malawi, which in turn contributes significantly to the countrys economy. It adds that in order to achieve this level of profitability, TNM must continue to invest heavily in network expansion and infrastructure development; the tariff adjustments therefore aim to keep pace with the financing needs of TNMs operations, while sustaining profitability. Going forward, the company, which exceeded the two million mobile subscriber mark in July 2013, says it plans to continue introducing new products and services at affordable prices, while also striving to maintain network service quality.
Armenian fixed and mobile operator ArmenTel (trading as Beeline) says it received just 1,642 applications from people wishing to port their existing mobile number to its network in the month following the launch of mobile number portability (MNP) in the country on 1 April. The companys press officer Tatevik Hayrumyan said of the new regime: The most important thing is that this service works. For us it is important that subscribers who use the MNP service to switch to other operators do not feel any discomfort. We have not received complaints from subscribers.
T-Mobile Czech Republic has confirmed plans to cover 51% of the population and 73% of the territory with its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network by the end of this year, while the cellcos combined 3G/LTE network infrastructure will reach 93% of inhabitants in 80% of the country by the same date. The cellco, part of the Deutsche Telekom Group, is investing CZK4 billion (USD202.9 million) in 4G including buying the licence and plans to invest an additional CZK13 billion in the coming years. It has already launched LTE commercially in the 800MHz band in the district of Plzen-South in Prague and will continue to extend to other parts of the capital with the aim of covering the entire city by October this year. It also plans to begin pilot trials of voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) functionality on the network by the year end.
Yesterdays CommsUpdate reported that T-Mobile CR and rival Telefonica O2 CR have signed an agreement to share LTE networks across the country by the end of this year excepting the cities of Prague and Brno. Under the plan, the pair will start tests on the sharing of Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment, but will retain control over their own network infrastructure and maintain separate business strategies. It is hoped that upon conclusion of trials in the coming months, a commercial launch will follow in the second half of 2014, with Telefonica O2 CR and T-Mobile CR sharing transmitters in order to speed up the use of their LTE networks in the country earlier than the date set by the governments auction. Telefonica O2 CR will be responsible for looking after the eastern part of the country, while T-Mobile will look after operations in the west of the Republic. The pair say initial data speeds will reach a peak of 75Mbps.
Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the countrys leading telco in terms of subscribers, has announced that it has passed around 900,000 households with its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network. Going forward, the operator will continue to extend the footprint of its fibre network although no time-frame has been provided; the FTTH network supports downlink speeds of up to 200Mbps.
According to TeleGeographys GlobalComms Database, STC introduced its FTTH services in August 2010, with the service being available in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam at launch. Over 600 locations in sixteen cities/towns were covered by October 2013, and by year-end the company revealed that a total of 830,000 households had been covered by the network.
Airtel Gabon has announced details of its 3G mobile network expansion plans, following the official launch of its commercial W-CDMA/HSPA+ services in the Gabonese capital Libreville. At the launch event, Airtel Gabon officials including CEO Antoine Pamboro said that the cellco will gradually cover the whole country, following the first-phase commercial launch which currently covers only the northern part of Libreville, Agence Ecofin reported. The area covered by the W-CDMA/HSPA+ network runs from Downtown to Agondje Stadium, the CEO clarified, adding that the second phase will take place in the next quarter and will focus on covering southern Libreville, an area defined as extending from downtown to PK12, including Owendo, the executive elaborated. He continued that by the end of the third quarter of 2014 a third-phase rollout will introduce 3G services to Gabons second largest city, Port Gentil. Pamboro stated that a fourth-phase 3G deployment scheduled to be completed by the end of the year will see 3G coverage reach all provincial capitals.
Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT, including cellco Mobitel) has agreed with the countrys Board of Investment (BoI) a commitment of USD415.44 million to be spent within the next two years on expanding and upgrading broadband, telephony, information technology and converged network infrastructure. According to the partly state-owned telcos press release, the BoI agreement signing on 23 April 2014 covers the expansion of multi-faceted national ICT infrastructures, including: internet data centres, voice telephony, enterprise and wholesale services, fixed broadband access including fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), IPTV (Peo TV), fibre-optic transmission networks, 4G LTE mobile broadband, international connectivity and Wi-Fi wireless broadband.
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), through its mobile divisions Smart Communications and Digitel (Sun Cellular), is on course to achieve 100% coverage of the country by the third quarter of this year, having already completed the rollout of a 650km submarine fibre cable linking Palawan province to the rest of its national backbone. The PHP861 million (USD19.3 million) Palawan link formed part of a wider fibre-optic rollout programme, which now spans more than 78,000km. Speaking to reporters in November 2013, PLDT/Smart president and chief executive officer Napoleon Nazareno said that the groups 3G coverage would stand at 75% to 80% by first quarter of 2014. The 3G network provides more capacity, faster data rates and richer data and video applications than a second-generation network.
PLDT has allotted PHP32 billion for capital investments this year. The amount will be spent largely on expanding and improving the groups network coverage including the ultra-fast 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology
MTN Group, a leading emerging market mobile operator, reported a satisfactory performance in the first quarter of 2014, with subscriber growth of 1.1% quarter-on-quarter pushing the groups total to 210.065 million in 22 countries across Africa and the Middle East by the start of April. Data revenues as a proportion of total revenue continue to bolster the carriers performance, it said, increasing 43.3% year-on-year and contributing 17.0% of total revenue, while the encouraging progress of its Mobile Money service saw total registered users top 16.6 million at the end of the period under review. The operators MTN South Africa unit continued to focus on regaining relevance in the pre-paid segment and maintaining its post-paid market share, despite which, the subsidiarys subscriber base dipped a net 824,768 to 24.875 million customers at 31 March, marginally below the 24.950 million recorded at end-March 2013. MTN said the fall is mainly due to the disconnection of 973,064 subscribers who had been showing activity but not generating revenue as per its 90-day active user definition. Data subscribers increased to 14.5 million by 1Q14, largely due to competitive data packages and the launch of the cellcos low-cost Steppa smartphone. Blended ARPU decreased by 11.3% to ZAR100.47 (USD9.50) per month. Further, MTN South Africa says it remains committed to seeking a permanent resolution to the recent mobile termination rate (MTR) glide path and asymmetry regulations announced by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), which came into effect on 1 April for a period of six months.
Meanwhile, the groups MTN Nigeria unit delivered a satisfactory performance during the three months under review, and increased its subscriber base despite the one-month ban on the sale of SIMs imposed by the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), for three of the four GSM operators active in the market. MTN Nigeria had a total of 57.2224 million subscribers at 31 March, up 0.8% from 56.766 million three months earlier and 51.295 million at the end of 1Q13. In its filing, MTN Group said that: Encouragingly we have seen strong subscriber growth post the lifting of the ban. MTNs Nigerian unit has also worked hard to improve its network quality and capacity, with 483 2G and 597 3G sites added during the January-March quarter. Partly as a result, MTN Nigeria reported strong growth in 3G enabled devices on the network, which increased to 7.1 million in the quarter.
The groups Large opco cluster, which includes operations in Iran, Ghana, Syria, Cote dIvoire, Cameroon, Uganda and Sudan, ended March with a total of 95.540 million users, up 2.2% q-o-q and up from 89.318 million subscribers at 31 March 2013. Finally, the Small opco cluster (comprising units in Yemen, Afghanistan, Benin, Congo [Republic], Zambia, Guinea (Conakry), Rwanda, Cyprus, Liberia, Botswana, Guinea-Bissau, Swaziland and South Sudan) registered 32.426 million connections, up from 31.882 million at the start of the year and 29.825 million at end-March 2013.
Mauritian telecoms regulators the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) and the Information Communication Technology Authority (ICTA), are reportedly working on the development of a quality of service (QoS) guide for internet service providers (ISPs) in the country, Agence Ecofin reports. According to the article, the QoS guidance will impose a minimum speed threshold for broadband access, with ISPs likely to be required to indicate all relevant service specifications in a customers contract.
Greenlands incumbent wireless operator TELE Greenland has announced that it will significantly lower its mobile tariffs from 1 May. According to a company press release, the countrys telecoms watchdog, the Telecom Agency (Telestyrelsen), has approved a number of new tariffs, with the price for mobile data decreasing by DKK0.75 (USD0.14) per 1MB, to DKK1. Further, the cellco will halve the prices for sending SMS/MMS to DKK0.60, while voice calls will be charged at DKK1.23 per minute, regardless of the call time. TELE Greenland will also introduce two new mobile packages on 1 May: Mobile Akulleq, priced at DKK275 per month, includes 120 minutes of voice calls, 500 SMS/MMS and 500MB of data, while Mobile Angisooq, which costs DKK350 per month, comprises of 180 minutes of voice calls, 1,000 text or multimedia messages and 1GB of data. Meanwhile, the Mobile Data 300 plan will be discontinued, and current subscribers will be automatically migrated to Mobile Angisooq from 1 May.
National fixed and mobile operator Office des Postes et Telecoms de Nouvelle-Caledonie (OPT-NC) is to deploy 4G mobile services in New Caledonia, as part of its strategy plan OPT2017, according to online journal Megazap. The first 4G antennas are expected to be put in place in November/December this year, with the OPT-NC board saying that commercial offers could be in place by February 2015 under the branding THD Mobile. To support the 4G deployment, the operator intends to capitalise on its extensive 2G/3G+ network, which currently comprises 320 cell sites. In the first phase, OPT-NC intends to invest XPF1 billion (USD11.6 million) on the rollout of 150 4G sites. By 2017, the carrier says it will have extended the new network to more than 50% of the total sites on its network, which at that date will exceed 380 (2G/3G) sites. More than 85% of the population will be covered by 4G by the end of 2017, including all towns and main residential areas.
OPT-NC has seen a sharp rise in internet traffic in the past year or so, with volumes rising by 40% between January 2013 and March 2014. Further, OPT-NC reported a total of 255,522 mobile subscriptions as at the start of this year, a cellular penetration rate of 104%, noting that an extensive wireless coverage rollout in 2008 has significantly reduced the number of uncovered areas. At the same date there were a total of 44,000 mobile broadband internet users, of which more than 21,000 were signed up to its 3G Mobile Internet offer.
Latvian mobile operator Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT) has expanded the coverage of its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to 50% of the countrys population, according to Telecompaper which did not cite its sources. It is understood that LMTs 4G network currently comprises 393 LTE base transceiver stations (BTS) across Latvia. The cellco had a total of 1.079 million cellular subscribers as at 31 March 2014, while quarterly revenue reached EUR41 million (USD56.7 million) and EBITDA stood at EUR12 million, with a stable EBITDA margin of 30%.
Source: TeleGeograhy.
Pakistan has completed the long-awaited auction of third- and fourth-generation (3G and 4G) concessions, awarding 3G licences to Mobilink, Telenor Pakistan, China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak/Zong) and Pakistan Telecommunications Mobile Ltd (PTML/Ufone), whilst Zong was the only winner of 4G spectrum rights. ProPakistani writes that Zong and Mobilink each won 10MHz in the 2100MHz band whilst Ufone and Telenor were awarded 5MHz apiece in the same range. Zong also walked away with a further 10MHz in the 1800MHz band for 4G services. Under the terms of the auction, providers were only eligible to bid for a 4G authorisation if they had won 10MHz of 3G frequencies, and whilst Ufone had also expressed an interest in bidding for 4G rights, its failure to secure a 10MHz 3G lot made it ineligible to bid for an 1800MHz licence. Ufone will have a second opportunity to acquire the frequencies, however, with sector watchdog Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) revealing that the unsold 4G licence would be sold off at a later date. The sale raised a total of USD1.112 billion for state coffers with the two 5MHz lots and the 4G lot each selling for their reserve prices of USD147.5 million and USD210 million respectively, whilst the 10MHz blocks sold for USD306.92 million and USD300.9 million, the Chinese provider paying the larger sum.
Commercial 3G services are expected to be made available within the next month, the cellcos having already deployed 3G networks in anticipation of the auction date. Capitalising on its 4G win, Zong has launched a new marketing campaign titling itself as Pakistans first and only 4G network, accompanying the programme with a change of logo. Whilst currently the smallest of the bidding cellcos in terms of subscribers, Zongs 4G coup is expected to give the provider the edge needed to close the gap with its larger rivals. According to TeleGeographys GlobalComms Database, Zong represented 18.0% of Pakistans wireless market at the end of 2013, compared to 28.2% held by Mobilink and 25.0% and 18.7% claimed by Telenor and Ufone respectively. Backed by China Mobile, the worlds largest cellco by subscribers, Zong is well-positioned to exploit its 4G advantage, benefiting from substantial economies of scale, especially given its parent companys ongoing Time Division Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) network rollout in China, and its imminent re-entry into the Chinese fixed broadband market. Indeed, CommUpdate noted earlier this month that Zong had also purchased licences to enter the fixed market in all 14 of Pakistans regions.
Oscar Coca, the general manager of Bolivias state-owned telco Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Entel), has announced that just seven days after launching commercial LTE-based services at the start of this month, some 2,000 residential subscribers had signed up. With coverage initially restricted to the cities of La Paz, El Alto, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba, the network footprint is expected to be expanded gradually to other departmental capital cities and larger cities in the coming months.
South African telco MTN has announced plans to commercially launch a 100Mbps fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband service in its domestic market on 1 June 2014, TechCentral reports. According to the article, MTN demonstrated its FTTH technology at the Monaghan Farm estate, located 30km north of Johannesburg, on 12 April 2014, and is currently rolling out fibre-optic networks, which utilise Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology, to business parks and residential estates in all major cities. Residents of Monaghan Farm will gain access to the fibre-optic network in mid-May, with around 60% of them already signing up for the service. Speeds on offer will reportedly vary between 10Mbps and 100Mbps, although the company has not provided any pricing details, as costs are to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis, dependent on the amount of infrastructure required for each estate.
Meanwhile, rival Vodacom has also revealed that it is actively deploying fibre cabling in business parks and is preparing to start fibre-optic network rollouts in selected gated communities. Were currently building the fibre backbone to make this possible, a company representative told TechCentral, although he added that it was too early to give any concrete details at this stage.
The fledgling market for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) in the Czech Republic continues to grow apace in 2014, following the setting up of no fewer than 50 MVNOs and other secondary brand offerings in the latter stages of last year, according to a report from the Czech News Agency (CTK). Some of the more notable newcomers to the Czech mobile market which was only opened up to virtual players in late-2012 include BLESKmobil, Gorila Mobil, Tesco Mobile, Mobil od CEZ, Lama Mobile, Euro Operator and recent addition, betting firm Sazka.
BLESKmobil was the first to hit the ground running, thanks to a hosting deal with mobile network operator (MNO) Telefonica O2 CR. According to CTK, the MVNO segment accounted for some 700,000 users at 31 December 2013, equivalent to 5% of the total mobile market. Along with BLESKmobil, Telefonica O2 CR also has network hosting agreements in place with the likes of Tesco Mobile, Mobil od CEZ and another newcomer, Bonerix. Meanwhile, Vodafone CR also supports MVNOs and works with mobile virtual network enablers (MVNEs) such as Quadruple, and third player T-Mobile CR utilises an agreement with GTS Czech to allow it to set up wholesale arrangements with smaller companies. Furthermore, keen not to be left behind the three incumbents have established their own no-frills secondary brandings to exploit niche market segments. T-Mobile has a successful Kaktus brand with 35,000 subscribers, Vodafone has relaunched Oskarta, and all three MNOs are gearing up their 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) rollouts.
The Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) has opened bidding for 3G concessions and has completed the first four rounds of bidding, ProPakistani writes. Bids have been entered for four blocks of spectrum, two of 2×5MHz and two of 2×10MHz, all in the 2100MHz range. After three rounds of bidding, the two smaller blocks (B and C) have not moved above the reserve price of USD147.5 million, whilst of the two larger blocks, block A had edged up to USD306.92 million from the base price of USD295 million, whilst block D had increased to USD300.9 million. Incumbent cellcos Mobilink, Telenor Pakistan, China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak/Zong) and Pakistan Telecommunications Mobile Ltd (PTML/Ufone) are competing for the spectrum rights, whilst Warid has elected not to participate in the auction. Bidding is due to continue until winners are determined, potentially extending the auction to a second or third day: ProPakistani cites unnamed cellco officials as saying that bidding is expected to carry on to a second day. Bidding for 4G concessions, meanwhile, will take place upon the completion of the 3G sale.
Marring the auction somewhat was an eleventh-hour bid to close down the tender, with a challenge filed with the Supreme Court shortly before the sale was due to begin. The petition, submitted by the Watan political party, claimed that the USD1.3 billion revenue targeted by the auction was far less than anticipated by the government and that the PTA were under-valuing the spectrum. Challenging the legality of the sale, the petition also alleged that the participating cellcos were defaulters on bank liabilities and that the auction had not followed the rules of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). The apex court dismissed the allegations, however, allowing the tender to go ahead as planned.
Chilean telco Entel has revealed that it intends to invest USD200 million annually in its Peruvian operations over the next three years, TeleSemana writes. The funds will be used to upgrade and expand the mobile infrastructure of its local wireless unit Nextel, including the deployment of a 4G network in the 1700MHz/2100MHz band. The investment is also expected to fund the rollout of a fibre-optic backbone network to replace existing microwave backhaul. As previously noted by CommUpdate, Entel has selected Huawei to carry out the development work on Nextels networks
State-owned Angola Telecom will launch a new standalone fixed broadband service under the Navegue So (only browse) banner next month (May 2014) in the central Huambo province, available for individual, business or public sector users, Angolan news agency Angop reports. Ahead of the launch of Navegue So packages, Angola Telecom is highlighting the services Wi-Fi capabilities and the fact that its data-only broadband connections can be used for VoIP telephony. The upcoming standalone internet service augments the telcos existing Fale & Navegue (talk and browse) packages, which offer unlimited fixed line calls to Angola Telecom numbers and unlimited monthly volume of ADSL-based internet usage, payable on a pre- or post-paid basis. The Fale & Navegue ADSL service, which was launched officially nearly a year ago in April 2013, requires a user to have a connection to Angola Telecoms fixed telephony network, and according to the Angola Telecom website is currently available in four regions: Luanda (14 districts), Benguela (seven municipalities/districts), Lobito (five areas) and Kwanza Sul (two areas). Download speeds advertised range from 512kbps to 4Mbps.
A recent study by the US-based Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) has concluded that Senegals telecoms industry generates 10.6% of the African nations GDP, Agence Ecofin reports. According to the study, the influence of the communications sector also extends more widely, given its positive influence on the development of other industries, and is estimated to represent 23% of Senegals overall economic growth. Dr Raul Katz, director of research at the agency, notes too that the proposed introduction of a fourth mobile operator would be unproductive in a heavily penetrated market dominated by three players Orange, Tigo and Expresso.
European Union report released Tuesday has found that the continents 400 million Internet users face a geographic lottery regarding the price, speed, and range of choice of broadband.Furthermore, the options Europeans have are presented in confusing ways, with line rental, router fees, and loads of bundle packages limiting their ability to choose wisely. Switching providers is just as complicated, the report shows.
The combination of the four studies, shows 66% of people do not know what Internet speed they have purchased, and that, on average, consumers only get 75% of the broadband speed they sign up for. While theres a slight drop in speed due to interference, distance from the exchange, and how many devices youre using at home, getting three quarters of what you pay for seems unfair.
According to the @SamKnows study, actual download speed is 75.6% of the advertised speedalthough this varies a lot between copper and fiber.
There is no single market for internet and that has to change, EU Commissioner for the Digital Agenda @NeelieKroesEU said. There is no good reason why one person should pay over 4 times more than another in Europe for the same broadband.
Looking at prices across the EU, the study shows price differences can range up to 400%. While broadband prices are much higher in the U.S., they dont vary so much between states .
The measurements for the study were taken by 9,467 small white boxes which plug into internet connections, supplied by Sam Knows, who carried out the survey spread across 30 countries. There are 28 countries in the EU but the study included Norway and Iceland.
These findings mirror our own concerns about the broadband market, said Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which? the U.K. consumer lobby, which is also campaigning on these issues. We found millions enduring poor customer service and paying for speeds they dont get.
Source: WSJ.
New data from TeleGeographys Global Bandwidth Research Service reveal that demand for international bandwidth grew 39 percent to 138 Tbps in 2013, a 4.5-fold increase from the 30 Tbps of bandwidth used globally in 2009.
Internet backbones remain the primary users of international bandwidth, accounting for 75 percent of demand in 2013. However, the drivers of international bandwidth demand are changing. As private network operators, including large content providers like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, expand their internal networks, their bandwidth requirements increasingly exceed those of the largest carriers.
A joint initiative between the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and telecoms operators Omantel and Nawras will see 250 remote villages across Oman provided with mobile telephony services within two years. Times of Oman reports that around 200 base stations will be installed in unserved villages under the programme, including 120 2G and 80 3G cell sites.
Mobile subscribers in Papua New Guinea could soon be required to register their SIM cards due to what has been described as abuse of telecommunication services, according to Islands Business. Charles Punaha, chief executive of the local telecoms regulator the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA) was cited as saying: When we opened up the market in 2007, there was no control measure in place. You can just walk down the road and buy a SIM card without (producing) any identification
Unfortunately as we all know, that has resulted in us not having some records of what particular numbers are allocated to individuals or to companies. And related to that, we have seen abuse people abusing the services when they are sending defamatory messages to other people.
It is understood that proposed regulations which would require the registration of new SIM cards have been sent to the State Solicitor for approval, with the regulator hoping to have a certificate of necessity allowing it to submit the plans to the cabinet by the end of this month. Commenting on the plans, Mr Punaha added: We are going to make it mandatory that if you want to buy a SIM card, you must have some form of identification
We are in discussions with one of the operators who want to take it further and do a full biometrics. So when you go to buy a SIM card, youll have your photograph and fingerprint taken as well. Further, the executive noted that three months after the regulation is approved the NICTA will look to impose a requirement that all places where SIM cards are sold would be required to have the machines to register customer ID details and bio data. Meanwhile, it has also been said that customers will be required to re-register their details after 18 months, and if they fail to do so their SIM cards could be cancelled.
British mobile network operator O2 UK has announced that its 4G network now covers one third of the countrys population indoors and 41% of the population outdoors, with 191 towns and cities now within the infrastructure footprint. Confirming that more than one million customers have signed up for its 4G services since they were launched in August 2013, O2 UK highlighted the fact that its customers had used more data in the 4G networks first six months than the entire O2 network carried between 2000 and 2008.
Alongside announcing the current coverage levels, O2 UK has also outlined its future plans, revealing an ambitious network modernisation programme which it called one of the largest infrastructure improvement projects taking place in the UK today. As per the operators plans, around 25% of O2s 2G and 3G masts will be upgraded by the end of 2014 in order to deliver an increase in call quality and all-round network experience, with both call and data connectivity to be improved at peak times and in high-density areas. With the work to be carried out on an area-by-area basis, the mobile operator has also committed to investing an additional GBP16 million (USD26.8 million) to bring data coverage to unserved locations, with over 200 areas across the UK to get 3G data coverage from O2 by the end of 2014.
Derek McManus, O2 UKs chief operating officer, noted: Building a great network isnt just about bringing faster speeds to people that already have coverage. Its vital that we also bring seamless coverage to people that have never had it before. Investment in all layers of our network is key to ensuring customers receive a great experience, whether thats in streaming live goals in the pub or receiving critical business information
We continue to invest the equivalent of GBP1.5 million in our network every single day to offer seamless connectivity for our customers across 2G, 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi and remain focused on delivering an experience that exceeds our customers expectations.
Indian-backed cellco Airtel Chad has received the nations first 3G/4G licence, Biztech Africa reports. The concession obliges Airtel to activate 3G services in the capital, NDjamena, within six months although the cellco expects to achieve that goal in just four months. Airtel expects to extend 3G services to most major cities within a year. Commenting on the development, the CEO of Airtel Africa Christian de Faria noted that mobile services are more readily available to most Africans than many other basic services such as electricity, sanitation and financial services and as a result wireless communications services can play a unique role in addressing social, economic and environmental issues. No details regarding the price of the licence, or the frequencies included in the concession were available.
Chads Minister of Posts and New Information Technologies, Daoussa Deby Itno, added: Chadians in NDjamena and elsewhere need good quality data services. Students expect broadband internet in universities, traders expect high speed internet for their operations and physicians, amongst others, expect to be connected to the various operations that they have with the outside world. Everyone needs reliable connectivity.
TeleGeographys GlobalComms Database notes that Chads broadband and wireless markets are amongst the least developed in the region and the development of these segments has been identified by the government and international aid organisations as a key factor in alleviating a number of social and economic problems afflicting the country. Internet access in Chad has long been hindered by the nations landlocked status, and the country is one of only a handful still dependent primarily on satellite links for international connectivity. According to the latest figures from sector watchdog the Office Tchadien de Regulation des Telecommunications (OTRT), at the end of 2012 there were some 1.987 million internet users, 99% of which connected via the 2.5G GPRS/EDGE networks of Airtel and its cellular rival Tigo Chad.
Smart Telecom, which is owned by Industrial Promotion Services (IPS), the Kenyan-based infrastructure and industrial development arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), has announced the launch of a mobile network operating subsidiary in Tanzania. The launch coincides with the introduction of a sister company, also called Smart Telecom, in neighbouring Uganda, which was revealed last month. AKFED is also launching the new Smart Telecom brand in Burundi, and has earmarked investment of USD300 million across the three East African markets, offering mobile voice and internet services, with the stated aim to bring improved service, value and coverage to all three countries. TeleGeography notes that AKFEDs telecoms investment partner, the Cypriot-based, Russian-owned Timeturns Holdings, is the backer of existing Tanzanian CDMA operator Benson Informatics (BOL), holding a full national mobile licence, while the Ugandan branch of Smart Telecom acquired its licences via start-up Sure Telecom (Uganda), which was previously solely owned by Timeturns. Similarly, the launch of Smart Telecom (Burundi) has been achieved via the AKFED/Timeturns partnership, with a relaunch of Timeturns existing mobile subsidiary Lacell (Smart Mobile).
Smart Tanzania has marketed its introductory services with a banner saying pay TZS79 (USD0.0484) for every on-net call. Its standard call rates are advertised on its website as on-net TZS2.8 per second / off-net TZS4.1 per second, while it offers choices of daily, weekly and monthly service bundles including voice, SMS and data including a months unlimited mobile internet usage for TZS20,000 (USD12.24). The website also promises mobile money services will be made available on the Smart Tanzania network.
The Tanzanian wireless market is already home to five full fledged cellular mobile operators: Vodacom, Airtel, Tigo, Zantel and Tanzania Telecommunication Company Ltd (TTCL), while TeleGeographys GlobalComms Database notes that Smile Communications operates 4G TD-LTE wireless broadband services in the country, alongside CDMA fixed-wireless voice/data network operators BOL (see above) and Sasatel, and there are four other licensees MyCell, EGOTEL, 4G Mobile and Telesis holding technology-neutral network operating concessions via which they intend to provide wireless data-focused services (based on CDMA, W-CDMA, mobile WiMAX and LTE, respectively). Another mobile licensee, Rural Netco, has deployed UMTS-900 infrastructure for wholesale-only services, GlobalComms adds.
US Cellular, the fifth-largest mobile network operator in the United States, is reportedly expanding its LTE coverage, and plans to add more than 1,200 new sites this year in partnership with its long-term affiliate, 700MHz spectrum holder King Street Wireless. According to RCR Wireless, Chicago-based US Cellular is bringing its LTE coverage to Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and North Carolina and increasing its existing footprint in Iowa, Illinois, Maine, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
Taiwanese multi-service operator Chunghwa Telecom is reportedly planning to launch a 300Mbps/100Mbps fibre-optic broadband service next month, according to Digitimes. With the service expected to be offered to consumers for less than TWD2,000 (USD66) per month, Chunghwa will also make changes to the upload speeds offered by its existing fibre broadband packages. To that end, the telco will boost the uplink rate on its current 100Mbps/20Mbps package to 40Mbps, while its 60Mbps/15Mbps plan will see the rate increased to 20Mbps; neither package will see an increase in price.
With Chunghwas fixed line broadband subscriber base said to currently stand at 3.76 million, the bulk of these (2.71 million) are connected via fibre, while the remaining 1.05 million are ADSL-based accesses. Looking ahead, the operator has set out its stall to increase the number of customers taking its 100Mbps downlink package, and it aims to increase this from the 480,000 such subscribers it has now, to one million by the end of 2014.
Uruguays national telecoms operator Administracion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Antel) is aiming to increase the number of households connected to its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network to 500,000 by the end of this year, the companys president Carolina Cosse is quoted by El Pais as saying. At present, around 288,000 customers are connected to Antels fibre-optic infrastructure, which passes about 740,000 homes in the country. Last year the state-owned company said it will invest USD1.112 billion in its operations by 2017, around USD727 million of which will be spent on its access network, including the rollout and expansion of its FTTH infrastructure. Cosse also revealed that Antels 4G LTE network, which was launched in December 2011, covers 80% of the capital Montevideo and 99% of Punta del Este.
Source: Uruguay.
Bangladeshs largest cellco by subscribers GrameenPhone has announced that its 3G W-CDMA/HSPA+ network coverage now covers all 64 of the countrys district headquarter cities, following its commercial launch of the 2100MHz service on 8 October 2013. In a press release, the Telenor subsidiary stated: GrameenPhone is now the largest national broadband service provider. Some 40% of our customers are currently under 3G coverage and approximately 85% of 3G enabled devices can access the 3G network. GrameenPhone won the largest-bandwidth (2×10MHz) 3G licence in Bangladeshs September 2013 auction and covered all seven of the countrys main divisional capital towns plus other densely populated cities by the end of the year, before reaching the 64-city national footprint in less than six months from launch, which it called the fastest 3G rollout in the history of Telenor Group, and a critical part of our ambition to provide internet for all.
Spanish cellco Movistar has outlined plans under which it will speed up the deployment of its 4G infrastructure, with a view to achieving coverage of 60% of the population by the end of this year. The mobile operator already provides LTE-based services to 50% of the nation, and its network footprint encompasses a total of 197 municipalities, including 32 provincial capitals; of the capitals, however, ten are covered as a result of a network sharing agreement it struck with rival Yoigo to use the latters infrastructure. Looking ahead, having said that it aims to have constructed a total of 4,200 4G-enabled base stations by the end of this year, Movistar expects to cover a total of 443 municipalities by that date, with all cities of more than 70,000 inhabitants able to connect to its LTE network.
Armenias Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) has announced the launch of mobile number portability (MNP) for subscribers of the countrys three cellular operators. Customers can now retain their own phone number when transferring between operators, with the number porting process to take no more than three days. On 15 June 2013 the government passed an amendment to the Republics Law on Telecommunications, allowing for the introduction of MNP from that date. The three incumbent operators VivaCell MTS, Beeline and Orange Armenia then cooperated on the creation of a joint company and a common database to handle the MNP system.
Separately, the PSRC has revealed that Armenia now has 100% geographic coverage for mobile services. The last 18 areas without a cellular signal were divided among the trio of incumbents and covered earlier this year, the regulator says. According to a report from local news portal Arka which cites PSRC commissioner Samvel Arabjanyan, 68.5% of the territory receives a service from all three networks and a further 23.0% has coverage by two networks, while the remaining 8.5% (mainly villages) is serviced by one operator only.
Microsoft is considering a plan to utilise unused white space spectrum to provide improved broadband internet access in Brazil. Hernan Rincon, the president of Microsoft Latin America told delegates at a conference in Sao Paulo that the firm wants to target the SME market, working with the government to improve broadband coverage using wireless technology. The plan would see Microsoft utilising packets of spectrum between existing TV transmission channels, which have previously been kept free to avoid interference between broadcasts. With the plans still in the early stages, however, more concrete details have not been revealed. According to TeleGeographys GlobalComms Database, less than a third of Brazils households currently subscribe to fixed broadband services, with 19.37 million subscribers at the end of 2013.
Telecom Egypt (TE) expects to sign up around five million mobile subscribers in its first year of offering wireless services, Daily News Egypt reports, citing Mohamed Kamel, the telcos general manager for investor relations and international reporting.
In addition, the report notes that a conference at which the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (MCIT) will formally announce plans to award a unified telecoms licence to the fixed line incumbent as well as to mobile operators Vodafone, Etisalat and MobiNil will take place on 2 April. The conference had been expected to take place last week, but was postponed in line with a delay to the National Telecoms Regulatory Authoritys (NTRAs) board of directors meeting which was made due to urgent circumstances.
According to data published by the Autorita per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (Agcom), the number of mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) subscribers in Italy reached 5.24 million at the end of 2013, up from 4.50 million a year earlier. The sector continues to be dominated by Poste Mobile, which claimed a 54.2% share of the spoils at year-end, albeit down from 55.2% on an annualised basis. According to Agcom statistics, this gives Poste Mobile a 2.8% share of the overall mobile market.
As at 31 December 2013, the top five MVNOs in terms of user numbers were: Poste Mobile (2.84 million); broadband operator FastWeb (15.6% or 817,440); major retail chain Co-Op Italia (9.3% or 487,320); Erg Petroli (6.8% or 356,320); and Daily Telecom (4.8% or 251,520).
China's smartphone market is forecast to reach 422 million units this year, with 278 million units offered by Chinese vendors, according to Digitimes Research. Samsung and Apple are expected to bring their sales to nearly 144 million units, up 4 percent year-on-year. Digitimes Research expects that fewer Chinese brands will remain to compete in the local market as domestic vendors without substantial product differentiation could be eliminated in the short term. Global shipments by Chinese smartphone markers is expected to reach 412 million in 2014, up 30.7 percent from 2013.
Source: Telecom Paper.
Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) has increased the speed of its Home Broadband plans across the Sultanate. Customers with a 2Mbps connection will now see their speeds reaching 4Mbps, while 3Mbps-5Mbps plans have been upgraded to 6Mbps and 40Mbps to 60Mbps at no additional cost, while the firm has also launched a new 35Mbps tariff for OMR55 (USD142) per month. Our strategy at Omantel has always been focused on providing our customers with the best overall broadband experience, commented Haitham Abdullah Al Kharousi, vice president of Omantels Consumer Business Unit, adding: As we have invested massively in expanding our fixed network and bringing its reach closer to more customers throughout the Sultanate, we are now able to pass the benefits to our customers by enhancing speeds. With this change, more than 90% of our customers have benefitted from doubling download speeds. In addition, upload speeds have been upgraded to 1Mbps.
In other news, the Omani government will begin the second phase of its sale of shares in Omantel on 31 March, following the conclusion of a private placement of 71.25 million shares open to Omani individual and institutional investors based on a book-building approach earlier this month. The second phase involves an initial public offering (IPO) for Omani citizens at a fixed price of OMR1.350 per share. The public offer will close on 13 April 2014. Overall, the divestment will see the states ownership in Omantel reduced from 70% to 51%; 30% of the telco is already publicly owned.
© Copyright 2017, ITU
The information presented within this blog comes from various organizations around the world. ITU encourages users to seek more detailed information from the original source through the links provided.
Links to third-party websites are provided for the convenience of all users. The ITU is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content on these third-party websites. ITU does not offer any guarantee in that regard nor does ITU endorse the third-party organizations, their sites or content.


text:
State Sen. Dick Saslaw does not mince words about his support for uranium mining. A Northern Virginia Democrat who is also the Senate minority leader, Saslaw says burying the radioactive byproduct known as tailings underground should be a solution to environmental concerns. And he says he can't be concerned about what might happen 100 [years] from now.
"What about 10,000 years from now? I'm not going to be here," Saslaw says. "I can't ban something because of something that might happen 500 or 1,000 years from now."
Virginia Democrat Wants To Roll Back Key Environmental Rules: 'I'm Not Going To Be Here' To Suffer Consequences
Current Status: Published (4)
Seeded on Thu Jan 10, 2013 3:07 AM
keyboard shortcuts: V vote up article J next comment K previous comment

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Admissions
- Academics
- Campus Life
- Athletics
- Cost & Aid
- News & Events
- About Plattsburgh
Feinberg Library 3rd-Floor Reading Room at 5 PM. Refreshments served. Open to the public. This Feinberg Library series features local writers giving readings of their works and leading conversations about poetry and fiction. Audience members will be invited to read from their own works in an Open Mic session at each event. Spring events TBA.
For more information, please contact:
Tim Hartnett, Associate Librarian
SUNY Plattsburgh / Feinberg Library
2 Draper Avenue, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Phone: (518) 564-5205
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
The release of the top 16 teams last Saturday provided an insightful glimpse into what the committee values in a team's resume.
The main component that stood out was the relationship between RPI top 16 and the committee's top 16. Thirteen of the 16 teams in the field were also top 16 in the RPI, but the committee made some West Virginia, Duke and UCLA noteworthy departures from RPI to include West Virginia, Duke and UCLA. Those three teams boast some impressive wins that vaulted them into the top 16 despite some less-than-stellar strength of schedule numbers. I like when the committee rewards teams for signature wins as opposed to gaudy records against relative mediocrity.
A strong message was sent to the Big Ten, as it was the only power conference to be shut out of the rankings. Conference leaders Wisconsin and Maryland simply do not have the quality wins necessary to match up with the rest of the country's top teams. Purdue has the benefit of wins over both Wisconsin and Maryland and a quality win over Northwestern but two ugly losses to Iowa and Nebraska. In this year's version of the Big Ten, Purdue has about as good of a win list as a team can compile within the conference.
This weekend features showdowns at the top of the Big 12 (Kansas and Baylor) and Big Ten (Maryland at Wisconsin) as well as the ever-enduring turmoil on the bubble. Be sure to follow @ScoutBrackets on Twitter for reaction to games with bracket implications.
Teams with projected automatic bids are listed with the conference in (parentheses)
|1. Villanova (Big East)
|1. Kansas (Big 12)
|16. Weber State (Big Sky) vs. North Carolina Central (MEAC)
|16. Texas Southern (SWAC) vs. UC Davis (Big West)
|8. Oklahoma State
|8. Minnesota
|9. Miami (Fl)
|9. Wichita State (Missouri Valley)
|5. Maryland
|5. Wisconsin (Big Ten)
|12. UT Arlington (Sun Belt)
|12. UNC Wilmington (CAA)
|4. West Virginia
|4. Kentucky
|13. Princeton (Ivy)
|13. Belmont (Ohio Valley)
|6. Xavier
|6. Notre Dame
|11. Michigan State
|11. Seton Hall vs. Illinois State
|3. Florida (SEC)
|3. Oregon
|14. Furman (Southern)
|14. Valparaiso (Horizon)
|7. Northwestern
|7. California
|10. Arkansas
|10. Michigan
|2. North Carolina (ACC)
|2. Florida State
|15. Cal State Bakersfield (WAC)
|15. Colorado State (MWC)
|1. Baylor
|1. Gonzaga (WCC)
|16. Liberty (Big South)
|16. New Orleans (Southland)
|8. Saint Mary's
|9. Dayton
|9. Iowa State
|5. Cincinnati
|5. Butler
|13. Middle Tennessee (CUSA)
|12. Akron (MAC)
|4. Virginia
|4. Purdue
|13. Vermont (America East)
|13. Monmouth (MAAC)
|6. Creighton
|6. South Carolina
|11. Syracuse
|11. TCU vs. Marquette
|3. Duke
|14. North Dakota State (Summit)
|14. Bucknell (Patriot)
|7. Virginia Commonwealth (Atlantic 10)
|10. Virginia Tech
|10. Kansas State
|2. Louisville
|2. Arizona (Pac-12)
|15. Florida Gulf Coast (Atlantic Sun)
|15. Mount St. Mary's (NEC)


text:
FlyAnglers OnLine
The fraternity of fly fishers
Sponsored by:
And Flyanglers like you!
Originally Posted by rainbowchaser
Those who wondered if it was true may know you better than you think they do.
lol. I guess I don't know myself as well as some folks.
Trout don't speak Latin.
Forum Rules


text:
Should I drop out of college and use the money to fund my business?
I am currently enrolled as a freshman at a university in Louisville. I have a business plan for a mall-based retail shop. There are two other investors; they would both put up approximately 25% each. I would put up 50%. (One would be a silent partner, while the other would be active.) If I were to put my studies on hold after the spring semester, the money from my educational fund, in addition to some money from a trust fund, would be enough to cover anticipated costs. When I've talked to business owners, the response has been mixed. Those who graduated from college say it's absolutely essential. Those who dropped out or didn't go say that a college diploma doesn't mean much when you're working for yourself. The other investors (one of whom graduated college, while the other dropped out of culinary school) say that because the business is my idea and I would be majority owner, it's up to me. However, the active partner has alluded to the fact that he wouldn't mind getting the business up and running as soon as possible...I could always return to school if the business failed. Opinions?


text:
- List your item for as low as $30 - Advertise your item in both print and online
Create your ad
Browse: See our comprehensive list of earthmoving equipment specifications.
Compare: Try the compare button to see multiple specs side-by-side
Enquire: Hit the enquire button to talk to a dealer about your selection
Ron Horner has found another old-school excavator classic, this time a 1968 Kato 750G.+MORE
HASTINGS DEERING USED EQUIPMENTArcherfield, QLD, 4108
Trade Safely. Use our anti-scam guide to protect yourself.
Sorry, map view is not available right now. Please search by seller location to enable map view.
2 used AS NEW Tru Turf Greens Roller and Spiker Operating hrs Machine 1- 118hrs and Machine 2- 121hrs
Model: RS48 11 E Specifications 6.5 HP Honda ULP Engine 2 x 12v LED Lights Spiker fitted Rubber coated, non-stick drive roller 1200mm wide working width Integrated heavy duty trailer $10,750 per unit.
Call Dave @ Vanderfield Toowoomba today to arrange an inspection.
The item you are attemping to add to compare is a different subtype to the items(s) in your list.
Only items of the same subtype may be compared.


text:
IIRC last year we talked about switching to a different method and just didn't get it together in time.

This sounds great to me, though I doocratically support the voting-stuff-makers doing it however they want.

If it was up to me we'd do it with a hacking skills triathalon ;) but I refuse to make a scoreboard because psychologists say scoring promotes competition...

R.

mediumreality.com

On Jan 14, 2012 12:15 AM, "Ben Kochie" <email@example.com> wrote:

 Yes, Approval voting seems reasonable for the offices and number of
 candidates we have.

 On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 08:28, jim <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote:
 >
 > +1
 >
 > On Thu, 2012-01-12 at 23:54 -0800, Leif Ryge wrote:
 >> For our upcoming Board of Directors election, I propose that we use
 >> approval voting[1] instead of the Schulze[2] condorcet[3] method which
 >> we used previously.
 >>
 >> Condorcet methods are designed to select the candidate most preferred
 >> by a majority of voters. Approval voting selects the candidate who is
 >> acceptable to the largest number of voters. I think the latter is more
 >> appropriate for Noisebridge.
 >>
 >> Paraphrasing wikipedia:
 >> > The Schulze method is a voting system that selects a single winner
 >> > using votes that express preferences. The method can also be used to
 >> > create a sorted list of winners. It is a Condorcet method, which
 >> > means the following: if there is a candidate who is preferred over
 >> > every other candidate in pairwise comparisons, then this candidate
 >> > will be the winner when the Schulze method is applied.
 >>
 >> > Approval voting is a single-winner voting system. The method can
 >> > also be used to create a sorted list of winners. Each voter may vote
 >> > for (or 'approve' of) as many of the candidates as the voter wishes.
 >> > The winner is the candidate receiving the most votes. Each voter may
 >> > vote for any combination of candidates and may give each candidate at
 >> > most one vote.
 >>
 >> It is worth noting that neither method is really meant for electing
 >> multiple winners, but either can be modified for that purpose. With
 >> approval voting, the multi-winner method is fairly obvious since the
 >> candidates can simply be ranked by how many votes they received. With
 >> condorcet methods such as Schulze, after a single winner is selected,
 >> to select each additional winner the counting process must be repeated
 >> ignoring votes for the previous winner(s).
 >>
 >> What are the downsides to approval voting? As far as I can tell (please
 >> correct me if I'm missing something!), they boil down to these two:
 >> 1) Sincere voters (those who honestly vote for every candidate who is
 >> acceptable to them) can help their more-preferred candidate lose to a
 >> less-preferred-but-acceptable candidate. (I think, in our case at least,
 >> that this is actually a feature.)
 >> 2) When strategic (insincere) voters' predictions of the outcome are
 >> incorrect, their strategy can fail. For example, imagine the USA were
 >> using approval voting in the 2004 presidential election. A voter who
 >> would prefer Dennis Kucinich over John Kerry (but would prefer either
 >> of them over George W. Bush) would logically cast votes of approval for
 >> both Kucinich and Kerry if they expected that only Bush and Kerry were
 >> "viable" candidates. However, if they mistakenly believed that Kerry
 >> and Kucinich were both viable and Bush was not, they might
 >> strategically withhold their vote for Kerry.
 >>
 >> What is the downside to condorcet voting? Simply put, using a condorcet
 >> method, a candidate who is unacceptable to 49% of voters yet preferred
 >> by 51% will beat a candidate who is acceptable to 100% of the voters.
 >>
 >> I hope that using approval voting (and encouraging sincere voting) we
 >> will have enough candidates with 100% approval to fill the board, and
 >> then we will have effectively consensed on an acceptable set of board
 >> members! If we have more than enough winning candidates, in lieu of a
 >> runoff election I suggest we could use a lottery and/or expand the size
 >> of the board.
 >>
 >> I'll be bringing this up for discussion at this week's meeting, and
 >> hopefully we can get consensus about it at the following meeting.
 >>
 >> ~leif
 >>
 >> 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approval_voting
 >> 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schulze_method
 >> 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condorcet_method
 >> _______________________________________________
 >> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
 >> firstname.lastname@example.com
 >> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
 >
 >
 > _______________________________________________
 > Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
 > firstname.lastname@example.com
 > https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
 _______________________________________________
 Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
 firstname.lastname@example.com
 https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss


text:
|© MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Prospect Gattis powers Braves03/08/2013 5:35 PM ET
By MiLB.com Staff / MILB.com
Afternoon Games
Braves (SS) 14, Astros 9 Box »
Evan Gattis (ATL No. 16): The Braves outfield prospect had a homer and a double as part of a three-hit, four-RBI day in Atlanta's 14-run attack. Gattis comes off a 2012 season in which he reached Double-A for the first time and hit 18 home runs across three stops.
Cardinals 16, Nationals 8 Box »
Nathan Karns (WAS No. 6): The Nationals righty had a bizarre stat line, allowing seven runs but just one earned while recording only two outs. An Anthony Rendon error started the inning, but Karns didn't help himself with a pair of walks and a grand slam served up to the Cards' Shane Robinson.
Tigers 3, Mets 2 Box »
Bruce Rondon (DET No. 2): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K, W
Blue Jays 7, Braves (SS) 1 Box »
Christian Bethancourt (ATL No. 2): 0-for-2, K
Rays 3, Phillies 2 Box »
Darin Ruf (PHI No. 16): 1-for-3
Marlins 6, Yankees 1 Box »
Christian Yelich (MIA No. 2): 0-for-3, RBI, BB
Night Games
Twins 2, Red Sox 0 Box »
Aaron Hicks (MIN No. 6): 1-for-3, 2B, R
Orioles 6, Pirates 3 Box »
Xavier Avery (BAL No. 7): 0-for-2, BB, 2 K


text:
Would You Ever Get An Eyebrow Transplant?
Like most people, I have a list of physical traits I really don't like about myself. I hesitate to use the word "hate," because that sounds so … I don't know — junior high, I guess, so I'll just say that I really don't like my receding chin, crooked fingers, thick hips and thin eyebrows (among other things). And while I can pretty much blame genetics for most of these shameful traits, I have only myself to blame for the state of my eyebrows. Back in college, they were much fuller, but then I started tweezing them with gusto (hey, it was the '90s!). More recently I started having them threaded on a regular basis and now they're thin, sparse lines that don't even trail to the corner of my eyes, but stop about halfway to where they should go. Still, I stop short (pun intended) at the idea of getting an eyebrow transplant. Yes, you read that right — an eyebrow transplant! The pricey (about $5,400) — and one would assume, painful — technique is one of the latest in a long list of beauty-enhancing procedures now available for those longing to turn back the clock or perfect what nature gave them. The Daily Mail reports that in recent years hair transplants have become far more sophisticated than the early days of plug-grafts, with one follicle transplanted at a time now, making it possible to replicate the natural angle of the eyebrow.
"During the latest procedures, a very thin strip of skin (6-7 cm long, and 4-5mm wide) is taken from the area of the scalp where the hair is softest. The surgeon then removes each hair from the piece of skin with a thin needle. Next, he makes up to 50 tiny incisions with a scalpel where the eyebrow should be, and, using a needle, inserts each hair follicle into the incisions. The results are not immediate: it takes two to three months for the new hair to grow through the skin, and up to six months for a well-defined eyebrow. The new brows need trimming about once a month as the hair continues to grow as it would on your head."
Ugh, no thanks. I think I'll stick to my brow pencil on special occasions and leave the transplant surgeries to those who are really insecure. Or just like pain (and have money to burn!). [via Daily Mail]


text:
Pawn Shop Circuit: Ladysmith
This revolver has almost anything a person could want in a carry gun. Top drawer reliability. The most effective caliber on record. Fixed sights. A non-wearing finish. A smooth trigger. The three inch barrel affords the carrier full extraction of empty cases, while minimizing the barrel to a concealable length. The round butt of the revolver means it is much less likely to print through clothing. For $299, it was a heck of a deal.
The only negative is the engraving of the Ladysmith script in the sideplate. On this revolver, it is actual engraving, and not easily removed. In the final analysis though, who cares if it is labeled ladysmith? It is one of the finest K frame carry revolvers ever produced by Smith & Wesson. It does have MIM lockwork, but it has no zit lock. A blue finish, recessed chambers and a pinned barrel would be the only way to improve on this gun. On a carry gun, even that is superfluous. Maybe a trip to Clark's for a meltdown.........
Labels: Pawn Shop Circuit


text:
- 20 total posts
- 1 review
- 19 comments
Reviews & Stories
Finally Did It - Arlington, TX
My experience was good. I got up at 5;00am for a 715 surgery. Checked in, saw my doctor, got anesthesia. The next thing I know, I am in recovery getting morphine. Three hours of surgery. I went from a 38H to..I don't know yet. Day two wasn't bad, i trouble with nasea, and threw up for the next five hours after surgery on day one. I had No drain tubes!! I am wrapped up tight until monday, I get... READ MORE
Recent comments from Texas71
I had my surgery one month ago today, and I have been healing really well. The breast are still hard, the nipples are sensitive, which is good, and I am almost able to sleep on my stomach. Good luck in your recovery. READ COMMENT
I am glad you are doing well. I just completed one month, and I still have a little soreness, but not much. Your healing shouldn't be that bad because I had the glue and no strips also. Not having to worry about stitches on the outside... READ COMMENT
I'm in law enforcement so I plan to take it easy the first week back and then get back in my regular routine...I'm feeling confident at this point. Ive seem some go back in 3 weeks and others 6-7 weeks. Thanks for the info. READ COMMENT
Thanks Nat. READ COMMENT
I'm good. I posted an update yesterday. Things are going well. Can't decide when to go back to work ! READ COMMENT


text:
Click HERE for the 2017 Annual Meeting Details
Click HERE for the 60th Anniversary Celebration & Campaigns
The Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality has a Grants-in-Aid Program that provides up to $1,000 (per grant) to support scientific sexuality research in areas not likely to receive support from other sources. The money may be used for either a small project that can be completed with the help of the grant or as part of a larger study to complete the funding provided by other sources.
FSSS especially encourages proposals involving:
· uniquely timely research opportunities;
· new investigators;
· volunteer research teams;
· actual, not pilot projects.
COMPETITION IS OPEN TO ALL PROFESSIONALS CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON HUMAN SEXUALITY. Grants will not normally be made to students for class projects, thesis or dissertation research. Student Research Grant Awards, funded by FSSS, are already available through SSSS. Proposals may be submitted at any time during the year and we aim for a 30 day turn around. Proposals that are timely or event oriented may be supported at any time, at the discretion of the granting committee.
Funds may be used for any purpose relevant to the conducting of the research. Funds will not normally be provided for travel to conventions, stipends for principal investigators, or manuscript preparation. Grants do not cover indirect costs.
FSSS Grants-in-Aid Program
Instructions and Application: http://fsssonline.org/grant-instructions/
Site Map | Contact Us
© 2010 Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
In addition to voting rights in the Society, participation in regional activities, and reduced conference fees, members receive:
a scientific quarterly
synthesizing recent theoretical and research advances
an online newsletter which includes information on conferences, training opportunities, job announcements and more
an online yearly directory of the membership and other information about SSSS


text:
Just when I thought I had the shea butter all figured out, I read this on a trusted supplier's website:
Please note: Recently we have become aware that other vendors are suggesting you heat shea butter to 170 degrees F for a period of 45 minutes to prevent graininess. This can be very damaging to the shea butter and will drastically reduce the shelf life as well. Worst of all, it will not work! Shea butter will become grainy, or fractionate, with the addition of heat. Body temperature alone will start this reaction.
Yes, that's exactly what I had heard would work, and exactly what I had tried last time I made Lip Butter, as well as the last batch of Whipped Shea Butter. And it worked! No more grainy Lip Butter! However, it appears that I have "drastically reduced the shelf life." *sigh* I'm not sure how drastically it's been reduced. I do add vitamin E to both the Lip Butter and Whipped Shea Butter products. Vitamin E is not a preservative, but it is an antioxidant known to extend the shelf life of oils and butters.
Now you are wondering – if the "heat and hold method" isn't the answer, what is? Well, let me just tell you! This particular supplier offers a nice, refined "high melt point" shea butter. It costs exactly three times as much as the unrefined shea butter I've been using. Did I buy it? You bet I did!
Unfortunately, there will be some price raising on the Whipped Shea Butters since they are made with a little more than 80% shea butter. But I've heard my prices are too low anyway, so hopefully it won't affect sales too much. Especially once my customers get a chance to try it!
The refined shea butter has no odor whatsoever. I can add scent to it without trying to mask the scent of the natural shea (which I think smells rather pleasant, but others may disagree!). And an added bonus is that the texture is even fluffier than before!
It took a couple of tries to get it this way, but it did finally work! The supplier's website threw me off a bit because they suggested that one method for quick cooling the shea butter was to use the refrigerator. Wrong! After my ingredients were just melted, I put them in the refrigerator. After it had set up, I pulled it out and let it get back to room temperature, but it was grainy. So I re-melted the whole business and then put my KitchenAid bowl in an ice bath like I did last time, using short bursts with my hand-held mixer until it was thick enough to put on the KitchenAid stand and whip it good.
Here's my pyrex cup full of unscented Whipped Shea Butter. I'll try to get this packaged and make more soon (since I'm down to ONE last jar of Vanilla Hazelnut made from the unrefined shea!):
It's very white and creamy like vanilla icing, only without the vanilla scent. Same color and texture – exactly.
So is this new information to anyone else, or just me? Anyone else having issues with their shea butter?


text: Hello everyone. I'm not actually an Audi owner at the moment, I'm a VW enthusiast. Currently I have two cars, a Polo G40 which is practically an empty shell in my garage at the moment as I'm preparing it for use as a track day car. I also have a 1991 Polo Saloon which is my workhorse-runabout car. I hope to replace the Polo saloon in the next couple of months with an Audi 80 Sport to use daily. I'll probably be on here from time to time for info on buying them & best places to get parts etc.... My name is Paul & I live near Rochdale oop north in the UK.


text:
There is an optional case for Leica D-LUX 4, which can be purchased separately either in black or brown. Before I pulled the trigger on the Leica, I had no idea how the case actually worked. There was hardly any pics available of the case open.
I must say I'm more than happy with the case. It's absolutely beautiful, protects the camera well and it's very easy to open and close. Well worth the money. Here's a few pics of it.
Black or brown? Looking at vintage Leica's, the case used to be always brown, so that was an easy decision.
2 comments
Trackback link: http://www.suomalaiset.de/blog/wp-trackback.php?p=89
Will the d-lux 4, when attached to the hand grip, fit inside this case?


text:
The Planning System
The purpose of the planning system is to maintain a consistent approach to development. This is done through a series of local and national policies.
Planning involves making decisions about the future of our cities, towns and countryside. This is vital to balance our desire to develop the areas where we live and work with ensuring the surrounding environment isn't negatively affected. It includes considering the sustainable needs of future communities.
The planning system regulates the development and use of land in the public interest. It seeks to balance the need for new homes, factories, schools and other facilities with our need to protect and improve the environment.
The system is not designed to protect the interests of one person or group over others. Within the framework of legislation approved by Parliament, people have a reasonable degree of freedom to alter their property.
Controls safeguard the character and amenity of local areas for the benefit of the public as a whole. Planning permission should normally be granted, unless it is contrary to the development plan or the proposal causes demonstrable harm to interests of acknowledged planning importance.
The Lewes District Development Plan
The Development Plan for Lewes District currently consists of a number of the policies from the Local Plan (2003) that are considered to be in conformity with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). In terms of which policies these are, see:
- Consistency with NPPF
- File type: PDF
- File size: 0.65mb
The District Council has prepared and adopted a new Local Plan. This Local Plan will be in two parts. Part 1 of the Local Plan (also known as the Joint Core Strategy) has been prepared in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) and sets out the strategic level planning policies for the district. The Joint Core Strategy has been adopted by both the District Council and SDNPA and now forms part of the development plan for the district, see Core Strategy. The JCS carries forward a number of 'saved' policies from the 2003 Lewes District Local Plan which will be reviewed through Local Plan Part 2. Part 2 is in the early stages of preparation. See Site Allocations and Development Management Policies DPD for further information.
Also forming part of the Development Plan for the district are any neighbourhood plans that have been 'made' (adopted). To see which plans have been 'made', as well as the stage emerging neighbourhood plans have reached, see Neighbourhood Planning
The development plan sets out the rules for consideration of individual planning applications, what we plan to do with land in the district, details what types of development will and will not be permitted, and how we will control development. This provides the basis for rational and consistent planning decisions and guides most of our day-to-day decisions. It also allocates land for various types of new development.
Generally, applications for planning permission should be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Applications which do not accord with the plan should not be allowed unless material considerations justify granting a permission.
Planning Authorities
The planning system involves a range of organisations who each have a level of responsibility of development in a given area. A hierarchical system operates amongst the planning system. The Secretary of State sets national planning policies and guidance. In Lewes District the District Council and National Park Authority prepare Local Plans. Town and Parish Councils have an opportunity to prepare their own Neighbourhood Plans and have a consultee role when it comes to the preparation of Local Plans and the consideration of planning applications in their area.
The Secretary of State
Considerable power rests with the Secretary of State. Their key functions are to participate in preparation of European planning policy directives, prepare and publish national planning policy and keep it under review and put new planning legislation before Parliament.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
East Sussex County Council
East Sussex County Council prepare plans for minerals and waste development and handle all planning applications related to them. They handle planning applications for their own operational development of schools, roads, fire stations, libraries and other services. We are a consultee during this process.
East Sussex County Council - Planning
Lewes District Council
We focus on the local planning level, applying relevant national policies to Lewes District.
We also provide a detailed framework for the consideration of planning applications. This gives local businesses, public services and the general public with a basis for long term planning. We bring planning issues before the public and give them the opportunity to shape planning policy.
The majority of planning applications are determined by us as the Local Planning Authority. These can include house extensions up to major commercial and industrial developments.
Our Code is incorporated in the Council's Constitution, for Councillors and Officers involved in operating the planning system. This sets out the arrangements for probity and propriety in handling planning matters and the:
- Scheme of Delegation
- File type: PDF
- File size: 0.220mb
South Downs National Park Authority
On 1 April 2011, The South Downs National Park Authority became the planning authority for part of the district. We have delegated powers to determine applications on their behalf. The Park Authority may call-in some applications and make the final decision in some instances.
South Downs National Park Authority
Town and Parish Councils
Town and Parish Councils are consultees, indicating views to the District and County Councils, rather than making planning decisions themselves. There is a statutory right for Town and Parish Councils to be informed by local planning authorities of planning applications in their area, so they can comment on the proposal.
Town and Parish Councils are consultees on draft planning policies affecting their areas, and many of them are active in local conservation and enhancement works.
Planning Inspectorate
The Planning Inspectorate determine most planning appeals and make recommendations on others. They also run inquiries and examinations on Development Plans, Compulsory Purchase Orders and Footpath Diversions.
Building Regulations
Building Regulations approval is a separate matter from obtaining planning permission for your work. This applies to building work in England & Wales and set standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the safety and health for people in or around those buildings.
They also include requirements to ensure that fuel and power is conserved and facilities are provided for people, including those with disabilities, to access and move around inside buildings.
Further Information
Useful information on how the planning system operates, what the up to date position is with regards to national policy and guidance, can be found at;
Planning Portal: www.planningportal.gov.uk
Planning Advisory Service: www.pas.gov.uk


text:
prostrate yourselves, then, before the Most High, and secure his favor by the practice of every virtue.
prostrate before Emmanuel's throne, they repeated their confession.
prostrate between two rocks lying across the path, her wild flight came to an end.
prostrate before the King, he seemingly lived but for his smile.
prostrate she lay, the blood stream pouring over the real lord of this harem.
prostrate she fell on the floor; but hearing a waiter say, 'Up stairs, madam, you may have a room to yourself.'
Procumbent or prostrate, lying flat on the ground from the first.
prostrate the Slave Oligarchy, and the door will be open to all generous principles.
prostrate herbs, with whorled leaves and small whitish axillary flowers without petals, in summer.
prostrate upon my knees I daily prayed for deliverance; but my prayers were not heard.
mid-14c., "lying face-down" (in submission, worship, etc.), from Latin prostratus, past participle of prosternere "strew in front, throw down," from pro- "forth" (see pro-) + sternere "to spread out," from PIE root *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (see structure (n.)). Figurative use from 1590s. General sense of "laid out, knocked flat" is from 1670s.
early 15c., prostraten, "prostrate oneself," from prostrate (adj.). Related: Prostrated; prostrating.
early 15c., prostraten, "prostrate oneself," from prostrate (adj.). Related: Prostrated; prostrating.


text:
Mother takes on Defence over teen's suicide
Page Tools
Air force cadet Eleanore Tibble
Photo: Supplied
The case of a teenage air cadet who committed suicide believing she faced a dishonourable discharge has become a test of federal-state anti-discrimination powers.
The Tasmanian Government yesterday said it would intervene in the case to back Eleanore Tibble's mother, Susan Campbell.
Mrs Campbell is trying to take the Defence Department to the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, which the Commonwealth agency has refused to recognise.
High-profile pro bono backing from three barristers has been offered to her, forming a legal team that will take the case to the High Court if necessary.
In 2000, at the age of 15, Eleanore killed herself at her mother's home outside Hobart when she was forced to stand down from the Air Cadet Corps after it was revealed that she had a relationship with a 30-year-old instructor.
The Defence Department said in a statement that Eleanor had committed suicide believing she was to be dismissed.
Two weeks earlier, air force headquarters had directed that she was to be retained, but this direction was not carried out.
The service's then chief, Air Marshal Angus Houston, last year offered a written and personal apology to Mrs Campbell at a Senate hearing, which she accepted.
But Mrs Campbell is still pursuing the case on behalf of her daughter. For the past four years she has tried to take the Defence Department to the state tribunal, claiming it failed to protect Eleanore's welfare.
The Commonwealth has applied to the Federal Court for an injunction against the tribunal, arguing that it does not have the right to hear the case.
Tasmania claims to have the nation's strongest anti-discrimination legislation.
The state Attorney-General, Judy Jackson, said the case raised important constitutional issues about the legislation's scope, and the State Government wanted to do whatever it could to ease the burden on Mrs Campbell.
"The state will have a role to play as an intervener in these proceedings should any constitutional argument be raised by the Commonwealth in the Federal Court," Ms Jackson said.
Mrs Campbell's solicitor, Gayle Johnston, has also foreshadowed pursuing the case in the High Court if necessary, having been offered help by Hobart Queen's counsel Stephen Estcourt, federal Labor MP Duncan Kerr, SC, and the lawyer and commentator Greg Barns. Their offer came after she said she may have to sell her house to take on the Commonwealth.
"This certainly is some light on the horizon for me," Mrs Campbell said yesterday. "For four years I have been battling on my own in this case. It's a burden I can do without."
Those needing assistance can reach Suicide Helpline Victoria on 1300 651 251, Lifeline on 131 114 (both 24-hour lines), SANE on 1800 688 382 or Kids Help Line on 1800 551 800.
Get The Age home delivered for as little as $2.70 a week*


text:
The CP-A100 offers networking capability, allowing multiple projectors to be controlled and monitored from a single location.
The CP-A100 can project a 60-inch image from 1.6 feet. This not only prevents image obstruction, but also means there are no shadows interfering with the image and no light in the presenter's face.
The CP-A100 can be placed vertically as well as horizontally, as well as inverted for ceiling mount applications, making positioning of the projector more flexible.
- Wireless broadband developments in Southeast Asia markets
As of 2013, the 10 ASEAN nations had a total of over 700 million mobile subscriptions, with the CAGR from 2003-2013 reaching 24%. This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the various mobile broadband markets in ASEAN and looks at the respective trends in 4G LTE development for those markets.
- 2015 global tablet demand forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report provides a 2015 forecast for the global tablet market and analyzes the strategies of key market players such as Google, Apple, Intel, and Microsoft.
- 2015 China smartphone panel trend forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the strategies of key China-based major panel makers BOE, Tianma and IVO for attacking the different market segments through technology and pricing, and their relationship to local vendors Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE, Xiaomi and Coolpad.


text:
Saturday, April 3, 2010
#72 Guest Pastors
2 comments:
- Paul Wilkinson (Thinking Out Loud) said...
I grew up in Toronto, Canada and attended The Peoples Church at a time when it was really Canada's only true 'mega-church.'
The pastor at the time, Paul B. Smith, had a policy: "When you're away, you should always replace yourself with someone who is better than yourself."
He was serious. There was never a dull moment around Peoples and we got to hear some amazing speakers.
- April 10, 2010 at 4:33 PM
- KIM said...
After church shopping at many services only to be told, "you've GOT to come back next week and here it when the REAL guy's preaching," I so appreciate the church I've now found: the pastor is away more often than any other church I've ever been at, yet nothing ever stops when he is. Someone else preaches (sometimes someone else preaches even when he's -- gasp! -- there), but there's no to-do about it. Amazing, hey?
- April 13, 2010 at 9:23 AM


text:
All searches on our website are performed based on selected locations by user (you). Currently, you are searching in the following locations:
Search by region: All
Search by state: All
Search by city: All
Looking for a best deal online on musical instruments, then look no further. In our Musical Instruments section you will find a variety of new and pre-owned CDs, equipment, instruments and other music related products. Buy or sell any music equipment and musical instruments on our site and pay no commission on sale. Either it is pre-owned or brand new musical instrument, or music equipment that you are looking for, you can find and buy it here. Buy or sell pre-owned and new music related products here. If you have any music items, CDs new or used, that you wish to sell online then list them here in the Musical Instruments category for sale and make quick cash easy and fast.
Copyright © 2017 OfferByU.com | All Rights Reserved.


text:
Artists are magicians in their own right for making something from nothing, for infusing the everyday mundane tools and objects with poetic meaning and creating a whole new experience from it. In the holiday season, with a good part of society taking part in excess shopping, people are becoming increasingly conscious of what we discard. Our relationship to the accumulation of stuff and the level of waste humans produce seems to be collectively shifting. The artists whose work is shared here: David Ellis, Vik Muniz, Gabriel Kuri, Song Dong, Tim Noble and Sue Webster demonstrate the way individual artistic voices arise from this consciousness and the beautiful and often magical work that is informed by our accumulated or discarded stuff.
Time Noble and Sue Webster are masters in the art of transformation. As demonstrated here, the collaborative artist pair tend to work in scraps of wood that have been thrown away and use the element of light as a critical component in the rendering of their imagery. The presence of light as the catalyst for the tableau to unfold theoretically sheds light on a sort of "eye of the beholder" thematic. "The process of transformation, from discarded waste, scrap metal or even taxidermy creatures to a recognizable image, echoes the idea of 'perceptual psychology' a form of evaluation used for psychological patients," explains the pair's artist statement. Using the detritus of life as an artistic Rorschach test seemingly on themselves, Noble and Webster's work yields captivating results.
The work of David Ellis when seen in photographs may just look like a regular old pile of garbage, but witnessing this kinetic work in action quickly reveals its genius. Ellis is a highly diverse artist with work ranging from street art to painted installations- all of it being highly dynamic and with a clear vision. His works referred to as "Trash Talk," entitled with a delicious double entendre, moves and makes rhythmic beats, reminiscent of Stomp, or street musicians. His work is best viewed in video format to properly witness the sound and movement.
Vik Muniz immersed himself in the world of garbage- literally. His photographs in the series titled "Pictures of Garbage"explore on many levels the lives of catadores- pickers of recyclable garbage- in the world's largest landfill outside Rio de Janeiro. Muniz worked with conviction and compassion on this project which deeply involved the catadores whose lives are spent entirely amidst the rubble of the world's refuse. By photographing his subjects, then enlisting the help of the catadores to recreate the image from an ariel view using the wasted objects they interact with on a daily basis, Muniz captured his subjects on both an individual and collective level. The photographic works were sold for an incredibly high price, and the Muniz gave the money back to the people that participated in the work. The whole project culminated in a documentary entitled Wasteland, which won multiple awards and accolades, telling the story of Muniz's journey and shedding light onto the inspiring people he worked with.
Gabriel Kuri uses discardable objects as a sort of consumeristic paper trail, albeit in a poetic and minimalistic sensibility. Often incorporating receipts from absurdly mundane purchases and objects like drug store cosmetics, Kuri renders his work in clean contemporary lines and presentation- elevating his everyday purchase paper trail to a reverential high art status. The receipts are often rendered into woven tapestries. Historically, personally woven tapestries have been objects possessed only by higher class aristocratic peoples, therefore the everyday inexpensive purchase that Kuri selects for transcription on his receipt tapestries bears a subversive subtext. Also fascinating is the architectural simplicity to Kuri's granite slab pieces. Using the slabs as shelves for cheap mass produced objects imbeds a certain irony and idiosyncrasy into otherwise minimalist stone sculpture.
The work "Waste Not" by Song Dong enlists a more personal level of attachment to objects. This huge installation which I experienced at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and was also installed on the mezzanine of the MOMA. The installation includes all of the objects that Song Dong's mother collected over the years, accumulating and nearly hoarding due to her family's experience with poverty earlier in her life. The household possessions are organized and lovingly laid out in a grid formation around the hut-like structure in a manner that seems to individually present each object and categorization of objects up for the viewers consideration. The installation was structured in such a way that a path was carved out amidst all the shoes, cooking utensils, yarns, etc, that guided your experience of the things Song Dong's mother clung to throughout the years.


text:
Feature requests etc.
View Single Post
Posts: 724
Karma: 72743
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Here or there
Device: iRex iLiad, iRex DR800S, K4NT. Now a Kobo Aura and a Aura One.
Originally Posted by
After going through the requests in this post, I would say that most of them are implemented by now in a very satisfactory way through Mackx's hack of the rc3 update and his port of Xournal for instance. Of course for some (most?) users, that is probably a bit late. In addition, there is the for me crucial djvuplugin by luite and FBreader can read most of the other formats. Same thing on the DR800 with Iñigo's hacks and ports.
Oh, perfect!... where is our paycheck from IREX? Oh, better not to ask
Well, in fact it was Mackx who started all, he launched the first ideas I took to develop DR800+, and IREX people helped too.
Btw, I have some ideas for future versions of DR800+ but I have no free time these days, I'm spending all of it on developing an ebook manager ;-) </end_of_autopromotion>.
Originally Posted by
Imagine being able to check mail on the train on the DR800 ...
Well, some time ago I was thinking on this, but I finally bought an android phone (a Nexus One if you are curious), much better screen type for internet use. I have to always carry a phone anyway.
A feature I miss is to be able to prepare some file on the computer (url, ebook, pdf file with RSS feeds...) and send it automatically to the DR by wireless, something like [1] and [2] for android phones or those popular internet-based storage services.
EDIT later: I also find lacking the way to manage new files on the DR.
Imagine the above scenary: I sync some new file to an INBOX folder on the DR, then I have a application in the DR which lets me to move to any folder on the SD card or create a Shortcut (this is the way I use to "mark" those files as "to-read-first").
What I do now is to send to a special folder on my computer that it's sync-ed manually (with rsync command) when I connnect the DR800 with USB.... but I need to connect with a cable...
Except fot this (and a DR800 specific UDS program which could allow to customize completely the icons/actions) I find that the DR800 is still the best ereader out there.
Originally Posted by
With usbnet and the terminal emulator ported, the often requested feature to be able to use the DR's as a wacom tablet for the PC also seems within reach.
There are previous similar work for the iLiad, I think it shouldn't be too dificult to translate it to DRxxx devices.
Last edited by Iñigo; 01-22-2011 at
View Public Profile
Find More Posts by Iñigo
Track Posts by Iñigo via RSS


text:
An autopsy and forensic tests have identified the badly decomposed remains found late last week along the Jordan River as those of a Draper man.
Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said Tuesday that the State Medical Examiner's Office was still trying to determine the cause of death for 40-year-old Justin C. Huntsman of Draper.
"However, we can say we do not now believe homicide was a factor," he added, but declined to discuss specifically if investigators suspect the death may have been accidental or self-inflicted.
"That's still all part of the investigation," he said.
Huntsman, who has no known connection to the family of industrialist Jon Huntsman Sr., was found in thick brush and trees last Friday along the Jordan River and a dirt access road near 700 West and 9000 South, Hoyal said.
He had been reported missing to Draper police on June 30.
The decomposition indicated the body had been in the area at least a couple or more weeks, and was such that detectives could not immediately determine age, race or gender.
Twitter: @remims


text:
By the Council's 25th session, when the Trent Fathers finally got around to the subject of Purgatory, they must have feeling tired and grouchy. After affirming that such a state exists, and that "the suffrages of the faithful" and "the acceptable sacrifice of the altar" work to detainees' benefit, they drew a veil. "The more [Read More…]
Purgatory-Schmurgatory, As Long As You're Hopeful
November 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment