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The iPhone 5c Reviewby Anand Lal Shimpi on 9/17/2013 9:01 PM EST
- Posted in
- Apple
- Smartphones
- Mobile
- iphone
- iPhone 5C
69 Comments
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t_yamamoto - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkI think you guys may have gotten the pricing wrong, as the 5c is supposed to be 100 dollars cheaper than the 5s. Reply
Ryan Smith - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkEep. Good catch. Thank you. Reply
MatthiasP - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkIf your plan all along was to buy an iPhone 5 then you should go and get it as long as you can, it is cheaper, lighter and has the way more premium design. Reply
blanarahul - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkThat was really quick!!
"Personally I'd prefer the iPhone 5s simply because of its more modern platform, even if I were recommending a device for someone else not as concerned with performance."
Apple built the iPhone 5c for this exact reason!! More profits if customers buy 5S!! Reply
Death666Angel - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkAre the prices of the 5s inflated compared to previous years smartphone launches? I remember them being the same, so your argument makes no sense. Reply
Hrel - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - link5s likely has higher margins than the 5c. I think that's where he was going, but he's still wrong. Reply
Crono - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkWow, back-to-back reviews.
The 5c isn't likely to appeal to as many AT readers as the general public, but it's good to see the comparison versus other devices so I know whether to recommend it or not to friends and family who "must" get an Apple device.
Appreciate the hard work, Anand. :) Reply
BreakingBones - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkWow, looking at these numbers, Intel must be worried. Their window of opportunity is closing quick. Next year, the A8 might even surpass any Atom upgrade Intel plans to put out. Intel would have needed a few years of performance lead for developers to migrate all the native GL game code over to x86. Now, with the 64-bit Arm, they're likely gonna say it's wasted effort to port over to x86. Reply
teiglin - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkNot sure I see the comparison. Certainly the A7 is impressive compared to Bay Trail but is Apple really going to start selling their silicon to other OEMs or even enterprise customers? I see the competition for Bay Trail as MSM8974, Cortex A57, or Kabini in the tablet space.
As for next year, it seems a bit premature to judge. We know very little about Airmont and even less about the CPUs that will be in Apple's A8, and it'd take quite a shift from Apple to really place them as competitors (some unholy combination of iPad and Macbook Airs maybe?). Reply
smartypnt4 - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkThis. Intel announced its first real push into mobile devices last week, and Apple can merely match their performance on the CPU side. The GPU side of things is easily fixed by them in the future, as they just need to see their mistake, recognize it, and correct their course. Stamp out some more EUs on Airmont (3x what Bay Trail has, so 12 total), while using the updated architecture found in either Haswell or Broadwell, and they'd be fine for next year. That's assuming that the CPU side holds up. Since it's Intel, I'd say that's a safe bet. Reply
michael2k - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkAnd you think this is an okay situation, where Apple, not known for being a CPU powerhouse, can match Intel now for the past 3 years since they started designing their own CPUs? And of course, that anything Intel can do to beef up their GPU, Apple can too?
Saying that Intel's CPU side 'holds up' means there's no advantage to actually using Bay Trail or Airmont since both Apple and Qualcomm can be expected to match Intel for the next year or so. The A7 is only on 28nm and can still proceed to 24nm or 20nm in the next year. Reply
tdawg - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkApple SoC's only matter in Apple hardware, since they're not furnishing SoC's for Samsung, HTC, etc. For those that choose to live outside the Apple ecosystem, their SoC ultimately doesn't matter apart from driving others to create competitive options for non-Apple devices. Reply
michael2k - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkThe point still stands; next quarter Qualcomm or Samsung will have something that matches the A7, and those two directly compete with Intel. If Apple can do it, so can ARM, Samsung, or Qualcomm. Reply
Impulses - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkAnd so can Intel, who's (finally) moving Atom to a faster update cycle of tick/tocks a-la-iCore and who has access to smaller nodes and better fabs than any of the competition. They're not exactly in trouble, they're just not clearly in the lead like they've managed to be in the PC over the last few years. That's not exactly a bad thing for the consumer either... Reply
michael2k - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkOf course it's not bad for the consumer, it's just a bad place for Intel. They can fend off one AMD, but can they deal with six of them? Ironically enough, they are in the same market position as Apple, peddling expensive and premium parts in a market dominated by lower cost options. The difference being that Apple isn't late to the market and happens to have a sizable portion of the market with only one real competitor, Samsung. Intel is late (rather, they didn't invest in Atom for six years), a tiny fraction of the market (Apple at least has 13%) and Intel has competitors in AMD, Rockchip, Mediatek, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Samsung, and even Apple since Apple can decide to buy vs build; the iPhone really only has competition in the premium space from Samsung. Reply
Impulses - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkI don't know about Apple only having one competitor in the premium space... It's more like Apple only having one real competitor in the PR war zone for consumer mindshare... :P I'm surprised Samsung hasn't been more reliant on their own designs, if Qualcomm can screw up one or two generations and then dominate the next two I think Intel still has more than a fighting chance. I'd be worried if I was NV tho... Reply
michael2k - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkYet if you look at industry profits, Samsung is the only one making more than 4% of the profit. None of the others make even that much.
If Qualcomm screws up, guess how many others happen to have ARM products? TI, NVIDIA, Samsung, and even AMD. Intel can't win just because Qualcomm screws up.
Likewise, if Qualcomm screws up it gives Apple an opening to sell more smartphones because none of the others are close to Apple in terms of performance except, as previously mentioned, Samsung. Reply
Impulses - Sunday, September 22, 2013 - linkThe Qualcomm reference was in regards to the last couple of years rather than what could potentially happen btw (they fell behind after the original Snapdragon, NV and others got lots of design wins for a while, then Qualcomm came back with a vengeance over the last two generations of phones). Doesn't change either argument much tho. Altho I'd argue smartphone performance is reaching that plateau PCs reached a few years ago where it's good for most, tablets on the other hand... Reply
ClockworkPirate - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkDoesn't x86 already have DX, OpenGL, etc? Those should still apply to SoC graphics, no? Reply
smartypnt4 - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkIt does. There's still some work Intel needs to do on how Bay Trail works with Dalvik in terms of performance, but other than that, they're good to go with most every app out there. Reply
bootareen - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkIs it possible to determine who manufactured the screen? I find it ironic the 5c has the best screen of any Retina device. Reply
Ryan Smith - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkAt the moment, not without taking it apart (which we can't do). A jailbreak could change that though. Reply
Death666Angel - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkOut of the handful of devices tested by Anandtech. Doesn't mean squat, really. :) Reply
ltcommanderdata - Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - linkBased on how close the battery life numbers of the 5c turned out to the iPhone 5 it looks like Apple kept the A6 at 32nm and didn't shrink it to 28nm. Reply
melgross - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkI expect that to happen next year. Reply
Death666Angel - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkIf they keep the A6 around for another year, that would be a huge disappointment. Reply
michael2k - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkWhy? The 2010 A4 was sold up until September 2013. The A6 isn't even a year old! Reply
pankajparikh - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkDoes the new iPhone support LTE in India? Based on your review it looks like it doesn't- please confirm? Reply
dishayu - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkBoth 5c and 5s support TDD Band 40, which is what Reliance-Jio and Airtel are coming up with. And Videocon as well FDD Band 3. So short answer : Yes. Reply
breja - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkbenchmarks are great but Apple has a lower resolution = better results! Reply
Dentons - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkI do find it a bit hypocritical that when Samsung releases a plastic phone, Anand and Brian tear it to shreds for the plastic casing. When Apple releases a plastic phone, it's a point that's barely mentioned and never mentioned negatively.
Frankly, unless a phone's casing adversely impacts its functionality, it has no bearing on whether I, and I suspect many others will buy it. For many, actual functionality is far more important than aesthetics.
Apple's phones are all missing core functionality that exists in every Samsung product and products from many other vendors. Key among these missing features are removable batteries and expandable memory. In this review, Apple doesn't receive a ding for either of those shortcomings.
One might say the industry has become so inured to Apple's lack of removable batteries and expandable memory that it would almost be sacrilege to mention those shortcomings. In truth, Apple's refusal to provide those features is a far more legitimate critique than the continual knocking of Samsung for its plastic casings.
A metal case on a phone is little different to leather seats in a car. Both look nice, but have reduced functionality as compared to their less costly counterparts. Quite unlike the clear cut functional shortcoming of this phone. No, Apple will never add these features, but their stubborn refusal to deliver them doesn't deserve a free pass from reviewers.
One imagines that for most readers here, smart phones are far more computing devices than fashion accessories. Yet that fact seems conspicuously lost on Anand and Brian. Reply
KoolAidMan1 - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkPlastic isn't the main problem, build quality is.
Nobody would ever ding Nokia for their plastic construction. The Lumia is built like a tank. I haven't gotten my hands on a 5C but by all accounts it is also solid.
The GS3 and GS4 are probably the worst constructed high end smartphones right now. Any drop test on Youtube shows both of them to be very flimsy compared to phones by Nokia or Apple.
Samsung has gimmick features to fill up bulletpoints but they consistently miss the mark on construction, component quality, and usability (TouchWiz is still godawful). Apple, Nokia, and HTC don't get marked down on materials and build quality because they actually make good hardware.
As for things like battery life, a non-replaceable iPhone 5C battery with nearly double the LTE browse time of a GS4 with a replaceable battery is good, no? Why carry spare batteries when you don't need any at all? That's as practical an advantage as I can think of.
I guess marketing is why Samsung has so many defenders. The high end Galaxy devices are so obviously second rate when put next to other comparably priced phones. Reply
Dentons - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkYou clearly haven't used the Galaxy Note II. There's nothing at all flimsy about its casing. It doesn't flex, it doesn't twist. It's as solid as they get. You're basing your analysis on YouTube drop tests? Truly? I've dropped mine onto pavement more times than I'd like. Not a scratch on it.
My anecdotal evidence means as much as yours. Unless drop tests are repeated many times in lab environments, they are purely anecdotal, a matter of luck as much as anything else.
You conveniently forget that the fronts of all these phones are made of a nearly identical type of glass. Even Gorilla glass can shatter from a 1 meter drop onto pavement. The luck of the drop can as easily destroy the screen of an Apple phone as any other.
Samsung's rear plastic casing is inexpensive and user replaceable. If it does happen to crack, it's a $5 part the user can easily snap into place. If the case of this Apple phone is cracked, it requires a trip to the service center with a cost at least 20 time greater, perhaps a lot more.
What's more interesting than Samsung's defenders are those who blindly ignore Apple's decision to leave out much desired features like spare batteries and microSD expansion.
Why give Apple a free pass on the lack of actual features that customers desire, while hammering Samsung on something as trivial as perceived, slightly lesser quality plastic. In fact, many would strongly argue that Samsung's latest plastic cases are every bit the quality of those made by Nokia and Apple. Reply
Impulses - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkMeh, personally I've learned to live without a removable battery (USB battery packs are actually preferable at times) and I'm even adjusting to the lack of removable media as it's something my next phone probably won't have (been using USB OTG and DB/Drive more, ordered an OTG mSD reader too)...
Editorially speaking tho, it's plainly obvious to any enthusiast that those two things aren't available here or even in most competing models outside of Samsung's, what more is there to say about it? It's not like there's a final review score they should be taking points off over this or something... It's pretty much a deal with it kind of situation.
As far as the build goes... I think build quality is one thing and finish and on hand feel are another. The former is harder to judge without disassembly and/or drop tests (and those are hard to replicate even if they had the budget for it)... There's no doubt that unibody phones would probably do better regardless of the material used tho.
Finish and feel are easier to judge since it's subjective, this is where I'd agree that they gave the 5c a big pass. It might feel solid and well put together,but it's still glossy smudgeprone plastic that feels cheaper than a variety of other possible finishes (and it's such a small thing to tweak... I'd think). The word glossy was used once in the article during a passing mention of the finish without dwelling on anyone who's done plastic/polycarb phones with a more preferable outside treatment (Nokia, HTC, Moto). Reply
ESC2000 - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - link"It's kind of a deal with it situation" is a copout. As far as the removable back/battery goes, I don't think it is a huge deal, but the lack of expandable storage is apparently purely a ploy to get you to either use their cloud services, buy a higher GB model (big ripoff for the memory upgrades on the new iPhone), or have to buy a next gen model sooner. This also goes for Google's decision to not have expandable storage as well although at least they only charge you $40-$50 for each extra 16 GB instead of $100. I think that's the blatant ripoff on memory upgrade bothers me the most about these new iPhones - that's definitely a lot more annoying than the lack of expandable memory. Reply
ESC2000 - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - linkYou're conflating build quality with toughness. I don't think many out there would actually claim that they prefer Samsung's build quality over Apple's or Nokia's. I own a note II and I sure don't. But it is quite sturdy. I have dropped it on the pavement a couple times and have had no issues. Its lack of scratches bests the rest of my family's iPhone 5s, which all have scratches on their aluminum exteriors.
If there have been rigorous drop tests with large samples which show that Samsung phones are more prone to breaking in falls, then I'll stand corrected. Until then, it's a question of whether feel in the hand is more important than what the phone can do. For me, the latter is much more important while for others the former is or they prefer both how the iPhone feels and what it can do. Good for all of us that we have these choices. Reply
kyuu - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkBuild quality is an important metric of a phone nowadays, whether you personally care about it or not. It's not about it being a "fashion accessory". I don't care what other people think of my phone's aesthetics, feel, or ergonomics, but I certainly do care what *I* think about those things.
And there's no question that Samsung's plastic casings are pretty crap compared to other, higher-quality plastic designs produced by Nokia, for example (and now Apple, of course). You may feel that's an acceptable compromise in exchange for a removable battery and microSD slot. It's great that you have that option. I personally couldn't care less about a removable battery. A microSD slot is always nice, but, on a phone, I find that 32GB is more than adequate currently and really would rarely, if ever, actually use it even if my phone had one.
Of course, you could rightly point out that, with Apple, you have to add $100 to the cost of their devices to get to 32GB.
Disclaimer: I'm not an Apple apologist. I don't own an iPhone and have no plans to own one anytime in the future. I am, in fact, pretty underwhelmed and uninterested in the 5s and 5c. Reply
Dentons - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkYou're not talking build quality, you're talking fashion. If you value aesthetics so highly over functionality, it is by definition a Fashion Accessory, whether or not you're doing it to impress others.
By calling Samsung's phone casinsg crap, you prove you haven't used their latest models. Even saying 'latest' is a stretch. The Note II is nearly a year old, it doesn't flex at all. The case is as solid as Nokia's or Apple's.
The larger issues of one of reviewer hypocrisy. When Anandtech reviews Samsung phones, they can't shut up about Samsung's plastic. At the same time, they give Samsung no almost no credit for continuing to feature spare batteries and microSD expansion.
When Apple releases a plastic phone, Andtech barely mentions the plastic casing and never, ever criticizes apple for the lack of a spare battery or memory expansion.
I don't think this hypocrisy is by design, it is simply a reflection consumer expectations and Apple's astro-turf marketing. Tech journalists never expect Apple to add those much desired features, so they don't criticize Apple for not having included them. These journalists have similarly bought into the meme of Samsung's "inferior" plastic cases, so are likely to play into that when writing a review.
My take is that Anandtech and many other reviewers are played like fiddles by Apple's marketing department. Kudos to Apple, not so much to Anandtech. Reply
EnzoFX - Friday, September 20, 2013 - linkYour ignorant self can't seem to understand that plastic can be done well. Whether you like it or not, the vast general consensus agrees that Samsung does NOT do plastic well. Get over it. Secondly, good for you that you love your microSD cards and removable batteries, but again your ignorance gets the best of you. Most, most people do not care about those things. You are in an extreme minority that it's ridiculous to tout them as necessary features. I'm glad Samsung is able to cater to you, but don't kid yourself, move on, stop spreading ignorance, etc. Reply
ammar.m - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkYou're confusing built quality and looks with the material in use. There are tons of ways plastic can be used and made to look and feel. Samsung just choses the shittest way of the bunch. Nokia Lumia phones are plastic too FYI and you've never seen anyone complain about their built. That is because they do it correctly. Reply
Calista - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkFully agree, using a HTC phone made of mostly plastic right now and it's built like a tank. No flex, no squeaking. It feels just as well made as say the iPhone 5 even if it's lacking a bit of the design flair of the latter. All this while still using a replaceable battery. So yes, Samsung do have a cheap feeling among their phones. Reply
Dentons - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkYou clearly haven't used Samsung's latest phones. The Note II case is as solid as plastic phones get. Every bit as solid as a Lumia.
I don't know why you don't like Samsung phones, but it clearly isn't the reason you've stated. Reply
Allicox - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkApple is better! It looks better and it isn't confusing. This is about the new apple phones. If you like the HTC go talk on there page. Reply
Impulses - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkIf you can't handle a civil discussion then AT isn't for you, perhaps Engadget? Comparisons are always relevant, good or bad. Reply
mporter - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkIt's a great device, there's no denying that.. but I don't see how you could justify spending so much on a phone when you could get so much more for your money.. for example the HTC One - http://versus.com/en/apple-iphone-5c-vs-htc-one Reply
Vjgoh - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkA long feature list doesn't necessarily make a great phone. The Galaxy S4 has more 'features' than an HTC One, but I'm of the opinion that you'd have to be crazy to pick the Samsung.
The 5c has a few things going for it that close the gap:
- iWork is now free ($40 value, if you decide to take all of them)
- Service is a well known strength of Apple. If you've got trouble, it's easier to get help.
- The AppleCare+ warranty is pretty nice (but it costs $100 up front)
- The Apple App Store still has better apps. That's a mildly subjective call, but most dual users of Android/iOS that I know agree with the statement.
- The accessories market for any iPhone is huge.
- Resale value of Apple products is high
So while on a spec-for-spec basis, I can't argue, the intangibles can really stack up for some people. Not everyone needs as much phone as the One provides and like the ease of use, reduced complexity/customization and high levels of service that they get from Apple. Reply
ESC2000 - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - linkHmmm let's see.
-apple throwing in a suite of overly priced underperforming apps, of which there are comparable or better free apps on android? I hardly think that can be counted as a plus. It can be counted an Apple's favorite strategy of overcharging for something and then lowering the price to make it seem like a deal. Also I've never been more frustrated than I was trying to use iWork, etc.
-Apple's service is good but it will cost you an arm and a leg which eats into the resale value
-better apps? You can plausibly claim that in the tablet space perhaps but it is a tired and outdated argument in the phone space. You know you're reaching for an argument when that's all you can come up with other than they're giving you iWork, etc for free...
-accessories... Maybe apple is better there.. Not really sure because I don't care... If they're coming from apple itself, again it'll cost an arm and a leg and eat into the resale money you're planning on. See the $39 case for the 5c. Anyone spending $40 on a little flap of plastic has too much money and/or too little sense.
-resale... See all the points above
-you conspicuously failed to mention a huge difference between the HTC one and the iPhone 5c and 5s which is not a gimmick at all: the iPhone's tiny low rez screen and unnecessarily large bezels.... The screen is one of the most important things about the phone since it is the way we interface with it
-also the construction of the one is nicer than the iPhone 5C
-camera is better on the one... The 5c has the same camera as the 5 which was good but HTC really did an excellent job with their camera
-also I can't remember off the top of my head but doesn't the $550 one come with 32 GB? On phones with no good external storage, 32 GB should be the bare minimum for a high end phone. 16 GB is 2012 as is ripping consumers off by charging them $100 for each extra 16 GB
-I'm tired of making this list haha but you get the point... if anand's theory that people don't cross shop is true, then this discussion is moot, but my recent personal observations are that my iOS friends are getting increasingly restless. I've been asked about other options several times in the last half year. The market results will confirm or disconfirm this. Reply
xmen77 - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkApple please do in the next iPhone:
4.5 inch screen
The thin bezels
At least 720p resolution
In 2 or 1.5 times more than the current camera sensor
Aspherical lenses in the lens
Optical stabilization
Support for 4K video to zoom during video recording
12 MP for the zoom during shooting
4 GB of RAM for 64 bit processor
4 cores (they are more effective than the 2 very powerful)
Dynamically change the
If you do I will definitely buy it and I will advertise it in all the social networks and sites as the best smartphone Reply
ESC2000 - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - linkSounds like a big improvement. I approve. But I still couldn't stomach iOS after tasting a modicum of freedom. Maybe I could if iOS would let me set my default keyboard, video player, etc. That's a pipe dream, though. Reply
uhuznaa - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkI don't buy that the plastic case does anything substantial to lower the costs. If you look at the BOM of the iPhone 5 the costs of the case are buried somewhere in the about $5 of overall construction. I would be very surprised if the actual cost delta between the 5/5s case and the 5c case would be much more than maybe $2 or $3.
Apple just needed to have a cheaper looking device to sell it at a lower margin without having people wonder about the margins of the more expensive model. It's all about spreading your product palette a bit.
It's still hideously expensive, though. As usual people don't feel this in the US ($99 on contract isn't that much), but in Europe the 16 GB 5c is at €599 unlocked (that's $800!). I can get a Nexus 7 AND a Galaxy S3 for that. Or a Nexus 7 32 GB LTE and a nice Nokia Lumia. The iPhone 5c will not help Apple with market share (and market power) outside of the US. In China iOS is at 4.8% right now and falling. Guess what platform new apps come out for?
To be honest think pricing the 5c at $299 unlocked (and free with a contract) would have been Apple's last chance to turn the ship around. It would have meant much smaller margins but soaring market share (and with that iOS becoming relevant in markets it just isn't right now). Without that iOS will continue to shrink into a luxury niche. The golden bling 5s seems to symbolize this very nicely.
Still, nice phone, I actually like the white one. Not for that kind of money though. Apple is focussing on insane profits instead of market share and while this may be good for them (at least in the short run) it's not good for me.
To the "plastic" question: You people are crazy. Good construction is good construction, no matter if you use plastic, metal or glass. Reply
Bob Todd - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkThat's why their share price tanked after the 5s/5c announcement. Analysts were expecting them to get competitive in emerging markets, but the 5c does nothing of the sort. It's not cheap, and the 5s is worth the extra $100 even looking at it purely from a future proofing standpoint. Reply
Deelron - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkAnalysts then obviously know jack about Apple and how they operate if they truly expected that. Reply
Impulses - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkYeah really, they've been a premium hardware company that enjoys high margins for the past decade or longer... Everything else they've done has been in support of selling more premium hardware. Why would that change now? They haven't gone after lower cost laptop markets even as OS X adoption and their general market share rose a bit, not sure why they would at this point with the iPhone. It'd probably take some other external shakeup of the US mobile market for them to change course and chase market share... And Tmo's recent waves aren't quite it. Reply
mwildtech - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkMuah Muah kiss that Apple butt.....I can see the 5s, but this? come on.... Reply
robinthakur - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkUsability? On a Samsung phone? The number of pointless features on the 4 was high even by Samsung's low standards. Trying to get Eye scrolling, Smart Stay, S Assist and Tap to Top to reliably work is an exercise in futility as they exist only to drive Samsung's product launches and aren't fit for every day usage. I dumped the Galaxy 3 for an iPhone5 mainly due to:
-Cheap-feeling, flexing plastic construction
-Awful screen with wrong colours and fuzzy text
-Samsung makes features which are either never going to be used (Photo sharing) or just don't work reliably like S Assist. Faced with that, why wouldn't you just buy a Nexus??
Two of those relate to poor material choice, and all three are usability related. This makes me less inclined to buy a non Apple device as it is clear to me that if one wants decent build quality and design, and good choice of materials, everybody else (perhaps barring HTC, which I wouldn't consider due to their perilous financial position) is on a race to the bottom. Reply
Impulses - Thursday, September 19, 2013 - linkHTC's had it's fair share of software design and usability missteps... And I say that as someone who's had three HTC phones in a row that I rather liked (still on the EVO LTE), I actually don't even mind Sense that much and I've kept stock-based Sense ROMs on my last two (obviously rooted) phones.
They've definitely made odd choices at times tho, like dumping the multitasking button, messing with wifi sleep functionality in a non-transparent way, completely messing up the multi-tasking UI on the previous version of Sense (the cards were pointless UI gloss reminiscent of even older versions of Sense), etc. Most of the stuff I liked in Sense has been integrated into stock Android whole hog anyway, outside of the camera interface.
If you want clean software design I'd say Moto's more restrained attempts over the last two generations are actually ahead of HTC or anyone else on Android. The Moto X has just a couple of small but very useful additions to stock Android but they had similarly clean phones last year (just not on every carrier)... Plus they're clearly not going anywhere now that they're part of Google. Haven't been exposed to LG much, can't possibly be worse than Samsung tho.
I don't know that everyone else is necessarily going Samsung's way with build design... Moto's doing their own thing quite successfully IMO, the X is one of the nicer feeling phones out there. The Optimus G was clearly a different direction for LG (even if it mimicked the iPhone 4 design). I do hope HTC survives... Reply
ESC2000 - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - linkAnd I dumped my iPhone 5 after six tortured months for a note II despite the iPhone's superior construction, so what's your point? An individual's whims don't really mean anything. The question is how the market collectively is reacting, and iOS has been losing market share. It'd be nice to see how it breaks down in the high end market to settle claims about all the android gains being feature phones. It will also be interesting to see whether these new apple devices have an impact on market share. Reply
robinthakur - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkI completely agree, the HTC One is a beautifully designed phone making use of premium materials, but it isn't running native Android (pricey Play Edition excepted) and you still have the intangibles of not having as good an App Store as iOS, the free high quality Apps Apple now bundles and all the rest. HTC's awful financial position is the final nail in the coffin. For me most Android phones apart from Nexus are play devices, a device I like to play with and tweak, but if I was to buy a phone for daily use, it will still be an iPhone largely due to the Apple ecosystem on iCloud and iTunes Match etc. Reply
ESC2000 - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - linkThe 'better app store' argument is simply no longer true. It's still plausible with regard to tablets but not with phones. It is a vestige of 2011 and apparently what people reach for when they've come to the end of the line. I've used an iPhone from Nov 2012-Apr 2013 and a note II since then and the selection, cost, and quality of apps is a complete wash IME. Yes it's only my opinion, but at least I've used iOS' and android's app stores on phones (tablets are not the same) for a significant period of time recently, unlike the people who just parrot this tired 'Apple's app store is better' who I suspect have probably not ever extensively and continuously used an android phone.
Plus you have to consider that the bigger, higher rez screens on android flagships allow one to use and enjoy the apps more. Now that more and more android phones are coming out with the ability to have multiple windows open and even to resize them, you can even run your apps in a window the same size as an iPhone screen if you're so inclined, but that's not your only option. There's no reason to not have a small screen option for those who want it, but there's also no reason to dictate to your user base that they must all use one size phone. Apple was smart enough to realize they were wrong with the 10" tablet and when they made a mini, people bought it in droves despite its mediocre guts and screen. So what's with the reluctance in the phone space? Anyway I'm getting off topic. /soapbox Reply
designerfx - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkwhen are you guys going to review the new droid line, especially the maxx? Reply
ds1111 - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkYou guys rock! best review I've seen on the internet. Many thanks! Reply
hafizmajid - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - linkthe new celular antenia is a big plus as dropped calls and no signal in poor signal areas is a major issue on the iphone 5 for some users. Reply
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The conference titled "The Evolution Deceit and the Fact of Creation" and "Secret Beyond the Matter" held in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, at the Beaulieu Congress Center on May 25th, 2010 caused a great panic among Darwinist circles. All of the leading Swiss newspapers devoted extensive space to the conference and many television channels including the Swiss National television covered the conference.
Mr. Adnan Oktar attended the conference through video conferencing and answered the questions of the listeners by explaining how the theory of evolution is a deceit.
You can listen to Mr. Adnan Oktar"s comments about the conference held at the city of Lausanne from this link.

subset: commoncrawl


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Spring in New York City
Posted: Apr 27, 2010 9:29am ET
Spring never seems to come soon enough in the Northeast, especially after the recent long, cold, wet winter of 2009-2010. But last Friday, the day offered up not just spring-like weather, but the promise of an early summer. It was all blue sky and bright sunshine, and I was lucky enough to enjoy it all on the terrace of the Metropolitan Club, a venerable institution at 60th and Fifth Avenue, overlooking Central Park.
I had lunch there with Max Gutmann, the owner of the Casa del Habano franchise in Mexico, and a true standard bearer for the words, cigar lover. In the style of traditional New York clubs, gentlemen at the Metropolitan are required to wear a coat and tie. The room was busy, and the food was good, but as we sat drinking a wonderful 2001 Bordeaux, and reminiscing about old times in the cigar business, and about Mexico, the terrace beckoned through the greenhouse-like floor to ceiling windows.
There are more than a few places like this in Manhattan—terraces and outdoor spaces where, when the weather warms up, you can enjoy a great cigar. We've reviewed a few of the public spaces, usually in restaurants, where you can be sure that lighting up is allowed. But the city's private clubs also accommodate their members whenever it is possible. Apart from the Metropolitan Club, others that I know about include the Yale Club and the Knickerbocker Club. And, I know of other clubs that have been reviewing architectural plans to see if they can pull off an outdoor space, with their smoking members in mind.
So when Max and I finished up our meals, we headed out to the terrace. It was still a slightly cool spring day, with some breeze to freshen up the patio's space, but the sun was bright and the table just protected enough so that I warmed up very quickly. Max offered me a Montecristo Open, a Cuban cigar with a second green band on it. It's designed to be a bit milder, and, according to Max, is aimed at a younger smoker who isn't looking for a blockbuster smoke. It was delicious, but just as described—a mild to medium bodied smoke without a lot of power. In some ways, perfect for an outdoor setting where the breeze makes it a bit more difficult to savor every aspect of a cigar.
We sat there for over an hour, enjoying the panorama of Central Park South and Central Park West, with the tall apartment buildings and hotels, and the Time Warner Center, standing tall above the newly green treetops in the park. Thank God, the winter's over.
Comments1 comment(s)
Alex Benes California April 29, 2010 12:26pm ET
Dude, are you channeling Longfellow? Dickinson? Oh, the terrace "beckoned" did it? Yeah, anytime I'm with a fellow "cigar lover," the terrace -- or any appropriate smoking spot -- "beckons" to me to try the newest Cuban. Loudly, through "the breezes" that make it a bit more difficult to hearken the beckoning. Still, I do like the Metropolitan Club.
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Our specialized team provides services necessary to women's breast health, including:
At Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, we provide our patients with a highly skilled multispecialty team of physicians, nurses, diagnostic radiology professionals and many other health experts to treat all breast health related issues. Our team prides itself on taking care of women before, during and after breast cancer treatment. We include our patients in the decision making process, helping women and their families understand what to expect. We answer questions, discuss treatment options, explain procedures, schedule appointments and provide caring support.
As a women completes cancer treatment, she might be thinking about what happens next. Returning to everyday life can be challenging.
Ellis Fischel Cancer Center is dedicated to helping survivors live their lives to the fullest after breast cancer treatment. We've developed a unique breast cancer survivorship clinic designed exclusively for survivors of breast cancer. In our survivorship clinic, you will meet with our specially trained advanced practice nurse, and a dietitian, all in one private visit. You'll have the opportunity to address survivorship concerns such as emotional, physical, sexual and relationship issues.
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Article title
Shouldn't this be at Weasley family? --HemlockMartinis 22:16, 24 July 2007 (UTC)
I'm wondering if the FAMILY part should be in lowercase as all the other family articles are. Mafalda Hopkirk 04:19, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
If it's a title, it should still be capitalized, at least on the top of the web-page. However, in the actual article, capitalizing it is debatable. 18.104.22.168 03:30, March 15, 2010 (UTC)Naomi
They are not a pureblood wizarding family anymore, technically.
Bill Weasley married a halfblood quarter-veela. We know from the epilogue in book seven that Ronald Weasley married Hermione, a Muggle-born. Ginny married a half-blood, Harry Potter. So I am going to change this article a bit.
Family Tree
Do we have a preference to have wiki styled trees (see Potter) or for images (see House of Black). Recently the wiki family tree was removed to be replaced with the hand drawn JKR image. Which is fine to have, but I think the Wiki Tree has important elements that this image does not have. So, do we think it would be too much info to add it back or does anyone have other thoughts on this? -- DarkJedi613 (Talk) 17:36, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
- Maybe some of our most image-talented contributors could create a jpeg family tree based on the new info? I'm having a bash at the moment, but meeting limited success. - Cavalier One(Wizarding Wireless Network) 11:05, 3 January 2008 (UTC)
- A family tree can be made using line-drawing characters. It's a bit of manual work, but it should look good. (See Potter family for a family tree I've just reworked). But I think Wikimedia has built-in software for generating an HTML-based family tree, doesn't it? Wikipedia's got nice family trees which can be created and edited in a shot. --Draco Bonfoy 18:40, 28 July 2008 (UTC)
I've noticed one issue with the family tree made up for the site. It labels the children of Harry and Ginny as being 'quarter-blood'. It seems to be more that they would be 'three quarter blood' as their mother is over a 'pure blood' family. Also, I thought half-bloods were people with a wizarding parent and a muggle parent. As such, Harry does not qualify under that definition. --Donovan Ravenhull 21:28, 19 January 2008 (UTC)
- Okay, looking over the 'blood purity' page, Harry would be a 'half-blood', but his children would be considered full bloods because neither of thier parents were muggle/muggle-born. --Donovan Ravenhull 21:32, 19 January 2008 (UTC)
That bit of text at the bottom
That bit of text at the bottom
"JK Rowling reveals in an interview that George Weasley marries Lavender Brown not Angelina Johnson."
...Joke, right? 18.104.22.168 11:21, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
- Yes. A bad one. Removed. - Cavalier One(Wizarding Wireless Network) 12:05, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Family Tree
Due to a matter brought up by Harrypotterroxs, I would like to note that the family tree image is symbol and colored coded. One of the notes is incorrect, as there is no such thing as "Three-Quarter Blood". The offspring labeled this are considered Pure-blood. A notice might be needed here.-Matoro183 (Talk - Jimmy Fincher talk) 23:28, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
- I have removed the image for now. I'll have a bash at amending it/ creating a new one sometime in the next few days, unless anyone else wants to have a go? - Cavalier One(Wizarding Wireless Network) 23:35, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
- I fixed the image-Matoro183 (Talk - Jimmy Fincher talk) 00:04, 27 April 2008 (UTC)
Weasley Family Members
Why is Hermione in a different section to Harry when they're both Weasley Relatives not Other Weasley.ThanksSpell Master- Long live Optimus Prime 09:03, October 25, 2009 (UTC)
Hi, I read the changes made to the article of the Weasley family and I found the following mistakes:
- Mark Williams, who portrays Arthur Weasley in all film adaptations. No, he did not play in the first film adaptation.
Done --JKoch(Owl Me!) 20:02, July 24, 2010 (UTC)
- Julie Walters, who portrays Molly Weasley in all film adaptations. No, she did not play in the fourth film adaptation.
Done --JKoch(Owl Me!) 20:02, July 24, 2010 (UTC)
- Chris Rankin who portrays Percy Weasley. Percy did not appear in the Goblet of Fire film. There is only a missing. He also did not appear in the Half-Blood Prince film. Harry granger 19:56, July 24, 2010 (UTC)
Done --JKoch(Owl Me!) 20:02, July 24, 2010 (UTC)
Why is it that in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Weasley's are so poor that they only have one galleon and less than 17 sickles which would be a maximum of $19.55 in U.S. dollars or 9.71 UK pounds. But in Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban they win 700 galleons ($7,049) they use most of it on a trip. I think that there is no way that the Weasley's are poor enough to have less than $20 in their vault.
Possible explanation: The Weasley are sued 10 galleons for the Flying Car so the might have had more like $120 dollars before. But they weren't fined that until afterwards, so it makes no sense as they would be in debt. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets GBC video game, two cannon steps down. Ron withdraws the enitre vault and recieves 70 sickles, which is more than the book states.
My final theory is the JKR had not concieved Galleons to be worth more, its not a huge inconsistancy but its worth bring up I think. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Kartoffelwunderbar (talk • contribs) 21:11, October 20, 2011.


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Repellent Insect Permthrn 12oz$10.99Enjoy superior protection against disease-carrying, biting insects by simply spraying your clothing, tents, and other gear. Permithrim, the active ingredient, is a safe synthetic that mimics pyrethrum, naturally found in the Chrysanthemum flower. As spray dries to a non-greasy finish, it tightly bonds with the fibers of treated garment to provide odorless protection from more than 55 kinds of insects. Learn More


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TONFISK OMA Lemon Squeezer
I use lemons on a daily basis in my tea or baking and cooking. Normally I'd squeeze and drain with my bare hands. However, I work primarily with my hands and theres nothing more uncomfortable than discovering frech cuts and scrapes by pouring lemon juice over them.


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Filed under: Families
Do you show your loved one appreciation? Gratitude is an essential element in happy relationships. Couples who feel appreciated by their significant others in turn are more appreciative back to the other person. Also, when shown appreciation, people tend to be more responsive to their significant other's needs. In short, gratitude is contagious! Try it. When you next talk to your significant other, find something to be appreciative about and see if it has any positive ripple effects. This can also help maintain intimacy when you are apart from your loved one due to deployment or TDY.
For more ideas to enhance your relationship, check out the Performance Booster on Couples Communication and Relationship Enhancement section of the HPRC's site.


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Andover Town 2 Horndean 1.
Manager Neil Benson made four changes from the side that started Saturday's game as Horndean visited the Portway for a rain-soaked bank holiday fixture.
Town started brightly and from the first corner, Lewis Benson found Joe Woodward at the back post for his first Andover Town goal.
Celebrations were short-lived, however, as, from their next attack Horndean's Nathan Kirby rifled a low short past Jake Wellesley-David to make in one-all after only four minutes.
The rain made for a fast-paced, end-to-end, game and after Craig Blakeman headed Benson's free-kick just wide after 17 minutes, Horndean replied smartly by going close at the other end. Gradually Town settled down into their profitable passing style and began to create more chances. Benson and Herbert both went close before on the half hour a fine passing move covered the pitch from side-to-side eventually finding Ope Aromona in space.
His shot looked destined for the top corner before the Horndean keeper Beezley clawed it away and from the resulting corner Matt Scott and Danny Urry combined well to force another save from Beezley before, on 40 minutes, another Aromona cross found Ike Robertson unmarked in the six-yard box but he was unable to wrap his foot around it sufficiently and another chance went begging.
Horndean maintained the pressure and had a shot deflected wide before, on the stroke of half-time, more good build-up play saw Lewis Alderman's excellent cross looked to be turned in by Robertson for a 2-1 lead at the break although the players seemed to go to Alderman for the celebrations.
Horndean went close on 54 minutes as only Jordan O'Donnell's sliding challenge prevented the ball from nestling into the corner of the net. Nic Turpin, who replaced the tiring Herbert, was put through by Urry but his first-time volley just drifted wide only for Horndean, from their next attack, to see the ball cleared off the line and, despite their protestations, both referee and linesman refuse to award a goal.
Turpin's persistence then fashioned a chance for Lewis Benson but the shot did not trouble the keeper and the game became more niggly, chances fewer and Horndean's frustrations began to prompt yellow cards from the referee. Dixon and Hinchcliffe replaced Blakeman and Benson and Dixon almost made an immediate impact setting up Turpin whose shot was crowded out. Horndean had one last chance, forcing a good diving save from Wellesley-David, before the referee's whistle brought the game to a conclusion lifting Town to tenth.
Wellesley-David, Alderman, Aromona, O'Donnell, Scott, Woodward, Herbert, L Benson, Robertson, Blakeman, Urry. Subs used: Dixon, Hinchcliffe, Turpin


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TAMPA, Fla. (March 24, 2012) - On a day where pitching was spotlighted, the 11th ranked Tars (24-6, 7-2) escaped Tampa, Fla. with a split of Saturday afternoon's double header with conference rival, the University of Tampa Spartans. Rollins fell in game one by a score of 4-1 but took game two thanks to a late game rally, 5-0, in 11 innings.
Game one saw the Tars take an early lead, scoring one in the 2nd off of Spartans starter Kayla Cox courtesy of a Tampa miscue. Senior Krista Rodden was hit by a pitch to lead off the Rollins inning and advanced to second shortly after on a wild pitch.
Rodden then drew a pickoff throw from Tampa catcher Becky Vyzas that sailed into centerfield that not only allowed her to take third, but dribbled far enough away for her to round third and score on the error.
The lead was short lived as the Spartans answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the third. Vyzas singled through the left side to score Susan Jallo after Jallo reached on a two out double and moved to third on a Tars fielding miscue.
After Rollins was unable to cash in on a leadoff triple from senior Monica Meadows in the fourth, Tampa plated three more runs in an inning where they notched four hits, three of which came with two outs.
The three run deficit would prove to be more than enough as Rollins did not advance another runner past second base the rest of the way as Cox (11-1) would cruise to the complete game victory. The NC State transfer gave up one run, zero earned, on five hits.
Amye McIntyre (7-3) suffered the loss for the Tars as she gave up four runs, three earned, on six hits in six innings pitched.
Game two featured a matchup of last night's starters, Hope Bitzer, the ace for Rollins, and Deanna Henriott for Tampa.
Henriott picked up right where she left off, retiring Rollins in order in the first.
In Tampa's half, the Spartans made Bitzer work, loading the bases with one out. Bitzer struck out Meagan Burke and forced Katlyn Raatz to foul out to end the inning and strand three Spartan runners.
This became the theme of game two as Henriott and Bitzer hung zero after zero on the scoreboard all afternoon long, forcing the game into extra innings in a scoreless tie.
It was in the top of the 11th when the Tars finally got to Henriott and blew the game wide open, exploding for five runs on four hits as well as one Tampa error. Junior Tara Turner led off the inning with a single and was replaced by pinch runner, McIntyre. McIntyre was then sacrificed to second on a bunt by freshman Shelby Walters.
Tampa then elected to intentionally walk junior Aimee Halpin, her second of the game, to put runners on first and second with one out.
Rollins then followed with three extra base hits, starting with a Meadows double to deep right center that scored both McIntyre and Halpin. Meadows would then score easily on a Rodden double off of the top of the fence in center. Senior Lawna Hunter, not to be outdone, then drove in Rodden on a triple to right to push the lead to 4-0.
Hunter would then come into score immediately after as senior Meredith Foster reached on an error.
Bitzer (13-3) retired the Spartans 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to secure the victory, her fourth shutout of the year. Bitzer went 11.0 innings while giving up nine hits and striking out 16.
Henriott (15-3) took the loss, going 11.0 innings while giving up five runs, four earned, on eight hits.
The Tars will be back in action Wednesday, Mar. 28 when they welcome Mount Mercy to Winter Park for a double header with game one set for 6 pm. Fans can follow all the action live on the Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com.


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I am a licensed architect with a completed project near Orlando, FL which includes a 9'-0" deep basement/pit for a lube center. The floor and walls of the pit are all CIP concrete. The pit is dry, water-proofed inside and out, has gravel around the walls and under the slab, filter barriers and a continuous french drain around the perimeter with a separate, detached sump pit that houses two pumps (primary and back up). Grade around the building is mostly paved and sloped away from the building.
Since the project's completion about a year ago, the pumps have run continuously, pulling water from around the pit and dumping it into a retention pond which is at a lower elevation and about 100'-0" away.
While there is no evidence of a problem with the project, I am concerned that failure of a pump or some other unpredictable condition might lead to a major problem.
I'm looking here for some solid technical advice on recommendations I might make to the owner as protection against this type of thing. I welcome your advice and/or questions.
first: how thick is the concrete (floor as well as walls?) that's a critical point. As a rule of thumb (depending on the quality of concrete) about a foot of concrete should be enough to withstand the pressure of the water, and avoid any leakage.
If that isn't the case, or if the execution of the concrete pours wasn't quite perfect (and thus the basement being porous), you could inject the weak spots (as is done in the construction of swimming pools), or attach a watersealant to the concrete. Preferably the outside of the walls, of course - even though that might be a bit of a problem in a built project. If that's the case, you could opt for a double walled (pit in pit) construction. But first things first: how thick is the concrete?
usernametaken's questions are more helpful than mine, but did you have a civil engineer on the project? Seems like the water table issues should have been discovered in design/engineering or at latest during construction.
won and done is asking the right question. I assume the rest of the building is a simple slab-on-grade. The gravel fill around the grease pit creates little air pockets. If there is ground water, it may be migrating toward the voids in the gravel, since water takes the path of least resistance and is under slight pressure from simple gravity. Is there a perimeter drain around the outside of the building, too? If so, how is it dispersed?
I would try to determine where the water could be coming from and whether there is a way to disperse it without relying on a mechanical pump. Can it be piped to daylight, or is the site too flat?
Sounds like you might have wanted to use geo tex benonite waterproofing in the pit. I have used it and it is a pain, and expensive. It does however keep water from coming into the building. benonite is white mineral clay which swells when wet and creates a barrier. You cast it into the top of the footing and foundation wall to get a great seal. It has to be certified by a testing lab so there is extra cost involved.....but as the saying goes a flood can be a lot more expensive. I think this application is not realistic at this time but for future reference.
You also apply it to the outside of the foundation wall.
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Friend donates gift of life to Penticton man
Three simple words sum up what the gift of a kidney from a good friend means to a Penticton man.
"It means life," said Terry Folkestad who suffers from polycystic kidney disease.
He would have never guessed the kidney he has needed for some time now would come from one of his family's closest friends. Folkestad has the rarest type of blood and was looking at an eight to 10-year waiting list before he potentially would find a match. On Monday his wife's best friend, Kellie Wesley, will change his life.
"It took a couple of weeks for it to really set in and realize the magnitude of someone giving up a body part for me. It is overwhelming when you sit down to think about it that somebody would be so able to give that to another person," said Folkestad, whose own father passed away from the same disease he is fighting.
The pair are scheduled to have the kidney transplant operation in Vancouver on Monday after a long process that involved Wesley taking many tests, including psychological, to see if she was a good fit physically and prepared mentally to give a part of herself away.
"We have seen a decline in Terry's health over the past year and his wife Nancy sent out a email to the close friends that his kidney's were really starting to deteriorate. They asked people if they would think about organ donation," said Wesley. "Then last summer we were talking and I found out we share the same blood type. I took it as a sign."
Wesley knew how the process worked, having seen two of her friends go through it before. After receiving a positive reaction from her own family about the donation, Wesley decided to start the testing to see if she would be a match.
It was mid-December when she got cleared to be a donor.
"I called Terry and Nancy and said I am ready to go through with it. Immediately they were overwhelmed, we were all crying," said Wesley. "Terry was overwhelmed with emotion and said he couldn't believe somebody would do this for him. We share Christmases together, have acted like family since neither of us have any nearby and they are like the aunt and uncle to our kids. I keep teasing Terry that we really are going to be related now, like brother and sister or something."
Wesley has to take two months off from her life to recover, meaning she has to put aside her love for skiing and she will not be working. But being able to give this gift is worth it for her. Part of that comes from not wanting to see her close friends suffer any longer and part from her own dealings with her father who was a paraplegic, and seeing him overcome obstacles.
"I've always wanted to help others, and this an extreme way of helping, but I feel like it is the right thing to do. I would hate to see my friend wither away and possibly die when I can help. If it was my husband, my child or my grandchild I would want somebody to step up and help if I wasn't able to. If I expect that out of someone then I have to be that kind of person too," said Wesley.
By sharing their story of donation, the pair hope it raises awareness that you can be a living kidney donor and a reminder for everyone to become a registered organ donor. A fundraiser is being held on Feb. 14 at the Best Damn Sports Bar to help grow that awareness and offset the costs the families are facing.
Wesley said the process of testing and now the transplant surgery has helped her make some revelations about herself.
"I think I discovered I am braver than I thought. I'm always a tough cookie when it comes to stuff but I don't like hospitals, I hate needles and I can't even look when they take my blood," she said. "For me to do this is a huge step personally but for some reason I feel really calm and comfortable about it. I am willing to do this for somebody, and somebody like Terry."
To become a registered organ donor visit www.transplant.bc.ca.
If you have questions about being a living donor, the Kidney Foundation of Canada launched two new discussion forums on organ donation, ForDonorsOnly.com and ForRecipientsOnly.com.
Here information can be exchanged on concerns and challenges experienced both before and after and organ transplant or donation.


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Parking permit fee schedules are available through the Parking Services web site.
Purchase Parking Permits Online
Parking permits are available for purchase online via SISWeb. Decal purchases are billed to your SOU account. Faculty and staff have the option of purchasing a hang tag through payroll deduction. If this option is selected, you will be required to fill out the Payroll Deduction Authorization form at http://www.sou.edu/parking/PayrollDeductionAuth.pdf.
You have the option of picking up your permit in the Enrollment Services center or having your permit mailed to you. If you choose to have your permit mailed, we will process your order in five to seven days and send it to you via the US Postal Service. There is no additional charge regardless of the selected delivery method.
To Purchase parking permits online:
- Log into InsideSOU (inside.sou.edu).
- In the Online Services channel, select the Parking Self-Service link.
- Select the Registration Term (there should only be one that is not view only).
- Each year, you will be asked to provide driver's license and insurance information and accept the SOU Parking Services dislaimer..
- Select the Permit Menu link.
- In the Permit Options drop-down box, select the permit type you wish to order.
- Select the vehicle you wish to purchase a permit for or enter the new vehicle information.
- Select "Yes" if you would like the permit mailed to you.
- Select the Purchase Permit button.
- Print your Temporary permit to display on the drivers side of your dashboard until your permit arrives or is picked up. Please note that temporary permits are only valid for ten (10) days.
In most cases, your permit purchase will be processed on the next business day however, it may take up to seven (7) days to process your order. You can check on the status of your purchase by contacting:
Enrollment Services


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ALMOST half of all taxis stopped in snap inspections in Bolton last year were suspended from carrying passengers for breaking council rules.
Corroded brake pipes, oil leaks, bald tyres and broken lights were all among the faults discovered in spot checks carried out in operations run by Bolton Council, the police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
A total of 114 taxis — most of which were private hire cabs but which also included Hackney carriages — were stopped during 10 days of spot checks between May and December last year.
Of those, 49, including three Hackney carriages, were given suspension notices, which means a driver has seven days to fix any faults.
Until then, the vehicle cannot be used as a taxi, although it can still be used as a private vehicle.
If repairs are not complete after seven days, the vehicle's plates have to be handed in to the council. If still not fixed after two months, the vehicle's licence is revoked.
Council regulations say taxis should be kept clean, should be "mechanically sound" and should contain the correct identification.
Other failings identified included insecure radios and no fire extinguishers.
Fines were also issued by police for offences ranging from not wearing a seat belt, broken brake lights and illegal tyres.
Bolton Council said it is introducing tougher measures to tackle the problem.
Charles Oakes, chairman of the Bolton Hackney Drivers Association, said he supports the planned new measures. He said: "The figures are appalling. I'm not bothered about things like scratches, but I am if they're failing on safety.
"All the trade representatives have said this has got to stop."
Cllr Kevan Jones, the vice-chairman of the council's licensing committee, said: "Although the figures presented could be used to paint a gloomy picture, my own experience is that the companies I used were offering a good, safe service.
"However, when I look through the list of defects, most of which should have been picked up on pre-duty checks, I have to ask questions, not only of the driver, but the operators too."
A council spokesman said: "The council is about to implement a new framework for the testing of Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, together with more robust measures for identifying and suspending vehicles with serious defects."


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World Bank to provide Egypt with $1.5 billion soft loans
The World Bank will provide Egypt with $1.5 billion in soft loans over the next three years, reported AFP. The Bank's support will be funneled into various sectors, including health, education and information technology.
In a recent meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Ebeid, World Bank vice-president Jean-Louis Sarbib told him that the bank "envisages an association agreement with Egypt and the World Bank in the field of infrastructure," which would also cover "the increase of Egyptian exports to various countries around the world."
A Consultative Group (CG) meeting for Egypt will be held at the Jolie Ville Movenpick Golf Hotel in Sharm-El-Sheikh, under the auspices of the World Bank. The CG will begin with an update of Egypt's economic performance over the past three years and continue with a special focus on poverty alleviation and human development. At the request of the government there will also be a separate discussion of the Social Fund for Development.
An international meeting to discuss aid to Egypt has been postponed until February to better determine the economic impact of the current international crisis over terrorism, sponsors said Sunday, October 28. — (Mena Report)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)


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HOUSTON - Whether its traffic congestion or the conditions of the roadways, when it comes to transportation issues, Houston-area drivers aren't afraid to tell it like it is.
"The roads are in terrible condition and traffic, traffic is always a bummer," Houston driver Osama Usman said.
Of the 100 transportation challenges outlined in a new report released Thursday by TRIP, a national transportation research group, 17 are in the Houston area. Two are in the top ten, including Interstate 45 between Beltway 8 and the South Loop and from where Interstate 10 and Interstate 45 intersect to the North Loop.
State Highway 288 between Beltway 8 and the South Loop was number 21 on the list. The report notes that Texas drivers are already paying a hefty price to the tune of $23 billion a year.
"In the cost of driving on rough roads or in the cost of traffic delays caused by congestion and the cost of traffic crashes," said Frank Moretti of TRIP.
The state has more transportation challenges than it has dollars to put toward fixing them. A portion of the state's gas tax goes towards the state highway fund, which pays for infrastructure improvements, but the rate hasn't been raised since 1991.
"There's a lot of money we could be spending on things, but I leave it in the hands of the people who are in charge of those things and make those decisions. I think if there's big problem, then we should get together and say so," Houston driver Taneshia Barton said.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Items where Division is "Central Services > Academic and Governance Services > Student, Learning and Teaching Services"
Group by: Date | Creators/Editors | Item Type | No Grouping
Number of items at this level: 2.
Mann, P. and Wong, D. T. W. (2010) Innovative implementation of iLearn e-Portfolio for Personal Development Planning. In: EUNIS 2010 IT: a step forward in Higher Education at Warsaw, Poland, June 2010.
Wong, D. T. W. and Mann, P. (2010) Innovative use of e-portfolio for personal development. In: RICS COBRA , 2nd - 3rd September 2010, Paris, France.


text: NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- The Obama administration is exploring plans to allow more borrowers to refinance at lower rates. Any measure would face stiff opposition in Congress. Senators Bob Menendez (D, N.J.) and Barbara Boxer (D, Calif.) reintroduced legislation Thursday aimed at removing barriers that prevent borrowers with government-backed loans from getting the lowest possible interest rates. The Responsible Homeowners Act of 2013 would improve upon the government's current Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) by eliminating appraisal costs, reducing upfront fees on refinances, ensuring consistent standards for all lenders and providing equal access to refinancing options to all borrowers, the senators said. The legislation was introduced last year but failed to win Congressional approval. "We need to bring much-needed relief now to hard-working, responsible homeowners who are struggling to keep up with their high interest-rate loans -- including thousands in New Jersey whom I have heard from," Menendez said in a release. "We need to do this before interest rates go up again. It's time that Congress finally put families first and give homeowners who have played by the rules a fair chance to refinance at today's low rates." The administration's current HARP program allows borrowers with loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to refinance at lower rates even if they owe more than what their mortgages are worth, so long as they are current on their payments. The program, which was expanded in October 2011, has helped 1.8 million borrowers and boosted the refinancing business for banks including Wells Fargo ( WFC), JPMorgan Chase ( JPM) and U.S. Bancorp ( USB). But borrowers have still not fully benefited from rock-bottom interest rates because the program currently is structured in a way that limits competition among lenders. Under HARP, a bank that wants to compete with the current lender for business has to go through tougher underwriting criteria and faces greater risk that Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac would force them to repurchase loans should the borrower default. As a result, the borrower finds he can often get his loan refinanced only with his current lender and is not able to shop around for a better rate. That allows lenders to charge higher rates.


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FAQs: Storm Drainage and Stormwater Management
For questions on stormwater maintenance or inspections, please see Stormwater Maintenance and Inspections FAQs.
It is a system of publicly and privately maintained pipes, structures, channels and underground pipes that carry stormwater (rain water) to ponds, lakes, streams and rivers.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623), TTY 711) maintains the storm drainage system along and under roads in the public street right-of-way. Storm drains in county easements are maintained by the Maintenance & Stormwater Management Division (703-877-2800, TTY 711). However, the county's maintenance responsibilities are for underground storm pipes, storm structures and drainage channels that serve the general community that are within storm drainage easements. Floodplain easements, which restrict certain building and other practices, do not convey any maintenance responsibilities to the county. Storm drains outside county easements or state rights-of-way are the property owner's maintenance responsibility. The Maintenance & Stormwater Management Division can be contacted to determine maintenance responsibility.
Access features, such as driveways, fair weather crossings and associated pipes or culverts under driveways, are the maintenance responsibilities of the property owner, even if a storm drainage easement exists around these features.
Yes, as long as the fence does not interfere with the flow of drainage,
redirect drainage to a neighboring property or damage underground pipes.
In addition, permanent structures such as footings, brick piers or
columns are not allowed in storm drainage
easements. For further information about fences in easements, contact
the Maintenance &
Stormwater Management Division (703-877-2800, TTY 711). For
information about zoning requirements for fences, contact the Zoning Permit Review Branch
Swimming pool water can have a negative effect on the environment and on your neighbor's property. Before pumping water from a swimming pool, the water should not contain any chlorine, the pH should be neutral and the discharged water should not be directed to your neighbor's yard. More information can be found on the Proper Discharge of Swimming Pool Water website or by contacting the Stormwater Planning Division at 703-324-5500, TTY 711. Commercial swimming pool operators should contact the Health Department at 703-246-2300, TTY 711.
Stormwater management facilities are put in place to reduce the amount or quantity of storm runoff and retain the water to provide time for most pollutants to settle in a holding area where they will not be transported to area streams and waterways. For additional information, contact the contact the Maintenance & Stormwater Management Division (703-877-2800, TTY 711).
The Virginia Department of Transportation (1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623), TTY 711) maintains stormwater facilities in state right-of-way along public roads. The county maintains stormwater facilities in storm drainage easements. Private facilities, including many residential wet ponds, are owned and maintained by the property owner, with inspection and oversight by the county. For additional information on county-maintained or private stormwater management facilities, please contact the Maintenance & Stormwater Management Division (703-877-2800, TTY 711).


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- Press Releases
- NSVRC releases study on sexual violence prevention in Latin@ communities
NSVRC releases study on sexual violence prevention in Latin@ communities
July 1, 2013
Jill Laster, Language Access Specialist
717-909-0710, Ext. 111
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
ENOLA, PA. – The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) has released its first comprehensive report detailing advocates' needs related to sexual violence in Latin@* communities.
The assessment included personal interviews, focus groups and a national survey with more than 250 participants nationwide. Researchers from the University of Puerto Rico's Center for Evaluation & Sociomedical Research communicated with advocates from local, state, national and culturally specific programs with a focus on primary prevention.
"Preventing sexual violence in Latin@ communities: A national needs assessment is an exciting, informative report both for the field and for us as an agency," said NSVRC director Karen Baker. "We'll be using this data to inform our future work, and we hope others will be able to use it as well."
A full version of the report can be accessed in English and in Spanish. A summary of findings and full-color infographic are also available in English and Spanish.
Among the findings:
- While 91.4% of advocates who responded to the national survey said their organization has identified demographics of their intended service population, just 19.3% thought that their clients served matched those demographics.
- Participants consistently discussed the importance of creating culturally specific materials that truly reflect the culture of Latin@ and/or Spanish-speaking communities.
- Participants expressed an overwhelming desire to create more non-printed materials and focus more on in-person connections. In the national survey, participants most often selected in-person discussions as an effective ways to make prevention information accessible to Latin@ and/or Spanish-speaking communities (57.8 % versus 40.7 % for brochures; 45.8 % said TV ads, 37.3 % said radio ads, and 27.1% said posters).
- Participants noted frequently that services for Latin@ communities often fall to the Latin@ and/or Spanish-speaking staff members even when such responsibilities fall outside of the scope of their roles or job descriptions.
- About three-quarters of national survey respondents said they received formal training on diversity, specifically how to work with different cultural groups.
In May, NSVRC will host two webinars related to the report's findings. An English-language webinar will be on July 16, and a Spanish-language webinar will be on July 23.
The NSVRC plans to use the needs assessment's findings in its work. The organization will conduct an internal assessment of its readiness to engage Latin@ communities, support spaces in which Latin@ and non-Latin@ advocates can connect, expand partnerships and continue to promote culturally relevant resources.
"The ultimate goal of this research is to demonstrate how we as a field can better serve our communities," Baker said. "We must also look at ourselves as an agency and see how we can improve our services as well."
*NOTE: The "@" symbol is used to represent the feminine and masculine versions of words and to ensure gender inclusion.
Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape in 2000, NSVRC identifies, develops and disseminates resources regarding all aspects of sexual violence prevention and intervention. For more, visit www.nsvrc.org, www.facebook.com/nsvrc and www.twitter.com/nsvrc.


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Gators see rise in attendance during win streak
Published: Friday, January 10, 2014 at 8:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 9, 2014 at 8:30 p.m.
Florida's current 24-game home win streak has not only generated prestige for the school's basketball program.
It's generated more fans in the stands as well.
Florida finished its non-conference home schedule with an average paid attendance of 10,458, a 17.3 percent jump compared to UF's average non-conference home attendance a season ago (8,913).
And Wednesday night against South Carolina, Florida set a school record for student attendance, with 4,182 students among the paid crowd of 12,147.
"The students really made the difference," Florida associate athletic director Mike Hill said. "A year ago, our only weeknight SEC game that exceeded that was Kentucky. We averaged maybe 10,000 for our weeknight SEC games last year."
Hill said that season ticket sales are up five percent from last season, UF's biggest increase since the back-to-back national championship seasons in 2006 and 2007. A number of other factors also have contributed to UF's attendance increase this season, including a strong non-conference schedule and favorable dates. Florida has played five of its first nine home games on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and none of UF's home weeknight games have tipped later than 7:30 p.m.
The schedule sets up well for the Gators going forward. Florida has just one weeknight home game that tips at 9 p.m. (Feb. 4 vs. Missouri) and five weekend games with afternoon tips (Tennessee, Jan. 25, 4 p.m.; Texas A&M, Feb. 1, 4 p.m.; Alabama, Feb. 8, noon; LSU, March 1, 4 p.m.; and Kentucky, March 8, noon.)
"It shows the importance of times and dates when it comes to scheduling," Hill said. "People think if the stands aren't full there isn't fan interest in Florida basketball. There's great fan interest in Florida basketball. But given our market, people having to travel from Jacksonville, Tampa, Ocala, Orlando, it can be hard to get to games if the times aren't convenient."
The Gators also had a pair of marquee non-conference home games against Florida State (the night before the Florida-FSU football game) and Kansas (SEC-Big 12 Challenge). Next season, Florida will face Connecticut at the O'Connell Center in the return of a home-and-home series.
Hill said the Gators tied three-game ticket packages to UF's two marquee home games this season (Kansas and Kentucky). To buy a Kentucky three-game package, fans had to buy a non-conference game that wasn't Kansas or FSU and one other SEC game. To buy a Kansas three-game package, fans had to buy another non-conference game and another SEC game that wasn't Kentucky.
"We did it to protect our season-ticket holders, for the investment that they made, and to prevent opposing fans to buy single-game tickets," Hill said. "In the Kansas game, we had it where the majority of the crowd were either season-ticket holders or ones who bought the three-game packages."
In front of the bigger crowds, Florida has managed to continue to play at a high level. UF's current 24-game home win streak is the third best in Division I, behind Stephen F. Austin (26) and Duke (25).
"First and foremost, it's a testament to (Florida coach Billy Donovan) and the product that he puts on the court each night," Hill said.
TV blues
While Florida fans at the O'Connell Center have been able to watch its last two wins in person, those trying to watch at home haven't been as lucky.
UF's last two games have aired on CSS/CST. While available on Cox Cable (Channel 259), the Richmond game and SEC opener against South Carolina weren't available to area viewers who subscribe to Dish Network and DirecTV.
The good news? Florida has no games scheduled to air on CSS/CST the rest of the season. Of UF's final 17 games, 14 will air nationally on their CBS or the ESPN family of networks. Florida's next game Saturday at Arkansas will air on ESPN2.
Hill said with the advent of the SEC Network next season, conference games will no longer air on CSS/CST. Whether the SEC Network will be available on Dish Network on DirecTV remains to be seen, but Hill said the network is in negotiations with a variety of providers before its August 2014 launch.
In other words, stay tuned.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Montague Leather Zipper Top Tote
Item: 1355300-009
In bright colors for spring, this 100% leather tote keeps all your goods super safe. It features a top zipper closure, front pocket and interior organizer for all your odds and ends. This bag was hand-crafted in NYC.
Approximate Measurements:
- Height: 14"
- Width: 12"
- Depth: 4.5"
- Straps: 30.5"
Light Blue, Orange, & Turquoise are $159.99
As seen in:
Back to Bags: 25% off ALL STYLES! Limited time only, discount in-cart.
Customer Reviews
Fabric content: Main:100% Leather
Care instructions: It is recommend to use a Leather Cleaner product called Lexhol which can be purchased $4-5 range from any shoe repair or hardware store. A half table spoon Lexhol liquid should be applied every 6-8 months with piece of cloth on the product. This application will remove any scuff or scratches due to extensive usage and can be repeated until the desired look attained.


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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.
LEADERS: Azerane Bam BinkyBunny JerseyGirl LBJ10 LittlePuffyTail LongEaredLions RabbitPam
I am one proud bunny mama! My little man's ears have dropped today properly without popping back up again today! He's about 6 weeks now, but I can't take him home for another month! Which is pretty rubbish, but I'm busying myself searching through thrift stores and a few pet shops for toys and pens and litter trays and bowls and goodness knows else! But anyway, ill show you the picture I took today!
The little Apollo! Sorry the pictures are upside down -.- if anybody could be so kind as to flip them for me, I'd be very great-full!
Very excited! I have literally 2 weeks and 6 days left till I bring him home. The countdown begins!
Im always going up to let him out for a play, since him and his current cagemates, (4 other youngsters) aren't always the ones picked by the breeder to come out, so I let them come out for about 30-45 minutes, sometimes longer, I've lost track of time before and they were out for 2 hours... Ooopsie! The poor babies were so tired! But, because its getting warmer I usually get them out for about 10 minutes then leave them in their cage infront of the fan for 10 then get them out again ect. I don't want them to overheat! The binkies I get though are priceless! I'd give you another picture, he's almost just past 7 weeks old now (the lady says anyway...?) but the ipad flips them upside down and stupid stuff like that -.- he's changed a LOT though.
How exciting! I know how you feel, I might pick mine up 3 or 4 days before you get yours
IF I get one, I still don't know for sure
Waiting is the worst isn't it?