text:
Rotastak Fairground Fun 21834: Reviews
|< Back to the Rotastak Fairground Fun 21834
|Please login to write a review
posted on 22/04/2011 16:16:08 by mikey giles
brilliant i bought this along with 2 x adventure zone and 4 x spagetti junctions to make a seriously good home for my mice thank you pet planet
Great for Gerbils
posted on 11/03/2011 13:39:05 by Mr Toad
I bought this for my sons new gerbils and they absolutely love it (the gerbils that is). Quite tricky to put together, felt like I should have been on Krypton Factor! Want to make it bigger with more add on tubes now.
Great cage
posted on 11/03/2011 11:19:49 by s buskell
This is a great cage for hamsters. The only down side is the tubing it can disconnect very easily if knocked.Have taken the tubing off and they still love the cage. Took quite a while to put together, the instructions were pretty unhelpful it is best to follow the picture on the box.
Excellent value for money, if a little tricky to put together!
posted on 03/03/2011 09:47:14
I bought this cage for my 5yr old sons Syrian hamster Lily. He picked it himself and I have to say after reading the previous reviews I was very apprehensive on putting it together. However, I didnt find the cage itself that difficult, I didnt go by the instructions I went by the picture on the box an it didnt take long at all, the tricky part was getting the tubing assembled. Having said that, once it was done my son absolutely loved it. The cage itself is very sturdy although I am a little unsure on the connections for the tubes, there is plenty of room inside and the wheel is very quiet. The only thing I would say is the tubes are quite narrow, and having quite a porky Syrian, she does find it a little tricky and did get stuck a couple of times at first but now seems to have got used to squeezing herself through.
The most difficult contraption in the world!
posted on 28/02/2011 19:53:22 by Hamster Cage Cleaner
Now it is together, I am sure the hamsters will love it and hopefully live happily ever after! I read the reviews warning of the perils in putting it together and thought; "I'm ok at this sort of thing it won't be that bad" - I was wrong. I am not sure what the total amount of time required equated too, but suffice to say there were four adults, including a scout leader, embroiled in it before we finished! Was it worth it? Nothing is ever worth the hastle this caused.....
Hard to set up but mouse loved it!
posted on 04/02/2011 16:28:44
This is one of the cheapest places Ive seen Rotastak houses and was deleivered quickly well within the estimated time. Product is good quality and my mouse absolutly loves it. However, never underestimate the reviews saying how hard it is to set up! I consider myself to be very practical but it took me a good few hours to get it all assembled, and some of the peices are quite stiff so I was really worried about breaking them whilst forcing them together. All in all deffinatly worth the effort if your pets happiness is important to you!
gerbils love it
posted on 10/01/2011 16:38:43 by robbo197
My two gerbils Trixie and Dixie absolutely love this item, i am forever changing it around (plus a little extra tubing) so it is new to them whenever they are cleaned out. It is also ideal as the sand and bedding (old inners from toilet rolls, they love to tear up) does not go everywhere when they are burying and digging. Absolutely great
Great so far
posted on 17/10/2010 10:59:22 by Chris Ruth n Biff
We love the cage so far! It did take two of us 2 hours to assemble - very frustrating. But we got our new 10 week old Syrian hamster Biff yesterday and within 20 minutes of being in the cage he had figured out the wheel and explored all of the tubes! Brilliant! He seems to love it. The wheel is very quiet, the tubes are a bit slippery for him but its only his first day. He seems happy. Not looking forward to cleaning, but I guess this is the same with all Rotastaks.
Great Fun item
posted on 31/08/2010 20:07:35 by chell-marston
I think this is great cage - not easy getting tubes together or lined up so went together. However Misty loves it and is great watching her play on different levels
Good product.
posted on 26/06/2010 20:43:57 by mgchippy
good cage but instructions not the best. Hamster seems to enjoy the three levels. tubes tricky to clean unless they are taken apart,too many holes in them let all the water out when cleaning. the tubes stick out quite far so to the side making the cage take up more space than originally thought. A very good product.
Great item
posted on 14/06/2010 10:07:34
Great item once I put it together! getting the tubes in the right position was tricky but other than that was fine. Twiddles loves it!
great price
posted on 02/06/2010 20:21:28 by tinksmate
Fab cage, fiddly to build but once built plenty of room for your hamster to explore. Tubes are a pain for cleaning but if you clean the cage section by section it takes not much longer than a "normal" cage would recomend highly
Good but big.
posted on 12/05/2010 21:44:51 by tinkerbell164
This was such a great buy and would recommend this to anyone who was buying 2 hamsters. It is really big so my hamster did get lost alot
Great Cage
posted on 02/05/2010 19:32:42 by lathamclan
Very fiddly to put together. Hamster loves it though, as does my daughter. The only downside is that you have to disassemble most of it to clean it properly...
so much fun !!
posted on 23/04/2010 17:09:35 by l-pollard1
We bought this cage for our 6yr old daughters' first pet hamster. It was a bit fiddly to put together, and we decided to leave the stickers off so that our daughter could see the hamster more easily. The hamster, altho only 5 weeks old, has negotitaed all the tubes very successfully (even sleeping in them !!) and our daughter loves watching the hamster run up & down them.... so much fun !
Good fun cage
posted on 03/04/2010 12:24:04 by jdlfc007
The hamster loves this cage and the kids love watching him. The only negative i can think of is the wheel on mine seems a bit stiff unless you pull the cap that holds it on out a bit so that the wheel is away from the cage. This then leaves you worried that the wheel can come off and the hamster would get out. Still love the cage though.
fairground fun is fun
posted on 28/03/2010 22:47:50 by emma
very pleased with the speedy delivery, came next day, unfortunatley one conpartment is crack, which were not happy about. but everything else was fine, not as complicated to put together as some people said, just takes paientice as its fragile. decided to keep it all one level as jim and bob couldn't climb the virtical tubes, but they are only 6 weeks old, other than the broken piece a great buy, and once the that is resolved a great home for our hamsters. xxx
PetPlanet Says:
my hamster loves it
posted on 05/03/2010 15:27:34 by familystanton
I got this for my hamster it is good value and the hamster loves it although did have some problem with the spiral tubing but just decided to leave it off and it still looks great
Excellent but...
posted on 27/02/2010 13:02:22
Excellent unit. Gerbils love and kids love watching them zipping around the tubes. However, they have started chewing the lid of the lowe cage. I wanted something deeper so that they can dig as they like to but that only allows them to reach the lid and chew through it. Other than that, excellent cage and entertaining for them and us. Bit of a fiddle to put together and a pain to clean but that's kind of expected given the style of the cage. I would still recomend this unit.
Fun For Hamsters
posted on 26/02/2010 09:45:18 by tpi-ltd
Took forever to put together but together but thats half the fun for the kids. Think the hamster likes it.
Very reasonable prices
posted on 12/02/2010 18:15:44
this item was delivered very fast and was a fraction of the price on the high street hamster is having lots of fun exploring the various areas will be doing business with this site again
Fantastic home for our hamster!
posted on 27/01/2010 21:09:30
Our new syrian hamster loves this fun filled house and our two children love watching her run all around it too. It has three levels and the hamster is living a life of luxury in this house and especially likes the treat compartment on the top. I was a little concerned about the tubes but she got up them straight away and they are plenty big enough, in fact i even caught her sleeping in one of them! It is actually very easy to clean too, I found the best way was to do a level at a time, put back together and wash the tubes down with the shower head last. Now for the bad bit, the instructions are virtually useless, it took us about three hours altogether, quite frustrating as it could have been done so much quicker if the instructions were better. We found it much more help by looking at the picture on the box and did it in no time after that. Would definitely recommend this product and i would use Pet Planet again, very speedy delivery too.
Perfect hamster home
posted on 21/01/2010 12:54:36 by Hayles
My hamster prefers this to every other rotastak home she has access to so thats why it gets 5 stars on everything! Was great value and very easy to put together.
Nice Item but read on if you have dwarf hamsters!
posted on 20/01/2010 14:32:12 by mullyashjenny
Concerns have been voiced in previous reviews about the difficulty in putting this product together. It took us about an hour, it is quite fiddly and a bit trial and error to get the tubes all aligned right. I think anyone with a practical mind would have no major issue with it. I have two dwarf hamsters robo's They are coping with the steep tubes but I have had to purchase 2 hamster ladders for the vertical tubes. Also they can not use the wheel, it is way too stiff. This meant they did not get enough exercise and have fallen out big style!!!! so beware. I have now bought a Super Pet Silent Spinner 4.5" Mini Wheel which is free standing inside the main area and replaced the original external wheel with another water bottle. Cleaning is a bit fiddly and takes about an hour to do.
A real Bargain
posted on 16/01/2010 19:14:43 by SOUTHY-SPOOKYMAGOO
Product arrived very quickly, well packaged. An unbeleivable price compared with local pet shops. Very pleased with service and the hamster loves his new home. Thanks.
Great value and great customer service
posted on 13/01/2010 18:35:59 by kathleen-james
Received very fast and exactly as described. The hamster loves his new home.
looks great
posted on 12/01/2010 11:30:02 by kyraleighowen
look brilliant and was easier to put together than what i thought it would be its huge aswell and my hamster loved it..she also died a week later but was nothing to do with the cage..great value for money costs much more else where
Bloomin 'a'
posted on 09/01/2010 17:41:58 by a-gates
easy to erect took an hour the tubes with rims join the curves with red rings once thats sorted plain sailing great value for money sparrow the hammie loves it on a down side we ordered this and got the wrong one sent i phoned and told the lady what had happend and within 24 hours our replacement was here superb service no complaints and we aim to buy more rotastak from here actually doing that after writing this. 10 stars outa 5
Hamster on the run!
posted on 28/12/2009 09:22:13 by dawn80
I was a bid doubtful about this product when I was putting it together. I felt there was a lot of stress on the blue conectors for the tubes. I kept the hamster at work during the week before Christmas, just in the base unit, which was fine. Once all together at home, I found myself constantly telling my little boy to be careful with the cage. It cannot be moved easily because the tubes keep coming away from the main unit. And then this morning, Fluffy The Destroyer, was gone. Although it looks fantastic I shall have to replace it with a more simple cage. I need the peace of mind that the hamster is safe. Petplanet, your service was brilliant.
Sorry its a Christmas present havn't opened it yet
posted on 14/12/2009 09:43:41 by val-atk
Good value for money
posted on 11/12/2009 16:50:49 by dream-possession
The cheapest this product could be brought for.
a bit tricky to put together but once it was up our hammie loved it
posted on 12/11/2009 14:35:19 by shortyhives
posted on 05/11/2009 17:55:25 by westyucandoit
Finished Product: Amazing!
posted on 27/10/2009 10:44:30 by james-smith1995
The main sections of the cage come in sections which quickly and easily get put together. It only took 10 minutes or so to get the cage sorted, though I then went onto the tubes. The tubes took a few hours to do-Though once I had done it, it was absolutely amazing! The cage is just stunning and it really makes you proud to see how good it is after all the effort you put into making it! Also, I have 2 roborovski dwarf hamsters in the cage and, to my suprise, they managed to do the tubes straight away-I expected it to take a few days! I would recommend this to anyone, the quality is Excellent and the value for money is amazing-I saved �20 by getting it online rather than buying it from Pets at Home.
great value
posted on 22/10/2009 09:49:44 by amandaboo2
although its quite testing to put together and took us about 2 hrs it was well worth it . our hammie loves this !!! i have a dwarf hamster and it did take him about 3 days to figure out how to use the pipes so dont panic if your hamster cant get up straight away he will figure it out !! i find it very easy to clean takes about 15-20 mins just make sure you remember what way you had the pipes positioned! This was great value and would recommened it ! There is so much room and things for your hamster to do and not only that but it gives me and the kids hours of enjoyment .
Goodd Value
posted on 14/10/2009 18:46:02 by Verity
I feel the product was a great buy, I haven't bought any Gerbils to vacate the cage yet, but so far looks great, and well worth the money cheaper then other websites and shops I have bought cages from the rotastak range before, and have been very pleased, not only are they secure, but look amazing too :
its greatt!.. and at a really good price !
posted on 08/10/2009 18:17:10 by mikki2-k-8
Great value product
posted on 06/10/2009 08:49:44 by teresa-lavender
The rotastak arrived promptly and my roborovski hamsters love it. Although the top part was cracked when it arrived customer services were brilliant and a replacement arrived by middle of following week straight from manufacturer. Brilliant service. The rainbow runner wheel was too stiff for the little chaps to use but I got a wonder wheel and they go round in it for hours. Tubes are excellent as they love going up and down but mouse ladders are needed for them to make it safely. Would definitely recommend this company to everyone.
Hammies love it but not very practical
posted on 08/09/2009 13:08:17 by lottybetty
I have 2 Russian Dwarfs in the cage and it's perfect size for them. I would say it is not suitable for Syrian hamsters with all the tubes and twists in the tubes they could get stuck as they are quite narrow. The cage took literally hours to build and it was very frustrating but the hammies love it, loads of interesting things to do and space to run. There is also spece to put toys and loo rolls in for them to play with. On the ground floor there is space for a decent sized house their food bowl and a toilet with plenty of space to run around. It is an absolute nightmare to clean, I can't dismantle the tubes and the hammies drag food, bedding etc into them and wee there so it gets smelly very quickly. I have to fill the bath with hot water and soak the tubes, use the shower, disinfectant and a bottle brush to try get them clean which is very time consuming. I would buy this cage again as the hammies love it but if you don't have a good couple of hours at least once a week to clean the cage get a much simpler one. Good value if you get it on sale but it is not worth the full price.
Fun but Frustrating!
posted on 13/08/2009 14:02:48 by angela-richards76
I bought this cage for my syrian hamster. As I bought it in the sale at 40% off I thought it was good value but I wouldn't want to pay full price for one of these. I found it incredibly frustrating to assemble, especially the tubes. Each section comes in two halves which have to be fitted together with a rubber ring. This was very difficult to do and took me hours! In fact I am still not using the largest tube because I cannot get it to align to the holes in the cage properly. For this reason I had to order some extra bungs to plug up the holes that were not being used. The cage is really only just big enough for my syrian hamster. The wheel was also quite stiff and she couldn't make it go round. I tried oiling it with vegetable oil but eventually just took it off and put her old wheel inside the cage instead. Having said all that, she does seem happy enough in her new cage. It's just a shame that I also now have a box of leftover bits that I couldn't get to fit properly. A bit disappointing but if you can put it together then its not a bad cage overall.
Good value
posted on 12/08/2009 09:09:27 by helen-l-antonelli
Good quality product which arrived quickly as promised. A little difficult to put together but I managed!
Fantastic - Great Value
posted on 08/08/2009 11:53:23 by andy-bacon
After my son wanted a new cage for his hampster, we trawled the sites when we found the above product. Did a bit of searching and found prices ranging from �35 this site to �58.99. Never used this site before but with these savings thought i'd go for it. Ordered on a Friday, paid for next working daya and got it first thing monday. Can agree with the other reviews that very fiddly to put together. Especially the tubing. However, once mastered found it helps to gently squeeze the red rings for the tubing, you carry on fairly quickly. It's great - his hamspter loves it. And if you're worried about cleaning it once it's together I know I was, I took it apart and had cleaned whole thing within 20-30 mins. - Will be using this company again!!!
great value
posted on 30/07/2009 20:08:13 by estelle-brown
my hamster loves it although it did take awhile to put it together,with the two of us. she has plenty of excersise and loves the wheel.Have had the rotastack for a few months and thinking of extending it to give Cybil more freedom.
Great fun hamster cage!
posted on 24/06/2009 20:06:52 by Coin
We got this a couple of weeks ago and our hamster, Tribble, loves it! Fast delivery, easy to use, great value as well although a little tricky to set up due to the instuctions not being totally clear. However, follow them and the image not he box and some trial and error, it's pretty easy to figure out :
great value
posted on 16/06/2009 21:18:44 by paul-jane-terri
great product at a really low price, and free postage, great value
Good product
posted on 21/05/2009 08:47:05 by david-m-robertson
Great product but our young hamster found it a little hard to climb the tubes. The instructions for assembly are poor. However it is good value for money.
We love it!
posted on 19/05/2009 21:20:31 by tina-emery
We looked on the net, and this was the cheapest we had seen. We had read the reviews and knew it may take time putting it together. It did take us about 2 hours all together, but the hamster, the kids and visitors say "wow!" It really is great, and its made in the UK!!!!
Good but...
posted on 15/04/2009 14:51:13 by lkg-4579
took ages and ages plus many people to finally put it together. It eventually took a 12 year old to put it together properly. Quite wobbly and didn't fit snuggly enough together. I would have been very disappointed if I had paid full price for this. But the baby Syrian hamster loves it!
posted on 26/01/2009 17:40:09 by sporadicmovement
excellent value, arrived in exellent time and in perfect condition!! my syrian hammy loves it to bits
My hamsters love it
posted on 25/01/2009 21:29:44 by tracey
I have two Roborovski dwalf hamsters and so was a little nervous buying this product after reading some other reviews. Contrary to others claims though they have yet to escape nor can I see how they would and they have not gnawed through any pipes they come with metal anti bite ends to go on the ends that they have access to so I'm not sure how they could. I do agree that it is a nightmare to errect and can well believe others claims that it took three hours I didn't time my attempt but it certainly wasn't quick. The tubes are much harder to put together than the ones that came with my previous savic model and the quality isn't amazing with some parts being damaged by the first construction. It took my two dwalf hamsters a while around 4 days to manage to work out how to get up the tubes, which are quite steep, but since they have they've been running round all over and seem to love their new home. Overall I'm very happy with this purchase and the value for money. It's just a shame that something that could be so easily resolved making the tubes easier to construct is the biggest cause of issues.
Great value
posted on 07/11/2008 09:22:57 by janester81
This cage is good fun, it does require alot of space as the tubes are quite long. I would not recommend this cage for dwarf hamsters unfortunately, our hamsters managed to escape through the small bars in the second unit and have never been found! They are renowned for been ascape artists and it is surprising what they can fit through.
my hamster made a hole in it in under a week!
posted on 30/09/2008 17:09:41
my hamster chewed through one of the tubes within a week! this isnot because it is board or does'nt get enough exercise, I let it out in its ball most nights! I was extremly disappointed with it and have had to return my lovely pet to its old cage. I think she is disappointed too!
posted on 29/09/2008 21:46:47 by phil-clarke
this was a great hamster cage. can add more to it
Great Fun
posted on 29/09/2008 10:56:48 by catherine-kinsella
Fantastic cage, my daughter and her hamster love it. It took a while to put the cage together because the instructions where not very clear, however its wonderful and fantastic value.
Great Value
posted on 27/09/2008 21:12:21 by chrisdennison
Great Value and great family entertainment when we were trying to errect it. It took us about three hours to sort out the pipes, it was like somthing from the Krypton Factor! The hamster loves it though.
great value,
posted on 05/09/2008 19:19:29 by lindaaston
just what we wanted and lot cheaper than argos
posted on 14/08/2008 01:11:52 by wormburr702
It's so cute, and my hamster just adores it!! I recommend it %100!!!
Great fun
posted on 07/04/2008 11:37:37 by healthy
My Hamster loves this home its great watching it run through the tunnels and she loves the space it gives her. The wheel is very quiet which is great.
posted on 04/04/2008 17:45:26 by moihahahaha
its pretty
great value, great fun
posted on 30/01/2007 12:02:17
after a lot of head scratching putting it together our hampster loves it and plays all the time in and out of the tubes,and on the wheel which is quiet when in use- BONUS)


text:
I teach a 'summer intensive' graduate course in Trade Research Methods at the University of Adelaide. In five days we cover everything from the role of evidence in public policy to how to write a report that your boss will read (and even understand). Most of my students have no formal training in statistics (or […]
Peter Gallagher
Peter Gallagher is a leading Australian consultant on trade and public policy.[bio].
"I can help you with strategies for, and analysis of, international markets, law and regulations, trade agreements, export policies, import restrictions… I also offer reports, conferences and master-classes for government officials and industry associations on international trade research."
Email: Peter Gallagher

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Prayers needed-UPDATE-pics added
Posted by + Show Post
Please pray for my niece and her unborn daughter.She was admitted to the hospital last night.Her due date is oct. 15th but they have to deliver her due to having pre eclampsia.Thank-you! I just talked to my sister and her (my niece) bp is 159/70.They are saying maybe a c section roday.
Sophia is here!!! She is 4 pounds and only measuring 33 weeks.She is in NICU and Ashley is still in surgery.
Replies (21-25):
I'm glad to hear she is doing ok! Your poor niece has been threw alot. Prayers are with her and her beautiful baby girl!! :)
Quoting momofsixangels:
Thank-you all.Ashley is doing well.She hasnt been able to hold Sophia yet.Sophia is on oxygen and a feeding tube but doing well.
Posted on CafeMom Mobile
Add your quick reply below:
You must be a member to reply to this post.


text:
skeetstick.com - Skeetstick Visit site
Title: Naked teen girl sex, shaved teen pussy fuck, pretty nude teen, young and nude girls, young girfriend sex, naked college girls fuck
Description: Sexiest naked girls exposes their young sexual body only for you! Naked teenies, shaved pussies, pretty nude bodies, skinny girls, horny girlfirends...! Only on SkeetStick.com we collect freshest and hottest naked teen girls and their young...
Created: 07 February 2011
Expires: 07 February 2018
Domain Name: SKEETSTICK.COM Registry Domain ID: Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.evonames.com Registrar URL: https://evonames.com/ Updated Date: 2017-03-16 10:14:47.346274 Creation Date: 2011-02-07 Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2018-02-07 Registrar: EVOPLUS LTD Registrar IANA ID: 1418 Registrar Abuse Contact Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Today, I was thinking how funny it would be to walk up to a total stranger and say "Bob?!… Bob Filangy??! (or whatever).. Wow, how long has it been??? 10 years?!!" and then continue to pretend like that person was an old friend from years past. Of course, I quickly realized that I didn't have the guts to pull it off.
I broke down and got a new mouse. It's one of those new-fangled optical ones. I must say it's really nice without the ball to deal with. Very smooth.


text:
Good, I thought EA had gotten away with it. Hope they get taken to the cleaners for this, false advertising is not on. I bought my copy of BF3 expecting it to include 1943 on disc
Printable View
Good, I thought EA had gotten away with it. Hope they get taken to the cleaners for this, false advertising is not on. I bought my copy of BF3 expecting it to include 1943 on disc
I could care less as I was disappointed by BF3 but I do agree with this they should be sued for something they advertised and then never went through with it.
You don't say something as an incentive for people to buy your game and then pull out at the last minute.
Some people just choose to not stand up for themselves.
So presumably everyone in this thread that thinks this is right & owns BF3 is filing a suit? I thought not. Why, because its not worth the time and effort.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I hope the same thing doesn't happen with BioShock Infinite. I wouldn't mind a free copy of the first Bioshock.
Thank god i have no interest in Battlefield.
publishers these days :roll:
But it's a class action. The individuals who bought the game don't have to do anything. The law firm just gets enough people signed on that they can go to court by themselves and say that x number of customers were screwed out of their game - and if the court rules against EA, all the customers should get their download code...and I'm sure EA will pay out some punitive damages that the lawyers will keep (which is fine with me).
There are a lot of frivolous lawsuits in this country, but I don't think this is one of them. EA spent money advertising the fact that you'd get this game if you bought BF3, so that more people would buy BF3 - then after the game came out and people bought it, they said "lol jk". That's a bait and switch. And they should be held accountable for it, so that not only do they not do it again, but that other companies don't get the same idea.
It may be an old $15 title to all of us individually, but to EA it'll be a substantial loss. I didn't buy BF3, so I don't even have a dog in this fight, but I definitely think it's a justified suit, and I wish them luck.
Sorry, going after EA's wallet is the best way to handle this. Claims court is specifically designed for this kind of thing. And it's the only thing I can think of that would get EA's attention, and dissuade them from doing anything like this again.
Yep. Just like the Saints Row ordeal they deserve what they have coming at them. At least they had the right idea to make up for it by offering something for consolation. I don't think EA ever did this with BF3. Not a smart move on their part. Had to know this was coming sooner or later.
That's not the whole case. I mean, they will get a good fine because in the United States it's consider illegal to use false advertise such is the case with EA. Because it's illegal to do that in the united states, EA's policy on lawsuits do not hold at all. The main reason why they put that lawsuit policy in was for this very reason, but in the court of law, depending on what it is, such as false advertising, that policy wont hold up in the court of law.
action does have to be taken in this case because if they get away with this then many more will get away with this. If EA loses this, they will be put as in example. Not only will the lawyers or whatever be completely rich off this, but in turn by law they will be fined and I think the fine is equal to a certain percentage of each one sold if the judge is really strict, otherwise it's based I believe on a percentage of what they made up to that point.
EA had it coming with this one. Although I don't really care (haven't bought BF3...), I already own 1943.
A lot of this imo boils down to major corporations such as this think that they can get away with anything because they have big expensive lawyers that will just get them a slap on the wrist. This sort of stuff happens all the time and hopefully this case will have a different result and companies will realize that they can't strong arm their customers and get away with it like they always do.
I don't see the problem.
They didn't bring you 1943 but instead they gave you One Week Exclusivity on all Downloadable Content!
Furthermore I think this has more to do with Sony than EA, Sony saw what Microsoft & Activiision were doing with Call Of Duty and since Battlefield 3 was Direct Completion, they ceased the chance to make PS3 Platform of choice for BF3, especially since Call Of Duty always performs better in sales on 360...
Maybe its because I'm not fussed about 1943, since I purchased it at release.
And at least they gave you something instead of totally not offering anything in replace!
And If were going by this logic the amount of Game Companies we could sue after they've promised X/Y/Z features to be in there game but never made it into release.
Within your saying you are actually saying to businesses that it's okay to do false advertising and I completely disagree with that, it's not okay and business that do that should be dealt with. EA was talking about how they are going to do better, but that isn't the case, they have been getting worse and what this shows is that if EA starts making a bunch of money, they would be one of the developers out there that will advertise something and then change it after they buy it just for the sake of sales. EA/DICE and their business practices have been atrocious and on top of that their business ethics blow.
while the game does have it's problems, the game is still good but there are way to many faults and horrible practices as well as bad ethics for this company. Unless EA and maybe DICE change their ways, they will always be a 3rd to 4th rated company, always. They have been trying to get out of that situation but their execution of it is making it worse. They deserve every bit of this lawsuit, you really shouldn't say otherwise because the evidence is there with written and told in their own words. so......
really though, while I agree with this lawsuit, I have no stake in the outcome. I will sit back and eat popcorn while EA/DICE makes a complete ass of themselves.
good, I hate false advertising. But at least EA didn't trick ppl into a $50/yr subscription just so they can give out MW2 & COD4 map pack as free/early DLC for the so call Elite.;) Oh it will happen!
Stupid EA this is how yo do it:
"Yes there will be dedicated server"
right before game release:
"yes there is dedicated server...for unranked match"
u need to learn from the Creative Strategist EA! Learn from the MasterRRRRSSS!
EA will probably do a thing where if you have a BF3 network pass you will then get the option to download the so called free game off the store for free just to get out of this mess as per usual, which in turn has wasted lots of money I assume TAX money is used to fund this sort of thing going after biggy corps or part of it in the USA????
If it did happen how many of you would play it constantly from the past I've just seen people get the trophies and then it just dies sure it would give a boost to people who have it now but it would be dead within 6 months again or not so busy. Yes they should be told off but the above will happen or a way to get it to BF3 owners thats all I am saying
sounds like fun, I hope all the BF3 owners get their 1943!
Do you think both their business practices are good? To you it's getting old but the fact that you are obviously going to stick up for bad ethics and practices on their part gets old as well.
-Unethical: as in when people were saying to DICE that the controls are off on the PS3 version, there is a slight delay and they weren't insulting anyone at DICE. Then DICE turns around and calls those people with analog control issues crackheads on Twitter. Alan kurts did that to someone. Daniel tells people to grow up (while I kind of agree with it, it still isn't a proper thing to do as a community manager) because they said in the beta O.M. wasn't going to be used in the beta, but it was. On top of that, they are telling old Battlefield veterans that BF3 is a true sequel to BF2 which it is not, they do that to rake in more sales. Also, people concerned about the flag placement in Karkand for BF3, they said it will have more then 3 flags, but the video shows that it has only 3 flags on the consoles. Alan new they were talking about the console version at that time. Then you have "you will get 1943 when you buy BF3 on the PS3". that didn't happen now did it?
I will add to this the fact that everytime Alan Kurtz mentioned something on the game, Daniel M. would contradict Alan, Then Karl T. would say something that would contradict both Alan and Daniel, then Bach would say something that contradicted Alan, Daniel, and Troedsson.
EA: then you have EA which was the company that promised 1943 but didn't deliver. Instead, while they had a better idea, the point being is using a free game to get sales will work, now they didn't announce the change until about a day before or It could have been right when BF3 released. regardless of their intentions it's considered false advertise because a lot of the sales could have been because of that free game which makes people want to pre-order it so they don't miss it.
As in unethical that is exactly what it is. It's not bashing them, it's calling them out which is what I did. They don't have good standards so because of that, their practices are unethical be it Twitter from the lead designer to using Twitter from the executive manager, to even the community manager. point being is that whenever they announce something or they say something using twitter, E3, etc etc you can't take it seriously, it's been like that for quite a few years when you pit both these companies together.
The difference here is that I am not bashing them for BF3, I like BF3. I am showing them out from what they do to other people within their fanbase including newer people they are trying to attract to their game.
Also B2K is now known to have 2 Conquest Variants 5 and 3 Flags, hence why they said Karkland has 5 Flags...So I don't see the problem with that.
And either way If it wasn't 2 Variants, that gameplay could have been older build.
Regarding the input delay: What he said was obviously not meant to be a direct insult. Much like 90% of the people on the internet call other people names without actually wanting to start a fight DICE expressed their opinion in a similar way. You may argue that it was too much but that expression alone does NOT make anyone unethical. Also, his response was aimed to those people complaining that they had changed the controls since the beta, which they actually didn't. As clarified in a later statement, the input delay is caused by a bug in the game code that is likely to be fixed with the next update. So he was right in basically telling people to shut up because in no way did they intentionally change the controls to piss gamers off...
And I FULLY support the community manager's drastic response regarding the amount of whiners that stalk their forums. It is seriously unbearable over there and every chance of having a genuine discussion about the game leads to disaster. You, out of everyone on here, should know that. I would be just as pissed if people kept on whining about my product that I kept on putting effort in for years. And I applaud the guy for actually voicing his opinion and how he feels about the whiners rather than typing up a quick generic response that you'd expect from every other company with a certain reputation.
Also, Battlefield 3, for me, feels like Battlefield 3. I know there's a fair amount of people that don't agree with that but it's called having an opinion. This is DICE's imagination of how BF 3 should look like and since they invented the franchise to begin with it is their right to design the game how they think it's best. Also read what krazey2k posted above. That should clear up some of your issues.
And yes, I agree with you in pointing out that EA did not really do the right thing here but I wasn't even talking about them. DICE was my point of reference. And in the end, it's EA holding back 1943, not DICE.
Lastly, let me just say that true unethical behavior is far worse than that. Just look at how Activision literally destroyed Infinity Ward in a matter of weeks. THIS is unethical behavior that keeps me from buying their products. EA/DICE may have their mistakes and flaws but that's nothing compared to true unethical behavior. In fact, EA has become much better since the change of leadership was announced a few years ago. Also, do you remember that video from a few months ago, trying to create more acceptance towards gay people in our society? This was an EA campaign that garnered much praise.
So you are actually wrong in assuming that I tolerate unethical business practices because, as I stated above, I refuse to buy another Activision game due to their more than lackluster behavior. And I don't want to start an argument but it seems you are more tolerable towards such practices since you bought BF 3 even though you are of the opinion that the game's developers act unethically. If I thought the same I'd drop the game in a second.
- Get IW to make a Billion dollar franchises, and refuse to paid them what they deserve.
- They in turn look for other ways (I mean who like to get screwed in the ass? Like seriously)
- Claim IW heads deflect and fire them. Keep all the money. Genius! Corporate master plan baby!:lol:
^^ Imo that's BEYOND unethical, more like some scheming ass shit, that some Bernard Madoff shit right there.
I guess it isn't in the game.


text:
PSI Bands: Stop Tossing Your Cookies
Been tossing your cookies a lot lately? Maybe morning sickness or maybe sitting backwards on that bus ride to work is just not working for you?
Psi Bands ($19.99 for two), quite simply, are acupressure wristbands for women and men who suffer from nausea (commonly caused by pregnancy, motion sickness, anesthesia, or chemotherapy). Psi Bands are worn at the same time on both wrists at the Nei-kuan point -- the area that provides nausea relief. Numerous scientific studies support the use of wrist acupressure in the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting. This therapy is popular because it is noninvasive, easy to self-administer and affordable (ding, ding). Unlike the other products on the market, they are adjustable at two points (around the wrist and at the acupressure point), stylish, drug-free, comfortable and waterproof.
My favorite part about the bands is that two moms looking for a natural way to treat their ongoing morning sickness created them. Determined to feel better without using drugs, they discovered the benefits of acupressure, an ancient healing art developed more than 5000 years ago that uses pressure to stimulate the body's natural self-curative abilities. Get them directly from PsiBands.com.
Who knew an anti-vomit bracelet could be so chic! To see all the cute styles,


text:
The Week at Duke {in 60 Seconds}: Senator Lugar; Touching Infra-Red
A week's worth of campus news delivered in a minute.
February is a busy month for major speakers on campus. Former U.S. senator Richard Lugar spoke last week about the "out of control" partisanship he sees in Congress. Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy gave the first of five lectures at the Duke Law School on the legal achievements of the Civil Rights Movement.
And coming up on February 25th, a talk by attorney Sarah Weddington who represented "Jane Roe" in the famous Roe v. Wade case. On the 28th, the ambassador of South Sudan Akec Khoc speaks on food security in Africa.
In science news... Duke researchers have developed a brain-machine interface that enables lab rats to perceive infra-red light through the sensory system normally used for touch. It"s a step in the development of neuroprosthetic devices for humans.
Want to buy a boat? After 31 years of service, the Duke Marine Lab's R/V Cape Hatteras research vessel is up for sale.


text:
Military Motorcycle Vests
These beautiful Military and Veteran Leather Motorcycle Vests are made of a High Grade soft touch leather featuring a front four button snap closure, two side slash pockets, and a interior left chest pocket.
PriorService.com 2002-2017. All Rights Reserved. email@example.com Call us toll free at 877.241.8611
Home Info Privacy Policy Return Policy Links Our Cycling Gear Store Reunions FAQ Site Map


text:
Oracle, the software company in Redwood Shores, Calif., said its president, Safra Catz, will take on the additional responsibilities of CFO. As finance chief, she replaces Jeff Epstein, Oracle's CFO since 2008, who resigned in April. Catz, 49, has served as Oracle's president since 2004. She was also the company's CFO from November 2005 to September 2008, after having served as interim CFO from April to July 2005. Oracle had $26.8 billion in fiscal 2010 revenue.
ITT Corp., the $11 billion engineering and manufacturing company in White Plains, N.Y., named Thomas Scalera CFO. He succeeds Denise Ramos, who will become the company's CEO after it spins off its water and defense businesses. Scalera, 39, is currently ITT's vice president of corporate finance. He joined the company in 2006 as director of financial planning and analysis and later led investor relations. Prior to joining ITT, Scalera worked at Dover Corp., R.R. Donnelley and the Pepsi-Lipton Partnership.
SunTrust Banks, the Atlanta-based bank with $170 billion in assets, named Aleem Gillani CFO. He replaces Mark Chancy, who was ap-pointed to the new position of wholesale banking executive. Gillani, 49, has served as the bank's treasurer since March 2010 and earlier was chief market risk officer. Before joining SunTrust in 2007, he held the same role at PNC Financial Services Group for three years. Earlier, Gillani worked in similar positions at BankBoston and FleetBoston.
YRC Worldwide, a transportation and logistics company in Overland Park, Kan., appointed Phil Gaines CFO and senior vice president of its largest operating division, YRC Inc., a new company formed as part of YRC's restructuring. Previously, Gaines, 47, was senior vice president of finance for YRC Worldwide. Over the course of his 22 years with the company, he has also served as chief accounting officer and corporate controller. YRC Worldwide had $4.3 billion in 2010 revenue.
PulteGroup, the Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based homebuilder, named Robert O'Shaughnessy CFO and executive vice president. He replaces Roger Cregg, who is retiring. O'Shaughnessy, 45, is joining Pulte from Penske Automotive Group, where he had served as CFO since 2007. He first joined Penske 10 years earlier and held various finance jobs, including controller, during that period. Prior to joining Penske, O'Shaughnessy was a senior manager at Ernst & Young.
Sonoco Products, a packaging company in Hartsville, S.C., promoted Barry Saunders to CFO and vice president. He succeeds Charles Hupfer, who is retiring. Saunders, 52, has served as corporate controller and chief accounting officer at Sonoco since 2008. Saunders has worked for Sonoco for 22 years in positions including director of finance for the company's European operations and director of corporate reporting and accounting. He began his career at Ernst & Young. Sonoco had $4.1 billion in 2010 revenue.


text:
The National Weather Service has issued a flash-flood watch for 53 counties in the state through Monday night. Little Rock, Fort Smith, Fayetteville and Jonesboro are among the cities included in the watch.
Forecasters expect a frontal boundary to stall and combine with an upper-level disturbance to bring widespread showers and thunderstorms to Arkansas. Two to four inches of precipitation are possible in the watch area, and some places could receive up to eight inches of rain.
Temperatures are expected to range widely Monday, from the middle 50s to the lower 80s.


text:
Keep alive WiFi in when phone is locked to be able to have WCF app that let receive notifications
I am very intersting in develop app in WCF that let me to receive notificaction from the server or other clients, but this is impossible for three main reasons:
1.- WiFi is disabled when the phone is locked.
2.- It's not possible to have an app in background that listens the communication channel.
3.- WCF don't let duplex communication.
4 comments
Javier Flores Assad commented
Hi Alvaro, your application would need to be running as a background task for it to run while the screen is locked or powered down.
Are you using one of the push driven notifications solutions?
Alvaro commented
yes, it affects to the battery, but it would be a user's decision.
DarrellCooper commented
yea ur right it would affect the battery
Scott Le commented
it should be an option for this because this will effect the battery life for sure.


text:
Duluth senator wants liquor stores open on Sundays
Duluthians who want to grab an extra 12-pack at the last minute before Sunday's Super Bowl have two choices: Head to Superior or go thirsty.
But Sen. Roger Reinert, D-Duluth, introduced legislation Tuesday that would allow Minnesota liquor stores to stay open on Sundays.
The bill would repeal what is among the last vestiges of Minnesota's strict "blue" laws that at one time kept stores and other facilities closed on Sundays, ostensibly to keep people in church.
Minnesota is one of 14 states that forbid retail liquor sales on Sundays.
"Minnesota's current statutes prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sundays puts our state at a competitive and economic disadvantage -- particularly in communities that border Wisconsin," Reinert said in announcing the bill. "Wisconsin already got a win with the Packers going to the Super Bowl, why give them another win with Minnesota tax dollars" from Minnesotans spending their liquor money across the border.
Analysts for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States found that cross border purchases by Minnesotans driving to Wisconsin account for about 3.1 percent of the Badger State's taxed liquor sales.
"This bill is about the free market, giving both businesses and consumers a choice," Reinert said. "Stores could still choose to be closed on Sundays, and consumers could choose not to make a purchase. But let's allow for the choice."
The change would pump about $10.6 million into Minnesota's tax coffers. Sundays also are a busy liquor-shopping day, especially for 35- to 54-year-olds who buy 43 percent of all booze.
Reinert introduced the same bill while serving in the House last year but it failed to advance. But Reinert says the increased tax revenue might look good to lawmakers struggling with a $6.4 billion shortfall for the 2012-13 state budget.


text:
Tagged: jggh Production
A New Community Halo 3 Video
You may remember the above video from a few months back. I said then that it was so fun to make digging in peoples file shares and seeing all the epic pics I found. I also found some awesome videos,… Read More »
Halo: Kick Ass Montage
It's been a long time since I have taken anytime to put up a new video. Well, to be honest I still didn't take any time. I just raided peeps file share as well as my own and created this… Read More »
junegore is a Driver
While Doug has been busy planning the joint site event with BigBird and GamerMilk, I have been working on something a little more personal. I have never made it a secret that I like and prefer racing games. This site… Read More »
Searching For Player's
We are making a film we need more players to fit in spots. we need 2 players for the role of " The Leader" "Heavy Machine" and players for ODST troops and this would be awesome. If any gamers out… Read More »
A Member Made Video!
Finlay after all this time of only me uploading videos. Tiger and bdtrunks made their own I have wanted member videos up for some time now. So this pleases me much. This vid was made on Saint's Row 2. jggh… Read More »
A History of Violence
About a month ago I had the idea that when I had enough footage from racing games that I would put together a crash compilation. Well, I knew it would be a pain in the ass, but I had no… Read More »
jggh:Year One The Video
Over the past week or so I have been searching through tons of screens and game videos putting together a celebration video. There are a lot of shots in this video. To be honest most from Burnout, Midnight Club and… Read More »
He Missed..
I think I have said before I used to play Halo 3 all the time. Well, I thought I should share some of those videos. When I was going through pictures looking for good screen shots for the year celebration… Read More »


text:
Bob Green, 88, died Friday, Sept. 8, 2000.
A native of Oconee County, Mr. Green was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Green Sr.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Barbers Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Jerry David officiating. The body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Survivors include four daughters, Jessie Reynolds, Statham, Mary L. Hunter, Bogart, Ruby Gilbert, Jefferson, and Lila Knox, Cincinnati, Ohio; two sisters, Janie Sydnor, Alexandria, Va., and Lizzie Kinney, Washington, D.C.; two brothers, Charles Green, Boston, and Lonnie Green Jr., Capitol Heights, Md.; 14 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
Eberhart and Son Mortuary, Winder, has charge of arrangements.
Athens Daily News, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


text:
Winning the train debate station-to-station
Our friends at the state DOT have decided to toss the horse's head into the bed of the Oconomowoc Common Council, saying the train station was a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.
The state Department of Transportation has dropped plans for a high-speed rail station in Oconomowoc, claiming city officials said they didn't want one.But city officials disputed that statement Wednesday, saying they never withdrew support for the station. They said they had only raised questions about costs and financing for it.
"We were asking questions, trying to gather more information, and for that we were eliminated," City Administrator Diane Gard said.
Oconomowoc was to be one of three intermediate stops between downtown Milwaukee and downtown Madison on a planned $810 million rail line. Stations are also slated for Brookfield and Watertown. Starting in 2013, the train would offer six round trips daily between Wisconsin's two largest cities, although not all trains would stop at the smaller stations.
In a letter Tuesday to Oconomowoc Mayor James Daley, state Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi said the city had expressed support for a station since 2000, and had been included in the train plans on that basis.
But after an Aug. 2 workshop in Oconomowoc, Busalacchi wrote, "You have indicated you no longer have interest in a station in the city of Oconomowoc. . . . Due to the lack of interest by the city, we are discontinuing further discussions on a planned station in Oconomowoc."
If the whole state shows a lack of interest in the project, will the state DOT under Governor Jim Doyle cancel the entire project?
Unfortunately for Doyle and his designated successor Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett the train issue has become really unpopular. People are showing up to meetings and asking tough questions like, who is going to ride this thing, and, how much is it really going to cost? Doyle and Barrett can't afford tough questions like that because Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is using the issue against them in the campaign for governor. And the more there is discussion about the unpopular not-really-high-speed trains, the more Walker gets to remind audiences he will cancel the train.
So Doyle and his DOT are sending Oconomowoc (and through them, Brookfield) a message: stop asking questions.
Residents of Oconomowoc should hold their elected officials accountable and demand they continue to ask questions about the cost of the train system and the stations. Remember, the everything over $5 million of the construction costs of the station are the responsibility of the residents of Oconomowoc, and all the operating costs of the station. They're already dealing with the boondoggle known as Pabst Farms. How much more can the Oconomowoc taxpayer endure?
If it means not getting a train station, c'est la vie. (The train supporters will like me using French.)
Meanwhile, residents of Brookfield should be asking some very tough questions, too. Brian Fraley was at last night's meeting in Brookfield and reports the crowd was 80 percent opposed to the train. Here are some of the unanswered questions from last night's meeting:
- The DOT has been all over the place as far as what the required size of the Brookfield station would be. Whether the proposed station would cost 17.9 million or as much as $30 million would depend on the parking requirements (which have ranged from around 250 to as high as 550).
- The state will only commit to paying $5 million toward construction of the station. This includes roadway and safety upgrades as well as land acquisition costs.
- Brookfield would be stuck with annual maintenance costs for the station, which could range from a low of $30,000 annually to a high in excess of $100,000 a year.
- Due to the fact the train will share tracks with freight trains, the train will not be high speed for some time.
- The DOT claims traffic disruption on most cross streets would be no more significant that a typical stoplight, although it would take 'a little longer' at the intersections closer to the station.
- DOT anticipates but would not guarantee the labor to construct the line would be from Wisconsin-based companies.
- City officials do not anticipate the need to widen Brookfield Road to accommodate any increase in traffic.
- DOT officials estimate 124,000 passengers per year will either get on or get off the train in Brookfield.
- No figures were available for the increased cost of road maintenance or police protection that would be necessitated by the foot and car traffic due to the development of the Brookfield station.
- The fare costs are unknown. (However, in its application for federal funds the state estimated the cost of a ticket from Milwaukee to Madison to be between $22 and $33 each way.)
- The amount of annual state subsidies to operate the train is unknown.
- The per-passenger mile cost of the route is unknown.
- Any federal monies spent on the plan would have to be returned if the line and station is not operational for 20 years.
I've now attended a few meetings regarding the Madison to Milwaukee rail project and a pattern has developed.
What is known is the amount of federal taxes will be used (up to $810 million).
What is known is how much the state taxpayers will pay to construct the station in Brookfield ($5 million).
But there are so many unknowns. Including, it has to be noted, whether the new Governor will go through with the project. Barrett says he will, Walker has been adamant that he will not (to the point of even running television ads about that pledge) Neumann has agreed with Walker.
Given the uncertainties, why would local officials green light the use of even one dime of precious tax dollars on this boondoggle, at this time?
Fraley calls for a referendum to be held in Brookfield before any commitment is made to build the train station. Probably a good idea, and consistent with the number of referendums on proposed RTAs in Wisconsin. Oconomowoc, if the state changes its mind, should consider having a referendum, too.
Meanwhile, at least one Democrat, Milwaukee County Clerk Joe Czarnezki, is saying he would like to scrap the idea of building any stations in Waukesha County because we're unworthy. While it's clear that Czarnezki's motives are more the result of a general dislike of anyone west of 124th street, Czarnezki may become the most popular Democrat in Waukesha County. However, given the financial failure of one train station in Milwaukee, would Milwaukee County taxpayers or Wauwatosa residents be really excited about subsidizing two such losing operations? While it would make it easier for county bureaucrats to journey to the government Mecca of Wisconsin that is Madison (expensed to the taxpayers, of course), I'm sure Wauwatosa would like to put the issue to referendum first as well.


text:
|Número de publicación
|Tipo de publicación
|Número de solicitud
|Fecha de publicación
|14 Oct 1997
|Fecha de presentación
|12 Abr 1995
|Fecha de prioridad
|12 Abr 1995
|Número de publicación
|Takeshi Ishii
|Cesionario original
|E. F. Johnson Company
|Exportar cita
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Citas de patentes (36), Otras citas (4), Citada por (36), Clasificaciones (12), Eventos legales (6)
|Enlaces externos: USPTO, Cesión de USPTO, Espacenet
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electronic communication devices, and more particularly, to electronic communication devices having a rotatable cover secured to a housing by a hinge assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Portable electronic communication devices, such as cellular telephones, radio transceivers for trunked radio communication, transceivers having both telephone and dispatch capability, and other such devices, frequently include a main body surrounded by a housing, and a foldable cover pivotally mounted on the housing. In its closed position, the cover protects a keypad of the main body from foreign matter and from unintentional actuation of the keys. Closing the cover also provides greater compactness and thus enables easier storage of the device. In some devices, opening the cover activates the device to allow voice and data transmission. A built-in microphone can be disposed within the cover, or, alternatively, within the main body of the device.
PCT International Publication No. WO 93/18592, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses one type of radio transceiver, a portable radiotelephone having a foldable cover. The cover includes a hinge arm, which houses two hinge pins that rotate with the cover. A single spring urges the hinge pins into engagement with a housing of the radiotelephone, and the hinge pins include cam surfaces for engaging cam followers affixed to the housing. Rotating the cover between its open and closed positions exerts force upon the cam surfaces of the rotating hinge pins to urge the cover into or out of the open and closed positions.
The radiotelephone of the PCT Publication suffers a significant disadvantage in that the cover of the radiotelephone cannot be removed easily. Removing the cover may be necessary, for example, during overhaul or repair of the radiotelephone, or for storage or shipment of the radiotelephone. To remove the cover, the hinge pins must be disengaged from the housing, that is, each hinge pin must be moved completely into the hinge arm of the cover. The spring of the PCT hinge assembly, however, forces both hinge pins securely into the housing, and very little spacing exists between the housing and the cover. Therefore, moving the hinge pins into the hinge arm to disengage the cover from the housing is very difficult. In fact, the PCT Publication fails to indicate whether removal of the cover is even possible.
The radiotelephone of the PCT Publication also suffers another disadvantage, in that a single spring urges both hinge pins into the housing. Failure of the single spring would reduce or eliminate the force urging both hinge pins into the housing, potentially causing the cover to disengage from the housing and resulting in loss or damage to the cover and any electrical components extending between the cover and the housing. Similarly, failure or removal of one of the hinge pins would compromise the force on the other hinge pin, potentially causing the cover to disengage from the housing.
Finally, the radiotelephone of the PCT Publication concentrates a relatively high amount of weight in the cover. The hinge arm of the cover, which extends across the cover in its entirety, adds substantial weight. Additionally, the hinge pins are secured to and rotate with the cover, further increasing the load on the cover. Increased cover load undesirably increases the wear on the hinge pins and on those portions of the housing that receive the hinge pins.
To overcome the above and other disadvantages, an electronic communication device according to an embodiment of the invention includes a housing, a cover mounted on the housing to rotate about a pivot axis, and at least one hinge pin extending along the pivot axis between the cover and the housing. The at least one hinge pin supports the cover for rotational movement about the pivot axis. Further, one of the housing and the cover including an aperture extending therethrough, the aperture having an inner opening that is smaller than a diameter of the at least one hinge pin and that is coaxial with the at least one hinge pin, the aperture allowing access to the at least one hinge pin from outside the electronic communication device to facilitate removal of the cover from the housing.
According to another aspect of the invention, an electronic communication device includes a housing, a cover mounted on the housing to rotate about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position, and at least one hinge pin extending along the pivot axis between the cover and the housing and supporting the cover for rotational movement about the pivot axis. The at least one hinge pin includes a recessed portion, a portion of the cover moving along the recessed portion as the cover rotates to urge the cover toward the open position and toward the closed position. The at least one hinge pin remains stationary as the cover rotates.
According to another aspect of the invention, a portable radiotelephone includes a housing and a cover mounted on the housing to rotate about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position. The radiotelephone further includes hinge means for supporting the cover for rotational movement on the housing, the hinge means comprising recess means for urging the cover toward the open position and toward the closed position. The cover includes aperture means coaxial with the pivot axis and extending through the cover for allowing access to the at least one hinge pin from outside the radiotelephone to facilitate removal of the cover from the housing.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of removing a cover from a housing of an electronic communication device includes inserting a removal element through an aperture in at least one of the cover and the housing, and sliding the at least one hinge pin of the device along the pivot axis with the removal element to release the cover from the housing.
Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the Figures, in which like reference numerals denote like elements and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable radiotelephone according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the FIG. 1 radiotelephone, showing alternative positions for an extendable antenna and a keypad cover;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the FIG. 1 radiotelephone;
FIG. 4 is a detailed exploded view of a hinge assembly of the FIG. 1 radiotelephone; and
FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the keypad cover of the FIG. 1 radiotelephone, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 1-5 of the application illustrate a keypad cover hinge of a radiotelephone according to the invention. The invention, however, is not limited to hinges for keypad covers, and further is not limited to hinges used in radiotelephones. On the contrary, embodiments of the invention have application to a wide variety of portable electronic devices and other devices, not just radiotelephones. Additionally, embodiments of the invention have application to other hinges on such devices. Therefore, while preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with respect to keypad cover hinges for portable radiotelephones, the invention is not limited to such devices.
FIGS. 1-3 show an electronic communication device, specifically a radiotelephone, according to the invention. Device 5 includes housing 15, which supports keypad 13 in a preferably fixed orientation and which rotatably supports keypad cover 10. Keypad cover 10 rotates about pivot axis 57 (FIG. 3) between the closed position of FIG. 1, in which cover tabs 35 are engaged with housing recesses 40, and the open position of FIG. 2. The transmission capabilities of device 5 can be activated or modified by rotating keypad cover 10 into the open position, or, alternatively, the transmission capabilities of device 5 can be unrelated to rotation of keypad cover 10 and instead activated by an external switch or the like.
Housing 15 includes a centrally located hinge extension 20, which preferably is disposed below keypad 13 and which is used to rotatably support keypad cover 10 in a manner to be described. Keypad cover 10 also can assume other positions and orientations according to alternative embodiments of the invention, for example at the side of keypad 13 instead of below it.
Keypad cover 10 includes two hinge-pin-accommodating portions 25, disposed in alignment with and on opposite sides of hinge extension 20, and toward the outside of device 5 with respect to hinge extension 20. Portions 25 include hinge pin sockets 50 (FIGS. 3-5), which receive respective hinge pins 55 to secure cover 10 with respect to housing 15. Each hinge pin 55 is slidable along pivot axis 57 between a cover-securing position, in which hinge pins 55 extend between hinge extension 20 and keypad cover 10 to secure cover 10, and a cover-releasing position, in which hinge pins 55 are within sockets 65 of hinge extension 20 and are withdrawn from sockets 50.
Biasing elements 60, preferably in the form of coil springs, bias pins 55 toward their cover-securing positions. Springs 60 are coupled with pins 55, either by non-affixed frictional abutting contact or by a more permanent type of fastening means. Springs 60 preferably do not contact each other within hinge extension 20, but instead are separated by a central solid portion between the opposite sockets 65 of hinge extension 20. Thus, springs 60 are compressed between hinge pins 55 and wall portions such as wall portion 67 defining the bases of sockets 65.
Using two springs 60 instead of a single spring provides significant advantages over the prior art. If only one spring were disposed within hinge extension 20, failure of that spring would compromise the force urging both hinge pins 55 into hinge extension 20, potentially causing cover 10 to disengage from housing 15 and resulting in loss or damage to cover 10 and any electrical components extending between cover 10 and housing 15. On the other hand, the two springs 60 according to the invention provide redundancy, such that cover 10 is more likely to remain on housing 15 if one of springs 60 fails. Similarly, if device 5 included only a single spring, removal or failure of one of hinge pins 55 would compromise the force on the other of hinge pins 55.
As shown in FIG. 3, sockets 65 of hinge extension 20 each include posts 70 (may be shown in FIG. 4 in phantom), for receiving central cavity 58 of hinge pins 55 10. (FIG. 4) as well as the central opening of springs 60. Additionally, pins 55 include longitudinally extending channels 80 for receiving projections 75 of hinge extension 20. Although two channels 80 are illustrated in FIG. 4, disposed on opposite sides of each hinge pin 55, a single channel or more than two channels can also be used. The interlocking relationship between projections 75 and channels 80 prevents pins 55 from rotating within hinge extension 20. Thus, hinge pins 55 remain stationary as cover 10 rotates with respect to housing 15.
Hinge pins 55 include grooved/recessed end portions 59, which cooperate with protrusions 120 of cover 10 to urge cover 10 toward its closed position (FIG. 1), preferably when cover 10 is nearer its closed position than its open position along its path of rotation. Similarly, cooperation between end portions 59 and protrusion 120 urges cover 10 toward its open position when cover 10 is nearer is open position than its closed position along its path of rotation. End portions 59 thus act as cams, and protrusions 120 as cam followers, to snap cover 10 to the open position when, for example, device 5 is to be used, and to the closed position when, for example, use of device 5 is completed.
Grooved end portions 59 of hinge pins 55 each include two high portions 97, 113 and two low portions 93, 105. Ramped portions 90, 95, 100 and 110 extend between high portion 113 and low portion 93, low portion 93 and high portion 97, high portion 97 and low portion 105, and low portion 105 and high portion 113, respectively. Although the illustrated grooved end portions 59 are designed to begin urging cover 10 toward either the open or closed position at approximately the halfway point along the swing of cover 10 between its open and closed positions, end portions 59 can also be designed to begin urging cover 10 toward the open or closed position at different points along its path of rotation.
As best shown in FIG. 5, protrusions 120 are disposed within sockets 50 of hinge-pin-accommodating portions 25, and each protrusion includes ramped surfaces 125, 135 meeting at tip 130. In the closed position of cover 10, tip 130 is positioned at low portion 93 of hinge pin end portion 59. As cover 10 rotates on hinge extension 20 towards its open position, tip 130 travels along ramped surface 90 toward high portion 113, which according to the illustrated embodiment corresponds approximately to the half-opened/half-closed position of cover 10. If cover 10 is released before reaching the halfway point, tip 130 slides back toward low portion 93 and thus cover 10 snaps to its closed position once again. Once tip 130 passes high portion 113 and encounters ramped portion 110, however, release of cover 10 causes tip 130 to move toward low portion 105, and cover 10 thus snaps to its open position instead of its closed position.
According to the illustrated embodiment, each hinge pin end portion 59 is formed symmetrically about a line extending between high portions 97, 113, that is, the shape and disposition of ramped portions 90, 95 and low portion 93 are identical to those of ramped portions 100, 110 and low portion 105. Consequently, each hinge pin 55 can be inserted into socket 65 of hinge extension 20 without regard to its orientation, after ensuring that channels 80 are aligned with projections 75. In this embodiment, high portion 113 is formed as a plateau instead of as a point, to provide an area where tip 130 could remain without sliding toward low portions 93 or 100. Thus, cover 10 can remain in a half-opened/half-closed position. Alternatively high portions 97, 113 can both be point surfaces, in which case no half-opened, half-closed position would be created.
Device 5 also includes apertures 45, each disposed within hinge-pin-accommodating portions 25 along pivot axis 57. The inner opening of each aperture 45, best seen in FIG. 5, is smaller than a diameter of hinge pin 55, to prevent hinge pin 55 from sliding through the aperture. Apertures 45 allow insertion of a cover removal element, such as a pin or other long object of small diameter, through cover 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover removal element engages a cylindrical cavity 118 within the center of end portion 59 of hinge pin 55 and moves hinge pin 55 against the biasing action of spring 60, until hinge pin 55 is completely withdrawn from socket 50 of cover 10. Once hinge pin 55 is removed from cover 10 and substantially within hinge pin socket 65 of hinge extension 20, cover 10 can be easily removed from housing 15. Apertures 45 thus facilitate removal of cover 10 from housing 15 and represent a significant advantage over prior art devices, in which removal of the keypad covers was quite difficult, if not impossible.
According to the illustrated embodiment, apertures 45 are within hinge-accommodating-portions 25 of cover 10. According to an alternative embodiment, however, hinge extension 20 can be formed in two portions to surround a single hinge-accommodating-portion of keypad cover 10. Note, for example, previously described International Publication No. 93/18592. In the alternative embodiment, apertures 45 are disposed in each of the two hinge extensions along the pivot axis, that is, in the housing of the device, to facilitate removal of the cover from the housing.
As described above, a hinge according to the invention represents a number of advantages over the prior art. Keypad cover removal can be accomplished quickly and easily, merely by inserting a cover removal element through apertures 45 to remove hinge pins 55 from the cover. Providing two springs instead of a single spring creates redundancy and lessens the likelihood of accidental disengagement of the cover from the device. Finally, high weight concentrations in the cover are avoided, decreasing wear on the hinge pins and on those portions of the housing that receive the hinge pins.
While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the description is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
|Patente citada
|Fecha de presentación
|Fecha de publicación
|12 Feb 1975
|9 Dic 1975
|Marlboro Manufacturing Inc
|Hinge structure
|7 Oct 1976
|14 Feb 1978
|Henry Soss And Company
|Pintle with adjustable spring tension motor
|21 Ene 1986
|3 Mar 1987
|Motorola, Inc.
|Portable radio transceiver
|4 Nov 1988
|30 Ene 1990
|Motorola, Inc.
|Multipurpose hinge apparatus for foldable telephones
|15 Sep 1986
|6 Feb 1990
|U.S. Philips Corporation
|Encased electric component
|4 Nov 1988
|27 Feb 1990
|Motorola, Inc.
|Battery housing with integral latch and positive displacement apparatus
|4 Nov 1988
|27 Mar 1990
|Motorola, Inc.
|Mechanical fastening system for an electronic equipment housing
|4 Ene 1988
|7 May 1991
|Motorola, Inc.
|Rotatable contactless antenna coupler and antenna
|27 Abr 1990
|2 Jul 1991
|Motorola, Inc.
|Latch assembly
|21 Sep 1990
|5 May 1992
|Hyundai Electronics Ind. Co., Ltd.
|Locking hinge device for the LCD screen of a word processor
|7 Ago 1991
|5 May 1992
|Fujitsu Limited
|Portable telephone set
|2 Abr 1991
|26 May 1992
|Motorola, Inc.
|Control signal initiator responsive to a hinge position
|24 Abr 1990
|23 Jun 1992
|Motorola, Inc.
|Electromagnetic shielding apparatus for cellular telephones
|20 Nov 1989
|15 Sep 1992
|Motorola, Inc.
|Communications device with voice recognition and movable element control interface
|13 Dic 1991
|12 Ene 1993
|Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
|Shaft slide-locking apparatus
|28 Mar 1991
|9 Feb 1993
|Motorola, Inc.
|Multiposition detenting hinge apparatus
|24 Sep 1991
|23 Feb 1993
|Fujitsu Limited
|Adaptor for mounting portable radio apparatus to moving body and charger for portable radio apparatus
|7 Ago 1991
|1 Jun 1993
|Fujitsu Limited
|Telephone handset including directional microphone module
|18 Mar 1992
|10 Ago 1993
|Motorola, Inc.
|Electromagnetic shielding apparatus for cellular telephones
|31 Jul 1991
|31 Ago 1993
|Motorola, Inc.
|Telephonic handset housing assembly for cordless telephone
|22 Dic 1992
|7 Sep 1993
|Motorola, Inc.
|Battery housing assembly with integral limited travel guide rails
|26 Feb 1991
|26 Oct 1993
|Fujitsu Limited
|Portable telephone
|22 Ene 1992
|2 Nov 1993
|Motorola, Inc.
|Molded-in antenna with solderless interconnect
|3 Mar 1992
|4 Ene 1994
|Ericsson Ge Mobile Communications Inc.
|Hinge mechanism
|8 Oct 1991
|4 Ene 1994
|Motorola, Inc.
|Communication device having a speaker and microphone
|1 Feb 1991
|11 Ene 1994
|Motorola, Inc.
|Integral spring loaded hinge and switch for portable radio device
|2 Nov 1992
|12 Abr 1994
|Fujitsu Limited
|Portable telephone having a detachable functional module
|6 Jul 1993
|31 May 1994
|Motorola, Inc.
|Door cover assembly
|30 Sep 1992
|7 Jun 1994
|Nec Corporation
|Hinge mechanism for foldable electronic apparatus
|5 Mar 1992
|5 Jul 1994
|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Portable radio having cover releasing mechanism and receive switch which are operable together
|9 Sep 1991
|2 Ago 1994
|Fujitsu Limited
|Portable telephone and multifunctional protective housing therefor
|18 Mar 1983
|20 Sep 1984
|Siemens Ag
|Schnurloses telefon
|Título no disponible
|Título no disponible
|Título no disponible
|8 Feb 1993
|16 Sep 1993
|Motorola, Inc.
|Hinge assembly
|Owner s Manual for Cordless Electronic Telephone; Realistic Du o fone, ET 415; Cat. No. 43 555 (1984).
|Owner s Manual for Micro T.A.C. Lite Digital Personal Communicator; Motorola (1992).
|Owner's Manual for Cordless Electronic Telephone; Realistic Duofone, ET-415; Cat. No. 43-555 (1984).
|Owner's Manual for Micro T.A.C. Lite Digital Personal Communicator; Motorola (1992).
|Patente citante
|Fecha de presentación
|Fecha de publicación
|5 May 1998
|19 Oct 1999
|Strawberry Corporation
|Hinge device
|15 Oct 1997
|7 Dic 1999
|Motorola, Inc.
|Hinge suitable for use in a foldable device
|14 Oct 1997
|13 Jun 2000
|Bayrami; Fred
|Dual purpose flip shield for retro-fit to an existing hand-held cellular phone
|15 Jun 1998
|15 Ago 2000
|Motorola, Inc.
|Hinge pin
|28 May 1998
|26 Sep 2000
|Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson
|Hinge mechanism
|24 Mar 1998
|26 Sep 2000
|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Housing device with cover
|31 Ago 1998
|19 Jun 2001
|Sony Corporation
|Wireless telephone with an ergonomic grip or handle
|1 Nov 2000
|10 Feb 2004
|Spx Corporation
|Door for computing apparatus
|21 Ago 2002
|30 Mar 2004
|Lite-On Technology Corporation
|Automatic releasing hinge
|27 Feb 2003
|1 Mar 2005
|Benq Corporation
|Flip phone having a hinge mechanism with an auto-lock function
|11 Feb 2003
|15 Mar 2005
|Benq Corporation
|Hinge mechanism
|30 Mar 2004
|17 Abr 2007
|Vertu Limited
|Mobile communication device and a cover for the same
|21 Mar 2006
|14 Oct 2008
|Shouye Niu
|Spring hinge using clutch structure for eyeglasses
|16 May 2003
|30 Dic 2008
|Harrison Jr Shelton E
|Flexion-discouraging splint system, method and device
|16 Dic 2005
|24 Feb 2009
|Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
|Cover restricting mechanism of foldable electronic device
|16 Dic 2005
|12 May 2009
|Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
|Cover restricting mechanism for foldable electronic device
|19 Mar 2007
|6 Dic 2011
|Nokia Corporation
|Radio telephone
|17 Feb 2005
|3 Jul 2012
|The Procter And Gamble Company
|Sanitary napkins capable of taking complex three-dimensional shape in use
|15 Jun 2011
|3 Sep 2013
|Pegatron Corporation
|Supporting structure module and electronic device using the same
|8 Jun 2012
|22 Abr 2014
|The Procter And Gamble Company
|Sanitary napkins capable of taking complex three-dimensional shape in use
|14 Mar 2014
|28 Feb 2017
|The Procter & Gamble Company
|Sanitary napkins capable of taking complex three-dimensional shape in use
|11 Feb 2003
|4 Sep 2003
|Long-Jyh Pan
|Hinge mechanism
|27 Feb 2003
|18 Sep 2003
|Long-Jyh Pan
|Flip phone having a hinge mechanism with an auto-lock function
|16 May 2003
|13 Nov 2003
|Harrison Shelton E.
|Wearable computing system, method and device
|16 Jul 2002
|22 Ene 2004
|Sabella Robert J.
|Combination sheet pad
|21 Ago 2002
|26 Feb 2004
|Silitek Corporation
|Automatic releasing hinge
|30 Mar 2004
|14 Oct 2004
|Vertu Limited
|Mobile communication device and a cover for the same
|11 Oct 2002
|10 Feb 2005
|Hiroshi Sudo
|Hinge device and cellular phone using the same
|16 Dic 2005
|22 Jun 2006
|Fih Co., Ltd
|Cover restricting mechanism of foldable electronic device
|16 Dic 2005
|6 Jul 2006
|Fih Co., Ltd.
|Cover restricting mechanism for foldable electronic device
|21 Mar 2006
|28 Sep 2006
|Shouye Niu
|Spring Hinge Using Clutch Structure for Eyeglasses
|3 Jun 2005
|28 Dic 2006
|Altec Lansing Technologies, Inc.
|Control panel door apparatus
|25 Jul 2005
|8 Feb 2007
|Adamant Kogyo Co., Ltd.
|Internal optical fiber hinge system for a consumer electronic device
|19 Mar 2007
|17 Ene 2008
|Nokia Corporation
|Radio telephone
|16 Dic 2003
|15 Ago 2007
|Mobile phone and lifting lid mechanism
|16 Mar 1999
|23 Sep 1999
|Orang-Otang Computers, Inc.
|Key palette improvements
|Clasificación de EE.UU.
|455/575.8, 16/303, 455/351, 455/348, 16/342
|Clasificación internacional
|Clasificación cooperativa
|Clasificación europea
|16 Oct 1995
Owner name: E.F. JOHNSON COMPANY, MINNESOTA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ISHII, TAKESHI;REEL/FRAME:007687/0563
Effective date: 19950920
|13 Abr 2001
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|14 Abr 2005
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|14 Abr 2009
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|21 Sep 2010
Owner name: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS;ASSIGNOR:E. F. JOHNSON COMPANY;REEL/FRAME:025017/0464
Effective date: 20100813
|28 Mar 2014
Owner name: E.F. JOHNSON COMPANY, TEXAS
Free format text: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION;REEL/FRAME:032554/0712
Effective date: 20140324


text:
Two successful franchises merge in hopes of making tons of money in LEGO Rock Band. Not exactly news, but the past LEGO ventures with Star Wars and other film properties have fared much better than their Bionicle line. Will merger magic strike triple platinum this time around, or is LEGO Rock Band just another brick in the wall of me-to music games?
If you've played a Rock Band game, you know the drill. For the uninitiated, you can play any song on the disc from the get-go, solo, with full band, or anything in between. The competitive tug of war and score duel modes are missing in action. The more gamey conceits are found in the story mode. Create a LEGO person, form a band, and play gigs, gain fans, and cash. Except instead of cash, it's bricks, the currency and very life force of all things LEGO. These bricks let you acquire more modes of transportation for new gigs, hire personnel to raise fans and bricks, and purchase body parts for your rockers and bric-a-brac to customize your pad.
Gigs usually consist of playing songs or a set, but you'll occasionally experience flashbacks and step into the LEGO mono-colored pants of rock luminaries like Bowie or Queen. Likewise, there are rock challenges that throw a bit of LEGO narrative into the mix, where your playing affects what happens in the background. Most of the time, though, you'll be too busy staring at the highway of incoming notes to notice.
The 40-plus songs included have been chosen to be kid-friendly, with a heaping pile of classics and some newer hits that fall under the emo banner. There's nothing more risqué than, say, questionable Bryan Adams number "Summer of '69."
So, you've put a band together and are ready to rock. Rock Band hasn't changed much in its LEGO incarnation. Guitars, bass and drums make music by responding to a constant barrage of notes running down their respective lanes on screen. Simply match the colored note with the guitar fret or drum pad and strum or hit respectively. Vocalists need to carry the tune within a generous pitch range with lyrics racing across the screen. The core concept is simple; it's in the mastery where the fun rests.
LEGO Rock Band is consciously using its LEGO heritage to appeal to kids, with a couple game-assisting additions. Super easy mode asks you to just hit anything, drum, guitar or mic, when there's anything to hit at all. An auto bass kick option let's you save wear and tear on your ankle. Most telling is what happens when you fail. You loose a portion of your bricks, but are put back in the game with a chance to reclaim them, even at the hardest difficulty. The only events you can actually fail are the rare rock challenges.
The vocal harmonizing element seen in The Beatles Rock Band is absent. The final addition is the ability to switch to shorter versions of the songs. They're like radio edits, getting in the good parts without having to go round the chorus again and again. For the most part, it works, though some songs seem to end abruptly. Also, playing guitar to Queen's "We Will Rock You" is pretty stupid. It's Rock Band with some optional training wheels--basically what was advertised. The songs aren't by Raffi, but fit within a top 40 radio playlist that plunders past decades.
The game starts with a promising opening, aping Rock Band's own van odyssey, with occasional pantomimes in the story section as well. A lot of the unlockable items aren't specifically LEGO, nor are many parts of the background. The result ends up feeling like a missed opportunity to inject some LEGO flavor into the presentation.
Purchasing things with bricks instead of building them, even if just in name, seems fundamentally un-LEGO-like. Half the fun with LEGOs should be building, and even with the constant unlocks, it never seems to live up to the ideal of customization you'd expect.
Any game with the Ghostbusters' theme is already on a pedestal, but the song list looks a little thin and not as consistent as we've seen in games based on specific bands. This is probably what happens when a game relies on the banner of family friendliness instead of solid a musical motif.
There's nothing all that wrong with LEGO Rock Band. There're some fun songs to rock out to, all with most of the functionality of its big brother, and a handful of alterations to make the game easier. It's $10 dollars less than most titles, but it costs a tenner to export the songs. There's no instrument bundle, so if you don't already have an arsenal of plastic instruments, you'll need to buy them separately. The LEGO appeal is ultimately superficial, so you'll only really buy this if you like the music. If the 40-odd songs seems like a good deal for 50 bucks, than pawn the Fender Stratocaster and start rocking.
Reviewed on Microsoft Xbox 360.
Source: Harmonix


text:
The Cowboys' annual Silver & Blue Debut is set for Thursday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Read »
The Cowboys will hold a free and open practice this afternoon at Cowboys Stadium as part of the annual Miller Lite Silver & Blue Debut. Read »
This year's Silver and Blue Debut practice is Wednesday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and it's free to get in. Read »
Members of the Dallas Cowboys were full of praise for fans after a crowd of 21,000 plus attended the Silver and Blue Debut on Tuesday at Cowboys Stadium. Read »
The Cowboys' Silver & Blue Debut and a Rangers-Yankees showdown mark an ultra-busy day for DFW sports fans. Read »


text: Alen Corporation A350 Air Purifier Review YouTube Video I always thought that I was allergic to cats, not dogs, until I recently took an allergy test due to complications from Lyme Disease (which kicks up allergies badly). It turns out I'm not allergic to cats, but I'm allergic to DOGS! I'm a dog trainer. I rescue and foster dogs. I have three dogs. Dogs are what I do! I set out to find a way to clean my environment as much as possible to eliminate as many allergens as I could. It was the only way I could help my body heal. If you're unwell and you are continually exposed to allergens, you don't get better. It turns out that keeping your pets clean is only one small way to... Read more →


text:
Probing microbes to determine what they are made of and what drives them requires more than mass spectrometers, microarrays, and microscopes. Computational models run on supercomputers have been key contributors to our growing understanding of these single-cell organisms.
How Microbes Help DOE
The Department of Energy seeks to understand the diverse range of biochemical pathways that enable microbes to survive under extreme conditions--high temperature, high radiation, and high concentrations of toxic chemicals. DOE is interested in harnessing the genes of microbes whose talents could help DOE meet its missions in environmental bioremediation, climate change, and energy production.
For example, the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand high doses of radiation because its cells efficiently repair radiation damage. These bacteria also might be able to convert radioactive uranium in storage ponds from a soluble to an insoluble form so that this toxic metal stays put in the sediments instead of dissolving in water that may flow off-site. Thus, it might be possible to harness the genes of D. radiodurans for remediating sites with mixed wastes--combinations of radioactive materials and toxic metals. Use of genes with the right abilities from bacteria such as D. radiodurans and Shewanella oneidensi (studied at ORNL) could potentially save DOE billions of dollars in toxic waste cleanup activities.
Genes and other DNA sequences contain instructions on how and when the cell should build proteins. Proteins form complexes, or molecular machines, that do the work of the cell.
Certain bacteria in the ocean and on land absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and perform photosynthesis.Harnessing the genes from these bacteria would help DOE achieve its goal of finding ways to halt the buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide from energy production to counter global warming.
DOE is also interested in microbes that produce clean fuels, such as methane, methanol, and hydrogen. ORNL researchers are focusing on Rhodopseudomonas palustris, whose genes might be harnessed to produce hydrogen for possible use in power-producing fuel cells for cars and buildings in the envisioned hydrogen economy. ORNL researchers and their colleagues are studying these microbes as part of DOE's Microbial Genome Program and Genomes to Life (GTL) Program.
Computational biologists working with supercomputers at DOE's Center for Computational Sciences (CCS) at ORNL have a long history of contributing to an understanding of microbial genes. They have identified many genes in bacterial, mouse, and human genomes and have computationally analyzed the human genome using ORNL-developed gene-finding computer programs. ORNL researchers also have written and used assembly programs and analysis tools to produce draft sequences of the 300 million DNA base pairs in chromosomes 19, 16, and 5 for DOE's Joint Genome Institute (JGI) as part of DOE's Human Genome Project.
Some have analyzed 60 complete and draft microbial genomes containing 230,000 genes and used computers to keep up with JGI sequencing rates of a genome per day. Others have predicted the structures of proteins from amino-acid sequences using an ORNL-developed protein-threading computer program.
Bioinformatics specialists from ORNL and the University of Tennessee have written algorithms and developed other tools to make it easier for biologists to use com-puters to find genes and make sense out of the rising flood of biological data. These data are produced in studies of biochemical pathways and processes, cellular and developmental processes, tissue and organism physiology, and ecological processes and populations. Through ORNL's user-friendly Genome Channel web site, its Genomic Integrated Supercomputing Toolkit, and CCS supercomputers, the international biology community, including pharmaceutical industry researchers and academics, have easily obtained genetically meaningful interpretations of their DNA sequences and other data. ORNL's web site, especially the pages supporting the Human Genome Project, is the focus of approximately 150,000 sessions per month in the biological community.
ORNL computational scientists are now working with research partners in the GTL Program to develop high-throughput computational tools for rapidly analyzing, interpreting, and communicating the volumes of data on, for example, five novel proteins that the partners discovered during research on R. palustris. Analytical tools and algorithms will be needed to determine how proteins interact, stimulate chemical reactions, and move materials inside and out of cells when exposed to different conditions. Proteins turn genes on and off, regulating their activities. When a bacterial cell is moved from clean water to polluted water, proteins in cells capture environmental signals and turn on genes that make special proteins enabling the cell to adapt to a new environment. Computer models will be built to characterize this cascade of changes.
Institute Missions
The Computational Biology Institute (CBI), led by Jeff Nichols, has been formed as a multidisciplinary partnership to develop and provide innovative computational algorithms, analysis tools, and data and hardware infrastructure to enable a scientific understanding of the molecular interactions typical of networks of proteins in complex microbial and metazoan systems-- primarily bacteria and mice. ORNL traditionally has conducted research on mice to determine the genetic effects of radiation and toxic chemicals on mammalian systems; radiation and toxic chemicals are byproducts of weapons development and energy production, which have long been missions of the U.S. government. CBI will analyze, model, and simulate molecular interactions and networks of interactions among proteins and cells from microbes and mice.
What are the CBI focus areas? One is microbial genome analysis--determining which genes are present in each genome. Another is mass spectrometry analysis-- modeling data from mass spec experiments to determine which proteins are made in the cell and when they are used. Another focus area is molecular interaction image analysis, investigates which proteins interact with each other, and when and where. CBI scientists will also use molecular machine modeling, docking, and dynamics to determine which molecular machines are made to do the work. A final focus area is molecular interaction networks modeling and simulation, which describes the web of interactions that transmit information to control the cell.
To precisely describe these bio-molecular interactions involving networks of cells and biochemical pathways, CBI will foster interactions and networking among researchers who need access to supercomputers to better understand data produced by experimentalists at ORNL and at universities. Most of the research is sponsored by DOE and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which provides funding for neuroscience studies by members of the Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium with whom ORNL mouse biologists work. Some small research projects at CBI involving single principal investigators are sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
CBI comprises researchers largely from ORNL's Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, and Computer Science and Mathematics divisions. These researchers also collaborate with researchers from the University of Tennessee and other universities.
Computational research planned for the future will require leadership-class scientific computing. This capability should enable researchers to simultaneously track 100 moving proteins in a live microbe with the help of imaging technology and to meet a GTL goal of completely characterizing a microbe in a year.
By combining experimenters' analytical capabilities with the mathematical and simulation capabilities of CBI, the biology community will have a better understanding of the function of large macromolecular complexes, the control of gene expression, cell membrane dynamics, metabolism, and signaling and environmental responses. Single cells are very small, but the complexities of their workings and interactions demand large networks of interacting researchers using very large computers.