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We have some great news for customers looking to differentiate their low-power and long-range wireless devices using our proprietary wireless EFR32 Flex Gecko family. Silicon Labs just released another proprietary wireless solution – the new Flex Gecko EFR32FG14, which achieves significant low power gains and offers many of the same peripheral capabilities found in our previous Flex Gecko solutions.
The EFR32FG14 expands on the success of the EFR32FG1 products by offering remarkable low-power benefits with up to 48 percent sleep current reduction, and new flexibility to connect to more peripherals, such as VDAC and OpAmp support. The new solution maintains RF performance enhancements from previous solutions while offering similar Flash and RAM memory options and improved security features.
As always, our first priority during our design process is to listen to what our customers need to say and strive to make improvements based on their feedback. This new Flex Gecko solution is no different, and our customers will immediately see the low-power and performance benefits. New improvements to the EFR32FG14 include enhanced 2.4 GHz RF performance, deep sleep data processing, improved security with a new true random number generator security management unit, and boosted Sub-GHz performance with improved 2/4 (G) FSK sensitivity.
To simplify product spec comparisons, we specified the test conditions of our Flex Gecko products in our documentation materials as clearly as possible, with minimum and maximum values for key parameters, and also provided RAIL-based application code examples using the FM modes.
With more than 250 million Silicon Labs proprietary wireless ICs shipped to date, the new Flex Gecko solution furthers our expertise and footprint in the proprietary wireless market. The wireless Flex Gecko portfolio supports sub-GHz and 2.4 GHz designs with a single chip, simplifying board development, inventory management, and time to market for our customers. Our new solution along with all of our Flex Gecko devices are footprint compatible with the Blue Gecko and Mighty Gecko devices, allowing customers to add multi-protocol support into their designs later with minimal changes. Ultimately, Flex Gecko provides a seamless migration path to multi-protocol applications requiring the addition of BLE, Zigbee or Thread.
The EFR32FG14 product will be used for a wide variety of low-power and long-range communications devices, such as smart meters, electronic shelf tables, home automation, security systems, lighting controls, medical emergency devices, and agricultural applications.
As the IoT market continues to explode, the popularity of proprietary wireless solutions increasingly grows as designers look to optimize the performance and cost of their products without being constrained by industry standard or alliance requirements. From a market standpoint, we understand how critical it is for our designers to design a highly optimized proprietary network, which can often make a product stand out from competing products with unique performance and feature differentiators.
Despite the popularity of proprietary wireless solutions – building out the designs can sometimes be a challenge for designers as it requires a deep understanding of all aspects from the physical layer and regulatory requirements to the network layer and application layer. Our Simplicity Studio development software simplifies this process and helps Flex Gecko customers maximize their hardware while creating unique device innovations. Go here to learn more about our supporting software development kits.
Pranav Kaundinya has been a member of the Power and Isolation – Design team since September 2015. In his role as Design Engineer he's involved in the entire pipeline of chip design, starting from NPI (new product introduction) to supporting applications and testing products after a launch.
Kaundinya was born in India, but lived in New York for several years before returning to India for middle and high school. He attended MIT in Boston before interning at Silicon Labs in the summer of 2014. As an NCG (new college graduate), Kaundinya has continually demonstrated his organizational and technical skills. Principal Design Engineer, Alan Westick said of Kaundinya, "[He] has been productive on his own assignments, striking the right balance between using proven design approaches where possible while coming up with creative solutions where innovation is needed to meet the product requirements."
Kaundinya's favorite thing about working at Silicon Labs is the people. He thinks Silicon Labs employees are "talented and friendly people to work with and learn from." He said, "Even though we're no longer a startup, we're still a small company and run like a startup in many ways (e.g. Tyson comes to our happy hours)."
When asked where he'd go if he could travel anywhere in the world, Kaundinya said he'd go hiking in Bhutan, "the happiest place in the world." He added, "I think it would be a unique experience to visit one of the last places in the world that is relatively untouched by technology and globalization (TVs were banned in Bhutan until the early 2000s). It's also really hard to visit."
Always up for a challenge – we like your style! We're proud to have you on the Silicon Labs team. Keep up the great work!
Title: Webinar: Expanding Device Capability with Multiprotocol Connectivity
Date: December 13 & 14, 2017
Duration: 1 hour
Multiprotocol connectivity makes it easier to deliver proximity-based mobile experiences with Bluetooth beacons through connected lights and building automation systems. Consumers also gain the ability to commission, control, and monitor IoT devices operating in Zigbee® mesh networks directly over Bluetooth® with smartphone apps. Smartphone control of connected devices is achieved through a single multiprotocol SoC or module supporting Bluetooth with low energy functionality and Zigbee, eliminating the need for gateways or border routers to send or receive messages to the cloud.
In this webinar, we explore how multiprotocol wireless technology advances IoT connectivity for next generation applications that are easier to deploy, use, and update.
Join our hour-long webinar and get your questions answered during our Live Q&A session at the end.
Today we've introduced multiprotocol wireless software to drive advanced functionality for next-gen IoT applications by making it possible to unlock key benefits of both the Zigbee and Bluetooth low energy protocols. One of the exciting things about this multiprotocol solution is that it makes additional functionality possible for IoT devices without the complexity and cost that comes with a two-chip architecture, reducing cost and size by up to 40 percent.
Users can commission, update, control, and monitor Zigbee mesh networks over Bluetooth with smartphone apps and the software makes it easier to deploy indoor location-based services by extending Zigbee-based lighting systems with Bluetooth beacons.
Smart lighting is one application that benefits because consumers can use their smartphone to simplify device setup. Added to this, commercial Zigbee systems can be updated via a Bluetooth smartphone or tablet. IoT products inside the home can connect to popular automation platforms and that support Zigbee while at the same time supporting connectivity to smartphones for simple setup, control, and monitoring. Smart Buildings will also be able to get in on the action. Building automation systems based on Zigbee can be extended, making it possible for employees to interact using Bluetooth enabled devices.
For lighting in particular, multiprotocol connectivity is an area that is making it possible for manufacturers to distinguish themselves. Multiprotocol functionality makes it possible to simultaneously combine protocols like Zigbee with Bluetooth® on a single chip through intelligent time-slicing. Used together, a lamp can communicate with established Zigbee mesh-enabled devices while providing Bluetooth beaconing and smartphone-enabled light control. Hardware supporting multiprotocol and developer tool features to consider when selecting a platform for designing control and lighting systems are also examined.
Check out the whitepaper, "Enhancing Smart Lighting with 802.15.4 Mesh, Bluetooth, and Multiprotocol Connectivity."
Our dynamic multiprotocol software is driven by powerful wireless protocol stacks and an advanced radio scheduler running on Micrium OS. The software development kit (SDK) is available in Simplicity Studio and includes a connected lighting demo supported on selected Wireless Gecko starter kits and mobile app reference designs.
Title: Design a Multiprotocol Device in 3 Hours
Date: Tuesday-Thursday, December 5-7, 2017
Time: 12:00 PM Central Standard Time
Duration: 3-day workshop, for 1 hour each day
With Silicon Labs' software and hardware, you can design a single product that supports multiple wireless connectivity protocols. During our 3-day online workshop, we will spend an hour each day developing a Bluetooth and Proprietary multiprotocol project with the new Thunderboard Sense 2.
Day 1 we will briefly discuss Silicon Labs' Bluetooth stack and introduce Simplicity Studio. We will walkthrough developing a Bluetooth project using the GATT editor in Simplicity Studio. By the end of the lab, we will use our Blue Gecko mobile phone app to modify the Thunderboard Sense's RGB LEDs using the device's GATT characteristics.
Day 2 we will discuss Silicon Labs' Flex SDK which allows the developer to implement their own proprietary wireless networks. We will walkthrough a lab using the Flex SDK's RAIL library to transmit data across a proprietary network. By the end of the lab, our goal is to update the RBG LEDs of multiple Thunderboards across a proprietary network.
Day 3 we will discuss the Gecko Bootloader of the EFR32 chipset and how it's architecture allows us to switch application images and wireless stacks. Our final lab will combine the previous Bluetooth and Proprietary projects using the gecko bootloader. By the end we will be able to set the RGB LED values of a Thunderboard via Bluetooth then reboot it into a proprietary network to update surrounding devices on the network.
Note: At least two Thunderboard Sense 2s are recommended to test a network on Days 2 and 3. However you can still walk through the labs using a single board.
Silicon Labs CMO Michele Grieshaber takes a moment to review one of Silicon Labs' four core values.
We hire, foster and empower great talent.
At Silicon Labs we believe this great talent can come from anywhere and anyone. Therefore we support a diverse workforce, from gender to age to ethnicity to sexual orientation, and so on. We also support and believe in the importance of STEM initiatives around the globe. Venn diagram these and you'll get Women in Tech.
Our Chief People Office, Lori Knowlton, elaborated on our support of women in tech in a recent article: "Women bring new ideas and perspectives to the table. And in doing so, they open the door to well-rounded thought processes that create better, more flexible products and higher performing teams. Successful teams employ a combination of left-brain and right-brain thinking. Companies who deeply understand and invest in the value of diverse, inclusive thinking are outperforming and outthinking their competition. By three times."
Within the last couple of years a grassroots movement was started by a few women at Silicon Labs with the mission focused on support, inclusion and driving change. It started as a get-together by a small group within a specific department and has since expanded to include anyone who wants to participate within the organization. The Women @ SiLabs group is currently lead by Holly Ammerman, a Senior Product Marketing Engineer, and co-chaired by Renee Curfman, our Director of IT Infrastructure Services. One example of this group driving change is its work with the senior leadership team, and one-on-one with current and future women to make sure they're growing and have all the opportunities awarded to them so they can help Silicon Labs get to where it needs to be.
Renee Curfman shares her perspective: "We have this opportunity to really bring amazing innovation and change to this industry. I think we can get there faster and we can get there better if we do even more to open up that conversation and include more women. There's always more work to be done to demonstrate your commitment to diversity and having different values and frames of mind at the table will propel us forward faster."
We believe it's very important to amplify these voices and to engage in a conversation about gender and diversity. Hear the advice some of our employees give to women trying to break into the tech industry:
While this video represents just a few of the gems these ladies shared, we'll continue to share more of their powerful thoughts on our social media channels. We encourage you to follow along and join in the conversation.
Let's continue the conversation:
Hi, community members!
As I'm sure you can tell, we launched an improved Silicon Labs community experience we are calling The Red Planet.
But this is more than just a facelift. The community will continue to be a great space for you to ask technical questions, share your ideas, and learn more about our latest solutions; however, we do have some key changes. We now have higher quality search, a product-centric architecture, and improved integration between our technical resource library and the community.
Here are some things to get you started:
1) Update your profile.
2) Review the community guidelines.
3) Read about our new ranking and reputation structure.
4) Please share your feedback on the new experience.
Our mission is to help you build something great, and we look forward to hearing from you!
Helge Langen joined Silicon Labs as a summer intern during the summer of 2016. In his current role as Hardware Engineer for the IoT MCU & Wireless team in Oslo, Langen's responsibilities include hardware design, design testing and firmware development. He said his role requires him to "combine technical knowledge with creative skills to achieve the desired level of esthetically pleasing products." His typical day at the office entails working on a variety of projects that can range from using a computer, a microscope and tweezers or even a hammer!
His supervisor, Jørn Norheim said Langen is great at his job and requires little or no detailed information. He continued, "Regularly we get into the situation where I say, 'Oh, [Langen] already did that thing I was thinking we should do to get the project completed. Well, that's nice!'" Norheim continued, "He's the sort of person that does not spend too much time talking, but rather spends his time on doing. Really, really well."
Langen's favorite thing about working at Silicon Labs is he gets to do things he enjoys every day with a team of nice, talented people, while having fun. In addition to his day job, Langen is an avid runner. In fact, Norheim calls him "one of Norway's best runners." Langen said his favorite Silicon Labs value is 'we do the right thing' because it reminds him of when he's running. "The competition is sufficiently fierce to force me to do the right things at practice every day to keep up – since there will always be someone else doing the right things most of the time as well," he said. "Having success in the semiconductor business requires no less attention to continuous improvements."
Helge Langan, we're glad you're on the Silicon Labs team. Keep up the great work!
Recently a vulnerability called KRACK in Wi-Fi security, which exploited the Key Reinstallation process part of WPA2, was discovered and published by researchers. This impacts all manner of Wi-Fi-based devices, including phones and laptops, but more importantly it's affecting connected cameras, bulbs, medical devices, and HVAC systems as well. This class of devices, referred to as IoT devices, are especially vulnerable because they don't come with an easy way to locate, identify, and update them in the field. Since these devices do not have a user interaction model or attendant management infrastructure such as the ones that are taken for granted with smartphones, they are at risk for an extended period of time.
Vendors are, rightly, working diligently to make software updates available that will patch the issue. Even after the patch is made available, the issue still remains because distributing these updates to the product fleet is a significant gap. Current retrofitting processes, such as emailing customers or dispatching field service teams to update the products, are simply too slow, expensive, or do not provide enough coverage. According to HD Moore, a network security researcher at Atredis Partners, some of these devices may stay vulnerable for decades[1].
The solution lies in designing in an efficient device management service for product fleets, be it consumer or commercial connected products, from day one as insurance against future vulnerabilities. The service needs to have three key aspects:
Silicon Labs' offers a solution to this problem in the form a cloud-based service called Zentri Device Management Service. This is a hardware agnostic service that is already helping customers identify the security posture of their fleet and apply software updates gradually or all at once. Additionally, the service can monitor the security fleet and be used to selectively disable or de-activate compromised devices.
Learn more at zentri.com and sign up for additional information here.
[1] https://www.wired.com/story/krack-wi-fi-iot-security-broken/
Hello and welcome to the "Clocktoberfest" edition of the Timing 101 blog from Silicon Labs.
Nice weather is starting to arrive here in central Texas. By late September and October we get hints of cooler and less humid days to come. Those of us of German descent, and plenty who are not, may celebrate Oktoberfest or some local variant such as Wurstfest in nearby New Braunfels. So "Happy Clocktoberfest!" from the Timing group.
This month I am going to discuss a very common question that arises when measuring the phase noise and phase jitter of relatively low clock frequencies. All things being equal, we generally expect divided-down lower frequency clocks to yield lower phase noise than higher frequency clocks. Quantitatively, you may recall this as the 20log(N) rule.
However, the 20log(N) rule only applies to phase noise and not integrated phase noise or phase jitter. Phase jitter should generally measure about the same. Further, as we get low enough in frequency we do not find this relation to hold true in actual measurements. So the question this month is - why is that?
The 20log(N) Rule
First, a quick review of the 20log(N) rule for those who may not be familiar with it:
If the carrier frequency of a clock is divided down by a factor of N then we expect the phase noise to decrease by 20log(N). For example, every division by a factor 2 should result in a decrease of phase noise by 20log(2) or about 6 dB. The primary assumption here is a noiseless conventional digital divider.
Why is this? The output of a practical digital divider is rising and falling edges with the signal at a logic high or low level otherwise. Jitter is presented at the rising and falling edges only. The proportion of jitteriness to each clock cycle is reduced. Our intuition may suggest that if we reduce the number of jittery edges then we reduce the jitter transmitted by the divided down clock. That turns out to be correct.
Formally, this can be written as follows:
What About Phase Jitter?
We integrate SSB phase noise L(f) [dBc/Hz] to obtain rms phase jitter in seconds as follows for "brick wall" integration from f1 to f2 offset frequencies in Hz and where f0 is the carrier or clock frequency.
In practice the quantities involved are small enough for good clocks that the RMS phase jitter, for a 12 kHz to 20 MHz jitter bandwidth, is on the order of 10s to 100s of femtoseconds.
Note that the rms phase jitter in seconds is inversely proportional to f0. When frequency is divided down, the phase noise, L(f), goes down by a factor of 20log(N). However, since the frequency goes down by N also, the phase jitter expressed in units of time is constant. Therefore, phase noise curves, related by 20log(N), with the same phase noise shape over the jitter bandwidth, are expected to yield the same phase jitter in seconds.
An Example
Let's look at a specific example. As an experiment, I took an Si5345 jitter attenuator, input a 25 MHz clock, and configured it so that I only changed an (internal) output divider by factors of 2 to obtain frequencies running from 800 MHz down to 50 MHz. I then measured the phase noise using an Agilent (now Keysight) E5052B and compared the phase noise and phase jitter for each case. Five runs were averaged and correlated for each frequency. I omitted any spurs for clarity and to simplify the experiment.
Through the magic of MS Paint and use of the "Transparent Selection" feature I am able to overlay all of the E5052B screen caps as follows. (If the runs are identical each time only unique text is obscured.) In the figure below, the traces generally run top to bottom in descending carrier frequency, i.e. 800 MHz, then 400 MHz, etc. on down to 50 MHz. The shapes of the curves are the same except where the curves are compressed at the highest offset frequencies.
I then tabulated the measured phase jitter results over the 12 kHz to 20 MHz jitter bandwidth as follows:
There are two immediate observations we can make from the overlaid plots and the table.
Despite the 20log(N) rule, the phase jitter is getting worse as I decrease the output clock frequency, especially below 200 MHz. These lower frequency clocks measure far jitterier than expected. Thus arises the case of the jitterier divided-down clock. So what's going on?
Curve compression due to the apparent phase noise floor appears responsible for the differences in the calculated RMS phase jitter. Let's verify that by comparing the data from 10 kHz to 20 MHz offset for the 800 MHz and 100 MHz cases. All of the spot phase noise data came from the original markers plotted except for the 20 MHz points which were estimated from the screen cap plots. (Note that for a factor of 8 or 23 we would expect a delta of 3 x 6 dB or 18 dB in phase noise.)
Taking just these values and entering them in to the Silicon Labs online Phase Noise to Jitter Calculator we obtain the following.
Not too shabby for the online calculator considering it only had 5 data points to work with!
Now let's modify the 100 MHz dataset to remove the higher offset frequency compression as follows. The 18 dB Δ is as would be otherwise expected applying the 20log(N) rule.
Entering the modified values in to the online calculator we add its calculation to the table as highlighted:
This exercise confirms that the curve compression accounts for the significant difference in phase jitter
measured between the 800 MHz and 100 MHz cases.
The Noise Floor
All of the traces flatten or get close to flattening by 20 MHz offset. So, what is the apparent or effective noise floor? Note that in general this will be some RSS (Root Sum Square) combination of the instrument phase noise floor and the DUT's far offset phase noise. For example, if both the DUT and the instrument had an effective phase noise of –153 dBc/Hz at 20 MHz offset then the RSS result would be 3 dB higher or –150 dBc/Hz.
If the instrument noise floor was well below the DUT's we would expect the spot phase noise at 20 MHz offset to decrease by 6 dB, for every division by a factor of 2, from that measured for the 800 MHz clock. But that is not what happened. See the table and accompanying figure below:
The phase noise floor is not varying monotonically which suggest multiple factors may be involved. Reviewing the E5052B specs indicates that the SSB phase noise sensitivity should decrease slightly as the carrier frequency is lowered. Also, far offset phase noise from the DUT (Device Under Test) is typically dominated by the output driver's phase noise and that's unlikely to vary in this way. We are most likely running in to a combination of the instrument's "actual" phase noise floor as a function of input frequency plus aliasing on the part of the DUT. The Si5345's frequency divider edges can be regarded as sampling the phase noise of the internal clock presented to the divider. This factor is independent of the instrument. It is understood that aliasing can occur but quantifying the specific contribution due to aliasing can be problematic.
This paper suggests that provided the noise BW of the input signal is > 4 x divider output frequency v0 then divided PM (Phase Modulation) noise will degrade via aliasing by 10log[(BW/2v0) +1]. The aliasing described primarily impacts the far offsets where we are interested.
The authors write:
"Aliasing of the broadband noise generally has a much smaller effect on the close-to-carrier noise
because it is typically many orders of magnitude higher than the wideband noise."
In these particular measurements, estimated noise floor degradation for the lowest carrier frequencies are plausible assuming a given BW and instrument noise floor. However, no one solution appears to accommodate all the data. It might require operating the device at the highest output frequency and then employing external dividers and filters to properly sort this out. Perhaps in some future post.
Additional Reading
While this month's post has concentrated on phase noise, it should be noted that divided spurs can be aliased or folded in the same way as the authors cited above discuss. One of my colleagues has demonstrated this also and I recommend his article for further reading.
We have reviewed the impact that a phase noise instrument's apparent or effective phase noise floor can have on both the phase noise curve and phase jitter measurement of sufficiently low frequency clocks. After you have worked with your DUTs and phase noise equipment for some time you will recognize what a typical phase noise curve will look like, the approximate phase noise floor of the equipment, and what are reasonable expectations for phase jitter. Certainly, for the cases above, we would take have to take phase jitter measurements below 200 MHz with a grain of salt. If in doubt, try a similar configuration at a higher frequency for comparison. You will only miss the secondary phase noise degradation due to any instrument noise floor variation and/or aliasing due to higher division factors.
As always, if you have topic suggestions, or there are questions you would like answered, appropriate for this blog, please send them to firstname.lastname@example.com with the words Timing 101 in the subject line. I will give them consideration and see if I can fit them in. Thanks for reading. Keep calm and clock on.
1. The derivation here is adapted from a slim but information packed book by Dr. William "Bill" Egan
called Frequency Synthesis by Phase Lock published in 1981. See section 4.5, "Effect of Modulation
of a Divided Signal", pages 75-76. (There is a later and much expanded edition of this book.) Dr. Egan
has passed on but he was a great engineer, author, and teacher in Silicon Valley. He wrote several
excellent, clear, and precise books on frequency synthesis, PLLs, and RF systems design.
2. A. SenGupta and F.L. Walls, "Effect of Aliasing on Spurs and PM Noise in Frequency Dividers", 2000
IEEE/EIA International Frequency Control Symposium and Exhibition, pages 541 – 548.
Retrieved from http://tf.boulder.nist.gov/general/pdf/1380.pdf.
3. H. Mitchell, "Perfect Timing: performing clock division with jitter and phase noise measurements", EE
Times, 8/25/2011. Howell's paper covers this topic from a different perspective with some additional
detail using data from the previous generation Si5324. He also demonstrates spur aliasing by mixing the
outputs of separate RF signal generators. Retrieved from


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wrestling / News
WWE NXT House Show Report 2.24.13: Ric Flair Appears
Credit Andre Santiago and Pwinsider.com
WWE NXT Live Event – Melbourne Auditorium, Melbourne Florida – February 24, 2013
Ric Flair and Charlotte Signing
Doors opened at 4:30pm and there was already a big line for the signing, due to VIP ticket holders getting in early. Flair stayed signing autographs and taking pictures until 7:30pm. VIP ticket holders got 2 autographs, while everyone else got 1. One could also purchase a picture with them, taken by one of the NXT staff.
– Mojo Rawley vs Knuckles Mansen
Holly won with a butt bump into a Finlay-style seated splash.
– Jake Carter & Garrett Dylan vs Baron Corbin & Sawyer Fulton
Carter and Dylan won with a Spinebuster on Corbin by Carter, followed up by a Top Rope Leg Drop from Dylan.
– Derek Bateman vs Judas Devlin
Bateman won with the DBD.
– Brandon Traven vs Mason Ryan
Ryan won with a Torture Rack.
– Paige and Sasha Banks vs Summer Rae and Charlotte w/ Ric Flair
Rae and Charlotte won when Paige submitted to a Figure Four from Charlotte.
– Dante Dash vs Scott Dawson
Dash won with a running powerslam.
– Axl Keegan and Aiden English vs Kassius Ohno and Leo Kruger
Ohno and Kruger won with an atomic drop on English by Kruger, followed up by an Ohno rolling elbow.
– Bray Wyatt vs Corey Graves vs Conor O'Brian
Conor O'Brian via a big boot on Wyatt, as Wyatt hit a swinging reverse STO on Graves.
– It was really weird to see Ohno, Kruger and O'Brian all work as babyfaces tonight; seeing as they are 3 of the top heels on the TV show.
– Mason Ryan showed more personality in this match than he has in his entire WWE career.
– This is the second time I've seen Charlotte and she looked solid in the ring. Sasha Banks looked good as well.
– Many of the NXT roster worked the event as security or in concession stands, but didn't wrestle on the show. This included top guys from the TV show like the Wyatt Family, Adrian Neville and Oliver Gray.
Must-read wrestling news:
* WWE names their best actor and actress of 2012
* Check out Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter's latest video
* Jim Ross speaks on Jack Swagger's arrest and the Undertaker's return
* Photos From Undertaker's return
* Wrestling's 4R's: Smackdown & Impact Wrestling reviewed

subset: commoncrawl


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|Re: Tolkien Collector
Subject: Re: Tolkien Collector
by Findegil on 2009/2/1 14:42:36
Sorry this is taking so long. I'm having to convert the Tolkien Collector's very old desktop publishing files through a program of intermediate vintage so that they'll work with current software, fonts, and printer settings. This is slow going, not so much in the conversion itself but in cleaning up formatting and page breaks altered in the process -- and doing so while also having other jobs to do. Christina and I will make an announcement here (and on our web site) when back issues are ready.


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Upon loading up Huebrix, I was instantly reminded of one of the great underrated puzzle games of the App Store, Pathpix. In both games you have to drag a color over a predetermined number of squares on a grid to fill in the entirety of the level. While in Pathpix, this presented you with a completed image and a clever quote, Huebrix rewards you by having your color trails turn into sentient worm creatures that slither off the screen, escaping your perception. Of course that's not the o…Watch The Video Review
The Last Driver Review
It seems that at the same time the world is beset by zombie apocalypse, alien invasion, and nuclear annihilation (which was obviously triggered to combat the first two horrors). Despite all this, there are still survivors, and some of them have cars. You might be the only one with a working car however. The game is called The Last Driver after all. Fans of flash games will recognize the design here, as it's quite popular. Play the game, die rather quickly, use your coins to upgrade yo…Watch The Video Review
Dragon Island Blue Review
With dragons thought to be an extinct species, and you just happening to find a dragon egg next to your village, a grand adventure begins. When first loading up Dragon Island Blue, it wasn't set in stone what type of game we were expecting to play, but what unfurled is a mix between an old school JRPG and a mix between Pokemon and Monster Hunter. The game begins with you choosing what element of dragon you've found out of the four elements of water, fire, air, and earth. From here you…Watch The Video Review
VS. Racing 2 Review
While other top-down racers are content to keep pushing the visual boundaries of the iOS platform, VS. Racing 2 sticks with the tried-and-true 2D sprite system (albeit with some 3D elements adding depth), and even more surprisingly, controls that require - at most - two fingers. The overall effect is that of the game feeling very tightly designed - it efficiently throws you amongst a variety of AI opponents on winding and twisting tracks where you vie for pole-position to earn as much…Watch The Video Review
Rolling Rolling Rolling
The Way We Roll is a rolling based puzzle game that's due out on September the 12th. From the trailer we can see it has a pleasing art style, and the puzzle design looks to be solid (even though the concept itself isn't anything we haven't see before). You'll get a chance to find out for yourself later this week when it's released.…
Little Masters Review
The freemium model has a tendency to get stuck in its tracks, spitting out titles with similar themes or at least based on similar genres. With this in mind it's no wonder gamers are clearly divided on whether they love or hate these sorts of titles. Little Masters takes a slightly different tack, modeling itself after NimbleBit's coin/bux driven system to speed up the Pokemon-inspired gameplay. 'Inspired' might be putting it lightly - those familiar with the classic monster-catching…Watch The Video Review
Winners For Wild Blood Giveaway!
The time has come to reveal who was lucky enough to be randomly contacted for a code for Gameloft's seriously fun action-slasher 'Wild Blood' Congratulations go to the following commentors: * Rynxie * Dusty_Sombrero * peter * riksai * Jfilesguy You've all been contacted with details on how to claim your prize - thanks to all our viewers who participated and I look forward to running more promos soon ;)…


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What if we understood that our greatest strength comes from the times when we are broken open? And what if we never sought to "fix" that brokenness, but instead drew our deepest wisdom from it?
Inspired by the Hindu deity, Akhilandeshvari, the Goddess of She-Who-Is-Never-Not-Broken, this workshop will flip the commonly held ideas of strength, weakness, power and struggle. Holly and Laura will lead a series of yoga practices and discussion to shift our energy, perceptions, and the way we relate to pain. We will cultivate a new kind of gentleness, understanding, and compassion for ourselves and others.
Bring comfortable clothes for yoga and meditation, a yoga mat (there will be mats available for rental), a journal and a pen.
Space is limited!
This workshop is for ALL LEVELS. No yoga experience necessary.
The "REGISTER" button will take you to the Love Story website.


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CARSON, Calif. — Heath Pearce's exploits for club and country have given the defender reason to be feeling pretty confident at the moment.
By completing a successful transition from left back to center back for Chivas USA, Pearce was able to make his return to United States national team after a nearly a year's absence. Called up by new US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the veteran defender was an unused substitute during the 1-1 draw against Mexico last week.
After experiencing the first camp under Klinsmann, Pearce admitted the new USMNT coach brought an "unspoken excitement" to the national team.
"Jurgen was really positive with everybody, motivating and supporting everyone, but still realistic in the same sense," said Pearce. "My focus is now on Chivas and getting results so hopefully my play with Chivas will warrant more call-ups with the national team."
Pearce appeared as steady as ever during Chivas USA's 0-0 draw against the Seattle Sounders last weekend. Anchoring the Goats defense, Pearce made a number of key tackles that prevented the Sounders from generating scoring chances and breaking the deadlock.
The Chivas USA center back may not have seen time on the field against Mexico, but he received a great deal of support from his head coach, Robin Fraser, who earned 27 caps for the USMNT. After Pearce returned to practice with the club, his coach had an idea what his player was going through in Philadelphia.
"It's funny because when you get called into the national team and don't play, you have the feelings of a sub," Fraser joked. "You're one of the top 22 players in the entire country, and you've still got this feeling that, 'Gosh, I'm a sub,' so it's a really interesting mentality going into the national team."
All joking aside, Fraser stated that he firmly believes that Pearce's stint with the Yanks will only serve to help motivate the 27-year-old as he looks to anchor the Chivas USA back line to a playoff appearance.
"The bottom line is that he's earned the opportunity to be there and he's earned it with very good play all year long," Fraser added. "In this time period, he's learned what it means to be a good center back and it's been an on the job learning process that he's taken so well to that I think he's got a lot of confidence now."
Adam Serrano covers Chivas USA for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached at email@example.com and on Twitter: @adamserrano


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In an effort to address both the mounting talent shortage in technology in the state of Washington and gender imbalance in the industry, Ada Developers Academy is launching a free yearlong intensive software developer school in Seattle for women who have no previous programming experience.
The classes are not only free, but students can even apply to receive a $1000 per month stipend. But, you better act fast. The deadline for applications is Sept. 30 – just a few days away.
The application process includes a technical reading assessment and a logic assessment to gauge aptitude towards the qualities that will lead to better developers. The first group for the ADA program will have 15 women, but future classes may have anywhere from 20-25, with new classes starting every 3 months. At that rate, ADA hopes to graduate between 80 to 100 women each year to pursue positions as software developers in the Seattle area.
ADA's Nuts and Bolts
The program length and curriculum is designed based on feedback from local companies, discussions with potential students, and input from similar developer academies. The first six months of classes will focus on HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails and database fundamentals, says Elise Worthy, ADA Program Manager.
She points out that students coming out of the program won't necessarily be programming in Rails, or some of the other languages that they covered. "One of our sponsors, who will have an intern, is a Python shop, and hopefully we can get students in .Net shops, and doing mobile development, even," Worthy says.
After the six months of classes, students will take an internship at a local Puget Sound-area tech company for the remaining six months. One of the goals of the program is to provide female students, who have little or no technical experience, an opportunity to learn programming languages in depth, in addition to a hands-on experience, where they can apply their newfound skills as part of a software team that delivers production code for real applications.
"You'll be expected to be in class from 9 to 5," says Worthy. "We'll have lectures and classwork in the morning, followed by open project time with mentors and instructors. We'll have guest speakers during the day, and there will be homework."
Who's ADA?
Ada Developers Academy is a project of Technology Alliance, a statewide non-profit organization that has been around for 17 years. "Technology Alliance is a leadership organization of technology leaders that care about a healthy Washington economy. We work on issues including education and research capacity and entrepreneurial climate," explains Technology Alliance and ADA Executive Director Susannah Malarkey.
The year-long program for women in IT was conceived in just under six months, and with the help of the Ada Developers Academy, both the shortage for high-skilled labor and the gender imbalance in software development will be addressed. Currently, 85 percent of software developers are male, the ADA stated in its press release.
Washington State's Department of Commerce, as well as a handful of local companies, provide funding for the program. Worthy says the program's economic benefits are driving the public contributions.
"Seattle has the worst pay gap in the nation," says Worthy. "Women make 73 cents on the dollar that men make, and by giving women alternative opportunities into higher-paying technical roles, that does a lot for Seattle's economy, as well as social benefits."
I am a male that lives in Washington state, going to school to go into this field and paying for it myself; I am furious about this! Not only is there a program for people to compete against me for free specifically designed to get people other than me there, but I have to pay for their advantage over me?
Great fo women. Now, when are you sexists going to help out the other half of the popualtion? Oh, I forgot, we are not the PC bunch, are we?
Bob, given the pervasive wage gap statistics, and the fact that women have historically not been encouraged to pursue technical careers, it doesn't seem that males are having any problems securing high-paying jobs in IT. And even given 150 new female developers, we will not be anywhere near gender parity in the field.
You may not understand the definition of sexism — the belief that one sex is SUPERIOR to another. It doesn't mean "helping out one sex in some way that doesn't help the other sex in the same way." The YMCA is not sexist (nor is the YWCA). You probably wouldn't find the existence of fraternities and sororities morally objectionable. But I suspect you know all this and are just trolling.
Or are you just scared of losing your job to an ADA graduate?
I'm not worried about myself, but I have witnessed this industry send jobs overseas and this government decide that discrimination is ok as long as you pick on "certain" groups. The fact that women not only can recieve this advantage, but just because of their gender recieve assistance that their male counterparts can never hope to get is just wrong. The young men in this country are being sold down the river and all it seems everyone wants to do to them is poke holes in their canoes and laugh about it. All of these young kids should be treated equally and get the same shot.
Everyone's a socialist … so long as they get the advantage.
I like this idea, as it is privately funded (not extorting money from taxpayers), but I would like to see the Technology Alliance expand this program to include men, or at least set up a separate program for guys. This would be a great way of getting the unemployed, especially the long-term unemployed, back to gainful work.
Female here. I don't mean to be feminist by any stretch but I think this is great. I'm most likely biased but I've been trying to learn to code for some time now. This is extremely exciting and I don't think they're trying to go against you but rather encourage ladies to get into coding.
You can take a look yourself at the ratios. I've been in the tech industry as a PM and it's vastly men, which is awesome, but often I am intimidated by male counter parts and feel as though, just because I am female people expect me to be not as intelligent. Hopefully this isn't true but I think it's part of a movement bigger than just coding– it's trying to encourage the other gender to get out there and feel less excluded from opportunities.
Again, I may be biased but you can even take a look at all the Dev BootCamps out there and see that most of them enroll guys.
And, if you do feel discriminated (I was talking to my male friends about reverse discrimination) then perhaps you can start a movement as well.
@Jeremy– haha, nice.
An important thing to note is that this program is not being run by the government, using taxpayer money. It is being run by a non-profit which is funded by voluntary private donations. In that respect, I like this idea; nowhere in the Constitution are private-sector employers granted the right to demand that the government train their employees. I applaud privately-run and -funded job training programs.
Private companies and organizations should be allowed to discriminate all they want. If you are offended by the policies of a particular company or non-profit, you are free not to donate money/patronize that business. Conversely, you can start your own non-profit (or donate to an existing one) that is more to your liking. Thus, as Alice touched on, if a similar non-profit wanted to open up a male-only school, they should absolutely be permitted to do so. This is how a free market works.
This is separate from my personal feelings on the subject, which is that I would rather see programs aimed at the unemployed, period, not just women and not just men. But my personal feelings should not be enshrined in law.
Regarding what another poster said, "everyone" is not a socialist. I am a free marketer. I am against socialism *all the time,* even when it is not convenient for me.
Yes, but anytime men try to even think about doing something for men, we get sued, investigated by the IRS EEOC, and the NLRB for gender bias and sexism. You need to come out of your dream world and face reality.


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Handcrafted Merry Christmas Personalized Wall Sign
The holiday season is the best time to showcase one's hospitality. When they welcome friends and family into their home, the first thing their guests will see will be this friendly sign. It's a beautiful Christmas decoration.


text: housing Survey Shows Decrease In Overall OKC Homelessness, Increase In Homeless Families By Storme Jones • Jun 22, 2017 Matthew Rutledge / Flickr.com A one-night survey of homelessness in Oklahoma City shows overall homelessness rates are down by nearly 10 percent. However, survey organizers say not all of the results show signs of improvement. Looking To Settle Down, Immigrant Farmworkers Face Housing Crisis By Kristofor Husted • Nov 8, 2015 Kristofor Husted / Harvest Public Media The rural areas in the U.S. where immigrant workers that pick crops like cotton and melons find work often lack the social services and affordable housing vital to integrating new arrivals into a community. That means many farmworker families end up in dilapidated buildings, which can come with health risks. Migrant workers planting roots Angel Castro's old road is muddy and covered with flooded potholes. He lived here during the 1990s just behind a large John Deere store in Kennett, Mo. City Of Tulsa Gathering Research On Fair Housing By Associated Press • Aug 18, 2014 thefixer / Flickr Creative Commons The city of Tulsa is conducting a study on barriers to housing choices in Oklahoma's second largest city. The goal is to identify whether there are barriers or adverse policies in housing rentals and sales, lending, insurance and the public sector. Part of the study includes collecting the opinions and experiences of people who are involved in the housing industry, including housing consumers. House Approves Legislation Creating Tax Credits For Housing In Rural Areas By Associated Press • Mar 11, 2014 thefixer / Flickr.com The Oklahoma House has approved legislation to create a tax credit for low- and moderate-income housing in rural areas. The bill by Republican Rep. Mike Jackson of Enid was approved 75-13 Tuesday and sent to the state Senate for consideration. The bill creates a new tax credit program similar to the federal low-income housing tax credit. The amount of state tax credits would equal the amount of federal low-income tax credits for a qualified project. After 'Best Year Since 2005,' Housing Sector Likely To Slow By Mark Memmott • Feb 25, 2014 Home prices across 20 of the nation's major metropolitan areas rose 13.4 percent in 2013 from the year before, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index report. Overall, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices economist David Blitzer, the index "ended its best year since 2005" — well before the burst of the housing bubble in 2007-08. Mel Watt: A New Captain For America's Housing Market By Chris Arnold • Dec 13, 2013 Seven months after his was nominated, the U.S. Senate this week confirmed former Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., to head the agency that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the giant companies that control much of the mortgage market. The vote occurred after Democrats changed the rules on filibusters — now the Senate can confirm presidential nominees with a simple majority. For people who watch the U.S. housing market, Watt's confirmation is a very big deal that could mean easier credit. Affordable Housing In Rural Oklahoma A Must If Economy To Grow By Associated Press • Oct 8, 2013 OakleyOriginals / Flickr.com Business advocates say the lack of affordable housing in rural Oklahoma is stalling growth in the region. Officials from the Oklahoma Panhandle and other rural areas appeared at the state Capitol Tuesday to discuss the region's housing needs. Vicky Ayres McCune of the Panhandle Regional Economic Development Coalition says more than 500 people who work in Guymon commute from Texas or Kansas because of a lack of housing in the area. Oklahoma City In Top 5 "Hot" U.S. Cities By Kurt Gwartney • Jul 30, 2013 Coming in at number four in a list from "The Daily Beast," Oklahoma City finds itself seven spots in front of Dallas, and below top contenders including Austin, TX, New Orleans and Houston. Goodwill Gets Federal Grant To Help Veteran Families By Associated Press • Jul 17, 2013 margaretshear / Flickr Creative Commons The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is awarding a $1.4 million grant to Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma. The grant announced Tuesday is to be used to provide support services to very low-income military veteran families living in or transitioning into permanent housing.


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Murder suspect to victim's family: 'I'm sorry'
By Nikki email@example.com
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) Family members of a teenager shot and killed this week say the accused gunman was his own friend.
A judge on Friday denied bond for 23-year-old Terrance Lance. He's charged with the murder of 19-year-old Rodriguez Henderson.
"I need to have justice and that's why I'm here tonight for what's right and wrong in America," said the victim's stepfather, Corey Hamilton, in court.
Lance stood silent as Henderson's family spoke about their loss.
"In America, you just can't go around taking someone's life," said Hamilton.
The life of a family member gunned down, the life of a friend lost -- the suspect surprised the court with his own words Friday.
"It wasn't supposed to happen the way it did. But I just want them to know, I apologize for y'all's loss, too. That was my friend, too," said Lance.
The shooting happened Thursday before noon on the 2700 block of Saratoga Street.
"I heard three really quick pops," said neighbor Mark Mohlen.
Mohlen lives on the street where police say the shooting took place and says he found Henderson lying in the yard next door to his house.
"He was just laying their barely moving. He was trying to move. I looked at him and I saw the blood and I just thought to myself, he's dead," said Mohlen.
Police say Henderson died from a gunshot wound to the head.
"I was there when he passed at the hospital," said the victim's grandmother, Helen Green.
Green says Lance is no stranger to her family. In fact, she says he would often eat over at her house.
"I was totally shocked by what happened," she said.
Green says she suspects there was some disagreement between the two friends.
"It really didn't have to go this far. They could have squashed this stuff," said Green.
Even as her heart aches for the sudden loss of her grandson, she does forgive the man police say cut Rodriguez Henderson's life short.
"But I will never forget it," said Green.
Lance's next court date is scheduled for May 17.


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It's the latest must-have hairdo – quite literally for men in North Korea who have been told they must have it, by dotty dictator Kim Jong-un.
The only cut now available at barbers in the East Asian country is the distinctive "Dear Leader" style of coiffed centre-parting with razor-short back and sides.
So the Sunday People took to the streets to see if the bonkers barnet might catch on over here too – by offering it FREE to willing punters in trendy Camden, North London.
At first there was a lot of interest in our giveaway but it quickly became clear the look was not going to be for everyone.
Armed with a placard showing a picture of Jong-un I approached a couple in their 20s.
His eyes lit up at the thought of copying the tyrant's whacky trim but he made a sharp exit when his girlfriend shrieked: "If you do that, I'll never sleep with you again."
Accepting defeat, I moved on.
The placard was generating plenty of knowing laughs but no one seemed willing to put their hair on the line.
Until, several failed attempts later, I happened upon environmental activist Dominic Simpson, 27.
And as barber Ossie Mehmet, 59, got to work on his shaggy mop, Dominic shrugged: "If it is good enough for the North Koreans it is good enough for me."
Adding: "Fortunately, a lot of my friends have dodgy haircuts so I don't think I'll get too much stick over this."
Ossie, who counts footballers Robin van Persie and Jack Wilshere among his clients, muttered: "It'll never catch on."
Well, you never know – it's certainly the Premier cut in North Korea .


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1e. Supreme Court materials: Docket sheets, Tom C. Clark Papers, Tarlton Law Library
Historical Background
Tom C. Clark served as Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1949 to 1967, and was the first Texan to serve on the Court. Born in Dallas, Texas, September 23, 1899, Clark received his law degree from the University of Texas in 1922. He joined the Justice Department in 1937 and rose through the ranks. President Truman appointed him U.S. Attorney General in 1945 and to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1949. Clark resigned from the Court in 1967 when his son Ramsey Clark was appointed Attorney General, and afterwards sat on the Courts of Appeal in all eleven U.S. Circuits and in federal district court. An advocate of improved judicial administration, Clark chaired several American Bar Association committees on judicial administration and was the first director of the Federal Judicial Center.
Series Description
The docket sheets in this series contain information concerning filing, hearing, granting or denying of Certiorari, and vote on merits on each case. The docket sheets are arranged chronologically by October Term and numerically by docket number within each Term. Docket sheets for Miscellaneous and Original cases are filed at the end of each Term series, in numerical order by docket number.
Administrative Information
Cite As
Tom C. Clark Papers, Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Mrs. Tom C. Clark, 1977.
Detailed Description of the Collection


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MySpace launches streaming service
It was the social network which helped launch the careers of Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen, but with the launch of MySpace Music the website is taking strides into the streaming market.
Sites like Spotify, We7, 7digtal, last.fm and Hype Machine have grown over the past couple of years to wrestle away a portion of MySpace's dominance in the UK music market.
With the launch of MySpace Music those rivals have largely welcomed the new service but acknowledge that the move could have missed the boat.
"Although they are a little late to the party here, it's encouraging for the industry as a whole to have a name like MySpace investing in the music sector," said 7digital's CEO Ben Drury.
One thing all of these streaming services and the music industry can agree on is that they hope their collective efforts can be the solution to illegal downloading.
'Shared goal'
Steve Purdham, co-founder of digital rival We7, insists he's "happy" to see the introduction of a new rival to his patch.
He said: "Music should be accessible to everyone and I believe that digital music services can offer this with a sustainable business model that can support the entire music ecosystem.
"If you can offer a better than free service, with a working business model to handle the industry's economics, you can find the answer."
A spokesperson for Spotify added: "We all share the same goal, to get music to the masses by providing music fans with services that are simpler, faster and ultimately way better than piracy."
Rights deal
One area that's been relatively low key in the rise of streaming services is the payment of artists.
MySpace says it's struck a deal with PRS for Music (formerly the Performing Right Society) to ensure every time a band's track gets played they get paid. As they would, for example, on the radio.
Spotify is slightly different because it's part-owned by a number of major record labels.
However, some artists are still confused about if, and what, they should get paid when users log on and stream their tracks.
"No idea, I didn't realise we actually earnt any money on this. We just paid money to do things and never got any money back," says guitarist Matt, from hotly-tipped Manchester band Delphic.
"It's nice to get paid and we haven't yet but maybe one day we will."
Music fans, of course, are expected to react to the launch positively since it provides another outlet to listen to a broader selection of music for free but say it's not perhaps the solution the industry thinks it may be.
'Good alternative'
Billy Jenkins, 24, from London said: "It's a morally good place to get your music. It's not going to stop the other stuff but it's a good alternative."
Looking to the future, the weight of MySpace joining the streaming market could ignite calls for streaming services to eventually count towards the UK charts.
However, some businesses have already thought of ways around it.
Ooizit.com, a Derbyshire-based social network, launched a couple of months ago.
Its model allows bands sign up, build a profile and sell their tracks at rates they decide and keep 100% of the royalties if they subscribe for a monthly fee.
Founder Thomas Fearn explained: "Instead of waiting to be signed by a record label or waiting for an A&R agent to come to your gig to get spotted, you can actively take hold of your own destiny.
"It gives them everything that a record contract would do without any obligatory signing away of rights.
"You can take your own career into your hands without getting bogged down with illegal downloading."
Unsigned, Nottingham-based band The Swiines have already turned their back on other sites.
"We're selling loads more," they said. "We haven't had to pay for rehearsals for three months."
Having left MySpace, the traditional base for bands to get heard, ("it's stale," they argue) guitarist Aidie says: "You can get your name around using this. People are still willing to pay for tracks.
"It's a part solution (to illegal downloading). You can't stop illegal downloading, can you? But it's a way of fighting it."


text: September302008 Virtual Earth Gallery in trueSpace; Plus a Contest We're looking for a few good 3D designers to submit their best 3D work in Microsoft Virtual Earth (or Live Search Maps). A new addition to the Caligari (trueSpace) 3D Authoring and Collaboration site is a Virtual Earth Gallery specifically dedicated projects with geolocation in mind. You can browse through user submitted 3D objects to place them in your collection in Live Search Maps. For more information on how to do this, you can review my post – Announcing trueSpace for Virtual Earth 3D Development – please note trueSpace 7.6 is FREE. Don't pay for it on some rip off web site – Register and Download trueSpace 7.6 for free. In addition to my post, the Caligari team has improved some of their own documentation explaining Windows Live ID and some finer details about the integration with a Virtual Earth and trueSpace primer. Also, we've setup a monthly trueSpace / Virtual Earth integration contest to up the ante, as it were. We hope to see some really cool 3D models uploaded into Live Search Maps as a part of this effort. The movie above was submitted by Stephen May, our first winner (August, 2008) whose "Wizitch Tower" model is a beautiful addition to Live Search Maps' Collections and placed quite nicely in Christchurch, New Zealand. You'll also see his "Rocketship" and "LaunchTower" in the video – equally impressive. You can view these 3D collection items in Virtual Earth 3D if you'd prefer. How can you submit your models for the trueSpace Virtual Earth Contest? Here are the rules: Each month, send in your Virtual Earth creations made in trueSpace for a chance to win a prize! All selected entries will be put on display, promoting your work to the millions of visitors who drop by the Caligari website each month. You must be a registered trueSpace7.6 owner to enter. You must submit the link to your Virtual Earth collection, so that the judges can view your work in Virtual Earth. To enter, use sign in to our Gallery submission pages. To view the prizes for the current month, visit our Gallery Information page. Judging Criteria: The criteria for choosing the winner is left open to the judges, but some guidelines are: An object with a relevant geo-location Good modeling that shows enough detail but without excessive polygon counts Good texturing The same object may be submitted to the Caligari monthly Image or Animation galleries as well as to the Virtual Earth Gallery – entering or placing in one category will not affect the chances of placing in the others! Well? Let's see whatcha got. CP


text: Page Content 1Student Resources As a Babson student, you are part of a growing alumni and friends network of business leaders, social innovators and entrepreneurs. The Alumni & Friends Network staff is committed to connecting you to our global community through our lifelong learning programs, Global Alumni Club initiatives, and various networking resources; to name just a few examples. In addition, we are dedicated to supporting activities and initiatives sponsored by Babson student organizations where there is a connection to our alumni and the Network. Below are links to information and resources that may be helpful to you when navigating the Network and collaborating with us. Networking Resources Alumni Directory Career Affinity Networks Events Collaborating with the Alumni & Friends Network and Events Management Offices FAQs about Alumni and Friends Network Support of Student Organizations (PDF) Student Organization Request for Funding Form (PDF) Special Interest Affinity Events, Networks, and Groups Babson recognizes the rich opportunity that exists for students to connect with alumni with whom they have shared interests. If you're interested in hosting a special interest affinity event, please review the Guidelines for Affinity Events Networks Groups (PDF) and contact Laura Bucci.


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Check Out Our Warm Footed Pajamas for Adults and Kids!
This red Lazy One brand nightshirt features a Happy Camper print. The print features a black bear on the front stretching and yawning. It is made of 100% combed cotton.
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All things to nobody
Sadly, HP doesn't know what is has, what it wants, nor where it is going.
They designed a high density ARM solution for very large horizontal scale out. A very cool idea that could jump start a Linux/ARM Cloud infrastructure solution.
However, ARM doesn't run Windows, and Windows is key to everything HP (at least from an HP strategy standpoint).
So now they'll offer lots of different types of CPUs in their high-density solution. This decreases the profit margin, as different types of chips are expensive to integrate and support.
In the end, I believe this project will die because it tries to straddle server technologies rather than continuing the charge into new server infrastructure.


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RNA-binding proteins: modular design for efficient function
|May 26, 2007
|Posted by idnet.com.au under Intelligent Design
Many RNA-binding proteins have modular structures and are composed of multiple repeats of just a few basic domains that are arranged in various ways to satisfy their diverse functional requirements. Recent studies have investigated how different modules cooperate in regulating the RNA-binding specificity and the biological activity of these proteins. They have also investigated how multiple modules cooperate with enzymatic domains to regulate the catalytic activity of enzymes that act on RNA. These studies have shown how, for many RNA-binding proteins, multiple modules define the fundamental structural unit that is responsible for biological function.
Bradley M. Lunde, Claire Moore & Gabriele VaraniÂÂ
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 8, 479-490 (June 2007) | doi:10.1038/nrm2178
This paper is yet another of the many examples of how intelligently designed biological systems appear to be. We are continually told to keep in mind that they are only apparently designed. When will it become acceptable to attribute real design where it is clearly seen?
29 Responses to RNA-binding proteins: modular design for efficient function
Come on! We know that if life is very complex this means that the designer is much more complex and thus doesn't exist 😀
The whole premise of the idea that the designer needs a designer is based on the IDist paradigm [not false] of specified complexity itself. That is, the evolutionists try to use CSI as an indicator of intelligent cause to disprove intelligence as the cause of CSI. However, this only is seen true in the space+time state that WE understand (not the eternal). Suppose that there is an ultimate designer (I believe it is the God of the Bible), then why is it neccessary to say that this ultimate designer needs a designer (ie. using our limited knowledge which is based on the paradigm of what we observe in the universe alone)?
I suggest, if the anti IDist were to adhere to the idea that a designer needs a designer.. then I think it is neccessary to use the same reasoning to say that if things arrived from chaos, then there needs to be even more chaos in the past (ad infinitum)… but more chaos would require more stuff to be chaotic. From whence does such stuff derive?
So, it seems, the argumentation refutes itself by virtue of the fact it can defeat both sides of the argumentation. What does stand regarless is that from repeated observation that when the cause of CSI is found, it is always from an intelligent source – within our space time domain.
3PatrickMay 26, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I think he's mocking that common Darwinist argument…
4great_apeMay 26, 2007 at 1:56 pm
However, this only is seen true in the space+time state that WE understand (not the eternal). –JGuy
Unfortunately, the invocation of the eternal-unfathomable metaphysical perspective–however real such a perspective might be–lends itself to almost any conclusion whatsoever in an argument. Imagine, for example, that my wife complains about my not having taken out the trash. Well, I say, that is only true of the world as we understand it. Stepping outside of space-time, the trash is precisely where it needs to be. So, dear, you need to consider our limitations as human beings.
I don't think it would work for me. But if anyone has any success with this approach, please let me know.
great_ape, lets begin with simple big bang cosmology. According to modern physics all of the mater and all of the energy in the universe, and even time as we understand it had a distinct beginning. I know that there are a bunch of wonderful conjectures floating around like multiverses and big crunches. These conjectures assume that there was some physical stuff that preceeded the big bang, that some sort of time preceeded the big bang. Even this view suggests that for some strange reason "stuff" always existed, and that time has an eternal past. However, Stephen Hawking has discussed his "north pole" analogy, which strongly suggests to me that he is radically unconvinced of either a multiverse or a big crunch model.
So we are stuck with the need for a "first cause" or we are stuck with a scientifically unsupported conviction that "stuff" and time always existed.
Alas, there has been a conjecture floating around since well before the big bang. It goes something like this, "In the beginning (time starts) God created the heavens (space) and the earth (matter). And the earth was without form and void (a singularity)." I concede that scientifically this is only conjecture, but it is every bit as valid as a conjecture as the other three currently recognized options: multiverse, big crunch or "north pole" are. This conjecture suggests that the designer invented time itself. As such the designer must not be a "time" thing.
In the current state of physics, we are limited to conjecture. Lets not diss the conjecture that has been the most effectively predictive.
You're correct – I believe. And actually, my actual intent was to comment about the idea that he was mocking… I didn't think he was serious 🙂
I don't think you applied my arguyment to your analogy thoroughly. ie. The analogy is not actually analogous.
AS evidence, read the last sentence of my posting: "What does stand regarless is that from repeated observation that when the cause of CSI is found, it is always from an intelligent source – within our space time domain."
To more correctly, respectfully, translate to your analogy..this would mean.. "What does stand regardless is that from repeated observations is that when the wife complains about the trash not being where it's suppose to be, the wife is always right – within our space time domain."
ie. My post argued against using metaphysical arguments for OR against a requirement of designer (outside of our space-time domain) requiring a designer.
8jaredlMay 26, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Pardon me, but I don't think modern physics, qua physics, can, in fact, affirm an absolute beginning to matter and space.
Multiverse is a metaphysical speculation as much as the existence a Designer outside our own space time.
To have any explanatory power, multiverse theory must speculate about the existence of more other universes than there are fundamental particles in our own universe. ID, if the Designer is outside the univerese, requires only one eternal Designer.
When we postulate something that is not subject to direct testing wholly from within space time, it is metaphysical proposition.
Pardon me, but I don't think modern physics, qua physics, can, in fact, affirm an absolute beginning to matter and space.
No one on this site that I have seen seems to be making such an affirmation. Rather we are mentioning possibilities such as the multiverse and the big crunch conjectures. However Stephen Hawking, reguarded as the greatest mind of physics alive today, is of the mind that there is an absolutte beginning to matter, space and time. Obviously that position is a reasonable conclusion based upon the current understanding of physics.
11great_apeMay 27, 2007 at 12:04 am
ie. My post argued against using metaphysical arguments for OR against a requirement of designer (outside of our space-time domain) requiring a designer. –Jguy
You are correct; my bad. I was overly eager to embark on a lecture discouraging metaphysical conjectures in arguments and, in doing so, neglected this last point of yours.
I do not, however, think that this reluctance to address metaphysical questions fully protects ID from the "who designed the designer? issue," as I think, under ID, CSI always requires a source with equal or greater CSI. (Thus the motivation behind the original inference) So once the design inference is made (from organic life, for instance), a higher level CSI becomes an established premise. And, under the logic of the design inference, its very existence (now logically premised) warrants another such inference to a still higher level CSI. Unless, of course, you posit a metaphysical "first cause CSI" that requires no further explanation. Basically, you accept some higher level CSI as a metaphysical given. But if you're willing to take CSI as a metaphysical given at some upper level, then why not just accept it as a metaphysical given at the level of organic life as we know it? For it seems you are now rather arbitrarily choosing where CSI without an intelligent forbearer is intellectually tolerable and warrants no further inference of design… Anyhow, I realize this is all old territory rehashed, but I remain rather fond of the essence of the argument no matter how many times I hear it dismissed as childish.
Just to be sure for the record, I am not opposed to all metaphysical argumentation. I think there are useful logical arguments to be made that essentially disregard the physical realm.
However, my argument only addresses the argument (that the designer requires a designer), beause it assumes that beyond our space time domain that "things" and/or "events" – and it's already a significant assumpton that even two concepts apply as valid – operate the same as we recognize in our domain of existence. So, that argument is actually an uninformed metaphysical argument.
Also, as I undertand ID, ID does not assume upon itself any onus to identify a designer. Neither to identify the location or environment of any such designer. ID by itself relates whether a particular feaure of (or within) the universe is designed. However, other fields of study, theology or simply individuals posting to blogs on an individual basis, might utilize ID to idenitfy the source of the design. For example, I think the ultimate designer is the God of the Bible (eternal and not bound to space or matter). And if anti IDist argue that that ultimate Designer requires a designer, then they are actually treading into the metaphysical grounds, beyond our space+time domain, where ID in actuality can not thrust into – for lack of knowledge. Using ID, however, we can, I think, at the least make a reasonable guess that their is an ultimate designer to cause our universe outside of our space time domain, but that is the extent, as I see it, that ID can be utilized in "locating" or identifying the Designer.
I think it's helpful to see that this is not an issue for ID, b/c ID does not elope into the realm of metaphysical. It can, I think, at the least, end at the beginning of the metaphysical.
And, under the logic of the design inference, its very existence (now logically premised) warrants another such inference to a still higher level CSI. Unless, of course, you posit a metaphysical "first cause CSI†that requires no further explanation.
Hey great_ape,
The design inference doesn't say you need a "higher level of CSI source", only that intelligence is THE source of CSI. In other words, intelligence can create CSI ex nihilo. If you are left with only chance and necessity, it only shuffles CSI around; intelligence creates it.
Thus, you'd need to examine the source intelligence to see if it is: 1) Complex, 2) Contingent and 3) Specified before you demand "What imparted that CSI to the designer(s)?"
14jaredlMay 27, 2007 at 4:36 pm
In other words, intelligence can create CSI ex nihilo.
Actually, that's not clear from Dembski's work either, neither is it an inductive claim. Dembski stated somewhere (and, given enough time, I will track down this cite) that his argument's foundation is that an intelligence purposefully conforms an outcome to a specification utilizing background knowledge. What he leaves untouched is precisely what you wish to claim, Atom, and your claim doesn't hold true in our experience. I brought this up in a recent DI conference in DC with Dr. Welles, who saw my point and did not answer it. Intelligences, in our universal experience utilize background knowledge from which they construct specifications to which they conform events. The claim that CSI can be concocted ex nihilo is an extraordinary claim – meaning it is counter-inductive – and must be justified with reference to extraordinary evidence. I'm not holding my breath.
15jaredlMay 27, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Here's the cite:
In this case the specification itself acts as a logical bridge between chance elimination and design
inference. Here's the rationale: If we can spot an independently given pattern (i.e., specification)
in some observed outcome and if possible outcomes matching that pattern are, taken jointly,
highly improbable (in other words, the observed outcome exhibits specified complexity), then
it's more plausible that some end-directed agent or process produced the outcome by
purposefully conforming it to the pattern than that it simply by chance ended up conforming to
the pattern. Accordingly, even though specified complexity establishes design by means of an
eliminative argument, it is not fair to say that it establishes design by means of a purely
eliminative argument. The independently given pattern, or specification, contributes positively to
our understanding of the design inherent in things that exhibit specified complexity.
Design by Elimination vs. Design by Comparison
(Chapter 33 from The Design Revolution)
By William A. Dembski
Dembski nowhere claims that the patterns can be originated ex nihilo, and indeed, as I mention above, to claim such is to make a counter-inductive claim.
Now, counter-inductive claims are fine, I suppose, when you have a doctrinal allegiance to a proposition, say, creatio ex nihilo, of which I think this particular claim is a variant of. However, I fail to see the difference between claiming intelligences can create CSI ex nihilo and another idea Dembski pans, that of the origins of everything coming from set-theoretic operations on the empty set.
Dembski there defending the idea that getting something for nothin is a claim to magic, and rightly derides it – but isn't that the whole idea of creatio ex nihilo, and information ex nihilo?
16jaredlMay 27, 2007 at 5:03 pm
In other words, Great_Ape's point needs more than a brush-off; and, moreover, has no answer from within classical theism.
That was the beauty of conversing with an intelligent classical theist, such as Dr. Welles; he did not insult my intelligence by the quick brush-off, saw the thrust of the question clearly, which I knew because he restated it, and simply declined to speculate on an answer. Would that more here were so honest.
Great_ape, there need not be prior CSI, but there does need to be something, and you have hit upon another of what I consider to be the prima facie problems ID actually poses to the theology of most of its creators. We all understand this, at least intuitively – you don't get something from nothing, even information.
It is not a brush-off. It is a simple concept.
For agents to have agency, they need to be capable of making choices. If these choices are strictly the result of deterministic interactions of background knowledge and external input, then agents are automata, nothing more than information processors. This is somewhat less than what we usually mean by "agent".
Now, when an agent makes a choice, it is between at least two outcomes. This choice represents a new bit of information generated by the agent. These bits can result in CSI, depending on which choices are made. For example, I may make a series of choices that spells out, using ASCII coded letters, Shakespeare's plays; or I may simple randomly choose which bits to output, resulting in no CSI (the output would not match a specification.)
But make no mistake, this ability to choose is essential to our definition of an agent, which is necessary for our definition of an intelligent agent. Without this ability, we are simply discussing a form of secondary, deterministic, machine intelligence, regardless of what the underlying implementation is.
18magnanMay 27, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Perhaps I misunderstand this discussion, but it seems to me that it is obvious that all existing CSI cannot have totally originated from absolutely nothing. That would indeed be magic, but it seems a trivial point. What is important is that based on fundamental probability considerations the CSI in organisms must mostly have originated from intelligence (aside from the intelligence behind the origin of the universe itself and the physical laws). This intelligence must necessarily incorporate vast amounts of preexisting CSI. This intelligence must also have the capacity to create additional CSI.
Examples of human music, art and literature surely demonstrate this creation of new CSI (much of which is "subjective" but nevertheless real) from a necessary background and initial condition of preexisting CSI. It seems to me that it is obvious that Mozart's piano sonatas and symphonies and Shakespeare's plays incorporate CSI that did not exist prior to their creation. The particular CSI of these works did not already exist somehow within their creators. What is an absolute necessity in this is a focused aware intelligence with "free will" that is not totally deterministic. In other words, not a "zombie". Such an "intelligence" could not really create anything.
Small amounts of CSI can originate from RM&NS processes, but since these processes do not incorporate creative intelligence, this CSI must be in truth entirely preexisting, presumably in the complex specified information inherent in the mathematics of natural laws.
An alternate interpretation would be that the RM and NS processes themselves were directly injected with CSI by the designing intelligence, whatever it is.
Getting back to the intelligent agent(s) behind evolution, the CSI forming them must logically in itself have had an origin. It appears to me that human reason and logic can't really push any further in this analysis, except to speculate that this origin must be in areas only accessible if at all in religion and metaphysics.
19jaredlMay 27, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Let me recap – all observed intelligences utilize observations of existing states of reality in order to combine elements of these observations into complex specified information. In plain english, nobody's original; all patterns concocted by intelligences are cobbled together by integrating pieces of patterns observed elsewhere.
From this, I assume, as an axiom, what I call a "processor" model of intelligence; intelligence, like the processor of a computer, requires input in order to create output.
So where could the patterns which the God of classical theism utilized to pattern this world after have come from?
This question admits of no answer.
In plain english, nobody's original; all patterns concocted by intelligences are cobbled together by integrating pieces of patterns observed elsewhere.
Perhaps not wholly original, but at least original in part (or else no new information could ever be produced, since all "information" would be redundant, and therefore not new information.); and once you admit that some new CSI can be generated ex nihilo, you've conceded my point.
If there exist what are called Necessary Truths, then you have a set of objects to begin contemplating and combining to produce new CSI.
So there'd be no problem.
Take your new processor axiom for example. Either all of it's "parts" always existed (Necessary Truths) or they are "cobbled together" "pre-existing truths" (note, the "cobbling" demonstrates new choices being made, thus new bits of information being generated), or they came into existence from nothing (new agent created CSI.)
In the first case, we already have our explanation of where that CSI came from: we have a set of Necessary truths (which do not need any further explanation, being Necessary) and an agent to process them (assuming intelligences exist).
If the second case, we already have shown new bits of information being generated, which could be functional, and therefore "specified" by their function. Furthermore,we must ask: where did the pre-existing portions come from? The problem then repeats, one step back. (Which could lead to an infinite regress, if this is the only possible explanation. Lucky for us, it is not.)
In the last case, you'd concede my point.
Only the second case presents a difficulty, and so it is a false paradox.
21mike1962May 27, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Mung, "makes no sense to speak of "how much CSI†God has."
Indeed. It likewise makes no sense to speak of how much CSI an instance of human consciousness has. It seems to be wholy "other." Human consciousness is a screaming clue to me that something "other" than meterial reality exists (and I am it.) Amazing to me that some can't see this.
22magnanMay 28, 2007 at 4:11 am
"It likewise makes no sense to speak of how much CSI an instance of human consciousness has. It seems to be wholy "other.—
Attributes of conscious personality include past aquired skills, memories and ways of thinking and reacting. These attributes presumably can potentially be defined in terms of complex specified information. So in this sense human consciousness is not wholly "other" than CSI. It is the essense or core of consciousness that is "other".
Mike1962: "Human consciousness is a screaming clue to me that something "other†than meterial reality exists (and I am it.) Amazing to me that some can't see this."
I agree – it is incredible.
23magnanMay 28, 2007 at 4:40 am
"From this, I assume, as an axiom, what I call a "processor†model of intelligence;…"
This is the usual deterministic mechanical model of consciousness. How do you regard the wonderful examples of musical and literary creativity that I cited? I suppose you may regard such things rather coolly and cerebrally as the output of vastly complex algorithms embedded in the neural nets of the composer's and playwright's brains.
jaredl: "…intelligence, like the processor of a computer, requires input in order to create output."
Obviously some precursor input is needed, as I pointed out. Anyway, needed input may be very little. A computer program can produce output almost entirely from execution of simple or complex mathematical algorithms, which are themselves entirely a part of the software itself. An example would be an algorithmic digital random number generator. However, it requires a lot of faith in materialism to ascribe artistic, musical and literary creativity (among many other human qualities, products and experiences) to execution of internal algorithms and logic processing.
Also, your "axiom" is not true, even physically.
There are programs which consist entirely of an initial state and transformation rules. (cf A new Kind Of Science by Stephen Wolfram) For example, I can create an "inputless" random number generator from a one-dimensional cellular automaton using rule 30. (rule 00011110). This automaton does not need any input, yet produces an arbitrary length of output.
You may now object, "Well the initial state works as the input." In that case, then all you need is an initial state: the unitary agent conciousness is an initial state, a "thing" to begin with.
Furthermore, the transformation rules can be the very act of agency by the agent.
Again, there is no real difficulty present. Sorry.
Do specifications themselves contain CSI? What specifies the specification?
IOW, how is the specification of the specification independent of the specification?
26jaredlMay 28, 2007 at 9:23 pm
I simply choose not to converse with you. Because I choose not to converse with you, you may assume you win, if you like. Have a great day!
Mung: specifications do not contain CSI. CSI is a property of phenomena or events, and is called CSI to differentiate it from information simpliciter. Specifications are simply agorithmically compressible patterns.
Do specifications themselves contain CSI? What specifies the specification?
Great question – I think. This reminds me of another concept. Consider the "knobs" and parameters that the universe is tuned by… why not more or less knobs? What factor(s) would possibly determine those variables as real variables?
This is one of the primary reasons why I think the anthropic fine tuning argument is more powerful than most people think.
I think in part you need to revisit the cosmological argument, and to assess the issue of the infinite regress. (Cf my always linked . . .]
In particular, look a the observation that what begins to exist has a cause, thence address cases of FSCI [functionality helps to clarify the specification issue], in life at cellular level, in the origin of the cosmos etc.
You will see that his leads to the further implication that a cosmos that arguably is contingent — JGy's "knobs" — as observed requires a causal explanation itself, much less life as we observe it within that cosmos.
Thereafter, the issue arises that a complex of contingent beings in a cosmos that is contingent cries out for a necessary being as its explanation — the principle of sufficient reason is easier to dismiss than to address.
In that context, a necessary, eternal being is at least as plausible as a quasi-infinite wider material cosmos as a whole which is unobserved. [At minimum, there are millions who testify to knowing such an infinite-personal, necessary being.]
Then, discuss the alternatives under the issue of comparative difficulties — some above are acting as though the difficulties they perceive in someone else's argument constitute reason to reject out of hand. (Down that road lurks the fallacy of selective hyperskepticism.]
At the level you are now entering, ALL major options have serious difficulties, so one is wisest to assess relative status on factual adequacy, coherence and explanatory power.
For, you are now in the realms of metaphysics.
Have fun . . .
GEM of TKI
PS: A statement of the specification in a case of CSI may itself be CSI — i.e. it exceeds 500 or so bits of binary information, reflecting over 10^150 possible states in the configuration space. That such a statement is a product of a mind is utterly unsurprising — have you ever seen a design spec or description that wrote itself out of lucky noise? Or, the syntax of the required language, or any associated algorithms etc? So, let us observe that we are here marking the difference between an artifact of mind — a specification that identifies a target for a complex entity, with that most familiar of all experiences we have, mind itself. The two do not even have the same properties, e.g. statements are not conscious entities! [In short the attempted infinite regress, fails. Nor is Dawkins' attempt to say God must be complex in the same sense as a cell made of component parts is, anything but a crude projection unto another worldview of concepts from his own, i.e he begs the question of what Mind is like.]
29mike1962May 29, 2007 at 3:59 pm
magnan, "These attributes presumably can potentially be defined in terms of complex specified information. So in this sense human consciousness is not wholly "other†than CSI. It is the essense or core of consciousness that is "otherâ€Â."
Right. I think algorithmic modes and productions of *mind* may (and often are) quantifiable in terms of CSI. But what I had in mind was something like aurel tone, color, smell, emotion, etc. How might you describe, say, the conscious qualia of blue in CSI terms (or any mathematical or logical terms)? I would have to say it's not even in the same universe. 🙂
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