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Amex to pay $112.5M in late-fee settlements
American Express Co. is paying $112.5 million in refunds and fines to settle regulators' accusations that it charged unlawful late fees and deceived customers to pressure them to pay off old debts or buy extra credit card services.
The company agreed to the settlements announced Monday by four federal agencies, including the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Utah regulators.
American Express is refunding $85 million to about 250,000 customers and is paying $27.5 million in civil fines.
The agencies said American Express violated federal laws prohibiting deceptive practices by using false statements to get customers to settle old debts. The regulators say those practices included falsely telling customers that if they agreed to settlements to partially pay off their debts, the remaining balance would be forgiven. The violations were said to have occurred from 2003 to this past spring.
The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Richard Cordray, said in a statement that the company violated consumer-protection laws "at all stages of the game -- from the moment a consumer shopped for a card to the moment the consumer got a phone call about long overdue debt." American Express also charged late fees on some credit cards based on a percentage of the debt owed, a violation of a 2009 law, the regulators said.
They said customers were sometimes led to believe they would get $300 as well as bonus points if they signed up for Amex's "Blue Sky" credit card program. Customers who met the conditions didn't receive the promised $300, according to the agencies.
In addition, they said the company:
Unlawfully discriminated against consumers applying for new card accounts on the basis of age.
Failed to report customer billing disputes to the consumer-credit reporting agencies.
Manhattan-based American Express also agreed to end the practices and to hire independent auditors to ensure the company's compliance with consumer-protection laws.
The company said most of the $85 million in refunds is related to late fees and debt-collection practices. Customers entitled to refunds will be notified as soon as possible, it said.
Amex also said it has put together plans to correct each of the violations, and noted it had previously set aside reserves to cover a large part of the refunds and fines.


text:
Xbox One
EDGE: PS4 is 50% faster than XBone. Multiple developers confirmed the difference
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_Elite_Bushido_ 4 years ago#332
sworder posted...
_Elite_Bushido_ posted...It won't. Not even close. High gaming spec pc's use ddr3
Wasn't talkin about GPU ram smart guy
I'm a PC gamer, I don't like leaving the house or accepting packages from an actual person.- Xeeh_Bitz
You're talking about graphics but you're not talking about the GPU?
Makes sense
georgewduff1 4 years ago#334
Edge magazine = Sony and Apple fanboy magazine
Plus Sony is Professional liar...
PS3 can run games at 120 frames per second, stream six channels of HD, and decode one thousand media thumbnails simultaneously. — Ken Kutaragi and Phil Harrison, in a translated interview with Nikkei BP and the PS3 E3 reveal respectively.
The most important thing to keep in mind while watching the PS4 reveal is that Sony has a track record of making incredible claims about the console that can't really be verified. Maybe the PS3 can decode a thousand media thumbnails simultaneously, but can an end user verify that?
During the PS3 reveal Sony used these types of untestable claims to drum up excitement for the next generation of consoles, and to give gamers the general feeling that the PS3 was going to usher in a new era of technology. Unfortunately, all that power is meaningless when no game in the world takes advantage of it.
The PS3 is an extremely powerful piece of hardware, but seven years later we still don't have games that utilize these sort of features.
Many fans believe that the universal trophy system available on the PlayStation 3 was not influenced, based on or copied from Microsoft's "achievement" system on the Xbox 360. This is in fact false. In 2006 Sony were posed with the question "Will you be implementing an achievement system similar to the Xbox 360 on the PS3?" just before the PS3s launch. This was Sony's response: "The short answer: no"
The last quote is actually a quote from SCE themselves: "I believe that the Sixaxis controller offers game designers and developers far more opportunity for future innovation than rumble ever did. Now, rumble I think was the last generation feature; it's not the next-generation feature."
The real reason the Sixaxis had no "rumble" and was later discontinued in favor of the DS3, was because Sony were being sued by the company Immersion over patent rights. Sony lost to the tune of about $90 million. Sony insisted [at the time] that the lawsuit had nothing to do with why the Sixaxis was lacking "rumble", something we now know was a lie as the DS3 was announced shortly after the lawsuit settlement
XboxOne and my gaming addiction are perfect match :)
2ndAtomisk 4 years ago#335
Micooliscool posted...
You know, I was going to watch a movie, but this topic is a lot more entertaining. *munches popcorn*
I'm gonna cut out your eyes and piss in the ****ing sockets! ~ Kaine
georgewduff1 posted...
LMAO! You literally typed all that garbage up when you could've just said you were an xbox fanboy and gotten the same message across
ScaryLlama 4 years ago#337
pblimp360 posted...
^ The ignorant fanboys mentality right there.
ignore the fact that M$ isn't Sony's only competition and they did quite well in the PSX/PS2 years with little to no real opponent. Also, just because MS and their poisonous policies exit the gaming stage, doesn't mean someone else won't step in, as has happened before.
When will people accept that MS isn't bringing anything good to the gaming industry?
PSN: ScaryLlama
Steam: ScaryLlama
DarkestSouls (Topic Creator)4 years ago#338
georgewduff1 posted...
Edge magazine = Sony and Apple fanboy magazine
hahahahaha.....when all else fails, use fanboy argument, the last line of defence
alexismynamexx 4 years ago#339
Don't know why anyone would take such an article seriously..
'sources', '50% raw power'
What does it even mean? The xbox 360 has been said to be 30% more 'raw' powerful than the ps3 by many 'sources'
Ramsus082 posted...
Many on this board are seriously going to pick apart anything that doesn't fall in comfortably with their viewpoints. It seems no developer, website, tech analyst, journalist, etc is immune to having their credibility questioned immediately when they're offering information that makes some uncomfortable.
Fully and completely agree.
In the end the games are what matter not the specs, but people will defend them till their death so they can feel better about themselves when their decisions come into question.
The people defending are already questioning their own decision to support the Xbox One.
See, I don't agree with Microsoft and I won't be buying the Xbox One, however it is the bad press generated by Microsoft themsleves (specifically Mattrick) along with the pricepoint which will be the downfall of this console.
Never forget, the PS2 dominated and it was 50% less powerfull then the original Xbox.
Microsoft just become to arrogant this gen, much like Sony did last gen, but piled it on with BS, pompt and an antagonistic personality that they may not recover this gen like Sony eventually did by the end of the PS3's life cycle.
Mewtwo_Soul: "You can't trust a smile from Sony, but you'd better watch your back after shaking Microsoft's hand."
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text:
PKR's Rafizi arrested, charged under Bafia
PKR director of strategy Mohd Rafizi Ramli has been charged in the Shah Alam Sessions Court with disclosing four financial accounts related to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) and its chairperson Mohd Salleh Ismail.
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text:
I am using portfolio 3 columns and portfolio thumbnail size of 300px X 200px (uploaded as featured image by creating single portfolio).
But the portfolio page resize the tumbnail to 341px (width). At the option "Select custom image size", I set "No scaling". The original size of the featured images are 300px x 200px.
I won't, that the portfolio grid resizes the featured image.
What can I do?
Thank you!
Hi jingz,
The columns will resize your images no matter what you choose if the image isn't large enough to fill in the column. Otherwise the columns won't fit correctly in a full width container.
If you put the portfolio in a container it will shrink the column widths and then the images inside.
The topic 'Portfolio 3 Columns Grid Thumbnail Question' is closed to new replies.


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Rites That Bind
Rachel Ward | Photo: Julie Kay Kelly Photography | June 17, 2013
Brittany Wright and Vivek Goswami have both been married twice—both times to each other on the same autumn day.
Their morning ceremony, held at St. Helena Catholic Church, was followed by a Hindu ceremony and reception at Calistoga Ranch. "From a photographic perspective, it means double the color, the beauty, the moments," says photographer Julie Kay Kelly. On the eve of the nuptials, at an alfresco Indian rehearsal dinner, the couple and their guests had mehndi, or henna, decorations painted on their hands. Closer examination of the bride's palms revealed the groom's initials woven into the intricate design. "I couldn't not take that shot," Kelly says. "To see their hands together said everything—it was very powerful." 415.302.6437, juliekaykelly.com.


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DETROIT, April 20 (UPI) -- General Motors Co. is poised to announce it will repay the U.S. government $5.8 billion two months early, sources told The Detroit News.
GM spokesman Greg Martin declined to comment on the payment, which was also reported in the Detroit Free Press. Company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Edward Whitacre Jr. plans to announce the payment in Fairfax, Kan., where renewed investment in the plant and additional jobs for Kansas will also be announced, the News reported.
The plan is to use an escrow account set up by the U.S. Treasury to pay the U.S. government $4.7 billion and the Canadian and Ontario governments $1.1 billion.
The U.S. government will remain owners of 61 percent of GM and Canada will keep control of 12 percent, as much of the aid provided to GM last year was converted to equity.
Industry analyst Aaron Bragman said the payment was "an important step on the road to an Initial Public Offering."
From a public relations point of view, the issue is moot, he said. By now, "People have pretty much made up their minds whether the bailout was a good thing or a bad thing," he said.


text:
Woman working on Allman film killed
A woman working with a film crew on a biopic about musician Gregg Allman has been struck and killed by a train.
Wayne County Sheriff's Detective Joe Gardner told WSAV-TV it happened after the crew had placed a mattress on a set of railroad tracks in Doctortown, Georgia, while filming the movie Midnight Rider.
Authorities have said several other crew members were injured and details on their injuries weren't immediately available.
Sheriff John Carter told WTOC-TV that two of the crew members sustained serious injuries.
The Daily Mail reported that the crew - and director Randall Miller - were filming a dream sequence on a railroad when the train suddenly appeared.
The filmmaker apparently fell on the tracks as the crew tried to get out of the way of the train, and had to be pulled to safety by a photographer.
Detective Gardner said the crew was affiliated with a Savannah-based production company. Studio representatives were unavailable for comment.
Sheriff's officials haven't released the woman's identity, and officials from CSX rail company said they are working with authorities on the investigation.
Midnight Rider stars Tyson Ritter, William Hurt and Eliza Dushku.


text:
Below are poems written by poet
Lyubomir Nikolov. Click the Next or Previous links below the poem to navigate between poems. Remember, Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth. Thank you.
List of ALL
Nikolov poems
Lyubomir Nikolov
The poem(s) are below...
Night of illusions allures my mind
Feeble reality consumed by the dark
Leads to an end where thought is a spark
I am crossing the city in a yellow cab
The driver tattooed shares his truths
Replaying the wisdom of song of rap
Life is money and power and pleasures for hour
No, no – life is something in between
God's grand plans and fragility of human being
Drive me to hospital where nobody sleeps
Life is beautiful walk and unstoppable dreams
In hospital nobody sleeps.
Life is to have two strong hands
Shaking the ones of your friends
In hospital is perfectly clear
Life is to live at least five more years
Breathing the scent of June fields
Feeling the awe of the wisdom revealed
Think - life is approachable mercy
To enjoy your ice cream
On a bicycle pushed from the ocean's wind
Copyright © Lyubomir Nikolov | Year Posted 2007


text: So, I'm in a cover band. My main instrument for the last decade has been guitar. A year ago my buddy asked me to play bass for him. Never thought it was going to be a regular thing... but we're booked out 6 months in advance now. In an act of desperation, I bought an old Peavey Mark III head and a Peavey cab that holds 1x15 and 2x8. It's old, heavy, and killing me as I typically do the majority of the load in and out since I have the biggest and most reliable car. I'm looking for good tone at a reasonable price that is light weight. Since bass hasn't been my thing in a while I am very out of touch when it comes to gear. We're a party band playing mainly pop and 90's rock. Please help


text:
I've talked a lot about how the power of a successful book trailer lies in the storytelling. This short video from my friend Karen Spears Zacharias for her book Where's Your Jesus Now?, which comes out at the end of the summer, brings to mind a new metaphor: the power of testimony. I've long been interested, at varying levels of abstraction, in the idea that blogs and other online communication tools can function as platforms for witnessing one's faith, and the basic concept—speaking authentically and truthfully about your experience, in the hope that others might learn from what you've discovered about yourself and your relationship to the world—has profound application to writers whether they are concerned with matters of faith or more worldly affairs.
Watch this video with that in mind. Zacharias's monologue doesn't give easy answers, but she wants to force viewers into deeper consideration (and ideally, of course, to see what more she has to say on the subject).


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Jill has emailed an update on the two Poodle martyrs...
"The farmer's solicitor has been phoning us at home, and contacted Peter on his mobile (one wonders where he got the numbers from). This is intimidation according to our solicitor. The farmer's solicitor said that his client didn't want anything to happen to the dogs, and wanted to get together 'over a cup of tea' and discuss things! Like Hell!! Apologies for the language! Peter just told him to contact our solicitor! This has gone too far now."
How did he get the phone numbers? I have to say I can't see the police behaving like this in any other case. So much for innocent until proven guilty.
Would they have put the victim of any other crime in touch with a suspect and encouraged them to extort a payment in exchange for all the charges being dropped?
There appears to be no evidence to link these two dogs with the crime and no reason for the police to continue to hold the dogs.
It sounds like negotiating a ransom rather than paying compensation.


text: Before Northern Ozaukee School District students can play on two new playgrounds, some serious work will have to be done. However, like many outdoor activities scheduled for this soggy spring, Mother Nature may have other plans.A volunteer effort to build colorful and challenging play structures for Ozaukee Elementary and Ozaukee Middle schools is tentatively planned for this week. Weather permitting, work on the playgrounds is expected to start on Thursday, May 30.Monica Gahan, president of the Parent Teacher Resource group that is financing most of the cost of the project, said the first day of work will include digging support holes and other site preparations.Volunteers, including Ozaukee High School students, are expected to work from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.The construction will be supervised by a site foreman from Miller & Associates of Sauk Prairie, which designed the two clusters of play equipment. The durable play structures were made by BCI Burke Co. of Fond du Lac.On Friday, the district's buildings and grounds crew is expected to tackle the project, again with the help of volunteers.Gahan said Saturday will be "the big build day," with worker expected on the scene from 6:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.Breakfast will be provided by the PTR, and lunch will be served by the school district. Baby sitters will be available starting at 7 a.m. if volunteers have children that need tending.All of this planning could be put on hold, however, if the season of persistent rain doesn't relent. A decision on whether to go ahead with the intended schedule was to be made Wednesday."We are hoping for the best, but I guess we are also preparing for the worst," Gahan said. If the playground area is deemed too wet to work on, a new timetable will be announced.The estimated value of the two projects — which will feature a variety of climbing apparatuses and slides — is $53,000, including equipment and installation.The school district has committed at least $10,000 toward the project, but the bulk of the expenses will be covered by the PTR.The largest donation so far has been $1,750 from Port Washington State Bank.Gahan can be reached at 692-3411.


text: News tech Students make mockery of Census 'amateurs' Head of census 2016 says the ABS is not considering any backup plan amid fears of a low participation rate. QUT students Bernd Hartzer and Austin Wilshire build a better 2016 Census server that is four times better than the $9 million server that the ABS use from IBM for the disastrous 2016 Census. Picture: Marc Robertson WHILE the Australian Bureau... #students #census #wilshire Tweet Source: www.news.com.au Read More


text:
Marine Park
Saturday, January 26, 2013
6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Please note: This event has already taken place. Please use the Search options on the right to find upcoming events.
Astronomy programs feature the use of telescopes and binoculars to observe specific astronomical events. Many programs feature astronomy experts and all equipments is provided. Night Sky programs highlight the history and folklore of the solar system, using the naked eye to locate stars and planets. Programs are best enjoyed on clear nights, so please call ahead if weather conditions are not clear.
Event Organizer
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Directions to Marine Park
- Major Habitat Restoration And Trail Development Project Gets Underway This Fall In Marine Park
- More Than 30,000 New Yorkers Celebrate The Outdoors At Tenth Anniversary Of Adventures NYC
- NYC Parks Joins The National Park Service In Announcing New Bicycle And Kayak Rental Concession For Jamaica
- NYRR Open Run: Marine Park
- NYRR Open Run: Marine Park
- NYRR Open Run: Marine Park
- Astronomy: The Geminids Meteor Shower
- NYRR Open Run: Marine Park
- Baseball Fields
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text:
Frameline review: 'Kiss Me'
Published 4:00 am, Sunday, June 10, 2012
Photo: Frameline
Kiss Me
2011, Sweden
The uptight Mia visits home for her father's birthday-engagement party, where she announces her own engagement to her boyfriend. What could be a more delightful family affair, right? But Mia unexpectedly and quickly falls for the free-spirited Frida - Mia's stepsister-to-be. It's a complication that shakes Mia to the core and threatens family upheaval, with plenty of other collateral damage to boot. Ruth Vega Fernandez as Mia and Liv Mjones as Frida electrify the screen whenever they're together, but what sets this engrossing, sexy film apart is its honest depiction of how their relationship takes a toll on others.
6:45 p.m. June 15, Castro Theatre


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Two men have been remanded in custody in connection with postal thefts in East Surrey, including in Reigate, Woking and Weybridge.
The men, Victor Odesola, 37, and Olukayode Akinleye, 34, both of Bradbourne Road, Grays in Essex, appeared at South East Surrey Magistrates Court in Redhill at the weekend.
They were both charged with conspiracy to defraud the central bank following a number of thefts of mail.
They were remanded in custody and are next due to appear at South West Surrey Magistrates Court in Guildford on Thursday, February 14.


text:
Starting a gun collection...iconic firearms?
View Single Post
February 22, 2013, 01:36 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: February 4, 2012
Posts: 1,273
For a collection
First, I think you have a good start. My approach to colelcting was to get what appealed to me, and if I decided I didn't like it later, I traded/sold it (sorry cheapshooter).
IMHO, these are guns that are good collection pieces, in that they are semi-common now, but will probably be worth holding onto for a while:
Mosin-Nagant- 91/30; m44; m38, etc- these are in almost every gun shop, but if you look at all the mosin threads on here, you hear people belly-aching about how they won't buy one for less than $80 out the door- their prices have been creeping up, and will probably continue to do so for a while.
Smith Combat magnum- Your model 19 is a good start. Still common enough to get at a decent price, but they should start drying up before too long.
Webley-Scott revolver- classic break action revolver, not too hard to find, as long as you aren't looking for ammo.
Browning HiPower- classic handgun, and if you can get one for a good price, I don't think you'll be disappointed (not from my own experience, since I am still looking for my future BHP).
Certain 1911's- I am no pro on 1911's, but if you can find an older one in decent condition from a good manufacturer, it wouldn't hurt.
These are just based on my minimal knowledge and my own nascent collecting look-arounds. Your results may vary-
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text:
2000: Highlights From A Strong Portfolio
Richard H. Matzke, Vice Chairman of the Board
Chevron Corporation
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
Los Angeles, California
Also see a press release regarding this speech
As usual, we have more good stories to tell about Chevron's portfolio than we can cover in this update. So I'll just hit some of the high points and offer some perspective on the different ways that our company is helping to meet the world's growing demand for energy.
Let's start with a look at the Caspian region.
Slide: Tengiz photo of Train 5 plus location map of Central Asia displaying location of Tengiz Field, CPC pipeline route, and Absheron Block
One of the jewels in the crown is our Tengizchevroil partnership in Kazakhstan. It's the most successful joint venture to date in the former Soviet Union. Chevron owns 50 percent of this massive joint venture.
We recently completed a three-year expansion project, which helped us average almost 230,000 barrels of oil a day last year. That marked the seventh straight year of production increases. And we plan to keep growing.
And while we grow, our project will contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits to Kazakhstan and Russia in the form of jobs, taxes, royalties, purchasing and so on.
Energy development in general and Chevron's activities in particular have made a tremendous contribution to the regional economy -- and this is something that I feel all stockholders can be proud of.
Meanwhile, Chevron and 10 partners are putting the finishing touches on the $2.6 billion, 900-mile-long Caspian pipeline. The planning took awhile, but the construction went smoothly.
This is the crucial link we knew would be needed from our first days in Kazakhstan: a new, state-of-the-art facility that would transport Tengiz crude and other regional production to world markets.
On March 26 of this year, the prime minister of Kazakhstan opened a valve in Atyrau, and the line began to fill with Kazakh oil. By summer, the line will be full, and export sales will begin.
And with an initial capacity of 600,000 barrels a day for the pipeline, regional oil production will have plenty of room to grow.
We're also looking to the future in the deepwater areas of the Southern Caspian Sea. As you can see here on the map, we're currently drilling our first exploratory well in the Absheron Block offshore Azerbaijan.
Let's take a look next at Africa.
In Angola last year, we achieved a record production rate of more than half a million barrels a day. And Chevron remains the top company in this country, operating more than 60 percent of Angola's total production.
But we're not just producing it, we're finding new supplies as well. In fact, we've made six deepwater discoveries since 1996, including two last year.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, Chevron-operated production rose to 430,000 barrels of oil a day last year. In addition, we won shares of three of the choicest deepwater exploration blocks, covering more than a million acres.
Our Escravos Gas Project continued to handle the natural gas we produce, which helps us avoid flaring.
Last year, we doubled the project's capacity to 285 million cubic feet a day, and we plan to double it again by 2005.
Also in this part of the continent, Chevron manages the West African Gas Pipeline project, one of the region's most significant energy projects.
By 2004, we hope this facility will be delivering Nigerian natural gas to Benin, Togo and Ghana to help generate new supplies of electricity, support new industry and create jobs.
I would add that we signed a new deepwater exploration deal with Equatorial Guinea in 2000, and we expect to drill our first well next year.
Nearby, we've taken a 25 percent share of a project to build a 650-mile pipeline from oil fields in Chad to the coast of Cameroon. In about three years, we expect that line will be shipping nearly a quarter of a million barrels of oil a day to world markets.
We've got good news from Latin America as well.
Back in the mid-1990s, we were a leader in negotiating for new investments in Venezuela, when the government re-opened its oil and gas sector to outside investors.
And today, Chevron is the largest private oil field operator in Venezuela. We operate two oil fields in the Lake Maracaibo area: Boscan and LL-652, which together produced more than 130,000 barrels a day last year.
Some of you will recall that in 1999 we acquired the Petrolera Argentina San Jorge.
With the addition of several new discoveries and acquisitions, we've become one of Argentina's top producers of oil and natural gas.
Our Latin America position was also enhanced during 2000, when we won four promising deepwater blocks in Brazil, covering a combined area of more than 4 million acres. We are drilling our first exploration well there right now.
Turning to Europe, our Britannia Field in the U.K. North Sea, last year reached a peak production level of 820 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
This is a major asset for our company producing about 8 percent of U.K. gas demand.
Meanwhile, we've expanded development at the nearby Alba Field, and we expect to produce more than 60,000 barrels a day for the next six years.
Not far away, in Norway, we had more good news in 2000, when Chevron won shares of three new offshore blocks. We plan to start exploration drilling later this year.
We now hold interests in seven offshore blocks, so we have plenty of work to do in Norway, and we hold a share of the currently producing Draugen Field as well.
Moving on now to North America, we remain committed and heavily invested in the Gulf of Mexico, still a world-class area of opportunity.
Chevron was the top producer in the shallow-water gulf last year. And we tripled our gas production from Viosca Knoll, one of our key areas, providing new supplies to a gas-hungry nation while adding profits for our stockholders as well.
Out in the deepwater, Genesis production hit a record 70,000 barrels a day last year; Gemini averaged 15,000.
Typhoon, our newest deepwater development, is scheduled to start up in the third quarter of this year.
Elsewhere, up in northeastern Canada, the Hibernia Field produced an average of 144,000 barrels per day last year, an increase of nearly 40 percent over the previous year.
We continue to evaluate the nearby Chevron-operated Hebron Field, and we're studying exploration opportunities off the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
In the Northwest Territories, natural gas production from Fort Liard was up to 120 million cubic feet a day by year-end from just two wells. And that was more good news for the fast-growing gas markets in both Canada and the United States.
Also in 2000, Chevron and partners acquired exploration interests in more than a million acres in the Mackenzie Delta, a region of the Northwest Territories with good gas potential.
Indeed, many of the hopes for North America's future supply are riding on this region and Chevron intends to play a key role in making things happen up there.
Let's now take a look at some of our downstream operations.
We strengthened our U.S. marketing position last year as the top supplier of jet fuel and aviation gasoline in the Western states, proving again the value of our strategy to focus this part of our business in growth areas.
Total sales of refined products, mostly gasoline, jet fuel and diesel were up 2 percent, even though gasoline demand was down slightly overall.
As for chemicals, the new Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. began operations on July 1.
This 50/50 joint venture with Phillips Petroleum Co. instantly became one of the top five producers of olefins and a top-five competitor in the aromatics business.
And in a move designed to position itself for long-term growth, Chevron Phillip's first polystyrene plant in China began operations in November.
Let's shift our attention to the Middle East, where Chevron has several interesting projects and initiatives under way.
Our petrochemicals complex at Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia reached its designed production capacity in its first year of operation. And we're building an olefins plant in Qatar, which will produce about a billion pounds each of ethylene and polyethylene per year.
In addition to these strategic downstream projects, we have several additional upstream initiatives under way in the Middle East.
Chevron currently has a long-standing Technical Service Agreement with the Kuwait Oil Co., and we continue to discuss future deals with the Kuwaitis to help them manage and develop their oil and gas fields.
At the same time, we continue to hold discussions with the Saudis on possible upstream projects in that country. And we've been talking with the Iranian National Oil Co. about future opportunities in oil and gas there.
However, as most of you know, Chevron and other U.S.-based companies are currently prohibited from investing in Iran, due to unilateral trade sanctions.
The point is, your company is working on a wide range of opportunities in the Middle East, because we have a lot to offer our future partners there and because the Middle East will remain the world's most important oil-producing region.
I think it's important to also mention the liquefied natural gas (LNG) business, which is much in the news lately.
First of all, in Western Australia, the North West Shelf Venture, in which Chevron is a partner, recently announced a 1.6 billion dollar LNG expansion project, scheduled for start-up in 2004.
In addition to that, Chevron is evaluating the possibility of importing liquefied natural gas to help serve the growing demand for clean energy along the West Coast of North America.
If the project proves to be economically viable, we could supply the LNG from our extensive gas holdings along the west coast of Australia as early as 2005.
The natural gas is liquefied through a process of refrigeration and then transported in LNG ships like the one shown in the slide above. It's a proven technology, especially in Asia, and we'd like to see it work for America as well.
Now let's turn to gas and power. Chevron holds a 26 percent interest in Dynegy, one of the leading natural-gas marketers in North America. Through new power-generation projects and acquisitions, Dynegy brought its total generation capacity to 16,600 megawatts last year.
Of course, every area of the business I've talked about up to now has one thing in common: They all depend on new and innovative technologies.
Our strategy is to identify and capture the best technological developments, both internal and external to Chevron, then apply these new technologies to our key businesses.
For instance, technology plays a key role in optimizing performance in oil and gas reservoirs, which is just a fancy way of saying that we use every technology at our disposal to get as much oil out of the ground as we possibly can.
Industrywide, an average of 70 percent of oil remains locked in the ground, even after years of production by conventional techniques.
Late last year, Chevron and Schlumberger, the oil field services company, launched a multiyear research project to build the next generation of tools that will increase recovery rates from existing oil reservoirs.
Another good technology story is gas-to-liquids. We call it GTL, and it converts natural gas into clean liquid fuels, offering the promise of expanding energy supplies around the globe. Indeed, these fuels could set new global standards for performance and low emissions.
And we're proud to report that Chevron's joint venture with Sasol is building a world-class gas-to-liquids facility in Nigeria, which is scheduled for completion in 2005.
That concludes our look at some of Chevron's newest and brightest prospects.
I think you can see that our portfolio represents tremendous potential for growing our company and building value to our stockholders.
Now, I'd like to turn the podium back to Dave O'Reilly, who will tell you about our strategies and objectives for the year 2001 and beyond.
Updated: April 2001


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Jeremy Hobson:
Earnings season continues today when Intel reports its quarterly results after the closing bell on Wall Street.
This earnings season our economics correspondent Chris Farrell will be closely monitoring the results coming in from three different companies to get a sense of how our economic recovery is progressing. And Chris joins us now to talk about those companies. Hi Chris.
Chris Farrell: Hey Jeremy.
HOBSON: So what are you going to be watching?
FARRELL: Ah, top of my list: Qualcomm.
HOBSON: Uh huh.
FARRELL: I bet that's not on the tip of your tongue, but it is a mobile technology giant. You know, Jeremy, we've talked about how I think this sort of mobile Internet is going to be the driving force of our economy, and of job growth in 2011. So they're a pioneer, they're a major player in the cell phone industry, and they just spent a little over $3 billion to take a major presence in the Wi-Fi industry. So we've got cell phones, we've got Wi-Fi, we've got mobile Internet -- I'm going to be following Qualcomm.
HOBSON: They cover all the bases. What else, Chris, what else are you going to be following?
FARRELL: Well another company you probably haven't heard of: Fastenal.
HOBSON: I've never heard of Fastenal.
FARRELL: I love Fastenal. It's an almost $9 billion company, and they distribute nuts, bolts and some 50,000 other industrial parts and tools. Basically industrial fasteners. So if you want to know what's happening to industrial America -- is industrial America feeling more confident, making some orders? See what's happening with Fastenal. In the third quarter of 2010, they said they saw a slowdown in orders toward the end of the year, but looking toward a good 2011. So watch them closely.
HOBSON: All right, so manufacturing, high-tech -- what's the third one?
FARRELL: Well the third one: jobs, jobs, jobs. Which means I'm looking at Manpower, the giant temp agency. And by the way, the CEO of Manpower recently said that what they're starting to see is more temp jobs becoming permanent jobs. And I want to see a lot more of that in 2011.
HOBSON: All right, Chris Farrell, Marketplace economics correspondent. We'll be watching those, you'll be watching those, and we'll talk to you next time. Thanks.
FARRELL: Thanks a lot.


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4x4 off-road safari. Egypt. Sinai desert
Jimmie Johnson is the latest Sprint Cup driver to sign up to race a round, or rounds, of the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2013.
He'll be driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team at Phoenix on March 2.
What is supposed to be a major-league-level development series for the Sprint Cup series is turning, once again, into Sprint Cup lite.
The reason, of course, is that the sponsor situation is so tight now that one of the few ways a Nationwide team or car owner can attract the money needed to run those cars is to have a "name" driver in the seat.
And it's not just the race itself that's important to a sponsor. In return for signing a cheque for – at the absolute, bare bones, minimum – $500,000, a sponsor wants the driver to appear at his place of business, or at a cocktail reception, or at a barbecue for clients, as well as in the race car.
No longer are corporations or companies willing to take a chance on an up-and-comer. They want to introduce Jimmie Johnson, or Brad Keselowski, or Kyle Busch to their customers. Not Jimmy or Janet Maybesomeday.
Is it good for the sport? Of course not.
But there's really nothing NASCAR can do about it. They tried to, a few years ago, when they ruled that a driver could only score points in one division. They made it so that Sprint Cup drivers couldn't score points in Nationwide, too. And that did help – for maybe a season. But now we're back to same old, same old.
Of course, if something happened to one of those guys while racing at a lower level, that then prevented them from fulfilling their racing and sponsorship obligations in the big league, then we might see an end to it.
But until that happens, and Sprint Cup team owners forbid it from happening in contracts they have with their star drivers – as has happened in other leagues, such as Formula One – you can fuggedaboutit.
Speaking of Formula One, the rollout of the new cars continues apace, as does the naming of racing drivers most of us have never heard of to rides in the World Championship of Drivers this year (Giedo van der Garde, COME ON DOWN!!!).
Thank goodness for Sebastien Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton or my interest in what is supposed to be the top level of the sport featuring the best cars (they have those) and best drivers in the world (hmmmmm) might start to diminish.
But as long as those top four guys are around, plus Felipe Massa, Jenson Button and Mark Webber, I'll be on the edge of my seat, as usual.
(My personal jury is still out on Romaine Grosjean. And is Sergio Perez really a McLaren driver? As in, is he good enough? We'll find out, won't we?)
Speaking of McLaren, it's the marque's 50th anniversary and we'll undoubtedly be hearing lots and lots about the team, and Bruce McLaren, over the next 10 or 11 months.
It's hard to believe, but Bruce founded his own racing team 50 years ago. Then, at age 32 in 1970, he died when he crashed while testing one of his Can-Am Series cars at Goodwood in England.
I remember that day vividly. I was shaving to go to work and listening to Wally Crouter on CFRB – he had the top morning radio show in Toronto at the time – and he made the announcement of the accident and then ad-libbed a most magnificent tribute to McLaren.
In any event, a friend sent me this link the other day to the first of what I understand will be a three-video tribute to the history of the company. The other two videos will be released later this year. Click here for the video.
Here is big news. Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard did NOT win the first event of the 2013 Canadian Rally Championship, the Perce-Neige Maniwaki Rally, in Quebec at the weekend. The perennial champions (I mean, they win everything, don't they?) were forced out by mechanical gremlins. The rally was won by Patrick Richard of Squamish, B.C., with Rob Fagg of the U.K. co-driving.
Here's some short-track news. Mike Lichty of Kitchener finished fifth Saturday night in the Gambler Classic for TQ midgets at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Along with the Rumble at Fort Waye and the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, the Gambler is one of the "don't-miss" indoor racing events that are held each winter.
It's too bad there isn't something closer to southern Ontario. We were lucky that, for years, the TQs would hold an indoor event in Niagara Falls, N.Y., at the old Niagara Falls Convention Centre, which was eventually blown away to build a parking garage for the Seneca Casino. And promoters in London, Ont., tried for a couple of years at the arena there but weren't successful.
My old pal Nate Salter held discussions for a TQ race with officials at the Direct Energy Centre at the CNE but I understand they didn't want to share in the risk in case something like a snowstorm put the kibosh on a turnout, so Nate – correctly – decided he didn't want to gamble his children's inheritance and nothing came of it.
Oh, before I forget, Lou Cicconi Jr. won the Friday night pre-Gambler race at Atlantic City while Anthony Sesely won the Gambler feature Saturday night.
Drag racer Spencer Massey will return to Don Schumacher Racing for the 2013 NHRA Top Fuel season.
Massey is a top gun. I also was impressed when – during an interview I did with him several years ago as he prepared to haul his dragster from Castrol Raceway outside Edmonton to Toronto Motorsports Park outside Cayuga – he talked about how excited he was at the prospect of driving across Canada and seeing the country.
"I've heard about Canada all my life and I'm really excited about being able to see it and enjoy it," he said.
That's boy's No. 1 in my book.
Speaking of Toronto Motorsports Park (we weren't – but you know how my brain works), they've got a lot of special road course and dragway gift certificate and special promotions on offer that they're touting under the heading, "Make Their Heart Race This Valentine's Day."
I suggest you check everything out at TMP's website (click here), considering that Valentine's Day is on Tuesday. . .
- DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 05: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, poses during NASCAR media day at Daytona International Speedway on February 5, 2008 in Daytona, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson


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Filling Up Your iPod, 5 Tracks At A Time
Quick Mix: The Whitest Boy Alive, Blocparty, Kennedy, Glasvegas, and Elevation
Say hello to the Gear Patrol Quick Mix, a new initiative to get you some new tunes on your cobweb laden music collection. We'll spoon feed you a variety of new tunes with each new Quick Mix covering a variety of music genres from a variety of tastes. Some you'll like, some you'll hate, but the best part is you don't have to go looking for it. That's what GP's all about.
Today's inaugural Quick Mix comes from this guy (two thumbs pointed) and it's got a theme you should see a reoccurrence of with my mixes: soundtrack-y. Most likely because I'm one of those guys that goes about my day thinking of what song would be perfect for any particular moment (think: Cameron Crowe). And though Ben constantly chides me for my abhorrent lack of hip-hop, I should have some surprises up my sleeve (I've got a thing for West Coast rap). Oh, and sorry pop-culture, but this mix won't include any Michael Jackson.
Tracks, previews, and reviews after the jump.
"Timebomb" by The Whitest Boy Alive
It's ironic I start with this song because when it comes to my music, the artist name is also how many of my friends often describe my taste in music. So be it. I embrace it with open arms. The Whitest Boy Alive is helmed by the lead singer of The Kings of Convenience. You may also recognize the group from the video of me climbing into the trunk of a Lincoln MKS. Same group. It's got a great guitar riff to it and I'm a sucker for spacious sound.
Cost: $17
"Signs" by Blocparty
I've never been a big Blocparty listener, but "Signs" still ranks as one of my favorite tunes. It's consistently played my iPod, and now I'm sharing it with you. Unlike M. Night Shamayalanamanadingdong's movie it doesn't leave you disappointed – the haunting vocals, bass, electronic tones, and xylophone carry from start to stop and never let go.
Cost: $15
"Karate" by Kennedy
Let me first say that I could not rightfully endorse the remainder of Kennedy's album Life is An Afterparty. Perhaps because I've not been able to make it past thirty seconds of any other song, but "Karate" is a great song for the summer and even if you don't know karate or jujitsu as Kennedy swells over a catchy upbeat tune, it still makes for a great after work tune to drive home to.
Cost: $5
"Geraldine" by Glasvegas
I made a trip in my formative years to Edinburgh, Scotland and this song reminds me of two things from my time there. 1. The idiotic idea my travel mate and I had to jog a loop around city center that included this ridiculous stairway that would make any athlete cringe, and me yak my breakfast. 2. The wonderful scottish accents of some of the beautiful women that roamed Edinburgh. For some reason "Geraldine" reminds me of that trip, and I've got it on my summer rotation.
Cost: $8
"Maybe Tomorrow" by Elevation
This Southern rock band works to defeat the stereotype of "Southern Rock" with some pretty great tunes on their debut album Strangelove. The more upbeat "Razoreyes" is more likely a crowd pleaser at your next BBQ, but this year's unrelenting rainy weather in New York has had its impact on my playlists. "Maybe Tomorrow" has pretty much been my sentiment with the hope that tomorrow will not include a mid-afternoon deluge.
Cost: $10
Got your own quick mix or just a track you like? Send us the song and artist to Open Forum with "Quick Mix" in the title. We'll choose the best ones to include in future Quick Mixes.


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I'm in a pickle: I have too much alcohol without an efficient way to store and access it. The bourbons, whiskeys, and ryes are mounting, and the old staples of rum and tequila never seem to wain. And, of course, my pathetic storage option has a polarized relationship with my curiosity for flavor combinations.
Now, I'm sure my paltry 60+ bottle collection pales in comparison to some people on this site, but it still presents a need for a dedicated apartment corner—until it deserves its own room that is.
Does anyone have any recommendations for spirit storage, with a modern—or just not f'n ugly—design? I've been searching high and low for vintage, new, custom, and the likes and it seems to be a pool of bad suburban home decorations and other forms of tackiness. There is one bar cabinet on Crate & Barrel which is (sigh), okay, I guess, but ugly in style and not really diverse in storage capacity.
Suggestions, anyone? Your help would be much appreciated, maybe repaid in the form of a drink?


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Endemol wins new Mideast entertainment deals
London, March 26, 2014
Endemol, a leading independent production company, has won new entertainment deals in the Middle East with CBC.
'Best Years of Your Lives,' produced by Endemol, has been commissioned for a 13 episode prime time run by leading Egyptian group CBC, which goes out to 300 million viewers in the Pan-Arab region.
The deal, which marks the format's launch in the region, is set to launch in April. The series will see two teams take part in challenges to compare the decades by looking back at iconic films and music, historic headlines and fads.
Endemol Middle East has renewed its deal with CBC for a new series of 'Star Academy,' following the format's successful return to the region last year. The commission includes 16 episodes where budding stars will perform live in as part of a prime-time spectacular packed with singing, acting and dancing.
There will also be a 24-hour Pan-Arab Star Academy channel capturing all the live action and 105 daily access shows which will bring viewers the day's highlights.
The last series was the number one show in Egypt during its four-month run, airing with an average share of audience of 36 per cent and had more than 2.5 million likes on Facebook.
Lara Haddad, managing director of Endemol Middle East, said: "Endemol continues to build on its track record of bringing entertainment blockbusters to broadcasters in the Middle East. We are thrilled with the success of Star Academy's return to the region and we believe Best Years of Your Lives has what it takes to become CBC's next big hit." - TradeArabia News Service


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Patrons of Darien Lake will no longer be allowed to park along Sumner Road. Darien Lake has announced that theme park goers will be required to park their cars in Darien Lake owned lots and a fence will be put up to further discourage parking on Sumner Road.
Steve Hallowell is the Marketing Director at Darien Lake, He said they've been working on the plan since last summer.
"We've been working with our neighbors with live nation Genesee County Sheriffs department state police and we have really gotten pretty solid support thorough the decreasing traffic decreasing the amount of pedestrians walking up and down the road increasing the safety is really for the good of everyone," said Hallowell.
Hallowell said the fence will make it so patrons will only have one way to access the park.
County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy of Road Patrol Gordon Dibble said they support Darien Lakes' new rule.
"Clearly the mixture of foot traffic and vehicle traffic on Sumner Road was not safe. So we think that it is going to make it safer out there for the concert goers and it should alleviate that mixture of foot traffic on a very narrow county road out there with very narrow shoulders," said Dibble.
The new rule takes effect August 17th.


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Blackstar Series One S1-100 100W 2 Channel Valve Head
Blackstar Series One S1-100 100W 2 Channel Valve HeadDetails
Built on the rock-solid foundation of the classic 100W EL34 power stage, this amplifier sets new standards for clean and crunch tones. Two channels and four footswitchable modes, complete with ISF, include the amazing Super Crunch for the biggest, crunchiest tones yet heard.The DPR control allows power to be reduced to 10W for studio and small venue work, while a series effects loop and MIDI switching further expand the flexibility of this professionally specified amplifier.
Product Ref: 16796View Full Description
Full DescriptionView Full Description
The S1-100 sees the distillation of decades of guitar amplifier design experience into the ultimate 100W valve head. Every control has been honed for maximum sonic benefit through hundreds of hours of listening.
The S1-100 Clean Channel sets the precedent for no-compromise design, by featuring Bright and Warm modes. Each mode actually reconfigures the pre-amplifier voicing and power amplifier damping to reproduce either ringing Class A performance in the Bright mode, or crunchy Class AB tones in the Warm setting.
Careful attention was paid to the levels of overdrive available when designing the S1-100. Crunch mode covers the widest range of crunch gain levels possible from just on the edge clean break-up, to crushing modern rhythm tones. Super Crunch mode alters both gain levels and tonal shaping for maximum crunch flexibility.
The overdrive modes are characterised by a tone which is high in gain, but lacks any of the detached top-end often found in many similar designs. This is a result of unique preamplifier and power amplifier shaping techniques, which also benefit the player in the way the overdrives clean up beautifully as the guitar volume is reduced. Even at the most extreme settings, the overdrive channels remain natural sounding.
The Patent-Applied-For ISF control is unique to Blackstar Amplification and represents a major step forward in tone shaping flexibility. The ISF control shifts the response of the three control tone stack between at one end a US response and at the other a UK response. Importantly, an infinite number of alternative tone choices lies in between that would be otherwise unavailable.
Completing the tonal feature set is another unique Patent-Applied-For Blackstar innovation - the DPR (Dynamic Power Reduction) system. DPR reduces the power of the output stage from full power (100W) down to 10 (10W) and any power output in between. This means that the full tonal depth of the EL34 power amplifier can be enjoyed at any volume, making the S1-100 ideal for recording, smaller gigs and even home practice use. Working in conjunction with the power amplifier voltages, this method of power reduction suffers none of the loss in tone of other power reduction systems.
The tonal flexibility of the S1-100 is augmented by full MIDI implementation of the main channel and mode switching functions. Used in conjunction with outboard gear such as multi-effects units, MIDI allows a whole new level of creative performance to be explored.
- 100 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 3 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x EL34 valves
- 2 channels and 4 modes (footswitchable)
- Clean channel with Warm (Plexi) and Bright (Class A) type modes
- Overdrive channel with Crunch and Super Crunch modes
- ISF equipped tone control section
- Presence and Resonance controls
- Master Volume
- Series effects loop
- MIDI switching
- Speaker emulated output
- Power (RMS): 100 Watts
- Valves: 4 x EL34, 3 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82
- Weight (kg): 23.2
- Dimensions: 705 x 285 x 278.5
- Footswitch: FS-2 supplied
The product price includes 6 years' warranty and 180 day money back guarantee.
However, the Gear4music extended warranty scheme provides an enhanced service, and is designed to offer a higher level of protection than many 'free' warranties offered by some retailers and manufacturers.
The highlights of this enhanced warranty service are:
- Warranty is extended to 6 years from the date of delivery.
- Our Money Back guarantee is extended from 30 days to 180 days (terms apply after 30 days)
- Collection and delivery costs are included for the first 2 years
- Claim 50% cash back on the cost of the policy after 6 years if it has not been used!
- Warranty is transferable if the item is re-sold
- Loan or replacement equipment will be provided if the product isn't repaired within 30 days
- If an item can not be repaired, a similar alternative product or cash discount (as defined in this policy) will be offered
- The policy can be cancelled within 30 days, and at any time after that for a pro-rata discount
Please note that this extended warranty is currently only available on products sold within the EU or EEA, and is subject to the terms and conditions as detailed on the extended warranty certificate provided.
For customers in outlying areas of the country, the price of the Extended Warranty may be marginally higher, due to the potential for higher collection and redelivery transport costs.
This enhanced warranty is in addition to the standard Gear4music and manufacturer warranty policies, and the Gear4music terms and conditions of trade. No statement or condition of sale contained within these terms affects or restricts your statutory rights as defined under the Consumer Contracts Regulation 2014.
Once the product is delivered, you have 180 days to decide that you definitely want to keep it. If you decide it is not suitable for any reason, you can return it back to us for replacement or full refund, including standard delivery charges.
All Products are new unless stated, and include a minimum of 2 years warranty.
Some items are only eligible for money back guarantee if they are returned to us unused and sealed in the original packaging, and in the case of software, unregistered. These items include:
- Software
- CDs & DVDs
- In-ear Monitors
- Earplugs and Ear Protection
- Mouthpieces, Reeds etc… for Woodwind and Brass instruments
- Mouth / Lip Care Products
We are unable to accept returns of any custom made items designed to work together as a unique package, such as computer system built to a customer's personal specifications. Exceptions may only be possible with prior agreement of the vendor, and may be subject to a cancellation fee.
If you also purchase items that do not qualify for free delivery, some delivery charges may be applied to your order which will be shown in your shopping basket.


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or call your
favorite travel agent
or call your
favorite travel agent
European Magic » Review by Maiko
The European magic tour was a jam packed tour and a fantastic way to see tons of sites quickly!
We had a great group, mostly couples and we had a higher median age which made for a nice, chill group. Don't get me wrong, we definitely partied (and I don't drink but you can still have fun hanging out with everyone!) although our tour manager probably partied harder than the rest of us! ;)
We ended up doing most of the optionals, which we hadn't intended on doing but turned out to be a ton of fun and we're glad we did. Moulin rouge was a great optional to end the tour!
The bus was our main source of transport (although if you hung out late at night you had to take the train or taxi home... Pretty cheap and manageable though). It could get a little cramped in the window seat if you're like me and like to stretch out when you sleep but it was otherwise a very comfy bus and it was so convenient to just get to sleep between cities. We also only had like 34 people so we had some extra open seats which was very nice.
I loved getting to eat a couple provided meals (breakfast was crucial) but then getting to run off sometimes and grab our own meals. Food in Europe is tasty! Tip: eat at the trattoria alla Madonna in Venice for lunch... Best pasta I've ever had.
This was an amazing tour and we're already plotting our next!
Review written Jun 2013event 0.3
Visas? Money? Where to go? Chat to us about travel.


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" Genre: Arcade & Platform / Video Game for Nintendo Wii / Release Date: 2007-10-19 / Published by Take 2 Interactive "
* Prices may differ from that shown
Carnival funfair games on the wii.
This is a game that makes full use of the wii controllers where it is based at a funfair and using the wii remote you take part in various games.
You can play in two different modes - Prize mode which is a single player mode or Competition mode where up to four players can play against each other.
In single player mode you play the games to win virtual tickets and virtual prizes such as cuddly toys.
In competition mode you play against your family or friends in five randomly selected games.
The games;
Alley ball - You have six balls and you have to throw the balls up the alley to hopefully land in the holes which all have scores on them.
Test your strength - You have to judge the timing of when to swing the hammer to hit the platform to try and ring the bell.
Hoops - You have to sore as many 'baskets' as you can before the time runs out (based on basket ball).
Collection plate - You are given six coins to flip up onto one of the collection plates.
Spilled milk - You are given three balls to try and knock down all the milk bottles.
Balloon darts - you are given three darts to try and pop the on the wall.
Frog leap - You must hit the launch pad to send your frog flying and hopefully land him onto one of the revolving Lilly pads.
Bowler coaster - You must roll a bowling ball along a bumpy wire with the hope of the ball stopping in the highlighted area.
Shooting gallery - You have 25 bullets to try and shoot as many ducks as possible as they pass by on a conveyer belt.
Pigskin pass - A tire will swing backwards and forwards and you have three tries to try and chuck an American football through the tire and into the hole behind the tire.
Shoot for the stars - You have 300 bullets to shoot away as much of the star target as you can.
Buckets of fun - You have three tries to throw a ball into a bucket which is on its side and keep it in there.
Clown splash - You have a hose of water and you have to squirt as much water as you can into a clowns mouth in order to pop the balloon attached to the clowns head.
Hole in one - This is the same as mini golf, so you have to put the golf ball into the hole.
Ring toss - You are given hoops to throw over a large area of glass bottles.
Ka-pow - There are lines of clown faces and you have three balls to try and knock down as many as you can.
Nerves of steel - You have to slide a metal ring along a wriggly bar without touching the bar.
Lucky cups - You are given some balls to try and throw into one of the many cups that are in the middle.
Day at the races - You sit at a table and you have to roll your balls up the table so that they go into the holes that have points, the more points you have, the further your horse travels.
Dunk tank - There is a man sat on a seat above some water and you get three balls to try and hit the target which in turn makes the man fall off his seat and fall into the water.
This game is a lot of fun and a great game for all the family, young or old, everyone can get involved. You can play the game again and again and you never tire of it. I brought this game when it first came out so I paid about £30 for it, but it has dropped it's price quite a bit and you can probably pick up a copy for about £10 now if you shop around.
We have a Wii in our house that tends to only get dusted off when we have company to entertain. It's a great way to interact with all the family and ensure that everyone is entertained. With that in mind, our games collection is full of simple, basic games that can be enjoyed by multiple players and we are always looking for games at a good price to add to our catalogue.
We purchased Carnival Funfair games for the Wii for the bargain price of £9.99 with free delivery from Play.com. It was described as 'all the fun and excitement of the funfair' and was suitable for up to four players. Having read through various mixed reviews of the game, we decided to take a punt on it at that price.
There are two options for play for this game, Prize Mode which is the single player option and Competition Mode which is the multiplayer selection. We have mainly played on the competition mode, but I have also had a few turns on the prize mode where you play to win tickets and prizes as you would in a real funfair.
One plus point for us was that, in competition mode, you are able to select if players will use their own remotes or share one remote. As we own just two remotes this is a good option to have as four people can still play together without the need to borrow more remotes (and go through the hassle of syncing these to the Wii console).
You are able to select and customise your own character - a feature that children seem to particularly enjoy! You can select face, hair and clothes and, once you have completed games and collected tickets the options increase.
The game contains six alleys to choose from - Fortune Way, Love Lane, Rodent Row, Claw Alley, Lucky Pass and Prize Boulevard. Five of the alleys then have a special arcade game that you need to collect tickets by playing the other games in that alley in order to play. The other alley, prize boulevard, is where you can view the prizes that you have won throughout the game. This adds a competitive edge as you can compare your prizes with that of the other players.
Each of the alleys above contains different mini games to play, that you would find in a real life funfair. There are 25 different games to play, so I'll just give a brief description together with my opinion on each. I think it is relevant to note here that all controls for all games involve the Wii remote only, so there is no need to purchase a separate nunchuk, so this keeps the cost down too. The controls for all games are pretty basic too, so children can easily get the hang of the game which is another plus point.
*Alley Ball* You roll 6 balls at a target which is a series of rings, each worth different points. Highest score wins. This is a very simple game that involves no real skill and does not require any of the buttons on the remote - pure luck.
*Test Your Strength* As you would expect, hit the target to try to ring the bell. This one is a little more tricky and involves timing and skill a bit more as you have to charge your strength and swing and press a button - all in the timing and co-ordination.
*Hoops* Shoot as many baskets as you can against the clock. This involves twisting the remote to aim (I find this quite tough!) and then throwing the ball - quite difficult.
*Collection Plate* Toss coins to land on a plate. This involves aiming and flipping the remote, too much flipping results in too much spin....something I struggle with - tough.
*Spilled Milk* Knock down pyramids of three bottles with the ball, using a throwing motion on the remote. Pretty easy but enjoyable, good for hand-eye co-ordination.
*Baloon Darts* Pop the balloons by throwing darts. Use the Wii remote as a dart to aim and throw - different and pretty tricky.
*Frog Leap* Flip the launch pad to propel the frog onto a lily pad. The pads move, so this is about timing and aim - difficult.
*Bowler Coaster*Bowl a ball over a metal course. This is about skill and timing, too slow and the ball won't make it and too fast and it'll bounce right back - good fun
*Shooting Gallery* Shoot 25 bullets at ducks to score points. This involves aiming and firing quickly - great fun but requires quick reactions.
*Pigskin Pass* Throw an American football through a swinging target. Again about timing and co-ordination - tricky.
*Shoot for the Stars* Shoot out the star with 30 bullets. This is basically just pressing buttons - not very challenging, a little boring.
*Buckets of Fun* Throw a ball into a sideways bucket so that it stays there. Just moving the remote in a tossing motion, trying to control the power - good fun, game of chance.
*Clown Splash* Be the first to fill a balloon above the clowns head with water until it pops. This is a done again by aim and powering up - a great fun, competitive game. One of my favourites.
*Hole in One* Miniature golf where the hole moves, three chances to putt the ball. Use the remote as a golf club - requires skill and practice, quite difficult.
*Ring Toss* Basically Hoopla, use remote in a toss motion - difficult.
*Ka-Pow* Three throws to knock down clown targets - simple and about timing. Fun.
*Nerves of Steel* Thread a metal ring over the wire without touching and setting off the buzzer - one of my favourite games, requires skill and is very difficult!
*Lucky Cups* Toss a ball to land in a red, green or gold cup - game of luck.
*Day at the races* Get your horse to run faster than the other players by rolling the ball into the holes for points, the higher the points the quicker the horse - great fun and great for the competitive edge, a family favourite.
*Dunk Tank* Throw a ball at the target to dunk the host with water, the target gets smaller each time - simple, bit boring.
As I have stated, only the Wii remote is required and the controls for all games are fairly simple - you can probably play without working through the tutorials - it is really just common sense. This means that they games are great for all the family, young and old alike. The fact that a lot of the games are down to chance is also a great leveller! Not many games actually require the use of any of the buttons and those that do only require one to be pressed, keeping the controls very simple and easy to get to grips with.
This game is good for what it is - a series of mini games that are fun to play with all the family. It is probably most appealing to those who don't play computer games very often as the controls are so basic and easy to get to grips with. The graphics are very basic and some of the games are pretty repetitive. I actually think this game would have benefitted from containing fewer mini games - 25 seems excessive and it appears to me like they ran out of new ideas and 'padded' the game out by recycling some of the ideas into new forms. For example there are a lot of games that simply involve throwing a ball at a target. I know that a lot of fairground games do take this form, but in my opinion, there are slightly too many on here. With fewer games, each game could have been made a little more complex and challenging which would hold the attention more.
There are some really fun games in here, and I enjoy those that require a bit of luck as well as skill - this makes it more competitive when playing with the family whereas, with other games, the same people (who are better with the Wii remote) tend to win all the time (and the others therefore get a bit bored too quickly!). Others that I have played this with have really enjoyed the games and that there is quite a bit of variation of types of game - skill, luck, timing and judgement.
This game is basic and won't hold the attention of more experienced gamers for very long - it won't be challenging enough for them. It doesn't really offer the opportunity to improve your skills and develop in anyway, but you can collect prizes and points so there is something to aim for in that way and compare with others. Even when playing with others, it is not a game that will hold the attention for too long, the games are over very quickly (2-3 minutes on average) and once you have played them a couple of times, they do get very repetitive and boring. There isn't any real depth to the game or anything to work at meaning that it's game play is very limited.
I think this game is good for something that you would get out and play every now and then, so worth the £9.99 that we paid. I wouldn't have paid any more than this though as we just don't get the use out of it and therefore this would not represent any value for money for us. As long as you don't have high expectations for the game, and are happy to play basic games, then this will meet your needs. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone looking for something challenging or in depth nor for the one player format - which gets boring very quickly and doesn't hold the attention at all. In an age where there are more complicated games with tremendous graphics and great interaction, this seems to step back a few years and will therefore disappoint some.
This is an excellent game on the wii and is great to play with family and friends as everyone can compete.
There are 25 different carnival games to play which include mini golf, shooting gallery, basketball, throwing balls at clowns, throwing a ball to hit a target to dunk someone, ring toss and lots more. You can also personalise your character with funfair accessories like big clown shoes, crowns, hats and more. It is a really fun game to play as each game is short and fast you don't get board and it makes the competition more intense. This game has been out for a few years now so is quite cheap to buy but is still a really good game if you have never played it before. Some of the games are quite difficult so it is not all easy and is good for both kids and adults as some games are easier than others and lots of them are about timing rather than strength.
Shooting the star is one of my favourite games in this as it is simple all you have to do is aim at a star and shoot out the whole thing in a certain amount of time but it is quite difficult so I am always trying to better my score.
I would definately recommend this game.
Carnival Games Funfair on the Wii is an ideal title for the console with a wide range of games on the disc and despite being three years old it still is worth a look!
The premise of the game is, as suggested in the title, giving people a chance to play 25 carnival favourites ranging from my personal favourite the Kentucky derby to darts to ring toss etc. Its for one to four players, and most games only require one controller (with option of using more) so it's a game all can play without the need for shelling out for a boatload of controllers. Additionally, it only requires the Wii remote.
The games themselves are all easy to play with simple instructions and a natural feel as if you were actually playing them. Its easy to learn for gamers of all standards anf the full family will be up and running within minutes.
The games are split into a range of areas and there are 25 in all with some needing to be unlocked by mastering others. Games include everything you can think of from a carnival title which includes the likes of ring toss, bowling, mini golf, knocking tins over, inflating balloons, Kentucky derby, basketball, test of strength and so on. Basically anything you have played at a carnival will be here and if you haven't heard of some of them you soon will!
In single player the game revolves around winning tickets to use on the novelty machines including a fun fortune teller and love calculator which will provide giggles on a family night. And also can be spent on clothes and items for your character...sadly cant use Mii's. These items are also unlocked via playing and reaching certain scores.
Mulitplayer is where the game comes to life though and it can get quite competitive. Some of the game could do with being much much longer as three turns each on some of the carnival fun isn't enough and its often over too soon but the game does have unlimited potential for fun and at the low price you can currently get it for is well worth a punt! Might even rival Wii sports in your collection for best family title!
Also on Ciao
We already had Carnival Fun Fair Games for the DS, and decided it'd be a good one for the family to have on the Wii as well. It turns out it's actually a bit different on the Wii than it is on the DS as it happens, so that's something to consider if you're buying them in the same order we did. If you do want to buy a copy, you're only looking to pay £9.99 on Amazon, which is a fair chunk off the original RRP of around £25 when it was initially released a couple of years ago.
On this game, you firstly need to set up your characters. This takes a silly amount of time really, especially for younger players. You have to have very accurate aim to select from some of the tinier options. Fortunately, once saved, you don't need to do the initial character creations again - just click to select who you want to play as each time.
Navigating around this game isn't as fun as it is on the DS. You don't get to walk around a fair ground which I think takes away a little bit of the fun. Instead, you click on the signpost (which is the main menu) to select one of a handful of 'avenues'. This then just takes you through to a pretty dull-looking sub menu. Finally, yes finally, you get to actually select a game to play.
The games are all very simple, and a little similar to the kind you get on Wii play really. They include things like duck shooting, throwing balls in baskets and target practice. All the usual kinds of games you'd expect at a fair ground. The Wiimote works reasonably well on these games, though it only takes one tiny glitch in the signal receiver to throw your whole game unfortunately. That's not so bad when you're an adult taking it all in fun, but it feels like the end of the world when you're a small child who was really close to winning a prize.
The graphics are reasonable, but nothing compared to what Nintendo should be producing in modern games. It's a bit like playing something on the SNES in places! I really do not appreciate the old fashioned voice over comments, or the super cheesy Theme Park soundtrack either. If I'd played this game in the 90s I'd have thought it was alright. In the year 2010 it's just having a laugh at our wallet's expense.
I think I have to give this two stars really. I know it's cheap, and it's a good concept too. But it's a bit of a cheap knock out really when compared to the DS version. I really don't think it would have taken them that much more effort to put in a decent navigational area, simplified the set up process and made the Wiimote targets a little more age-appropriate for younger players.
I recently bought Carnival games for the Wii console that I own. I managed to pick it up for about £10 and thought I'd try it in the hope that my son will be able to play it when he is older. It's not a terrible game but I definately wouldn't have paid much more for it to be honest with you. I think my son is just a bit young but when he's over 3 years old soon then he should start to enjoy it I hope. I think after playing it that young children will enjoy it more than adults.
This is a game that can be played in single player and multi-player mode and has over 20 games to play using your remote. If you like the carnival and the games associated with the carnival then you may also like this. There are a variety of games you can take part in like Ring Toss and the shooting gallery and as you make your way through the carnival you win tickets and prizes. The game comes complete with carnival music to add to the realism and atmosphere.
Whichever character you choose you can customise with their clothing, hair colour and things such as hats etc.
In regards to the modes the single player mode is the prize mode where you can win tickets and prizes. These can include new clothing for your character you have created. Multi-player mode is the competition mode and you can play with up to four player and compete against each other in the games to see who will come out on top.
The gameplay in this game is split into six different sections. These are called Fortune Way, Lover Lane, Rodent row, Claw Alley and Lucky Pass. Each of these sections has various games included within it in which you can win tickets and prizes as stated. Winning tickets and using them to play certain games is also just like at a carnival which is what happens. The other thing I found with some of the games is that they are quite challenging which in addtion fits well with an actual carnival. We all know how hard it can be to win at these games sometimes.
For me, if you are fan of carnival games then you will enjoy this game but otherwise I would rate this as average. It's not bad...but not brilliant.
I bought this for my six year old son and my five year old daughter and they really loved this.
What I particularly love about it is the old fashioned feel of the games. It takes me back a few years and it is nice for my children to get an idea of what funfairs used to be about, very different from today's ones!
You can play in single mode or (if you have enough controllers) up to four players can participate in competition with each other either head to head or in competition mode. You can choose your character and customise and accessorise it.
The other good thing is that there are so many games (over 25) so amongst them all your kids will find not only ones that they like but that they can play well which as most parents will know is important to them! This is also a good thing because some of the games are quite difficult to master but that's great for any adults that are playing as it presents more of a challenge for them. Play classic funfair games such as Ring Toss, Dunk Tank, Shooting Gallery, Day at the Races, Balloon Darts and Test Your Strength to name but a few.
There are approximately 250 virtual prizes to be won and you collect tickets along the way depending on how will you perform in a game or task. These tickets can be used to play the Alley Arcade games or exchanged for clothes that your character can then wear.
There are also Super Games that you need to unlock by wining a jumbo prize. These are more difficult versions of some of the originals and therefore more challenging.
All in all good, clean fun!
also on Ciao under juliassg71
I bought Wii carnival as we were having the family over for the day and thought that this would be a good game for all ages. The games on here provide great family fun. My personal favourite is the donkey derby. This game is just like being at the fair. However the drawbacks are that the initial navigation menu has a few options and if you want to play a particular game it is difficult to remember which option it is under and each option takes a little while to load - so you can be waiting a while before playing the game you want - also you can spend a lot of time backwards and forwards from one section to another if you want to play a few of the games - this can prove annoying and slow down the actual game playing time. I would recommend if you play this game to do one category at a time - to minimise the time spent waiting.
I had this game for free and it is currently one of the cheapest games for the wii console. I have mixed feelings about the game, some aspects I like and others are not so good. Firstly, I'm not keen on the look of the game. The characters look really odd and personalization is limited. My friend had to use a white avatar because they don't seem to cater for anyone of a different race! I got this game for the kids, but it isn't really what i would classify as a kids game. Some of the games are quite easy, but some are hard, even for adults. Take the strength test as an example. You have to shake the wii remote for ages and then click when the colour on screen is within a certain zone, while still shaking the remote vigorously. Most kids havent got the strength for this. There is also a game where you have to throw a football through a moving hoop.I can't do it at all!!!! The background noise is annoying-I would have prefferred some nice music. This is the kind of game you buy, get bored of after a few goes and then rediscover about a year later, play for a bit and get bored again. Not a classic.
We got this when we first got our wii a couple of years ago and played on it a few times then, but we've only recently really got into this when I was bored one day and looking for something to do.
The game starts by telling you to make your own character, the graphics aren't particularly that good but they do the job and this isn't really the sort of game where you need really good graphics anyway. You first of all pick the gender and then whether its a child or an adult. From there you can pick hairstyles, clothes, etc. Its a nice touch but a bit pointless because you may as well just use your mii, which is an option.
You can play with up to 4 people or teams but they all have to have either created characters or mii's. I think that this is good because the wii seems like quite a family console and its always more fun when you can get competitive with it, and there are so many different ways to play and things to play on this game that everyone will be good at something.
Once you've sorted out whos playing you go through into the actual game, and its very much up to you how this goes on. There are 5 sections each with 5 games in (you will have heard of them all before as they are just basic carnival games), I'm not going to review every single one of these but I will say something about some of the most memorable ones; shoot the star is rather good as its not too hard so anyone can do it, you just use your wii remote to aim at a star and keep it held down, you get an accuracy rate of how many times you've hit it. Everyone will have heard of test your strength and have some concept of how it works, well now you can do it from the comfort of your own living room! Just shake the wii remote to get the power up, then choose a good moment to press the a button and it will tell you just how strong you are! The duck game is quite hard, it requires you to be able to get the hang of the game, you have to control the remote so that you hook a moving duck!
The controls in the game are relatively simple to operate, although you might find the actual game a bit tricky, most of them require a few plays before you can start to do it properly. However after this you should find yourself getting quite high scores, because you don't need any real skill with carnival games to do well with this game.
You can now get it quite cheaply, so if you're looking for a new wii game then I would recommend getting this, although its more for children than the hardcore gamer of course!
This is currently one of my favourite games for the Nintendo Wii. When I was little my parents used to take me to the travelling Carnivals and I loved the magical atmosphere of it all.
The crys of Roll Up , Roll Up were heard everywhere, and the atmosphere was set for a great time for all the family.
The funfair games from nintendo, re creates this atmosphere, and is currently retailing for £9.99 which is a great price at I paid £40 for mine.
Its fun for the whole family, and not too difficult for the tinys. But be where, make sure you put the wrist strap on , otherwise damages will be done.
On start up screen after "sync" choose Carnival Funfair. Then start.
If you choose one player mode you can win prizes, these are not available in multi-player mode.
In multiplayer mode you have an head to head with other family members or friends.
There are 6 alleys to follow :
1.Prize Boulavade
2. Fortune Way
3. Rodent Row
4. Lucky Pass
5. Claw Alley
6. Love lane
In each of these you find mini arcade games and as you progress your given tickets which unlock other games.
The music and the shouting out from vendors make it so life like and the excitement mounts.
1 Prize Boulevard:
You can go there to see your prizes that you one and trade them in for bigger prizes. The bigger the prizes you have the more in front on the scoresheet you are against other family members. Works on the same principle as Monopoly really, collect 4 small, trade them in for a medium, collect 3 medium, trade them in for large, collect 2 large and you have the "Grand " prize.
To earn prizes you must complete the games as you go around the carnival.
2. Fortune Way
In this alley you start with a game called Alley Ball, the object is to score points by rolling a ball into holes, (bit like at the races) at lots of seaside towns. All the while the atmosphere, music and sound effects are mounting.
Next you go on to Basketball, throw your balls into basket to accumulate the points.
Next we go onto a game where you throw a coin and try to get it to land on a plate.
Theres a woman then like a fortune game where you give the lady a ticket and ask her a question. She will answer yes or no.
3. Rodent Row
Here you`ll find a shooting gallery. A game to throw balls through a hoop, another favourite, throwing balls into a bucket, must admit I have achieved this numerous times on here, but never in real life
4. Lucky Pass
Hers a Buzz game, with wire and a hoop. Another 2 throwing games, ball into cup. Horse racing.
5. Claw Alley
Using water gun to splash clowns, a golf game, Throwing the rings. And throwing the balls at targets.
6. Theres a throwing game similar to a coconut shy, but with bottles. Darts. Launching frogs and Bowling as well as a Meter o Love.
In each alley there are two super games but they cant be unlocked until you win a big prize
The games sound easy, some are, but some are very skillful and using a Wii controller can sometimes be quite tricky.
This is a good family game, entertainment for all and can get quite competitive and time consuming.
But we love it and its been got out time and time again
I bought this game for my step son as a birthday gift as he loved the wii sport and wii in general really, it has many many games on it and many mini games added on as you progress through the game, its based around a carnival and has many games from the throw a ring over a bottle to hook a duck the bowling game is a favourite with my s/son. As a true games addict he got the hang of it almost immediately myself as a novice found it a little tougher its not as easy as the wii sport game to control and in my opinion is a game to drag out from time to time rather than a favourite as my step son and myself got bored of it far too easily saying that my little one who is three still loves it he enjoys collecting the tickets to use on the heart machine lol im glad i didnt pay full price for this when it first come out but its ok for younger kids id say.
i bought this for my 6 year old grandson for the wii and have to say it is fantastic. there is so much to do on it. he has had it months and never gets bored. it is a very encouraging game because he gains tokens for each game he plays. his favourite is the test your strength but to be careful when doing it as he has managed to pull his muscels. it is a very energetic game and please dont be dissappointed by the fact that you might not get far quickly as most of the games on it have a nack and they are all to do with hand and wrist movemnet. its a great entertaining game for all the family and each person has there own profile. weel worth the money and there is that much to do it will probably last forever. the throw darts at the balloons and the shooting gallery will def be the favourite of mine. the game is good for all ages above about age 4 just becuase it is quite difficult to actually get to grips but once you have it is great fun and enjoyment.
I have to say that I find that this game is not that fun when compared to some of the other games on the market. Even though it says that there are a lot of games on the front, a lot of the games are quite repetitive.
These games are meant to have a family feel but some of the challeneges are definately to difficult for some of the younger children and they can often find this disheartening which, spolis the fun.
The instructions are also very difficult to interpret and on some games it seems there are problems with communication between the game and the wii remotes, and it is not just my wii, I have also been told this by a friend of mine who also has this game.
This game gets boring quite easily and i would perhaps recommened something more like rayman or the mario olympics for those with young children.
I guess this shows differences in opinion perfectly. Fun for all the family? Sure the younger kids found it fun but everyone who played it over 16 didn't seem to like it at all, I myself found it rather boring.
The game does feature many classic funfair games, some of which are just as hard as they are in real life and I can't imagine many of the younger players completing many of the tasks.
The test your strength game is fun just to see people shaking the remote like a madman to build up the strength, while the horse racing game where you roll the ball into different value holes to make the horse move would have to be my favourite. As it probably is in normal theme parks!
The thing that dissapoints me most about this is the inability to directly compete with other players which I think is what the Wii is all about and the fact that you have three tries on each game with no option to just play a certain game or even get some practice in.
Just like funfairs you can win prizes on each game and also some like Wii cash style things that lets you buy more games at each area.
As you can probably tell from the cover of the box, don't be expecting great graphics, although I think the cartoony feel suits the game quite well.
All In all this would be a good game for those with young kids as the 3 turns means that the other player won't be sitting out long while getting bored but for anyone over the age of 16 your probably best to stick to Wii Sports or Wii Fit if you have it!
The only good thing was that I brought it on Ebay for £8 and traded it in at CEX for the same price. Simples.
All the fun and excitement of your favourite carnival games are coming to Wii this summer. It's the perfect multiplayer game for friends and family alike.


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Google translate has a feature that can analyze an image and translate text instantly. Why? Because by the time your car passenger finds "interdiction de traverser le pont" in their French-to-English phrase book, your car is already filling up with river water.
Our app-driven life: Smart-phone apps are becoming the north star for millions of Americans who use them to navigate through life – shopping, playing, reading, dating, learning, and more with their fingertips.
Why we'll see hundreds of new site names in 2013.
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The Google Search app does some things better than Siri.
A lawsuit now makes 'tethering' PCs and phones cheaper.
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Disney classics will now appear on Netflix. Newer Disney films will get there – in 2016.
Praise pours in for the Tesla Model S, a costly car that uses no gas.
New iMacs will offer 'Fusion Drive,' a way to boost speed without losing storage. The Apple desktops will ship out to customers on Nov. 30.
Microsoft keeps adding reasons to turn on the Xbox 360. Do these new features actually lay the groundwork for the next Xbox?
Wolfram Alpha reveals Facebook habits, friends.
MakerBot introduces a 3-D printer for schools, workshops, and homes. The Replicator 2 costs $2,199.
Windows Phone 8 doesn't feel like Apple or Android, though it's borrowed good ideas from both.
Windows 8 arrives. Microsoft's new 'Modern' interface works just as well on a desktop monitor (Windows 8) as on a smart phone (Windows Phone 8) or on a tablet (Windows RT).
Bettina Wulff, Germany's former first lady, objects to Google's autocomplete. But suing the company may make things worse.
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From smart phones that act as personal concierges to self-parking cars to medical robots, the artificial intelligence revolution is here. So where do humans fit in?
Social news site Reddit offers a warren of links, forums, and perspectives – including an interview with President Obama.


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Vote, vote, vote
Dear Editor:
I noticed that two old men told the people to vote. How do you get people to vote? How do you get people to think? How do you get people to read? Do stupid people vote for other stupid people?
Who are the politicians? What do they think? What do they know? What do they do? Do any of them volunteer? Jimmy Carter is the only one who comes to mind.
Ms. Noelle Gorka,


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
Paul is now part of the fourth generation in America that is involved in farming and hopes the next generation will be involved also. Through his blog he provides analysis and insight to farmer tax questions.
According to the USDA (using 2007 information) farmers who grow and raise more than $1 million in annual farm sales account for 47% of total farm production. The survey done by the USDA compared 2007 to 1991 and there are several interesting facts in the survey:
I think the trend of larger farms will continue especially as the older farmers pass on their land to children that are not in farming.
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