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322 of 346 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Bundle but a bit misleading
Other people have written great reviews on what comes in the box, etc, etc so I don't need to add to that; however the following info has been left out so far.
I just got this bundle at the house for my son and overall we are VERY happy with the bundle and the extras...EXCEPT for the "free Data Plan". This is a little misleading but it is not Amazon's fault,...
Published on February 22, 2012 by Robert T. Leach
279 of 327 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars go for the wifi verson
The Vita itself is a great system but the 3g version is a ripoff. The reason to buy this bundle would to be get a memory stick, a free game, and the ability to access 3g when and if you ever wanted. The problem with the bundle is that to get your "free" game you have to sign up for a month of 3g. Well no problem you say, sony is generously giving me a free month of it so...
Published on February 23, 2012 by Chad Dunkerley
Most Helpful First | Newest First
322 of 346 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Bundle but a bit misleading,
Robert T. Leach "RTL" (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
Other people have written great reviews on what comes in the box, etc, etc so I don't need to add to that; however the following info has been left out so far.
I just got this bundle at the house for my son and overall we are VERY happy with the bundle and the extras...EXCEPT for the "free Data Plan". This is a little misleading but it is not Amazon's fault, it is Playstation's (or maybe AT&T). The plan is more of a "buy one get one free" instead of being a free plan overall. You FIRST need to pay for one full month's service of an ATT plan and you will THEN get a "coupon code" to be used for another months service, yet there is still a small catch the free service is only for the cheapest and smallest data plan, the 250MB plan. You also must use the coupon within 90 days of first activating the service. So this means you have to use it within the 2nd or 3rd month of service.
Also the "free downloadable game" is only if you sign up for an AT&T plan and even then you have to wait 30days AFTER signing up before you even get the code to use in the first place.
Much of this can be lost in the description. Orginially I was going to get my son the WiFi only model but I thought that this would be better with the 3g model and all the free stuff, man what a disappointment. HOWEVER, I was thinking of giving the data plans a try ANYWAY so this still turned out to be a good bundle.
It is also important to note that there IS a AC adaptor INSIDE the box, no need to order an addional one (unless of course you think you need it). I found this a nice little surprise since most PS items want you to use an USB connection to charge it against your PS3 or PC. The adaptor is a little bit of a pain given that you use a "USB type" cable (it is properitary) to the VITA which has a USB connection on the other end. You connect THAT end to a little "box like" convertor which then plugs into another cable that you plug into the wall. So three different pieces to plug your VITA into the wall.
231 of 254 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars FIXES for ATT and wifi GLITCHES!,
= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
With the 3G launch, get ready for overwhelming ATT website access issues! Here's the problems and their fixes:
1. When you first power up, the getting started screens will take you through the normal language, location, time etc. stuff. DO NOT sign up for ATT 3G in this initial setup! Decline and click "sign up later." If you don't, you'll go to the overwhelmed ATT website, and suddenly your input will start delaying, then, the screen will freeze with black or blue death.
Fix: The blue-glowing playstation button is a combined escape and control-alt-delete. If it doesn't clear the freeze, hold the power button for 5 seconds, wait a second or two, then hold it again for 5 seconds and you'll get the setup screen again. This time DON'T sign up for ATT OR the PS3 network. Finish the setup, DO NOT opt into the PS3 network at this stage (Sony has now changed the name of this network to SEN for smart TV's, but Vita still calls it both) until setup is complete. Once you complete setup, you can go back and opt into ATT (at 14 bucks a month for 250 m) AND sign up for SEN/ PS3 online.
2. Once you get ATT, beware of unplugging wifi.
Fix: Even if you acquired and activated wifi at setup, once you activate ATT, Vita will default to 3G even if you're hot on wifi, kicking your setup wifi off. You have to go back into settings and reacquire wifi. DO THIS right away or you'll be charged by ATT even for setting up PS3 SEN!
3. Missing handshake numbers (IMEI and ICCID).
Fix: If you blow the first attempt to activate on ATT's overwhelmed website, try it a 3am on a weekday, not 11 am on a Saturday! Also, if you blow the first attempt, on the second, the auto fill for your device sometimes won't work, and ATT won't recognize the device because the two long ID's will be missing. In the background, ATT actually checks your location and assigns you a ghost phone number. That's right, your Vita will get it's own number, but until Verizon gets into the act, I doubt that we'll be able to do any phone activities other than on Skype! ATT WILL email the heck out of you, including giving you the ghost number you can't use.
Did you save the box? Numbers not there! Don't despair! Go to settings, system, then system information. The last two numbers (IMEI and ICCID) are stored in your device. These are the two numbers you need to activate the service on ATTs website.
4. PS3 Net.
Just like Facebook, SEN won't accept email addresses that aren't common extensions. So, if your email is firstname.lastname@example.com, they will first accept it, then kick you off at the end of the tedious number by number input on the little Vita screen. Too bad ATT/Sony didn't include a direct web signup for your PC, but because of device recognition, you have to do it initially through the Vita, unless you already have a PS3 account from another Sony device.
Fix: Just get firstname.lastname@example.com (or Yahoo, your cable, etc.). Mac users: Sony WILL accept me.com addresses.
That's it for now. I don't have to tell you this is an incredible machine, I own them all to develop elearning products for every platform, and this smokes any other handheld, including the ipad and galaxy 10.1 in real arcade like action. BTW, are there any arcades left, or am I dating myself???
;=) Please vote this helpful if you liked, if not, let me know how we can improve. Also, ask a question and we'll post an answer if you have any other difficulties, and see the first launch bundle for other answers in our review and discussions there.
279 of 327 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars go for the wifi verson,
Chad Dunkerley (NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV, US) - See all my reviews
= Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
The Vita itself is a great system but the 3g version is a ripoff. The reason to buy this bundle would to be get a memory stick, a free game, and the ability to access 3g when and if you ever wanted. The problem with the bundle is that to get your "free" game you have to sign up for a month of 3g. Well no problem you say, sony is generously giving me a free month of it so I can use that to download the game. Wrong, sony gives you your 2nd month free you have to pay at least 15.00 for the first month. Then at the end of the 30 days they will email you a voucher for Super Stardust Delta.( The game is a 208mb download so if youre going to download it with 3g save your data) you end up spending $15 for a $10 game. So make sure you and add $15 to that $50 value.
Well thats fine with me you might say I plan on getting 3g to play all the awesome online games. That's fine as long as youre playing turn based games. No online shooters or fighting for you. Sony and ATT are only alowing psn messaging, web browing, and asynchronous multiplayer (turn based) on 3g. Everything else wifi only. The system is great but do yourself a favor buy the wifi version and spend the extra 50 on an overpriced memory stick.
27 of 32 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great bundle with a couple caveats,
Daniel H. Okada (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
This review will address the AT&T bonus bundle which includes one 8GB memory card ($30), a DD code for Super Stardust ($10 PSN game) and a 250MB 3G network data packet ($15), which should be available through the end of this month. The review on the actual PSV hardware itself will follow.
As many have already mentioned, the promo items (PSN game and data packet) are only redeemable AFTER paying for the initial data packet, so anyone who thinks they're getting their first month free and will be downloading Super Stardust shortly after charging up their PSV for the first time will probably be upset, and not unreasonably so as the conditions for redeeming the promo items are not mentioned on the box itself. It's also a little underhanded to make users wait a month after using their first month of 3G service before they receive their game download code, but free is free I suppose and it is only a $10 DD game to begin with.
On the flip side, if anyone is actually buying a 3G model with the intention of NEVER paying for even one month/data packet, one almost has to question the intelligence of buying this model when the WiFi model is $50 less. At any rate, $15 isn't much for a two month (limited given the 250MB data cap) trial run of the service.
As for the 3G service itself, after one week of using it, about the only function it currently serves is for Near updates (PSV social app that shows who's playing what on the PSV in your proximity) and web browsing on the PSV's browser when outside of a WiFi network. It is very limited as of this writing and subjectively not worth subscribing to with the assumption that the PSV owner already has a smartphone with a data plan. If the PSV is your only way of accessing a 3G network when cut off from WiFi, it still beats running around for a WiFi hotspot.
Lastly, the bundle comes with a 8GB memory card that currently retails for $30. It is easily the best added value component of the bundle and even if one were to ignore the data packet/PSN game, it's only $20 over the cost of a $250 WiFi PSV when purchased with a $30 memory card. Seeing as how very little information has been put out regarding future uses for 3G and the PSV, $20 is nothing to add that feature on the chance that the service becomes worth renewing down the road. There are no service contracts.
As for the PSV itself, after two weeks of initial impressions, it is easily the most enjoyable handheld gaming device I have used running all the back to the original Gameboy and before with Nintendo Game and Watch games and Mattel Electronic Sports games, etc. The last two handhelds I've used extensively have been the PSP and the 3DS for recent comparisons.
The 5" OLED display is the first noticeable feature, with its ink like blacks, high contrast, relatively tight pixel density and even light distribution due to the self illuminating OLED pixels.
Build, fit and finish feels balanced and substantial. Face buttons and D-pad have a very satisfying click feedback that feels precise and responsive. The D-pad in particular, as the first deviation from the familiar Playstation 4 arrow button cross design is the best feeling D-pad I can remember using. The face buttons are smaller than those of the PSP and slightly larger than those of the 3DS. The X button proximity to the right analog stick has been mentioned as a potential issue, presumably for those who press with the heel of the thumb ("rolling") rather than the tip of the thumb (precise).
Following the OLED display, the second most prominent feature is the twin analog sticks, a first for handhelds. Unlike the sliding disk design used by the PSP and again by the 3DS, the PSV uses actual mini analog sticks with the same single axis rocking action everyone who has used an analog stick controller is familiar with. The feedback is a bit tighter than that of the DS3 with less travel due to the short throw axis which basically means more precise input is both possible and required for games without aim assist or loose controls. The size will probably take some getting used to for most, but for anyone who managed to adapt to the barely usable slider disk of the PSP, the analog sticks should be a snap to use.
The size of the PSV is another oft noted design issue, which is partially to accomodate the 5" screen in addition to the real estate taken by the face buttons, analog sticks and D-pad. Yes, the bezel could be thinner, but the controls themselves really can't be spaced much closer without causing more issues than solving. "Not pocket-sized" is another oft made comment regarding the size although it will easily slip into the back jeans pocket of just about any pair of jeans with at least a 30" inseam that aren't cut or worn like jeggings. I just don't know who would actually want to carry something like the PSV in their back pocket without some sort of case, slip cover, etc. to prevent scratches or other damage.
On the plus side, the PSV should fit average to large size hands very comfortably compared to the DS/DSl/3DS, PSP/PSP Go, etc. It's the first handheld I've used that didn't give me "crab claw hand" after 30 minutes of use. The position of the analog sticks are a comfortable distance away from the trigger buttons on the top of the PSV and the rounded shape with shallow contours moulded into the rear make it the most comfortable handheld I've used to date.
Sound volume from the built in speakers is adequate for a device of its size. Louder than the PSP or 3DS at max volume. Sound quality should fall in line with expectations for a portable device of its size. Naturally, the best sound output will be from a pair of quality headphones or a line out jack to a stereo system.
Battery life is adequate compared to the 3DS and PSP and realistically provides about 3-4 hours of gaming (PSV games) with more for PSP games, video, music, etc. Without the swappable battery design used in the PSP, there is no option to buy extra batteries for long trips away from a charger socket. SCE will be selling a $50 portable charger pack in the near future which while far from ideal, is better than no solution at all.
Users of iOS devices will feel right at home with the front and rear touch panels. Multi-touch, capacitive type interface that is more sensitive than the iPad to the degree that it is possible to trigger touch input without actually touching the display (if a bioelectric source, ie. finger, is about 1mm away).
That about covers the hardware itself without delving into the PSV games or any of the software functionality built into the PSV OS, which can and will be updated via firmware updates as more features are added and refined.
Overall, couldn't be more impressed with the hardware, barring a few annoyances like the lack of any onboard memory (the 3DS has 2GB internal memory, in addition to a 2GB SD card shipped with every handheld), the overpriced proprietary memory cards (deja vu Memory Stick) which serve the twofold purpose of slowing the tide of software piracy as well as provide hardware revenue to recoup potential losses Sony is taking on every PSV sold and the essentially useless VGA resolution cameras that are only useful for in-game use including the free augmented reality games available in the PSN Store for download.
The hardware is solid, the only issue from here on out will be the steady release of diverse, quality titles that will either make or break the platform.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars 3G is a Wasted Extra,
Arch Stanton (Nottingham, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
Excellent gaming engine with the graphical capability to play pretty advanced games
High-quality OLED touchscreen
Dual analog sticks
Easy PSN functionality and download support
Backwards compatible with PSP and PS1 games
Region free games
Lack of good games
No internal memory and expensive proprietary memory cards
Portability issues
Backwards compatibility only applies on digital games purchased through the PSN
The PS Vita is an excellent system marred by only a few design flaws. The best part of the hardware for me is the dual analog sticks. These are a major bonus since fpss basically require them nowadays. Not only are there two of them, they are also of excellent quality. One of the things I always disliked about the PSP was the analog stick that was flat to the surface and rather difficult to use. The 3DS has copied this design, although they made it more ergonomically comfortable. The Vita however, has two that stick out from the system, just like on the PS3 remote, allowing much greater control and ease of movement. There are sensitivity issues since the sticks are smaller than their PS3 equivalents, but once you adapt to it the controls are almost as easy to use.
The second best thing about the Vita is the OLED touchscreen. This touchscreen is absolutely beautiful and has excellent resolution. I thought the touchscreen aspect was just a gimmick, but some of the games have made excellent use of it allowing them to compensate for not having back bumpers (L2/R2 buttons). Well, technically they do have those in the rear touchpad, but it is so touchy and difficult to use that it might as well not exist. The big plus of this touchscreen is that it is much more sensitive and reliable than the 3DS's. You can type with fair accuracy using only your finger, and responses on one section of the screen rarely result in unexpected reactions from another. It does tend to make the screen oily, but that's the price you pay for all touchscreens.
The graphics on the system are amazing, although all that talk of them being almost as good as the PS3 is garbage. They fit comfortably between the PS2 and PS3 level of graphics, with the result probably being a bit closer to the Wii than the PS3. With the smaller screen it is easier to hide bad texture maps and glitches. That doesn't take anything away from the system. On the small screen those graphics look amazing. I'm not sure where these graphics fit when compared to the 3DS, but they are definitely an improvement. It's hard to think of any 3DS games with high graphical requirements since they tend to aim for cartoony and exaggerated worlds, but I can't remember any that even come close to pulling off Uncharted: Golden Abyss. At a guess, I'd say that the 3DS reproduces approximately the same graphics as a PS2 (as can be seen by their virtually unchanged ports of PS2 games) while the Vita is a bit higher (as seen by their improved ports of PS2 games). The difference is more one of style than capability, with Sony focusing on realistic games that show off their graphics engine while Nintendo does what they usually do and try to create fun, cartoony games. The graphics leap between the 3DS and the Vita just isn't that high. Certainly not enough to recommend getting a Vita on that score alone. The biggest advantage they have graphically is that their screen is just better quality, and doesn't waste energy on 3D that nobody uses.
I've heard some complaints about battery life but I don't know what all the fuss is about. My Vita plays for about five hours without recharging, which is a good hour or two longer than my 3DS does. I appreciate that the older systems lasted longer but that was because they had less graphics-intensive games. You can still play those games so it isn't a problem. A DS game on the 3DS can last all day, and playing a PSP game on the Vita is likewise. The Vita also has an excellent sleep mode. I found that the system drains far less quickly when asleep than the 3DS does. Besides, it was really only the DS generation of games that worked like that. Previous systems often had terrible battery life (see the two-hour long Game Gear).
The layout of the Vita is basically that of a Playstation controller with a big screen in the middle. The two analog sticks are in the proper places and are reasonably sensitive. The PS button has been moved to the left corner and glows when the game is on. The start and select buttons have become a bit crummy since you have to push at quite a difficult angle to get them to go down. The two bumper bars are very responsive, and look quite stylish. The rear touchpad is useless. Comfort-wise the system is very nice, fitting neatly into your hand with some nice pads at the back to support your grip. The system is somewhat heavy, but that's never been a problem for me. The game does suffer dramatically in portability when compared to its competition. Not only is it larger than the 3DS-XL (or the PSP for that matter), it is also bumpier and less protected. With no DS clamshell front to protect it the Vita's screen is dangerously exposed to sharp knocks. I can also assure you that the two analog sticks, despite making gameplay amazing, mean that the Vita will never comfortably fit into anyone's pocket. There are cases for it that will alleviate the protection issue, but the best that you can do is carry it in your jacket. And for some people that just isn't enough. It all depends how you use it.
Software-wise the Vita comes preinstalled with some basic programs of varied utility. The main screen is an ugly series of icons accessed by the touchscreen. Sony is trying to make their system into a phone and I don't understand why. Still, it functions well enough. The browser still sucks and the maps app isn't particularly helpful. Due to the presence of a touchscreen the messages app has become functional. The PSN is extremely useful. In terms of new software the main addition is Near. It's trying to do what Streetpass does, but it does it badly. All you can do with it is see what people in your city are playing. It connects through 3G so it bases its records of local Vita users on the last location they signed in on. No, it doesn't continue to sync with other devices when you put it on sleep mode. That'd just be silly. It isn't like the 3DS which communicates with other consoles via wifi.
Hardware-wise the only major problem is the proprietary memory cards, which are so obviously money-grabbing as to be insulting. Especially given the Vita's emphasis on downloadable content this is just a kick in the teeth for gamers. After all, some of their games aren't even available in physical copies. And if you want to download any PS1 or PSP games (which look amazing on the new screen btw) then you're equally screwed. Worst of all, since there is no internal memory you need to buy one of these cards to play any game, whether or not you intend to download games. And a good card can cost half as much as the system itself. It's disgraceful.
Another silly feature is the 3G option. There's no point to having this since there aren't many online games for the Vita, and most of the other internet functions will require you to connect to a more reliable wifi hub anyway. 3G is expensive and difficult to arrange with your local provider. Maybe this isn't the case in Japan, but it is in the US. And of course, even if you get service it isn't going to be as good as wifi anyway. Besides, what's the point of playing online games outside anyway? When you're in public you can't exactly shout into your mic to inform your teammates that they're being morons. Not that you could do that anyway since the Vita only supports 3G for turn-based combat and Near. Any first-person shooters will have to find some wifi. 3G also drains your battery in a heartbeat. Unless you live in an area that has no broadband internet connection but still gets 3G I can't see the point of it.
To be perfectly honest, even this isn't enough to prevent people from buying the system. What might serve as more of a deterrent is the games catalog. The Vita has been out for two years but is still suffering from a lack of truly great games. The best new games to come out thus far are Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. They also gave Persona 4 an awesome port called Persona 4: Golden. All of these games came out in the first year, when enthusiasm for the new system was still fresh. There has been little since. The 3DS was suffering from this too until fairly recently, with the most popular games being ports from older systems like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Tales of the Abyss, and Star Fox 64. Now the 3DS is picking up steam with Fire Emblem: Awakening, Pokémon X and Y, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and Shin Megami Tensei IV, but the Vita seems stalled.
One of the major pluses of the system though is its easy access to the PSN. A gigantic library of PS1 and PSP games are available for download. Yes, these were available before, but only for the PSP. Now you can access them on the Vita's high def screen and use dual analog sticks for control. This can be really helpful even on PSP games that have replaced the right analog stick with the top bumpers. There are also demos and free content that adds greatly to the experience. Much better than Nintendo's eShop. Or maybe that's just the opinion of someone used to the PSN. Like the PS3 games are region-free, though DLC is region locked. You can also have only one account connected to your Vita which means no more copying games from different accounts. You have to reformat the card every time you change.
To sum up: I really like the Vita. On a strictly hardware level the Vita is clearly superior to its closest competitor (the 3DS), even if that system has advantages when it comes to portability and convenience. Its biggest problem is the lack of good games, and that's hardly the fault of the hardware. Like the 3DS it's had a slow start, but hopefully it will pick up now that the price has gone down and a new and cheaper model has been released. PS4 functionality should also help them. If you're willing to bet on future successes then this system is well worth it and the backlog of PS1/PSP games should keep you occupied for quite a while. If you're waiting for that one brilliant game that makes the system worth buying... it hasn't come yet. But hopefully it will soon. If you are planning on buying this system though go for the wifi only version unless you can find this one cheaper. 3G support offers nothing.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A users review - also available here: [....],
= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
So I managed to get my hands on a Vita (3G/WiFi version) shortly after launch, and I also got a 16GB memory card along with Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048 (Thank you Sony, I love you too).
So what do I think after a week of ownership? Well quite honestly, I couldn't be happier with this marvel of portable gaming.
So why, oh why, do I love my Vita so much?
Well let's break it down a little so I can explain how I feel about this wonderful machine.
*I have not activated any 3G services yet (I just haven't had the need). I just wanted to put that out there before I get started.
The Vita is much lighter than I expected but still feels very robust. It fits comfortably in the hands with a couple of matte grip areas on the back to rest your fingertips on. A quad-core processor and quad-core graphics processor power the impressive graphics, which show up wonderfully on the 5-inch display, which is the best looking handheld gaming display I've ever seen. Everything looks good on the Vita, games, movies (streamed from Netflix), and photos. Even the operating system is amazing to look at. There are left and right shoulder buttons, a PlayStation button, and Start and Select buttons. The Start and Select buttons are really small and not particularly easy to hit, but as you rarely use them whilst playing, I don't think it's going to be an issue. On top of the Vita are the power and volume buttons, along with the slot for game cards and a proprietary port of some sort (can't find any info on what this is for). The bottom of the Vita houses the headphone socket, a microphone, USB charging and communication connection, and a slot for the memory card. The memory cards are proprietary to Sony but look a lot like micro SD cards. There are two cameras built into the Vita, one front and one rear facing. They work great for the augmented reality games and some of the other game demos I've tried, but they're not going to take the place of your digital camera or even your smartphone camera anytime soon.
First thing that you'll notice is that it looks just like any other piece of Sony gaming hardware. The screen is flanked by two analog thumb sticks, then above those are the classic PlayStation buttons on the right and a D-pad on the left. Both the buttons and D-pad feel smaller than the ones I remember on the PSP. The most impressive thing of course is that finally someone has made a portable system with dual analog sticks, hooray! Next be prepared to be blown away, not only is the gorgeous display a touch screen, but the back of the handheld is a touchpad too.
When I first got the Vita my initial reaction was that the analog controls where a little 'twitchy' but I have to say that after a week, I've gotten used to them. Both the placement and responsiveness took me a few days to get the hang of, but also remember I haven't had a portable system for the last 6 months since my first generation PSP went kaput recently.
The touch screen is ultra responsive and my only complaint is that it suffers from the same thing all touch screens do . . . . oily fingerprint smears.
I really haven't paid too much attention to OLED screens in general. I'm more than happy with my LED TV so didn't really pursue OLEDS very much. I know they're supposed to be better than LCD with greater clarity and brighter colors. Well all I can say is that 'they' are not wrong, the 5" OLED screen is amazing with awesome depth and color. It's definitely the most vivid screen I've seen, and I've yet to see any problems with screen tearing or pixilation when watching movies or playing games.
Gorgeous is the first word that comes to mind. I really can't tell you what the resolution is, because I haven't bothered to look it up, but I can tell you it looks just like my PlayStation 3, just on a smaller scale. I dare you to look at the screen and not be impressed!
Playstation Vita does more than just play games. Here are some of the highlights included in the operating system:
Google Maps is included in the operating system, which works exactly as you'd expect if you've ever used it on a smartphone or tablet. The GPS seemed pretty accurate, but I don't see this being used much. I just can't imagine too many scenarios where it would be easier to pull out your Vita than your smartphone, maybe it would useful for people without smartphones though?
Web Browser. Yes there's a web browser, yes it's better than the PlayStation 3 one, but you're only likely to use it for quickly looking something up as it's still pretty mediocre by today's standards.
Apps. There are currently apps for Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and Netflix. More apps have been promised in the future. Netflix works flawlessly and has a very similar interface to the PlayStation 3 app. I'm hoping for a Skype app next.
Near is the app which adds a social aspect to the device by showing you nearby Vita users, what they're playing and what trophies they've won etc. There's also a way to share "Game Goods" using this app, but for the life of me, I'm still not 100% sure how this all works. Quite frankly I found the app confusing.
Content manager is built into the operating system, and allows you to transfer information between the Vita and a PlayStation 3 or computer. The content manager is really easy to use, and even contains it's own installation files for your PC which organizes a database on your PC for transferring between your PC and the Vita. My only complaint would be that whilst your Vita is transferring to or from your PlayStation 3, it's not possible to use your PlayStation 3 for anything else. Background transfers are on my wish list for future firmware updates..
Remote Play is a feature which was poorly implemented on the PSP in my opinion. So I'm really pleased to say that setting up and using remote play on the Vita has been a dream and completely without problems. I've tried it from several different locations and it has performed flawlessly every time. My only wish is that more PS3 games use the full potential of this feature, as it seems that right now, only minis and PSOne games are playable via remote play. Let's hope this changes soon.
Party is the app used to create a party so you can chat and play games etc over the PlayStation network. Currently I can't get this working unless it's with other Vita users, but you're supposed to be able to cross game chat with people on the PS3 also. I'll post an update when this feature starts working.
PlayStation store is slightly revamped and clearly structured specifically for the Vita. It's easy to navigate and also recognizes the fact that I'm a PlayStation Plus member. One downside we have discovered is that my son can't log into the Vita using his own PSN account as apparently the Vita only wants to use one account (namely mine). This is a shame as we would dearly love to be able to earn trophies and save games under our own accounts. This is another item on my wishlist.
Operating system.
Probably the one thing about the operating system that impressed me the most was how intuitive it is. I handed the Vita to my wife, who is less than technically savvy with such things, and she was able to start navigating immediately. Granted she got lost in the menus and eventually tossed it back to me, but I was still impressed that she was able to use it with no instruction from me.
Sliding between screens and switching between apps happens at lightning fast speeds, even when switching out of a game and into google maps is almost seamless.
Managing home screens, moving icons around, customizing backgrounds etc is easy and similar to the way most smartphones handle it. In fact the whole interface reminds you of a smartphone in many ways (which is probably why my wife picked it up so quickly).
So enough about hardware I hear you say, what about the games?
Games are either downloaded digitally from the PlayStation store or you can purchase them on Game Cards, which basically look like SD cards (but they're actually a format that's proprietary to Sony). From what I can tell, you get around a $5 discount for getting them digitally (I compared prices at Gamestop). Remember that if you plan on doing the digital download, you're going to need a bunch of memory cards, which are not cheap.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss.
First of all if you own a Vita (or are planning on getting one), you NEED to own this game. This game alone could sell a million Vita's. Along with the usual amazing story telling and graphics, Golden Abyss makes full use of all the extra interfaces you get with a Vita. The touchscreen and rear touchpad are extremely well implemented and playing quickly becomes very intuitive. I refuse to post any game spoilers, but apparently (and I read it on the internet so it must be true), this game is longer than Uncharted 3, and critics claim it's better than Uncharted 3. I can tell you from personal experience it's exactly what you'd expect from an Uncharted game, and then some!
Wipeout 2048.
No real surprises here. Wipeout is a great racing franchise and this game is no exception. The graphics are lightning fast and really show off the capabilities of the OLED display. This game also offers what Sony are calling "Cross-Play" (still sounds dirty to me, LOL), which basically means that it will inter connect with Wipeout HD on the PlayStation 3. Exactly how this all works I can't really say as it's not been implemented yet, so rest assured as soon as it's working, I'll update my review.
I have to admit that as good as Golden Abyss is, I still find myself popping Wipeout 2048 into the Vita for those "I've got 20 minutes to spare" moments. I can't wait until they get cross-play working.
I have managed to copy some of my Mini's to the Vita and they play great, with no issues.
There are three free games available in the PlayStation Store for the Vita. Cliff Diver, Fireworks, and Table Soccer. All of these titles use the augmented reality cards (supplied with the Vita) to turn your everyday environment into the play are for your game. They're simple games that are well-designed to work with the Vita.
The Vita's battery life is really the only downside that I see at this stage. Sony quote battery life at 5 hours. I will use my Vita mostly whilst traveling, so I'm going to struggle with such a short battery life. Especially flying across country as I often do. I guess it's just something I'll have to live with, at least until I find the nearest USB power supply!
Overall I'm extremely pleased, and pleasantly impressed with the Vita. Honestly I think Sony have a great portable gaming system, I just hope they fully implement all the possibilities that this system can offer. I would love to play my PS3 games remotely from my Vita, I'm getting tired of dragging my PlayStation 3 all around the worlds airports.
MartB64 - member of [....]
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Please read - Review of other aspects,
JohnnybeGood (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
Vita is such a wonderful hardware, plus it already has most number of games for new launch console. Plus the movies and music via the Playstation Store, Netflix, etc. Other reviewers already talked about how great the Vita is, let me point out other aspects of the Vita.
-Memory : People complain that the memory cards are expense. Yes it is. But Apple charges $100 more if want to step up from 16GB to 32GB iPad. Besides, Vita bundles include 8GB memory cards(which is what most people need anyway), also the price of 32GB Vita memory card is coming down.
-Price : Some people say the Vita is a bit expensive. But think about all the cutting edge technology in the Vita with OLED screen and Quad Core processor just to mention a few. A similar smart phone or iPhone would be $500 to $700 if you got it without a contract from major wireless carriers. If you get a smartphone with service contract, you spend hundreds of dollars over a year.
-Real games : People say portable gaming consoles are dying because of smart phones and tablets. You can't really play games on these devices with touch screens and gyro sensors, you need controllers like the Vita to really play the games unless you want to play only Angry Birds.
-Fast web browser : By the way, did you know the Vita has a web browser? It is much better than the PSP's broswer which used to be slow and ran out of memory. The Vita's browser is faster(thanks to fast processor) and plenty of memory, it really is a usable web browser.
-Great selection of movies, music, content : Besides gaming, the Vita has old and latest movies and TV shows (to buy and rent) and any music you want to listen. Music Unlimited is surprising good, you can listen to any music, old and new, for $10 a month.
I really enjoy using the Vita, I highly recommend it.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Not a bundle anymore,
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
It's not a bundle it's just a 3g PS Vita, so it only gets 4 stars because I swear when I bought it I swear I saw a picture of a memory card and the whole "bundle" title kinda lead me to believe that there would be a memory card. So make sure you get a memory card if you order this PS Vita.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Playstation Vita Review Part 2,
= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
Playstation Vita Review Part 2
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Hate myself for not buying this sooner,
This review is from: PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (Video Game)
I am a massive nintendo fan and have been for years, the ds lite will forever hold a place in my heart. I have bought every gameboy is the original grey one with the green screen. Anyways i decided to buy a 3ds as I wanted to play pokemon x/y, which were awesome. However aside from those games i have found all the other games to be very average, also it is region locked and considering i moved to a different country has caused such a hassle.
Thus i decided i need the vita in my life. Plus the fact it can remotely play what the ps4 is playing is amazing. So i bought one a week ago and let me just say this is the best hand-held system i have ever used. The screen is amazing, the colours are so vibrant.
The device is very comfortable in the hands and has a wide variety of games that are amazing and to the standard of the ps4, (minus the graphics being a step down)
The way it has combined regular controller controls, a touch screen and a back kind of touch pad is amazing. They really outdid themselves. The way you combine all 3 in killzone and uncharted is out of this world.
Finally the battery life, build quality, look are perfect.
Only downside to this console is that the psn store is locked to your account region, so you can't switch to a different country ps store without a factory reset. However i think the fact that the games are universal and makes up for this.
In conclusion, if you want a handheld and are buying the ps4 buy this console, even if it is wi-fi only.
Most Helpful First | Newest First
PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle by Sony (PlayStation Vita)
$299.99 $299.00
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text:
sunbrella outdoor throw (solid color)SKU: #TX.throw.SPC
A thos. baker exclusive, this high performance outdoor throw combines the look and hand of fine chenille with the durable, fade resistant characteristics of our Sunbrella® cushions. The solution-dyed acrylic yarns are soft to the touch but safe for extended outdoor use.
Uniquely hand-woven in the USA.
Choose from 16 solid colors here, or browse for our striped throws available in 12 unique patterns.
- item
- TX.throw.SPC sunbrella outdoor throw (solid color)
- shipping
- default shipping
- overall
- 42w 72.5d
- status
- made-to-order (4-6 weeks) This item is made-to-order. Please allow 4-6 weeks for shipment. Made-to-order items are not eligible for return. Please call 877.855.1900 or email us for further information.
- materials

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Spa Hotels – with hotels.com you can search through great selection of Spa hotels in Farmington. Book online today and enjoy last minute deals and offer for Spa Farmington hotels.
Hotels in Farmington with Spa
See Farmington Spa hotels on a map
Explore Farmington
Popular with travellers from Singapore
Spa hotels in Farmington
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Excellent 4.0 / 5 ( 7 reviews )
28 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"beautiful place undergoing $30,000,000 renovation. most of the activities we wanted to do were cancelled the day we were there..."
A Traveller, Sep 2014, US
Spa hotels within 30 kilometers of Farmington
Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa
Good 3.1 / 5 ( 149 reviews )
76 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"This was a very costly stay for 2 double beds. The room was large enough for queen beds and it would have been better able to sleep 4 people. Staff was wonderful, room was clean and we really enjoyed the fact that West Virginia U beat Baylor! Our grandson was delighted we came. The area and the r..."
A Traveller, Oct 2014, US
Spa hotels within 40 kilometers of Farmington
Waterfront Place Hotel
Excellent 4.5 / 5 ( 401 reviews )
81 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
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"We only booked for one night not realizing we should of booked the second night. The hotel was sold out but we were told to check back in the morning. That evening we met 3 families that were actually cancelling their second night but when we asked at the desk we were told there were still no can..."
A Traveller, Nov 2014, US


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Is Anyone Out There Calling Bergdahl Anything Besides a "Deserter?"
I've spent most of the day away from the computer, but everything I'm seeing regarding Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is saying he walked away from his base in Afghanistan.
That he's a deserter.
Not only that, but good soldiers […]
Flash Grenade Lands in Playpen During No-Knock Raid, Critically Burns Toddler (Video)
The no-knock raid strikes again:
Alecia Phonesavanh told Channel 2's Ryan Young her child is at the Grady Memorial Hospital burn unit, and is in a medically induced coma.
Phonesavanh said she was at her sister-in-law's home in Habersham County early Wednesday when police raided the house."It's my baby. He's only a baby. He didn't deserve any of this," Phonesavanh said. Phonesavanh told Young the grenade landed in the child's crib; she showed him a photo of a charred portable crib."It landed in his playpen and exploded on his pillow right in his face," Phonesavanh said.
There are photos at the link. I'm not posting them though.
Maybe it's time we rethink raiding people's houses like it's an episode of 24.
Especially when it's just for drug charges.
Especially since we're supposed to be a free people.
Especially when the guy your after ISN'T EVEN IN THE HOUSE!
Video below:
Obama on VA: "I always take responsibility for whatever happens," But This Was Really Bush's Fault
There are several stories here.
First, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned today, after meeting with President Obama:
The president said Mr. Shinseki told him "that he could not carry out the next stages of reform without being a distraction […]
CHANGE: Obama Lifts Ban on Medicaid Funded Sex Reassignment Operations
So, I guess now we're borrowing money from China to pay for people's sex change operations:
The Department of Health and Human Services' Departmental Appeals Board, an internal review structure within the byzantine federal agency, issued […]
For a Smart Guy, Mark Zuckerberg is a Slow Learner
As I wrote about before, Mark Zuckerberg gave $100 million to the Newark, New Jersey, school system, and they promptly wasted it.
You'd think a guy as smart as Zuckerberg would learn after throwing $100 million […]
Shameless: Feinstein Blames NRA for UCSB Shooting
Never mind the fact this man stabbed people to death.
Never mind that he ran people down with his car.
Those deaths don't matter. There's no political capital to earn focusing on them.
It's the guns leftists […]
Obamacare Killing Charitable Care Across the Country
Obamacare is killing charitable care across the country as hospitals scale back access to financial assistance. Hospitals say poor patients should sign up for insurance through the exchanges and accept a government subsidy:
By tightening […]
Zuckerberg's $100 Million Gift to Newark Public Schools is GONE – Student Performance Unimproved
The tired liberal mantra of, "If only schools were properly funded…" can finally be put to rest. Billionaire liberal Mark Zuckerberg did this back in 2010:
Four years later…
So what happened to […]
Fail: Harry Reid's Home State Scraps Health Care Exchange
I'm guessing this is somehow the fault of the Koch brothers:
Nevada has become the latest state to scrap its crippled Obamacare exchange and join the federal HealthCare.gov for at least a year.
The Silver State, which […]
Billionaire Leftist Tom Steyer Buys Himself a Majority Leader
It's ok, though. It's not like he's a Koch brother or something:
Steyer recently donated $5 million to Senate Majority PAC, the pro-Democratic Super PAC run by former Reid aides, making him the single largest contributor to the […]


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Jellyfish, colorful, water, ocean, sea, animal, animals, fish, comic
This great product in black from our department Women and T-Shirt category can be printed just for you in the size and style you like. The design Quallen was created by SumuLee and uploaded to Spreadshirt for you to have printed on a T-Shirt. Next to a host of other great designs, you can find this Quallen design in Spreadshirt's Marine Life category. If you are interested in topics like Jellyfish or SumuLee, then you'll love Quallen designs by SumuLee. Spreadshirt also offers a huge selection of personalised T-shirts, hoodies and accessories for the category Marine Life as well as top animal clothing. SumuLee's designs have already impressed many of our customers, so we are sure that we've got right stuff for you! Spreadshirt is your shop for great designs of all kinds – whether it's Jellyfish, SumuLee or animal. We are sure that you will find something nice in our shop, there are many amazing personalised Marine Life T-shirts, jumpers or accessories for you to find! Tags: Design ID: 10638491
Funny cute mug with i love hot chocolate with sweet cream time slogan in cold snow freezing fall winter t-shirts for geek chic, trendy girls, gift friend christmas mothersday valentine's day Bottles & Mugs Designed by ellumination
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T-shirt classic from Los Angeles: American Apparel is synonymous for urban style and laid-back basics with a huge range of trendy colours. And top quality is always guaranteed.
still to fill


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COPELAND, Fla.- Copeland locals know a thing or two about being neighbors with nature, but the small Everglades community is now speaking out about some unruly residents.
"They come out, and they'll knock the garbage cans over and get in it and feed," Copeland resident Scot Lucas said Friday.
Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission's logged a number of complaints on nuisance bears in Copeland over the past few weeks, with many of them feasting on trash and livestock.
Danny Sylvest says one even chased his six-year old down the road.
"Both of them were frantically screaming. You could see the fear in their face. They had seen something that wasn't right," Sylvest said.
Residents say since the rainy season started, the bear population has moved closer to their community and are behaving more brazen than ever.
Carl Nicholson says his grandmother's chicken coop is almost wiped out.
"She had two dozen at one time. Now there's only one or two left. Every night he comes and eats 2 or 3 of them," Nicholson said.
FWC set up a trap for four days to try and relocate the bold bears, but had no luck. Now, they're asking residents to take extra care to avoid a confrontation with nature's neighbors.
"We ask that people secure their household garbage in the garage or in a shed. Put the garbage out in the morning, rather than the night before and consider electric fencing especially if you do have live stock," Gabriella Ferrero of FWC said Friday.
For more information on how to protect your home from bears, visit myfwc.com/bear.


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Welcome to the League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters is a trusted nonpartisan volunteer organization. Our members do the hands-on work to encourage an informed electorate and to advocate for civic improvement.
League of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara
Holiday Party
Monday, December 1
Chef's Restaurant, 291 Seneca Street, Buffalo, NY 14204
Cash Bar: 5:00 pm, Dinner: 6:00 p.m.
Cost: $23.00 per person. Guests are welcome!
Please send check with names of attendees made payable to:
LWVBN, 1272 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14209, no later than November 21, 2014
Please join us for an evening of lively company and good food.
Recent Actions
Public access is vital to any waterfront plan
Letter to the Editor
The Buffalo News, July 12, 2014
PDF copy
Campaign finance laws hurting our democracy
Letter to the Editor
The Buffalo News, March 16, 2014
PDF copy
Campaign finance system hurts democratic process
Letter to the Editor
The Buffalo News, January 5, 2014
PDF copy


text:
A process for preparing an oil-in-water emulsion is provided, which process comprises mixing and heating a water-insoluble organomodified polysiloxane oil or an organic oil, an organomodified silicone emulsifier, water and an alkaline metal salt above the cloud point of the emulsifier under agitated conditions and cooling the resulting mixture below the cloud point.
1. A process for preparing an oil-in-water emulsion comprising:
(1) mixing and heating
(i) mineral oil,
(ii) a water soluble organomodified polysiloxane emulsifier,
(iii) water, and
(iv) an alkaline metal salt, above the cloud point of the emulsifier to form a mixture; and
(2) cooling the resulting mixture below the cloud point of the emulsifier.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture is heated at least 5� C. above the cloud point of the emulsifier.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein mixing and heating is carried out sequentially.
4. The process of claim 3 wherein the alkaline metal salt is dissolved in the water prior to being combined with the oil and the emulsifier.
5. The process of claim 4 wherein the alkaline metal salt is a water soluble inorganic salt of an alkali or alkaline earth metal.
6. The process of claim 5 wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and mixtures thereof.
7. The process of claim 4 wherein the mixture is mixed prior to heating and during cooling using low shear mixing, causing volumetric displacement of between 0.2 liter/minute/liter of mixture to 16 liter/minute/liter of mixture.
8. The process of claim 1 wherein mixing and heating is carried out simultaneously.
9. The process of claim 1 wherein mixing during heating is effected by applying agitation to impart a maximum shear rate between about 450 sec.-1 to 1050 sec.-1 to the mixture.
10. The process of claim 1 wherein the organomodified silicone emulsifier has the formula
R5 3 SiO(R5 2 SiO)p (R5 ESiO)q SiR5 3
R5 is the same or different and comprises a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; p is from 10 to 150; q is a number having an average value from 3 to 12; E has the formula --Cx H2x (OC2 H4)y (OC3 H6)z OR6, wherein x has a value from 1 to 8; y is a positive number; and z is zero or a positive number; and R6 is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an acyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms.
11. The process of claim 1 wherein a minor portion of the R5 groups are ethylcyclohexylene-monoxide.
12. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture contains at least one non-ionic surfactant.
13. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture is pasteurized.
This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/801,517 filed Dec. 2, 1991 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,695.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a process for preparing an oil-in-water emulsion. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a process for preparing a stable off-in-water emulsion of fine particle size which is useful in making emulsions for use in woven and non-woven textiles, cosmetic, personal care and pharmaceutical applications.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,878 describes a method for making a polyorganosiloxane fine emulsion or microemulsion. In this method a translucent oil concentrate is prepared. The concentrate is rapidly dispersed in water by the incremental addition of water to the concentrate to form an oil-in-water fine or microemulsion using high-shear mixing. This patent explicitly teaches: "When a single nonionic surfactant is employed as the insoluble surfactant, the cloud point of the surfactant should be higher than the temperature at which the emulsion is prepared." (Col. 9, lines 37-40).
S. Friberg, and K. Shinoda, Emulsions and Stabilization (John Wiley & Sons, 1986), report two distinct methods of emulsion preparation: Emulsification by the Phase Inversion Temperature (PIT) Method and Emulsification by the Inversion Process (IP). PIT emulsification involves preparing an emulsion near (just below) the phase inversion temperature of the system. The phase inversion temperature is a characteristic property of an emulsion (rather than of the surfactant alone) at which the hydrophile-lipophile property of the nonionic surfactant is in balance (i.e., the temperature of the emulsion at which the surfactant has an equal affinity for both the oil and water phases of the emulsion). According to the PIT method, desired emulsions are obtained if an emulsion system is initially emulsified just below the PIT and then cooled rapidly, since interfacial tension is reduced at the PIT and rapid cooling adds small droplets from the initial phase separation of the surfactant.
In the IP method of Friberg and Shinoda, emulsification is performed at a temperature higher than the PIT in order to first form a water-in-oil emulsion which then inverts to an oil-in-water emulsion upon cooling below the PIT. That is, Friberg and Shinoda emphasize either conducting the emulsification close to or slightly below the cloud point (PIT) or forming a water-in-oil emulsion at elevated temperature which is then inverted upon cooling (IP).
Surprisingly, it has been found that, by the process of the present invention, oil-in-water emulsions are easily obtained without the temperature constraints of the prior art methods. Further, the degree of mechanical agitation or work required to prepare the emulsion is significantly reduced by the process of this invention as compared to the above-mentioned processes in the art. Additionally, the process of the present invention permits the manufacture of emulsions which have a low bio-burden, since the emulsion is optionally pasteurized during preparation, thereby reducing the bio-burden that must be overcome by the addition of antimicrobial preservatives. Further, the process of the present invention produces stable (i.e., shelf life or storage life of at least two weeks) oil-in-water emulsions having a fine particle size.
The present invention provides a process for preparing an oil-in-water emulsion comprising mixing and heating (i) a water-insoluble organomodified polysiloxane oil, (ii) an organomodified silicone emulsifier, (iii) water, and (iv) an alkaline metal salt, above the cloud point of the emulsifier and cooling the resulting mixture below the cloud point of the emulsifier. The mixing and heating steps can be carried out either sequentially or simultaneously.
In preparing emulsions by the process of the present invention, the order of addition of the individual components is not critical, and, hence, they can be charged to a mixing vessel in any desired order. Mixing and heating of the components are performed simultaneously or sequentially. Preferably, mixing and heating takes place sequentially. By mixing and heating sequentially is meant that the components are mixed prior to heating.
The components are initially mixed, preferably blended, under agitated conditions such that a major portion of the non-aqueous components (i.e., the oil and the emulsifier) does not form a visible oil layer on the surface or top of the mixture or blend, but rather is suspended in the liquid prior to heating the mixture.
When the components are mixed or blended prior to heating, the rate and/or type of agitation is not critical and is generally less strenuous than that applied during heating. Any well known means of moving the bulk of the mixture in the vessel is suitable to provide agitation that is applied prior to heating. Agitation prior to heating is conveniently and conventionally accomplished by use of, for example, low shear mixing (also known as "bulk mixing") and can be accomplished by use of, for example, a marine propeller, an anchor style paddle, or flat-bladed turbine. Such low shear mixing or agitation causes a volumetric displacement of between about 0.2 liter/minute/liter of mixture up to about 16 liter/minute/liter of mixture, preferably between about 1 to 10 liter/minute/liter of mixture, and, for example, most preferably about 2.8 liter/minute/liter of mixture as described by J. Y. Oldshue in Fluid Mixing Technology (McGraw-Hill, 1983) at page 89.
After the mixing step, or simultaneously along with the mixing, the mixture is heated. For the purpose of forming an emulsion, without pasteurization of the emulsion, the mixture is heated under agitated conditions to a temperature of at least 5� C., preferably 10� C., and most preferably 15� C. or more above the cloud point of the water-soluble organomodified polysiloxane emulsifier. By "cloud point" is meant the temperature at which one gram of the polysiloxane emulsifier becomes insoluble in a 99-ml water solution. In general, heating in order to form an emulsion is conducted at the desired temperature for a time period sufficient to form the emulsion. Such time period ranges, for example, between about 2 minutes and 2 hours, preferably between about 2 minutes and 1 hour, and most preferably between about 5 minutes and 30 minutes. In general, the temperature during the heating step ranges from about 25� C. to 100� C., preferably from about 40� C. to 90� C., and most preferably from about 45� C. to 70� C.
Agitation during heating in the process of the present invention is critical and is conducted using any means known in the art to effect the intimate contact of and/or intermingling of the water insoluble phase (i.e., the oil and the emulsifier). For example, high shear mixing or agitation is accomplished by use of a shear type mixer such as a fiat plate impeller with sawtooth edges, a rotor stator mixer, tapered fiat blade radial impeller or bar turbine as described by J. Y. Oldshue in Fluid Mixing Technology (McGraw-Hill, 1983) at page 59. Other mechanical means known in the art can be employed to impart the desired shear mixing such as by use of a colloid mill, sand mill, or rotor stator as described by P. Sherman, ed., in Emulsion Science (McGraw-Hill, 1968) at page 9. When the mixture is heated to the desired temperature, high shear mixing or agitation is applied, for example, to impart a maximum shear rate of between about 450 sec.-1 to 1050 sec.-1, preferably between about 500 sec.-1 to 1000 sec.-1, and most preferably between about 650 to 950 sec.-1.
Alternatively, agitation during heating can be described in terms of impeller speed. In the process of the present invention, this impeller speed ranges, for example, from about 2.6 to 12 meters/second, preferably about 5.2 to 7.2 meters/second, and most preferably about 5.5 to 7 meters/second.
Heating and agitation of the mixture results in the formation of an oil-in-water gel-like emulsion of small or fine particle size (less than about 0.3 microns), as evidenced by a clear to translucent appearance and a low electrical resistance (less than about 54 kilohms).
Optionally and advantageously, in a preferred embodiment of the process of the present invention, the mixture can be pasteurized. By "pasteurization" is meant the partial sterilization of the mixture conducted at a temperature and for a period of time, sufficient to destroy objectionable organisms without greatly affecting the chemical composition of the mixture. To achieve pasteurization, a mixture is heated to a desired temperature and maintained at that temperature for a period of time sufficient to bring about the destruction of bacteria or other organisms. Time-temperature equivalents necessary to effect pasteurization are well-known in the art and are described, for example, by G. F. Reddish, ed., in Antiseptic, Disinfectants, Fungicides and Chemical and Physical Sterilization, 2nd Edition (Lea & Febiger, 1957) at page 958. In general, according to this reference, pasteurization takes place, for example, at 60� C. in about 63 minutes or at 80� C. for a time period of at least about 0.4 seconds.
In the process of the present invention, pasteurization takes place as part of the heating step or as a separate step after the mixture has been heated and/or cooled. Preferably pasteurization occurs as part of the heating step. In this latter mode of operation, pasteurization occurs at a temperature above the cloud point of the emulsifier. When pasteurization is practiced in the process of the present invention, in general, the mixture is heated to about 65� C. to 75� C. for a time period of at least about 6 minutes, preferably about 70� C. to 75� C. for a time period of at least about 38 seconds.
After heating with or without pasteurization, the mixture is cooled below the cloud point of the organomodified silicone emulsifier and, more specifically, to ambient temperature. In the process of the present invention, the gel which is translucent disperses upon cooling below the cloud point of the organomodified silicone emulsifier without any agitation. However, while agitation is not required during cooling to produce the emulsion, some agitation is preferred. The agitation is conveniently provided by means of the aforementioned low shear or (bulk) mixing or volumetric displacement agitation described above to initially mix or blend the starting components. Agitation during cooling in the process of the invention serves to facilitate heat exchange with the environment. Another alternative to no agitation or slight agitation (such as low shear mixing), is to continue the high shear mixing conditions employed during the heating step during cooling to facilitate heat exchange or aid in the dispersion of the concentrate or gel phase. Upon cooling, the translucent gel disperses, and an oil-in-water emulsion is formed. The emulsion is milky white with a blue cast.
Alternatively, in one embodiment of the process of the present invention, the ingredients may be mixed such that there exists no free aqueous phase above the cloud point of the emulsifier. In other words, the quantity of water in the initial mixture is not greater than the amount which is present in the oil-in-water gel that is formed at or above the cloud point. After completing the mixing and heating as described above to produce the gel, the gel is cooled below the cloud point, preferably to ambient temperature. As the gel is cooled, or after reaching ambient temperature, additional water is added to fore the stable emulsion, preferably a stable fine emulsion having a particle size of less than about 0.6 microns.
In general, in the gel, the weight ratio of the water-insoluble organomodified polysiloxane oil to the organomodified emulsifier ranges from about 0.1:1 to 10:1, preferably from about 0.1:1 to 5:1, and most preferably from about 0.1:1 to 1.2:1. As is generally known in the art, the amount of water that is incorporated into the gel is dependent upon the hydrophobicity of the particular oil and the oil to emulsifier ratio. For example, it is known that as the oil to emulsifier ratio is lowered, the amount of water incorporated into the gel increases to a fixed amount determined by the particular oil and/or emulsifier employed. Water in excess of the fixed amount cannot be incorporated into the gel, and it remains in a separate aqueous phase.
When other additives are employed in the process of the present invention, such additives are usually present in the gel and/or final emulsion in amounts up to about 6% by weight of the gel or of the emulsion.
The water-insoluble organomodified polysiloxane oil employed in the present invention is more particularly defined by the Formula I:
R3 SiO(R2 SiO)a (RQSiO)b SiR3 (I)
R is hydroxyl or a monovalent hydrocarbon group including alkyl, aryl and aralkyl groups having no more than 10 carbon atoms. The R groups may be the same as or different from one another, and are illustrated by OH, methyl, ethyl, butyl, hexyl, phenyl and benzyl. Of these, the lower alkyls (C1 -C4) are preferred. Most preferably, R is methyl. In Formula I, the average value of a is from one up to 5000, and is usually at least 10 and not more than 500. Parameter b is a number having an average value from 1 to 100, usually not exceeding 50. Preferably, the average value of each of a and b does not exceed 350.
The Q group of Formula I comprises one or two amino groups, and may also contain hydroxyl substitution. More particularly, Q has the general Formula II:
--(X)d (X')e (Y)f --N(R1)(R2) (II)
X is an alkylene group having one to eight carbon atoms such as, for example, methylene, ethylene, propylene or hexylene, and preferably has two to four carbon atoms;
X' is a divalent organic radical including alkylene of one to four carbon atoms (such as, for example, methylene, ethylene and propylene) or phenylene or preferably oxypropylene (i.e., --C3 H6 O--, the oxygen of which is bonded to a carbon atom of the Y group);
Y is a hydroxyl-substituted acyclic alkylene group of two to eight carbon atoms and is illustrated by 2-hydroxypropylene, i.e., --CH2 CH(OH)CH2 --, or Y is a hydroxyl-substituted cyclic alkylene group having no more than eight carbon atoms as illustrated by 2-hydroxycyclohexylene, i.e., ##STR1## of which the acyclic groups having two to four carbon atoms are preferred;
d,e, and f are zero or one provided the sum of d+e is one and the sum of e+f is zero or two; and
R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen or an alkyl having from one to eight carbon atoms of which lower alkyls (C1 -C4) are preferred, or a hydroxyalkyl group having from two to four carbon atoms, or an alkyleneamino group.
The alkyleneamino group within the scope of R1 and R2 of Formula II in turn has the following Formula III:
--CHg H2g N(R3)(R4) (III)
R3 and R4 are independently hydrogen, alkyl or hydrogen as defined above with reference to R1 and R2 ; and g is an integer from two to eight, preferably no more than four.
From the above, it is evident that the amino-containing group, Q, can be a mono- or diamino group of the following types where the specific groups shown for X, X', Y and R1 -R4, and the value of g are selected for illustrative purposes only:
It is to be understood that the amino groups encompassed by Formulas II and III may be used in their protonated or quaternized form without departing from the scope of this invention.
The preparation of organomodified polysiloxane oils is well-known in the art. Such methods are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,004 and Silicon and Silicones, E. G. Rochow, (Springer & Verlag, 1987) at page 97.
Optionally, in one embodiment of the process of the present invention the polysiloxane oil can be replaced by an organic oil, such as, for example, mineral oil. Organic oils suitable for use in the process of the present invention can include mineral oils such as those set forth in U.S. Pharmacopeia XXII, NF XVII, Jan. 1, 1990 edition (United States Pharmacopeia Convention Inc.: Rockville, Md. 20852)and defined as "Topical Light Mineral Oil" and "Mineral Oil." In general, these mineral oils are linear or branched extreme hydrotreated and solvent refined petroleum oils having the general formula:
Cn H2n+2
wherein n is an integer ranging in value from about 10 to about 50. The molecular weight of these oils can range from about 300 to 650 and preferably is 300 to 350. The viscosity of suitable oils for use in the process ranges from about 10 centistoke to about 3000 centistoke and preferably ranges from 10 to 60, most preferably from 10 to 34 centistoke.
The organomodified silicone emulsifier used in the present invention is a polyether-modified polysiloxane more particularly defined by the following Formula IV:
R5 3 SiO(R5 2 SiO)p (R5 ESiO)q SiR5 3 (IV)
R5 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group including alkyl, aryl and aralkyl groups having no more than 10 carbon atoms. The R5 groups may be the same as or different from one another, and are illustrated by methyl, ethyl, butyl, hexyl, phenyl and benzyl. Of these, the lower alkyls (C1 -C4) are preferred. Most preferably, R5 is methyl. It is within the scope of this invention that the R5 group may additionally comprise an ethylcyclohexylenemonoxide (i.e., ##STR2## When the latter group is present, it comprises only a minor portion of the R5 groups along the polysiloxane chain. In formula IV, p has a value ranging from about 10 to 150, preferably about 25 to 100, and most preferably, about 65 to 85 . Parameter q has a value ranging from about 3 to 12 , preferably about 4 to 10, and most preferably about 5 to 8.
The polyether group, E, of the polyether modified polysiloxanes used in the present invention more particularly have the following general Formula V:
--Cx H2x (OC2 H4)y (OC3 H6)z OR6 (V)
in which x has a value from one to eight, and usually has a value from two to four and preferably is three, y is a positive number; and z is zero or a positive number. However, the number of oxyethylene units in the polyether chain must be sufficient to render the emulsifier water soluble. It is to be understood that when z is a positive number, the oxyethylene and oxypropylene units may be distributed randomly throughout the polyether chain or in respective blocks of oxyethylene and oxypropylene units or a combination of random and block distributions.
The R6 group of Formula V is hydrogen, an alkyl group having from one to eight carbon atoms, or acyl group having from two to eight carbon atoms. When R6 is alkyl, it is preferably a lower alkyl (C1 -C4) such as methyl. When R6 is an acyl group, it is preferable that it have no more than four carbon atoms such as, in particular, acetyl,--C(O)CH3. It is believed that when the OR6 terminal group of the polyether chain is acetoxy, some of the acetoxy groups of the amino-, polyether-modified polysiloxane undergo reaction to form amide linkages.
Preferably the total molecular weight of the oxyalkylene portion of the polyether group, E, is from about 200 to 10,000 and, most preferably, is from about 350 to 4,000. Thus the values of y and z can be those numbers which provide molecular weights within these ranges. However, the number of oxyethylene units in the polyether chain must be sufficient to provide an aqueous cloud point of the polyether-modified polysiloxane emulsifier of between 25� C. and 90� C., preferably between 40� C. and 90� C., and most preferably between 40� C. and 70� C.
The preparation of organomodified polysiloxanes emulsifiers is well-known in the art. One such method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,398.
In the process of the present invention, an alkaline metal salt is combined with the water-insoluble organomodified polysiloxane oil, organomodified silicone emulsifier and water. Preferably, the alkaline metal salt is a water soluble inorganic salt of an alkali or alkaline earth metal. In a preferred embodiment, the salt is contained in or dissolved in the water prior to being combined with the oil and emulsifier. In general, the alkaline metal salt is present in the mixture in an amount of at least 50 parts per million and less than 10,000 parts per million (ppm), preferably about 100 ppm to 500 ppm, and most preferably about 150 ppm to 300 ppm by weight of the mixture. The alkaline metal of the inorganic salt can be sodium, potassium, cesium, lithium, calcium, magnesium or mixtures thereof. Of these, sodium and potassium are preferred, with sodium being the most preferred. Water soluble inorganic sodium salts include sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium phosphate, sodium biphosphate, sodium sulfate and sodium bisulfate. Among these, the preferred sodium salts are sodium chloride, sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, with sodium bicarbonate being the most preferred.
Water soluble inorganic potassium salts include potassium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium phosphate, potassium biphosphate, potassium sulfate and potassium bisulfate. Among these, the preferred potassium salts are potassium chloride, potassium carbonate, and potassium bicarbonate, with potassium bicarbonate being the most preferred.
Cesium, lithium, calcium and magnesium salts such as the chloride, carbonate, bicarbonate, phosphate, biphosphate, sulfate and bisulfate salts thereof are also employable in the process of the present invention but are generally less readily available and more expensive. Additionally, cesium and lithium salts are potentially toxic for some applications.
Optionally, other additives such as organic emulsifiers, preservatives or biocides, water soluble pigments or dyes, fragrances, fillers, pH adjustors, and/or antifoamers or defoamers can be included in the emulsion. One or more of these additives may be added during the process of preparation or added to the final emulsion.
Examples of organic emulsifiers include, but are not limited to, Tergitol� 15-S-3, 15-S-15 and mixtures thereof (available from Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Company Inc.). While such organic emulsifiers are routinely incorporated in emulsion formulations, such emulsifiers are not necessary in the process of the present invention. That is, emulsions prepared by the process of the present invention are stable without the addition of such emulsifiers.
Examples of antimicrobial preservatives include Phenonip� (available from NIPA Laboratories, Inc., Wilmington, Del.), Parasepts� (available from Kalama Chemical, Inc., Seattle, Wash.), Giv-Gard� DXN (available from Givaudan Corporation, Clifton, N.J.), Nuosept� 95 (available from Nuodex Inc., Piscataway, N.J.) and UCARCIDE� 250 (available from Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Company Inc.)
Examples of pH adjustors include mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid, and/or organic acids such as acetic acid, citric acid and the like.
Examples of antifoamer/defoamer additives include, for example, a silicone antifoamer such as SAG� 2001 available from Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Company Inc.
Whereas the scope of the present invention is set forth in the appended claims, the following specific examples illustrate certain aspects of the present invention and, more particularly, point out methods of evaluating the same. It is to be understood, therefore, that the examples are set forth for illustration only and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. All parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified.
The analytical procedure for determining a cloud point is well known in the art. For example, a one-gram sample (emulsifier) is dissolved in 99-milliliters of distilled water in a 150-ml beaker containing a 1-inch plastic coated stirrer bar. The beaker is placed on a combination stirrer/hot plate. A 0� C.-to-100� C. thermometer is suspended in the solution with the bulb of the thermometer placed 1/2-inch from the bottom of the beaker. With mild stirring, the solution is heated at a rate of 1� C. to 2� C. per minute. The temperature at which the submerged portion of the thermometer is no longer visible is recorded as the cloud point.
In the examples, particle size determination was performed using a Microtrac Model 7995-30 (Leeds and Northrup, Pittsburgh, Pa.) which measures light from a laser beam projected through a stream of particles. The angular distribution of the scatteredlight is a function of particle size which is analyzed by a computer.
A Sartorius Model YTC-01L analyzer (Sartorius, Hayward, Calif.) was used in the examples to determine the percentage of solids. The analyzer uses an infrared light source as a drying agent and a computer integrated balance. The percentage of solids is calculated by computer using the difference in sample weight before and after drying.
In the examples, samples were visually observed in four or eight-ounce jars for color/cast of the emulsion.
The following designations used in the Examples and elsewhere herein have the following meanings:
______________________________________Polysiloxane Structure______________________________________Oil #1 (CH3)3 SiO[(CH3)2 SiO]250 Si(CH3). sub.3Oil #2 ##STR3##Emulsifier I: ##STR4##Emulsifier II: ##STR5##______________________________________
In order to illustrate the process of the present invention for making an emulsion, 214.8 grams of Emulsifier I having a cloud point of 38� to 42� C. and 214.8 grams of Oil #2 were charged to a three-necked round bottom flask equipped with an air-driven stirrer, condenser, and a temperature controller. Oil #2 was insoluble in Emulsifier I. The two components were blended together using the stirrer to agitate the blend. While maintaining the agitation, 623.3 grams of tap water (i.e., having an alkaline metal salt or salts dissolved therein), 12.5 grams of nonionic surfactant Tergitol 15-S-15 (a polyethylene glycol ether of a linear alcohol having 11 to 15 carbon atoms) and 8.6 grams of nonionic surfactant Tergitol 15-S-3 (a polyethylene glycol ether of a linear alcohol having 11 to 15 carbon atoms) were charged to the flask.
After the above components were charged and agitated, the mixture was heated and pasteurized by maintaining the mixture at 80� C. for a period of about 30 minutes. As the contents of the flask were heated, it was observed that a viscous concentrate (gel) formed as the cloud point (38�-42� C.) of Emulsifier I was reached and surpassed. The concentrate appeared to: have incorporated the Tergitol surfactants and the amino-modified polydimethylsiloxane oil without taking in much water (i.e., less than about 50% of the water was incorporated into the concentrate).
A solids analysis was made on both the water phase and on the concentrate phase. The water phase contained 0.6% solids and the concentrate contained 70 to 75% solids. The flask was cooled by removing the heating mantle and continuing to stir the contents of the flask. Upon cooling, the concentrate formed a viscous, translucent gel having the characteristics of an oil-in-water or water-continuous phase emulsion. When an electric current was passed through the concentrate the measured resistance using an Ohm meter resulted in readings similar to those observed in known oil-in-water emulsions. A typical water-in-oil emulsion, in contrast, would show a resistance to current flow so high that it would not be measurable with an ohm meter.
Further, during cooling the gel began to soften and disperse into the water phase. When the temperature dropped below the cloud point of Emulsifier I, an emulsion formed which had a fine particle size averaging about 0.53 microns. Visual inspection of the emulsion as it ran down the sides of a sample jar revealed that the emulsion had a bluish translucent cast to it.
An aliquot of the ingredients (emulsifier, oil, surfactants, and water) used in Example 1 was removed after blending but prior to heating the contents in the flask. The aliquot was unstable and the components separated. That is, a simple blending of the components of Example 1 did not produce the desired oil-in-water emulsion.
The process of Example 1 was repeated, except that while maintaining a 1:1 mole ratio of the Emulsifier I to Oil #2, a concentrate was prepared such that it contained 8.5% solids. The final emulsion had a bluish cast as described in Example 1 and had an average particle size of 4.4 microns.
The process of Example 1 is repeated, except that while maintaining a 1:1 mole ratio of Emulsifier I to Oil #2, a concentrate was prepared such that it contained 38% solids. The final emulsion had a bluish cast as described in Example 1 and an average particle size of 2.2 microns.
The process of Example 1 was repeated, except that, while maintaining a 1:1 ratio of Emulsifier I to Oil #2, a reduced amount of water was employed such that the prepared emulsion contained 70.4% solids. The final emulsion was a viscous, translucent gel and had a high electrical conductivity indicating that it was an oil-in-water emulsion, having a particle size of about 0.25 microns or less.
In carrying out these Examples 5 through 8, Examples 1 through 4, respectively, were repeated except that Tergitols 15-S-15 and 15-S-3 were omitted. These examples demonstrate that these non-ionic surfactants are not required for emulsion preparation in the process of the present invention. The results are set forth in Table 1.
TABLE 1______________________________________Example No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8______________________________________% Solid 41.1 8.5 38 70.4 42.0 10.1 35.7 72.3Particle size, m 0.53 4.4 2.2 0.25 .61 6.3 1.1 .25Shelf life,* mos. 9 1 9 1 3 1 9 1______________________________________ *Shelf life is the period of time the respective emulsions were stored at ambient temperature prior to use.
These examples illustrate that the order of addition of the individual components in the process of the present invention is not critical to formation of the resulting emulsion. Examples 9 through 11 were carried out as described for Example 5, except that the order of addition was varied. In Example 9, the order of addition was oil, emulsifier, then water. In Example 10, the order of addition was water, emulsifier, then oil. In Example 11, the order of addition was water, oil, then emulsifier. There was no noticeable change in the emulsions during processing or in the final products. The emulsions were stable and particle sizes of the emulsions of Examples 9, 10 and 11 were 0.41, 0.64, and 0.60 microns, respectively.
Examples 12 through 24 illustrate mixing conditions for the process of the present invention. The emulsions of Examples B through I and 12 through 24 were prepared in accordance with Example 5. A jacketed glass vessel having a circulating oil bath to heat the contents of the vessel was used. The contents of the vessel were agitated using a variable speed Lightning Mixer� equipped with a 3-inch Cowles impeller. The speed of the mixer was varied in order to change the maximum shear rate. Each example was evaluated upon its appearance and shelf life stability. Examples B through H illustrate that below a maximum shear rate of 450 sec.-1, the emulsions on visual inspection had a grayish appearance and separated soon after preparation. Emulsions (Examples 12 through 24) made at a maximum shear rate ranging from 450 to 1050 sec.-1 were stable and appeared milky white with a bluish translucent cast while draining down the sides of a glass sample jar. An emulsion (Example I) prepared at a maximum shear rate of 1100 sec.-1 or higher did not separate immediately. However, the emulsion of Example I was stable for about one week and did not possess the bluish cast associated with a fine particle size emulsion. The results are set forth in Table 2.
TABLE 2______________________________________ MaximumExample* Shear Rate ShelfNo. Sec-1 Color Life______________________________________B 100 Gray <1 dayC 150 Gray <1 dayD 200 Gray <1 weekE 250 Gray <1 weekF 300 Gray <1 weekG 350 Gray <2 weeksH 400 Gray <2 weeks12 450 Milky white >1 month w/bluish cast13 500 Milky white >1 month w/bluish cast14 550 Milky white >1 month w/bluish cast15 600 Milky white >1 month w/bluish cast16 650 Milky white >2 months w/bluish cast17 700 Milky white >2 months w/bluish cast18 750 Milky white >2 months w/bluish cast19 800 Milky white >2 months w/bluish cast20 850 Milky white >2 months w/bluish cast21 900 Milky white >2 months w/bluish cast22 950 Milky white >2 months w/bluish cast23 997 Milky white >2 months w/bluish cast24 1050 Milky white >1 month w/bluish castI 1100 Gray <1 week______________________________________ *Particle size was not measured for these examples.
The emulsions of Examples 25 through 27 and Example J were prepared in accordance with the procedure of Example 1, except that Oil #1 replaced Oil #2 and the emulsions contained varying amounts of solids level. The results are set forth in Table 3 below. As shown in Table 3, the emulsion of Example J was found to be unstable. It is not dear what caused the emulsion of Example J to be unstable. However, it is theorized that the emulsion of Example J was unstable because the mixing apparatus employed in the examples was insufficient to impart the required agitation during heating due to the amount of water used in the preparation of the mixture.
TABLE 3______________________________________ Ability to Conduct ElectricalExample Solids Particle CurrentNo. Level Color Size (microns) Stability______________________________________25 49.8 Milky/ 0.56 Yes Yes blue cast26 68.3 Milky/ 0.53 Yes Yes blue cast27 73.7 Clear/ 0.25 Yes Yes blue castJ* 7.65 Milky/ 22.69 Yes No gray cast______________________________________ *The emulsion was unstable after aging for about two weeks.
The procedure of Example 5 was followed, except that the flask was heated to a temperature of 50� C. The contents of the flask were held at that temperature for 30 minutes. The emulsion was an oil-in-water emulsion of similar quality to that described in Example 5 and had a milky/bluish cast and a particle size of 0.46 microns. This example illustrates that fine stable oil-in-water emulsions can be readily prepared by heating alone, i.e., without pasteurization.
The procedure of Example 1 was followed, except that Emulsifier II having a cloud point of 73� to 81� C. was used instead of Emulsifier I. The contents of the vessel were heated to 92� C. for 37 minutes to form the gel or concentrate phase. Upon cooling the emulsion was milky white with a bluish cast. Analysis of the gel resulted in a percent solids content of 70-75%.
An emulsion was prepared in accordance with the procedure of Example 1 . However, the emulsion was inoculated with 5 million colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria and allowed to stand for one week. After one week, the emulsion was analyzed for sterility. The bacteria count showed that the bacteria (microbe) level was Too Numerous To Count (TNC). The product was heated to 70� C. for 30 minutes to pasteurize the emulsion. Upon heating the emulsion broke up and formed into a gel phase and an aqueous phase. However, as the emulsion was cooled it was reconstituted by low shear blending or mixing. Re-analysis by standard plate count for sterility showed that the emulsion was free of microbial contamination.
In order to illustrate the requirement that a minimum concentration of alkaline metal salt is required, an emulsion was prepared using starting materials free of metal salt as follows: 41.3 grams of Emulsifier I having a cloud point of 38� -42� C. and 41.3 grams of Oil #2 were charged to a three-necked, round bottom flask equipped with an air-driven stirrer, condenser and a temperature controller. The two components were blended together using a stirrer at low speed to agitate the mixture. While maintaining the agitation, 97.4 grams of water free of alkaline metal salt and obtained by a reverse osmosis water purifier manufactured by Millipore Corporation, 2.5 grams of a nonionic surfactant Tergitol 15-S-15 and 1.7 grams of nonionic surfactant Tergitol 15-S-3 were added to the blend.
After the above components were charged to the flask, the mixture was heated to 50� C. When agitation was stopped and heating discontinued, the ingredients separated rapidly and there appeared to be no visual change in the appearance of the components.
The components were again heated to 50� C. Upon reaching 50� C., there was added slowly with continuous agitation a 0.8 wt. % aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate from a burret.
After 1.82 ml. of sodium bicarbonate solution were added, corresponding to 78 parts of sodium bicarbonate per million parts of mixture, the appearance of the mixture changed abruptly. A gel phase formed which resembled the viscous concentrate or gel identified in Example 1.
Upon cooling to room temperature, the gel phase softened and dispersed into the aqueous phase to form a milky emulsion with a bluish tint or cast and the emulsion was stable.
The procedure of Example 1 was repeated, except that Oil #2 was replaced with a mineral oil (nominally 24 centistoke) commonly identified as "baby oil" available from Johnson & Johnson Company. The mineral oil used in this example is further described as a branched paraffinic saturated hydrocarbon oil. A milky white emulsion with a bluish cast and having a particle size ranging from less than 0.25 microns to over 4.0 microns was produced. Photomicrographs indicated that the bulk of the emulsion consisted of small droplets (approximately 0.6 microns) with a few large droplets (approximately 4.0 microns). The emulsion was stable for a period of about two weeks before noticeable separation began to occur. When the emulsion of this example was applied to facial tissue at a rate of 1.5% combined silicone emulsifier and mineral oil, the softness of the tissue was substantially the same as for an emulsion of Example 1; and the mineral oil treated tissue did not smear when used to wipe a glass slide.
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At our demise, this will be yours. Oct 10, 2014
by Michael Seiwerath
In the most poignant and hilarious scene of The Man who can Forget Anything Gregg Lachow and Megan Murphy show their 10th grade son all the film and video footage from their artistic career. In this projected video, a bewildered Charile Lachow is led to the closet of their current New York apartment, where the films are stuffed. His dad explains the method of showing film, and the regrets contained in the work. Megan eases him into the video footage, stating that he should start with five hard drives on the desk, and that there are 41 more- vaguely gesturing behind her.
Seeing multi-generational family performances at On the Boards is a rare experience. Watching these Lachow kids grow up on screen and on stage is a true joy.


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Santa & Cole
For over 25 years now, Santa & Cole has lived for industrial design, an art consisting of focusing on everyday objects in order to seek a better use experience, thereby leading them to reflect upon material culture.
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Santa & Cole
Since the late 1980's, Santa & Cole has lived for industrial design, an art consisting of focusing on everyday objects in order to seek a better use experience, thereby leading them to reflect upon material culture.
Hence, Santa & Cole edit elements of domestic and urban furniture and lighting, plant elements (which are living matter) and books (which are likewise alive). A range that is only apparently disperse, converging upon a single concern: not to accumulate, but rather to select; not to enjoy quantity, but rather quality.
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