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So I went to look at some lights in the shape of trees in Shah Alam I-City, I wouldn't exactly say it was a fun experience. First of all when we got there we had the choice to park in 2 places, illegally on the road shoulder of a 4 lane highway opposite the park where said trees are, or in a large deep car park where you need to walk a bit before you can get back topside to where the fun is.
Walking isn't usually a problem but when kids and old people are involved, you could see those kind of people just worn out and sitting on the streets. This was definitely NOT meant to be a tourist spot. There were some parking near the park area.
But if you tried to park in these parking, someone resembling these guys will descend upon you.
And tell you that you can't park in the parking. I wonder why since no one is using the spots at night anyway not like we're taking spots away from the tenants. Then one of them reminded me that "This is private property, you come into my house, you abide by my rules" Well said I-City, I'll remember that.
So what can you see over at I-City? You're going there to see stuff like this.
LED Lights. Tons and tons of LED lights.
Some will be drapped over wireframes to form some interesting shapes.
Then there are some that are just hung around.
Hmmm.. maybe that's why they wanted to keep the parking empty? But then again there're many spots outside of this scenic shot.
And of course you get to see these.
These darn LED trees.
While they might look like real trees decorated with lights
They're not. So we're not looking at some meticulously decorated tree here. These are essentially glorified LAMP POSTS. But I guess it's ok that they are fake trees cause I felt a lot of heat coming from such a huge concentration of lights. (Then again it could have just been the weather.)
Nothing particularly outstanding, but I guess since they don't charge any entrance fee other than having you walk around a lot. And it is closer than FGS from PJ. So... if you have the time... why not?
The shot you see above contains about 1/3 of what there is to see over there.
Oh.. point to note for all you budding photographers going to all these light shows and trying to take shots of the lights. While a slow shutter speed will help you get nice pictures of lights, if you need to take pictures of people standing in front of lights like this.
Read your manual and figure out how to turn on rear sync flash, or night scene mode. So that you don't end up killing the effect of the lights with your flash and having your significant other go "DEE SLR also cannot take nice light picture one geh?"
Of course, if your camera can manage a high ISO shot. You can retain the multi color lit ambience of the trees.
I'm not teaching you how to take photos here, I'm just letting you know you should familiarize yourself with your gear for tricky shots like this. Lest your partner keep reminding you that your expensive camera can't take nice pictures.
OK.... I think I'm ready to go to FGS Dong Zen on Friday night then.
I had one hell of a night yesterday, first of all at around 1AM I saw a very pissed off wife run outside the house. For those unfamiliar with Chinese customs 22nd Feb was the night where some special prayers would be done by some chinese.
And someone in our neighbourhood were launching thunderclaps NON STOP from 12AM to 1AM, and everytime one of those thing's screeched through the sky, it'd wake up the dog behind my house, and more importantly it'd woke up my wife. So instead of letting her go postal on the people I decided to take it upon myself to find the source of the disturbance and take care of it.
I found the source which was a house a couple of blocks away from mine, there were 2 kids constantly setting off the things while their parents looked on. I appealed to their community spirit and asked them to stop. Luckily they complied, and I went back home to sleep.
Until I heard the dogs barking and someone banging on the window of the side room where my maid used to sleep in. Through the tinted kitchen window I saw a man walking around the back of the house. My father scared him off by screaming at him from behind the window, at which point I ran outside to see if he dropped anything and I found this in the drain.
At first I thought this was a condom wrapper from afar, but it turns out to be chewing tobacco according to friends who can read the words. Now I'm just afraid if the person will return and try to take any action against our house since we pissed him off..
There are many situations when you need to move files between machines, you could either create a network fileshare if that's possible. Or you could shuttle the files using a USB drive if there's one available. I just acquired this little thing cause I wanted to see how it worked.
This is Vantec's ezShare Pro device, on the box it states that you could copy files between machines without having to setup anything. I was interested to see how it works so I thought to myself why not?
So... how does it work? Basically you plug the device into one computer, and then you plug a normal USB cable into the other end and then into another computer. Both systems will then register a new CD drive attached to it, then you run the program on said 'CD' on BOTH MACHINES and that gives you an explorer interface to drag files between the machines.
Simple? Yes. Can be done in other ways? Yup. But hell... might come in handy one of these days..
So I've talked about Small Basic before, and they've just released a new version. So what's so cool about this nice little tool for learning basic? Well it's about how you can now show code to people. For example, let's say I have a simple turtle program and while I can show you the code here.
start: GraphicsWindow.Clear() Turtle.MoveTo (0,0) Turtle.MoveTo(GraphicsWindow.Width,0) Turtle.MoveTo(0,GraphicsWindow.Height) Turtle.MoveTo(GraphicsWindow.width,graphicswindow.Height) Turtle.MoveTo(0,0) Goto start
start: GraphicsWindow.Clear() Turtle.MoveTo (0,0) Turtle.MoveTo(GraphicsWindow.Width,0) Turtle.MoveTo(0,GraphicsWindow.Height) Turtle.MoveTo(GraphicsWindow.width,graphicswindow.Height) Turtle.MoveTo(0,0) Goto start
Then start explaining what the code does or… if you have already downloaded Small Basic, I could give you the Small Basic code of TRM169
Or… you can just SEE THE CODE IN ACTION with the brand new RUN IN SILVERLIGHT publishing capability and you can actually see how the code runs!
And that is just so farking cool! Unbelievably useful for showing people how code samples would work! Think there are still some bugs though, but not a bad start.
2 widely used touchscreen technologies, resistive and capacitive. Both are essentially touchscreens which allows you to interact with the system with your fingers but what about when you want to WRITE on them? Like when I want to scribble ideas in OneNote? That's when I realized how different they work in that aspect. Check out the video.
So... it's was just announced... Windows Phone 7 Series it is... And after the whirlwind of a coming out party. Here are my initial thoughts on the system. And I'm gonna count up how many shots of alcohol I'm gonna take after this. Go watch the coming out video first if you haven't done so yet.
The Zune UI -
It sure looks like something you'll either love or hate with all the cropped title bars and stuff. My main worry is that with this spanking new UI. Backward compatibility with previous apps is damn near IMPOSSIBLE to achieve, in fact if you watch the video webcast (which they say they'll put an archived version up later) They said that they didn't want to splinter the UI experience anymore, ie. HTC's touchflow, Sony's XPanels, Samsung's shitty Omnia menu, etc. etc. Putting backward compatibility for WM apps will end up like putting backward compatibility for when Pocket PC's moved the start menu from the bottom to the top. The other telltale sign that backward compatibility is dead is the catchphrase that appears in the preview video that it's a brand NEW BEGINNING (or something like that)
While losing backward compatibility is a VERY BIG ISSUE, starting fresh with a new system architecture that knows how to deal with programs whose developers didn't take much effort into respecting the rules of the system will be good for the system in the long run. And so I shall drink to all the great Windows Mobile programs which *might* be lost in this transition (more dev info coming during the Mix conference) And hope that future developers can take better charge of their code, less the OS do it for them.
Is there multitasking or not? - This is a big question that was not answered, but just hinted by the preview video. The video poked fun at the fact that other phones *cough* iPhone *cough* let's you do one thing at a time, stare at one chunk of info at a time and no way to interact with it. This is because when you allow multitasking in a device with system constraints like a phone, a program is liable to kill and collapse the device, ie. Opening WAAAAYY too many heavy webpages in your web browsers on your phone. But then... the preview video kept talking about how we'll be able to have Live In Motion with the new Windows Phone 7 Series. So what kind of multitasking support would we as developers will get? Here's my theory, observe the Start screen (ie the new Today screen).
Now... during the webcast, a few things can be observed. The Live Tiles as they are called, were refered to as SUPER ICONS that deliver up to date information relevant to that tile. Tapping on the tile brings you over to the relevant Hub. My theory is that the Tiles are just like the Today screen plugins in Windows Mobile, and these are the ONLY THINGS that actually multitask, so programmers will be encouraged to split their apps into services and UI portions to retrieve data and present them to the user. Of course this model would only apply for task based apps like Messenger, Twitter, etc. etc. Doesn't answer how a new alternative music player would work to play music in the background.
Another interesting thing which I noticed was that, no one mentioned anything about an application launching screen. While this Start Screen sure looks like it could be it, I shudder to think what happens when you've installed enough tiles to make the user have to run a finger marathon to get to what they need. Oh wait... the iPhone already does that!
It's an interesting concept, and I guess I'll know the answer when Mix arrives.
What is the developer experience? - For me and countless other developers out there, this is the question that still remains unanswered, can we still write apps without paying additional licensing fees? can we deploy apps without using marketplace? WHAT do we write apps with? All these questions will have to wait till Mix to be answered. But I have my theories. While using .Net to write apps is practically a no brainer, the main question here is... WHAT DO WE DEVELOPE THE UI WITH? A typical WinForms app would clash HORRIBLY with the new Zune UI, not to mention it'd be crazy to try and implement an animation engine for elements and such. If only Microsoft had some sort of framework for presenting and animating elements through a storyboard, if only Microsoft had some form of runtime that can be used to sandbox applications and yet still provide the flexibility of a rich presentation experience along with the core .Net familiarity to the developers...
Oh wait... there is! Microsoft has both Windows Presentation Framework and Silverlight which can be used as a basis of creating rich animated applications. And the base specification of the device is supposed to be able to support all this now!
I'll drink myself silly if there's no way to write .Net code on a Windows Phone 7 Series, and it just wouldn't make sense for MS to have to make yet another framework for rich applications which doesn't inherit from WPF or Silverlight.
We'll find out at Mix I guess.
There is one thing to note though, with all the talk about games, and Live integration. And the fact that the hardware platform and specifications have been standardized. It's not too hard to picture XNA support to be in Windows Phone 7.
The hardware platform - The Windows Phone 7 Series (Hey.. that grammar is just wrong!) device platform has a standardized specification. So everyone will have a WVGA screen (that's 480x800 I guess, hey.. I think I know what kind of upgrade the iPhone 4G will get!) At least a said high spec'ed process and if I didn't hear correctly... FOUR POINT MULTITOUCH? I personally don't get the idea of multitouch as UI gestures, cause they're usually not intuitive and they generally means you can't do the operation with one hand which is important on a phone. But having 2 point multitouch helped the iPhone gaming industry since you could have a virtual joypad where you could move and press ONE button at a time. But FOUR points? Is that really necessary? Can you actually fit four fingers on a screen and STILL see what you're doing?
The 3 buttons on a Windows Phone 7 device will be Start, Back and Search. while I understand why the first 2 buttons are there, the Search button..... well I guess we'll see how that works out. I guess it's more useful than a call button which only searches for your contacts, but can it guarantee that I can find a person to call as fast as on my Windows Mobile phone right now and not as inefficient as the iPhone dialer?
Right now the virtual keyboard looks like a copy of the iPhone one, and I didn't see it in use enough to notice if it shares the same deficiencies (ie. letter's don't change to indicate CASING state). There're more screen pixels, why can't a better keyboard be made?
I'm glad that Microsoft isn't making the phone, since if Microsoft IS making the phone it'll most likely mean WE'LL NEVER GET IT IN MALAYSIA, since that'll mean they need to have an entire support for the device over here. They can't even do that for a game console or music player, how could they do it for a phone even if the target market is larger? I'll drink to that.
The integration with the Zune software is nice and everything, but if it means that I can't use my phone immediately upon purchase and have to activate it using the Zune software ala the iPod/iPhone, that would NOT be nice!
Ok... let's wait for Mix and see what else I can rant on, and see wheter I'm right about certain things.
2009 was supposed to be the year we see cheap Tablet PCs running with Netbook hardware, but Asus become the only one who actually 'shipped' a netbook Tablet PC. But then again shipped might be too strong a word since it was almost impossible to actually find one on the shelves here.
But now there's a Tablet PC netbook that is widely available. And it feels pretty good to use too.
This is the Lenovo S10-3T Convertible Tablet PC Netbook. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, it means you can take the notebook from this position.
Give the screen a little twist...
And you end up with the screen looking at the other side.
At which point you can plop it down and you've got...
The iPad!!!!! Seriously people, this thing has the same screen dimensions and resolution as the upcoming Apple iPad but of course is an actual PC. While the thing isn't light weighing in at a bit more than 1 kilograms, it's a great example of things to come if this happens to be the year where touchable PCs drop to an affordable price point ala the original idea of the Widnows Tablet PC concept.
Oh for those of you who are familiar with Tablet PCs, let me answer a few questions that you might have. The screen hinge is TIGHT it basically snaps into position at the 0 and 180 degree points and once it locks, it's gonna STAY there! I wonder if this friction will be there throughout the thing's lifespan?
Also another interesting tidbit for the Tablet PC enthusiasts, so... which direction does the screen rotate? Clockwise or counter clockwise? The writing on the hinge gives the answer.
It can rotate 180 degrees in BOTH directions, it can't rotate 360 degrees which means you have to return it back to tablet mode with the same path you took getting there. This was unexpected on this sub RM2000 (~USD600) tablet pc.
Another thing that surprised me was how they designed the hinge and battery, normally tablet pc batteries are in front cause they need to make space for the hinge assembly, so imagine my surprise when the bottom of the S10-3T sans battery looked like this.
The hinge assembly is staring at me right in the face! That would mean that the battery would need to have a hole in the middle. And it does have a little valley in the middle of the battery that slides into and covers the hinge assembly.
Other interesting things of note is that this has the typical assortment of netbook ports, which means.
On the right from right to left, analog VGA, 2 USB ports, a hole for where the TV antennae would go in another model, and the bluetooth/wireless switch.
On the left from left to right, the power jack, network jack, air vent (yes, it get's pretty loud if you get the CPU worked up enough that the fan needs to engage at full strength) and the 2 audio jacks.
On the front you'll find a rubber cover blocking an SD card slot, which unfortunately is NOT ABLE to close when there's a card in the slot. On the other end of the front panel you'll find the builtin mic, now before you say "That feels like a bad place for a builtin mic!" IT IS! Either the placement is bad, or the mic just plain sucks but it's TERRIBLE as a Skype communicator, I think you'd have to speak directly into it for it to work properly. Pickup is pretty poor when you just try to talk while typing on the keyboard.
Speaking of the keyboard.
It's a very nice keyboard! Almost feels like they didn't need to compromise on the key size at all! But note that they DID compromise on the touch pad, it's one of those new fangled ones where the buttons are embedded in the lower left and right corners of the pad. Which means if you don't install the actual Synaptic touchpad drivers the touchpad will still register mouse movement when you move your finger in those areas when you try to click the mouse. NOT something you want to happen!
The lower left corner of the screen has a vertical strip of 3 shortcut buttons, from the bottom up they are the mute button (it's almost as if they know people have to need to quickly mute the volume of whatever they're watching!) The rotate display button (There's also an app which rotates the display based on the orientation of the device for you people who love auto orientation rotation, I HATE IT!) And... I have no idea what the 3rd button does... I think it should fire up the Lenovo launcher program but I couldn't reinstall that when I installed Windows 7 Ultimate on the thing. So the button does nothing right now.
The power button is on the lower right corner of the screen, along with a switch for you to lock the power button so you don't accidentally turn off the machine when holding the thing in tablet mode.
The camera is off center on the upper right corner of the screen, why do people feel that this is a good place to put it? Or is it there only because there's no where else for it to go?
And now let's talk about how well it works!
So, after all the show and tell pictures let's talk about how does it perform. Well, first of all the S10-3T runs the new Intel Atom N450 aka Pineview aka Cheaper, Faster processor than previous Atoms. It IS spiffer than any other N270 or N280 netbook I've seen. Most evident when running Plants vs Zombies, my benchmark for netbook performance. It can handle your Flash games a bit better than the old processors but don't expect any miracles on the video processing side.
Speaking of which, WITHOUT the GMA 500 graphics that was in previous Z series Atoms, kiss hardware H.264 decoding good bye! There's no way to watch 720P video on this thing.... unless you go get a proper software video decoder such as CoreCodec's CoreAVC with it, you CAN actually watch most 720P video... and not do anything else which you're doing so. Also... if you do watch such high bitrate videos, you'd be torturing the CPU a lot so expect the expected battery life to drop from 4 hours to... 2 hours?
The base configuration for the S10-3T that I've got came with 1GB of RAM, but the RAM slot (and hard disk it seems, yeah it's a normal spindle drive and not an SSD.) is easily accesible and can be swapped out for a 2GB, I just wonder why they went and stuck a warranty serial sticker over the RAM chip if they expected users to change it?
The 2 point multitouch capacitive touchscreen works as advertised, and with Windows 7's touch enhancements it's VERY possible to control and use your apps in Tablet form without too many problems. (I'm gonna be recording some video about the Windows 7 touch features soon to show this off) Oh.. there doesn't seem to be any palm rejection on the screen, I've just bought a stylus for use on capacitive screens, but I'm having an interesting experience with that and it's in need of another report.
But here comes the biggest problem!
While Windows 7 makes the system fully usable using only touch operations, the touch features are only available in HOME PREMIUM AND ABOVE. In order to keep the entry price level low, the S10-3T ships with Windows 7 Starter Edition. On ANY ORDINARY Netbook, that would be enough to use the system efficiently. But on a touch equipped system like the S10-3T you WANT Windows 7 Home Premium and above on it if you really want to take full advantage of your touch screen. (Lenovo did include apps that use the multitouch functionality even in Windows 7 Starter, but that's ONLY in specific applications, nothing beats having actual OS support for multitouch) So if you do pick up the Starter Edition unit (which seems to be the only one available here in Malaysia right now) Do pick up a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium so you can upgrade to it and make full use of your hardware.
So what's the verdict?
This is gonna be much easier to do than the Fujitsu UH900... If you're looking for a Tablet PC Netbook right NOW? This would make a good one, it has multi touch, relatively cheap, good performance, just do remember to iupgrade up Windows 7 Home Premium at least! If you're looking for a Pineview Netbook but are not particularly interested in touch features, plenty of other cheaper ones out there.
I'm still shocked at the quality of the device vs the price, I'm glad we've come to this point for the Tablet PCs, the point where a convertible Tablet PC is actually affordable and without a high premium compared to normal laptops. Hopefully this will spur the industry to make better computers to write on now!
See.. I'm not the only one that's an influence to WZ's gaming activities.
So I've been playing Bioshock 2 for a while and while I'm enjoying the game I feel that there's something I just HAVE to get off my chest.
For a big daddy, I die WAY TOO EASILY! All it takes to kill me is about 3 solid clubs to the head and I'm back in the Vitachamber. While you might say that it's because you play as the very first big daddy therefore as a prototype you're weaker and such but let me remind you that you're still wearing the Big Daddy Deep Sea Diving Helmet. Which I'd think would be able to withstand a few blows from lead pipes.
And for that matter, how the heck does the characther eat, drink and smoke all the health items? Is there a feeding tube somewhere which we can't see?
The final rant is that even though we can swing a drill the size of our helmet like a simple bat, this particular act would dictate that Big Daddy is stronger than the average man. And yet when would smash the drill into a splicer's head we have to club them a couple of times compared to just once and seeing their head's explode due to being bludgeoned by a heavy object?
I find there can only be one reason for this to happen, why the splicers can withstand so much pounding to their heads by a big giant drill.
They've got BETTER HELMETS! I hope I can find out who their supplier is.
I had a dream, of having a fully capable Windows PC that could fit in my pocket. The ViliV S5 answered the call, but ultimately poor driver support for Windows 7 means that I have to let it good and continue my search.
Good bye S5, I hope you are of more use to your new owner.
Well, after the scathing review and disrecommendation I gave the Fujitsu UH900 I've figured out what causes the screen to tint and how it can be dealt with. And also how to actually calibrate the touch screen to get it to work properly. Please check back the review again for these updates.
The disrecommendation has thus been changed to the usual "You can get it if you like it" recommendation that I usually give.
I've had experience with a few Fujitsu Tablet PCs, first with the Fujitsu P1610 then with the Fujitsu U1010 I found those two Tablet PCs to be EXCELLENT representations of Tablet PCs of their time. Then, recently I also got the ViliV S5 it's a great sturdy little device, but I was ultimately disappointed with the lack of Touch driver support from ViliV. And so... based on only the mere thought that Fujitsu has been making great Tablet PCs since way back. I came to acquire the Fujitsu UH900.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Fujitsu's latest device, once again like in my P1610 post just plain seeing the device doesn't fully reveal the size of the UH900. Well folks, it's roughly the size of a book.
I guess that still doesn't help too much since books themselves don't exactly have a standard size.
So let's go with a more traditional form of measurement then.
So it's able 8 inches wide, and about 5 inches deep. It's roughly 1 inch high. So once again I've bought a pretty small notebook yet again. But of course there's more than size that's special about the UH900.
The UH900 has very limited space for ports, and on the front of it you find (from left to right) a USB port, the speaker grill (normal strength, would never pass the chinese wedding dinner test like most notebooks), then you have the multi IO connector which contains the video and network ports, another USB port later and you'll find a simple SD slot, I haven't tried it yet but I'm gonna guess it's an SDHC slot.
On the right is where you find the wireless toggle switch which controls both the wireless network radio and the bluetooth radio. And at the end is the power plug. The little grill in the middle seems to be a ventilation grill. I don't hear another sound coming from it so it couldn't be another speaker grill
On the left you find the earphone plug and yet another ventilation grill. The rear of the device is completely devoid of anything except for a larger ventilation grill.
Some of you might have noticed that I haven't mentioned the battery yet even though I've covered most of the angles. That's because the whole BOTTOM of the UH900 IS the battery. Removing the battery practically reveals the guts of the machine.
Definitely the first time I saw a notebook's fan without opening it up. And for those of you celebrating the sight of a SIM Card slot... well that's the problem, it seems like it's JUST the SIM Card slot, I don't see any radio in the device manager... hmmmm... maybe it's hidden in the BIOS setting. Give me 5 minutes... Nope no setting to enable a GSM 3G modem in the BIOS although I did find something interesting, first of all there's a setting to set the touch screen to Tablet or Touch Panel mode. And secondly was an option to enable Virtualization Technology? Does the Atom Z530 support hardware virtualization?
The battery while having a wide footprint is only about half an inch thick.. And because of the small size it's battery capacity is 7.2V at 1800mAh. For those of you who don't understand battery specs, let me give it to you in plain english. IT's a SMALL BATTERY!
Open up the UH900 and you'll find the 5.6" screen sitting in between an EXTREMLY thick bezel. This thick bezel will probably get criticized a lot, but come on people! It's THIN enough already, some components had to go somewhere! Besides, with the wider footprint means you get a keyboard with more keys. And because I know some people are into this, here's a nice big closeup of the keyboard.
The keyboard is sufficient enough for me, but then again my hands are small and I've also cut my teeth on the U1010 already so I guess if I can live with that I can live with this.
The trackpoint of the previous Fujitsu U series convertible Tablets makes a come back sitting in the top right corner of the keyboard, on the top left are the mouse buttons. For those of you who are dismissing the weird placement of the trackpoint and buttons, realize that this is so that you can hold this thing like a book in your hands and still work the mouse. And with a weight of less than 500grams you'll be carrying this around a lot.
The power button is in the middle.
At this point when I was unpacking the device I was happily in love, with the sleek exterior (yes... glossy=fingerprint magnet), lightweight feel (though the UH900 is so light and thin around the silver trim area, it creaks a bit when you apply pressure), the nice wider keyboard, then I pressed the power button.
That's when IT greeted me. The screen came alive and I was greeted with the familiar Fujitsu logo BIOS bootup screen, only thing that wasn't familiar was this faint YELLOW tint. At first I freaked out because I thought there was something wrong with the screen, but then I remember what I read from the UH900's feature page. The UH900 is said to be SUNLIGHT READABLE, and true enough when I took it out in the sun the screen is visible with even at 30% brightness. Anyone who's used notebooks outdoors will tell you that you need a BRIGHT screen to fight the brightness of the sun, but the UH900 has the BEST SUNLIGHT READABLE SCREEN I'VE EVER SEEN. (Will snap a pic of this later)
But making the screen sunlight readable must have came at the price of getting a yellow tint on the display, this is most likely caused by the fact that the screen is being lit differently than the traditional backlighting that makes it sunlight readable. I would probably thought that my screen was defective and I should return it to the shop but check out what wallpaper Fujitsu used as default.
The overall yellowish tinge of the background wallpaper almost hides the tint of the screen, it's as if someone decided to use this wallpaper as default to hide the fact that the screen doesn't appear fully white. (Note, I've tried and I tried and I tried, but I was unable to get a picture that shows the tint of the screen, maybe a video might work better later)
EDIT : After using the UH900 for a while more I noticed that the screen seems to need to a 'warm up' cycle. The longer and brighter the screen is on the faster it'll 'warm up' It seems to be the easiest to see the effect by running the screen at MAXIMUM brightness for about 10~20 minutes? Once it has warmed up the backlighting seems to be more balance, while the yellow tint is not visible anymore the screen does look a bit dull... but at least doesn't look like it's looking through a sepia filter.
Slightly disappointed by the screen quality, but luckily my profession doesn't require me to have perfect white balance on my screen. I continued to play with my new toy. Did I mention that the Fujitsu UH900 has a MULTI TOUCH Touchscreen? This is confirmed by a quick look at the computer properties under Windows 7.
And this I thought to myself, THIS IS WHY I SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH FUJITSU, cause they've had experience building tablet PCs, and they've been putting the RIGHT drivers in them (Shame on you ViliV!)
The touch screen works as nice as the one in the U1010, people would probably want to ask right now is it a hard touch or a soft touch screen. I don't know how to answer that since no one actually pointed out to me what is a hard touch and what is a soft touch before. I can tell you that it responds pretty nicely when I tap it with my fingernail.
That's right.. my fingerNAIL, those of you familiar with touchscreens knows what that means. The UH900 is not using a capacitive touch screen, it's using a resistive one. So it's a multi touch resistive touchscreen. Those of you hoping for a nice glass top on the UH900 can start groaning now. Personally I haven't found much difference between the 2, but then again I've been using touchscreens for a while now so I pretty much know how to get the best use out of it.
So I started testing it out and I noticed the first problem with the screen, it has a sort of sensitivity void around the top and bottom edges. Let me illustrate with a picture.
Basically it's VERY VERY VERY hard to touch the center top and bottom edges, I've tried recalibrating the heck out of the touchscreen just to be sure it wasn't me but... no dice. it's REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to touch those 2 areas. Fujitsu DROPPED THE BALL ON THE UH900'S TOUCH SCREEN! I couldn't believe it, and it really hurts me to type the last sentence. And then there's another problem that I encountered. It's regarding the 2 columns of touch buttons on either side of the screen bezel.
They just don't want to work for me! I tried pressing the square, pressing the icon, but nothing happens! Pressing the square works as if I tapped the extreme left corner of the screen but that's it.. nothing happens. I've checked the Fujitsu program for configuring the buttons but they're all setup properly! I just couldn't believe how Fujitsu could ship drivers that didn't work properly!
EDIT : Hey I fixed this! After I published this I remembered that Fujitsu has it's OWN tablet calibration software, so I had to go into the Control Panel, View by Small Icons, then find the Tablet Calibration item. Remember we're looking for the Fujitsu one, not Windows one. Perform calibration using Fujitsu's program, then go to Windows own Tablet PC Settings control panel applet, RESET calibration data first, THEN Calibrate again. Now I can hit the side buttons as well as the screen edges better. Still pissed that Fujitsu didn't tie the calibration in properly though.
And on another note, which I think is related to the sunlight readable screen again. If you look at the screen at a proper angle, you can see the grid wires that make up the touchscreen.
Some additional notes about the touchscreen for those of you who are interested. You cannot open up the screen to be fully flat on the table, so if you choose to write with the included stylus strap (there's no stylus silo in the device) or any other stylus (I'm planning to nab a nice DS stylus myself) you'll have to support the screen with one hand, it's not too hard since the screen is small and light. There doesn't seem to be any sort of palm rejection, not even the type that was present on the U1010 which ignored large pressure areas.
I can't really answer performance and battery life questions yet but from first impressions. Yes, the battery does seem like it'll only give you about 2 hours of active time, the only advantage here is that because the screen works well in sunlight, there are situations where you can actually turn down the brightness more than a normal notebook. On that note... do that many people use notebooks in the sun to make it a feature? Here in Malaysia doing so would mean you're basically frying yourself under the sun.
Performance wise, the 1.6Ghz Atom processor coupled with the 2GB of RAM helps to give it that extra kick when using the system. Also helps that the UH900 ships with a 64GB SSD drive. (drive performance index under Windows 7 is 5.9) The UH900 is using the GMA500 for graphics display so while it doesn't do miracles for games playing a 720P H.264 encoded video using Windows Media Player is PERFECTLY POSSIBLE due to the fact that it knows how to access the GMA500 for hardware decoding of the video stream. 1080P... not so possible.
And that's it for my initial impressions, just let me know if you'd like to ask me any more questions about the device. But first let me answer that nagging "Should I get one?" question.
NO WAY IN HELL! I'm serious disappointed at Fujitsu about this, I can live with the yellow tint on the screen, I can deal with the relatively short battery life (compared to the S5) but what I just can't figure out is why the heck does the touchscreen has that sensitivity problem on the screen edges. This is Fujitsu we're talking about here, the company that has been making Windows Tablet PCs since the VERY BEGINNING. I TRUSTED THEM to give me a great touch screen experience, I trusted them so much I bought the UH900 WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS EXPRIENCE WITH IT (yes, I'm a stupid consumer, should have done more research, bla bla bla)
If I could return it, I WOULD! Then I'll go get myself the U2020 or maybe even just a new battery for my U1010. Ok, hope you've enjoyed my little short story about the Fujitsu UH900. ;)
EDIT : So... now that I've sorted out both the touchscreen and yellow tint issues of the UH900 I'd change my recommendation from No Way In Hell to You can buy it if you feel like it. Try it out, if you like the form factor and are comfortable with the price. Go ahead. Just be aware of how to recalibrate the screen and how the screen color changes while in use.
And here I go again… a bit earlier than I expected.
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Brits may be famed for their dodgy grills, but that hasn't stopped the nation's sweethearts from dominating a poll to decide the best smiles.
Future queen Kate Middleton came out on top of Listerine Advanced Defence Gum Treatment's vote, and six English ladies feature in the most contagious top 10 ever.
Listerine's top 10
Kate Middleton
There's no doubting that the contents of your wallet will look better if Kate ever makes it onto currency next to Wills.
Cheryl Cole
With high cheekbones, a slender chin and a wide smile, Chezza has the face of an angel.
Kelly Brook
North Kent's finest Kelly has such a sweet smile, you'd never want to make her sad.
Queen Bey's irreplaceable smile makes us crazy in love. See what we did there?
Lily Allen
In some ways it's a shame that seeing you cry makes Lily smile (her words, not ours), but with that heart-melting cheeky grin...
Pippa Middleton
It's in the genes, evidently.
Miley Cyrus
Presumably people voted for Miley's smile with her tongue safely in her mouth...
She's no stranger to controversy, but when she smiles she shines bright like a diamond.
Victoria Beckham
Odd one this. Has anyone ever seen Posh smile?
Michelle Rodriguez
We don't mind the film star Fast but she's looks much better when she's not Furious.
Who do you think has the best smile? Tell us in the comments below...

subset: commoncrawl


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I get asked often how I can stay in the crazy business of trying to change and shape public policy. How can I continue to slog it out day after day in a city that is wired not to change, with lawmakers who are doing everything they can to prevent change, in an environment that is more bitter and more partisan than it has ever been in recent memory? How do I do it?
I focus on the faces of the people who stand to gain or lose by the passage of a piece of legislation. For example, health care. Whenever I would get discouraged and really want to give up trying to get health-care passed, I would think about Isaiah. So when the final vote was taken on health care last night at 9 p.m., I thought about Isaiah. This one was for him.
You know, I've never met Isaiah, but I have been praying for him since the day he was born. He was born on my birthday in 2008. (So, of course, he is a wonderful child!) He was born with more health problems than anyone deserves to face in their lifetime, and has spent an inordinate amount of time in hospitals, being poked and prodded, with his doctors working innumerable hours to try and diagnose why he is sick. And I can't imagine how many millions of dollars this has cost.
At one point last October, those of us who have been following Isaiah on his Caring Bridge journal learned that his health insurance had been canceled. That was the day that this health-care reform fight became personal for me. It was no longer about the 32 million people who didn't have health insurance, it was about Isaiah and his family. It wasn't about the nameless, faceless many; it became about the known few.
So last night, I cried. I cried because I know that this bill will ensure that Isaiah and his family will not be excluded from health-care coverage because he just happened to be born sick. God is good. And I pray that Isaiah will live a long full life, so that God's will for him might be accomplished.
So in my mind, this one is for you, Isaiah. In my own way, I like to think that God gave me the opportunity to "give feet to my prayers" and do something to make this happen. So next year on our birthday and every birthday that we celebrate moving forward, I will think of you, and I will think of this moment, and I will pray that you are becoming all that God has created you to be.
Rev. Jennifer Kottler is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Sojourners. A long-time advocate for justice, Jennifer has served in advocacy ministry for more than seven years through her work at Protestants for the Common Good (Chicago IL), the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign, and the Chicago Jobs Council.
Have Something to Say?
"This One's for Isaiah"


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Reed Mark Anderson 1989 ~ 2011
Reed Mark Anderson, beloved husband, son, brother, and friend to all passed away from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Bluffdale, Utah on March 29, 2011 to continue his eternal mission. Reed was born on November 18, 1989 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mark and Annette Anderson. He married Jennifer Tonioli on August 17, 2010 in the Salt Lake Temple. Reed served a faithful and honorable mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rochester, New York until serious health complications required him to return home. He finished his mission in the Utah, Salt Lake City South Mission where he was an inspiration to many. Reed's life was a life of service, and while his body suffered greatly from a brain tumor and chronic pain, he was always there to help someone in need. In a quiet and unassuming way, Reed found opportunities to bless the lives of everyone around him. Those who knew Reed loved him. During his senior year at Riverton High School, Reed was awarded the "Spirit of the Silverwolf" Award which recognized his outstanding service to others. Reed was an Eagle Scout and earned his Duty to God Award. One of his greatest joys was in constructing a pavilion for his Eagle Project at the Bluffdale City Cemetery. He mapped out and recorded each person buried there, as well as researching and posting pictures of each interred war veteran. Reed seldom took no for an answer, and finished the SLC Marathon in 2008 after serious brain and knee surgeries, when others said it could not be done. Reed loved his Savior, Jesus Christ, and was a true disciple of Him. Reed is survived by his wife, Jennifer; parents, Mark and Annette Anderson; sisters, Suzy and Melissa; and brother, Tommy. He is also survived by grandparents, LaRee Anderson, and George and Jeniel Apostol. He was preceded in death by grandfather, and namesake, Reed W. Anderson. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 4th at 12:00 noon at the Bluffdale LDS Stake Center, 14400 South 2700 West, with a viewing Sunday evening at the Bluffdale Stake Center from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. at the church on Monday, prior to the service. The Anderson family wishes to share their gratitude to all those who have been a great support to Reed throughout his life. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the L.D.S. Church Missionary Fund, or Primary Children's Medical Center in Reed's name. Interment, Bluffdale City Cemetery. www.goffmortuary.com


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Mourinho: We were 'tired' and 'horrible'
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has labelled his side's performance in Saturday's 1-0 loss to Granada as "horrible", insisting it is unacceptable for fatigue to be an issue for professional players.
• La Liga: Saturday wrap
• Blog: Real's woes continue
A 22nd minute Cristiano Ronaldo own goal was enough to seal the upset win for the hosts, heaping further misery on Real's dismal season in La Liga.
Mourinho's side slumped to their fifth defeat of the campaign and are no certainty of finishing in third-place with Malaga just eight points behind and two games in hand.
Karim Benzema had a clear-cut chance to equalise for Real just six minutes from time but his failure to hit the net and a tired performance from the Spanish champions led Mourinho to condemn the determination of Los Blancos.
"I think the result is fair. There have been too many defeats," he said. "Granada did their job, they scored their goal. They defended in the second half with all of their heart and soul. They have a new coach, new players and had a great night of football here with Real Madrid in front of them. They did everything that they could to get this result. We should have scored a goal but because of the great effort that Granada made, I think that the three points have gone to the team that deserved them.
"The negative result is always the most important. We didn't even manage a draw. That is what bothers me about the result, but the team's first half performance bothers me a lot, it was horrible. In the second half we dominated and we had a chance to equalise but it was not enough to satisfy me."
A fiery Mourinho took a jibe at reporters who questioned his tactical nous, although he ultimately accepted the blame for Real's loss.
"The buck stops with me. You lot always say that same thing," he said. "When we win and we play well then it happens on its own but when we don't it is the coach's responsibility. Today we lost and did not play well. Today it didn't happen on its own, today I'm the one responsible".
Although quick to avoid making excuses for the defeat, Mourinho suggested a four-day turnaround from Wednesday's Copa del Rey clash with Barcelona was insufficient.
"There is one thing that has been clear for a long time and that is that there are teams that do not have any control over their schedules and the planning of the matches," he said. "Wednesday was an important match and tremendous physical effort for both teams but one plays today and the other tomorrow.
"But this team had to respond in a different manner. Some of the players who played today played on Wednesday and others didn't. There are some of them who were tired because [they] worked hard on Wednesday and there are others that I do not know why they were tired because they were on the bench or in the stands."
While few believed Granada would be a push over for Real, incumbent boss Lucas Alcaraz, who replaced Juan Antonio Anquela earlier in the week, said he had faith in his players and was unsurprised by the scalp.
"I was the one who had said this week that we could win, so I was surprised less than others with the result," he said. "I have not made history, but it was a day of celebration for Granada.
"Maybe we did not see lots of the ball, but the attitude and solidarity of the players deserves credit. These games demand that you give almost all of your physical strength and attention, but we cannot delude our fans and their expectations [shouldn't rise]."
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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Face and Jaw Surgery
Removal of hardware
I broke my jaw in 3 places in a car accident, my jaw was wired shut for 4 weeks. The doc. says the hardware can be removed in a week or two, I heard from one patient that there is a serious of 17 shots involved in the mouth area during this procedure or I can opt for sedation at $305.00 up front on the day of removal. Not only does the hardware need to be removed but I bit my tongue in half during the accident and there is now a skin tag that needs to be removed off my tongue, yet another shot. I really can`t afford the sedation because I need to save my money for the teeth that were also knocked out during the accident, there is minimum insurance coverage and it looks like alot the money for this will be coming out of my pocket. What I would very much like to know is, how bad will the shots hurt if I can not take the sedation? I hate needles and am scared of the thought of even 1 needle but as I said the money is needed elsewhere. Will I feel every shot or maybe just a couple? Please help and thank you for your time.
You really don't need 17 or 20 shots to get your mouth anesthetized for this procedure. Typically 6 to 8 injections is all it takes. Yes, they are a little uncomfortable, but most people tolerate this well. The other option would be to do topical anesthesia with a spray, which eliminates the need for injections, but the anesthetic effect is not as profound.
I hope this helps.
Guillermo E Chacon, DDS
Associate Professor of Dentistry
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University


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That header image is probably close to life-size
Toro Toys has a little ghostly fellow they've released: meet chiBOO, spirits from a world beyond ours who are quite happy to meet you, and not for nefarious/evil reasons! The little guys are only 1-inch-tall and cast in solid white resin, as they're intended to be DIY pieces you can customize as you see fit. I'm used to seeing larger-scale DIY figures, but a small, inexpensive one? I could get behind that.
For the individual chiBOOs, you can pick them up right now in Toro Toys' shop for US$5. There's also a 5-pack available for US$25. One inch is pretty small, but a US$5? I can see it here a bit, if customizing is your thing.
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Special Section Archives The Altamont Enterprise, August 11, 2011
New at this year's fair Performing Bears and a Two-By-Two Zoo…
By Zach Simeone
ALTAMONT With the arrival of bears, birds of prey, disc-catching canines, and a million-dollar pendulum ride, all is fair in the village.
Whether it's a rollercoaster, a lesson in wildlife, or a fresh blooming onion you seek, it can be found at this year's Altamont Fair, Aug. 16 through 21 at the Altamont Fairgrounds.
The board of directors got an early start putting together this year's fair. Members got the ball rolling in October; by January, all the entertainment was booked, according to Marie McMillen, operations manager for the fair. Then, they moved on to what vendors they would be bringing in this year, lining up the latest set of occupants for the little brown huts that typically dole out fresh cider doughnuts, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, and a myriad of other meal options.
Reithoffer Shows has been setting up the rides since last Wednesday, but water testing, and electrical testing and upgrades, have been ongoing for the last month, McMillen said. She declined to reveal the total cost of setting up the fair.
"The bears are coming in from the state of Washington, so they're making their way here, and they'll be here Sunday," McMillen said, referring to The Hall's Bear Mountain Wildlife Show, which will bring the hulking mammals out of the forest and into the village for all to see. The bears, a new act for the fair, will entertain at the grandstand this year.
"Some of the large animals like to come here and get settled before everything starts," McMillen said.
What begins as a 12-person operation eventually grows into a 200-volunteer machine, and McMillen and the rest of the fair's workers have spent the last nine months getting ready to welcome "well over 100" attractions, including 33 rides, McMillen said. Last year, the fair brought in 10,000 to 12,000 more people than the previous year's 29,000, and organizers hope for even more this year.
Live, learn, and ride
New attractions at this year's fair include the $1 million, Italian-born ride called "The Stinger." (See related story.)
"There are only 11 of these rides total in the world, 10 of them in Europe, and one in the United States, and that's the one that's here," said McMillen of The Stinger.
A new set of pigs will race to entertain, only this time, they're not running. They're swimming.
Lawrence Frederick's Disc-Connected Canines are dogs that have been rescued from shelters and trained to be champion Frisbee catchers, performing an array of tricks, and gravity-defying dives, all choreographed to music.
"These are internationally acclaimed Frisbee dogs," McMillen said. "Over the past 19 years, he's been in France, Chile, Venezuela, Canada, Japan," she said of Frederick; he and his dogs have even been on David letterman's Late Show.
"Another thing that's new this year is the Raptor Project, which is an educational display of eagles, hawks birds of prey," said McMillen. Of their handler, Jonathan Wood, she went on, "He'll bring them out, and people can get up close to them; they obviously can't handle them. He'll explain their habitat and explain all things about them. He wears leather gloves and has them on a chain that goes from their leg to his hand, so they're not going anywhere. A lot of them have been rehabbed, as a project. These are birds that have been injured and, maybe, can't fly properly; they've been picked up along the road, or have been sick; for whatever reason, they can't be turned back to the wild. So, he's brought them into an educational format."
Also joining the fair this year will be the Two-By-Two Zoo, showcasing pairs of various wild species, including two Asian spotted black leopards, Samson and Delilah; a couple of alligators named Andy and Gully; and a variety of others, including, lemurs, capuchin monkeys, kangaroos, and tortoises.
"Three or four times a day, they will have educational presentations where animals will be brought out of their cages," said McMillen of the zoo.
Both the auto museum and farm-machinery building will have a number of new participants as well, one of which, McMillen said, is of particularly important historical value: the green bone crusher.
"It was an old antique that was used by early farms to harden the eggshells by grinding up bones in this thing and feeding them to the chickens," McMillen said. "Evidently, when they first started packaging and sending eggs off the farms, they found that the eggs were too soft, and they couldn't move them. So, they came upon crushing up old animal bones and feeding the powder to the chickens, which gave them the calcium they needed, and it hardened their eggshells."
Also on display will be a motorcycle that was built by the famed Orange County Choppers, exclusively for Howe's Caverns.
And, fair-going children will have a chance to participate in this year's fair with the Amazing Kids Circus.
"The children create the circus," McMillen said, "and each one of these children gets dressed up as a particular animal or participant. They all have their little parts where the ringmaster cues them to do their thing. It's like an orchestrated circus using children to play out the show."
And just about all of the bands performing at the fair this year differ from years past, she said.
It's always a challenge, said McMillen, "Making sure all the loose ends are tied up, that the tents get inspected, and the permits get purchased, and applications get filed, and making sure everyone has their paperwork in order." But the board of directors' decision to move its annual meeting from January up to October allowed McMillen and her team to get an early start, which made planning the fair easier this year than ever before, McMillen said.
"I think it's a hidden treasure, and we always strive to expose our fair to more people who haven't thought about coming," she concluded. "We've got a lot of great things, and a lot of educational things for children. It's a real fun day."
Tickets for the Altamont Fair are available for $14 online at www.AltamontFair.com, and for $15 at the gate, and at any area Price Chopper. Each ticket purchased means unlimited rides for one person.
On Wednesday, Aug. 17, senior citizens ages 65 and older get in free until 4 p.m.
Children three feet tall and shorter get in free, but cannot ride unless the ride company permits the child to sit with the parent on the ride, or unless they wish to board a kids' ride.


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What a disappointment to learn Congressmen Jack Kingston and John Barrow have signed on to co-sponsor HR 1639, a bill that is so eloquently entitled, the "Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act."
Yet, neither of these gentlemen have signed on to HR 1394, the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act.
HR 1639 is a bill that exempts many cigars from FDA regulation. Just under three years ago, Congress passed the historic and bipartisan Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which for the first time gave the FDA the authority to regulate the manufacture, sale and marketing of all tobacco products.
Congress acted because there are profound health consequences that result from the use of tobacco products, consequences that far too often are fatal. Cigar smoking causes a variety of cancers and increases the risk of heart disease and other diseases.
In contrast, HR 1394 is a bi-partisan bill that seeks to implement a comprehensive program to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2020 by bringing together various agencies of government to work together in pursuit of that goal.
Sadly, Congressman Kingston says he doesn't like to pick and chose types of cancer diseases to help fight. Congressman Barrow's sponsorship is perplexing, as he had originally said he would not support this legislation.
Kingston should support Alzheimer's funding
The National Alzheimer's Project Act was passed on a unanimous, bipartisan basis. To implement the National Alzheimer's Plan, members of Congress need to continue the same collaborative approach and commit the necessary resources to NAPA.
An estimated 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's and more than 15 million friends and family are providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer's and dementia.
During my tenure as the director of the Coastal Georgia Community Care Services Care Coordination Unit, I frequently spoke to families living with Alzheimer's. Programs are available for assistance, but the waiting lists are long and private pay care is prohibitive for many.
I also watched as this disease took my mother's memory, her ability to comprehend her surroundings and her ability to participate in her own care.
Alzheimer's is emotionally, physically and financially devastating to families from every walk of life. The number of people living with Alzheimer's continues to escalate.
The budget request is for $100 million in new resources to fight Alzheimer's disease, and I strongly urge U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, a House Appropriations Committee member, to support the Alzheimer's funding in the FY 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill.
Alzheimer's Association
Coastal Georgia Regional Board of Directors
Goggins' positive spin lifts the spirits
I echo the sentiments expressed by Chuck Powell in his letter to the editor on June 13.
Ben Goggins' columns are always a pleasure to read. His anecdotes and stories on local events and the locally famous are indeed welcome antidotes to the more numerous news and headlines about problems in the world.
We need more of the positive approaches to life like Mr. Goggins. It keeps us in better spirits.
College's financial aid policies unfair
Classes began May 21 at Armstrong Atlantic State University and some students, veterans and non-veterans got stuck taking intersession courses.
Given that fact, along with the Office of Financial Aid policies, the funds that students need to survive on are being held until July 14, when the final intersession course has been verified as the student attending. Actually, they do this to all students. A few days are used to verify semester attendance, then 10 more days claimed as processing time.
Clearly, the students, veterans and non-veterans are accruing an interest debt on funds not secure, while AASU is accruing interest to their already fat coffers. Shame on my alma mater, as well as other colleges and universities if they partake in these policy-for-profit methods.
I do understand that financial funds are held until the school is paid in full, which is very understandable. However, if the Veterans' Administration, etc., paid students' tuitions in full, how can an institution hold the huge balances of financial aid, subsidized and unsubsidized loans?
More importantly, why does AASU and perhaps other colleges and universities interfere with a (private) contract between a student and bank (i.e., verifying class attendance)? Ah, but they don't. They have devised a way to profit more off of their students.
Finally, does AASU and perhaps other colleges and universities need to take their own ethics courses?
Senate should deep six 'law of the sea treaty'
In response to the June 10 column from John Warner, "America and the sea," Mr. Warner's attempt to sway public opinion to support the "law of the sea" treaty is misleading and intentionally excludes very important facts.
First, the U.S. now does not need United Nations approval to move warships in a time of interest. Second, a permanent seat at a U.N. commission would only give the U.S. a one in 260 veto of any resolution, including 600 miles off our own coast that would now sit in the hands of nations like Iran, China and Russia.
At the moment, the U.S. has full oil and mining royalties 200 miles off our coast. Abiding by this treaty, the U.S. will give up all rights up to 600 miles off our coast under a regulatory authority and half of all mining royalties, which would be subject to a committee's control.
In any claim of "environmental" violations, like the "cold water standards," the U.S. could be fined through carbon taxes. The Senate can exempt aspects of the treaty, but it still empowers an international community to impose new laws or regulations.
The treaty will be brought up for a vote in the next few weeks. Everyone should contact Georgia's senators, Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, and demand that they vote against it.
Richmond Hill


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Garrell Gene Willis
"Garrell Gene Willis, age 73, of Kagley Road in Greenup, Ky., passed away Monday, June 19, 2006, in Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital." "Mr. Willis was born Aug. 13, 1932, in Carter County, Ky., a son of the late Clyde and Oma Willis of Grayson." Complete text of this obituary is on the Obituaries page of this site.
Submitted by: Linda Cheeks Pittano


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Unlike most other blog events, Food-o-grafie is not only about delicious recipes or beautiful pictures but also a networking event for the exchange of ideas and experience about food photography. For the inaugural event, Zora has requested that we post about the cameras that we use for our food photographs. I have written a post of some tips for food photography, and a few lines in my About page, but have otherwise not said very much about the camera equipment that I use. So here's the run-down on the cameras responsible for the photos you see on Soy and Pepper.
The older photos (prior to February 2008) were taken with a point-and-shoot Canon Powershot A75. I have been a long-time fan of Canon cameras and loved the quality of their lenses since the days of film photography. Although their Powershot series is bulkier compared to the slim and sexy Ixus range, you get much better control of the mechanics and settings with a Powershot. The macro settings have served me well for food photography and it has pretty good colour representation, focus and White Balance treatment. A good all-rounder. Here are some photos taken with the old Canon Powershot A75.
Unfortunately, my trusty Powershot died earlier this year in April 2008. It was damaged while I was on a trip to Boston. I contemplated getting a slimmer camera for convenience, since I have bought a DSLR by then, but eventually decided that the limited user control with a smaller but simpler point-and-shoot would annoy me too much and I went with another Canon Powershot, an A720 IS. I often carry this with me particularly to restaurants where whipping out a larger DLSR camera might seem too intrusive or conspicuous. Again, I am pleased with the results. Very simple to use, intuitive menu controls and the quality images that I have gotten used to with Canon lenses. Given the very dim lighting in most restaurants, I have been quite impressed with the light sensitivity of this camera. Another plus with the Powershot range is that they tend to be on the cheap side, compared to the ultra-slim range. So if function is more important than looks in your books, I would definitely recommend a Powershot (or the higher end ones like the Powershot S5 IS, which I very nearly bought while debating whether to buy a DSLR)
Earlier this year, in February 2008, I gave in to a beginner's digital SLR, the Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi in North America). The camera came with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. With a DSLR, it is true that the quality of the lens is more important than the body. With the EOS 400D being so affordable, the advice has been to forgo the kit lens (which is good value at that price, but not really a great performer) and pay a bit more for a much better lens instead. However, with no prior knowledge of using an SLR, and having very limited knowledge of a DSLR camera, I had no idea in the slightest what lens I would want to buy and so I took the 'easy' option of just buying the kit lens to start off with and learn about the camera as I go along. I figured that I could then make a more informed decision as to what type of lenses I would need for the photography that I am interested in. That worked for me, as I did figure out that lenses I want, but I do sort of regret buying the kit lens now as I have become increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of images. It is supposed to be an all round lens (arguably good for a beginner) but ended up being mediocre in all aspects and doing nothing very well (landscape, telephoto or macro).
After a few months, I was encouraged to buy a prime lens (non-zoom) that offers much better quality for the price compared to zoom lens. In a perfect world, I would have bought a dedicated macro lens but budget dictated that I go for a Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II. It is one of the best lens for the price and have produced beautifully sharp close-ups and very lovely portrait shots as well. A very 'bright' lens at f/1.8, it also performs very well in low light. The downside is that it feels rather plastic (not very study feel) but one can't complain very much with the price tag. I would highly recommend this lens for those looking to get more money for their buck in close-up shots but not wanting/able to fork out for a dedicated macro lens.
I hope this has given you some ideas about camera options for food photography. Zorra has requested that we post a photo taken in September 2008. Here is one that I like for its clean colours and the curves of the shitake caps highlighted by the more elaborate whirls of the bowl pattern:
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Food-o-graphie event: My cameras for food photography
11 comments:
- VeggieGirl said...
FABULOUS photographs!!!!!
- 22 October 2008 at 17:59
- didally said...
Very nice composition.
I'm also a canon user until my canon A80 died on me last year. I got myself a fuji compact with some manual functions. I still like my A80's LCD flip screen, I miss it so much.
- 22 October 2008 at 19:59
- noobcook said...
I've always enjoyed your food photos ^_^ I think we are using the same lens (50mm) but I'm using the nikon equivalent :)
- 22 October 2008 at 21:50
- Nate-n-Annie said...
I had an A75, then moved to an A710IS, then now I have Jaden's old 350D with the 18-55 kit lens. It's worlds better than the PowerShots, but I am growing increasingly dissatisfied with the lens. Gotta save up for that f/1.8!
- 23 October 2008 at 15:36
- Nilmandra said...
Veggiegirl: Thanks!
Didally: Yeah, I was quite tempted by the flip screen of the Canon Powershot S5 IS. I like your photos, the Fuji seems to have worked out well for you.
Noobcook: Most people seems to be divided between a Canon camp and a Nikon camp ;) You take lovely photos!
Nate n Annie: It's true, the beginner's grade DSLR are so much better than the Powershots, even with kit lens. But you would probably like to try a prime lens like the one I have (it's cheap too). Prime lenses require you to think about the composition a bit more since you have to move around instead of relying on zoom. But less moving parts usually mean better quality lens at lower price since there is less mechanism to deal with.
- 27 October 2008 at 19:58
- Mrs Ergül said...
This is a lovely and informative post! Thanks! I've picked up new tips!
- 1 November 2008 at 01:28
- Nilmandra said...
Mrs Ergul: Glad you found it useful!
- 2 November 2008 at 16:47
- zorra said...
Very informative post and wonderful pics. Regarding the lenses, we will talk again on a future food-o-grafie. ;-)
Thank you for your participation in the 1st food-o-grafie event.
- 8 November 2008 at 02:26
- Jenna said...
I like how you demonstrate that a person doesn't have to have a DSLR to take fabulous pictures! I'm ready to move up to a DSLR but we can't afford it yet. I'll keep practicing with my little canon g9 until then!
- 19 November 2008 at 08:58
- exhausted said...
The images are really great, can't believe you made these with a Canon Powershot A75! - I have a cannon and mine don't look anything like yours! :(
Do you use lighting and how?
Mine always turn out terrible ;(
Would love to know what are you looking for in a good "shot"
- 14 October 2009 at 23:57
- Nilmandra said...
Exhausted: Thanks for the compliment :) The only lighting that I use are what I have available in the kitchen or dining room (usually crappy flourescent or tungsten lightbulbs). A lightbox would be ideal but I don't have the space or budget for it.
On bright days (and in late-spring and summer) daylight is always best. Always take your photos in a bright location with sunlight coming in through the windows if you can. Otherwise have adequate artificial lighting (not too close to the food) and compensate for the White Balance by adjusting the settings on your camera and also through post-processing on the ocmputer later. I wrote a bit more on this in this other post on Tips for Food Photography.
- 20 October 2009 at 16:04


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ICDL GCC Foundation, an organization under the authority of ICDL Arabia that promotes digital skills and cyber safety across the region, has shared the recent findings of the United Nations (UN) e-Government Survey 2014, pointing out the excellent performance of the GCC countries.
Bahrain jumped 18 places to earn the 18th rank, while the UAE enjoyed a global ranking of 32. Other GCC countries also figured prominently in the survey with Saudi Arabia at 36, Qatar at 44 and Oman and Kuwait at 48 and 49, respectively. The UN e-Government Survey is conducted every two years to analyze the progress made by the countries in all regions of the world in digital interactions between governments and people to implement an integrated e-Government platform. This year's report focuses on the significant investment made by countries in the information and communication technologies (ICT) for a smooth transition to online public services by enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, accountability, and sustainability.
Jamil Ezzo, Director General of ICDL Arabia and ICDL GCC Foundation, said: "The tremendous rise in the ranking of the GCC countries in their position from the 2012 survey depicts their e-Readiness, which indicates their preparedness to offer its citizens, residents and visitors with seamless, efficient and effective e-Services. The GCC countries ranking among top ten in Western Asia driven largely by the proactive initiatives taken by their respective governments to implement online services as an economic tool to support the knowledge economy.
Bahrain ranked first among the GCC countries, while it is 5th in Asia. Bahrain's progress is attributed to the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology (SCICT) and the e-Government Authority, established to develop and implement a comprehensive e-Government strategy. Driven by a highly advanced e-Government portal, the UAE ranks number two in the GCC and seven in Asia. The results of the 2014 survey also show that Bahrain ranks 7th on the Online Service Index, followed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia at the 12th and 18th position, respectively. Moreover, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait are the Arab countries with a score higher than 66.6 per cent in the whole of government.
Likewise, the report also stated that the GCC countries have established a GCC e-Government committee and organized the GCC e-Government Conference with an aim to provide a platform to the regional leaders to discuss in depth all aspects of the e-Governance programs implemented in their respective countries. The conference also enables them to share their best practices with other GCC countries in order to enhance their respective e-Transformation processes.
The GCC countries have adopted a common goal to enhance their e-Services that will allow them to increase the productivity and efficiency of government and improve their global e-Government ranking.
About ICDL:
The International Computer Driving License (ICDL) is a global computer literacy initiative developed to provide knowledge about Information Technology (IT) and enhance competence of using personal computers and common computer applications for all the citizens of the world. The ICDL GCC Foundation is the sole body to implement and disseminate the program across the GCC States and Iraq with the support of leading educational institutions and accredited bodies. The Foundation mission is to enable proficient use of Information and Communications Technology that empowers individuals, organizations and society, through the development, promotion and delivery of quality certification programs around the world.
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© Press Release 2014


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|Page (1) of 1 - 03/15/12
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Heavy demand expected as iPad goes on sale FridaySales begin Friday for iPad with faster processor, better screen; heavy demand, lines expected
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Related Keywords:TEC-Apple-iPad, Tablet computers, Consumer electronics, Technology, Products and services, Corporate news, Business, Telecommunications, Industries, Mobile communications, Communication technology
Source:Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.. All Rights Reserved


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Creating First-Mover Advantages: The Case of Samsung Electronics
This paper analyzes the sources of first-mover advantages by examining the case of Samsung Electronics, a firm which has maintained and strengthened the technological leadership in the DRAM industry since 1992. The focus is on endogeneity of first-mover advantages under changing technological and competitive environments, part of which are also shaped by the technology leader. The paper also discusses general implications of this case study for strategy and organization for innovation.
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- Katz, Michael L & Shapiro, Carl, 1985. "Network Externalities, Competition, and Compatibility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(3), pages 424-440, June.
- Chris Freeman & Luc Soete, 1997. "The Economics of Industrial Innovation, 3rd Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 3, volume 1, number 0262061953, July.
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It's been 28 years since Palma had an athlete reach the state track and field finals.
Saturday there will be two Chieftains aiming at a medal.
Chase Pacheco and Devin Hinson both qualified during Friday's state trials at Buchanan High in Clovis, with Pacheco advancing in the long jump and Hinson breaking his own school record in the 300 intermediate hurdles.
Hinson, the Central Coast Section champion, broke the Chieftains' school record for the third time this year, clocking 37.96 in his heat.
He will go into Saturday's finals ranked seventh overall.
The last Palma athlete to reach the state finals was Greg Scattini in 1986 in the 1,600. The last Chieftain to place in the state meet was Dominic Fortino, who took sixth in the shot put in the 1985.
"It's crazy,'' Hinson said. "There are a bunch of emotions going through me right now. I finally did it. I broke 38 seconds.''
Hinson shot out of the blocks on a 90-plus degree temperature evening, finishing second in his heat.
"As soon as I came off the first 100 and saw what position I was in, I just said I might as well go for it,'' Hinson said.
Hinson, who was fourth at the time, blistered the final 200 meters and six hurdles.
"I had to trust my alternate leg on the second hurdle again,'' Hinson said. "It was a little shaky. But I didn't break stride. Now let's see if I can drop some more time and make it harder for the next guy to break the school record."
Pacheco, who came in with a career best of 23-6 1/2, sailed 22-feet-7 on his second jump of the evening to earn the 12th and final spot in the long jump.
The top nine in each running event and top 12 in the field events advance to Saturday's finals.
"I'm happy I made it, but it's frustrating being in the state finals and not setting a personal best,'' said Pacheco, who won the CCS long jump title last week.
If the pressure wasn't turning Pacheco's stomach enough before the meet, anxiety during warm-ups added to his queasiness.
Finding out during warm-ups that his approach of 128 feet was just five inches shorter than the runway left the Palma long jumper in a quandary.
"My walk up puts me off the runway,'' Pacheco said.
As a result, he scratched his first jump.
"At that point, you can't move back and I couldn't move up,'' Pacheco said. "So I slowed up my first phase and that got me on the board. At that point, it's 'What do I have to do to get in?'''
Pacheco will make adjustments today.
"Mentally, now I know. I can make the right adjustments on Saturday,'' Pacheco said. "I was so worried about the run up that I just hit the board and everything else was muscle memory."
Physically, the recent Palma graduate is looking for a personal best, something that hasn't occurred since he broke the Palma long jump record eight weeks ago at the Stanford Invitational
"I don't know if the pop was there on Friday,'' Pacheco said. "There's more pressure when you only have three jumps and you scratched your first. If my approach is good. I still believe 24 feet is within grasp.''
By his own admission, James Welsh had not been pushed like this in a race since breaking the Monterey school record in the 1,600-meter run more than a month ago.
"I'm not sure I was prepared for this,' Welsh said.
For two laps Welsh ran with the leaders in the 1,600.
"The first two laps were good,'' said Welsh, the Central Coast Section champion in the 1,600. "Then I started to fall apart on the third lap. I haven't had to push my body like that in a while.''
Welsh faded to 10th in his heat in 4:16.01, and did not advance to Saturday's finals.
"I'm disappointed,'' Welsh said. "That was terrible. I expected to run faster. That 4:15 I ran was a month ago."
Welsh will run Saturday in the 3,200.
"It's not an event I've focused on much this year,'' said Welsh, who was second in the CCS at 9:20.31. "I need to focus on it. I need to run a race that will leave me feeling better.''
One throw catapulted Mario Gonzalez into the state meet at last week's CCS finals.
One solid throw at the state trials would not be enough as the North Salinas senior finished 14th overall with a mark of 166-7. Gonzalez came into the meet with a career best of 168-7.
"It just wasn't happening in the discus,'' Gonzalez said. "When I got to my third throw, the pressure got to me. It was a great experience. I will never forget this. Not many people can say that they competed in state.''
Gonzalez, who had throws of over 170 feet in practice this week, slipped on his first attempt. On his second throw, he uncorked it 166-7, but did not improve on his final throw.
Gonzalez, who is the first North Salinas individual to qualify for the state meet since Ronnie Drummer in 2006, finished 15th in the shot put with a mark 51-1.
Palma's 400 relay team of Vianni Fratangelo, Pacheco, Hinson and Kasey Cory was seventh in their heat in 43.20, just off their school record effort of 42.53 at last week's Central Coast Section finals.
The Chieftains' Rhett Gonzalez finished 20th overall in the 110 high hurdles in 14.78 seconds. The senior had qualified for the state championships by finishing third at the CCS finals in 14.54.
John Devine can be reached at 646-4405.


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"Pascal Tufenkji" <ptufenkji(at)usj(dot)edu(dot)lb> writes: > Actually I'm using PostgreSQL 8.2.4 Well, in that case the answer to $SUBJECT is "Yes". Please update to something reasonably current --- at least 8.2.7, which contains the most recent fix for join planning logic according to a quick scan of the CVS logs. (8.2.11 is the most recent release in that branch.) If you can still reproduce the problem on 8.2.latest then it would be worth investigating further; but right at the moment I think it's a good bet that this is the same as one of the already-identified bugs in outer join planning. regards, tom lane
Next: From: Corey Horton Date: 2008-12-13 05:03:12 Subject: array_to_string(anyarray, text) that was working in 8.1 is not working in 8.3 Previous: From: Pascal Tufenkji Date: 2008-12-11 09:57:36 Subject: Re: Is there a bug in PostgreSQL ?


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Another busy weekend in the Triangle is upon us, and there are events for just about everyone! Here are our best bets for this weekend:
Clare's Run for a Reason, an annual 5K and 1 mile fun run to raise money for Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Program, is Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. The event is in honor of Clare Katherine Whitenack, a happy and thriving 19 month old who unexpectedly passed away in September 2009. Her family has never found out the cause of her death, but hope through the SUDC program that they will one day get answers.
The run starts at 8 a.m. and even if you don't race, there will be games for the children and a silent auction featuring items from the Canes, Durham Bulls, O2 Fitness, Bella Monica and more.
Let's go Canes! Hockey season might still be a few months away, but you can cheer on the Carolina Hurricanes during the NHL Draft during a party Friday night at Rudino's Sports Corner in Raleigh. The voice of the Canes, John Forslund, the Storm Squad, Ron the Ref and Stormy will be on hand for contests and giveaways. The party is from 7 to 10 p.m.
The 1980s are back, at least for one night. The North Carolina Symphony is presenting "Totally Awesome 80s" on Saturday at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. The show will feature the hits of the decade including "Thriller," "Livin' on a Prayer," "Every Breath You Take" and "Welcome to the Jungle."
The Tour de Fat is a costumed bike parade through Durham featuring local food, beer and entertainment. The parade starts at 10 a.m. from Diamond View Park at the American Tobacco Campus. The free event raises money for the North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance, a statewide advocacy organization promoting non-motorized transportation choices for residents and visitors to the state. Music will be provided by Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Sean Hayes, Yo-Yo People and Sssnakenstein.
And finally, rocker Alice Cooper will play the Raleigh Amphitheater on Friday night. Tickets start at $22 and are still available.
Look for our photos from these events and more this weekend on Out & About!


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Alexei Petrenko turned into a terrible
In the Concert hall named after P. I. Tchaikovsky evening was dedicated to the Year of film and the 125th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Prokofiev. Oratorio "Ivan the terrible" was accompanied by demonstration of fragments of the eponymous film by Sergei Eisenstein. To listen Prokofiev was not only in gym, but also in foey, and free.
photo: ru.wikipedia.org
Sergei Prokofiev
This evening was also performed Symphony No. 7 by Sergei Prokofiev performed by the Grand Symphony orchestra of them. P. I. Tchaikovsky under the direction of conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev. And the oratorio Ivan the terrible, by Prokofiev was written especially for the film Eisenstein, she also sang the chorus of Academy of choral art. V. S. Popov. Alexei Petrenko was the narrator of Sergei Eisenstein and the poetry of Vladimir lugovskogo. Its appearance he sometimes resembled Ivan the terrible. Alexei Petrenko has long worked with Vladimir Fedoseyev and the Large Symphony orchestra and, together, they performed vocal-symphonic cycle "war letters" Valery Gavrilin.
Of course showed the whole movie, and only the fragments on a small screen. Recently, the painting "Ivan the terrible" and "Alexander Nevsky" by Sergei Eisenstein once they were restored to the "Mosfilm", was exhibited at the world's major film festivals. In may 2015 in the framework of the "Cannes classics "Ivan the terrible" showed on the French Riviera, on the beach. The proximity of the sea gave the film a special power. But a truncated show at the concert hall in the orchestra makes a strong impression.
The fact that anyone can go to a theatre hall to watch a live broadcast of a concert held in the concert hall – the achievement of the Moscow Philharmonic. In November in "Philharmonic-2 opens a specially equipped hall broadcasts. The General Director of the Philharmonic Alexei Shalashov, says: "It will be a room with a huge screen and good acoustics. All-Russian virtual concert hall was conceived in such a way that the broadcasts came from Moscow to other cities and from the provinces to the capital. This is the first virtual room, specially created for broadcasts. There you can listen to the concerts from different parts of the world. We will show important events from Russia, if this will be of interest and we will provide the appropriate rights. In the new season, the opportunity to virtually attend concerts Hall of the Tchaikovsky appeared to the inhabitants more than a hundred cities and settlements of the country."


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Buford, Georgia running back Darius Walker had just returned from an unofficial visit over the weekend when Huskers Illustrated caught up to him. It was a visit that held special significance for ...
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SORRENTO —The Town Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance allowing the town attorney to file paperwork in state district court that, if signed by a judge, would force Mayor Wilson Longanecker Jr. to pay town bills within 20 days of being directed to do so by the Town Council.
The ordinance, as written, authorizes Town Attorneys Donovan Hudson or Karl Scott to go to court and ask a judge to force action by Longanecker when "the mayor fails to comply with the expressed direction of the council that funds be forwarded for payment of expenses and or liabilities incurred by the town."
Longanecker and Councilmen Milton "Needlenose" Vicknair, John Wright, Randy Anny, Marvin Martin and Jason Adams attended Tuesday's meeting.
The filing of such legal actions, known as writs, are "not unusual" among governmental municipalities and gives the legal system a chance to make sure the "letter of the law is followed," Hudson said in an interview prior to the Town Council meeting.
But, Hudson acknowledged, after a contentious public hearing with heated arguments between Longanecker and councilmen over the mayor's refusal to pay town attorney expenses, that having to file such an action"is a sign of dysfunction for the mayor and the council."
Town officials have long complained that Longanecker won't pay certain bills even though the Town Council has approved the payment.
An argument last month between Longanecker and Adams over unpaid legal invoices Longanecker refused to sign grew so heated that Ascension Parish sheriff's deputies were called. Longanecker filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Office saying Adams had slammed his fist on the mayor's desk and pointed at him in a threatening manner.
Citing town legal expenses and other services that have left the town's budget in deficit, Longanecker said on Tuesday, "I am not cutting checks until we find money in the budget."
Hudson said Scott's legal practice has not been paid by the town since October.
Hudson also said the Town Council asked him to draft the ordinance seeking to force Longanecker to pay bills as directed by the Town Council because the mayor has refused to pay for other services, in addition to the legal services.
"When y'all approached me about this particular ordinance, it was not just about the attorney's fees," Hudson said. "It was about the fact that y'all were afraid about incurring liabilities in other areas and that those liabilities would multiply if you didn't make sure the bills got paid when you mandated them."
He continued, "So you weren't just trying to do this because you were interested in getting into some sort of tussle with the mayor. You were interested in trying to be fiscally responsible and say that if the mayor refuses to act when we know that we have liabilities that we can pay that we want to make sure those get addressed."
The Town Council unanimously approved the ordinance after Anny requested that Longanecker, councilmen, the council's finance committee and Hudson meet and try to work things out before formal legal action is filed. In related business, the Town Council voted Tuesday to increase funds allocated for attorney fees from $30,000 to $58,200.


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