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Oral Sexual Experience Among Young Adolescents Receiving General Health Examinations
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Department of Public and Community Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Publication date: July 1, 2002
The American Journal of Health Behavior seeks to improve the quality of life through multidisciplinary health efforts in fostering a better understanding of the multidimensional nature of both individuals and social systems as they relate to health behaviors.
The Journal aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of personal attributes, personality characteristics, behavior patterns, social structure, and processes on health maintenance, health restoration, and health improvement; to disseminate knowledge of holistic, multidisciplinary approaches to designing and implementing effective health programs; and to showcase health behavior analysis skills that have been proven to affect health improvement and recovery.
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Pike Club
Welcome to the Pike Club.Flip tiles, earn scores, spend talent points, prove your skills, be a scoreboard king!
— You can speed up tiles with talents!— Flip pairs of tiles to clear the board and complete level.— After each level, you can spend talent points.— "$" = scores.— You lose 9 life when time is running out.— You lose the game if You lose all lives.— You gain 2 additional talent points at $500, $1000, $2000, $3000 and $7000.— When you complete a game, 100$ per unlocked achievement added to your total score.[Basic combinations]— Green pair = $30— Plue pair = $10 + 1sec.— Red pair = $10 + 1 life— When you flip black tile, you lose 1 life.

subset: commoncrawl


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Read below to find out who took home Fight Night bonuses at UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson...
Seven fighters attended the UFC® on FX post-fight press conference - Ross Pearson, Norman Parke, Robert Whittaker, Hector Lombard, Chad Mendes, Cody Donovan and Benny Alloway.
Alloway earned Knockout of the Night for his first-round finish of castmate Manuel Rodriguez. After an odd series of events that saw the bout temporarily halted after a low blow by Alloway, "Benny Blanco" caught Rodriguez with a perfectly-timed kick to the jaw. After a few follow-up strikes on the ground, the ref stepped in to stop the fight.
Donovan and opponent Nick Penner took home Fight of the Night for their card-opening bout. The light heavyweights engaged in an exciting, back-and-forth brawl that newcomer Donovan won via TKO late in the first round.
With no bouts ending via submission, no Submission of the Night bonus was awarded.
All bonused fighters received $40,000 for their efforts.
Post-Fight Presser Highlights


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by Rachel Bryan-Auker
Preston Singletary's gift is found in his unique ability to communicate traditional forms and cultured references from the Tlingit of Southeast Alaska through his manipulation of glass. He considers his work to be a marriage of those two artistic philosophies.
his article was originally published on page 8 of the Winter 2010 issue of Profitable Glass Quarterly.


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Bringing all of your home videos, music, and photos together into one place has never been easier. Your personal Emby Server automatically converts and streams your media on-the-fly to play on any device.
Emby takes the fuss out of managing your home videos, music, and photos, so that you can spend more time enjoying and less time struggling.
Take your home videos, music, and photos with you wherever you go, even offline with Emby Mobile Sync. Emby mobile apps are available for Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone and Windows Tablets.
Or sit back and enjoy Emby from the living room. Emby apps are available for Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox, Home Theater Computers, and more.
Specify parental restrictions for users, create access schedules, time limits, and more.
Emby automatically detects Dlna devices on your network so that you can easily send content, remote control, and more.
Purchase Emby Premiere and receive additional bonus features such as Cover Art, Mobile Sync, Cloud Sync, and free Android apps.
Join the best group of media enthusiasts around and share your experiences with us. We're all working together to make our media more fun!


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Windows 10 is finally here, and Microsoft's latest, greatest operating system is chock full of tricks and tweaks that can enhance your experience--and tailor Windows to your personal needs. Here's a look at five of the most useful. (Pssst: Our massive Windows 10 tips and tricks guide has much, much more.)
Make Cortana more useful
The Cortana digital assistant is one of Windows 10's highlight new features, but she truly shines if you take the time to tell her your interests. Open Cortana and select the Notebook icon in her left-hand pane. From there, browse each section to tailor your preferences for specific news topics, alerts, and even the types of restaurants you like. You'll be glad you did.
Oh, and be sure to ask Cortana these questions. You'll be glad you did that, too.
Check out all of PCWorld's Windows 10 coverage
Tap into Cortana's smarts while you're browsing
Did you know Cortana's built into Windows 10's new Edge browser, too? You may have missed it, because the notification alert when she's available is pretty subtle.
When you're surfing the web, Cortana will sometimes pipe up when she has helpful supplemental info. For instance, she may offer driving directions and Yelp review information when you're browsing a restaurant's site. Look for a blue Cortana icon with "I've got more info" to appear in the browser bar when it's available. There's no chime or in-your-face pop-up beyond the easy-to-miss text, however--so pay attention!
Try it for yourself by browsing to the Trattoria Cuoco restaurant's website.
Master virtual desktops
Rejoice, fellow geeks: Multiple, virtual desktops have finally made their way to Windows!
The Task View button in the taskbar will show all your created virtual desktops--you can seemingly summon as many as your hardware can handle--as well as windows showing the software currently open in your active desktop. You can move open windows from one desktop to another by opening Task View and simply dragging-and-dropping the program onto another virtual desktop. Dragging a program over to the New Desktop button will (you guessed it) create a new virtual desktop to house your open window.
Bring back Metro
Does the return of the desktop make you yearn for Windows 8's Start screen? (You monster!) You can force Windows 10 to use the touch-friendly interface--replete with full-screen Windows Store apps--by opening the Action Center in the lower-right corner of the taskbar, then selecting Tablet Mode. (Don't worry, it looks less janky on actual PCs than it does in the low-resolution virtual machine I used to snag this screenshot.)
Search for "Tablet Mode settings" in Cortana for more options, such as the ability to enter Tablet Mode by default when Windows boots, or to shift to it when you're using a 2-in-1 device as a tablet. (Microsoft calls that Continuum.) If you like the Start screen-like effect but still want to use the rest of the traditional desktop, you can simply expand the Start menu to full-screen using the button in its upper-right corner.
Schedule your restarts
Last but certainly not least, Windows 10 won't allow you to skip updates this time around, but it tosses enthusiasts a bone by finally--FINALLY--including an option to schedule exactly when those mandatory restarts happen.
Once an update's been downloaded, head into the Windows Update section of the Settings app's "Updates & Security" section to tell your PC when it's got a greenlight to reboot. If you head into the advanced options you can tell Windows to notify you to schedule a restart whenever an update's ready to rock.
If you want to save some bandwidth, you can also download Windows Updates to a single machine in your house, then use it to spread the patch to other PCs in your network. To do so, head to the same Advanced Options menu for Updates & Security, then click on "Choose how updates are delivered." By default, updates are available either way--via direct download to an Internet-connected PC, or via other PCs on your network--but you can change it to accept Windows Updates only if delivered via your local network. Be sure not to enable the option on the PC you'll use to download the initial update!
But wait, there's more!
One more time: These five tips are just the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to check out PCWorld's massive Windows 10 tips and tricks guide for a whole lot more.


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Weed Control Classes available for Homeowners
Nov 6, 2012 at 9:41 AM 0 Comments
The 4-County Cooperative Weed Management Area and its member organizations will be offering free classes on the identification, prevention and control of ten invasive plant species that property owners in the region might encounter. The classes will emphasize integrated pest management principles in addressing these species. Five classes at different locations will be offered.
The Bureau of Environmental Services has long recognized the connection between the sustainable management of stormwater and the types of vegetation growing in both our natural and urban areas. As a member of the 4-County Cooperative Weed Management Area, BES and its partners attempt to protect and restore ecosystem services through the control and eradication of invasive species. To learn more about the City of Portland's invasive plant policies, visit the program webpage.
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Eleven offers emulations of ten classic vintage guitar amps and two that are entirely of Digi's own design. Each amp has its own head controls and Digidesign has been very faithful in their reproduction. The AC30 model, for example, has both Normal and Brilliant channels and, like the original, the Treble and Bass tone controls only work on the latter, while the Cut (presence) and tremolo module work on both.
Where amp channels can be ganged - or 'jumped' - in real life using a patch cable (to yield series or parallel use of two channels at once), they're generally modelled in a way that can reproduce these tones. However, you won't find any spring reverbs.
As well as amps, there are seven cabs to choose from. These include those that were intrinsically attached to the amps, such as that of the Fender Deluxe combo, or those that were classically associated, such as a 4x12 Marshall loaded with Celestions.
Toggling through the cabs, the impact and variety of their sound comes as quite a surprise - in fact, the raw sound of the amps with the cab switched to bypass is wholly unappealing!
A great guitar sound can be as much about imperfection as everything working in harmony, and to this end, Digi have added a control to dial in speaker break-up. This is how the speaker responds and vibrates as the amp's power is increased, and introducing some of this into the sound brings an appealing thickness and fullness.
At the end of the virtual signal chain you have the choice of eight mics, from expensive favourites like the Neumann Valve U67 through to cheaper dynamics like the Shure SM57. You'll no doubt find your favourite mic and stick with it; the U67 is particularly rich.
The mics can be either on- or off-axis, which is fine, but a variable slider with a choice of points in between would be better. Likewise, double miking and a distance setting introducing air and room sound would also be great.
Of course, you can use multiple instances of Eleven to imitate a multi-mic setup, but the plug-in's hyper-realism doesn't come cheap and easy, as it absolutely devours CPU cycles. With just three instances of Eleven and no other plug-ins running, our test machine started to show the strain.
A noise gate rounds things off, quickly and efficiently getting rid of amp noise, making the sound tighter and punchier. A dedicated gate might be a more precise bet for the final mix, though.
The sound
There's a clear American rock influence on the sound that becomes increasingly evident the more you use Eleven. You can effortlessly achieve big-bottomed and bright, fizzy, distorted tones of the classic rock variety.
King of the amps, we reckon, is the '89 SL-100, in particular the Drive channel. It's based on the Soldano SLO-100 and has all the fat bass and fizzing drive that's so loved by rockers such as Aerosmith. Not only is the tone convincing, but all the extraneous noises - bumps and thumps, hums and buzzes - add up to gritty realism.
Up there with the SL-100 are the emulations of a Mesa Boogie Mark IIc+ and a Dual Rectifier. They have a more defined tone in the mid-range and a punchier presence in the mix, which is what makes amps like the Dual Rectifier so popular with modern metallers.
Also in the premier league is the DC Modern Overdrive, a Digi original. It has the rich tone of the Soldano coupled with Mesa-like clarity, making it a good choice for big double-tracked parts. The Marshall JCM800 emulation's rawness has buckets of old-school charm, bringing the likes of Hendrix to mind. For smaller, crunchier rhythm sounds, the '59 Tweed Lux - a Fender Deluxe, natch - has a very open tone that rides the mix well.
These are our personal favourites, but Eleven also includes Fender models numbering a Bassman, Deluxe Vibrato and Twin Reverb; a Marshall Super Lead; a Vox AC30 and another Digi Custom model called Vintage Crunch.
A more dangerous and edgy element to the palette would be welcome, though - how about Pete Townshend's Hi-Watt, or the aggressive, raucous sounds of the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones or Kurt Cobain? There's plenty of rich bottom end to be had and the presence cuts through well, but that tight, ballsy sound in the lower-mids on less driven sounds - the tone that gives attitude - seems elusive. Still, this is a deficiency we've found with other amp modellers too.
Digidesign's attention to detail in the development of Eleven has paid off in the plug-in's highly flexible amp modelling environment, which reacts in much the same way as the hardware it emulates. The big distortion sounds are exceptionally good, though the bright, smooth sound palette might not be to everyone's taste.
Of course, you can always fire up your favourite distortion pedal inserts to further shape Eleven's sound, and this plug-in isn't just for guitarists either. It's a useful effect when strapped across bass, keyboards, drums, or anything else you fancy.
The quality of the emulations and their versatility - coupled with 'so low it's unnoticeable' latency and convenient immediacy - makes this an extremely handy tool to have in the box.
Check out these audio clips of Eleven in action:
AC Grinder
Lead 800 Classic
SL-100 Crunchy Drive


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Last Thursday, the Somali terrorist organization al-Shabab formalized its relationship with al-Qaeda.
While the two organizations have long benefited from close cooperation, this move confirms al-Shabab's weakening influence. However, by integrating into a more sophisticated terrorist network, al-Shabab is also demonstrating its ability to adapt to evolving challenges. As the Obama Administration grapples with developing a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy, it should consider the resourcefulness of terrorist organizations to use their external networks.
While al-Qaeda and al-Shabab share similar ideologies, they maintain different interests that preclude them from being natural allies. Al-Shabab's objective for the annexation of a greater Somalia is more modest than al-Qaeda's goal of establishing a global caliphate. Al-Qaeda has also had historical difficulties operating in Somalia. In 1992, when Osama bin Laden sought to expand the al-Qaeda network, Somalia's complicated clan dynamics, its high operating costs, and its population's suspicion of outsiders prevented al-Qaeda from establishing a permanent branch.
As a result, al-Qaeda limited its activities in Somalia to recruiting and frequent use as a safe haven. When al-Shabab emerged in 2006, al-Qaeda used this opportunity to expand its network, providing the fledging terror group with arms, funding, and training. However, it wasn't until 2008 that the United States designated al-Shabab a foreign terrorist organization.
Despite territorial claims to nearly all south and central Somalia, in the past 18 months al-Shabab has suffered internal divisions, tactical errors, and low levels of popular support, forcing it to reassess its viability as an independent organization. In August, Shabab militants unexpectedly withdrew from Mogadishu and vowed to wage asymmetrical attacks against the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM). While al-Shabab followed through on this promise, its operations were severely disrupted by a Kenyan incursion last November, attacks by Ethiopian forces, and an increased level of AMISOM troops.
By allying itself with al-Qaeda, al-Shabab hopes to revive its insurgency against the TFG. Just as Somalia's neighbors and countries that are contributing to AMISOM have escalated their attacks against al-Shabab, the Somali terrorist organization is responding with the backing of al-Qaeda.


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- Suha Arafat , the merry widow of Yasser Arafat and the mother of his only daughter Zahwa is making the headlines again this week after the strange surprising news that El-Gaddafi of Libya bought a very fancy villa for her and her daughter in Malta for one million Euro !!!
If you do not know Suha Arafat was expelled from Tunisia after years from staying there ,reasons ranged from personal to business , the personal reasons which are personal rumors said that she was married in Secret from the brother in law of Laila Zein Al-Abdeen , the Tunisian first lady and her previous BBF , the business official reasons were that she deceived some business partners using her connections for her own profits !!


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Cartoons About Pizza…by Randy Glasbergen.
For some reason, I do a lot of cartoons about pizza. (Maybe I'm just hungry!) My online cartoon catalog features Cartoons About Pizza and many more toppings…I mean topics!
For more cartoons about food, family, business, education, pets, health, fitness and other topics, please visit my website where you can order cartoons at budget-friendly rates for your newsletters, presentations, website, blog, Facebook page or any kind of special project.
The cartoons on this website are copyrighted by Randy Glasbergen. Unauthorized usage of any kind is unlawful and prohibited.
Cartoons About Pizza by Randy Glasbergen. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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SALISBURY – Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) began on Monday a three-year journey to transform the shore's largest hospital into a more safe and efficient facility for the region.
On Monday morning, PRMC broke ground for the expansion and renovation of the operating rooms that make up the Surgical Services Department.
"It is a great day to begin a process for us at PRMC. As many of you know, we have been waiting for close to 10 years to dig this dirt," PRMC President Dr. Peggy Naleppa said. "We are embarking on a three-year project with one goal in mind, to better serve the patients in our community and in the Delmarva region."
The project will dramatically increase the size of PRMC's operating rooms. Each operating room will be enlarged from 400 square feet to 600 or more, and four of them will be 800 square feet. There are 16 operating rooms in the Medical Center's Surgical Services Department. The original rooms were constructed 35 years ago.
"This renovation will bring our operating rooms into the 21st century," Naleppa said. "It is an investment in the future of our hospital and in the community we are privileged to serve."
PRMC's expansion will allow greater access to the da Vinci Surgical System Robot, which permits surgeons to perform minimally invasive and robotic prostate, bariatric and GYN surgery with a precision not before possible with even the most skilled human hand. The da Vinci robot is only able to be accommodated in two of the current operating rooms.
According to David Rommel, campaign co-chairman of the PRMC Foundation, the foundation has reached the $1 million mark of the $3 million campaign in support of the operating room renovation.
"My campaign co-chair, Leighton Moore, and I will do everything we can to ensure we reach the $3 million goal," Rommel said. "We sincerely believe in this project and the need to create the best possible environment for our surgeons and their patients. I am sure the community will support this effort."
The estimated cost of the project is almost $18 million. It will include the construction of a two-story, 17,520-square-foot addition to the existing Surgical Services Department to accommodate the larger ORs, and renovation of 13,300 gross square feet of existing hospital space. Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and power upgrades are also included.
'The Department of Surgery eagerly anticipates this renovation as a critical step in allowing us to continue to lead the region in surgical advancement and perform bigger surgeries with smaller incisions using superior technology," said Department of Surgery Assistant Chief Dr. Mark Edney, who added the project will not disrupt any surgical services.
Phase one, the construction of four operating rooms and a supply room, will take 12 to 18 months. During the second phase, existing OR's will be dismantled and replaced in steps so as not to disrupt scheduling, which will take 24 to 32 months to complete.
The overall layout of the project is so efficient that it will increase the footprint of the OR by 41% while increasing staff walk time by only 3%.
More than 19,000 surgical procedures are performed every year at PRMC.
"We want to see the medical center continue to be one of the safest hospitals in America," PRMC Board of Trustees Chair Marty Neat said. "We want the medical center to be able to grow along with the community and respond to its needs with the best care possible. This renovation of the surgical services department will help achieve that goal."


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MAKE reader Bub the Zombie writes – "Here's how-to make a Zombie Costume with an old suit, some blood, and inexpensive makeup. Gives good ideas for how to create a zombie costume of your own by creating what that person/zombie went through." – Link.
I was wondering what the top costumes might end up being for 2006 – here's a listing, I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I'm impressed that most/all the MAKE & CRAFT entries aren't on this list at all…Makers are original for sure.
Enter the MAKE & CRAFT Contests!
- Makers and Crafters, it's time to enter our ghoulishly fun Halloween contests! Anyone, anywhere can enter, and depending on what type of maker or crafter you are, you can enter all or just some of the contests – Link.
Join Make: Community Today


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Stairway Series on SQLServerCentral.com
SQLServerCentral.com launched a new Stairway content series today, targeting specific areas of SQL Server. Each Stairway includes a series of up to 12 levels focused on a specific SQL Server topic. The goal is to guide DBAs and developers with little or no understanding of a subject through a sequence of tutorials in order to quickly gain the knowledge one needs to use a SQL Server feature confidently in a production environment. Kalen Delaney, editor of the Stairway series, is one of the most respected experts in the world-wide SQL Server community.
I was flattered when Kalen gave me the opportunity to contribute to the series with a Stairway on Server-side Tracing. For years I've cautioned against using Profiler indiscriminately both here as well as in the MSDN forums and newsgroups. But it seems many DBAs still don't differentiate between Profiler and server-side tracing. I'm hoping this Server-side Tracing Stairway will empower DBAs with the knowledge to choose the right tool for the job.
My apologies for having gone dark for the last several months. The subject of this post is the primary reason; there are only so many hours in the day L
Legacy Comments
Kalen Delaney
2011-02-17 |
re: Stairway Series on SQLServerCentral.com Thanks for all your hard work on this, Dan! |


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March 22nd, 2013LISWire
North Bethesda, MD, March 21, 2013- LibLime, a division of PTFS, announces that Ryan Higgins, one of the original owners of LibLime, has returned to the LibLime-PTFS team full time as a software engineer.
Ryan will be a strong asset to the LibLime team due to his extensive background in Koha development. As an integral part of the LibLime founding team in 2005, Ryan designed and implemented customer development projects, in addition to managing operations and customer support. In this role, Ryan worked with many libraries to implement their sponsored Koha development while also building his robust knowledge of the Koha codebase.
Regarding his move back to LibLime, Ryan says "I've seen some of the work done by PTFS/LibLime to improve Koha, and have been impressed by how far it's come, especially with respect to the Plack environment, the addition of Solr, the circulation system re-writes for performance improvement, and the expansion of the application to support large collections with greater local autonomy in union catalogs. LibLime has taken the application to the next level and they have really transformed the software. "
Higgins remarked further, "LibLime has truly advanced these versions of Koha – LibLime Koha and LibLime Academic Koha. These two versions of the open development ILS application have really distinguished themselves from other versions available throughout the world. The LibLime vision is one libraries can benefit from – and libraries who are strategic minded should join with LibLime to continue developing the next generation ILS."
About LibLime - PTFS
LibLime – PTFS is the global leader in providing support for the Koha open source ILS. Rather than sell software licenses for static, hard-to-customize software products, the PTFS LibLime Division educates libraries about the benefits of open source, enabling them to make choices about how best to provide their communities and staff with better technology services. The PTFS LibLime Division then facilitates deployment of Koha in libraries by providing outstanding consulting, development, implementation, and support/hosting for libraries of all types and sizes. PTFS is also the developer of the world's leading content management software, ArchivalWare, and specializes in meeting library personnel staffing requirements, digitization, and metadata keying services. For more information, see http://liblime.com or http://ptfs.com or http://archivalware.net. -


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Besides bring a Grammy winning R&B superstar, John Legend is a huge sports fan. He made an appearance on First Take where he sang a parody of his signature ballad, "Ordinary People." Legend changed the lyrics to reference Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith's constant debates about Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. John Legend basically said everything sports fans were thinking. Yes, Tebow's wins come out of nowhere, but we don't want to hear about that on every show. There are other players, like the ones who made it to the Super Bowl.
Check the performance out. Was it funny or just plain bad? Sound off in the comments.
7 Interesting Facts About Tim Tebow


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Small Android tablets have an image problem. Thanks to Kindle Fires and Nexus 7s, everyone wants one on the cheap – R2,000 seems about right, maybe R3,600 if it's brilliant.
By that logic a Samsung Galaxy TabPro 8.4 has to be out-of-this-world brilliant. And it almost is. A bubbly, finger-friendly Flipboard interface. An insanely sharp 359ppi screen to showcase it. Splitscreen multi-tasking and business apps. It's Android as we know it with just the right amount of Windows 8ness tacked on.
Samsung's learnt some tough tablet lessons since its first Galaxy Tab 7.0 and both the TabPro's hardware and software are more streamlined than ever. It finally makes the elegant small Android tablet a reality, albeit an imperfect one.
Sky High PPI
The 1080p Nexus 7 and Kindle HDX are far from low-res, but the TabPro embarrasses both these 7in tabs and the iPad Mini with its 8.4in, sharper-than-sharp 2560×1600 screen. It's such a wondrous pixel party it makes the estimated pricing for SA (R6,300) look almost reasonable.
Text on webpages and in emails looks clean enough to eat your lunch off, which is little surprise given the 359ppi density and Samsung's sensible choice to ditch PenTile tech and the jagged fonts it produces.
Detail when zooming around DSLR snaps onscreen is astonishing and viewing angles are equally lovely. Colours are vivid and punchy, too, without veering into supernatural territory. There are no screen modes to choose from, which is unusual for a Samsung tab but very welcome – a screen should look good without the need to faff.
For watching movies, we still prefer the accurate picture of the Retina iPad Mini – contrast is slightly better on the iPad and skin-tones look more natural. But this is the best screen we've ever seen on a Samsung tablet.
Magazine and Multi Window Treats
Like the iPad Mini, the extra screen space over 7in rivals turns the TabPro from a throwaway portable Netflix player to a do-it-all device. In fact, the Samsung makes even better use of its inches than its Apple rival.
There's space for two Google or Samsung apps to run at once, for a start. Simply swipe from the right of the screen to access the Multi Window feature. The TabPro's oddly tall ratio also translates to a widescreen ratio in landscape, which means movies play bigger than they do on the squatter iPad. Last but not least, Samsung's Magazine UX serves up image heavy, screen-filling tiles of email, news, calendar and social updates with Flipboard's help. Regular Android homescreens mean you won't get lost but it's a lovely showcase that just wouldn't work on a 7in tab.
Pre-installed apps to get stuff done on the TabPro are just as streamlined as on the Galaxy NotePro 12.2. My Files makes searching for docs and images as simple as on a PC or Mac while eMeeting, webEx, Remote PC and Hancom Viewer (for Office docs) could all be lifesavers for business types in need of a back-up, portable work machine. KitKat features such as "OK Google" voice search in Google Now won't be found on most lesser tabs either.
With plenty of free subscriptions also thrown in, it's a bold stab at seducing suits. But with Office for iPad rumoured for late March and Win 8 tabs from Dell and Lenovo running full-fat programs, the TabPro's still not going to be the first choice for those looking for the best work device.
A Samsung without an S Pen
This is a TabPro, not a NotePro, and that means there's no S Pen stylus – and we wish there was. The 8.4in tablet is the perfect size for taking notes – in fact it's almost the exact size as many 'real' notebooks. It's much lighter and easier to manage than bigger tabs that do get an S Pen. Seriously, NotePro 12.2 owners should look into installing an easel.
If you want an 8in Samsung tablet with a built-in stylus you have to go back to 2013's plasticky, big-bezelled Galaxy Note 8.0, and no-one wants to do that. Trick missed.
Needs a Lick of Polish
With sleeker styling than Samsung's old design DNA, the TabPro is more of an oversized Galaxy Note 3 than a revamped Galaxy Tab with smaller bezels and a metal-look trim. Which would be fantastic if the faux-leather back felt as satisfyingly soft-touch as the Note 3's (it doesn't) or the TabPro was as solidly built as Samsung smartphones (it isn't).
Again, the 8.4 comes ever-so-close to premium droid perfection, but while it's light at 331g and skinny at 7.2mm, it flexes in the middle. You wouldn't catch an iPad Mini doing that.
The main advantage of the TabPro's build over an iPad Mini is that it's not as wide in portrait as the Apple tab, making the Samsung easier to grab one-handed. That could be a deal-breaker. If not, we'd suggest plumping for a tablet that looks and feels worth every penny.
Makes the Snapdragon 800 look slow
Throw balls at glowing pyramids in Smash Hit or tear up the racetrack in Asphalt 7 and the TabPro shines. Tap on a story in the Twitter 'Magazine' tile or dare to stream a video and it can crumble.
Unlike the NotePro 12.2 (which can boast an octa-core Exynos chip and 3GB of RAM), the TabPro just isn't reliable enough. In use there are responsiveness issues, crashes here and there and a sometimes leisurely attitude to transitions and opening and closing apps.
It's a little surprising because the 8.4 posts a perfectly respectable AnTuTu score of 26405 (admittedly below the Galaxy S4 and Note 3), but even Multi Window doesn't run quite as smoothly as elsewhere on the smaller Pro.
It's far from unusable – downloads are fast, browsing is smooth and gaming, as we said, is hiccup-free. Just don't try to rush around Samsung's UI – it'll only end in tears.
Sound and Snapping
The pair of stereo speakers on the bottom edge sound clear and can fill a regular-sized room, while the 2MP front-facer makes for bright video calls – something other tablets just can't manage.
The 8MP main camera is as capable as you could hope a tablet snapper to be. Auto focus is nippy, it captures bags of detail and accurate colours, and although low-light shots don't match the Galaxy S4, 'processing' is quick and shots are usable.
Missing Smartphone Stamina
Put another check in the 'close but not quite' column. Pushing 4 million pixels around is always going to be draining and the TabPro 8.4 can't do it for very long. In our video rundown test (HD movie, half brightness, Wi-Fi on), the 8.4 lasts 7 hours 35 minutes – almost two hours less than the iPad Mini with Retina display.
Standby doesn't fill us with confidence either, dropping 20% from mid-evening to mid-morning the next day. Over an afternoon of gaming, working and Netflix, it can even drop a panic-inducing 50%. This isn't a tablet designed for light use and we'd like to see the battery life to back up its power user potential.
Samsung Galaxy TabPro 8.4 Verdict
In a world of cheapo-tabs a pricier slate has to go some way to convince gadgeteers that it's worth the extra spend. On paper the TabPro is just about there – it's got an amazingly sharp screen, is stuffed full of classy components, genuinely useful apps and wins over media hoarders with its microSD storage.
But the basics also need to be taken care of – a sturdy, swoon-worthy build, stutter-free performance, and superb battery life – and it's here that the TabPro 8.4 falls short.
This 8.4in Samsung tab is still a cut above most Android tablets, but it doesn't trouble the iPad Mini. It doesn't do quite enough to nudge the more reliable LG G Pad 8.3 out of our list of the best tablets you can buy either.


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SRC Secures FORESTER Contracts
SRC Inc., formerly Syracuse Research Corp., recently received two contract awards with a total potential value of up to $12.3 M for its Foliage Penetrating, Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER), a revolutionary airborne radar system that penetrates through foliage to track people and vehicles on the ground.
The US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Simulation and Training Technology Center awarded SRC $1.3 M for the FORESTER Signal Processing Enhancements Program and another potential $11 M for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) Radar Exploitation and Planning (GXP) program.
The FORESTER Signal Processing Enhancements Program effort runs through fiscal year 2011. The funding for this effort stems from a fiscal year 2010 congressional earmark.
"The FORESTER technology solved a grand challenge problem of 'seeing' through foliage. This funding for such an important program highlights the commitment of the US government to safeguard Americans at home and abroad," said Bob Behler, SRC's President and CEO.
Under the DARPA FOPEN GXP program, SRC will develop a set of tools to improve current FOPEN GMTI capabilities, and integrate and demonstrate these tools. This two-year program has two phases of one year each. Phase one is valued at $5 M, and was incrementally funded for more than $2.5 M until fiscal year 2011 funds are available later this year.


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Dr. Jackler was raised in Waterville, Maine, attended college and medical school in Boston, and moved west to the University of California, San Francisco for residency in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. After taking a Neurotology fellowship at the House Ear Clinic (1985), Dr Jackler joined the faculty at UCSF where he remained until 2003 when he become the Sewall Professor and Chair of the Department at OHNS and professor in the departments of Neurosurgery and Surgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Jackler is an otologist-neurotologist who specializes in complex ear diseases. He has a special interest in tumors of the lateral and posterior cranial base and has written numerous analytical papers derived from his microsurgical series. A long standing collaboration with medical artist Chirstine Gralapp has produced over 1500 original illustrations of a wide variety of cranial base and ear microsurgical approaches (http://med.stanford.edu/ohns/atlas_sb/). For over 25 years Dr Jackler has directed a fellowship program in neurotology & skull base surgery which has trained a number of academic leaders in the field.
Dr Jackler has authored over 150 peer reviewed papers, over 35 textbook chapters, numerous editorials, published three books Neurotology (1994, 2004), Atlas of Neurotology & Skull Base Surgery –(1996, 2008), and Tumors of the Ear and Temporal Bone - 2000). Dr. Jackler leads the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss whose mission is to create biological cures for major forms of inner ear hearing loss through a research effort that is sustained, large-scale, multidisciplinary, focused, goal–oriented, and transformational (http://hearinglosscure.stanford.edu).
In 2007, Dr. Jackler and his wife Laurie founded the interdisciplinary research group SRITA (Stanford Research Into The Impact of Tobacco Advertising). SRITA conducts research the ways the tobacco industry targets teens, women, and African Americans as well as how recently introduced products such as electronic cigarettes are marketed. While the Jackler collection of over 30,000 original tobacco advertisements now resides in the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution, SRITA maintains an annotated online digital collection of over 28,000 tobacco advertisement for use by scholars (tobacco.stanford.edu) and offers a traveling museum exhibit.
Clinical Focus
- Acoustic Neuroma, Cerebellopontine Angle
- Meningioma
- Neurofibromatosis 2
- Glomus Jugulare Tumor
- Ear Neoplasms
- Otosclerosis
- Cholesteatoma
- Facial Paralysis
- Facial Nerve Tumor
- Otolaryngology
- Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (Ear, Nose and Throat)
Academic Appointments
Professor, Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Divisions
Professor (By courtesy), Neurosurgery
Professor (By courtesy), Surgery
Member, Stanford Neurosciences Institute
Administrative Appointments
Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education, School of Medicine (2007 - 2011)
Sewall Professor and Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (2003 - Present)
Honors & Awards
Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons (London) (2012)
Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) (2005)
Honorary Member, French Society of ENT (1996)
Distinguished Service Award, American Academiy of Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery (1999)
Professional Education
Residency:Univ of California San Francisco (1984) CA
Internship:Univ of California San Francisco (1980) CA
Board Certification: Neurotology, American Board of Otolaryngology (2004)
Fellowship:House Ear Institute (1985) CA
Board Certification: Otolaryngology, American Board of Otolaryngology (1984)
Medical Education:Boston University School of Medicine (1979) MA
MD, Boston Univ School of Medicine, Medicine (1979)
Residency, Univ California, SF, Otolaryngology - Head/Neck Surg (1984)
Fellowship, House Ear Institute, Neurotology (1985)


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NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has completed its first soil analysis of the Red Planet. The unmanned explorer used an advanced, miniaturized X-ray diffraction instrument that is part of the Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin) of its internal laboratory. The soil, collected at a site designated "Rocknest" in Gale Crater, reveals that Martian soil is a weathered volcanic type similar to soils found in the Hawaiian Islands.
This finding represents a considerable advance in our understanding of Mars and increases scientists' confidence about the mineralogy of the dust that covers most of the Martian the surface.
"We had many previous inferences and discussions about the mineralogy of Martian soil," said David Blake of NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, principal investigator for CheMin. "Our quantitative results provide refined and in some cases new identifications of the minerals in this first X-ray diffraction analysis on Mars."
This mineral analysis is central to Curiosity's two-year mission to find areas of Mars where life may have once, or still might, exist. That's because minerals retain a record of the conditions that created them. These particular samples of wind-blown dust provides a very good picture of modern Martian conditions.
"Much of Mars is covered with dust, and we had an incomplete understanding of its mineralogy," said David Bish, CheMin co-investigator with Indiana University in Bloomington. "We now know it is mineralogically similar to basaltic material, with significant amounts of feldspar, pyroxene and olivine, which was not unexpected. Roughly half the soil is non-crystalline material, such as volcanic glass or products from weathering of the glass."
"So far, the materials Curiosity has analyzed are consistent with our initial ideas of the deposits in Gale Crater recording a transition through time from a wet to dry environment," Bish said. "The ancient rocks, such as the conglomerates, suggest flowing water, while the minerals in the younger soil are consistent with limited interaction with water."
The analysis also allowed NASA to show off ChemMin. While the 4X4-sized Curiosity is a giant among space rovers, CheMin is a showcase of miniaturization. X-ray diffraction instruments are usually the size of a refrigerator and just about as portable, but CheMin is a cube only ten inches (25 cm) on a side.
It not only has the ability to automatically analyze samples by means of shooting X-rays through them and studying how they scatter, but it can use special sample cells that vibrate at 2,000 times per second to churn the fine particles of the sample so that each grain is struck randomly by X-rays to provide a complete picture.
This allows Curiosity to study even poorly prepared soil samples and it has many terrestrial uses, such as in the screening archaeological artifacts or pharmaceuticals that would be destroyed by extensive processing. Needless to say, its small size makes its Earth variants very handy for field work.
The video below is a Curiosity update from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Source: NASA


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ELECTRATHERM NEWS — ElectraTherm, a leader in small-scale, distributed power produced from waste heat, yesterday celebrated the successful commissioning of its 4100C Green Machine at the Florida Canyon Mine in Imlay, Nevada. This marks the second geothermal project utilizing low-temperature (170-240°F/77-116°C) geothermal brine to generate electricity, following the start up of a Series 4000 Green Machine in Romania last fall.
ElectraTherm marked the occasion at Florida Canyon Mine with a commissioning ceremony including officials from the Department of Energy (DOE) and Jipangu International, the mine operator. Attendees representing the mining and utility industries also joined in a tour of the newly developed Green Machine, the 4100C. The machine was manufactured with a cleanable heat exchanger, an increased power output of up to 75kWe and a fully-containerized solution for ease of transportation and installation through a grant from the DOE for $982,000. This also marks the first installation where ElectraTherm is providing not only the ORC equipment but ORC power generation as a metered service.
This follows the commissioning of a Series 4000 Green Machine at a geothermal well in Romania. The Green Machine produces 50kW (gross) of electricity from the geothermal hot water (216°F/102°C) without any fuel or emissions, and has reached 2,200 hours of run time. To further increase the application's efficiency, once geothermal water has passed through the heat exchangers to pressurize the Green Machine working fluid, it continues on to heat nearby residential buildings in the winter.
ElectraTherm's Green Machine utilizes organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology to generate electricity from low temperatures unattainable by other technologies. First, hot water enters the Green Machine to boil a working fluid into a vapor. The high pressure vapor expands through ElectraTherm's patented twin screw power block, spinning an electric generator. After turning the twin screw expander, the vapor is then condensed back into a liquid through the use of an external air cooled condenser. Following condensing, the working fluid flows back to the evaporator as a liquid to repeat the process.
"The Green Machine captures geothermal heat to generate power at temperatures and flows most ORC technologies cannot attain," said Mike Olari, President of Energy Power Holdings, ElectraTherm's eastern European distributor. "The robustness of the machine and the ease of installation make this application easily repeatable for the vast low-temperature geothermal resources available in Romania and Hungary."
According to reports by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are tens of thousands of oil and gas wells in the U.S. alone that co-produce hot water at optimal temperatures for the Green Machine. This produces millions of barrels of water which could be captured as fuel to generate clean power. Through collaboration with the DOE and commercial installations such as in Romania, ElectraTherm will continue to make inroads with this tremendous untapped resource.
About ElectraTherm, Inc.
ElectraTherm, Inc. is a renewable energy company headquartered in Reno, Nevada. ElectraTherm's product, the Green Machine, generates fuel-free, emission-free power from low temperature waste heat using the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and patented technology. Our machines are modular, robust power generators with an attractive payback. For more information on ElectraTherm and our clean energy products, please visit www.electratherm.com.


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They say the NFL is the ultimate reality show. Well, it's officially getting real between a pair of 44-year friends who were colleagues in Philly for a generation.
After Jeffrey Lurie bought the Eagles, he hired Joe Banner to serve as Lurie's top adviser. Last year, Banner abruptly resigned. He was confident he'd emerge in a new situation, and he quickly did -- with the Browns.
But there have been signs of unspoken acrimony between Lurie and Banner. Now, Lurie is accusing Banner of privately bashing Eagles G.M. Howie Roseman.
"I'm very supportive of Howie, and if there's any criticism coming from afar about Howie, it's just off-base, and so I will support Howie completely, because that's not right," Lurie said, via Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com.
"And, you know, if there are league sources that are really based in Cleveland, that's not right. We see through it all."
Banner denies that he was a source for recent over-the-top criticism of Roseman by Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, which called Roseman "drunk with power" and "woefully out of his depth" in searching for a new coach.
"It is always difficult to comment on a quote that may or may not be accurate or in context," Banner said, via Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis. "In this case, from the comments which Jeffrey made that were communicated to me, it is necessary for me to make this clear, unambiguous statement. Any implication that I had anything to do with Jason La Canfora's story is completely false, outrageous and borders on being libelous."
Libelous. As in actionable. As in Banner could be considering suing Lurie, if this continues. (Or at least threatening to do so, in the hopes it will stop.)
As best we can tell, there is definitely an undercurrent of hostility between Banner, and Lurie and Roseman. We've heard an account from one very reliable source of Lurie and Roseman openly criticizing Banner when talking to people not affiliated with the team. Banner, we're told, privately believes that some of the criticism directed to Roseman is unfair, but that some of it is fair.
Unfortunately, the two teams won't play each other again until 2016.


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Tim Falconer, back from his recent tour of his partner schools in Haiti, makes the case for focusing on learning in Haiti, rather than physical schools. Â This is not to say that schools aren't important — when a community needs a central place for scores of children and teachers to gather, study, or break bread, clearly they need a comfortable space if not an entire school. Â But Tim notes out that many children never go to school. Â Ever. Â He asks:
[In Haiti] why are we still talking about building schools? Why aren't we talking about training adults to use laptops instead of chalkboards? Why aren't the teachers going to the children, to teach in small local groups?
I would like to see recent data on this that consolidates private and public school information; but it's fair to say more than half of all school-age children are not in school at a given time. Â (I am reminded for a moment of the remarkable UNICEF game Ayiti: the Cost of Life , which deserves more development and attention.) Â If you have thoughts on home schooling, or community schooling and mentorship, stop by and leave him a comment.


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Current browsers and the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0
A personal reflection / opinion piece by Patrick H. Lauke, with input from the Accessibility Task Force (reflecting the current state of browsers at the time of publication, 20 May 2007).
In web accessibility, you'll often hear emphasis being placed on the duty of web authors to create accessible content. However, this is only one part of the web accessibility equation.
One that has been particularly close to me, or rather one that has provided me with a lot of opportunity to rant, is the responsibility of developers of user agents.
Any effort on the part of web authors to add accessibility features is rendered useless if browsers and assistive technologies don't take advantage of them. User agent developers need to ensure that their products support these features and, most crucially, make them available to users in an accessible and obvious manner.
Although far from perfect, the W3C's User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 1.0 do provide a good starting point.
What follows is a quick run-down of most of UAAG's guidelines and checkpoints, annotated with comments, suggestions, personal gripes about current levels of implementation, and wishlists for future browser versions.
Admittedly a tad rough around the edges, this is a first attempt at crystallising some of the discussions I've had with fellow ATF colleagues, members from the W3C, and other accessibility aficionados.
It's worth noting that in some places the article suggests that responsibility for satisfying a certain guideline/checkpoint falls to a particular plug-in, rather than the browser itself. Of course, plug-ins themselves (as they can be counted as "user agents" in their own right, in many cases) would need to comply with other parts of UAAG as well. For this article, however, we're just looking at browsers themselves.
Guideline 1. Support input and output device-independence
Ensure that the user can interact with the user agent (and the content it renders) through different input and output devices.
1.1 Full keyboard access (P1)
Currently, it is not possible to set the focus on arbitrary elements in a document. For instance, a user cannot focus on an image and activate the browser's context menu (to view the image separately, save it, etc). Even if an image is wrapped in a link, which can receive focus, the context menu presented to the user only offers options related to the link, not the image.
Adding any arbitrary element in the normal tab cycle would obviously make navigation in general rather cumbersome (though this could be made user configurable … see comments relating to 9.9). Firefox's caret browsing, moving the cursor along the content of the webpage and responding to SELECT+ARROW commands, is a good step in the right direction. It also provides the only way for keyboard users to selectively copy/paste content from a web page, rather than having to grab all of the page's content and taking out the part they're interested in a separate (text editor) application. However, this caret browsing approach does not appear to be available in other browsers, such as Internet Explorer or Opera.
1.2 Activate event handlers (P1)
Allowing activation of click
event handlers via keyboard has become de-facto standard in all modern browsers.
Although rarely used, it is currently not possible to trigger dblclick
via the keyboard. This would probably best be handled by a key combination or modifier key, rather than requiring the user to hit the normal activation key twice in quick succession.
is, quite obviously, not triggered via the keyboard – although perhaps checkpoint 9.6 could address this.
Guideline 2. Ensure user access to all content
Ensure that users have access to all content, notably conditional content that may have been provided to meet the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0
2.1 Render content according to specification (P1)
An age-old gripe: proper support for OBJECT
elements, to be used for things such as Flash movies. This may be an issue related to the Flash plug-in architecture itself, rather than just the browser… but even if this requires close collaboration between plug-in and browser developers, it's certainly something that should be addressed.
If "content" can also be extended to cover things like META
information and LINK
elements, these should be natively exposed to all users (possibly in a separate dialog box or toolbar). This already happens in many browsers in a "Page info" dialog, but these dialogs often don't actually let users do anything meaningful with that information (such as activating/following a LINK
's URL).
2.2 Provide text view (P1)
The standard "view source" should satisfy this checkpoint.
2.3 Render conditional content (P1)
Browsers offer certain basic mechanisms (mainly for images) that render conditional content if the original resource is unavailable or its display has been disabled via the preferences.
Where multiple alternatives to conditional content exist, there is no mechanism to switch between them, and once content has been rendered, it's not possible to show conditional content on the fly.
Also, because of the problem outlined in 1.1, it's impossible to focus on an image by keyboard alone and choose to view any referenced longdesc
alternative – combined with the fact that longdesc
information isn't natively provided by browsers anyway (without assistive technology or add-ons like the firefox longdesc extension ).
Taking it further, it's not possible to focus on arbitrary elements to get things like title
(if we treat this as conditional content as well). title
is not exposed to keyboard users, and this seriously hampers keyboard user access to ABBR
, etc. or situations in which title
attributes are tied to things like like form elements, links, etc.
2.4 Allow time-independent interaction (P1)
Browser should provide an option (on the fly or in the preferences) to stop any timed changes (such as META
refresh/redirect and javascript activity which is not the direct result of a user interaction – a feature that will be implemented in the upcoming Firefox 3).
2.5 Make captions, transcripts, audio descriptions available (P1), 2.6 Respect synchronization cues (P1)
This should potentially be handled by multimedia plug-ins.
2.7 Repair missing content (P2)
If no conditional content is provided, an identifier (image, object, Quicktime object, etc.) and filename of the resource in question should be shown when the resource is unavailable or has been disabled in the preferences as per 2.3. This already happens for images (at least the "identifier" part, though some screen readers do report filenames or, in the case of linked images, the URL of the target), but not for other content types.
2.8 No repair text (P3)
There should be a user option in the preferences to suppress behaviour outlined in 2.7
2.9 Render conditional content automatically (P3)
Browsers provide preference settings for not loading images and rendering their conditional content instead. This functionality seems to be missing for other types of content (flash movies, java applets, etc).
It may also be advantageous to have an option in the preferences to automatically expand elements like ABBR
and ACRONYM
(with settings such as "Do not expand", "Expand at first occurrence", "Always expand").
2.10 Don't render text in unsupported writing systems (P3)
An interesting one… this could be handled by a preference setting "don't display text in unsupported language" ("language" being a crude approximation for "writing systems" that users may be more familiar with). Ideally, when this option is enabled and the user gets to a page with unsupported text, this should be coupled with some sort of warning/notice similar to that generated by current pop-up blockers ("Text in an unsupported language has been removed from this page").
Guideline 3. Allow configuration not to render some content that may reduce accessibility
Ensure that the user may turn off rendering of content (e.g., audio, video, scripts) that may reduce accessibility by obscuring other content or disorienting the user.
3.1 Toggle background images (P1)
Although guidelines state that browsers may satisfy this by disabling all images, a more targeted option in the preferences which strips out background images only (from markup and CSS, which the guidelines also hint at) would be far more useful.
3.2 Toggle audio, video, animated images (P1)
Similar in many ways to an explicit implementation of EOLAS patent requirements. Suppress autostart of multimedia, and possibly don't even load audio/video/plug-in unless explicitly requested by user ("there's a movie here… click to load and play"). This could be controlled by an option in the preferences. For animated GIF/MNG files, it could show the first frame but offer a cue that it's an animation that can be started.
3.3 Toggle animated or blinking text (P1)
Option to automatically suppress blinking (BLINK
element and text-decoration: blink
in CSS) and MARQUEE
element. Allowing user to stop these effects right on page load, and further giving the option to arbitrarily start/stop them later. Any DOM scripting/DHTML effects would be outside the scope of this, as too difficult to detect automatically (see normative exclusion 2).
3.4 Toggle scripts (P1)
3.5 Toggle automatic content retrieval (P1)
Related to 2.4, browser should offer preferences option to ignore META
refresh/redirect and any javascript that is not the direct result of user interaction. This would also cover things like AJAX / XMLHttpRequest
and timed/delayed scripts. Could also allow a configuration option to request explicit approval from user, even if content retrieval is the result of user interaction (e.g., user clicked on an image which now wants to reload the page through some scripting – pop up a dialog "this page is attempting to load [URL]. allow/deny")
3.6 Toggle images (P2)
Related to 2.3 and 2.9 – not quite sure of the distinction here.
Guideline 4. Ensure user control of rendering
Ensure that the user can select preferred styles (e.g., colors, size of rendered text, and synthesized speech characteristics) from choices offered by the user agent. Allow the user to override author-specified styles and user agent default styles.
4.1 Configure text scale (P1)
Browsers do offer text resizing, although IE still does not scale px
sized text. Firefox implements a minimum size for text, which can be set in the preferences – a useful feature that would be of benefit to users in all other browsers
It would be great (also in light of 11.7) to have text size buttons/toolbar immediately visible in the browser's default interface, to fill the usability gap of users not being aware that they can actually change the text size of a page without the need for in-page text size widgets and other such workarounds.
4.4 Slow multimedia (P1), 4.5 Start, stop, pause, and navigate multimedia (P1), 4.6 Do not obscure captions (P1)
Should be handled by the plug-in, unless the technology used does not yet allow this, or it is easier to implement via scripting from within the browser itself (though this blurs the lines of responsibility between browser and plug-in).
4.7 Global volume control (P1)
May be overkill to require a volume control at browser level. The volume control provided at operating system level should suffice.
4.8 Independent volume control (P1)
Should be handled by the plug-in.
4.14 Choose style sheets (P1)
Browsers need to implement a native way to persistently switch between alternate (and possibly different media-specific) style sheets to satisfy "Allow the user to choose from and apply alternative author style sheets (such as linked style sheets)."
Certain extensions and add-ons that fill this gap for browsers such as Firefox exist, but this should really be part of the core functionality. Also, these controls should be obvious, possibly as an option/toolbar right in the browser's main interface; could also be made to appear, similar to pop-up blocking notifications, when the browser detects the presence in markup of alternate style sheet definitions.
Including a "no style sheet" option would satisfy "Allow the user to turn off (i.e., ignore) author and user style sheets."
Handling of user style sheets is still very clunky. A better way would be to handle this would be through a mechanism and resource similar to browser themes – provide a centralised web repository for ready-made user style sheets that can be downloaded and selected in a user friendly dialog.
Guideline 5. Ensure user control of user interface behavior
Ensure that the user can control the behavior of viewports and user interface controls, including those that may be manipulated by the author (e.g., through scripts).
5.1 No automatic content focus change (P2)
Though the guideline seems to be primarily concerned with viewports, the definition would benefit from being applied to any kind of automatic focus changes. The latter could be handled by an option in the preferences to suppress any focus
events not triggered as direct result of user interaction (e.g. onload="focus…"
5.2 Keep viewport on top (P2)
Should be handled at operating system level for things like actual browser windows. However, it could arguably be applied to things such as tabbed browsing. No known issues at this stage, though.
5.3 Manual viewport open only (P2)
Effectively pop-up blocker functionality. Implemented in most modern browsers.
5.5 Confirm form submission (P2)
Could be handled by an option in the preferences to trigger a dialog whenever a form tries to submit in a non-standard way (e.g. onchange="submit()"
Guideline 8. Implement specifications that benefit accessibility
Support the accessibility features of all implemented specifications. Implement W3C recommendations when available and appropriate for a task.
8.1 Implement accessibility features (P1)
This could be seen as a catch-all checkpoint that includes many of the issues already mentioned:
- Provide sensible access to
(for mouse and keyboard users alike) - Keyboard access to
on arbitrary element (which would presume the ability to focus on arbitrary element via the keyboard as well) - Offer preference option to automatically expand
- Possibly offer a visual way to identify headings that apply to the current cell in a table (for both mouse and keyboard navigation) – this could also count as an orientation feature for 10.1
- Native handling of
attribute inBLOCKQUOTE
… all the things browsers may acknowledge, but not present to the user LINK
navigation, spatial navigation, style sheet switching may fall under this as well
Guideline 9. Provide navigation mechanisms
Provide access to content through a variety of navigation mechanisms, including sequential navigation, direct navigation, searches, and structured navigation.
9.3 Move content focus (P1)
For point 2, "Allow configuration so that the content focus of a viewport only changes on explicit user request." this could be coupled with 5.1 to disallow focus
, as well as calls to scroll functionality, which are not the direct result of user interaction.
9.4 Restore viewport state history (P1)
When going back/forward in the browser history, make sure that focus is on the element that it was on originally, and that the viewport is set to the same place.
9.5 No events on focus change (P2)
Preferences option to suppress focus
event handlers (although the browser may present the user with a dialog to allow/deny any such event)
9.6 Show event handlers (P2)
This could be handled by a context menu option to list event handlers with option to then explicitly trigger these events. IBM's Home Page Reader (HPR) provided this sort of implementation.
9.8 Provide text search (P2)
It's worth noting that certain user groups (such as screen reader users) have been known to make extensive use of text search as a quick orientation feature (in a similar way to sighted users visually "scanning" a page quickly for certain keywords). Particularly Firefox's find as you type feature is commendable for its ease of use.
9.9 Allow structured navigation (P2)
Opera leads the pack here. Other browsers should implement similar strategies to allow for more efficient keyboard navigation to headings, paragraphs, lists, etc. Not necessarily having separate keys for navigating these different types of content, but a mode of navigation that skips from certain block level element to block level element (e.g. "tabbing" from a heading to a paragraph to a list).
Native support for LINK
navigation – particularly if you interpret LINK
references to prev
as sequential navigation in the light of this checkpoint. Incidentally, this would allow defining a "skip to the content" link as LINK
, removing the need to have it in the actual page body itself.
9.10 Configure important elements (P3)
Not currently available in Opera. Coupled with 9.9 and 10.4, this could be a simple dialog / set of checkboxes to say what to include in outline view and "structured navigation" mode.
Guideline 10. Orient the user
Provide information that will help the user understand browsing context.
10.1 Associate table cells and headers (P1)
Browsers may do this internally, but it's not something that's exposed to visual users. Perhaps an option to do row/column highlighting for keyboard/mouse users and a way to trigger a tooltip showing which headers apply to the current cell (the equivalent of a "where am I" function available in most screen readers).
10.3 Single highlight configuration (P2)
Possibly offer configuration option for users to change the visual cues for outlines. Colours for highlighted text should be taken from OS-wide configuration.
10.4 Provide outline view (P2)
A native linearise this page feature, coupled with a headings-list, would be useful.
10.5 Provide link information (P3)
Again, keyboard users don't receive any information on possible title
attribute. It would be useful if the browser could be set to denote internal (within the same document) and external links (and maybe even break this down further to distinguish between links within the current domain and links to other domains).
Additional information (such as date last visited, number of visits, media types) could also be presented to users on request.
10.7 Indicate viewport position (P3)
Should be taken care of already by default scrollbars. For elements styled via CSS to have hidden or no overflow, this may require an additional option in the preferences to force the appearance of a scrollbar?
Guideline 11. Allow configuration and customization
Allow users to configure the user agent so that frequently performed tasks are made convenient, and allow users to save their preferences.
11.2 Current author input configuration (P2)
Provide a dialog or similar that lists all accesskey
bindings in the current page – and maybe even allows editing these to user's preference, making that choice persistent across visits to that site. As an implementation proof of concept, see Gez Lemon's Access Keys Greasemonkey script.
11.3 Allow override of bindings (P2)
It would be great if a user could configure/remap keyboard shortcuts to suit their needs.
11.4 Single-key access (P2)
As part of 11.3
11.6 User profiles (P2)
Handled in most browsers either at OS level (preferences tied to user that logged in) or by having explicit profiles (Firefox).
11.7 Tool bar configuration (P3)
Text size buttons/toolbars should really be visible in the default browser interface. As an alternative, the user could be given the option to display these types of access facilities the first time they run the browser.
Where do we go from here?
Browsers have been consistently getting better over the years, incorporating many innovative ideas (such as native RSS support). However, there is still a lot of functionality which would benefit all users (with or without disabilities). In the end, it's about granting users more refined control over how their browser presents content, and how they are able to interact with the content to suit their needs and requirements.
Some of the comments and suggestions in this article certainly represent edge cases, and in some cases add-ons and extensions already provide workarounds for end users…but it would still be possible for a lot of the suggested features to be added natively to browsers without compromising their "normal" operation in order to close the usability gap, as Alastair Campbell put it in a recent article (which I dare say may have been partly inspired by our discussions in the previous months, while I was still tinkering away at this write-up).
The Web Standards Project is a grassroots coalition fighting for standards which ensure simple, affordable access to web technologies for all.


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Today I'd like to share with you an altered box I used using the gorgeous Graphic 45 Botanical Tea collection.
This is a box purchased from Michaels that has a drawer on the bottom and opens on the top to reveal little cubbies.
If you want more information and to see more details please visit my YT video Here


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Handwritten Bob Dylan 'Like a Rolling Stone' Manuscript Could Fetch $2M
Bob Dylan's lyrics for "Like a Rolling Stone" and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" are expected to be the highlights of Sotheby's rock and roll auction next week, which will include memorabilia from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley.
The handwritten, annotated manuscript for "Like a Rolling Stone," considered one of the most influential songs in postwar music, could sell for as much as $2 million, while the lyrics for "A Hard Rain" have a pre-sale estimate of $400,000 to $600,000.
Other top items in the June 24 sale in New York include one of Presley's flamboyant jumpsuits from his days performing in Las Vegas, a piano played by singers David Bowie, Elton John, John Lennon and Aerosmith, and an infamous contract signed by Jimi Hendrix.
"A lot of this material is the soundtrack for a generation," Richard Austin, Sotheby's head of books and manuscripts, said about its first dedicated music history sale in more than a decade.
The 150 lots in the sale, dubbed A Rock & Roll History: Presley to Punk, come from collectors and people who worked in the music industry. They range in price from an estimated $200-$300 up to $2 million for the Dylan manuscript.
"Bob Dylan is probably the most studied rock performer of the last 40 years," said Austin. "Rock and roll was so intrinsically tied to the social change in the 60s and also to the generation that was coming up."
The auction will include the smashed guitar played by the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana in 1989, photographs, signed album covers, Grammy awards, original artwork, drawings and clothing worn by singers Michael Jackson, Sly Stone and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.
Presley's jumpsuit could bring in as much as $300,000 and the 1965 contract in which Hendrix agreed to play exclusively for PPX Enterprises for three years for the advance of $1 has a high pre-sale estimate of as much as $200,000. The settlement agreement to break the contract is also being auctioned for $40,000 to $50,000.
"Elvis always is an icon, and there are quite a few items from Elvis, as well as punk material and posters from the 60s and 70s," said Austin.
Sotheby's decided to hold the sale now to test the market and to see what collectors are interested in buying. Earlier this month, original manuscripts and drawings by former Beatle John Lennon sold for $2.9 million, more than double the estimated price.
"One of the ways we planned the sale was to give a range of material, both in terms of its estimate and what kind of material it is," he said, adding that there has been a positive change in the price of the best rock and roll material in the past decade.
"The market is becoming a little more mature and advanced and we had the chance to offer the Dylan manuscripts, which I think are incredibly important."


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Right Infant IV arm in tan skin tone to fit Nursing Baby manikin with venipuncture possible in antecubital fossa and dorsum of hand. Simulated blood may be used for realistic flashback.
Includes: 1 Infant IV Arm Mandrel, 1 Infant IV Arm Sleeve, 1 Shoulder and Deltoid Plug and 1 Bottle Red Simulated Blood
*Attachment hardware not included