text: From Alcatraz and the Birdman to Old Melbourne Gaol where Ned Kelly was hanged, from Robben Island in Capetown where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated to Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin where the leaders of the Easter Uprising were executed, decommissioned prisons and their sinister histories have become intriguing destinations for travelers. 1. Alcatraz, United States Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala named it Isla de los Alcatraces (Isle of the Pelicans), which might suggest something of a modern pleasure resort. Think again. As the watchtower comes into view we're reminded that this was the grim maximum security prison of Alcatraz. Inmates included mob czar Al Capone, bank robber George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Robert Stroud, "The Birdman" of Hollywood movie fame. Visitors can listen to the audio tour while inspecting the cells or in the deserted exercise yard and learn about the Indian occupation from 1969-71, carried out in part to press their land claims. To enhance the experience, you can research beforehand. What was it like? Former inmate, the late Jim Quillen, said it all: "You were a number, you weren't a name. I wasn't Jim Quillen. Hell, I was Number 586, and nobody wanted that." San Francisco Bay; www.alcatrazcruises.com 2. Old Melbourne Gaol, Australia Built in the mid-1800s when the Victorian gold rushes created a crime surge, Old Melbourne Gaol held petty offenders, homeless people and the mentally ill as well as dangerous criminals. It saw 133 executions. The most famous was the bushranger Ned Kelly, hanged in 1880 for the murders of three police officers. One of his death masks is on display here. Though closed as a prison in 1929, it wasn't until 1972 that the site was taken over by the National Trust. Visitors can now take self-guided tours to see what prison life was like or go on organized ghost tours for a different perspective. 377 Russell St., Melbourne Also on CNN: 15 macabre crime-inspired tours 3. Devil's Island, French Guiana Off the coast of French Guiana in South America, the Îles du Salut island group was an infamous French penal colony from 1852 to 1953. Excursions may go only to Île Royale, where wardens and staff lived, which has some prison cells and now a hotel and restaurant. But the Journey Latin America tour includes a Zodiac ride to Île Saint-Joseph, to see the solitary confinement cells, now encroached upon by jungle. The third island is the one actually called Île du Diable, or in English – Devil's Island. Political prisoner, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, was kept here and the island was the subject of the escape tale, Papillon. Surrounded by shark-infested waters and strong cross-currents, landing on the legendary island is no longer permitted, though it's clearly seen only 200 meters away from Île Royale. By boat, 15 kilometers north of Kourou, French Guiana; Tours: longer and local day tours 4. Oxford Castle, England Built in 1071 by a Norman baron, Oxford Castle was used by King Charles as a prison for rebel Parliamentarians in the English Civil War. After serving as a prison for hundreds of years, it ceased that role in 1996. In 2004, the site was redeveloped to include flats, restaurants, an art gallery and more, but key parts of the prison were preserved. Now "Oxford Castle – Unlocked" offers guided tours that let visitors experience the austere 18th-century Debtors' Tower and Prison D-wing, feel the oppressive atmosphere of the 900-year-old underground Crypt and climb the Saxon St. George's Tower for 360-degree views over the historic city of Oxford. 44 New Road, Oxford; www.oxfordcastleunlocked.co.uk 5. Horsens State Prison, Denmark After 153 years the gates of Horsens State Prison slammed shut for the last time in 2006. The foundation FÆNGSLET now runs the cultural institution in these imposing buildings, which house the Prison Museum and various conference and business facilities. There are even large concerts here during the year. On a tour of the prison, visitors hear stories of former inmates like Jens Nielsen, who so hated being incarcerated that he tried three times to kill a warden and get the death penalty. His execution in 1892 was to be Denmark's last, with the executioner chopping off Nielsen's head at a single blow. The axe is still here for all to see. Fængslet, Fussingsvej 8, DK-8700 Horsens; www.faengslet.dk 6. Eastern State Penitentiary, United States From its opening in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia was controversial for its system of total solitary confinement. After his visit in 1842 Charles Dickens wrote: "The System is rigid, strict and hopeless … and I believe it to be cruel and wrong." Closed in 1970, the prison has become a major tourist attraction. Unlike the first tours in 1994, when visitors wore hard hats, there's now an audio tour narrated by actor Steve Buscemi that lets the curious explore behind the grim, castle-like walls, listening to former guards and inmates describe life at Eastern State. And at night? Terror Behind the Walls is one totally haunted attraction. 2027 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia; www.easternstate.org 7. Kilmainham Gaol, Ireland When it opened in 1796, Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol functioned as the county prison and for much of its time housed common prisoners, including 4,000 thereafter transported to Australia. But the place became a symbol of Irish nationalism because so many who rebelled against British rule were imprisoned and executed here, including those involved in the uprisings and wars of 1916, 1919-21 and 1922-24. The last man to walk free when it was decommissioned as a prison in 1924, Eamon de Valera, went on to become Prime Minister of Ireland. Guided tours are available and include an audio-visual show. A major exhibition details the political and penal history of the prison and its restoration. Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8; www.heritageireland.ie Also on CNN: Insider Guide: Best of Dublin 8. Port Arthur, Australia The UNESCO World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic Site is where a colonial prison settlement operated on the island of Tasmania from 1830 till 1877. The ruined buildings are reminders of the harsh life convicts faced. This is, however, one prison where the dead are central to the tourist experience. Boat tours go out to the Isle of the Dead, where only 180 of the 1646 graves recorded to exist are marked, those being prison staff and military personnel. Lantern-lit ghost tours have long been popular, but more recently another dimension has been added, with the scientifically run, adults-only Paranormal Investigation Experience using professional test equipment to try and detect the presence of ghosts and other paranormal activity. Arthur Highway, Port Arthur, Tasmania; https://portarthur.org.au/ 9. Hostel Celica, Slovenia, and others While refurbishment has changed the dread appearance of some one-time prisons, it's created a quirky accommodation option – spend a night in the cells! The former military prison in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for instance, has morphed into the colorful Hostel Celica, where 20 former cells have been revamped by artists into unique digs for travelers. Similarly, Hostelling International has two hostels located in renovated prisons, enabling guests to explore the history of the building and also stay in a cell – but with a key. In Sweden Langholmen Hostel is located in the former Crown Remand Prison, while in Canada the Carleton County Jail is now the Ottawa Jail Hostel. Hostel Celica, Metelkova 8, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; +386 1 230 9700; www.hostelcelica.com Langholmen Hostel, Långholmsmuren 20 Kronohäktet 11733 Stockholm; +46 8 720 8500 Ottawa Jail Hostel, 75 Nicholas St., K1N 7B9 Ottawa; +1 613 235 2595 10. Robben Island, South Africa Off the coast from Cape Town, Robben Island's time as a maximum security prison meant that its infamy was assured. Political prisoners, especially anti-apartheid campaigners, were sent to Robben Island, the most famous being Nelson Mandela, who spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment there. He described it as "without question the harshest, most iron-fisted outpost of the South African penal system." Mandela went on to become president of a democratic South Africa. Robben Island is World Heritage listed because it bears witness to "the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression and racism." The standard tour to Robben Island is three and a half hours long, including the ferry rides, and is guided by a former political prisoner. Robben Island, via the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town; www.robben-island.org.za


text:
About 16 months ago I received an email from a guy named Bill Katovsky asking me if I had any interest in writing a book. I didn't know him at the time, but I had at least given thought to the idea of writing something more than another blog post. We spoke on the phone a few times, and found that we had a mutual interest in writing about running and exercise (he founded Tri-Athlete Magazine many years ago, co-authored a book titled "Bike for Life," and more recently authored a book titled "Return to Fitness: Getting Back in Shape after Injury, Illness, or Prolonged Inactivity." Bill is also a co-founder and editorial director of the Natural Running Center website).
Bill's initial idea was for me to write the book and he would serve as editor and agent (which he has done for several books by Phil Maffetone), but in our conversations we came up with a concept that was going to be more than I could handle on my own given time constraints associated with my day job and being a father of three little kids. So, we agreed to co-author a book and divided up the topics that we wanted to hit upon. After a sometimes grueling process (as I hear any book-writing experience can be), Bill and I finally finished our book last month (which involved a marathon editing session while I was on vacation with my family in Disney World!).
The end product of our labors is a book titled Tread Lightly: Form, Footwear and the Quest for Injury-Free Running. The content will not come as a surprise to readers of this blog (or Bill's Zero Drop blog). We basically address the question of why modern runners so often get hurt. We don't pretend to provide an answer that will "cure" running injuries, but we do take what we feel is a fairly balanced look at topic as it relates to form, footwear, and food (and much more). This is by no means a barefoot running book (far from it!), or even necessarily a minimalist running book. Rather, it is a book that attempts to look at how modern humans differ from our running ancestors, what both history and modern science tell us about form, footwear, and injuries, and how this knowledge might be applied to reduce your chances of getting hurt. A lot of the questions we address still have incomplete answers, but our hope is that our writing will stimulate continued thought, research, experimentation and discussion.
Over the coming weeks you will hear more about this book, and I'll likely post a few excerpts leading up to the official release date (June 1 according to Amazon, but could be a few weeks earlier if the current schedule holds. For now, I'll provide the chapter titles to give you a feel for the breadth of topics that we cover:
Introduction – Pete's Story and Bill's Story
Chapter 1 – The Evolution of Running in Humans
Chapter 2 – Running Injuries: Why They Happen
Chapter 3 – Barefoot and Running
Chapter 4 – The Running Shoe
Chapter 5 – The Recreational Runner
Chapter 6 – Pronate Nation
Chapter 7 – Foot Strike
Chapter 8 – The Running Stride
Chapter 9 – Turning the Clock Back on Nutrition
If you are interested in pre-ordering a copy of Tread Lightly, you can do so on Amazon.com. I don't have official confirmation that a Kindle version will be released, but I assume that this will happen (I read most books on the Kindle app on the Iphone these days, so I plan to push for it). If you'd like to help this process along, you can go to the Amazon page for Tread Lightly and click on the "Tell the Publisher: I'd like to read this book on Kindle" link just below the cover photo.
Thanks to all of you who read this blog and have offered your support over the past few years – I owe much of the thought process that led to the book's evolution to discussions that I have had here!
Below are the front and back covers of Tread Lightly:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Claim or refer an unclaimed estate
When someone dies with no will or known family, their property passes to the Crown as ownerless property (or 'bona vacantia'). It can be any kind of property, like buildings, money or personal possessions.
You could be entitled to a share of a deceased relative's property ('estate') if you're a relative.
How to claim
Check if the estate is listed with the Crown.
Make sure you're an entitled relative.
Make a claim on the estate.
If an estate is not listed, you can tell the Crown about an estate you think is unclaimed.
If you're not a relative
You can apply for a grant from the estate if you think you may be entitled to a share of a deceased person's estate (for example if you lived together or you cared for them).


text:
Mental Health First Aid – MHANYS Capital Region Project AWARE – October 22, 2019
Get Trained Now In Mental Health First Aid
Take part in the Mental Health Association in New York State Inc. (MHANYS) Capital Region Project AWARE. This project provides free training to individuals who work with (or support) community members in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, or Schenectady County. MHANYS will train over 830 individuals over the next three years across these four counties Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady. These members of the public will train to improve their mental health literacy – helping them identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an 8-hour training certification course which teaches participants a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions and secure appropriate care for the individual. The program introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds an understanding of their impact and overviews common treatments. This evidence-based CPR-like program improves trainees' knowledge of mental disorders, reduces stigma and increases the amount of help provided to others.
The adult Mental Health First Aid course is appropriate for anyone who wants to learn how to help an individual who may be experiencing a mental health crisis or concern.
SOMETIMES, THE BEST FIRST AID IS YOU. Take the course, save a life, strengthen your community.
Do Not Miss This Opportunity
MHANYS' Capital Region Project AWARE is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
This is an 8-hour class and runs from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
This class is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
2328 5th Ave.
Troy, NY 12180
United States


text:
Jason Priestley, Glen Suitor TSN Football Analyst, George Siu Memphis Blues BBQ, Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole Fox Sports One and DJ Kearney all have suggestions for food, wine and Super bowl party tricks
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
It's Super Bowl Weekend..a readymade excuse to eat, drink and gather with friends and family.
Even if you could care less who's playing..there's always a nice buzz around the day.
So, I've asked friends – who know this area of expertise very well – to talk about their food and wine plans..where they're watching the game itself and if they have any suggestions for us.
Jay and Dan – Fox Sports One/LA
We know them as Jay and Dan..first with TSN and now with Fox Sports One in LA.
Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole are friends on the air and off. They know their sports and their comedy.
Let's see what they know about Super Sunday dining and drinks..and where will they be. We found them in their cars heading for work at Fox studios.
These boys bring the laughs… always have, always will. They also have your betting line nailed down.. www.jayanddan.com
Memphis Blues BBQ
Park Heffelfinger and George Siu are the owners of Memphis Blues BBQ House..
You'll usually find then at their Broadway location or the one on /Commercial..there are lots of others but these two shops have a special "lived in" feel.
Super Sunday will find them crazy busy before first light..people just keep coming for Elvis platters and mounds of ribs and pulled pork..it's a wild place to be around Super Bowl.
I asked Park and George about what people are looking for in their food and especially their drinks.. Don't let the down home smoke house fool you… these guys are all over their drink lists..always changing wines and beers and bourbons..they're serious about getting things right.
And as always…funny as hell. www.memphisbluesbbq.com
Jason Priestley you know..he may not be the biggest NFL fan but nobody throws a better party..Hollywood party people.
Glen Suitor – Suits – was a hell of a defensive back in his playing days. He's gone on to become the leading colour analyst for TSN CFL Coverage. He really knows his wines..and his football.
DJ Kearney is everywhere. Director of wine at NewDistrict.ca, high level martial arts athlete and the person who usually is last one
out the door and shuts off the lights after the gathering. She has wines for your weekend food and throws in some wines for Valentine's day. www.newdistrict.ca
and we finish with Frank Gigliotti. A West Coast legend who's been a rock label rep, ran the BC Lions, then started making wines – for real – at California Cult Classics.
It's a private wine club. You buy into a barrel of high end wine from Napa and it's yours and no one else's.
He only uses the two best growers in Napa. Beckstoffer and Stagecoach.
Grapes are picked at 3am and driven directly to Vancouver..we're talking great juice.
Finally Frank has been convinced to start a winery – Infinity. It's TWO YEARS away but this is a label you want to know about.
Top level wines are coming my friends.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
3 one hour specials on the Vancouver Wine Festival


text:
From June 1st-10th, (RED)—which has raised $250 million to fight AIDS to date— has teamed up with Chef Mario Batali, Pat LaFrieda to turn the food & drink world (RED). Restaurants, bars, food trucks and everyone in between will be offering (RED) dishes & cocktails to raise money and awareness to help fight AIDS. We want home-cooking fans to get involved too.
Eater partnered with Le Creuset, Vitamix, Plated and (RED) to give away The INC(RED)IBLE Kitchen. What does that entail? We are talking a 20-piece Le Creuset cookware set, a Professional Series 750 Vitamax blender, and a 6-month membership and 6 boxes of Plated. With all of this, you will be able to create and share your own (RED) recipes.
Visit www.red.org to see all of the restaurants serving (RED) dishes and cocktails in your area and more ways to help #86AIDS. Enter to win this unbelievable kitchen before it's too late. >>


text:
Microsoft is hoping to increase Windows smartphone and tablet market share by lowering prices.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal's Digits, Microsoft hopes to bring prices for mobile devices running its software below the $200 mark.
The report cites comments made by Microsoft's vice president of OEM partners Nick Parker during a keynote at the annual Computex conference.
Parker said Microsoft intends to hit 7, 8 and 10-inch tablet prices that are "very indsutry competitive," saying the company will bring devices to market in the $100-$300 range.
Parker also said some smartphones running the Windows Phone operating systems will dip below $200 but didn't mention specific manufacturers.
Windows Phone has struggled to gain market share primarily because of a lack of compatible apps for the platform, but also because the company charges OEMs licensing fees to use Windows Phone. Google offers Android to OEMs for free.
According to numbers from IDC Research released last week, Windows Phone in 2014 volumes are expected to grow 29.5 percent over 2013, reaching 43 million shipments. This momentum is expected to continue into 2015, reaching 65.9 million units, continuing on to 115.3 million in 2018.


text:
The fracking debate rages on.
It's a divisive issue, no more so than in the U.S. – where 90%-plus of all global fracking is done now, pitting neighbour against neighbour.
On the table from the industry side: more energy produced in our own backyard, more jobs, more tax revenue.
On the other side: environmental concerns, such as the potential for fracking to contaminated drinking water. (That may or may not be true, but it certainly validates the fierce emotion behind the issue.)
Is there any common ground in the debate over hydraulic fracturing?
Recently I published a success story about a Philadelphia oil refinery that was saved from shut-down. Stakeholders were able to put aside differences and create a win-win scenario for everyone.
Can the groups on either side of the fracking debate do the same?
The stakes are now higher than ever. Media reports surfaced in late August that New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo may end the ban on fracking the state has had since 2008. Trouble started immediately.
The Albany Times-Union reports that roughly 1,200 people attended a march through the state's capital on Monday, August 27, calling on Cuomo to uphold the fracking ban.
"Hydrofracking remains a divisive issue for New Yorkers and presents DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) and the Governor with a political 'lose-lose,'" Steven Greenberg, a pollster at Siena, said. "Whatever decision they make is going to upset as many people as it pleases."
A recent survey from Siena Research Institute found more New Yorkers supported restarting fracking than opposed it... by a razor-thin margin of 39 percent to 38 percent.
Still, the DEC's research notes that the industry could bring more than 17,600 jobs to the state, and potentially as much as $125 million each year in tax revenue, making a strong counter-argument all on its own.
For many, the issue is jobs and royalties vs. the environment. I don't see it that way, though. This multi-billion dollar industry--horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracking--has been around for 15 years, but really only seen major growth since 2007—five short years ago.
And as companies test new fracking technology—plug & perf vs. open hole, slickwater vs. oil vs. propane—new things get developed that keep lowering costs and increasing the amount of oil and gas that can get produced. What I mean to say is that technology is changing so fast, the industry can hardly keep up--much less the general public. And the industry is obviously fixated on keeping up with the competition; not explaining things to the public--which, in all likelihood, will all be out of date shortly.
The industry is even developing more environmental ways of fracking. I believe, for example, that in five years all fracking fluid will be food-grade. You (ok, maybe not you, but the oil and gas company reps) will be able to drink the stuff. The public is demanding it. I think it will happen—but not right away.
The industry and the public are going to continue to dance around this issue for the next couple years trying to find consensus. The Shale Revolution is SO important economically to the United States there is no way fracking is EVER going to get banned in the near-to-mid-term. But both sides need to work harder to find consensus.
The two sides don't talk the same language yet. When regulators produce 450-page studies which have scientific backing that say fracking can be done safely, I don't hear respect from the people opposed to fracking.
And the industry... well, a lot of them are like deer caught in the headlights. They've been fracking for 50 years, and they just can't get over what all this new fuss is about.
It's high time to get over it, guys.
There is a very bright light of mainstream attention that will forever change the way oil and gas does its business in the developed world, and how it gets permitted.
Sadly, the industry hasn't been pro-active or successful in getting ahead of public opinion on fracking, and they remain re-active in responding to issues—most of which they clearly never thought were issues in the first place.
And some very aggressive operators who have little bedside manner haven't helped at local levels—especially in areas that are new to oil and gas, like the northeast US.
Carol French and Carolyn Knapp, two Pennsylvania dairy farmers, are outspoken critics of fracking. They not only point to stories of contaminated wells but to the problems that come with the infrastructure brought in by operators. According to The Associated Press, the pair say that pipelines can cut off access to crops and drilling equipment can cause serious damage to roads.
"I never in my wildest dreams envisioned the industrialization that comes along with this process," Knapp told a group in North Carolina.
Siobhan Griffin, a New York cattle farmer, told the news source that she fears for her animals if fracking comes to town.
Two incidents stick out in her mind: the quarantine of 28 cows in Pennsylvania after they drank fracking wastewater and the death of 17 Louisiana cows that died after drinking water that was contaminated. (Fracking involves millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and about 1% chemicals pumped into the earth to fracture shale rock, releasing gas. The wastewater created by this has caused many fears of drinking water contamination.)
Not all farmers have the same view of fracking, however. Some see the wealth it has brought their neighbours, and are anxious to get in on the action.
New York dairy farmer Jennifer Huntington took her town to court after it stopped a well plan on her land. She says that the money brought in by the operation would have paid for a number of updates to her farm.
"We would have used the royalties to update the anaerobic digester that we installed in 1984," she told the AP. "We would have purchased a better oil seed press to more efficiently press soybeans for biodiesel. We would have invested in our farm, our land and our employees."
Dan Fitzsimmons, the chief of the 70,000-member Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, has worked to have the Empire State lift its moratorium on fracking so he and others could profit from it like their neighbors in Pennsylvania.
"I go over the border and see people planting orchards, buying tractors, putting money back in their land," he said. "We'd like to do that, too, but instead we struggle to pay the taxes and to hang onto our farms."
The picture is not always clear even once fracking starts up, however. While some of the environmental impacts of fracking may often get overstated, and are often misunderstood, some incidents have highlighted the potential for problems just in bringing the gas industry into populated areas.
The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that the town of Dimock, Pennsylvania—made famous by a shot of flaming tap water from the slightly histrionic documentary Gasland—remains deeply divided by the presence of the gas industry.
The town was at one point the epicenter of the hydraulic fracturing debate after initial reports suggested that fracking had tainted nearby wells. The story really kicked off when methane that had collected in one well exploded, ignited by the well's electric pump.
Investigation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency eventually found that the problem was actually with the cement used to seal off the wells, which let gas migrate into the local aquifers. Still, even with extensive efforts to fix the wells and clean the water, many residents remain opposed to further drilling and distrustful of the companies doing the work.
"You sort of have to give them the opportunity to fix your water. It's all about the water; it's not about the money," Bill Ely, a 61-year-old resident of Dimock, told the Inquirer. However, he added, "Once your water is bad, it's hard to get back to drinking it."
Even in areas where the environmental impacts have been less dramatic, there has been notable disagreement. The Star-Gazette notes the example of Montana's Blackfeet Indian Reservation, which leased about two-thirds of its land for oil and gas exploration in 2008.
The reservation has already brought in around $30 million; enough to pay off debts incurred building a casino, upgrade some of the area's infrastructure and offer some regular income for residents, without any dramatic environmental problems.
However, the land has started to fill up with all the trappings of the oil and gas industry, from drilling rigs to water and chemical containers, leading many to question the decision.
So the debate continues. The emotional side needs to look at the science, and the engineers need to understand the emotion, which doesn't get papered over with a study. I would suggest it's up to industry to make the big first move—whatever that is. But for it to be effective, it needs to be a Big Leap Forward.
By. Keith Schaefer


text:
In 2004, when Google introduced Gmail, it wasn't instantly obvious to everyone why the search engine phenom would want to get into the e-mail business. Actually, given that the company made its announcement on April 1, some people wondered, momentarily, whether the news was a hoax. Even once it was clear that Gmail was the real deal, Google felt the need, in the Gmail FAQ, to answer the burning question "Why is Google offering email? I thought you were a search company."
The era of people being confused by Gmail was so brief that it's easy to forget such an era ever existed. Gmail quickly became not just one of Google's core services but one of the web's core services — the webmail client that came to define webmail clients even though it was far from the first one. Like most things Google does, Gmail hasn't been without its controversies, but it's still one of the company's great success stories. I recently chatted with Alex Gawley, the service's product manager, about Gmail's first nine years — and a little bit about where it might be going.
First, to refresh your memory, here's an infographic-based history of Gmail that Google distributed last month, complete with major milestones such as 2010's Priority Inbox, probably Gmail's biggest innovation since the ones that got it started:
One of the reasons Gmail took the web by surprise was that it wasn't necessarily obvious that web-based mail was ripe for reinvention. Nine years ago, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail were good, popular and deeply entrenched; they seemed to have the market as it existed all sewn up. Gmail shattered that assumption because it was the first major web-based e-mail that aspired to be good enough to be someone's primary inbox.
"From the very start, [Gmail] was about pushing the boundaries of what an e-mail product might be for people," Gawley says. "Back in 2004, most webmail providers were giving people a few megabytes of storage. They were thought of as this interesting quirk. A gigabyte of storage was pretty much 200 times what everyone else had." (Gawley is underestimating: Gmail's original, groundbreaking 1GB — upgraded over the years to today's 15GB, shared with other Google services — was 500 times Hotmail's 2MB and 250 times Yahoo Mail's 4MB.)
As you'd expect of an e-mail service from Google, Gmail also had far better search than any competitor of the time. Its anti-spam measures were unusually effective. And while it didn't originate the idea of organizing messages in threaded conversations rather than as discrete messages, it helped popularize it.
Another Gmail innovation was the way Google made money from it: by scanning the text of messages for keywords and then displaying tiny ads related to those words, a twist on the ads which accompany its search-engine results. The approach was startling and controversial at first, but the kerfuffle was short-lived; only recently has it become much of a subject of conversation again, mostly because Microsoft keeps bringing it up and accusing Google of invading Gmail users' privacy. (Outlook.com, the successor to Hotmail, doesn't use keyword-based advertising.)
I asked Gawley about Microsoft's contention that consumers should be bothered by Gmail's ad technology. "Ads across all Google services help keep them free," he says. "Generally, users understand that we've been very clear in the way we've talked to users about what our systems do in order to show useful, relevant ads. We use the same sort of technology we use to keep spam out of your inbox and provide Priority Inbox."
Which is not to say that Gmail users are understanding about everything. As a group, users of web services — or at least a noisy minority of users of web services — don't deal well with change. And as one of the planet's most widely used, essential web services, Gmail is probably second only to Facebook when it comes to examples of users going ballistic over interface adjustments. The most striking example: Google Buzz, Google's short-lived attempt to turn Gmail into a Twitter-like social network, which prompted an outpouring of concern over privacy issues before withering away and eventually being superseded by Google+.
Me, I liked the lighter, airier version of Gmail which Google began rolling out in 2011…
…but some pretty smart people pined for the maximum information density of its more cramped predecessor, and continue to do so. And I continue to hear gripes about the new, smaller compose window Google first previewed last October and made permanent and universal in March.
So how does Google deal with the fact that it's likely impossible to alter Gmail in meaningful ways without ticking off a measurable percentage of users?
"This is a tool people use a lot, they're pretty used to it," Gawley says. "Even with features that people become very excited about, [change] can still be a jarring experience." And since Gmail is a productivity tool, folks can be sensitive about changes arriving when they're trying to get stuff done.
"Sometimes, 'right now is not a good time,'" he says. That's one reason why significant changes to Gmail's look and feel usually arrive first as optional previews, allowing users to put off the transition. The previews also allow Google to gauge feedback on changes, and it sometimes tweaks further based on what it learns.
Gmail controversies tend to involve the desktop-browser version of the service — its original version, the one with the most features and the one which gets updated at the fastest clip. But today, that's only one variant of Gmail. The service was mobile from early on: Google launched a version for phone browsers in 2005 and a Java app, compatible with a wide variety of the era's phones, in 2006. Today, in the age of iPhones, iPads and Android gizmos, mobile Gmail is feeling less like a fundamentally secondary way to use the service and more like the one that could edge out the classic desktop browser one over time.
Actually, though, Google doesn't think of Gmail for phones and tablets as one thing. "There's mobile devices and there's tablets, and we tend to think about them together as an industry because of the commonality of operating systems," Gawley says. But phone Gmail needs to be designed for on-the-go use on a tiny screen; tablet Gmail has more screen real estate and less of a need for ultra-mobility.
I mentioned to Gawley that in all its phone and tablet forms, Gmail still isn't anywhere near as feature-rich as it is in its traditional desktop incarnation. I wondered: Is that a statement by Google that these newfangled versions of Gmail need to err on the side of simplicity?
"We're still very much in active development on those platforms," he says. "The pace of change on Android Gmail and iOS Gmail will accelerate as we build more and more of the features people need going forward. But at the same time, we want to be really thoughtful." (If I were in charge, I'd decree that desktop Gmail's utterly indispensable Send and Archive button — which spend almost four years as a Gmail Labs experiment before becoming an official desktop Gmail feature — would be added to every version of Gmail immediately.)
Even on the desktop, making Gmail both powerful and simple involves an endless parade of judgement calls, in part because there's no such thing as a typical user. "There is a very broad spectrum of people using Gmail," says Gawley. And "even with individual users, their use is also a spread across that spectrum." In many cases, Gmail aims to strike a balance by offering advanced features but keeping them out of the way unless you need them.
For instance, "even the most powerful users send short messages with no formatting," he explains, which is why the new compose window hides most formatting options when you open it. But Google's research showed that 50% of messages with one bit of formatting included multiple pieces of formatting; that's why the formatting toolbar stays open once you've used it.
(Occasionally, I've been mystified by Google's decisions about which features mattered: for a while, Gmail suggested people you might want to add as recipients. For me, at least, it was useless clutter — I knew who I wanted to send messages to, and the suggestions were never among them — but there was no way to shut the feature off. One reason I'm a fan of the new simplified compose window is because it eliminated this "feature.")
As I wound up my conversation with Gawley, I asked him about the future of e-mail — or, more specifically, the possibility that e-mail's future might be less eventful than its past. For years now, surveys have shown that young people are less dependent on e-mail than their parents, older siblings and others who lived through the medium's glory days. Gmail, like all e-mail, faces competition from everything from text messaging to video calls to Snapchat.
Gawley rejects the theory that e-mail is on the wane: "People are using e-mail more and more and more. I don't subscribe to the theory that it's becoming less important." At the same time, he says, "We have to think about e-mail differently than we did nine years ago — it's part of an overall electronic communication mix." He points to Gmail's integration of Google+'s Hangouts feature as an example: it lets you launch a ten-person video chat from your inbox.
Thinking about the future of Gmail, I told Gawley that Gmail Labs, the service's collection of experimental, optional features seemed pretty quiet lately; no longer did Google seem to implement every feature that popped into anybody's head, such as Mail Googles, which let you choose to have Gmail force you to do math problems to prevent you from sending late-night drunken e-mail.
He acknowledged that Gmail Labs is, indeed, less of an exercise in stream-of-consciousness engineering than it once was. "Across Google, we recognize that we should be investing in experiments that will have the biggest possible impact. At the same time, we want to make sure that we don't lose the change that comes out of something that seems small when you start, but grows to be something world-changing."
I'm not sure what Gmail could do in 2013 or beyond that could be as world-changing as the service was in 2004 — but it would be fun if Google came up with something, and it's good to know it's trying.


text:
Thermo Fisher Scientific and Life Technologies Corporation have signed a definitive agreement under which Thermo Fisher will acquire Life Technologies for $76.00 in cash per fully diluted common share, or approximately $13.6 billion, plus the assumption of net debt at close ($2.2 billion as of year end 2012).
The transaction, which was approved by both companies' boards of directors, will create a leader in serving research, specialty diagnostics and applied markets. The combination builds on both companies' technological strengths to accelerate results for life sciences customers working in proteomics, genomics and cell biology.
"We are extremely excited about this transaction because it creates the ultimate partner for our customers and significant value for our shareholders," said Marc N. Casper, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "The acquisition of Life Technologies enhances all three elements of our growth strategy: technological innovation, a unique customer value proposition and expansion in emerging markets.
"Our customers in research and applied markets will now be able to achieve even higher levels of innovation and productivity by working with the combined company. We're especially excited about the new opportunities we will have to leverage our complementary offerings, fueled by a shared commitment to continuous innovation. For our shareholders, we expect the transaction to generate attractive financial returns, as well as significant and immediate accretion to our adjusted EPS."
Gregory T. Lucier, chairman and chief executive officer of Life Technologies, said, "This transaction brings together two companies intent on accelerating innovation for our customers and achieving greater success in a highly competitive global industry. Further, this combination delivers immediate and significant cash value to our stockholders and represents a successful conclusion to the board's strategic review to enhance stockholder value and develop an even stronger future for Life Technologies. We look forward to joining forces with the outstanding team at Thermo Fisher, which shares our commitment to customers, employees and the communities we serve."
Casper added, "We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues from Life Technologies to the Thermo Fisher team. Together, we will be in an even stronger position to fulfill our company's mission, which is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer."
Life provides innovative products and services to customers conducting scientific research and genetic analysis, as well as those in applied markets, such as forensics and food safety testing. With 2012 revenues of $3.8 billion, its comprehensive offering includes a broad range of reagents, consumables, instruments and systems. Life's leading technologies are protected by approximately 5,000 patents and licenses, and it builds on this position through a strong commitment to innovation. Life has an expansive commercial presence and global footprint as well, with more than 10,000 employees serving its customers around the world.
It is expected that Life Technologies' president and chief operating officer, Mark P. Stevenson, will have a significant leadership role in the combined company. In addition, Thermo Fisher intends to elect a member of the Life Technologies board of directors to the Thermo Fisher board.


text:
Interior of Europa
The diagram shows possibilities for the interior structure of Europa. There is a core of rocky material buried inside, overlain with ice of various phases.
The diagram shows that there may be an ocean of water beneath the surface crust of ice on Europa. This is because the temperature inside Europa may be just right for water.
The lack of craters on the surface of Europa provides evidence that activity which resurfaced Europa persisted for far longer than activity which changed the surface of Ganymede. Fresh ice, as well as evidence of flowing liquid cover the surface of Europa.
If the temperature inside Europa is just right, then there might still be water inside. Such an environment might prove to be habitable for life.


text:
If you are looking for a particular object -- say a yellow pencil -- on a cluttered desk, how does your brain work to visually locate it?
For the first time, a team led by Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientists has identified how different neural regions communicate to determine what to visually pay attention to and what to ignore. This finding is a major discovery for visual cognition and will guide future research into visual and attention deficit disorders.
The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, used various brain imaging techniques to show exactly how the visual cortex and parietal cortex send direct information to each other through white matter connections in order to specifically pick out the information that you want to see.
"We have demonstrated that attention is a process in which there is one-to-one mapping between the first place visual information comes from the eyes into the brain and beyond to other parts of the brain," said Adam S. Greenberg, postdoctoral fellow in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences' Department of Psychology and lead author of the study.
"With so much information in the visual world, it's dramatic to think that you have an entire system behind knowing what to pay attention to," said Marlene Behrmann, professor of psychology at CMU and an expert in using brain imaging to study the visual perception system. "The mechanisms show that you can actually drive the visual system -- you are guiding your own sensory system in an intelligent and smart fashion that helps facilitate your actions in the world."
For the study, the research team conducted two sets of experiments with five adults. They first used several different functional brain scans to identify regions in the brain responsible for visual processing and attention. One task had the participants look at a dot in the center of the screen while six stimuli danced around the dot. The second task asked the participants to respond to the stimuli one at a time. These scans determined the regions in both the visual and parietal cortices. The researchers could then look for connectivity between these regions.
The second part of the experiment collected anatomical data of the brain's white matter connectivity while the participants had their brains scanned without performing any tasks. Then, the researchers combined the results with those from the functional experiments to show how white matter fibers tracked from the regions determined previously, the visual cortex and the parietal cortex. The results demonstrated that the white matter connections are mapped systematically, meaning that direct connections exist between corresponding visual field locations in visual cortex and parietal cortex.
The researchers used a technique called "diffusion spectrum imaging," a new procedure pioneered at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh to generate the fiber tracts of the white matter connectivity. This method was combined with high-resolution tractography and provides scientists with better estimates of the hard-wired connections between brain regions and increased accuracy over conventional tractography methods, such as those typically used with diffusion tensor imaging.
"The work done in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh researchers exploits a very new, precise and cutting edge methodology," Behrmann said.
"Because we know that training can alter white matter, it might be possible, through training, that the ability to filter out irrelevant or unwanted information could be improved," Greenberg said.
Additional researchers on this study included Timothy Verstynen, a research associate in the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research and Development Center, Yu-Chin Chiu, a post-doc in University of California, San Diego's Department of Psychology, Steven Yantis, professor of psychological and brain sciences at the Johns Hopkins University and Walter Schneider, professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. Greenberg, Behrmann, Verstynen and Schneider are also members of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), a joint project between Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh devoted to investigating neural mechanisms and their impact on human cognitive abilities.
The National Institutes of Health funded this research.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Carnegie Mellon University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Cite This Page:


text:
Menu title
This section doesn't currently include any content. Add content to this section using the sidebar.
Your headline
Image caption appears here
Add your deal, information or promotional text
Don't know how to choose your size? Don't worry, We'll help you find the perfect size.
Measure from the stitches below the armpits on one side to another.
Measure from where the shoulder seam meets the armhole to the cuff.
Measure from the center of the collar edge to the bottom of the garment.
Measure straight across the top of the waistband from edge to edge.
Measure from the bottom of the front rise to the top of the front rise.
Measure straight across the widest hip line from edge to edge.
Measured from the crotch seam to the top edge of the back waistband.
Measure across straight from the crotch seam to the outside of the leg.
Measure straight across the leg opening.
Measure the length from the crotch seam to the bottom of the leg.
Measure from the waistband to the leg opening or hem.
Motorcycle style striped cotton socks, high cotton content, vintage vibe, 5 colors available.


text:
HILO, Hawaii: Government and higher education officials gathered on a soggy Friday morning in the partially cleared lot across the street from the main entrance of the University of Hawaii-Hilo in order to break ground on an important project.
The University Village student housing project has been long in the making, and now phase I is finally underway.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held today for the University of Hawai`i at Hilo's University Village Phase I. The project, located on 33 acres fronting the University's main entrance on Kawili Street, will feature approximately 300 student housing units in apartments and suite-style residence halls.
The new units are the first to be built on campus since 1989, and are being financed by a $32 million appropriation of G.O. and Revenue Bonds approved by the legislature. UH Hilo currently has just 600 housing units on campus serving an enrollment in excess of 4,100.
"This project will ensure our continued growth and development," said Chancellor Don Straney. "We deeply appreciate the efforts of our Hawai`i Island legislators along with the support of Governor Neil Abercrombie that made this initiative possible."
In addition to servicing the University's growing enrollment, the new units will help create a supportive living, learning community. Students from the sophomore class and above will be housed in the new units, allowing the more centrally located housing on campus to be utilized for promising new student success initiatives, like a freshman village.
"This gives UH Hilo a chance to distinguish itself as the State's residential campus and to be on the leading edge nationally for promoting a positive student learning environment," said Luoluo Hong, vice chancellor for student affairs.
Phase I will be housed in a 105,500 square-foot complex occupying approximately five acres. The building will feature a trio of three-story residential wings comprised of two-bedroom units housing 302 students and a one-story Resident Life common area that interlocks with two exterior courtyards. Other amenities will include a new parking lot and bike storage for residents.
The standard residential units measure 324 square-feet with a pair of 84 square-foot bedrooms, bathroom and shower facilities and an entry lounge. A modified, standard two-bedroom unit that complies with ADA standards will also be available.
The Resident Life component will provide a "home away from home" where residents can lounge and mingle with each other as well as tend to their day-to-day activities. Key features include a laundry area, mailing facilities, study/conference rooms, computer lab and pantries.
The development was planned and designed by Mitsunaga and Associates, Inc., (MAI) of Honolulu. Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. has been selected as the general contractor for the project, which is expected to be completed in 2013.
Completion of Phase I will lay the groundwork for Phase II, a shared vision to develop a campus-related commercial center. This initiative, planned and developed by the private sector, will create the ambiance of a college town that will complement both the University and Hilo community while creating economic activity that affords opportunities for small businesses as well as workforce development.
SOURCE: University of Hawaii-Hilo


text:
Banana Blossom in Brine is freshly processed right for best quality. Banana blossom is cut in chunk pieces. Banana blossom is used to cook many traditional Thai dishes like curry. Banana blossom is also a special vegetable dip for Thai chili paste. Banana blossom is a little crunchy. Ingredients: Banana blossom, water, salt, potassium meta bisulphite as preservative. Net weight: 19.00oz. Product of Thailand.
Tags: Canned Food, Ingredients, Banana


text:
When a woman with four children arrived on their doorstep, Murrayville residents Lillian and Dwain Seymour had to let her know she wouldn't be moving in.
"She had already given notice," Dwain recalled. "I told her, it's [our house] not for rent, never has, never will be."
Shocked, the woman told the Seymours she had handed over an $800 deposit to a person she met in a coffee shop, believing they were behind an ad on the Craigslist website that displayed genuine photos taken of the exterior of the Seymour's property in the 3600-block of 224th St., but fake interior photos taken from some other source.
"Her bags were packed," Lillian recalled.
"She was homeless."
Four different people have showed up at the Seymour's home in less than a month, lured by the online ad.
There have been others, who the retired couple have noticed stopping to have a look, then leaving.
As it turned out, the online ad – which has reportedly been taken down – told would-be tenants not to knock on the door or go onto the property, so as not to disturb the "current tenants."
READ MORE: B.C. woman has hundreds show up in $500 Craigslist rental scam
Lillian said it all started with a phone call in early September from a woman who claimed to be with a real estate company.
She asked if their house was for rent, and when Lillian said it wasn't, the caller kept asking questions until Lillian hung up.
A few days later, a man drove into their front yard, and told the couple he was looking to rent a place for a friend.
That was when they learned about the online for-rent ad.
The couple reported the incident to police, who told them to contact Craigslist and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online.
Lillian said they tried, but it was a frustrating experience, because the anti-fraud centre and Craigslist could only be reached by email.
As of Wednesday, the fraud line has posted a message apologizing for "intermittent disruptions with our toll-free telephone line that may cause your call to be disconnected."
"You can't phone anyone any more," Lillian said.
They decided to go public to warn people about the scam.
READ ALSO: Langley photographer stung in $4,200 overpayment scam
Langley RCMP Cpl. Holy Largy said people need to take basic precautions when responding to a rental ad.
"Don't rent a place sight unseen," Largy advised. "Don't hand money over before viewing a property."
"If it seems to be good to be true, it probably is," Largy added.
Better Business Bureau reports this type of scam has been going on for several years across all provinces on websites like Craigslist and Kijiji.
The agency recommends searching online for the listings, or the scammer's email address or phone number.
If you find the same ad being posted and located in other cities then you can be sure it's a scam, the BBB says.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter


text:
Christina Aguilera Goes Casual on Lucky Cover
Christina Aguilera is always glammed up on 'The Voice.' Perennially red-lipped. Always long-lashed. Totally done up. She swaps out her glamazon look for a soft, sweet and sexy, not to mention casual, pose on the cover of the October issue of Lucky.
With a slick of pale pink gloss on her lips, non-dramtic black eyeliner and wavy but tame hair, Xtina looks even more beautiful when she tones it down. She's even passed up her designer duds for some light washed denim. She keeps things thoroughly Xtina thanks to statement rings. We can't expect a girl to give up all her comforts, can we?
In the feature, Xtina recalls how her look – who remembers those assless chaps? — was influenced by those around her, namely her record label personnel.
"When you're young, it's so easy to get bulldozed," Xtina said. "There were these two ladies who worked at the record label who always wanted to come to fittings and dress me up like a Barbie doll. It was disgusting."
Xtina didn't shy away from discussing her back-to-back flops – her 2010 disaster of an album 'Bionic' or the film 'Burlesque.' Both failed to find audiences. Then she totally botched the lyrics and melody of the national anthem at the 2011 Super Bowl, which many considered a sacrilege.
But none of that nonsense got her down.
"Difficult moments in life can either get you down or they can inspire you," the 'Beautiful' singer mused. She teased about her upcoming album, saying, "If you love 'Fighter,' you're going to love my new album. As a 30-year-old woman, I've been uncovering my independence, and it's been really fun to explore in the new songs."
She also spoke about her love of fashion and being theatrical with attire, and of course, about those much-discussed assets, which often pop out of her clothes on 'The Voice.' She said, "Actually, the challenge I've always had is being too thin, so I love that now I have a booty, and obviously I love showing my cleavage."
Xtina suggests her fellow curvy gals do the same, saying, "Hey, if you can work it and you can own it, that confidence is going to shine through."
Watch the Christina Aguilera 'Dirty' Video


text:
Health News
Parkinson's Rx May Trigger Impulse Control Disorders
Dopamine receptor agonists are medicines used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Patients who take them, however, may find themselves having trouble with impulse control.
Rest for Weary Legs
Restless legs syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system that causes uncomfortable urges to move limbs. Patients often wonder if there are medications that work, and if they are safe.
FDA Drug Safety Communication: Mirapex and Heart Failure
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public about a possible increased risk of heart failure with Mirapex (pramipexole), a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome.
FDA Warns Parkinson's Drug May Increase Heart Risk
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials have warned that a drug primarily used to treat symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease may increase the risk of heart failure.
Mirapex Effective for Restless Legs
While restless legs syndrome seems like an odd disorder that some people may find hard to believe, people who suffer the discomfort have no doubt this disorder exists. And now patients have effective treatment choices.
Mirapex Helps Parkinson's Depression
Patients with Parkinson's Disease often suffer from depression. One drug that treats a number of Parkinson's physical symptoms may also help with some of the emotional complications of the disease.
You Can't Stop Yourself
Earlier this year, a French man claimed that the drugs he was taking for Parkinson's disease made him addicted to gambling. Adding support to these claims, a new study shows that Parkinson's drugs can lead to impulse control problems.


text: Every pair of SAXX features a combination of technology and innovation that makes them the most comfortable, high-performance underwear ever made. The Articulated Front Pouch and Patented Internal Mesh Panels combine to give you the room you need, while preventing unwanted friction. Each pair also features a Moisture Wicking Waistband that keeps you dry when the temperature rises. Lastly, we use a wide range of cutting edge technical fabrics, each with a specific feature to enhance your wearing experience.


text:
The City of Tempe announced today that Ryan Companies US, Inc. and Sunbelt Holdings will develop a site owned by Arizona State University adjacent to Tempe Town Lake, subject to City Council approval of development agreement details in the coming month.
State Farm will lease office space and anchor the multi-use development.
"We are thrilled that Ryan Companies US, Inc. and Sunbelt Holdings have been selected to co-develop and construct the State Farm regional hub," said John Strittmatter, President of Ryan Companies US, Inc., Southwest Division.
"With retail and recreational amenities on site for State Farm employees and the entire community to enjoy, Marina Heights will become an important icon of the Tempe Town Lake landscape and we are proud to be a part of it."
The Marina Heights project in Tempe will be the largest office development deal in Arizona history, with more than 2 MSF to be constructed on more than 20 acres. Construction costs are estimated at $600M. Additionally, 40,000 SF to 60,000 SF of retail amenities will complement the transit-oriented development, including food service, coffee shops, restaurants, business services, and fitness facilities.
The site will also feature an approximately 10-acre lakeside plaza, which will be open to the public.
"This is a proud day for Tempe and everyone involved. We are tremendously excited about what the addition of State Farm will mean to our community over the decades to come," said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell. "These employees, buildings, and amenities will further contribute to and showcase the vibrancy of Tempe Town Lake, Mill Avenue, and Arizona State University, and serve as a catalyst for more high-quality development."
"We are thrilled that State Farm will be expanding in Arizona," said Gov. Jan Brewer. "The jobs that will be created to make this project a reality will be a tremendous boon to our economy. This is a great example of how our plan to build an Arizona that is attractive to high value employers is hitting the mark."
The five-building campus will be leased by State Farm and become a hub to include a combination of new hires and existing employees who will provide claims, service, and sales support to State Farm customers.
"State Farm selected Tempe because it has a growing population with skill sets that match our customers' needs," said Mary Crego, Senior Vice President, State Farm. "The site along Tempe Town Lake gives our employees access to nearby amenities as well as easy connections to public transportation."
"We look forward to having State Farm as a neighbor and to working with the company on a variety of programs including employee recruitment and academic programs for their staff," said ASU President Michael M. Crow.
"State Farm's decision to lease the land owned by the university immediately adjacent to the ASU Athletic Facilities District is the first major step in the campaign to fund new and renovated sports facilities for the university. The Athletic Facilities District will be home to an exciting mixed-use development reflecting high quality and the best practices of sustainability. A high stature tenant such as State Farm will add to the luster of the district and validates its attractiveness."
The project is being developed by Ryan Companies US, Inc. and Sunbelt Holdings. Tempe-based architectural firm DAVIS designed the project.


text:
Stick a fork in the sacrosanctity of Thanksgiving — it is done. A number of retailers, most famously Walmart, will be opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day, on the premise that they will be scooping up sales from consumers too eager to wait for Black Friday. Whether that is true or whether so-called Gray Thursday will cannibalize sales meant for Black Friday and Cyber Monday is yet to be determined.
What is certain is that the time period in which consumers can score incredibly low-priced deals has expanded to include Thanksgiving Day. Indeed, the only question for consumers is how strategic should they be with their shopping.
Will the best doorbuster savings be offered on Thanksgiving or is it safe to wait for Black Friday? Will Cyber Monday hold true to its reputation of being the best day to shop online or will that theory be retired, along with the notion that consumers wait until they're back at work to access high-speed Internet and go shopping.
These days, many consumers have high-speed at home — and significant numbers don't even bother with wired access but shop from their smartphones instead.
Low Prices vs. Supply
Since Gray Thursday is a relatively new phenomenon, it is hard for bargain hunters to rely on trends from past years. There is plenty of guesswork out there, though.
One view is that it's unlikely deals will dramatically change from day to day.
"I think midnight Thursday prices will be the same on Friday," Follett Carter, an adjunct marketing lecturer at the University of Michigan, told the E-Commerce Times. Supply, however, will be a different matter entirely.
The biggest wildcard for pricing is online, Carter said, noting that for online retailers, "that is their only differentiator."
Long Lines
Black Friday is not just about supply and price. It's also about lines — long lines, in many cases.
After analyzing 2 billion check-ins, Foursquare found that the peak time for shopping on Black Friday was 2:00 a.m. It also found that superstores had the shortest lines at 6:00 am.
Secret Gray Thursday Bargains?
Although there has been much justified grumbling by retail employees who have to work on Gray Thursday, consumers seeking bargains might want to consider shopping that day, despite the deals that will still be available on Black Friday and the rest of the weekend.
What a lot of consumers don't realize is that many retailers do not advertise pre-holiday sales on Gray Thursday, said Melanie St. Jean, a fashion and retail professor at Johnson & Wales University.
Instead, they have unadvertised in-store promotions.
"These promotions test the buying patterns of consumers looking to do early shopping and [avoid] the crowds on Friday," she told the E-Commerce Times.
Black Friday will still be very important for both retailers and consumers. Retailers also have purchased special deals at limited quantities to test the buying patterns of consumers, noted St. Jean. "These limited quantities are usually on big-ticket items where the minimum buy would not be as big as, say, soft lines. Therefore you will see pricy electronics being marked at lower than normal discounts."
In other words, these stores will not take a large markup on goods but rather see the offers as important because they draw shoppers through their doors. This is largely done in stores where multiple purchases can be made, such as Target, Walmart, Sears and Best Buy, St. Jean said.
As for Cyber Monday, this year sales will be bigger than ever, she predicted, largely due to consumers showrooming on Black Friday and throughout the weekend. Then they will shop online for a better price, whether from their offices, their homes or their smartphones.


text:
NEW YORK - Robert Pattinson was nearing the end of shooting the last "Twilight" film, concluding a chapter of his life that had picked him out of near obscurity and was preparing to spit him out … where exactly? "Twilight" had made him extravagantly famous, but his next steps were entirely uncertain.
"Out of the blue," he says, came the script for "Cosmopolis" from David Cronenberg, the revered Canadian director of psychological thrillers ("Videodrome," "Eastern Promises") that often pursue the spirit through the body. Pattinson, having never met or spoken to Cronenberg, did a little research: He looked him up on Rotten Tomatoes "and it was like 98 percent approval," he says.
"It was like: OK, that's my next job," says Pattinson.
Pattinson now has the unenviable task of releasing his most ambitious movie, his most adult role, into a media storm that instinct would suggest should be run from like a pack of werewolves. Promoting "Cosmopolis" puts Pattinson in front of cameras and microphones for the first time since his "Twilight" co-star and girlfriend Kristen Stewart last month publicly apologized for having a tryst with director Rupert Sanders.
The awkward circumstance, he says, is "dissociated" from the film, and he's thus far declined to use the attention to make any kind of public response to the scandal. Rather, he's sought to deflect it to "Cosmopolis," a film that, in an earlier interview before it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, he said "changed the way I see myself."
If Pattinson is understandably guarded about his private life, he's refreshingly openhearted and humble about his anxieties as a young actor. At 26, Pattinson may be one of the most famous faces on the planet, but he's still getting his bearings as an actor _ a profession, he says, he never pined for, fell into by chance and has always found uncomfortable. His unlikely trajectory began with "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "Little Ashes," in which he played Salvador Dali.
"Then I got `Twilight' and it suddenly became a massively different world to navigate," Pattinson said in a recent interview in New York. "Most people who get their big hit have figured out what their skills are, and I hadn't, really."
"Cosmopolis" is a radically different kind of film that will surely confuse not only the hordes of diehard "Twilight" fans who will line up on Friday to see it, but art house moviegoers, too. Pattinson himself has watched it four times to try to get his head around it.
The first movie adaptation of a Don DeLillo novel, "Cosmopolis" is about a sleek financier, Eric Parker (Pattinson), slowly making his way in the airless sanctuary of his white stretch limo across a traffic-jammed Manhattan with the simple goal of a haircut. But the journey, which includes visits with his new wife (Sarah Gadon), a prostitute (Juliette Binoche) and Occupy-like protesters (Mathieu Amalric), is a kind of willful unraveling for Parker, who dispassionately watches his fortune slide away on a bad bet on the Chinese yuan.
"He's an egomaniac who wants to see some kind of spirituality in his egomania," says Pattinson. "It's kind of like how actors feel about themselves."
Pattinson is in every scene of the film, which relies on his callow, hyper-literate performance to carry the movie through its limited setting and DeLillo's heightened dialogue _ much of which Cronenberg transcribed verbatim from the novel. Though some reviews have found the film static and impenetrable (perhaps intended responses), most critics have praised Pattinson's performance, with many citing it as proof that the heartthrob can indeed act.
he stylized language and atypical nature of the film made it a risky and intimidating choice for Pattinson.
"I couldn't hear the voice of the character at all. There was nothing," he says. "It was scary to say yes to something which you didn't know what it was. I knew it was interesting, I knew there was something special but I had no idea how to do it or what I could add to it. But when you start saying no to Cronenberg because you don't think it's good enough, it's a stupid decision to make."
It's clear that his "Twilight"-fueled celebrity weighs heavily on Pattinson, who says he knows people watch his films "through a cultural context."
"Rob, he's popular," says Cronenberg with deadpan understatement.
"I couldn't have cast Rob without `Twilight' just as I couldn't have cast Viggo (Mortensen) without `Lord of the Rings,'" says the director whose previous three films _ "A History of Violence," "Eastern Promises," "A Dangerous Method" _ starred Mortensen. "The fact that somebody who has clout is willing to do a movie that's difficult is a gift to a director because you're not only getting the right guy as an actor, but you're getting financing interest and you get to make the movie. This is not an easy movie to get made."
Pattinson seems energized by the freedom of choice in front of him following the final "Twilight" installment, which will be released in November. He's lined up parts in gritty films far from blockbuster size: "Mission: Black List," a military thriller, and "The Rover" by Australian director David Michod ("Animal Kingdom"), a role he says he fought for more than any before.
Embarking on "Cosmopolis" appears to have been a process of letting go for Pattinson _ of self-awareness, of worry, of fear. Asked if he now feels certain he's an actor, he quickly replies, "No."
"As soon as you start existing in a certain world, you feel like you have tremendous amount of baggage all the time," he says. "You get stuck in this rut where you want people to think you're something else, but you're too scared to do what that is to actually be the other person.
"Then you get a gift like this movie where it's way easier than I thought it was," he says. "You just do it. It doesn't really matter if you fail."
Associated Press - posted by various outlets - via The Washington Times


text:
Tenure: February 24, 2009 to January 22, 2013
Secretary Hilda L. Solis was confirmed as Secretary of Labor on February 24, 2009. Prior to confirmation as Secretary of Labor, Secretary Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District in California, a position she held from 2001 - 2009.
A nationally recognized leader on the environment, Solis became the first woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2000 for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues. Her California environmental justice legislation, enacted in 1999, was the first of its kind in the nation to become law.
Solis was first elected to public office in 1985 as a member of the Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees. She served in the California State Assembly from 1992 to 1994, and in 1994 made history by becoming the first Latina elected to the California State Senate.
Solis graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. A former federal employee, she worked in the Carter White House Office of Hispanic Affairs and was later appointed as a management analyst with the Office of Management and Budget in the Civil Rights Division.
She was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as Secretary of Labor on January 20, 2009.


text:
Billy Crystal remembers Robin Williams at Emmys
Billy Crystal, left speechless by Robin Williams' death, paid tribute to his great friend and comedy brother at the Emmy Awards, movingly remembering him as "the greatest friend you could ever imagine."
Following the Emmys' in memoriam segment Monday night, Crystal appeared on stage at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre to honor Williams, who was found dead in his Northern California home on Aug. 11. A luminous image of the late comedian hovered overhead.
"He made us laugh, big time," said Crystal.
After Williams' apparent suicide, Crystal simply wrote on Twitter of his longtime friend and Comic Relief co-host: "No words."
But Crystal found touching words to remember Williams on Monday, recalling family gatherings, ballgames and nights on stage together.
"I used to think if I could put a saddle on him and stay on him for eight seconds, I was gonna do OK," said Crystal of the famously frenetic stand-up.
Though he spent most of his career in stand-up and in movies, Williams' early break came on television as the extraterrestrial Mork in "Mork & Mindy." He was nominated for an Emmy in 1979 for the show, as well as for various comedy specials and dramatic guest spots on shows like "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Homicide: Life on the Street." He won two Emmys in the 1980s for variety specials.
One of Williams' last credits was the CBS sitcom "The Crazy Ones," which was canceled in May after one season.
"It's very hard to talk about him in the past because he was so present in all of our lives," said Crystal. "For almost 40 years, he was the brightest star in our comedy galaxy. The brilliance was astounding, the relentless energy was thrilling."
Williams was in the thoughts of many Monday night. Louis C.K., who won for comedy series writing for his FX series "Louie," said Williams wrote to him after the show started and invited him over to his house.
"We became close," said C.K. "He was a big influence on me as a person and comedically."
Crystal concluded his remembrance by saying Williams' bright spirit would eternally glow: "And you'll think to yourself: Robin Williams, what a concept."
More from the Emmys:
Red carpet lovebirds: Aaron and Lauren among glowing Emmy couples
2014 Emmy moments that made us go 'hmm?'
Fallon, Colbert's bromance lives on


text:
Fisher Island's Seaside Village is found on the southeastern side of the private island and consists of a collection of buildings rising one, two and three stories. Seaside Village and its 54 units overlook the oceanfront as well as neighboring Miami Beach. The Fisher Island condos for sale range between 1,429 to 2,916 square feet in size.
Besides its high degree of privacy and great views, Seaside Village residents can make use of a swimming pool, a fitness center, sauna and many more amenities. The residences have at least two bedrooms and come with features like natural wood and marble flooring, stainless steel kitchen appliances, granite countertops and spacious living areas that can be used as an office space or perhaps a guest quarters.
To the west of Seaside Village is Cafe Tangier as well as other notable sight like the Vanderbilt Mansion, the Beach Club, Spa Internazionale and the Sunset Bar. These are just a few of the many other attractions and conveniences that don't require leaving Fisher Island. Getting on and off the island is just a matter of hopping on the ferry found on the northern side of the island.


text:
Tired of hearing that flat sounding wireless doorbell when visitors happen to come by? Don't get rid of it, improve it by adding a real bell. This hack rigs up a small hand bell to the wireless doorbell receiver. It was prototyped using LEGO pieces to shake the sound out of the bell, but the finished version uses a servo motor on a wooden frame. An Arduino monitors the wireless receiver, driving the servo when a transmission from the front door button is received.
Traditionally door bells have actually been chimes that are struck with solenoids. We appreciate this rendition because it adds an element of kinetic art to the home, laying bare the functional hardware instead of hiding it in a box. Don't miss the demonstration after the break.


text:
Suzanne Sharp
27th September 2018
The Rug Company's Co-Founder, Suzanne Sharp is celebrated as an artistic mastermind and pioneer of rug design. Her fearless creative energy and instinctive approach to design have enabled her to create covetable and distinctive rug collections.
Suzanne intuitively knows when a design is interesting and original, and will never settle for anything less than exceptional. Her talents and expertise have earned her a following of design cognoscenti who feast on her confident use of colour, pattern and scale in her unfailingly and inherently elegant style.
Her visual vernacular is deeply rooted in colour and pattern. Her aesthetic is modern and she respectfully takes inspiration from her extensive travels as well as the world of architecture, theatre, fashion, art and history and is constantly searching, selecting and editing her ideas. All these influences are evident in her work, most visibly in the beautiful roomset photography she art directs to showcase The Rug Company's collections.
Many of her rug designs have now become design classics (her iconic Key Shadow won the Wallpaper* Design Award in 2008) and adorn some of the most beautiful interior schemes in the world.
"My designs are largely guided by my instinct and much of my style owes its origins to my childhood in Malta and Rome. Travel triggers my imagination and my designs are often an updated version of things I have seen. My style is modern and timeless. I'm interested in how people feel in a space and I'm into being able to move things around when I have new ideas: the rug is a perfect example of my nomadic approach to decorating." Suzanne Sharp


text:
Here at Think Marketing, we want our community forums to be an engaging venue for friendly and collegial discussion. These are the rules of the road:
Stay on point. When making a comment, don't go off-topic. Don't comment about other commenters or their presumed political beliefs. Discuss the merits of the story itself. Do not post a tome. This is not the place to paste a chapter of your (or anyone else's) dissertation or white paper.
Show respect. We encourage and appreciate thoughtful debate. Just make sure that when you disagree with a story's premise or another commenter that you do so in a respectful and courteous manner.
Be polite and keep it clean. We cover new technologies; our site is not an outlet for rudeness. We do not tolerate personal insults, including name-calling, racism, sexism, hate speech, or obscenity. That means no profane, abusive, harassing, or bullying remarks. If you can't be civil and polite, don't post it.
Ignore trolls. The best response to a troll—someone being repeatedly hostile and provocative—is no response. Please don't encourage bad behavior by responding; it only serves to delight trolls and egg them on. If someone is abusing a discussion thread, flag any offending comments, and we will address the situation.
Be responsible and authentic. Post only your opinions in your own words. You are responsible for the content you post.
Don't post spam or ads. Unless you have an advertising contract with us, this website is not a billboard for your business. Don't post spam, self-promotional content, or ad campaigns. No lobbying, recruiting, or soliciting.
We read comments. Though our discussion boards aren't formally moderated, we do pay close attention to them. We reserve the right to edit or delete comments that do not meet our standards.
We ban egregious members. It's not something we relish. But when necessary, we will ban members who do not abide by these guidelines.
Want more info? Read our Privacy Statement.
Thanks for following these guidelines, and see you on the boards!


text:
by Yusuf Alli,
Embattled former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro may soon be let out of custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following indications that he has agreed to make refunds of the money he allegedly collected from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The anti-graft agency accused the ex-minister of receiving N785 million from ONSA while in office.
His friends and associates are understood to be rallying around him to raise funds as a first step to secure his bail.
Obanikoro is understood to be targeting N100 million as the first installment of the refund.
From ONSA, about N4.685 billon was transferred to Sylva McNamara Limited, a company allegedly linked to the ex-Minister.
Obanikoro told EFCC interrogators that N3.880 billion of the N4.685 billion was allocated to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Senator Iyiola Omisore.
He also said he handed over $5.377 million (about N60 million then) cash to Fayose at Spotless Hotel, Ado-Ekiti in the presence of the former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Dr. Tope Aluko, and other party stalwarts.
He said the balance of N785 million was expended on alleged anti-Boko Haram campaign in Lagos and the South-West.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: "The ex-minister has been cooperating with detectives and he appears willing to refund some cash out of the N785 million traced to Sylvan McNamara.
"I think his associates and friends have rallied around him, having discovered that the bulk of the cash from ONSA went to Fayose and Omisore.
"I think he might initially refund N100 million to get bail reprieve in order to prevail on others who benefited from the N785 million to repay the slush funds.
"The refund is one of the issues delaying the granting of bail to the ex-minister."
Obanikoro had said: "The balance of N785 million were used to prosecute the following: 1. procurement of souvenirs for the promotion of anti-Boko Haram insurgency in Lagos; 2. N200million for surveillance activities; 3. N200 million and other remaining funds were for operations managed by Taiwo Kareem.
"Taiwo Kareem impressed the former NSA with his management of pre and post-election funds. To God be the glory, the two elections were carried out without any loss of life
"When bomb blast occurred in Lagos on the 25th of June 2014, the NSA was disturbed and told me of his commitment to ensuring that such doesn't reoccur.
"He expressed the grave consequence that the reoccurrence will have not only on Lagos but the economy of the entire country.
"He emphasized the need for local input to complement the activities of security agencies. This is how Sylvan McNamara was introduced."
The EFCC had discovered that Sylvan Mcnamara Limited, allegedly owned by Obanikoro and his sons, was used to launder the N4.745 billion.
The company, which was incorporated in November 2011 had the following as its directors: a close aide of the ex-minister, Ikenna Ezekwe (700,000 shares) of 51 Simpson Street, Ebute-Metta; Idowu Oshodi (299,000 shares) of 8, Prince Tayo Adesanya Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi; and Elizabeth Adebiyi (1,000 shares) of 3, Adedoyin Street, Ijeshatedo, Surulere.
Ikenna Ezekwe's account has been de-frozen by the EFCC since the slush funds were not traced to him.
Ezekwe has also been removed as the director of the slush company.
A document said: "To set the stage for the use of the company for money laundering, the board of directors on May 7, 2012 passed a resolution that the company should open an account and appointed Mr. Gbolahan Obanikoro, Ikenna Ezekwe, Ms. Theresa Matuluko (Secretary) and Mr. Babajide Obanikoro as the signatories to the account.
"The board added that the signing combination be that any of the signatories can sign alone."
EFCC claimed that when it was time to illegally draw the N4.745 billion from ONSA as the war chest for Ekiti Governorship poll, ex-minister Obanikoro made the account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited available and coordinated the disbursement.
Contacted, Obanikoro's spokesperson, Jonathan Eze, said he was not aware of the development.
Another source close to him, however, said: "it is true."


text:
Microsoft's upcoming Surface, the company's first in-house tablet PC, is scheduled to launch later this year. Microsoft hasn't confirmed how much the Surface will cost, but a recent Engadget report pegs its price at US$199, greatly undercutting presumed rival iPad and matching the price of much smaller tablets like the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7.
When the Surface was first shown earlier this year, Microsoft did not reveal details about pricing other than to say it would be competitive with similar devices.
The market leader in tablets, Apple's iPad, starts at $499 for the newest version. Competitors like Samsung's Galaxy Note, which runs the Android operating system, go for more than $500.
The Surface will feature a 10.56-inch display, an emphasis on entertainment apps, a Touch Cover that doubles as a keyboard, and Microsoft's highly anticipated upcoming operating system, Windows 8.
The tablet is also notable for being the first PC device for which Microsoft will manufacture both the hardware and software. The company does the same with its Xbox gaming console, but its move to the PC side has rattled some its longtime hardware partners, including Acer.
The Surface doesn't have an official release date but is scheduled to launch around the same time that Windows 8 debuts this fall.
Microsoft did not respond to our request for comment.
Is It Possible?
Pricing is critical for any tablet hoping to launch into a highly competitive market, said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. As manufacturers struggle to launch devices that can compete with the iPad, some are weighted down by too-heavy price tags. Other competitors, like Amazon's Kindle Fire, maintain a low price and sell for little to no profit, then make up for it in sales from online digital content stores.
Microsoft, though, doesn't have the advantage of being able to make up for low prices from digital content offerings. It also has other tablets that are set to run on Windows 8 that it needs to promote, making such a low price unlikely, said Moorhead.
"I do not think the Surface will be priced anywhere near $199 without a monthly subscription service, as it would destroy all the other Windows RT tablets that were referenced in Microsoft's latest blog post," he told the E-Commerce Times.
For Microsoft, a latecomer in the tablet war, to make a dent, it needs as many compelling Windows 8 tablet offerings as it can, said Moorhead, and if the Surface flies off the shelves for $200, the company risks alienating the rest of its line even further.
"Microsoft needs masses of sexy Windows RT tablets now, and they can't afford yet to kill the hardware ecosystem for consumer devices in the process," he said.
If it can promote all of its tablets, though, Microsoft has a chance to be competitive in the ongoing tablet war, said Moorhead, especially if the new applications for Windows 8 turn out to be as promising as the company alleges.
"The key to pricing is applications. It is the prime driver," he said. "Without Metro apps, the tablet will fail. With them, it has a shot at glory. I believe Microsoft needs at least 5,000 well-known and high-quality apps at launch. If there's anything the industry learned from Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry PlayBook and the webOS TouchPad, it's that applications matter, and if you don't have them at launch, your product will suffer the consequences."
Scaled-Down Version
However, the company likely wants to make as big of a splash as possible when it hits the market. That could include low pricing, said Bob Egan, vice president of mobile strategy at Mobiquity and analyst at GigaOM Pro, even if a $199 10-inch tablet might be a stretch. That means taking matters into its own hands and producing a product as efficiently as possible.
"Ballmer has the will and the wallet to do battle against Apple, and he is making a big bet on the Surface across multiple form factors," he said. "Microsoft will continue to erode any, if not all, reverence to existing hardware partners and build much of its own hardware and vertically integrated software and hardware offerings."
With that kind of commitment to cost-effectiveness, it's possible the company could launch a 'light' version of the Surface, said Egan.
"There is little doubt in my mind that Microsoft will offer an entry, WiFi-only Surface tablet at $199 that it manufacturers itself," he said.


text:
Highland Wireless is a fixed wireless internet service provider that delivers superfast wireless broadband in the Highlands and across some of Scotland's remotest areas.
Learn moreWe use fixed wireless point to point technology to create a series of transmission stations, which are connected to our fibre optic backhaul.
A small antenna is fixed to the exterior of your property, pointing to the nearest transmission station and will receive the superfast broadband signal, eliminating problems associated with copper cables and distances from exchanges and cabinets.
A small router is located within your property which provides wired and wireless access to the internet.
Once you're connected to our network, you'll have access to superfast broadband. At our main data centre, we have an ultrafast internet connection to the wider internet, where all internet traffic is sent and received.
By using wireless technology we eliminate the problems associated with copper cables and distances from exchanges and cabinets.
Our network is designed to have low latency and high speeds, resulting in a high-quality internet service for our customers. Our network provides faster speeds and is more reliable than satellite broadband.
Our broadband service is independent of any your landline. Meaning that you do not need to have a landline to have superfast broadband!
We do not cap our customers data usage, all we ask is that you adhere to our unlimited data fair usage policy.
Accepting Orders Now
Coming Soon
Residential users will receive up to 50Mbps download and 20Mbps upload.
Stream on multiple devices, watch your favorite TV shows and movies.
Great for productivity, social media and online gaming.
Fair use: We do not cap our customers data usage, all we ask is that you adhere to our unlimited data fair usage policy.
Our superfast broadband is perfect for gaming! If you're downloading large game files for your Xbox / PS4 or playing the latest online games, our service will work for you.
Voice over Internet Protocol allows you to make landline telephone calls over the internet. VoIP is cheaper and is better quality. You don't need to pay line rental either.
No more taking turns using the internet! With our superfast broadband speeds, the whole family will be able to use the internet at the same time.
Sign up to one of our plans below.
monthly price
Up to
Up to
monthly price
Up to
Up to
monthly price
Up to
Up to
* Subject to fair use policy.
** Currently available in Brora & Doll coverage areas
† Up to 50Mbps download speeds and up to 20Mbps upload speeds.
Dont worry! If you are not in one of our coverage areas yet, we can advise you if we have any plans to extend into your area. If we dont, then we can offer you our 4G based system. Our 4G based system works in a similar way to our wireless, but the signal just comes over 4G! We can even get a 4G signal where mobile phones can not!
Contact us to discuss!Our customer portal allows you to view your account, change personal details, amend billing details, view your services and manage invoices.
LoginIf you are in need of some help, our support section will provide you with all you need.
Go to supportWith Smart Wi-Fi powered by Plume® you receive consistent WiFi speeds across your entire home with support for every facet of your home network. At the core of the system is the best, most consistent WiFi connection enabled by adaptive, cloud-controlled technology. You also get intuitive management of people and device access, state-of-the-art security powered by AI, data visibility and protection and WiFi motion sensing.
Find out more"Highland Wireless provides easy, fast, and hassle free wireless to my house, which is hard because it is in quite a remote location. I highly recommend them."
"I have been a customer of Highland Wireless for about 12 months. They provide a very simple and easy to manage service at an entirely affordable cost which fits well with my business requirements. Their maintenance service is quick and thorough and, on the few occasions I have had any need for it, it has been provided rapidly and generously. The provision of high-speed broadband to my business has been nothing short of transformational. I now get speeds of upwards of 50 Mbps whereas, using the old BT connection, I was lucky to get 2 or 3 Mbps. I no longer experience 'crashes' when sending large files – including film. I am also able to receive a great deal more TV services through broadband which were quite unobtainable before my connection with HW. In short – I am quite delighted with the services provided by Highland Wireless and have no hesitation at all in recommending them to others."
"Highland Wireless provides an excellent service and kept us up to date with information. He is reliable, friendly and professional. We would recommend this service and company."
"Very simple to deal with, and an excellent service. Highland Wireless has increased our bandwidth tenfold through a simple system which is highly recommended."
"The whole ordering and installation process was great. We have absolutely no complaints about having stable fast broadband!"
"At last we have decent WiFi thanks to Highland Wireless. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them great easy installation and good quick response to any queries."
"So much better than our last provider who told us we would struggle with wireless broadband. Not so, it has been so much better than we expected. Many thanks to the team at Highland Wireless for an excellent service."
"The service provided by Highland Wireless has finally moved our property from the 20th to 21st Century"
"Highland Wireless has provided an excellent service. We now have a fast unlimited connection that is reliable, an option that was not available before as our landline was a long distance from our nearest exchange. Thank you!"
Call us on 0330 236 9900 and one of our team will be happy to assist you.
We are a wireless internet service provider (WISP) that delivers superfast internet services to our customers. With a history of delivering fixed wireless systems across some of Scotland's remotest areas. We are installing our wireless technologies to provide superfast broadband to homes and businesses, that have gone without for so long.
Find out moreA few common questions. For a full list, head over to our knowledgebase.
Fixed wireless is when devices are located in fixed locations, like a house or commercial property, as opposed to mobile phones and tablets that move around. Generally, a small CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) unit is placed on the exterior of your property and will receive a signal from the nearest transmission station. Unlike some old copper cables and cellular signal, fixed wireless provides a very reliable and superfast service.
Yes, you will generally need line of sight to the nearest transmission station to receive the signal. Don't worry if you live within trees or do not think you can get line of sight – when we come to carry out our survey we will discuss the different options with you. We have a few different ways up our sleeve to get our signal to you!
No, you do not need a phone line to receive our service. If you would like to keep your current landline telephone number you can either continue with your current phone line provider or move over to VoIP.
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It allows you to make and receive landline telephone calls using your new internet connection, resulting in no line rental costs!
Please check our coverage map to see when we will be in your area. If there is no information about your area on the coverage map, please contact us and we can advise you on our plans.
There is no limit to your data usage but we do request that you adhere to the Fair Usage Policy. The Fair Usage Policy, details that users use their connection in moderation – so basically do not download the whole internet in one night! The FUP is in place to ensure the network is performing well for everybody at peak times. If our monitoring system notices that a user is using large amounts of data and not following the FUP, we will throttle their connection at peak times. We don't do this to be difficult, but we want to keep the network fast for everybody.
No, if you are a small home business user, you will be classed as a residential customer. We recommended all businesses to get in contact with us to find the best package for their needs.
Sign up below.