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Dan writes - "Do you remember the good old days when you got a $100 gift card for your birthday or Christmas? You went happily to the games section of your local Wal-Mart or Best Buy and picked out two games purchased them and you were on your merry way. Then the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 came out and $50 games were a thing of the past. Gone, never to be seen again (except for crappy movie tie in games). So now, you get another $100 gift card for your birthday or Christmas. You head down to your local Wal-Mart or Best Buy and you grab two games, run to the register and realize games are now $60 and you've got to put one back. Not only are you deprived of one game, you've got $40.01 left on your gift card and forced to either spend your money or just keep the useless piece of plastic."
Look in my opinion, If game development costs go up. Then the price of the game should too. That how it is in every market.
Assuming you get the same amount of content, and there in lies the problem. They're just cutting stuff out now for dlc, so you'll actually get less for more money.
Games have always gone up in price when consoles initially come out. I can't remember if PS3 games were 70 bucks initially but I know PS2 and some PS1 games were depending on where you shopped.
Initial costs to keep a console going are extreemly high on startup due to huge manufacturing, marketing and R&D costs that can sink a company if it doesn't manage its cashflow properly, the extra money can be the difference between profit and loss for the year, and in Sony's case with its dire financial straits it can use all the cash it can get lol
Games have always been expensive.
In the NES times to the PS2 times, there have been games that have ranged anywhere from $30-$100 bucks.
Production cost my ass, publishers have always been raping gamers wallets. DLC or not.
I don't agree. Look at the movie industry, the costs went up but movie tickets are still the same as in the 80's and 90's. And the price of the DVD's were as high as Blu-ray are now. So there really isn't any significant increase in prices. Same goes for music industry, the albums are just as expensive as before. Heck, the music industry has even lowered in price thanks to Spotify and other digital music services.
Costs increase, but so does the number of gamers out there who buy the consoles and games. You can't expect us to pay upwards 10$ more for each generation.
By the time i'm 50 games will cost upwards 150$.
As all things in this world go up I'll settle for 64.99 because 70 just seems like a lot.
I would rather next gen titles look no better than current day games (except higher res/AA) and get more content, than pay $70 per game. I already don't like paying $60 for a game that could ultimately disappoint me.
"Why Next Generation Games Will Cost $70"
As a community, gamers have become so pathetic that many of them defend getting screwed over on a constant basis. No one will put up enough of a stink when games hit $70. COD sales will probably stay the course, and other games will suffer. The industry will saturate more and get weaker as idiotic CEOs stay the course. Meanwhile, titles akin to Angry Birds and Minecraft will be booming.
When...oops...IF these foolish CEOs ever find their heads, buried miles in their butts, and reel them out, maybe they can realize that expensive engines and copying what the most successful game is doing, is not alone what makes and sells games. Or even the most important. If that day comes, perhaps the game industry can thrive even further, and pull itself away from another inevitable crash.
I don't have as much issues with $70 games, because if you can't afford them now just wait and they will drop in price. Capitalism will ensure fair market pricing on games. Just take a look at the current state, brand new games price drops within weeks now.
It is basically the one thing, publisher cannot screw me over on.
On the other hand, anti-consumer behavior such as online passes, and ugly DLC is far more damaging to me as a gamer.
As a note, I love DLC that are done well. For instance, Lair of the Shadow Broker for ME2 was an excellent and worthwhile DLC despite the slightly high cost. However, ugly DLC are the likes of weapons and characters. Which also exist in ME2 ironically...
They spend more making movies... and the cost doesn't go up so why should the price of games go up?
I think publishing costs is the last thing a publishing company actually looks at when they're picking their prices... It's all price/demand curves... if there is a good demand for it, you can charge more... That's economy 101.
I highly doubt the cost of production is the reason why call of duty games are 59.99 each year. They could lower their price to 39.99 and still make billions.
i havent bought a game for $60 since 08.If games cost $70 everything i buy will be used.
There's something very important that for whatever reason, most people can't seem to realize.
Improved technology brings prices down. The reason prices went up is because there's more to production than the engine. There's the music, the motion capture, the actors, etc...
The reason games went from 50-60 is because of that very reason. Well, we already have that now. In the next generation they aren't going to need to make music more sophisticated than 7.1. it's already there. they aren't going to have to hire MORE actors than they already do. The only thing that will improve in the next generation is going to be on the graphics engine side. the physics, the look, etc...
So you aren't going to need drastically bigger teams to develop for the next generation like you did in this last leap.
If prices go up to 70, it's only because they think they can get away with it. and the only way to stop them, is by not supporting it. but we're really bad consumers, and we'll just suck it up and try to justify it because we think that the cost of development in the next generation will go up the same amount as it did in the last.
Games are 6hrs campaigns as standard @ $60, IF next gen is going to be $70 for the same amount of content, it's time to bail out
Publishers get it all wrong, with lower prices, they could sell more copies at faster rate, now @ $60 they have day one purchases and after a mere month massive price-cuts :/
Next gen games will cost $70...that's what GameStop and Amazon are hoping for, at least.
Cinema prices have NOT stayed the same.
Example, 4+ Years ago to watch a film in Cinema you pay £3.50/£4.00. Now that price is £6.95. 3D is ridiculous aswell, a 3D film with glasses will cost you £9.95. Then on top of all this, the food at the cinema are ridiculously expensive and they dont allow you to bring your own food.
Back to gaming, PS2 era and before I would happily pay £40 ($60) because back then, they were complete games. Not games that were half done and then the DLC costing £10+. Now a days you pay £40 for an incomplete game.
Oh and btw, we pay £40-£45 for a new release game here in UK. That in US $ is $63-$71. So if you Americans think you have it bad there, think again; We have it ALOT worse...
"Then the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 came out and $50 games were a thing of the past."
Only on console, PC games till this day cost only 49usd at launch some even cost 39usd. Hell i personally bought BF3 at launch for only 37usd on the PC. Most games if shopped around are very cheap on PC. Its only console makers looking to rip people of be it with high game prices, charges to go online, lack of BC, HD remakes, over priced accessories.
Now regarding cost of development, its only way to prepare console gamers to get milked even more than they already are. A game like Crysis 1 on PC is still a gen ahead of whatever there is on Console. Yet Crysis only cost 20million usd to develop. It was even very profitable selling on PC. So why are console developers and makers crying about game dev cost going high. Reason is simple they want to create an environment where they can milk the people.
What is making console gaming expensive is royalties MS and Sony want, Massive advertisement costs (sometimes even more than the cost to develop the game), its all what console gamers must indirectly bare. They are fooled into buying hardware that looks cheap as an initial investment however later on its plainly ripping people off.
Just to let some of you know, the ticket price hasn't gone because, Drinks and food HAVE SKY ROCKETED!!
I mean come-on, $4+ for a drink???
Devs are not to blame for rising costs publishers are. Devs get about $20 for the game at most which means they cant really say its anything to do with development costs. I honestly think though to cut costs devs should start doing Digital right. Why is it on my UK PSN new games are £49.99 yet in stores they are £39.99 for the physical copy? The digital copys sells and the dev gets 90% of the fee but the physical copy? 30-40%. Devs shouldn't punish digital buyers and instead embrace them. Release digital copys for £29.99. They still get more money, you cannot trade a digital copy nor sell it and the devs get more than you buying it at £39.99 from a store.
$70!?!?!? DAMN!! thats too much to pay with tax were I live new games come to a total of $75 any more then what were already paying is to much. I wonder if we will start to see a decline in games sales because of that, and if you think piracy is bad now just wait until then. I think the average price should be $45-$55 to me that is acceptable to me.
Publishers have been doing a lot of penny pinching lately and I think it's geting out of control, take a look on PSN and XBL and look at some of this DLC most of it is over priced and 90% of it all are costume packs.The gaming idustry seems to becoming one were the "customer is always wrong" imo maybe im wrong idk not really saying I am but damn...all I can say is my PC and steam will keep me going if this happens next gen -small rant
hay guys theres this thing called inflation. 70 2012 dollars is equivalent to 60.83 2006 dollars is equivalent to 50.76 1999 dollars. the price of games around a console launch has really always been the same for over a decade. the price of games gradually decreases through the console generation, then hikes up about 10 at the start of a new. i'm not saying inflation is okay, (damn you federal reserve) but it is what it is. now i do think that dlc is getting out of hand though.
You just continue to fall into all the misconceptions about gaming industry Mika. Here's an bit of information that will enlighten you.
I hope you learn something from it and realize that they're trying to pull a fast one on the ill-informed. Don't fall for the bs without knowing all the info, I believe you're smarter than that. :)
If games go up to $70 then I'm done with buying games new.
It was a nice hobby, but it's becoming to expensive.
I will see terrible things with Activision if games go to $70.
Anyway there is a flaw with the first paragraph.
PS1 games, NES games, have seen prices around $50-$60 bucks
Also adjust for inflation and see how much those games would cost today. So technically games are cheaper now considering inflation.
I think
Use this:
game for $80 1991 = $133 for today
I remember buying a few games $50 Plus back in the days. I take it this Author didn't buy his games when he was little.
Apparently some even remember paying $80 for some games http://www.gamedev.net/topi...
As you can see though, the prices have always been everywhere.
Still would not pay $70 for them.
And as I've said, this whole production thing just seems like utter BS to me. I know cost are rising, but our wallets have always been raped by publishers. Inflation or not, $80 earned back then is still $80 today, even if the purchasing power may be different.
Not a genius, just some old high school learning. Also wanted an excuse to make this cause I'm bored: http://www.flickr.com/photo...
Damn dude. You must not remember those Genesis and Snes cartridges that were around $70+, back in the early 90's!! I remember going with my buddy to go get Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask, and that bad boy was 89 bucks!! And that was I think 2000 or 2001.
you cant compair expensive cartidge production to a disk based format there is a massive difference in production costs dont forget in the same era you still had games on floppy disk which were much cheeper and games on tape if you go back even earlier that i used to buy for £1.99.
@ $70 I'll not stop buying games new, I'll just wait a month for the typical price-cut or 3 months, so I can pick a game from the bargain-bin lol game-industry, you have it all backwards if you think that higher prices will make you some good
With this SHIT economy, I dont think its right to compare game prices to that of past generations.
Main reason why I dont want the prices to increase is because everything else is getting expensive.
The world is turning into a shit hole...
This is an archaic pricing system and is flawed to the point that if it keeps going this way, we might see the day where we only have a handful of devs.
60 bucks is ridiculously mad. And I call bullshit on the higher cost of production. Maybe at the start of a console cycle, hut at the middle end with one game under you belt, you should have optimize your code to fly through.
It's all crap ten bucks every cycle. Whatever. There's a reason this gen has lasted longer than usual. It's because the publishers are scared to raise it again, as had as they want to.
Games used to be 70 euro in the Eu...
They still are here in Finland, but we have crazy tax rates to thank for that. I usually wait for prices to drop before purchasing a game.
what do you mean used to? I coughed up €70 in cash for the normal edition of Battlefield 3. never again. like Wintersun I wait for a price drop, or borrow from a friend.
I live in Italy btw.
some games though cost less then others. like all the Sony HD Collections launch at €39.99, fighting games for some reason launch at €59.99, etc.
You mean when publishers want a higher percentage?
gaming is an expensive hobby. if you cant keep up with it then change it or better of stick to the iOS since games there ar cheap. Games now are capable of a lot more so its evident that the price should go up. You want better graphics, deep online etc. Then you better assume that theyre going to cost more. You get for what you pay for.
Spoken like a true sheep. I am sure you are also fully on board for all of the DLC craziness as well?
We have MS to thank for $59 games and the introduction of micro transactions. They are the bane of gaming and the sooner they leave, the better off we all will be.
The good thing is that when they release a download only console (which is the present rumor) they will be done.
As much as I hate iOS, this statement is right on. Gaming is an expensive hobby - do you have the right to be upset because its expensive? Absolutely - but that's the way the industry is.
Remember that it's not just the production costs that go up, it's the cost of living all together. It's why bread used to cost 25c and now costs over a buck per loaf. It's why minimum wage goes up. These are universal market trends, not just something from one industry.
ur ok with 70.00 game?? r u nuts??... hell SNES games @ 49.00 was to much not alone ps4 70.00 games.
if this true im out. cant justify 70.00 4 one game.
love racing games GT6,NEED FOR SPEED 13 (criterions HP 2) ,RATCHET AN CLANK 4
but i'd be damn paying 70.00 a pop for them.
dont know about u guys but video games getting less an less interesting. (HIGH PRICES) HAPPY WITH MY 60GB PS3
You must be crazy. NO ONE DOESN'T want to spend 70$ on a video game while prices are already going up.
...Except in many cases game development costs have gone down. A LOT. And game prices go up no matter what because of basic inflation coupled with static wages.
thats too much. £40 is just about right, if we allow them to go higher there no telling what the prices are going to be. it not like were getting paid more at our jobs yet the prices of most things are going up.
Any of you guys still remember that before the ps3 was released, people were predicting that it's games were going to cost 120 dollars? lololol
Mika i agree with what you are saying but if game prices carry on going up we will see alot more developers go bust just like this gen as people will start to only buy 2 maybe 3 games a year and we will start to see the cod effect again. If i look at what people who are not core gamers buy on my live friends list i will see cod fifa and gta as the main 3 games for none exclusives.
What i think developers should do next gen if games will cost so much is bring the game out for £50 to £55 and then instead of release a w full retail game the next year make it a dlc. For around £20 to £30 where you get a new sp and mp added onto the 1st game. I think this would help sales of alot of games go up.
I am one of the lucky people who buy lots of games from my self but i know people who cant afford to do that so they have to pick something they will play for 12 months or so.
This is a copy and paste of a post i made regarding on Jaffe saying that he doesn't care much about next gen consoles, as it would mean more budget etc.
Jaffe pretty much said what Ive been saying all along, consoles are advancing far too quick, to develop games it costs alot more compared to how much they cost to develop last gen its only hurting devs, games also take more time to develop and people wonder why a lot of games today are barebones compared to last gen, I think this is the main factor that the number of quality games in Japan is a lot less as the Japanese developers are smaller whereas in the west most devs are backed by big publishers such as EA, Activision etc, thats why most Japanese devs have moved onto handheld notice how there are a lot more quality games from Japanese are now on handhelds.
If we keep carrying on this rate next gen games will probably cost more and see a lot more dlc so that devs can cover costs as much as i want to see much more powerful consoles i think it will just hurt the industry and the devs, i think Nintendo were on the right track this gen in that they slowed down the console cycle with the wii by not creating much powerful thus allowing the same quality as games as last gen although this didn't work out since there was bigger audience on the HD systems.
I know what im going to say isn't going to be popular if Sony and Microsoft followed suit with nintendo and had consoles slightly more powerful than last gen the game industry would be in a better position and we would see more quality games even though they might not have amazing graphics, we're in the finals stages of the current gen and now games on current systems costs nearly the equal amount as last gen and by the time we get to the next gen consoles who knows how much more budget is needed to develop games, this could mean alot more dlc, prices of games increase, publishers will want to take less risks with new IPs which is bad for the industry.
I dont understand this article.
AFAIK games have always been 59, here in Europe I was buying my PS1 games at 59 euros. This has been like that for the past 20 years or so, dont listen to these hipsters, 70 dollars lol.
There's a huge misconception that video games today are overpriced. The truth is that current video game cost at $60 is actually a discount compared to the past. The reason why is because the cost of video games have not factored in inflation.
Back in the NES days games cost as much as $50, that's equivalent to paying $80-$85 today. If video games kept up with inflation, we would be expecting to pay $90 per game today.
The fact is that in the past, development cost was low, yet the price per game was high. Where as today, development cost is high, but the cost of games are actually very low due to the lack of inflation being tacked on to the cost.
Even if the cost of video games goes up to $70, we are still paying a lower cost compared to the past.
This link explains it more in detail: http://arstechnica.com/gami...
I hope that next gen games are not $70, but they probably will be.
They -shouldn't- be... The only reason games are 60 dollars today is because of the blu-ray discs that cost more to use. (With Microsoft who knows... They have no excuse for charging an extra ten dollars for games) Why do you think (most) PC games are still 50?
Still, that would suck to see rising prices for no known reason whatsoever. :\
console games are 60 bucks because of development cost plus the publishers have to split the profit between MS/Sony plus the retailer.
"The only reason games are 60 dollars today is because of the blu-ray discs that cost more to use."
Um weren't 360 games at launch $60?
Don't think that's the reason, I think it's mainly due to competition and production costs.
All new retail released games on Steam are $50 - $60.......just as can be found on consoles.
Not to mention that BLURAY pressings are now LESS than $1.
That's why you're getting an unbalanced amount of 'disagrees'.
Thanks Persistantthug for pointing that out.
Steam and Origin and a few others usually launch PC games at $60 a pop. There's no disc, no booklet, no box and no extras...just code.
I doubt that because some don't Sell at 60 and next gen requirement are that games look good and run smooth .
>> Um weren't 360 games at launch $60? <<
Actually, they weren't. MS-published 360 games like Kameo and Perfect Dark retailed for $49.99. Third party publishers charged $59.99 and then a year or so later MS used the "rising development costs" excuse to jack up first party games to $59.99.
But anyway, I agree with those who say that the only people complaining about high game prices didn't pay $80 for a Street Fighter II cartridge back in the day.
I usually never buy games within the first few months they're released anyways, but used games price would probably increase as well.
I do the same. Not to mention most new game usually go down to $40 after a few months on their own, or through an amazon.com sale.
amazon has saved me soo much money when buying games. its definitely one of the best places to purchase games.
Square Enix tells us the exact opposite.
According to Square Enix chief technical officer Yoshihisa Hashimoto, Luminous Studio will reduce the cost of creating a game by "up to 30 percent" and should make the dev cycle faster. The publisher says Luminous was created to be used for any type of game from a casual title to a full-blown next-gen experience.
So why should the games become more expensive?
Good comment and bubbles to you, sir.
Software development tools are dropping drastically. There's even some new lip-sync facial tech that scales in cost per project and can offer up the same fidelity as L.A. Noire (goodbye ridiculous costs for MotionScan).
People believing that game production costs will rise are vastly misinformed about the way game design works.
Yeah this article is complete bs, this guy doesnt even give a good reason, and higher production cost is not a good reason, Rockstar games spend around 100 mil on gta 4, red dead redemtion and now max payne, all in stores new for 60 bucks
Another point i have is that here in europe games have always costed around €55.-
The only price increase i saw in years was for ps3 because they use bluray
In the 80's and early 90's, the average NES and SNES game was $80-100 here in Canada.
I was coming in here just to say the same thing, but for the USA. I rember games from $75 to a $100 back then. How soon people forget!
They never knew, some people werent born yet and didn't bother to look at where video gaming was prior to when they were around. Sad really.
That's what happens when a console maker owns the majority of the market, and this is what i don't understand the console wars, why would any gamer want a console maker to "win"?
If that's true, I will just buy them used or wait for the good deals like I do now.
thats what I do. Usually websites have game deals, especially amazon after a few weeks. Only time I buy games on launch are really big titles like GTA.
I recall the early PS1 games retailing at £50, that's $79 at today's exchange rate, so I don't understand why it's a problem now.
I've even got Atari 2600 games in the loft with £20 price tags on them from the late '70s, early '80s. I dread to think what that equates to now.
It is a problem due to the fact that by the content level from that Gen is not even half as much. When you are paying 30-40$ more and only getting a quarter as much content is where the trouble starts.


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DataDive Q&A with Data Ambassadors: Identifying Fraud and Corruption with Technology
This post is part of the Q&A Series with the Data Ambassadors from DataDive2013. You can also read an interview with the fraud and corruption data ambassadors, a recap of Data Dive 2013, and watch the presentations from the weekend.
Photo credit: Itir Sonuparlak
During DataDive 2013, each project had an assigned data ambassador, a leader to guide and direct the research and efforts of the teams. In the days following the DataDive, we spoke with two of the data ambassadors from the fraud and corruption related projects to learn more about their experiences. Read their responses below and join the conversation in our comments section.
- Taimur Sajid develops financial models to asses risk for a financial firm and acted as a data ambassador during the DataDive.
- Marc Maxson is an Innovation Consultant with Global Giving and brought his Heuristic Auditing Tool to the DataDive.

subset: commoncrawl


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Do you know an outstanding teacher?
Twin Rivers Unified School District is pleased to participate in the 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year program through the Sacramento County Office of Education.
This program highlights educational innovation, student learning, and the rewards of teaching. The Teacher of the Year process pays tribute to our teaching force, the complexity of challenges that confront our schools, and the need to promote collaboration and teamwork to meet those challenges.
Anyone may submit a nomination form - staff members, students, families, and community members as well as the teachers themselves. Nominations are due to principals, in writing, by Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.
The Teacher of the Year process and form links are available below. Should you have any questions regarding this program, please contact the Communications Department at 916-566-1628.


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text: All About 'Thoroughly Mo12' Thoroughly Modern's colors and designs are intentionally suited for urban spaces and multi-family housing - anywhere people enjoy forward thinking decor. This collection features clean simple-grained woods like white oak and maple- alongside striations that are wood-like but don't represent a species. This design was created to avoid regional characteristics and works well for both west coast and east coast looks. Product Specifications Flooring Type Resilient Style 5M206 THOROUGHLY MO12 Color 00271 WORLD TRAVELER Collection 5th and Main Construction RESIDENTIAL RESILIENT LVT-DRYBAC<=2MM Width 5.90 in. Length 36.22 in. Installation Grade ABOVE, ON, BELOW Wear Layer 12 MIL Made in the USA NO Country Of Origin Korea Downloads Thoroughly Modern Download PDF Hard Surface Care & Maintenance Tile and Plank Download PDF 5th & Main Care & Maintenance Download PDF Resilient Plank & Tile Inst guide Download PDF


text:
Adding a few segments on my EA
-Create 'entry' signal toggle on different bools of each of the indicators such as the DI, stochastic, EMAs, ATR and all my other indicators to create an entry signal and vice versa and exit one for all of them. Alot of them are already done for exits but i'd like to choose the entry signal options and toggle the exits.
- I want an entry on either current vs. close bar; and another option bool for exit current vs. close bar. This way I can choose if I want to enter on the close and exit on the current bar or vice versa. This would be done by two bools for each the entry and exit to calculate for current & close bar.
-This isn't a for sure thing yet but my middle time frame isn't working right now, it depends if my current coder can fix it or not, its not calculating in the journal.
-The ATR increasing entry isn't working where to calculate it the previous bar is used to see if their is an increase in volatility. I'd like this so i can toggle this for each time frame.
-'The close all trades' before the time allotted before the news; on the news filter before the news hits the market, or if 'no open new order trades' is on which is currently programmed in. I just need a bool to close all trades before the news hits the market in the time i choose to exit the trade.
I need this done ASAP
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I can start ur work immediately. I have 10 years experience in coding and development. I'm expert in writing programs in JAVA, .NET, C, C++,C# I have experience in hadoop,python coding,raspberry Pi django PHP A 更多
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Hello sir I am graduate from Computer Science and Engineering and professional Software Engineer. I have working experience of more than a year in C,C++,Java language,Android,Mysql,Oracle. I solved lots of progra 更多


text:
I have a feeling this will get long, sorry in advance.
Maki, I'm looking for the name of a certain type of soup.
I work (and live) in Japan and my boss made me a soup of potato, carrot, sausage, a generous hunk of ham, daikon, and some other vegetables in hearty chunks. It was a simple taste but I enjoyed it.
A few weeks later my Japanese mom e-mailed me this recipe for "Vegetable Potof" (WARNING: After living in America for over 30 years, my mom still cannot speak or write in English)
Sprinkle salt on chicken, Daikon , potato, carot, cut in one bite size. cut bacon in 3 pcs( cut bit size). all food cook in 8 cups water. scoop dirty bubbles out while boil. veggie chicken became soft and tender, add Udon and sausage , salt and pepper as seasoning. if you like garlic, add.
I am certain this is the dish my boss made for me. What is the name of this dish?
Also, I just made this and the soup wasn't as flavorful as the version my boss served me. I made it the exact way my mom told me, using only the vegetables, meat, and salt+pepper to flavor the water. What can I do to add flavor to the soup that's not too difficult? This was so easy to make and perfect for a cold Tokyo night!
It sounds like a Japan-ized version of pot au feu, which is a French dish, except it's using ham and sausages instead of a hunk of beef. The daikon is also a Japanese thing.
To add flavor easily, add 1-2 stock cubes (called 'buion' or 'suupu no moto' in Japan, from Maggi, Knorr, etc.) to the soup, or even dashi granules. Also use a lot of sliced onions or leeks, and sauté them a bit before adding the other things. Browning whatever meat you will use before adding liquid also helps to add flavor.
The Big Onigiri.
- Wherever you go, there you are. -
I was pretty certain it wasn't a Japanese thing because my boss and my co-worker said the name of it very quickly, and it sounded like something that would be written in katakana. Also, I was thinking of getting stock cubes to add flavor but I didn't know the Japanese for it. Whew, guess I need to study more! You've been a big help, thanks Maki!
You're welcome! Another name for soup stock cubes I forgot about is 'konsome' コンソメ (like consommé, clear soup)
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Casey Utah needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 41 designs submitted by 10 freelance designers.
"Utah Farms" milk label. "Utahdairy.com" web address.
We are a milk cooperative, meaning we market milk. The members of this Co-op have a milk label going on the shelf this fall. The coop has 10 different farms/members involved with the new milk label. We would like a little info on the 10 farms. The milk will be 100% from Utah and part of the "Utah's Own".
The target audience are Mom's and Dad's that stock their fridge. The site needs to be catchy, yet simple enough not to alienate anyone.
Looking for a two part site. One for the milk label on the shelf, and one for the cooperative. For the "Utah Farms" side, we would like to have some general information. A fun facts page and a "where it can be found" page.
Somewhere on that label side, we would like a link to the coop side. We would like to have a history page, a link to the Label side, as well as some info on the different dairies.
We feel the cow has been a little over done. If you use the cow image, please be creative. I think we would be more apt to use barn images.


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UPDATE: The day after Wikileaks document release, founder Julian Assange fears great retaliation from the U.S. agencies. Read it here in the New York Times.
Also read from War in Context this article: "Clearing the Fog of War in Iraq".
* * * * * *
The following was taken from Wikileaks.org website. Please go there and view the documents. The United States is a Rogue Nation.
At 5pm EST Friday 22nd October 2010 WikiLeaks released the largest classified military leak in history. The 391,832 reports ('The Iraq War Logs'), document the war and occupation in Iraq, from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2009 (except for the months of May 2004 and March 2009) as told by soldiers in the United States Army. Each is a 'SIGACT' or Significant Action in the war. They detail events as seen and heard by the US military troops on the ground in Iraq and are the first real glimpse into the secret history of the war that the United States government has been privy to throughout.
The reports detail 109,032 deaths in Iraq, comprised of 66,081 'civilians'; 23,984 'enemy' (those labeled as insurgents); 15,196 'host nation' (Iraqi government forces) and 3,771 'friendly' (coalition forces). The majority of the deaths (66,000, over 60%) of these are civilian deaths.That is 31 civilians dying every day during the six year period. For comparison, the 'Afghan War Diaries', previously released by WikiLeaks, covering the same period, detail the deaths of some 20,000 people. Iraq during the same period, was five times as lethal with equivallent population size.


text:
SOURCE: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
September 14, 2011 06:00 ET
HILLSBORO, OR--(Marketwire - Sep 14, 2011) - Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ: LSCC) today updated its revenue guidance for the third quarter ending October 1, 2011.
No conference call will be held in conjunction with this guidance update. Additional information related to the third quarter will be available when the Company reports its third quarter 2011 results.
Forward-Looking Statements:
The foregoing paragraphs contain forward-looking statements that involve estimates, assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to: our business outlook, including those statements relating to expected revenue, gross margin, and total operating expenses. Other forward-looking statements may be indicated by words such as "will," "could," "should," "would," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "forecast," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "propose," "potential," "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Lattice believes the factors identified below could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements.
Estimates of future revenue are inherently uncertain due to, among other things, the high percentage of quarterly "turns" business. In addition, revenue is affected by such factors as global economic conditions, which may affect customer demand, pricing pressures, competitive actions, the demand for our Mature, Mainstream and New products, and in particular our MachXO and LatticeECP3 solutions, the ability to supply products to customers in a timely manner and any further unanticipated consequences associated with the Japan earthquakes and tsunami or changes in our distribution relationships. Actual gross margin percentage and operating expenses could vary from the estimates on the basis of, among other things, changes in revenue levels, changes in product pricing and mix, changes in wafer, assembly, test and other costs, variations in manufacturing yields, the failure to sustain operational improvements, the actual amount of restructuring charges and compensation charges due to stock price changes. Any unanticipated declines in revenue or gross margin, any unanticipated increases in our operating expenses or unanticipated charges, including without limitation, restructuring charges could adversely affect our profitability during the quarter.
In addition to the foregoing, other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release include global economic uncertainty, overall semiconductor market conditions, market acceptance and demand for our new products, the Company's dependencies on its silicon wafer suppliers, the impact of competitive products and pricing, technological and product development risks, and the other risks that are described in this press release and that are otherwise described from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
About Lattice Semiconductor:
Lattice is the source for innovative FPGA, PLD, programmable Power Management and Clock Management solutions. For more information, visit www.latticesemi.com. Follow Lattice via Facebook, RSS and Twitter.
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation, Lattice (& design), L (& design) and specific product designations are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Lattice Semiconductor Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.
For more information contact:Joe Bedewi
Chief Financial Officer
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
David Pasquale
Global IR Partners
For more information contact:Joe Bedewi
Chief Financial Officer
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
David Pasquale
Global IR Partners
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AFRIK-IT Home
AFRIK-IT July 2003
CHAKULA Issue No. 6, July 2003: Internet Governance and Civil Society Organizations
Emmanuel Njenga <[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask]
Thu, 3 Jul 2003 13:02:06 +1000
(652 lines)
apologies for cross posting
Africa ICT Policy Monitor newsletter from the APC
Issue No. 6, July 2003: Internet Governance and Civil Society Organizations
In this issues of Chakula:
* Editorial
* Introduction: 'Internet Governance - Overview and Issues'
* Technical Standards
* Accessibility and Architecture of the World Wide Web
* Management of Internet Names and Numbers
* Good Governance At The Country Domain Level
* Recent Debates from the WSIS Process
* What next for Internet Governance?
* News from the latest ICANN Meeting - Montreal, Canada
* Internet Governance Resources and Organizations
In this month's APC Africa Internet Rights Newsletter 'Chakula' we focus on
the issue of 'Internet Governance' a term that is loosely used to describe
policy issues regarding the Internet. These include factors such as
management of Internet names and numbers, establishment and management of
policy-making bodies, and equity and representation issues within Internet
policy-making bodies.
This newsletter also connects these issues to the ongoing process of the
World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) which has raised and made
various statements on the subject.
The role of civil society organizations in Internet governance is also
explored while we conclude with a list of organizations and resources with
more detailed information that may be of interest to civil society
Today, information and communications technologies, especially the Internet
and email, are important tools for development. The Internet offers a
relatively cheap, versatile and technically efficient service that
complements standard telephony. It allows businesses to sell goods and
services directly to customers online. The Internet also offers
considerable promise in facilitating the delivery of basic services, such as
health and education[1]. Email is an extremely fast and comparatively cheap
method of communication.
The Internet has undergone an exponential growth in the last years though
growth has been uneven and the majority of Internet users are located in
developed countries especially in the United States and Europe[2]. The use
of the Internet as an essential communications tool means that consumers
and business organizations round the world are demanding a stable and
efficient Internet system. Another governance concern relates to the way
Internet resources are managed and allocated such as domain names and
Internet numbers. Policy-making processes and all major decisions affecting
the Internet internationally have until recently been determined by the
United States which financed the research for the its development [3].
Three main areas of the Internet have been identified that requires some
form of policy-making or governance[4], briefly described below:
* Technical Standards
* Accessibility and Architecture of the World Wide Web
* The Management of Internet Names and Numbers
Setting technical standards requires the work of technical experts, but
often involves much wider issues than just technical ones. The setting of
standards often has political and economic implications and can be a means
of protection, domination and exclusion[5].
Internet standards were initially set by small groups of technicians or
individuals, when neither the private sector nor governments paid too much
attention to the governance of the Internet. This situation still exists in
some countries in Africa and elsewhere e.g. small countries like Curacao in
the Caribbean. Standards setting took place within a culture of computer
technicians who favoured openness and consensus and was commonly referred
to as 'self regulation'. The prevailing view was that governments should
stay out of Internet governance, market forces and self-regulation were
sufficient to create order and enforce standards of behaviour, but this
view has proven inadequate, as the Internet has become mainstream[6].
Further to this, the 'self regulation' has not created appropriate
standards in a diverse world, as shown by the fact that for many years
Internet protocol standards only accommodated Latin characters and
demonstrated the fact that early Internet standards were determined by
North Americans and Europeans.
The body responsible for technical standards is the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF): http://www.ietf.org/
The IETF sets the underlying technical standards for the Internet such a
determining the standard for how information is transmitted from one
computer to another and security. It describes itself as a "loosely
self-organised group of people who make technical and other contributions
to the engineering and evolution of the Internet and its technologies".
Membership of IETF working groups is open to anyone who chooses to
participate via e-mail. These working groups develop technical
specifications based on "rough consensus and working code".
In recent times the IETF has come under increasing pressure from private
sector organisations complaining that its policy of reaching wide consensus
makes it too slow, and from governments and law enforcement agencies
wanting to impose legal obligations on it to incorporate such elements as
wiretapping facilities and trace-ability of users into its standards[7].
The World Wide Web is a system of servers or computers around the world
connected to the Internet that support specially formatted documents such
as html pages through use of technologies or protocols. The protocols
ensure that documents can be accessed via the Internet and also support
links to other documents, as well as graphics, audio, and video files. This
means you can jump from one document to another simply by clicking on hot
spots or links are commonly referred. Web browsers such as Netscape
Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer make it easy to access the
World Wide Web[8].
The body responsible for WWW standards is the World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C): http://www.w3.org/
W3C develops these technologies or protocols to lead the Web to its full
potential. Its structure differs fundamentally from the IETF in that
participation is restricted to member organisations willing to pay annual
membership fees or to "invited experts". The W3C has maintained relatively
open standards, partly as a result of the powerful participation of one
individual, Tim Berners-Lee, the "inventor" of the World Wide Web, who sees
W3C as a place for open and free information exchange.
The sustainability of this "benevolent dictatorship" is questionable. There
are great pressures on W3C to introduce ways of filtering out "harmful"
content. Such mechanisms could potentially be used by governments to
restrict content that criticises their policies. At the same time,
commercial interests and law enforcement bodies are demanding standards
that will enable collection of data on users, and make it possible for the
publishers and users of content to be easily traced[9].
Recently, the W3C introduced a recommendation draft policy that would allow
the W3C to incorporate patented technology into web standards as long as
the patent holder agreed to license the technology in a "reasonable and
non-discriminatory" manner. After receiving lots of complaints especially
from the public, W3C reversed their recommendation, to exclude patented
standards[10]. The proposed policy would have meant the start of a future
web whose standards include patented technology that could only be accessed
with proprietary (commercial) software - would make certain vendors very
happy - and a very different web than the one we have now which only uses
open non-commercial standards.
Internet numbers technically known as IP (Internet protocol) numbers are
used to identify computers connected to the Internet so messages sent on
the Internet can find their way to their final destination. An example of
an IP number can be something like 192.168.0.1, but since these numbers are
difficult to remember a name that identifies one or more IP addresses are
used. These names are called domain names, for example www.apc.org
As the Internet growth expanded, the need to review the process of managing
Internet domain names and numbers, which naturally have to be unique, was
recognized by both users and domain name administrators. These
administrators were often voluntary.
The body responsible for managing Internet domain names is the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN): http://www.icann.org
ICANN was set up in 1998 by the Clinton administration as a US
not-for-profit organization with international participation, based on
consensus, to administer the Internet domain name system. It was intended
to increase efficiency and coordination in the management of domain names,
and to manage the creation of new top-level domains to join the existing
.com, .org, .ac, .edu, .net, etc. ICANN also manages the network of thirteen
computers around the world commonly referred to as root servers that are
essential to the proper functioning of the Internet[11].
Since its inception, ICANN has faced open controversy as it attempted to
increase efficiency without clear accountability, legitimacy and oversight.
Many have questioned ICANN's decision-making and governance processes with
a focus on two major issues, legitimacy and equity[12]. The ICANN
governance process, initially based on self-regulation, kept governments
and civil society out on the notion that only technical experts like
computer engineers could keep up with the technology and little
consideration was given to the need for consultation or involvement of the
wider community who were impacted by the decisions made.
Many people feel that even though ICANN formal mandate is only technical in
nature, the decisions made concerning the management of Internet resources
have substantial political, economic, cultural, and social implications
that affect all Internet users and service providers around the world [13].
And several of the decisions made by ICANN in response to applications for
new top-level domains (tld), such as. union, have proved very controversial
precisely because the decisions taken by ICANN were indeed based on
non-technical reasons.
* Managing Internet Names At Numbers At Regional And National Level:
ICANN has regional "subsidiaries" or Regional Internet Registries (RIR),
which are responsible for the management of IP numbers and domain names for
each region of the world (Asia/Pacific, Latin America, Europe/Middle East,
North America and Africa).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other selected organizations that
satisfy certain criteria obtain IP addresses from the RIR that serves their
area; other Internet users ordinarily obtain their IP addresses from their
ISP. At present, there are four RIRs: the RIPE (serving Europe and
surrounding areas, including parts of Africa), the APNIC (serving the Asia
and Pacific Rim region), the ARIN (serving the rest of the world, including
parts of Africa) and the newest RIR set up last year, LACNIC (serving Latin
America and some Caribbean Islands).
An neutral, African-based non-profit regional registry (AfriNIC) has been
nominated to act in the long-term best interests of the entire African
community by managing IP in the continent. Once AFRINIC is implemented and
regognized, it is expected that African organizations that presently obtain
IP addresses from RIPE or the ARIN will in future obtain IP addresses from
the AfriNIC.
In each country there is a national managing entity (designated by ICANN),
with attributions similar to ICANN's but limited to the country code Top
Level Domain (ccTLD) (e.g. the .za in a South African email address). This
entity is organized by different bodies (when it is at all) depending on
the country in question - many are run by government departments, others
are non-profit organizations, some are academic entities and still others
are private for-profit companies. In many developing countries these
managing entities are located outside the country to which the domain name
relates. A detailed list of who is who can be found on the ICANN website,
see details on:
When the managing entity for domain names in a country has not been
established in an acceptable procedure by all stakeholders, often for
historical reasons, it is clearly better governance to 'redelegate'
management of the ccTLD, and make the administration of the domain name
more responsive to the public interest[14]. This is especially true when
the ccTLD of a country is being administered from another country. This is
actually the case in The Gambia and Libya[15]. The process of assigning
domain names, and the control of those domains, needs to be transparent and
accessible. Mismanagement can result in your website being knocked offline
or your website address stolen.[16].
* Examples of Redelegation of ccTLDs:
The two case studies from Africa are highlighted to describe the process of
'redelegation'. The third, from Brazil, demonstrates how redelegation to
improve accountability will increase public revenue that can be used for
digital inclusion.
* South Africa:
The county Domain name (.za) administration was initially conducted by a
volunteer, who later initiated a process to shift responsibility for the
domain to a non-profit entity, Namespace ZA with the support of the local
Internet community, the South Africa Internet Service Providers Association
(ISPA), ISOC and the government's Department of Communications[17].
Under a new bill that was introduced at about the same time, named the
Electronic Communications Bill, Chapter 10 proposed the set up of a new .za
domain name authority with board members effectively chosen by the Ministry
of Communications. The new authority proposed to bring a more
representative entity to enable all South Africans to have a say in South
African Internet administration and governance, which is seen by many as an
important national asset.
The bill provoked a huge debate and clashes between the differing groups
around domain name administration in South Africa, and was highly
publicised by the media.
Those opposed to the Bill at the time said they preferred government
involvement, rather than control while ICANN forbade a takeover of domain
administration by any body that was not sanctioned by the local Internet
On behalf of civil society interests, APC sent a statement with this regard
emphasizing the reflecting a need to create a truly democratic, accountable
and representative domain name authority in South Africa. The statement
concluded by reflecting the importance of taking into consideration the
interest of Internet users, including those potential users that do not yet
have access, can be served better by a domain name management system which
is independent from government and from the Internet industry, but that
works closely with both, and that includes civil society
The Minister of Communications is currently appointing a panel who will
recommend board members to make proposals regarding the regulation of the
.za ccTLD and ancillary matters.
* Kenya:
The Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC) was formed in 2002 as a result
of a consultation process between multiple stakeholders consisting of
government representatives, the private sector and civil society
organizations. Just as in many other developing countries around the world,
the technical functions and administrative functions of country domain
management was being carried out by individuals who were becoming
overwhelmed by the administrative work and growing responsibilities
involved. A new body was established on the understanding that domain names
are a public resource that should be managed in the interest of all
sectors. [19].
KENIC's membership is made of Board Members and Associate Members. The
current membership comprises of a good cross-section of the Kenyan Internet
community and the Government. KENIC's board members are drawn from the
Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), Computer Society of Kenya (CSK),
Kenya Information Society (KIS), Kenya Education Network (KENET),
Nationwide Taskforce on Electronic Commerce, the Government, and the
Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK). The East African
Internet Association (EAIA) is an associate member[20].
The benefits of redelegation in Kenya are already bearing fruits which will
greatly benefit Kenyan Internet service users and providers. According to
Mr Michuki Mwangi, a Senior Systems Engineer at KENIC, registering a .ke
domain has plummeted to 25% of its price just a few months ago [21].
Apart from the reduced costs, it now takes at most 24 hours to have a domain
registered and working, whereas it used to take at least 48 hours. KENIC is
also inviting the public to influence the policies and services of KENIC
through a public mailing list for which people can register from their
* Brazil:
In Brazil, civil society has come together to change the way the Internet is
governed - having grown fed up of the anti-democratic nature of the
management of the Brazilian Internet which is in the hands of a group of
volunteers and there is no accounting for the millions of dollars raised in
the sale of .br Internet addresses every year[22]. A seminar[23] was held
February 25-26 2003 in Rio de Janeiro and partly as a result of discussions
with government officials and the seminar recommendations, the government
has decided to support the transition to a new Internet governance
structure for Brazil. It is proposed that the profits from the sale of .br
addresses go to create a new digital inclusion fund.
The World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) has included in its
deliberations the issue of Internet governance with various stakeholders
voicing their concerns around governance issues during the recently
concluded call for inputs to the WSIS draft declaration and action plan.
Chakula staff took a look at some of those inputs, which focus on the role
of different stakeholders in the management of public resources such as the
country top level domains (ccTLDs) and some reflections on the overall
governance of the Internet at global level.
The draft declaration of Principles and Action Plan of the WSIS dated March
21st 2003[24] suggested the following wording regarding the management of
Internet names and addresses:
* Principle:
Under item No.44. "Management of Internet names and addresses: Internet
governance must be multilateral, democratic and transparent, taking into
account the needs of the public and private sectors as well as those of the
civil society, and respecting multilingualism. The coordination
responsibility for root servers, domain names, and Internet Protocol (IP)
address assignment should rest with a suitable international,
inter-governmental organization. The policy authority for country code
top-level-domain names (ccTLDs) should be the sovereign right of
* Action Plan:
Under item No.33. "Internet governance": A transparent and democratic
governance of the Internet shall constitute the basis for the development
of a global culture of cyber-security. An [international]
[intergovernmental] organisation should ensure multilateral, democratic and
transparent management of root servers, domain names and Internet Protocol
(IP) address assignment.
(Note -square brackets above mean the phrase or word bracketed is a subject
for negotiation and has not been accepted)
Read the review of inputs that were made by different organizations
including governments and civil society organizations in reaction to the
above item numbers of the draft principle and action plan of WSIS as of
21st March 2003: http://africa.rights.apc.org/news-content.shtml?x=12751
For now the debates on Internet governance will continue, especially since
the WSIS process is taking this debate amongst other issues to a wider
audience who would otherwise perhaps have not been aware or concerned about
Internet governance. As some of the inputs from different sectors and
governments naturally conflict, there will be a lot of negotiation involved
in the upcoming intersessional meeting of the WSIS in Paris next month and
also during the third and final preparatory conference ("PrepCom") in
September in Geneva. Then we'll have to work to ensure the UN action plan
will be implemented in our countries and not become just another political
ICANN just held the second of this year's ICANN meetings, in Montreal,
Canada last week (22-26 June) - see details below. ICANN meetings are
usually open to anyone wishing to participate. Those unable to attend the
meeting physically can also take part in the web-cast and remote
participation via mailing lists. Full details can be obtained from the
ICANN website below: http://www.icann.org/montreal/
As a final word, it is very important that civil society organizations and
especially those from developing countries take interest in these
developments and participate in debates as opportunity arises. This can be
at international level as well as at national levels with regard to the
management of your country's top-level domain names and resource allocation
to ensure that management is transparent, accountable and equitable. Follow
Brazil's example with us over the next few months, to see how civil society
is working to change Internet governance in Brazil.
This introduction merely scratches the surface of issues and debates around
Internet governance and related public policy issues. We hope to bring you
more issues in the coming months.
NEWS FROM THE LATEST ICANN MEETING - Montreal Canada:
News emerging from the latest ICANN meeting says it will involve the global
internet community in its decision-making.
A framework to form local, regional and global groups was approved by
ICANN's board and an interim At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) will accept
applications from groups seeking input.
It is a critical step, says ICANN president and chief executive Paul Twomey.
The organisation has been criticised for being ineffective.
ICANN gave some examples of issues of interest, such as new domain names and
privacy in the WHOIS database.
The board agreed to improve communication with country code top-level domain
registries and a Country Code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) was
More details can be found on the address:
* APC Internet Charter on Internet Governance:
The APC Internet Rights Charter for social justice and development has a
section on national, regional and global governance of the Internet.
* Glossary of Internet Terms and Abbreviations:
A complete glossary of terms and abbreviations is available from the ICANN
website, please visit to view a comprehensive description of common
Internet terms and organizations.
* The Global Internet Policy Initiative Project:
The Global Internet Policy Initiative supports adoption in developing
countries of the legal and policy framework for an open and democratic
Internet. The project works with local stakeholders in consultative,
coalition-based efforts to promote the principles of a decentralized,
accessible, user-controlled, and market-driven Internet.
ICANNWatch.org is a news and commentary website forum for people interested
in questions about the doing of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers.
* Internet Democracy Project
The Internet Democracy Project recognizes that the Internet is a unique
medium in which key governance decisions about the Internet's central
resources and operations are being made by quasi-governmental agencies such
as ICANN. The primary goal of the Internet Democracy Project is to enable a
critical mass of non governmental organizations to work on creating
Internet governance structures that preserve and promote the principles of a
civil society.
* The Africa - ICANN Group (AfrICANN)
The Africa - ICANN Group an open forum whose primary objectives is to
support and promote Africa's interests in ICANN.
The African Network Information Center (AfriNIC), is the emerging
organization that will administer Internet number resources for the
continent of Africa on behalf of the Internet community.
* Africa Top Level Domain Group - AFTLD
AFTLD acts as a focal point for all the African ccTLDs), to discuss matters
of policy that affect country domains (ccTLDs) globally and then, where
possible, to present the group's position as one voice. One coherent voice
from a large group of African ccTLDs will have more influence and will make
it easier for external parties to gauge the opinion of the AFTLD
* The African Internet - A Status Report
The use of the Internet has grown relatively rapidly in most urban areas in
Africa, in much the same pattern as the adoption of the mobile phone, which
followed shortly after. As an indication, five years ago, only a handful of
countries had local Internet access, now it is available in every capital
city. But although these are encouraging trends, the differences between
the development levels of Africa and the rest of the world are much wider
in this area than they are using more traditional measures of development.
* AfriDNS - Africans and Africa in ICANN
Africa Domain Names (AFRIDNS) is Africa's parallel organization to the
Domain Name Supporting Organization (DNSO) of ICANN. This is supposed to
enable Africans to discuss DNSO issues, how it affects us, determine and
articulate positions for mutual benefit, plan and coordinate the African
constituencies of the DNSO etc. There are only two ICANN regions with this
parallel organization, Asia Pacific Domain Names (APDNS) and AfriDNS.
* Can ICANN meet the needs of developing countries?
Article from the Digital Freedom Network on the growing knowledge and
participation divide between "developed" and "undeveloped" countries on
decisions regarding the global structure of the Internet that is currently
under the mandate of ICANN (May 2003).
* ccTLD Governance Project:
This project reviews the relationship between country code Top Level Domains
(ccTLDs) and governments in 45 countries. Included are 1) tables which
highlight the main relationships, and 2) country-specific information.
* A review of Government involvement in ccTLD Administration:
This website describes the level of involvement of Governments in ccTLD
administration, with details such as legislation, whether the administrator
is a private sector or non-profit and any details on contract with ICANN.
[1] ITU 1999: Challenges to the Network:
[2] The State of the Internet, growth and gaps:
[3] Wolfgang Kleinwächter, 2001: Global Governance in the Information Age:
[4] Kate Wild, 2001: ICT policy for civic networking
[5] APC Internet governance pages:
[6] Zoe Baird, 2002: Governing the Internet, governments, business and non
[7] APC Internet governance pages:
[8] http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/World_Wide_Web.html
[9] APC Internet governance pages:
[10] http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy-20030520.html
[11] http://www.dnso.org/constituency/cctld/docs/RootServers.html
[12] Tracy Cohen, 2000: ICANN Primer for the Internet Service Providers
Association: http://www.ispa.org.za/advisory4.htm
[13] Wolfgang Kleinwächter, 2001: Global Governance in the Information Age:
[14] GIPI Project 2003: Redelegation of Country Code Top Level Domains:
[15] http://www.michaelgeist.ca/cctldinfo/country.htm#gm
[16] APC Internet governance pages:
[17] Phillip de Wet, ITweb 2002: Govt, Namespace find compromise on .za:
[18] South Africa Electronic Communications and Transactions Bill APC Press
[19] Report on the Kenya ccTLD Delegation:
[20] http://www.kenic.or.ke
[21] Tom Kwanya: Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC) finally gains
control of the dot ke (.ke) domains http://www.netwatch.co.ke/kenic1.htm
[22] "Dangers of monopolies and closed practices are key to debate on
digital inclusion" -- APCNews 26/Jan/03
[23] http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=12139
[24] http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=406|407
Chakula: Africa ICT Policy Monitor newsletter
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Get Em': Hillary Clinton Takes Off Her Ear Pieces Like They Were Earrings! In Response To A Student Question About Her Husband!
The secretary of state becomes irritated by a question at a town hall in Africa
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This was Becky G's second time at the Premios Juventud Awards! We were so stuck with this more sophisticated look. We asked her makeup artist Jessica Smalls about this glam look. She shared her tips and techniques with us:
I typically keep Becky's makeup fresh and clean, but this time we went a little more grown up, with a dash of sexy and definitely MORE GLAM…instaGLAM!!!!!
Becky has these beautiful eyebrows, so I brushed them into place with some clear brow gel and began heavily rimming her eyes with COVERGIRL Bombshell Intensity Liner in Pitch Black Passion. Once her water line was dark and intense I applied a matte dark brown shadow to her lid, using a firm eye shadow brush.
On top of the dark brown shadow I applied Flamed Out Shadow Pot in Melted Caramel and used a blending brush to blend the gold color into the matte brown. Using a clean blending brush I blended a soft tangerine color into her crease, to gradually fade and soften the brown smokey eye. I applied a wispy pair of false eye lashes and applied two coats of Clump Crusher Mascara and her eyes were done.
I hydrated Becky's skin with an oil free moisturizer and applied a thin layer of foundation primer. I let that settle in for about a minute and using a dampened sponge, I applied 2 layers COVERGIRL Ready, Set Gorgeous Foundation in Natural Beige (205), waiting about 45 seconds between the first and second layers. I let the foundation cover what it could and then used the Ready, Set Gorgeous Concealer in Fair (105/110) to cover dark spots and to brighten Becky's under eye area. Once her skin was perfected I set her skin with a setting powder and to give her skin dimension, I applied truMAGIC The SunKisser to her temples, cheekbones and jawline. On the apples of her cheeks I applied Cheekers Blush in Pretty Peach (150) and swept a loose shimmer powder over her entire cheek area.
I exfoliated her lips with a bit of granulated sugar and lip balm. Once her lips were soft and supple I used the remaining foundation off the sponge and applied it to her lips to cancel her natural lip color. Using a lip brush I applied COVERGIRL LipPerfection in Heavenly (260) to her lips and topped if off with Colorlicious Lip Glossin Give me Guava (630).
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The Everlon™ Diamond Knot Collection: the only thing stronger than a diamond is love itself. The Everlon™ Diamond Knot is based on the Hercules knot, an ancient symbol of strength, and secured by a diamond at its centre.
It is a tribute to the enduring strength of love - without the diamond, the knot would unravel. It is a symbol that even in the toughest of times, the strength of a couple's love never wavers.


text:
LONDON (Reuters) - A piece of Antarctica named after her, a baby llama, tea from Sri Lanka and her own set of Olympic medals were just some of the gifts given to Britain's Queen Elizabeth during her 2012 diamond jubilee year.
Foreign leaders, emissaries, luxury goods businesses and members of the public gave the British monarch a treasure trove of gifts from jewels given by the Emir of Kuwait to a wind chime from a nursery school near her Sandringham estate, according to a list released by Buckingham Palace.
The list documents more than 140 gifts given to the queen in honor of her 60 years on the throne from world leaders such as U.S. President Barack Obama (1950s Tiffany & Co silver compact) to the president of Sri Lanka (a portrait and a special box of tea).
Unsolicited gifts included 436 books, 235 CDs and DVDs, 81 pieces of embroidery or knitting - including a tea cosy of the queen with her corgis - 78 portraits of the queen, 40 digital photograph books, 28 wall hangings or bunting, 19 tea towels and nine jigsaws.
Other gifts included honorary ownership of a baby llama and adoption of a baby Asian elephant.
Her husband Prince Philip also received a number of gifts over the period including Swarovski binoculars, a wooden cigar box from the King of Jordan, a "Highland Gentleman" made from biscuits, beer and a large gold sword in a leather box
Buckingham Palace release a list every year detailing gifts received by the queen and the royal family, although a separate list is released for heir-to-the-throne Charles and his children.
Reporting by Paul Casciato


text:
Friday, March 16, 2012
Spring in San Diego
It's beginning to feel like Spring in San Diego. How can we tell? The temperature has risen from 75 to 79 degrees? The sky is blue, the sun is shining? Everyone is going to the beach? oh yea, that's all year 'round.
I took these photos on a recent walk around my neighborhood.
Happy Spring!
10 comments:
Gorgeous! What wonderful colors!ReplyDelete
Jane, Do you know what kind of plant that is in photo number 5? I have one and badly want to prune it as it is 3 feet tall and leggy, funky looking. But not knowing what it is, I don't know how to best care for it.ReplyDelete
Tried leaving a comment already and it disappeared. Hope this one doesn't show up twice now!
so lovely! thank you! can't wait for ANY flowers in my neighborhood!! still, beautiful weather here for MNReplyDelete
We are soooo spoiled living here - beautiful photos.ReplyDelete
Hi JAne,ReplyDelete
Your photos are exquisite! I am beginning to think you live in the BEST place in the country.
Lucky you!
Beautiful spring photos, Jane...such yummy flowers. I can't tell you how much I miss the California weather. It has been a long cold winter in Denver but spring is beginning to peak through here too. Big hugs!ReplyDelete
Thank you for a peek into the future! I love lavendar and Calif. poppies. What is the plant in Photo #5? I am hoping it will grow here! Have a wonderful weekend.ReplyDelete
It just makes you glad to be alive, doesn't it? Spring has been so gorgeous here in San Antonio and the Hill Country this year: wildflowers abound!ReplyDelete
lovely pics Jane!ReplyDelete
such gorgeous photos and flowers!!! Here in the NE US we are just beginning to see the Spring flowers.ReplyDelete


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What: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division (LDWF/LED) agents will take part in Operation Dry Water from June 24-26 with increased patrols for operating or driving a boat while intoxicated (DWI) enforcement and boating safety.
During the Operation Dry Water weekend, LDWF agents will be out in force patrolling state waterways for boat operators whose blood alcohol content exceeds the state limit of .08 percent.
When: LDWF is offering safe boating ride along opportunities the week before the Operation Dry Water weekend from June 20 to the 24. To schedule a media ride along opportunity on a safe boating patrol, please contact Adam Einck at firstname.lastname@example.com or 225-765-2465.
Where: Statewide
For more information, contact Adam Einck at firstname.lastname@example.com or 225-765-2465.


text:
Visitors to the lodge atop Mt. Prospect in Weeks State Park will get an additional helping of history, thanks to a new NH historic marker commemorating the signing of the Weeks Act.
The Marker reads:
"The Lodge atop Mt. Prospect was the summer home of John Wingate Weeks (1860 – 1926), renowned 'Father of the Eastern National Forests,' author of the Weeks Act, passed by the U.S. Congress, March 1, 1911. The Act enables the government to buy privately owned land to be 'permanently reserved, held and administered as national forest lands,' for the protection, development, and use of their natural resources. Much of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF), one of the 48 forests made possible by the Weeks Act, can be viewed from the Lodge and from the fieldstone fire tower near the Lodge."
An interactive map of all of the state's historical highway markers is available at the N.H. Division of Historical Resources' website, www.nh.gov/nhdhr.
The New Hampshire Historical Highway Marker Program is jointly managed by the N.H. Division of Historical Resources and N.H. Department of Transportation.
New Hampshire's Division of Historical Resources, the "State Historic Preservation Office," was established in 1974. The historical, archaeological, architectural, engineering and cultural resources of New Hampshire are among the most important environmental assets of the state. Historic preservation promotes the use, understanding and conservation of such resources for the education, inspiration, pleasure and enrichment of New Hampshire's citizens. For more information, visit us online at www.nh.gov/nhdhr or by calling (603) 271-3483.


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Coincidence Or Did Mims Rip From Gillie Da Kid' Style For His Song "Move"? (Some Guy Shows Proof Gillie's Song & Mims Track Sound Exactly The Same)
One of our viewers sent us this video claiming Mims ripped off of Gillie's style for his new song "Move" . But is this just a mere Coincidence and thats it? Credit to Prophet for submitting this.
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LAS VEGAS--Two's company, three's a crowd, and Canon's Chuck Westfall is a lot less lonely these days.
Canon once was the sole camera company offering a digital SLR whose sensor is the size of a full frame of 35mm film, a technology that can increase the performance advantage and price penalty that SLR cameras already have compared with compact cameras. In November, though, Nikon began selling its full-frame rival, the D3, and last week Sony said it will launch its own full-frame competitor by the end of 2008.
Westfall is a camera tech guru and the technical adviser for Canon USA's professional products marketing division. In his 25 years at Canon, he's amassed an encyclopedic knowledge not only of official camera specs but also deeply buried engineering details.
Westfall shared his opinions about the full-frame market and other camera trends during the Photo Marketing Association trade show here. He also discussed fuel cells to replace batteries, flash memory technology, OLED displays, and geotagging.
Talking tech might sound like fun if you represent the company that leads market share both for compact cameras and in the higher-end SLRs, but Westfall also has had to deal with unpleasant autofocus trouble that's afflicted the company's $4,500 photojournalist-oriented EOS-1D Mark III during some shooting conditions. A quality and reputation problem is the last thing a camera maker wants for a model aimed squarely at the professional photographer market that Canon dominates but that Nikon is aggressively courting.
Though Canon is repairing affected 1D Mark III models and has issued a firmware update, the issue still hasn't gone away: Rob Galbraith, the photographer and consultant whose tests brought the problem to light, still believes the 1D Mark III's predecessor has better autofocus, and he reported Monday that Canon is working on yet another fix.
Read on for Westfall's response to the autofocus issue and other thoughts.
CNET News.com: Sony now has said it'll join Canon and Nikon in offering a full-frame camera--its flagship 24.6-megapixel SLR due to launch by the end of the year.
Westfall: It's quite flattering the other companies have recognized what we've known for years--that full-frame is quite a desirable imaging format. I think the full-frame market is set to expand in 2008. There's no doubt about it.
With Nikon and now Sony adding weight to the full-frame market, what role is there for the in-between sensor size, APS-H? (It's about halfway between the full-frame sensors used in the high-end SLRs and the APS-C sensors use in the top-selling models such as the Rebel XTi and 40D. The APS-H is used in the 1D Mark III and its predecessors.)
Westfall: When we introduced APS-H in 2001 with the original EOS-1D, the idea was to compete against other professional DSLRs with APS-C. In that respect it has been extremely successful. At that point it was about what the competition had to offer. It's only been in the last six months that there has been an alternative. We've had a good long run with APS-H.
Going forward, it remains to be seen whether it will continue to be a desirable format. We're not ready to say it's over.
Is there a unique advantage APS-H has over full-frame sensors besides price? Nikon's D3 is a full-frame competitor to the 1D Mark III at about the same cost.
Westfall: At this point, no. Price would be the only thing.
Do you think you've resolved the 1D Mark III autofocus issue?
The hardware fix and firmware update has effectively brought the camera within our design specifications. Under the vast majority of study conditions, the camera is functioning exactly the way we expected it to.
So is it better at autofocus than the 1D Mark II N (the camera's predecessor)?
Westfall: Overall, yes. The system has a lot more to it. There are improvements to the Mark III's autofocus sensor, with 19 cross-type focusing points throughout the frame compared to 7 in the center for the 1D Mark II N. This is an area Rob Galbraith's tests did not address. And there are a lot more customization settings to be able to tweak autofocus accuracy according to the way you shoot--focus priority versus release priority for example.
That said, we are continuing to investigate. We're not disputing anything Rob wrote--he's made a fair and objective test. We have no argument except that the 1D Mark III is a lot closer (to the 1D Mark II N's autofocus performance) in overall performance than his severe tests indicate at first glance and that he doesn't test the full range of conditions. There's more to it.
Geotagging is a hot subject, and much of the discussion at the PMA show seems to have moved from when it will arrive in cameras rather than whether it will. When do you think it will?
Westfall: The desirability of that feature is quite clear. You can see reasons why--classifying, sorting, and searching photos--especially with the advances in technology starting to appear that is taking advantage of the (location) information. That's why we started putting in the optional capability with the wireless transmitters (accessories available for higher-end Canon SLRs).
How far away is the geotagging era?
Westfall: There's no doubt we'll see cameras with built-in GPS within the next two years, possibly sooner. I'm not able to give guidance regarding Canon specifically.
Are you getting pressure to add geotagging support from Web sites such as Google and Yahoo that enable users to make use of geotagged photos?
Westfall: Mostly we're hearing from the vertical markets--professional, commercial, and industrial applications. And the military.
Some envision geotagging as an aspect of "autotagging," in which a rich set of metadata is recorded when the photograph is taken. It might be possible to combine face recognition with autotagging to label photos automatically.
With our PowerShot line, we started autotagging a year ago. We call it "My Category." It has a total of five or six presets and three customizable tags. When you choose a scene mode, it associates for example a "landscape" tag. It can be done in review, too--you can apply it after the fact. For a camera with face recognition, we know when people are present. This will become much more valuable in the future. Facial recognition is a very powerful feature.
Are there any developments in battery technology?
Westfall: Lithium-ion is still dominant. Battery manufacturers have been able to increase the storage density lately. The Canon Rebel XSi battery has a capacity of 1080 milliamp-hours compared to 720 for the Rebel XTi (whose battery is about the same size).
Is there anything more radical on the horizon?
Westfall: Fuel cells. Within the same physical space, you have maybe twice the capacity as lithium-ion batteries. There's a lot of incentive to deliver that. And it's environmentally friendly--it's disposable and refillable.
Samsung is showing its NV24 HD camera, which uses an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display. Is Canon planning on making that shift?
Westfall: Yes, definitely. We began exploring OLED several years ago. We showed in 2005 a prototype EOS-5D SLR. It was demonstrably brighter, had better color accuracy, and lower power consumption.
It's common knowledge that Canon is investing in OLED manufacturing ability, making big acquisitions last year. We have the infrastructure needed to bring this online.
And unlike with LCDs, it means you have more of the technology that actually ships in a camera under the Canon roof?
Westfall: Right. We're looking to implement OLED in all our consumer products: digital still cameras, camcorders, and inkjet printers.
There's a new version of CompactFlash memory cards under development that uses the Serial ATA technology rather than the current parallel ATA. You guys use CompactFlash in your SLRs. Will that technology catch on?
Westfall: It remains to be seen. What drives the market is cost and performance issues and availability. That's one reason we elected to wait until now to switch to SD (memory cards) for our Rebel line. The availability of SD cards is better now than even a year ago, and people are more comfortable with it.
I was interested that the 1Ds Mark III has an SD card slot in it as well as a CompactFlash slot.
Westfall: We actually started that with the 1D Mark II in 2004. We were able to add a second slot without changing the overall size of the camera. Now you see a second slot capability on other cameras.
What's changing in the compact camera market?
Westfall: The pricing on these cameras will continue to decline. It's become a more commoditized market, but it's bigger. The forecast for the next three years is it will continue to grow. CIPA (the Camera and Imaging Products Association) forecasts global shipments of 126 million units in 2010 compared to 93 million last year. The challenge is to continue to expand the feature set in the face of price erosion while maintaining profitability. We've got good technology and the highest level of profitability in the digital camera market.
Who's the top competitor?
Westfall: Sony is a very strong competitor. Once you get past them, there are a lot of other companies in there.
Are you worried about Sony entering the SLR market, too?
Westfall: Between us and Nikon, we've got 90 percent of the SLR market. Sony is only in the 5 percent range so far.
With pricing pressures, will you outsource more manufacturing to outside companies?
Westfall: That's not for us. We've increased our Japanese facility for better R&D and manufacturing. We have some outside manufacturing, especially in the point-and-shoot cameras. But we doubled the capacity of our main camera plant in the last two years. To control costs, we're developing more automation in manufacturing.
The jump from 2 megapixels to 4 megapixels is significant, but the jump from 10 to 12 is less dramatic. Is the megapixel race over?
Westfall: We're trying to upgrade the entire camera. The megapixels rating is only one thing. When upgrading, you have to look at more aspects.
Update 5:40 p.m. PST: Westfall requested a few minor changes to his quotations for clarity, such as changing "they" to "battery manufacturers," and I obliged.Update at 8 a.m. PST on February 7: Westfall's title at Canon has changed and been duly noted.
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