text:
Apparatus for remote interactive exercise and health equipment
An exercise system includes a local system having an exercise apparatus and an associated local computer, where the local computer controls and monitors the operation and use, respectively, of the exercise apparatus. The system further includes a remote system having a remote computer, and a transmission medium including a telephone line that couples the local system to the remote system for data communication between the local system and the remote system. The remote system may receive local system data from the local system concerning the use of the exercise apparatus, and the local system may receive remote system data from the remote system concerning the operation of the exercise apparatus. The local computer preferably controls the operation of the exercise apparatus based upon a modifiable script stored in a read/write memory of the local computer, which can be updated by the remote system. A method for controlling an exercise apparatus includes running a modifiable script on a local computer to control the use and to monitor the operation of an exercise apparatus, and communicating with a remote system to provide the remote system with data concerning the use of the exercise apparatus. The script is stored in read/write memory of the local computer and remote system data received from the remote system may include at least a portion of a new script to be stored in the read/write memory of the local computer.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to health and exercise equipment, and more particularly to computer networked systems including health or exercise equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Good health is a fundamental requirement for a happy and long life. A multi-billion dollar health and fitness industry has grown to help individuals meet this requirement. For example, there are a great many gymnasiums which provide facilities and equipment for aerobic and musculature development, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of weight loss and diet centers and programs. The goals of these many programs typically includes weight loss and/or maintenance, the improvement of aerobic fitness, improved circulation, increased strength, and body building or shaping.
There are several problems encountered with the use of gymnasiums, fitness centers, and diet centers. For one, they tend to be fairly expensive due to the need to maintain the facilities, pay rent and payroll, buy equipment, etc. In addition, these centers tend to be inconvenient in that they require a special trip to the center by individuals wishing to use their facilities. Both the price and the inconvenience tend to discourage use of these centers over time, allowing the individuals to lose incentive and drop out of their fitness or diet program.
A partial solution to this problem is home exercise and health equipment. Again, a large industry has arisen to provide exercise and health equipment for the home. This equipment tends to be more of the aerobic type, e.g. stationary bicycles, rowing machines, "step" machines, etc., although weight lifting apparatus, sometimes referred to as "resistance trainers," are also widely used in the home. These types of home exercise and health equipment increasingly use sophisticated electronics, such as microprocessors, to monitor the level of exercise and to provide exercise programs for the user.
Unfortunately, even well designed home exercise and health equipment often fall into disuse over time. This is because individuals, even in their own home, often lack the incentive to exercise when there are other, more enjoyable, activities available. Also, since there is typically not the camaraderie often found in a health club, diet center, etc., it is easier for users, as individuals, to discontinue their exercise or diet program.
Personal trainers have been used both at fitness clubs and in the home. Personal trainers are individuals who usually have a fitness training background and who typically provide personal training services to an individual customers. Personal trainers can be very effective in that they provide personal motivation and feedback to an individual in the exercise program, and thus often foster a more effective and longer-lasting exercise program. The downside of personal trainers is, particularly in the home setting, their relatively high cost. It is not unusual for a personal trainer to charge hundreds of dollars per month for their services. Therefore, while these personal trainers are very effective, they tend to be used by only a small percentage of the population.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an exercise and health system which is convenient, affordable, and effective. The system includes computerized exercise and/or health equipment (the "local system") that can provide feedback and encouragement to the user, i.e. can serve as a "virtual personal trainer." In addition, the system includes a remote computer system communicating over a bidirectional data channel with the exercise and health equipment. Still further, the system can include a server computer system that is in communication with the remote computer systems to provide bi-directional data communication with the remote computer systems.
Since the exercise and health equipment can communicate with the user, it is possible for the health equipment to provide incentive and motivation to the user much in the same fashion as a human personal trainer. In addition, the health and exercise equipment can store data and other parameters concerning the exercise or other activities which can be used to monitor the progress and to vary the exercise program or script. In this way, the local system can serve as a "virtual personal trainer."
The remote system computer is preferably associated with a number of exercise and health locations. The remote system computer can be considered to be the communication tool of a human personal trainer, as opposed to the "virtual personal trainer" emulated by software in the local system computer. For example, the remote system computer can be associated with one hundred local systems (used by one or more individuals in, for example, their homes), and can be used to upload information from the exercise and health equipment of a local system to be analyzed by the personal trainer at the remote computer. The personal trainer can then call the individual user to provide additional instruction, encouragement, and cautions, and the remote system computer can download new exercise scripts or programs to the local system computer to implement these changes.
The server system computer serves a number of remote system computers. For example, while a remote system computer might serve one hundred local system computers, the server system computer might serve as one hundred remote system computers. The server system computer can communicate with other server system computers ("peer" servers), or with a yet higher order server system computers for the consolidation, storage, processing, and exchange of data. The server system computer can be used to communicate with the remote system computers for the uploading of data concerning the remote system computer and the local system computers that the remote system computer is in contact with, and it can also download new programs and other data and information to the remote system computers. For example, a server system computer or peer system computer might design a dietary program for a particular user which is then downloaded into the remote system computer for subsequent communication to the individual user of a local system.
The systems, methods, and apparatus of the present invention therefore can provide an effective exercise, dietary, and health program for a great number of individuals. The computerized health equipment provides incentive and encouragement to stay in the program, due to the "virtual personal trainer" of the local system, the human personal trainer of the remote system, and by the various services provided by the enterprise as a whole as supported by the server systems, peer systems, etc. For example, a variety of services of products can be offered to the users of the system to further their health and fitness goals.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon the rating of the following descriptions and the study of the figures of the drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a health and fitness system in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the local, remote, and server system computers of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a process running on a local system computer of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of the "PROCESS EXERCISE ACTIVITY" step of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of the "DETECT AND RECORD USER ACTIVITY, PROVIDE FEEDBACK" step of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a "PROCESS LOCAL SYSTEM ACTIVITY" step of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of the "PROCESS REMOTE ACTIVITY" step of FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a process running on a remote system computer of the present invention;
FIGS. 8a, 8b, and 8c are three examples of data analysis performed in the "PROCESS DATA" step 176 of FIG. 8; and
FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a process running on a server system computer of the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1, a health and fitness system 10 in accordance with the present invention includes one or more local systems 12, one or more remote systems 14, and one or more server systems 16. The local systems 12 are typically home-based systems designed for the promotion of the health and fitness of individual users within a family. The remote systems 14 may be home or business based, and are used as data gathering and storage stations, as well as communication stations, between a human personal trainer and users of local systems 12. As will be discussed in greater detail subsequently, the remote system 14 is associated with a relatively large number of local systems 12, e.g. a personal trainer with a remote system might be in communication with 100 or more individual users of local systems 12. This is made possible, in part, by providing a "virtual personal trainer" at each of the local stations 12 to partially or fully replace the need for a human personal trainer at the local station. The server systems 16 can communicate with the remote systems 14 to provide server and control functions across the entire enterprise, i.e. over the entire system 10. As also will be discussed in greater detail subsequently, the server system 16 is associated with a number of remote systems 14.
The local system 12 includes one or more health or fitness devices such as a stationary bicycle 18, a weight or "resistance trainer" 20, a scale 22, etc. Associated with a local system 12 is a computer 24 which, in this preferred embodiment, is integrated into the stationary bicycle 18. A stationary bicycle as a "base unit" is given merely by way of example, as any piece of equipment (a rowing machine, a step machine, etc.) could house the computer 24, or the computer 24 could be housed separately. The computer 24 can serve as a "local server" for other health and fitness devices at local system 12, such as the weight trainer 20 and the scale 22. Alternatively, a separate local server 26 can be used to control and/or support various devices in local system 12 via data and control lines 28, and communicate with the remote system 14 via a telephone line 30 and a modem 32. However, in the present preferred embodiment, the assumption is that the local server 26 and modem 32 are not required and that the computer 24 will serve not only to control the operation and data gathering function of the stationary bicycle 18, but will also provide these functions for the weight trainer 20 and the scale 22. Of course, the weight trainer 20 and the scale 22 may include their own computer systems for local control purposes.
The stationary bicycle 18 includes a housing 34 which, as stated previously, preferably houses the computer 24, a crank 36 provided with a pair of pedals 38, a seat 40 supported by a seat stem 42, handle bar 34 supported by handle bar stem 46, legs 48, and feet 50. The various components of the stationary bicycle 18 are typically attached to a rigid frame that is internal to the housing 34.
The weight trainer 20 is preferably a resistance-type weight trainer, such as a bench press machine, a biceps curl machine, a squat machine, etc. Typically the use grasps a bar connected to a cable that is attached to a resistance device. This resistance device can be weights, or can be an active resistance device such as a motor, or a passive resistance device such as an electrically actuated brake. In any event, the amount of resistance to movement of the bar is preferably under the control of the computer 24 and the script that it is running. The scale 22 preferably provides an electrical connection to the computer 24 through an I/O port to allow the computer 24 to monitor the weight of the person standing on the scale.
The computer 24 is coupled to a variety of input/output (I/O) devices including a brake 52, a sensor 54, a display 56, a heart rate monitor (HRM) 59, a loudspeaker 58, an interface 60, a modem 62, and a voice board 64. In this fashion, the computer 24 can control and monitor the various functions of the stationary bicycle 18.
More particularly, computer 24 can, under software and hardware control, control the electrically actuated brake 52 which is coupled to the crank 36 of the stationary bicycle. In this fashion, the pedaling force that must be exerted on pedals 38 to cause the crank 36 to rotate at a given speed can be varied under computer control. This electrically actuated brake can be electric/mechanical brake, electric/magnetic brake, etc. as it is well known to those skilled in the art. The sensor 54 is typically used to determine the rotations-per-minute (RPM) of the crank 36. In this way, the computer 24 can receive information concerning the level of effort being exerted by a user of the stationary bicycle 18. Rotation sensors are well known those skilled in the art. The sensor 54 can also measure other parameters such as the force (torque) being applied to pedal 38, again to provide information to the computer as to the level of effort being exerted by the user of the bicycle.
The computer can provide an output on a display 56 that can be viewed by an individual user sitting on seat 40. This display can be a simple light display, e.g. a series of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or it can be a full video display. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a full video display to provide instructions and encouragement to a user of the stationary bicycle. For example, an image of a "virtual personal trainer" can be provided on the video display 56. This image is preferably the image of the human personal trainer who is in charge of the remote system 14.
The loudspeaker 58 provides another important communication medium to the user of the stationary bicycle 18. For example, under computer 24 control, the user can be told with either a digitally synthesized or digitally recorded voice to pedal faster, pedal slower, that they are doing a good job, etc. Of course, analog recording techniques can be used as well, but are considered to be less flexible and desirable. Preferably, the voice being used is that of the personal trainer associated with the remote system 14 that oversees that local system 12. Both voice synthesis and digital voice recording on computer systems 24 are well known to those skilled in the art.
A local interface 60 can be used to couple the computer 24 to additional health and fitness devices. In this instance, the local interface 60 is coupled to the weight trainer 20 and to the scale 22. This additional health and fitness systems can either "dumb" systems with limited digital computation and storage capabilities, or they can include full fledged computer system such as the computer system 24. In the present embodiment, the weight trainer 20 and scale 22 include digital control circuitry (e.g. a microcontroller) which can communicate with the more powerful computer 24 of the stationary bicycle 18. The various I/O devices, such as the loudspeaker 58 can be used in conjunction with these other devices 20 and 22, e.g. the weight detected by the scale 22 can be announced on the loudspeaker 58 along with an indication that this is an increase or decrease in weight from the last session. Also, as mentioned previously, the weight trainer 20 can include the equivalent of the electrically control brake 52 which allows the resistance of the weight bar or handle to be varied to provide resistance ("weight") training. This control of the break within the weight trainer 20 can be controlled by a "script" of the computer 24.
The computer 24 is also coupled to a modem 62 for communication over a telephone line 30. Alternatively, the computer 24 can be coupled to the remote computer 14 by other communication linkages, such as ISDN digital transmission line, via a local area network, or via a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. In other words, the telephone line 30 represents only one type of data communication channel between the local systems 12 and the remote system 14.
The present embodiment also includes a voice board 64 which can bypass the modem such that the loudspeaker 58 can be driven directly to the telephone line 30 in an analog fashion. Combination modem/voice boards are commercially available for personal computer systems, and are well known to those skilled in the art.
The remote system 14 includes, for example, a remote system computer 66 which is coupled to the telephone line 30 by a modem 68. In addition, a telephone 70 can be coupled to the line 30 by a voice board 72. Alternatively, the telephone 70 can be coupled to a separate telephone line so that simultaneous telephone and data links can be made. Still further alternatively, it is known to those skilled in the art that a single telephone line can be made to support both voice and data transmission. In any event, the telephone 70 can communicate directly with the loudspeaker 58 of the stationary bicycle 18 over the standard analog telephone line 30. Alternatively, the telephone 70 can communicate with the computer 66 as indicated by the broken line 74 and the computer 66 can communicate digital voice data via modem 68, telephone line 30 and modem 62, to the computer 24. The computer 24 can then store or pass through the digital voice data and play the voice input to the user of local station 12 via speaker 58.
As noted above, the computer 66 is used to communicate with the local system 12 via computer communication link such as the telephone line 30 or an equivalent. This communication can include the downloading of data and instructions to the computer 24, and can include the uploading of information from the computer 24 to the computer 66. This allows for interactive communication between the remote system 14 and the local systems 12.
The server stations 16 are used to further consolidate information from multiple remote system 14 and to provide a variety of services to the remote systems 14. While the remote system 14 maybe housed in human personal trainer homes or work sites, the server system(s) 16 are preferably more regional or national in origin. In this way, the main office of the enterprise can access each of the server systems 16 to provide upgrades for software, exercise programs, exercise equipment scripts, etc., as well as receiving information from the remote computers 66 that can be used for further analysis and for providing further services. Part of this analysis can be on the general and specific level of fitness of various individual users of the local system 12, as well as marketing information that can be used to offer product and services particularly tailored for the various users of the local system 12. The performance of the human personal trainers at remote stations 14 can also be monitored. It should be noted that the server 16 can include direct connect server 76 and peer server 78 that can either be direct server itself (like server 76) to a number of remote stations 14, or which can be a specialized server (such as a dietary analysis server) coupled to one or more direct connect servers 76. In addition, higher-level servers can be used to further consolidate data from the direct connect servers 76 and/or the peer servers 78. For example, the direct connect servers 76 can be regional in scope, while higher level servers can be national or international in scope.
In FIG. 2, a computer 80 is shown in a block diagram form. This basic computer architecture can be used for the local system computer 24, the remote system computer 66, and the server system computer 76. Of course other and equivalent architectures (in the computational sense), such as parallel processing computers can be used in the present invention as well. In the disclosed embodiment, the computer 80 includes a microprocessor 82, random access memory (RAM) 84, read only memory (ROM) 86, real time clock (RTC) 87, digital mass storage 88, CD-ROM drive 89, and a number of input/output (I/O) ports 90. Preferably, the digital mass storage 88 is read/write memory such as a hard disk with adequate storage capacity (e.g. 40 megabytes to 2 gigabytes or more). In addition, CD-ROM drive 89 can be coupled to the bus to provide, in particular, images to be displayed on a display 56 of the local system 12. The various components 82-90 address, pass data, and pass control signals through a bus 92 which typically includes data (D), address (A), and control (C) lines, as it is well known to those skilled in the art. In addition, there are control and "glue" chips typically provided in the form of a "chipset" which are used to couple the various components of the system together. The design and manufacture of computer systems such as computer system 80 is well known to those skilled in the art, and such computer systems are commercially available, both as complete systems and as subsystems (e.g. motherboards) from a variety of commercial sources. In FIG. 3, a process 94 implemented on a local system computer 24 is illustrated in a flow diagram. The process begins at 96 and, in a decision step 98, it is determined whether there is any activity which requires the attention local system computer. If not, the computer system 24 is in a "standby" mode and process control is returned to step 98 in a recurring manner. If step 98 does determine that there is some activity, one or more of multiple branches are made to process the activity. If the activity is "EXERCISE", e.g. the stationary bicycle 18, the weight trainer 20, or the scale 22 is to be used, a step 100 processes the exercise activity. If it is a "LOCAL SYSTEM" activity such as routine housekeeping, the local system activity is processed in a step 102. If it is a "REMOTE SYSTEM" activity, the remote system activity is processed in a step 104. After the completion of any one of steps 100, 102, and 104, process control is returned to step 98. Of course, other types of activities can be initiated by step 98 such as, for example, a shut down activity which would cause a power-down of system, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
In FIG. 4, step 100 of FIG. 3 is illustrated in greater detail. The process 100 begins at step 106 and, in a step 108, a "welcome greeting" is created. This welcome greeting can be displayed on the screen 56 and/or can be heard from the speaker 58, and can be personalized to both the individual user of the local system 12 and the human personal trainer of remote station 14. For example, the image of the personal trainer can show up on the screen 56 with his voice saying "Good morning, Fred! I haven't seen you since last Wednesday. Let's try to get in a good work-out today!" This greeting forms a part of a "virtual personal trainer" at local system 12 which replaces some or all of the need for a human personal trainer to be present at the exercise session at the local system 12. The "virtual personal trainer" is, therefore, a computerized process which emulates part or all of the functions traditionally performed by a human personal trainer.
Next, in a selection step 110, the user decides whether he wants to select his own training program for that session or if he would like the system 12 to select the program. If the user selects the program, he creates a user "script" of what kind of exercise program he would like to perform that day. For example, if the user wishes to simply bicycle at a fixed resistance for thirty minutes, that can be entered in step 112. Alternatively, more complex "scripts" can indicate that he would like to bicycle with interval training for thirty minutes, and then do five repetitions on the weight trainer 20.
If, however, the user allows the system 12 to select the section type, step 114 controls the script selection. This is the preferred mode for using the local station 12 in that the script can be influenced not only by the local station 12, but also by the human personal trainer at the remote system computer 66. For example, data concerning the user's previous performances and the personal trainer's guidance can be stored in mass storage 88 (e.g. on a hard disk) so that a custom-tailored, interactive exercise program can be provided.
As noted above, the exercise program preferably proceeds according to "scripts." A script is simply a sequence of exercise or other health-related events that are performed in fixed or variable sequences. The order and structuring of the script can be modified based upon monitoring the user's performance or by other user feedback. For example, if it is detected that the user is getting tired due to a slowing of the exercise repetition rate, the steps or parameters of the exercise script can be modified accordingly. In other words, certain script steps can be skipped or the parameters concerning the steps can be modified. For example, if a user is determined to be tiring by the local system 12, and if the script says the next exercise event is to be ten repetitions on the weight trainer 20, that step could be skipped. Alternatively, the weight training step could still be done, but the resistance parameters could be modified. For example, instead of doing ten repetitions at a hundred pounds resistance on the weight trainer 20, eight repetitions at eighty pounds of resistance might be called for. The script therefore provides a general framework of a desired exercise session which can be varied based upon human personal trainer input from remote system 14, user input at local station 12, and detected user performance at local station 12.
Once the script has been initiated in either steps 112 or 114, a step 116 detects and records user activity and provides feedback to the user. This step will be discussed in greater detail subsequently. Such parameters as the rotations per minute (RPM) of the crank 36, the timing and speed of the resistance weight repetitions of weight trainer 20, the detected weight on the scale 22, etc. can all be recorded in the mass storage 88 of the local system computer 24. In addition, user feedback is provided. For example, if the person is cycling too slow on the stationary bicycle 18, the computer 24 can generate a encouragement on speaker 58 that the person should pedal faster. Alternatively, if it is determined that the user is over-exerting, such as pedaling too fast, a cautionary warning can be issued on speaker 58 to slow down. Another important input is the heart rate monitor (HRM) 59 which detects if the heart (pulse) rate is rising too high.
Next, in a step 118, it is determined whether the session is a modifiable session. Most sessions are preferably be modifiable, unless the user selects, in a step 112, a non-modifiable session. If the session is modifiable, the session is modified in a step 120 based upon the selected script and upon user activity or other input. For example, if the heart rate monitor 59 detects that the pulse rate is too high, the resistance on the crank 36 can be reduced via a signal to the brake 52. Next, in a step 122, it is determined whether the session is completed. This is usually based on the script, although the user can always terminate a session. If the session is not completed, process control is returned to step 116 to repeat the loop. If the session is completed, the session records are updated in the mass storage 88, as are the scripts, as indicated in step 124. The process 100 is then completed at step 126.
In FIG. 5, the step 116 of FIG. 4 is explained in greater detail. Process 116 begins at 128 and, in a step 130, exercise parameters relative to the script are stored, preferably in mass storage 88. These parameters depend on the type of exercise being done, and the type of sensory input available to the system 12, but typically includes such things as time, RPM, resistance, machine state, etc. These exercise parameters are used to control the implementation of the exercise script, and are stored for later analysis.
Next, in a step 132, it is determined whether encouragement is needed. An example of encouragement being needed is when the person is slowing down below the suggested repetition rate or speed in the script or, for example, has stopped exercising entirely. In such circumstances, encouragement is given in a step 134. Again, this encouragement can be auditory via speaker 58, or visual via display 56, a combination of the two, or in any other suitable fashion. Next, in a step 136, it is determined whether a caution is needed. If so, the caution is given in a step 138 either through auditory, visual, or other ways. Caution might be needed if the user is exercising faster than that suggested by the script or if a dangerous physical condition is detected, such as by the HRM 59. Next, in a step 140, it is determined if a script preview should be provided. If yes, a step 142 provides an auditory, visual or other type of preview of upcoming script events. For example, the system 12 could be taking a user on a imaginary bicycle ride through the country. The script preview would then, in a step 142, indicate something like "We are now approaching a hill. You will note an increased resistance to pedaling in a few seconds which will steadily increase until we reach the crest of the hill in about one and a half minutes." These steps 134, 138, and 142 are further examples of the local system 12 serving as a "virtual personal trainer." The process 116 is completed at step 144.
In FIG. 6, step 102 of FIG. 3 is illustrated in greater detail. Process 102 begins at step 146 and, in a step 148, it is determined what type of local system activity is to be performed. Three different local system activities will be discussed herein by way of example. As a first example, the local system activity can be to alert the user as indicated in a step 150. For example, the local computer 24 can detect that it is time for a scheduled exercise session. The computer 24 can then communicate with the user via speaker 58 that it is time for a scheduled exercise. In this instance, the computer 24 would use a real time clock (RTC) 87 to know that it was time to initiate the exercise session. After completion of step 150, process control is returned to step 148.
A second type of local system activity would be housekeeping. For example, in a step 152, diagnostics can be run to check the operability and calibration of the various components of local system 12. Also, in a step 154, data compression, hard disk compaction, and data preparation can be accomplished.
A third example of local system activity detected by step 148 is a local communication within the local system 12. For example, the weight trainer 20 or the scale unit 22 might be communicating to the computer 24 via the interface 60 or vice-versa. A step 146 processes the data from the local unit accordingly and can provide commands to the local unit for the exercise or health session. Process control is then returned to step 148 after the completion of steps 150, 154, and 156.
In FIG. 7, step 104 of FIG. 3 is illustrated in greater detail. The process 104 begins at 158 and, in a step 160, the connection is established with the remote system. Next, in a step 162, information is uploaded or downloaded, the process is completed at 164. It should be noted that the connection of step 160 can be either an incoming connection or an outgoing connection. If there is an outgoing connection to a remote system computer 66 the modem 62 makes connection with the telephone line 30 and dials the telephone number of the remote system computer 66. For an incoming connection, the modem 62 detects an incoming call on telephone line 30, picks up the line, and connects to the local system computer 24.
Since the systems 12 are typically home based, the user may wish to use a single telephone line for both normal telephone needs and for use by the system 12 for step 160. It would, of course, be simpler to have an additional telephone line installed simply for the system 12, but this may be impractical from a cost point of view. If the system 12 is sharing the telephone line with the other telephones and devices in the household, mechanisms and/or processes are preferably provided to prevent interference with normal telephone usage. If the local system 12 initiates the call to the server 66, it would simply need to detect whether the telephone line was available so as not to interfere with other use of the telephone line. It can help ensure this availability by calling at unusual times, such as the middle of the night or when it is known that the user is away from the home, e.g. at work.
However, with incoming calls from a computer 66 to the computer 24 on a single home line, some way of distinguishing between calls for the local system 12 and other kinds of telephone calls should be preferably provided. Again, this could be time-based such that it is implied that a telephone call in the middle of the night is for the local system 12. The RTC 87 could be used for timing purposes in this situation, or the computer could simple start a counter. In this instance, the modem 62 would pick up the telephone quickly before other devices, such an answering machine for a facsimile machine, would have a chance to pick it up. Alternatively, the local system 12 could allow a number of "rings" before picking up the line. For example, the local system 12 could allow the telephone line 30 to ring six times before modem 62 picks up the line. In a still further instance, the computer 66 might be calling a local computer 24 and have the phone line picked up by the user or by another device (like a telephone answering machine) coupled to the telephone line 30. In this instance, the computer 66 could hang up the line and call back a second time. Since the computer 24 can monitor the line via modem 62, it could know that a call back within, for example, thirty seconds of a hang up is for the computer 24. Alternatively, it could listen to the line on the first call to determine if it was computer 66 calling, and then pick it up the line 62 immediately on any call back, or call back the remote system computer 66 itself when the telephone line was free. Again, RTC 87 can be used for timing purposes, or counters can be used, as is well known to those skilled in the art.
Information being uploaded can include parameters and data stored in the mass storage 88 concerning the exercise sessions by the user(s) of the local system 12. It can also include other system information used for diagnosing or improving the operation of the local system 12. In addition, information can be downloaded to the local system 12 from the remote system computer 66 to, for example, change exercise scripts for a user, provide upgrades for the software running on the local system computer 24, etc.
In FIG. 8, a process 166 running on a remote system computer 66 is illustrated. The process 166 begins at 168 and, in a step 170, an activity type is determined. A first type of activity is a batch system connection whereby the remote system computer 66 sequentially connects with a series of local systems for the uploading or downloading of information. This process is accomplished in step 172. A batch system connection can be used to update the software on a number of computers 24 of local system 12, or to upload exercise session data from a number of local systems 12 on a regular basis, e.g. daily, weekly, monthly, etc.
If step 170 detects a single system activity type, a step 174 connects the remote system computer 66 to a single local system 12 for uploading and/or downloading as described previously. If an activity type "PROCESS DATA" is detected by step 170, a step 176 prepares data on the computer 66 for storage, processing, communication, and/or analysis. Examples of some types of analysis of the data will be discussed subsequently with referenced to FIGS. 8a-8c. Finally, if an activity type "SERVER CONNECTION" is detected, a connection is made with the server 76 to upload or download information. The server connection can be initiated by the computer 66, or it can be initiated by the server system computer 76 depending on the circumstances. Upon the completion of any of the steps 172, 174, 176, and 178, process control is returned to step 170.
In FIGS. 8a-8c, several examples of types of data analysis that can be performed on the remote system computer 66 in step 176 of process 166 are illustrated. Of course, this analysis can be accomplished at any of the computers on the system 10 including the remote system computer 66, server system computer 76, peer system computer 78, or even on the local system computer 24. In FIG. 8a, a display of exercise activity is shown. This display can be on the display on a video display, such as a display 56, or it can be printed to make a permanent record. Along the y axis are the number of minutes of exercise, and along the x axis are the days of the week. As seen in the illustration of FIG. 8a, on Monday the user had twenty minutes of exercise, on Tuesday the user had sixty minutes of exercise, and on Thursday the user again had twenty minutes of exercise.
In FIG. 8b, another display or print out of, preferably, the remote system computer 66 is a summary of daily exercise activity. As noted, the Monday twenty minute exercise session actually consisted of a ten minute cycling session and a ten minute weight session. Also includes is a summary of the number of calories burned and other parameters associated with those activities.
In FIG. 8c, a plot of the user's weight as taken from scale 22 is shown illustrating the day-by-day weights of the user during part of the month of January. In this way, users are provided with good feed-back concerning the progress he/she is making in reaching their ideal weight. This information can be used by the remote or server systems to modify the exercise scripts and/or provide dietary counseling or products to the individual users of local stations 12.
As noted, the analysis of the data is preferably accomplished at the site of the human personal trainer, i.e. the site of the remote system computer 66. However, this analysis can also be accomplished at upstream or downstream computers. As mentioned previously, the computer 24 of the local system 12 is perfectly capable of making these types of analysis and displaying the on the display 66. Also, a simple printer I/O port can be provided in the stationary bicycle 18 to allow a printout of the graphs and charts that were shown by way of example in FIGS. 8a, 8b, and 8c.
In FIG. 9, a process 180 running on server system computer 76 is illustrated. In many ways, the process 180 running on the server system computer 76 is very similar to the process 166 running on the remote system computer 66. The process 180 begins at 182 and, in a step 184, an activity type is detected. One type of activity type is the batch connection where the server sequentially (e.g. serially and/or in parallel) connects to a series of remote system computers 66 for uploading and downloading information. This process is accomplished at step 186. Another activity type detected by step 184 is the single system connection accomplished in step 188. In step 188, the server connects to a single remote system for uploading or downloading. In the case of step 186 where there is a batch connection, the server system computer 76 will almost always be the initiating computer for the connection. With the single system connection however, the initiation of the connection can come either from the server 76 or from the remote system computer 66.
If step 184 detects a "PROCESS DATA" activity type, the data for multiple remote system computers 66 (which includes data from multiple local system 12) is prepared for storage, processing, communication, and/or analysis in a step 190. If a step 184 determines that there is to be a peer-to-peer connection with a peer server 188, a step 192 makes the connection with the peer server to pass data back and forth. Of course, there are other activity types that can be performed by the process on server system computer 76, these four being by way of example. After the completion of steps 186, 188, 190, or 192, process control is returned to step 184 to detect another activity type.
While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, it is contemplated that alternatives, modifications, permutations and equivalents thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and study of the drawings. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alternatives, modifications, permutations and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
1. An exercise system comprising:
- a local system physically located at a first location and including at least one exercise apparatus having an adjustable resistance and at least one associated local computer having read/write memory, said at least one local computer controlling and monitoring the operation and use, respectively, of said at least one exercise apparatus, wherein said local computer can automatically control the resistance of said exercise apparatus based upon a script stored in said read/write memory of said local computer;
- a remote system physically located at a second location distant from said first location and including at least one remote computer; and
- a communication linkage through a telephone system that at least part-time couples said local system to said remote system for data communication between said local system and said remote system, such that said remote system may receive local system data from said local system concerning said use of said exercise apparatus, and such that said local system may receive remote system data from said remote system concerning said operation of said exercise apparatus; wherein said remote system data can include a new or modified script to be stored in said read/write memory of said local computer that can control the operation of the exercise apparatus at a time when there is no communication linkage between the local system and the remote system.
2. An exercise system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local system is one of a plurality of local systems, each of which is in at least part-time communication with said remote computer.
3. An exercise system as recited in claim 2 further comprising a server system including at least one server computer in at least part-time communication with said remote computer.
4. An exercise system as recited in claim 3 wherein said remote system is one of a plurality of remote systems, and each of which is in at least part-time communication with said server system.
5. A local system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local computer is located internally to said exercise apparatus.
6. A local system as recited in claim 1 wherein said exercise apparatus includes at least one of a bicycle, a rowing machine, a step machine, and a resistance trainer.
Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 13, 1996
Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
Inventor: Paul L. Hickman (Los Altos Hills, CA)
Primary Examiner: Glenn E. Richman
Application Number: 8/766,513
International Classification: A63B 2100;


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Cooling modules
Cooling modules are optional devices that allow Environmental Chambers to be used below room temperature using CO2 or LN2 gases.
Principle Of OperationThe cooling module is a solenoid valve that injects cooling gas into the chamber. It is activated automatically by the temperature controller of the chamber.
UnitsUS Customary SI (Metric)

subset: commoncrawl


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May 28, 20 06:52 PM
Siberia Huskies are not aggressive! In fact, I've got a real problem with dog breeds being listed as aggressive. It should be on a dog to dog basis, not
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So, my girlfriend has a mini schnauzer named Wiley He seems to be very dominant/territorial. Territorial in the fact that when taking him on a walk,
Apr 25, 20 08:06 PM
Ive had my dog just under 2 years, i rescued her from a abusive situation, the person ruled her with fear and leaving her along for days in a travel trailer.
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My family purchased Echo when she was 8 weeks old, and most of the time she is an absolute delight to be around. However, around 6 months of age, she started
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We have 3 Weims. 3yr old mother and her two 8 month old pups. Milo (one of the pups) is aggressive to most other dogs and especially to his brother,
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My dog has all issues he is extremely ready to attack any body on the road all dogs kids ppl . He started attacking my mom biting her to a point where
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We have always had AMSTAFs. We were given this dog very quickly saying he needed a home. He has these aggressive traits on this website against my 17
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Note: Due to a wordpress requirement, as of 3.6 you need to fully qualify the path names.
Short Description: Put images in 'wp-content' so you don't have to move them during upgrades of the theme.
As of Atahualpa 3.4.7, you can use PHP in the CSS Inserts and several other options of Atahualpa. A great feature of this is to use one of the dynamic PHP functions - bloginfo('template_url') - to point at the template path. This will work no matter what you name the Atahualpa folder. This is perfect for referencing any of the included Atahualpa images. But what if you have a custom image?? Up to now, you had to put your image in the Atahualpa folder and them move it when you upgraded the theme.
The PHP function bloginfo() has some other options you can pass it and 'wpurl' is the one we want to use. It returns the url of the WordPress folder. By adding 'wp-contents' and a folder of your own to the path, you can use a folder of your own that is outside the theme folder.
Note this doesn't work for the header images...yet...
1) create a folder in the 'wp-content' folder called 'my-atahualpa-images'
3) put all your custom images in 'my-atahualpa-images'
4) reference your images with
HTML Code:
<?php bloginfo('wpurl'); ?>/wp-content/my-atahualpa-images/image1.jpg
HTML Code:
div.widget ul li { background: url('<?php bloginfo('template_url'); ?>/images/myimage1.jpg') no-repeat 0 7px }
HTML Code:
div.widget ul li { background: url('<?php bloginfo('wpurl'); ?>/wp-content/my-atahualpa-images/myimage1.jpg') no-repeat 0 7px }


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Pinot Grigio
History of Pinot Grigio
Pinot grigio is a crisp, dry wine that is enjoying a surge in popularity. Its characteristics are complemented by aroma notes citing green apple, lemon and blossoms. Originating from France, it has enjoyed great success across the world and is now made around the globe. A light white wine that goes with everything, pinot grigio is a top-selling imported wine in America.
Taste and Pairings
Pinot grigio comes in many varietals. Its bright, citrusy flavors and crisp minerality easily complement any light dish. A zesty white wine that is refreshing on a hot summer day, it pairs beautifully with poultry, pizza and pasta. It comes from a grayish-purple grape that produces a wide variety of styles. It can be bottled 12 weeks after fermentation.
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We stock only the best white wines and encourage you to view our extensive list of pinot grigio. Whether you're looking for an Alastian or Italian pinot grigio, we can help. Purchase from the comfort of your own home. We are pleased to offer free shipping to the NYC area with a minimum purchase.
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Google and Time magazine have stitched together satellite images collected by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, showcasing developments in our planet's landscape via time-lapse. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports.
Satellite imagery can serve as a time machine, revealing dramatic change in just a few seconds — but can you imagine documenting almost three decades' worth of all that change, across most of our planet's land mass? A team of imaging experts, computer scientists and journalists did. Now they've unveiled the result: a global database of zoomable, animated satellite views known as Timelapse.
"We believe this is the most comprehensive picture of our changing planet ever made available to the public," Rebecca Moore, engineering manager for Google Earth Engine and Earth outreach, said Thursday in Google's blog announcement of the Timelapse project.
Moore said the project began in 2009, when Google started working with the U.S. Geological Society to make its archive of Landsat imagery available online. The team sifted through more than 2 million satellite images, adding up to 909 terabytes of data, and selected cloudless, high-quality views for every year since 1984.
Carnegie Mellon University's CREATE Lab smoothed the views into seamless animations, and Time magazine built it all into a presentation that supplements the time-lapse animations with commentaries on climate change, urban growth and the other trends that are transforming the planet.
"I've been chiseling away at this project over the last 11 months, and am in awe of the folks who helped this come together in ways I could never have conceived on my own. Some very bright minds figured out how to make the biggest video frames ever constructed, equivalent to 900,000 HD TVs next to one another," Jonathan Woods, the Time project's executive producer (and a former colleague at msnbc.com), said in an email.
Google Earth is also hosting the Timelapse zoomable map. "Much like the iconic image of Earth from the Apollo 17 mission — which had a profound effect on many of us — this time-lapse map is not only fascinating to explore, but we also hope it can inform the global community's thinking about how we live on our planet and the policies that will guide us in the future," Moore said.
When it comes to telling the story of our changing planet, one time-lapse animation is worth a thousand words. But there's more to tell. Find out more about the trends illustrated in the seven animated images you see here:
Columbia Glacier: Alaska's retreating ice reveals how climate change is changing Earth's surface.
Dubai coastal expansion: New islands are sprouting along Dubai's coastline as part of a $14 billion land reclamation effort, arguably the largest project of its kind.
Irrigation in Saudi Arabia: Agriculture amid the deserts of Arabia? It's a growing concern, thanks to huge irrigation projects that take advantage of underground rivers and lakes. The water won't last, though: Hydrologists estimate that it'll be economical to pump water for only about 50 years.
Lake Urmia drying up: Iran's great salt lake is not as great as it was, and the reason for that is in dispute. The Iranian government blames climate change and drought, while critics blame the dams that have been built around the lake.
Brazilian Amazon deforestation: Satellite imagery documents the loss of Amazonian forest land in Brazil due to road-building, logging and agricultural clearing.
Las Vegas urban growth: What sprawls in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. Landsat pictures reveal how urban development has spread out around Nevada's biggest city over the decades.
Wyoming coal mining: The Black Thunder mine in Wyoming's Powder River Basin ranks as the largest single coal mining complex in the world, according to Arch Coal, its operator. Satellite imagery shows how the mine has spread out over the decades.
More time-lapse videos:
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the NBC News Science Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with NBCNews.com's stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.


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Lori Lightfoot will have a powerful ally in seeking to fulfill a campaign promise to overhaul the Police Department: a judge with authority to hold reform slackers in contempt.
Police and Illinois' child welfare agency say staff at a Chicago-area hospital didn't alert them after determining that a bloodied woman who arrived with a gravely ill newborn had not just given birth to the baby boy, as she claimed.
Did you miss the inauguration? Watch video of the ceremony or read the full text of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's inaugural address at Wintrust Arena.
Chicago's new mayor, the first black woman and openly gay person to hold the office, takes aim at aldermanic prerogative and outlines her four guiding principles: community safety, public education, stability and integrity.
An individual with a confirmed measles infection took public transportation and visited several stores in the Loop late last week, according to health officials.
Hilary Hahn's bravura handling of a fire-breathing passage in Sibelius' "Violin Concerto in D Minor" brings forth a "Wow!" from what was certainly an adult man in the audience at Symphony Center.
In 'Pygmalion Effect,' Superb Dancers of Russia's Eifman Ballet Undermined by Manic Choreography and Too Much Strauss
Watching the company as it performed Boris Eifman's latest work, the feeling that his dancers are not well served by his relentlessly madhouse style of movement – manic, extreme, repetitive – could not be denied.
Snowflake, a 16-year-old American alligator, is estimated to be one of just about 100 albino alligators in existence.
From humble beginnings in Massillon, Ohio, to a high-powered federal prosecutor – to mayor of Chicago. Our in-depth profile of the events that shaped the life of Lori Lightfoot.
As Mayor Lori Lightfoot takes aim at City Council corruption, we talk with four aldermen about how they'll work with the new mayor.
Within hours of being sworn in, Mayor Lori Lightfoot signed an executive order that aims to significantly curb aldermanic prerogative. She made signing it her first order of business as a demonstration she'll bring change to the city.
The little-known story of Lori Lightfoot's grandfather who was murdered in the Jim Crow South nearly 100 years ago.
Watch the May 20, 2019 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."


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Gaga: brilliant.Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
Some moves just strike you as tone-deaf.
Like holding a monster fund-raiser in Chicago when the dust is still settling from the debt-ceiling debate, and millions of Americans are still desperately seeking gainful employment.
Of course President Obama needs to continue raising kabillions of dollars to feed the campaign beast. Of course he has the right to come home and celebrate his birthday, and enjoy the musical stylings of Jennifer Hudson, OK Go and Herbie Hancock.
Maybe it would have been something of a logistical nightmare to postpone the trip. But it's not as if president hadn't invoked the Aug. 2 deadline again and again as he bickered and battled the GOP over the best way to attack the deficit. He knew he was scheduled to fly to Chicago later that same week, and he knew he'd be open to criticism for a fund-raiser with a top cost of $35,800 per person — a figure that many unemployed and underemployed adults would be happy to take as a yearly salary right now.
"With 9.2 percent unemployment, [Obama] could work on creating jobs, but I suppose the White House is thinking he should stick to the part of his job he really likes," said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski.
Obama's campaign says it has canceled or pushed back 10 fund-raisers involving the president and/or other top Democrats due to the debt debate — but that doesn't counteract all those stories that include that $35,800-a-person figure.
If Obama had turned his 50th birthday celebration into some kind of job fair, or if he had asked his fellow Americans to find 50 jobs for 50 people in all 50 states on his 50th birthday, I suppose he would have been accused of political grandstanding.
Heck, if Obama flew into Chicago under his own power, revealed himself to be a superhero and magically reduced the unemployment rate to 0.0 percent while simultaneously curing five major diseases, his critics would say, "But why did he wait so long to reveal his true powers?"
Still. The Chicago party coming so quickly on the heels of the debt debate just feels like a wrong move.
Poop! There it is
With the right equation of story and cast and director and screenplay, the time-honored flatulence scene or scatological joke occupies a proud spot in comedic motion picture history.
Think the post-beans campfire medley in "Blazing Saddles."
Or Eddie Murphy's Oscar nomination-worthy multi-character performance in "The Nutty Professor," including the famous dinner table scene punctuated by Cletus letting a few rip.
Or Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in the phone booth in "Rain Man." ("How can you stand that?" "I don't mind.")
On and on it goes. The movies that have turned to the fart or the poop for laughs number in the hundreds.
Judging by the reactions such scenes usually get from screening audiences, I'd say my chuckle-meter is somewhere below the national average. Maybe it's because I see too many movies, but for me the rear-end humor is often about as creative and daring as yet another scene that involves a kick to the crotch or a character proclaiming, "You broke my nose!"
As is the case in real life, usually it's the men involved in the bathroom-humor hijinks — but occasionally filmmakers will go for the hot-girl-with-bowel-problems laughs, e.g., "Not Another Teen Movie" or the battle-bleep rest room sequence in "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle." Often the scene involves horny guys peeping on a woman in the bathroom — and then they're grossed out when the comedy hits the fan.
This year, the woman-with-serious-gastrointestinal-issues joke is on the verge of becoming a full-blown trend.
First there was the sneeze-gone-wrong bathroom scene in "Hall Pass."
Then there was the extended, group reaction to a bad bridal shower lunch in "Bridesmaids."
And if you've seen the trailer for "The Change-Up," opening Friday, you're all too familiar with the scene where Leslie Mann sashays into the bedroom in slow motion — then makes her way to the bathroom, plops herself down on the toilet and declares, "I need to cool it on the Thai food!"
I believe we've now reached the point of oversaturation with this brand of humor.
At least I'm hoping.
You are currently browsing the blog.richardroeper.com blog archives for August, 2011.


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There's a growing set of the super-rich who are pushing the boundaries of luxury to its limits. Lauren Lipton reports on how—and where—the top 0.01 percent travel, and sees for herself what it's like to vacation like a billionaire
For two days, I've slept in my own wing of an echoing estate on a billionaire's private island and been rendered helpless by a butler attending to my every need. I've gobbled three-course lunches, guzzled rum cocktails and champagne, worked out solo in a fully equipped gym, bathed in a bathtub the size of a boat, and had a gleaming yacht at my disposal. I've taken sunset dips in the Caribbean—my footsteps quite literally the only ones in the sand. Suddenly, it's hard to imagine not vacationing like this all the time. Dare I say, I'm starting to feel entitled.
I'm in the Caribbean on Calivigny Island, just off the south coast of Grenada, where for $165,000 a night, you and up to 59 of your closest friends can inhabit the personal vacation paradise of a French businessman and his wife, including the 19,000-square-foot main house, two pools, five outdoor hot tubs, four boats, and a 30-person permanent staff.
Though the price may seem a little astonishing, there are quite a few ultra-affluent travelers who can afford it—and their ranks are growing. Last year, more than 2,000 people on earth were worth $1 billion or more, 185 more than in 2011, according to the global research firm WealthX. And that's just the really big bucks. Lower the bar to include people worth $30 million or more—ultra-high-net-worth individuals, as they're now called—and there are 187,000 worldwide. It's no surprise that the vacation budgets of the ultra-affluent are as outsize as their savings accounts: Nearly a quarter of these super-rich spent $50,000 or more on leisure travel in the past 12 months, according to a 2012 report from Spectrem Group, an Illinois consulting firm for the banking and retirement industries. Half of those spent in excess of $100,000.
At its most basic, travel for the super-rich means never having to deal with the petty and not so petty annoyances that the rest of us must contend with on our trips, and enjoying all of the privacy, service, and amenities money can buy. The super-rich expect space—and plenty of it—safely away from the roiling, less fortunate masses. Minions indulge their every whim—no matter how mundane, insane, or logistically outrageous. Bothered by the cloying scent of Easter lilies? They're removed from the entire hotel. Need to book your wife and two mistresses at different hotels so they don't get wind of one another? The agents, hotels, and concierges who cater to the world's wealthiest will make it happen.
"The word no is not part of my vocabulary because the impossible today may be probable tomorrow," says Jody Bear, of New York's Bear & Bear/Tzell, and, along with most of the agents in this story, a Condé Nast Traveler top travel specialist. "Clients have called me from their Paris hotel at 4 a.m. my time to request a late checkout. They've called from Milan to change a hair appointment at the hotel salon, and from Hong Kong to change their breakfast order. With less than 24 hours' notice, I have arranged for a three-star Michelin chef to prepare a special meal on Christmas Day."
After all, if money is no object, then anything is possible. "We'll do anything for a client, as long as it's legal," says Stacy Fischer-Rosenthal of Fischer Travel, a referral-only service with a $100,000 initiation fee (Barbra Streisand is rumored to be a client). One travel agent who requested not to be named recalls carrying $20,000 in tip money on a multiweek overseas trip for a group. The cash came in handy, the agent says, when customs agents needed to expedite the processing of luggage and when she needed to book 40 people into a top restaurant in Cannes during the film festival.
Businesswoman and philanthropist Tatiana Maxwell was in Morocco a few years back with her best girlfriend, on a vacation meticulously arranged by a travel agent who specializes in ultra-high-end trips. The only thing Maxwell missed was her husband. "I probably mentioned to my buddy, 'Oh, I wish Paul were here. That would be great,' " she recalls.
One night, as Maxwell was wandering through the chaotic food stalls of Jamaa el Fna, she heard a familiar voice. "I turn around, and my husband was in one of the stalls with an apron and a spatula," she says. Just to surprise her, the agent had arranged to fly him in for the night from their home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
"There are so few times when your real life lives up to a movie or a book or your imagination," Maxwell says. "That, to me, is why you pay what you pay."
The global financial meltdown that has squeezed most people has not led the affluent to rein in their travel spending. In fact, luxury hotel companies are expanding at a record pace to meet demand, particularly in Asia, and Ritz-Carlton just opened its second top-tier Reserve property, in Puerto Rico, with rooms starting at $1,500 a night. The Beverly Hills Hotel recently sacrificed one of its tennis courts to make room for two 1,800-square-foot "presidential bungalows," which go for $18,150 a night each, nearly three times the cost of what was once the hotel's costliest bungalow. "The very wealthy are the least touched by the financial crisis," says Calivigny Island owner Georges Cohen, who has been a billionaire since selling a technology company in 2000. "It's terrible for poor people, but for rich people, the economic crisis doesn't change their way of living."
At Calivigny, the living is good. Cohen snapped up the 81-acre island when it was little more than a wilderness and, with his wife, spent an estimated $100 million making the place the definition of sumptuous. The island's main residence, humbly named the Beach House, has marble floors, intricately carved wooden doors made in Calivigny's own workshop, and French colonial–style furniture. The home's soaring windows are swathed in tasseled red-and-green iridescent drapes that open and close via remote control. (Full disclosure: Though Condé Nast Traveler does not accept free trips or accommodations, Calivigny's $45,000-per-night rate for one person was prohibitively expensive. In order to report on the experience, the magazine negotiated a rate of $1,000 for the two nights I stayed on the island.)
Over a lunch of steak frites and chocolate mousse served by a butler, Cohen stresses that the lavish island is a private home, one that guests don't have to share with anyone they haven't expressly invited. That includes the Cohens, who winter on the island but make themselves scarce—on their megayacht, at another of their homes, or elsewhere—if they get a reservation. When a group of 30 booked Calivigny in December, the Cohens reserved staterooms for themselves on the Queen Mary 2 for their first commercial cruise. They would see how it went, Cohen tells me, sounding ever so slightly doubtful at the idea of mingling with the masses.
The craving for privacy isn't necessarily snobbery—no, really, say those who work with super-affluent travelers. Issues with security, both from the press and from any potential harm-doers, make certain locations popular with the private-jet set. Think the Arctic, Africa—anyplace unreachable without a helicopter, boat, hydroplane, or all three.
Experts say that there's a significant segment of the super-affluent who want to venture where no one—or at least none of their friends—has gone before. "They want be the first person to come home and say, 'I went to Cartagena before the Gansevoort opened up,' " says Lia Batkin of In the Know Experiences, a New York agency that works with celebrities, Fortune 500 CEOs, and royalty.
Some of the popular destinations of the moment for extraordinarily well-heeled clients are Arctic Lapland in Sweden, the Salar Uyuni salt desert in Bolivia, and the Emerald Coast of Nicaragua. One high-end specialist is taking clients to Afghanistan and Sudan. The taboo nature of these dangerous spots is what's appealing to the ultra-rich, Batkin says. "It's bragging rights, 100 percent." With all the creature comforts, of course.
Still, plenty of folks, especially old-money types over the age of 60, are content to stick to more conventional hot spots, yachting around the Mediterranean or renting fully staffed villas on Anguilla or St. Barts or in Costa Rica, Italy, or the south of France. For those who want to stay close to Wall Street, there's The Point, once the private vacation retreat of William Avery Rockefeller, nephew of the Standard Oil tycoon. Finished in 1933, the quirky Saranac Lake, New York, getaway features $3,000-a-night rooms and attracts financial types from New York, who can avoid the six-hour drive by hopping aboard a private flight to the nearby Adirondack Regional Airport.
With a comparatively small main lodge and rustic decor (moose heads, faded Oriental rugs), The Point seems the antithesis of Calivigny Island at first glance. Whereas Calivigny brings on the glitz, The Point has a low-key vibe. It offers neither television nor Internet in the ten guest cabins, and cell service is provided, a staff member tells me, by "AT & Tree"—his polite way of saying there pretty much isn't any.
But both The Point and Calivigny are part of the long-standing tradition of exclusive, reclusive hideaways built by the stratospherically rich, and guests at The Point are hardly roughing it. Go on a hike and you'll stumble across a charming cabin in the middle of the woods, with steaming cocoa and a roaring fire waiting just for you. Saturday night dinner is black tie, and guests are seated together, dinner party style, at large tables beautifully set with fine china. Over six courses and four wines, the talk is of private schools, country houses, and philanthropy. It's not a stretch to imagine this same conversation taking place among the Rockefellers and their guests 80 years ago, during the Great Depression, when life was so very sweet for a very fortunate few.
Of course, even hotels that cater mostly to the run-of-the-mill affluent are used to meeting the needs of the super-rich. No request surprises staff at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where one wealthy guest insisted that they speak to his dog in "dog language" ("Woof, woof, woof, woof!") and a European family of four who stayed for a month demanded new bed linens every day. Not just freshly laundered linens but never-before-used. "We had to break out of our stores 90 sets of linens and take a room out of commission to keep them in" so the guests could see the packages of unused sheets, says Edward Mady, the hotel's general manager. Each set had to be pre-washed in a special detergent. "It was a doozy."
Not all requests are pricey: "We have had guests who complained that the lions were keeping them up at night and who asked if we could quiet them down," says Catherine Biggs, of South Africa's upscale Singita safari lodges. "Another guest requested an elephant dung cake—a piece of elephant dung, iced like a normal cake, with candles."
With seemingly every wealthy person claiming a fashionable sensitivity to some food or flower or fabric, demands can go well beyond standard requests for a gluten-free menu or a particular brand of Scotch. At Calivigny Island, where food is flown in from all corners of the earth, the staff test anything that comes from Japan—including the yellowtail sashimi I enjoy one night—with a Geiger counter. And Richard Turen of Churchill & Turen recalls a vegan CEO who insisted that everything he came into contact with be free of animal products—down to the upholstery in his private car.
For those who've seen it all, whose rarefied life has left them filled with ennui, money will buy an over-the-top vacation thrill. Part adviser, part psychologist, part concierge, and part event planner, the "bespoke" travel agents who cater to the wealthy create customized one-off itineraries to surprise and delight even the most jaded adventure-seeker. "It's about making every experience exactly perfect," says Philippe Brown, founder of Brown & Hudson, an agency in London with clients from the United Kingdom, China, and the United States (Maxwell, whose husband "appeared" in Marrakech, is one). It might be a private fireworks show, or a balloon trip over the Arctic to view polar bears, arranged by Toronto-based Arctic Kingdom Polar Expeditions. Perhaps you'd like to be a fly on the wall at an event few outsiders ever get to see. For one $1.5 million family trip to Burma, Based on a True Story, a travel company that specializes in creating over-the-top trips, arranged for its clients to visit a traditional Buddhist monastery for a catered meal and a special blessing by the head monk. Afterward, they took part in an inauguration ceremony for 14 young monks-to-be, featuring a procession of hundreds of elaborately dressed locals, and helped shave the boys' heads as part of Buddhist religious ritual.
Or perhaps you'd like to take your mingling to the next level by interacting with the local experts Brown calls "influential individuals." These might be journalists, historians, wine experts, or even more rarefied types. Brown once planned an African honeymoon for a couple who made it clear they were very interested in meeting locals. Brown pressed them for specifics. "I said, 'Do you mean the colorful Masai, who jump up and down, or Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu?' "
It was the latter. Mandela, the former South African president, was unavailable, but Brown was able to arrange for the couple to meet Tutu, the Anglican bishop and social rights activist. The price: an undisclosed donation to charity.
Then there are the truly outlandish vacations, carefully orchestrated Disneyesque adventure fantasies complete with costumes, sets, and a plot—as close to an out-of-this-world experience as money can buy (until the world's billionaires can teleport themselves to Mars for the weekend).
Fantasy elements are built into the experience at Musha Cay, a private Bahamian island resort that has hosted Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Sergei Brin, as well as Saudi and European royalty. The property is owned by David Copperfield, the magician, who carefully manages its many fantastic details and whose unofficial motto for guests is "whatever you dream can happen."
For $37,000 a night for as many as a dozen people, or $52,000 for the maximum of 24 people, guests can, if they choose, loll in chaises and watch "drive-in" movies on the beach, complete with retro candies and 1950s signage. In another scenario, the Musha Force helicopter lands on the beach, sparking a laser tag extravaganza. If guests happen to leave litter behind, no problem: The island has a team of macaws trained to pick up rubbish and toss it in the trash.
"If I can amaze people who have seen it all, it's pretty cool," says Copperfield.
Even the macaws are small potatoes, though, compared with some of the trips from Based on a True Story. The company's founder, Niel Fox, is a British adventurer who made news in 2000 by traveling from the United Kingdom to Antarctica for charity, using only human- or animal-powered transportation (bikes, kayaks, and dogsleds). Along the way, he met some very wealthy people, he says, "and it occurred to me that we could show them the whole world."
A trademark Based on a True Story trip includes specially built sets—igloos with fur rugs, say, or beautifully furnished fishing huts—multiple destinations, and a script, often designed to appeal particularly to ultra-high-net-worth children. In 2011, the company staged a Christmas trip to the Arctic for a billionaire's family in which the children helped Santa, who was struggling under the demands of a greedy world. For a Russian family, it created an 11-day pirate vacation that took the group through several countries via camel, yacht, and hot-air balloon and culminated in a pirate battle in Spain.
And then there were the Children Who Saved Greece, a multimillion-dollar family vacation incorporating input from Europe's top authority on Greek mythology, the talents of hundreds of costumed actors, and a treasure hunt. "We brought Greek mythology alive," says Fox. "The children were on a mission to find a massive stash of gold that could help Greece with its problems and restore the Greek gods to power." They got to keep some of the gold they found—which was real, naturally—but they had to "give" the rest away. The message was, "the kids should be helping, not taking."
Fox says that he, not his clients, injects the morality in these morality tales. But plenty of ultra-high-net-worth types do try to use over-the-top family vacations to impart life lessons to their children—with mixed results. "There are a lot of blinders on," says Dr. Jamie Traeger-Muney, a psychologist who consults with financial institutions and individuals about the emotional consequences of wealth. "Often they're taking the kids to see the other extreme: You go to India and see people living on the street. It really is incumbent on the smart parent not to throw a kid into that environment without having conversations about gratitude, how much luck there is in the world, how much advantage they have by being educated, and the responsibility of having wealth."
But if the majority of the super-rich are comfortable with this kind of travel, there's an emerging breed of ultra-high-net-worth traveler who's younger and newer to wealth and is uncomfortable with excess. This group still prefers to fly below the radar—albeit in first class. At The Point, I met a hedge-fund couple in their early 40s who spoke disparagingly of overly extravagant resorts they'd visited. They looked for places with character, the husband told me, not those that seemed overdone. That sentiment is echoed by friends of mine, a young, retired multimillionaire couple who can't stomach the economic disparity between those being catered to and those doing the catering.
And call me hopelessly bourgeois, but after two days of lolling around Calivigny, I'm actually yearning to break out of the luxury bubble. My butler boats me to the Grenadian mainland. In St. George's, the island's hilly capital, people live in modest homes with goats grazing out front. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan all but wiped out Grenada's crucial nutmeg industry; the trees are growing back, but for many locals, life is hard. I climb to the top of Fort George, a 300-year-old structure built by the French, a vivacious tour guide named Alice tells me, after they conquered and slaughtered the indigenous Carib and Arawak people and brought in African slaves. When she asks me where I'm staying, I tell her, but, suddenly embarrassed by the revelation, quickly add, "I'm there for work!"
Back on Calivigny, I find myself wondering whether I'd enjoy this life all the time—isolated from the world, secluded from anyone outside my socioeconomic class…unless they work for me. It's a nice place to visit, I decide, but I wouldn't want to live here.


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Creative expression requires the right tools and when it comes to
professional results, details matter. QuarkXPress 10 has been redesigned from
the inside out to deliver stunning graphics, virtuoso productivity features and
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The new state-of-the-art Xenon Graphics Engine takes full advantage of your computers processing power, rendering rich PDFs, Photoshop and TIFF images giving you maximum performance at the most appropriate resolution.
HiDPI and Retina Display Support
With a pixel density so high that the human eye cannot distinguish individual pixels, every element of QuarkXPress 10 has been optimized to take full advantage of high-resolution Retina displays.
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From the new full-screen view to auto-hiding dockable palettes, QuarkXPress 10 has been redesigned inside and out.
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text:
Tyra (apology) Mail!
"America's Next Top Model" host Tyra Banks said a promo spot for the show where judges appear to be fawning over a wannabe cover girl with "the smallest waist in the world" had "misconstrued" the show's overall message.
On the Cycle 15 promo spot, which was released last week, Banks, Jay Manuel and J. Alexander take turns talking up a 6'2" model, Ann from Dallas, E! News reported.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
"There's something about her that I like," Banks gushes, while Manuel jokes that the model's super-slender waist "is gonna make [Alexander] eat Tic Tacs and Watercress for the rest of the season."
Banks, writing on her website Monday, apologized "on behalf of the entire Top Model team" for the way the clip was presented.
"Like all of my projects, I am extremely involved in 'America's Next Top Model' from casting the final contestants to conceptualizing the episode challenges, but with all the work and details that go into producing a TV show, I can't be 100 places at once (although I try), but it's just impossible for me to see everything that's created before it's released to all of you," she wrote.
The supermodel said the spot had been pulled from CW's "Top Model's" website, and thanked those who'd written in to protest.
"To the people who see me as a representation of upholding the fact that beauty comes in all sizes, I personally apologize," Banks wrote. "The jokes of my fellow judges connected with my edited sound bite sounded like I was supporting unhealthy eating habits. This has never and will NEVER be the case – I am and will always be committed to promoting healthy body image."
As an example, Banks cited her issues with weight. As a pre-teen she was unable to gain wait, making her on the receiving end of "countless stares" and "feeling helpless."
"I've also been (VERY) publicly attacked for being bigger. Being on the receiving end of both sides of that pain has really shaped my perspective," Banks wrote.
She said Ann, the model on the promo, struggled with her own issues related to her height. As part of the show, she's counseled her and other would-be top models.
"I want the media and viewers to continue to challenge perceptions of beauty, but to understand that BEAUTY comes in all shapes, sizes and proportions," Banks wrote.
"Top Model" premieres Sept. 8.


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Today, my friends and I went to Trident Cafe to see Michael Natkin give a free cooking demo. Natkin recently published a new book, Herbivoracious: A Vegetarian Cookbook for People Who Love To Eat, and showed us how to cook a recipe from his book, serving us samples of his creation.
I found out about the demo through The Boston Globe's events page, a tool I use frequently when trying to find things to do around the city.
We got to the cafe, a place I've been before. I like Trident, but I don't love Trident. I think it's pretty overpriced for the quality and amount of food served. They definitely attract a more "hipster" and young crowd, I always see kids with sweatshirts from Emerson, Berklee and Boston University. The menu is seemingly organic, and definitely vegetarian friendly.
However, I know the cost of juice. I have a juicer, I enjoy juicing. Tonight, I ordered the "Body Cleanse" juice. Carrots + Beets + Apple + Cucumber all juiced together for the $5. It was fine, but I like my juice served with ice, and the juice they served me was warm. Ew.
I asked for ice, and was promptly served a cup, so I can forgive them. Over ice, the juice wasn't bad. Not necessarily worth the $5, but now I know a recipe I enjoy and can juice at home.
Natkin began just after 7, and it was a short demo. He told us a brief history about the meal he was preparing, a Vietnamese sandwich, a popular recipe from his new book. He went step by step through the process, showing how easy it can be to make something delicious.
He was very personable, attentive to questions, and kept a smile through the whole demo. The 'sandwiches' were delicious – and he made them quickly. Slice of Baguette + Cucumber + Pickled carrots + marinated mushroom + mayonnaise + cilantro.
They really were delicious, but making them seem like a simple dish isn't entirely accurate. Pickling carrots can take some time, as can marinating certain types of mushroom. What he put together in about 15 minutes, is probably not going to be the actual preparation time for most people.
Regardless, the author did a great job selling his book, many attendees purchased his book and requested a signature.