text:
Introduction | Phrack Staff |
Phrack Loopback / Editorial | Phrack Staff |
Line Noise (Part I) | various |
Line Noise (Part II) | various |
Phrack Pro-Philes on the New Editors | Phrack Staff |
Motorola Command Mode Information | Cherokee |
Tandy / Radio Shack Cellular Phones | Damien Thorn |
The Craft Access Terminal | Boss Hogg |
Information About NT's FMT-150/B/C/D | StaTiC |
Electronic Telephone Cards (Part I) | unknown |
Electronic Telephone Cards (Part II) | unknown |
Keytrap Revisited | Sendai |
Project Neptune | daemon9 |
IP-Spoofing Demystified | daemon9 |
Netmon | daemon9 |
The Truth...and Nothing but the Truth | Steve Fleming |
International Scenes | various |
Phrack World News | Datastream Cowboy |
==Phrack Magazine== Volume Seven, Issue Forty-Eight, File 7 of 18 TANDY / RADIO SHACK CELLULAR PHONES REBUILDING ELECTRONIC SERIAL NUMBERS AND OTHER DATA By Damien Thorn LEGAL CRAP (mandated by our cheap-suit, can't afford cigars, polyester-pants-wearing, no-practice-having, almost dis-barred, old-fart legal counsel who only charges us $20 / hour because he meant to retire when he was 70 but lived a few years longer than he expected...hell, we love him!) Contents copyright 1994, 1995 Phoenix Rising Communications. Software copyright 1993, 1994, 1995 as indicated. All Rights Reserved. Distribution of contents in hard-copy form is forbidden. Redistribution in electronic form is permitted only as outlined in the Phrack licensing agreement, provided this article is not segregated from the other editorial contents of Phrack #48. Use caution when rebuilding corrupt serial numbers, and avoid lending your talents to further the goals of unscrupulous people. Altering the serial number of a cellular transceiver is a violation of the FCC rules, and the U.S. Secret Service is charged with the responsibility of investigating fraudulent activity. All of this material was developed in-house and not provided or endorsed by the manufacturer. Brand names and trademarks are used for identification purposes only and are the property of their respective owners. Use of same within this article definitely does not imply agreement with or endorsement of the material presented, and probably aggravates them to no end. There are no guarantees or warranties with regard to the accuracy of this article. Although we've done the best job that we can, we may be wrong. Happens all the time. If you damage a phone or inadvertently start a global thermonuclear war, that's your problem. Don't come crying to us, or make us fork over another twenty bucks to the old shyster. What you do with this information is your responsibility. INTRODUCTION While manufacturers publish service manuals for their cellular transceivers, they have an annoying habit of omitting certain data pertaining to memory devices and the arrangement of the data stored inside them. Since this stored information includes the electronic serial number (ESN), the lack of documentation can easily be excused as a way to avoid unwittingly facilitating fraud. The drawback to the 'security through obscurity' approach is that service technicians who have a legitimate need to reprogram these memory devices are unable to do so. The Nokia-designed transceivers discussed in this article are an excellent example. Since the ESN is stored in the same electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device as the numeric assignment module (NAM) information, corruption of the data can be catastrophic to the operation of the phone. Since the handset programming mode of these Nokia units actually write-enables the memory device to store the alterable parameters, an errant pulse from the microprocessor, dropped bits or supply voltages falling out of tolerance can cause the ESN or checksum to become overwritten or otherwise rendered useless. Should this occur, dealers have had little recourse but to ship the transceiver back to the factory for repair. Until now, that is. The goal of Phoenix Rising Communications in producing this documentation is to empower technicians to do the job they have been educated and hired to perform. This guide to Tandy and Radio Shack cellular phones will enable the technician to rebuild the corrupt data within this series of transceivers with confidence. The information in this article was developed from the installed and transportable versions of the most commonly purchased phones from Radio Shack stores. These units were sold for many years, and finally replaced last year with a new, redesigned model. The data presented here can probably be applied to certain compatible Nokia transceivers as indicated later in the text. CHAPTER 1 This publication is designed to provide supplemental information to assist in the servicing of cellular mobile telephones manufactured by Tandy Corporation under license from the Nokia Corporation. It is not meant to be a replacement for the factory service manual. Any shop needing to perform component level repairs should definitely obtain the factory documentation from Tandy National Parts. Our primary goal is to explain the contents of the numeric assignment module, or NAM. In these particular phones, both the NAM parameters and the electronic serial number (ESN) are stored within the same electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device. The problem inherent with this engineering decision is that the ESN stored within this chip is not necessarily permanent. Since the chip can be erased or reprogrammed, certain circumstances could possibly cause the ESN to become corrupt. These include improper signals from the microprocessor, induced currents or a power interruption during NAM programming as the write cycle is taking place. Since the available service literature does not describe the functions of this serial EEPROM or the data contained within, service personnel would have to return the transceiver to the manufacturer for service. This is not cost effective in terms of time or money for either the shop or cellular customer. Technicians who invest a little time to become familiar with the data stored within the NAM circuitry, including the placement of the ESN and checksum byte can service these types of problems in-house and with little difficulty. Basic instructions for peaking the transceiver's RF sections have also been included herein as a convenience. While the phone is open and on the test bench, the customer's transceiver should also be given a quick check for proper alignment. EQUIPMENT REQUIRED Other than basic hand tools, disassembly of the phone requires a soldering iron with a medium sized tip and a vacuum de-soldering tool. Good size solder removal braid may be used in conjunction with, or in lieu of the de-soldering tool. To correct data that has become corrupted within the EEPROM, a programming device is required capable of reading and burning an 8-pin DIP integrated circuit. One such inexpensive device is listed in appendix III. An individual who is familiar with the memory device involved has written a software program in the BASIC language to allow the programming of this chip via the parallel port of an IBM-compatible personal computer. The source code for this program can be found in the appendix, and is provided as a reference only. Such software is subject to the peculiarities of the host PC and therefore cannot be recommended for use in place of a standard PROM programmer. Older versions of GWBASIC are preferred to Microsoft's current QBASIC interpreter. MODELS COVERED The information presented is believed to cover all of the installed and transportable (bag phone) cellular transceivers manufactured by the Tandy Corporation under license from the Nokia Corporation up until about a year ago. Tests have been conducted on a random selection of these phones with manufacture dates ranging from 1989 through early 1994. All versions of the "TP" firmware through January, 1994 should be supported. Although no house-branded OEM Nokia transceivers have been tested, we have surmised that this information is applicable to several models based on the same or a similar design. These models include the Nokia LX-11, M-11, M-10 and the Nokia-Mobira P4000 (PT612). Some of these units, like the very old Radio Shack equivalents, will require a service handset to program. More on that in the next issue of Phrack. HAND-HELD UNITS Only one of the hand-held cellular phones previously sold through Radio Shack utilizes a discrete surface-mounted integrated circuit to store the ESN and NAM parameters. If you have the capability to read and program this SOIC 93C46 memory device you may be able to extrapolate the PROM dumps in this guide to work with this phone. Due to the difficulty in disassembling this unit and the delicate nature of the surface-mounted EEPROM, the reader is cautioned against attempting to service these in-house. DISASSEMBLY Prior to disassembling the transceiver, all antenna and cables, including the handset, should be disconnected from the jacks on the unit. To aid in disassembly and component location, the original hard-copy version of this publication contained several pages of photographs. While the hard-copy version is available (see end of article), you will hopefully be able to figure out what we're talking about without them. Disassembly begins by snapping the plastic end panel from the black transceiver cover. Some units just pop up and off, while others have two small plastic tabs on each side that must be depressed free the end panel for removal. With the end panel removed, the top plastic cover is now free to slide off. With this cover removed, the metal transceiver itself can be dumped from the remaining plastic housing by turning it upside down, or pulling up on the metal heat sink assembly that comprises one side of the transceiver unit. There is a metal shield on each side of the transceiver (top and bottom.) One is a solid piece of thin sheet metal, and the other is broken up in to smaller, individual shields and soldered to the transceiver chassis. The shield that needs to be removed is the solid one. It is only held in place with the friction grips along the edges, and can be pried off with your fingers. Once the shield is removed from the proper side of the transceiver, the solder side of the logic board will be exposed. This board must be removed to gain access to the component side. Take static precautions so as not to fry the CMOS silicon that is currently hidden from view. Other than several connectors that mate between the two boards, the board is usually held in place by several blobs of solder spaced along the edge of the board. These small 'solder welds' serve as a ground bond between the board and the transceiver chassis, and are not electrically necessary under normal circumstances. Once the solder ground bonds have been melted and removed with a de-soldering tool or solder wick, use a pair of needle-nose pliers to gently bend back the small metal tabs holding the circuit board in place. Before proceeding, inspect the foil side of the board to ensure that no solder has splashed on the board during de-soldering, and that the foil traces where the work was performed are still intact. This last step is where most trouble arises. These boards are delicate, and a heavy hand while prying or bending will almost ensure that a trace or five will be transected when the tool slips. If this happens, resolder the traces to undo the damage. At this point the logic board is held in place only by pins on the transceiver board sticking up in to sockets on the logic board. Gripping the edges of the logic board with your fingers and pulling straight up will disengage the connectors and allow the logic board to pull free of the transceiver. Slightly rocking the board from each side may aid in the removal. Do not grip the board with pliers or damage can result to the small chip resistors and other components mounted on the solder side of the board. Once dislodged, you'll have two separate circuit boards. THE LOGIC BOARD The board that supplies logic and control functions for the cellular mobile telephone is easily identifiable by the microprocessor and 27C512 EPROM containing the operating firmware. The EPROM's erase window is covered by a protective sticker that identifies the firmware version stored therein. Within the last few years, the version has ranged from TP-2 through TP-8. Also on this board is the serial EEPROM where the ESN and NAM parameters are stored. This chip is an 8-pin DIP located in a socket near pin #1 of the NEC microprocessor. It is usually covered with a small paper sticker bearing the last few digits of the serial number stored inside. While security experts may blast Nokia for designing a phone that stores the ESN in a socketed chip, and then says "here I am" by placing a sticker on it, this is a dream come true for any technician facing issues of data corruption. THE SERIAL EEPROM The Serial EEPROM containing all of this data is a PCD8572 (or 85C72) manufactured by Microchip Technology, Inc. This 8-pin device is a 1k (128x8) CMOS serial electrically erasable PROM. The pin configuration for the device can be found in the appendix. Power is supplied to this chip only when the microprocessor is performing a read or write operation. Transistor Q115 (surface mounted to the underside of the logic board right about in the middle) switches the supply voltage on and off. Should power be interrupted during the write cycle, the ESN may become corrupt. REBUILDING THE ESN To replace the damaged serial number, note the unit's serial number from the cellular service agreement or the phone itself. The ESN (in decimal) is located on a white paper sticker applied to the side of the metal transceiver chassis. It is also stamped into the plastic model identification plate on one side of the plastic outer housing. For reprogramming, the ESN must be converted to hex. A scientific calculator or any number of public domain computer programs will simplify the task. CONTENTS OF NAM Once the original serial number has been determined, carefully remove the 8572 EEPROM from the socket and place it in the adapter required by your PROM programmer. Reading the contents of the chip, you'll see data as depicted below. Note that these data dumps are simulated for illustrative purposes. The ESN and encoded MIN bytes are not legitimate numbers, so don't bother 'testing' them. The first five bytes of data contain the security code. These bytes are the hex values representing ASCII characters 0 through 9, thus represented as "3X" where "X" is the actual digit of the security code. A factory security code of 1 2 3 4 5 would be represented in bytes 00 through 04 as follows: 31 32 33 34 35 Since you will require the security code to enter handset programming mode, please note the current security code or program these bytes with your shop's standard default. UNDERSTANDING ADDRESSES Some cellular technicians have little experience in the digital world. Service monitors and watt-meters are expensive and wonderful devices, but sometimes you need to do a little more than tweak a pot to fix a phone. The digital-literate can skip this oversimplified explanation. To assist those in reading the locations of the various bytes in the EEPROM, understand that each line (as usually displayed on a programmer) contains sixteen (16) bytes. The first line begins with byte 00, then 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 0A, 0B, 0C, 0D, 0E and finally 0F. The second line begins with 10, then 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 1F as the last byte of the line. The third line increments the same way, except as byte 30, 31, etc., to 3F. You now know how to count in base 16 (hex)! As an example, the locations used by the phone end at byte 3D, which contains 00 in the example below. Beginning with the next byte (3E), a repetitive pattern of alternating values of AA and 55 are stored. This is just 'test' data and is never read by the phone. The chip itself ends at byte 7F, and your PROM programmer may display FF following byte 7F to indicate the non-existence of these locations in the chip. 8572 EXAMPLE DATA DUMP 0000 31 32 33 34 35 0A FF 21 A5 38 25 82 0F 25 17 1A 0010 00 00 00 00 24 15 B1 C3 24 04 A3 21 16 2D 11 AA 0020 0A 00 00 64 6C B3 32 00 27 00 01 01 11 11 11 11 0030 11 08 4D 01 0F 01 0F 00 04 00 00 00 FF 00 AA 55 0040 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0050 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0060 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0070 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 THE CRUCIAL SERIAL NUMBER The hex ESN for any given phone consists of four bytes, as we use the term here. Technically it is eight bytes (in hex, 32 bits if expressed in binary form), but we're referring to a 'byte' as a two-digit hex number, rather than each digit (byte) as a single entity. For our example, we're using the fictitious ESN of A521FF0A. All Radio Shack phones will have an ESN beginning with A5 hex. This is the "manufacturers code" prefix that has been assigned to Tandy. Breaking the ESN into four bytes as viewed on the PROM programmer, the ESN would appear as: A5 21 FF 0A Refer back to the example dump of the data within the 8572 IC. Immediately following the security code is the ESN stored in reverse order. With the security code occupying bytes 00 to 04, the ESN is located in bytes 05, 06, 07 and 08. Byte 09 contains the value 38. It should always contain 38. In the example, beginning with byte 05 you can read the ESN (in reverse sequence) as: 0A FF 21 A5 The examples below will assist you in visualizing the bytes containing the security code and the electronic serial number. The programming and placement of these two crucial pieces of data is fairly straight forward. Using the buffer editor function of the PROM programmer, you can simply type over the garbage that may be present in these locations with the correct values for the security code and the ESN. Double check your data entry! OTHER ADDRESSES The entire NAM data is stored in the remaining locations of this chip. Bytes 0A, 0B and 0C contain the firmware revision date, and bytes 0D - 0F contain the installation date as programmed via the handset programming mode. Other bytes contain the encoded Mobile Identification Number (MIN), Station Class Mark (SCM), etc. These various bytes do not need to be reprogrammed through your PROM burner, as they can all be corrected via handset programming. Only the security code and ESN must be properly reprogrammed directly to the chip itself. For more information on the locations of this other data, refer to the source code in Appendix A. It allows you to see where (and how) this other data is stored within the NAM. The last item to program is the checksum. THE SECURITY CODE: BYTES 00 - 04 0000 31 32 33 34 35 XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX THE ESN: BYTES 05 - 08 0000 XX XX XX XX XX 0A FF 21 A5 XX XX XX XX XX XX XX LOCATING THE CHECKSUM There is a one byte device checksum stored within the 8572 that is used by the phone to check the integrity of the data stored therein. The checksum is located at byte 3D, indicated by "XX" in the example below. The checksum is derived from all the data stored in the NAM, not just the ESN. Computing it is relatively easy as it is simply the sum (in hex) of all the values from bytes 00 through 3C as underlined below. Assuming the PROM programmer has a checksum function, you can enter the beginning address as 0000 and the ending address as 003C. The software will add all of the values between these locations and give you the sum. The alternative is to add the numbers manually using the hex mode of a scientific calculator. Either way, adding the hex values of all the bytes between 00 and 3C of our example yields a sum of 0B5E. The least significant two-digit byte is the actual device checksum that would be programmed in location 3D. In our example, the least significant half is 5E. Ignoring the most significant half of the sum (0B), a value of 5E must be programmed to location 3D. Note that the checksum will be recomputed and change after handset programming. When the MIN or other data is changed, it alters the values in various bytes. The checksum encompasses all of the data stored within the chip used by the transceiver's firmware. CHECKSUM LOCATION 0000 31 32 33 34 35 0A FF 21 A5 38 25 82 0F 25 17 1A 0010 00 00 00 00 24 15 B1 C3 24 04 A3 21 16 2D 11 AA 0020 0A 00 00 64 6C B3 32 00 27 00 01 01 11 11 11 11 0030 11 08 4D 01 0F 01 0F 00 04 00 00 00 FF XX AA 55 0040 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0050 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0060 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0070 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 BYTES SUMMED TO DERIVE CHECKSUM 0000 31 32 33 34 35 0A FF 21 A5 38 25 82 0F 25 17 1A 0010 00 00 00 00 24 15 B1 C3 24 04 A3 21 16 2D 11 AA 0020 0A 00 00 64 6C B3 32 00 27 00 01 01 11 11 11 11 0030 11 08 4D 01 0F 01 0F 00 04 00 00 00 FF .. .. .. 0040 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0050 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0060 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0070 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. DEFAULT VALUES In the event that all of the data stored within the NAM becomes corrupt, the technician will need to program the security code, the ESN, and certain default data values to allow the phone to power up. Once powered up, all of the other data can be automatically reconstructed by the phone using the handset programming mode. Since the factory does not provide any information about the contents of the 8572 EEPROM, we are unsure of the function of this 'default data.' It seems to have little significance. The underlined bytes depicted below are fairly typical. Ideally the technician should compare the contents of an operational phone with equivalent firmware to determine the values for the underlined locations, but if this is not possible then the values provided in the example may suffice. Once these defaults have been programmed in the proper locations, and the ESN and security code have been reconstructed, compute the checksum and store it in address 3D. Temporarily reassemble the phone and apply power. The unit should power up and complete it's self-test which will include the operation where the microprocessor computes the NAM checksum and compares it to the value stored in location 3D. Assuming the self-diagnostics pass, the remaining data can now be reconstructed through normal handset programming. The handset programming template applicable to most of these units is located immediately following the appendix detailing the chip programming software included for reference purposes. DEFAULT DATA VALUES 0000 XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX 38 XX XX XX XX XX XX 0010 00 00 00 00 XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX 0020 XX XX XX XX XX XX XX 00 27 00 01 01 11 11 11 11 0030 11 08 4D 01 0F 01 0F 00 04 00 00 00 FF XX AA 55 0040 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0050 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0060 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 0070 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 AA 55 ADDITIONAL NOTES As discussed, the parallel port programming software interface has a few quirks, most involving the programming voltage supplied to the chip. If all else fails, and a PROM burner is not available, take the supply voltage (Vcc) directly from the logic board. Run test lead jumpers from pins #4 and #8 of the IC socket on the logic board that held the 8572 EEPROM and connect to the respective pins on the socket attached to the cable to be used for programming. Turn the board over and locate surface mount transistor Q115 which switches the supply voltage to the IC socket on and off. This small chip transistor is directly to the left of pin #8 (of the 8572 socket) and can be positively identified by the circuit trace from socket pin #8 leading directly to the emitter of Q115. By examining this area of the board, you can determine which of the other two traces connects to the transistor's collector. Jumpering the traces and shorting the collector and emitter simply provides a constant, conditioned voltage supply to the socket designed to power the 8572 in programming mode. It may also be necessary to cut the trace to the base of Q115. Once the chip has been programmed with the software, restore the integrity of the cut trace to the base of Q115 and remove the short between the collector and emitter. USING THE SOFTWARE The Cellular Data Repair Utility software requires that you first create a small text file using an ASCII text editor such as DOS's "EDIT" utility program. This text file must contain the data described below in the specific order presented. The data in this image (.img) file will be programmed into the 8572. XXX ESN Prefix (decimal) XXXXXXXX ESN (8 digits decimal) XXXXX SIDH (5 digits decimal) 1 Access Bit 1 Local Option Bit AAAPPPXXXX MIN (10 digits) 08 SCM 0XXX (0333 or 0334) 10 Access Overload Class 1 Pref. System Bit 10 GIM 12345 Security Code EXAMPLE IMAGE FILE Filename: TEST.IMG 165 00246812 00031 1 1 5105551212 08 0334 10 1 10 12345 PROGRAMMING Once the image file containing the appropriate data has been saved, run the software with QBASIC or Microsoft BASIC and follow the prompts. Be sure to set the proper parallel port address in line 1950 to reflect the port to which the interface is connected first. TUNING STEPS 1) With a digital voltmeter attached to the positive terminal of C908, adjust VR908 to provide a reading of 8 vdc (q 0.1 volt). 2) With the voltmeter attached to the positive terminal of C913, adjust VR918 for a reading of 8 vdc (q 0.1 volt). 3) Connect the voltmeter to test point TXV and enter diagnostic command 0, 1, SEL, 9, END. Adjust C676 to achieve a reading of 5 vdc control voltage (q 0.1 volt). 4) Check receiver control voltage with test point RXV. Adjust C614 for a reading of 4 vdc (q 0.1 volt). 5) With a power meter connected to the antenna connector of the transceiver through an attenuator, enter command SEL, 1, 2, SND, END to turn on the transmitter at high power. VR814 should then be adjusted to show 3 watts (34.8 dBm) on the power meter. 6) Using the same power meter, enter command SEL, 1, 3, 7, END. Adjust VR846 for a low power maximum reading of 4 milliwatts (6 dBm). 7) Using a frequency counter to measure the output of the antenna connector, adjust X600 for a reading of 836.4000 MHz (q 0.1 kHz). 8) Using a deviation meter, activate DTMF tones with command SEL, 2, 1, END, 1, 1, END and adjust VR259 for 8.4 kHz q 0.1 kHz DTMF deviation. 9) End DTMF signaling with command 1, 0, END. Enable SAT transmission by entering SEL, 2, 8, SND, END and adjust VR261 for 7.8 kHz deviation (q 0.1 kHz). 10) Enter SND, END to discontinue SAT signaling. ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENT The level of audio fed to the earphone via the "ear" line (pin #7 on the handset connector) can be adjusted via VR215. 1.2 Vrms is the factory specified level with the volume turned up to it's maximum setting. Received audio signals can be adjusted for minimal distortion by peaking L703. Frequency deviation of voice audio can be fine tuned with VR260. Factory spec. is for 8 kHz deviation. POWER LOSS If the transceiver refuses to even power up and begin self-diagnostics, check the traces on the underside of the board near the power connector. Most of these units 'protect' themselves against reverse polarity being present on the power cables with fusible traces. If the phone is connected to a vehicle or battery power supply backwards, one of these very small circuit traces will vaporize, leaving the phone inoperative. While inconvenient for the customer and service technician alike, repairing the trace is an additional source of revenue for the shop that might not be generated had a standard replaceable fuse or rectifier been utilized in the design. APPENDIX III TECHNICAL RESOURCES EEPROM PROGRAMMER In preparing this article and performing other research involving various types of firmware, we used the EPROM+ programming system from Andromeda Research. This small, portable device is housed in a carrying case and requires no internal card to operate with your PC. Once the software is installed on the computer, the EPROM+ programmer is simply plugged into an available parallel printer port. To program the PCD8572 series EEPROMs, a small adapter is required. You can construct this yourself from the included instructions, or purchase it already built for about $35 extra. The EPROM+ programming system is available for $289 from the manufacturer: Andromeda Research P.O. Box 222 Milford, Ohio 45150 (513) 831-9708 - voice (513) 831-7562 - fax SERVICE MANUALS Service manuals are available for most Radio Shack or Tandy products from Tandy National Parts. Ordering these publications requires that you visit your local Radio Shack store. Tell the clerk that you want him (or her) to call National Parts and order a service manual for catalog number.... National Parts no longer accepts calls from consumers and will only ship to a recognized Radio Shack retail outlet. NOKIA - MOBIRA Service handsets, manuals and other parts can be ordered from Nokia-Mobira in Largo, Florida. Their toll-free technical assistance number is (800) 666-5553. TANDY FAX-BACK SERVICE Tandy Support Services offers technical information via fax-back server. There is no mention that the service is restricted to Radio Shack stores. Although ANI can be hell, the toll-free number is (800) 323-6586 if you want to be faxed product info on assorted 'Shack products. The server makes neat video game noises, and thanks you for using the service. For an index of the cellular specification sheets available via fax-back, request document #8882. Programming instructions are also available from this automated fax server: DOCUMENT # PHONE MODEL 9009 Current List [index] 8728 CT-105, 1050, 1055 9004 CT-350 9005 CT-302 9006 CT-102, 103, 104, 1030, 1033 9007 CT-300, 301 9008 CT-100, 101, 200, 201 9020 CT-351 9665 BC901ST [170-1015] 9579 CP-1700 [170-1016] 9577 CP-4600/5600 [170-1067 / 170-1056] 14493 Ericsson AH-210 [170-1064] 9581 EZ-400 [170-1057] 9743 Motorola 12822 [170-1058] 9583 Motorola DPC550 [170-1059] This information provided for reference purposes only. Use of this fax-back service may be restricted to authorized personnel. No one has ever faxed me to complain, however. THE INTERFACE The uuencoded drawing which accompanies this article describes the interface required to use the programming software to rebuild the data stored within the serial EEPROM. Because there are a number of variables that can affect the performance of this software and interface, prepare yourself for a bit of trial and error. A standard programming device is recommended over the use of this software. Since the original publication of this manual in hard-copy, we've heard reports that the software does not work well with the PCD8572, but does favor the PCD85C72 (CMOS version). The DB-25 connector is wired to an 8-pin DIP socket to accommodate the 8572 integrated circuit. A regulated, well-filtered source of 5 volts must be connected to pin #8 of the DIP socket, and Pin #4 must be tied to ground. If the PC used for programming and the power source to the IC socket share a common ground, you may be able to use pin #25 of the parallel port connector as shown in the diagram. Please be careful not to cause any shorts in this instance or you may damage your computer by sinking too much current through the parallel port. If you are unsure of what you are doing, eliminate the connection between pin #4 of the IC socket and pin #25 of the DB-25 connector. Instead, connect pin #4 directly to ground. The resistor shown in the circuit is used as an optional voltage divider. Depending on the voltage provided by pin #2 of your parallel port, a resistor between 100 and 1k ohms may be required to drop it to a level within the nominal range required by the EEPROM. TUNING THE RADIO The diagrams in the uuencoded .zip file will assist in identifying and locating the various adjustment points on the logic board and transceiver (RF) PC board. Alignment should not be attempted by technicians unfamiliar with the principles involved, or in the absence of calibrated radio frequency measurement equipment. A diagnostic (service) handset may be required to access service-level commands within the transceiver. If the phone does not respond properly to the commands documented herein, you'll need to obtain a service handset from Tandy National Parts. This handset is actually a Nokia "programming handset" which can be obtained directly from the factory. PROGRAMMING TEMPLATE For Tandy / Radio Shack Cellular Mobile Telephones Models CT-102, 302, 1030, 1033, etc. 1) Power up phone. After the phone cycles through it's self-test mode and the display clears, enter the following keystrokes from the keypad: *, 3, 0, 0, 1, #, X, X, X, X, X, SEL, 9, END The X, X, X, X, X represents the five-digit security code stored in EEPROM. The factory default is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. This security code is required to access handset programming mode. 2) The display will now read: IdEnt IF InFO Pri 3) Press END to program NAM 1. Display will show first programming step. 4) To program NAM 2, press SND twice instead of END. Display will cycle through: OPt InFO diSAbLEd then OPt InFO EnAbLEd 5) Use the END key to step through each step. The SND key toggles the state of single-digit options. To enter new information, use END to step through the display until the old data is displayed. Key in the new data and press END to increment to the next step. 6) When programming has been completed, press SEL, CLR to save changes. Step # Desired Input Display Data Description 01 5 digits HO-Id SIDH (Home System Identification) 02 0 or 1 MIN Mark MIN Mark (Toggle with SND) 03 0 or 1 LOCL OPt Local Use Mark (Toggle with SND) 04 10 digits Phon MIN (Area Code + Mobile Number) 05 08 St CLASS SCM (Station Class Mark) 06 333 or 334 PAging Ch IPCH (Initial Paging Channel) 07 2 digits O-LOAd CL Access Overload Class 08 A or B PrEF SyS Preferred System (Toggle with SND) 09 2 digits grOUP Id GIM Mark (Set to 10 in U.S.) 10 5 digits SECUrity Security Code 11 ------- 1 dAtE Firmware Date - not changeable 12 mmddyy 2 dAtE Installation Date Press SEL, CLR to save & exit. Turn Power off and back on for model CT-302. [Begin Editorial] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW TO OBTAIN A HARD-COPY VERSION OF THIS FILE - WITH ALL PHOTOS: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The Complete Guide to Tandy / Radio Shack Cellular Hardware" is available for $15 prepaid. We keep $5 of the price to cover the cost of printing and the Priority mail postage. The remaining $10 of the purchase price will be donated to Boston's The L0pht to help them cover the cost of upgrading their Internet connection for l0pht.com.... The guys at the L0pht have always been cool with us, and maintain what amounts to one of the best cellular archives accessible on the 'net. We want to do what we can to assist them in providing this public source of enlightenment. Now you can help them, and get something for it in return. If nothing else, you can sit back and enjoy all my great close-up photos of the chips <g>! -- Damien Thorn Here's the address: Phoenix Rising Communications 3422 W. Hammer Lane, Suite C-110 Stockton, California 95219 [end editorial] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can reach me via e-mail at: email@example.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1000 ' CELLULAR DATA REPAIR UTILITY 1005 ' Form image and program PCD8572 IC via LPT port. 1010 ' (c) 1993, 1994, 1995 WarpCoreBreachGroup - All rights reserved. 1015 ' 1020 ' This program is not shareware/freeware. 1025 ' 1030 DATA xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx ' Bytes 00-07 1040 DATA xx,38,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx ' Bytes 08-15 1050 DATA 00,00,00,00,xx,xx,xx,xx ' Bytes 16-23 1060 DATA xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx,xx ' Bytes 24-31 1070 DATA xx,xx,xx,D6,C5,5C,C6,00 ' Bytes 32-39 1080 DATA 27,00,01,01,11,11,11,11 ' Bytes 40-47 1090 DATA 11,08,4D,01,0F,01,0F,00 ' Bytes 48-55 1100 DATA 04,00,00,00,FF ' Bytes 56-60 1105 UNIT1$="050490" 1110 DIM BYTE$(60),BYTE(61) 1120 FOR I=0 TO 60:READ BYTE$(I):NEXT 1130 FILES "*.IMG" 1140 LINE INPUT "Which file do you want to read? ";F$ 1150 OPEN "I",#1,F$+".IMG" 1160 INPUT#1,ESNPREFIX 1170 INPUT#1,ESN# 1180 INPUT#1,HOMEID 1190 INPUT#1,ACCESS 1200 INPUT#1,LOCALOPT 1210 INPUT#1,PHONE$ 1220 INPUT#1,STATCLASS 1230 INPUT#1,PGCH 1240 INPUT#1,OVERLDCL 1250 INPUT#1,PREFSYS 1260 INPUT#1,GROUPID 1270 INPUT#1,SEC$ 1280 ' Building binary image 1290 UNIT2$=MID$(UNIT$,1,2)+MID$(UNIT$,4,2)+MID$(UNIT$,9,2) 1300 CLOSE #1 1310 FOR I=1 TO 5:BYTE$(I-1)="3"+MID$(SEC$,I,1):NEXT 1320 FOR I=0 TO 2:BYTE$(10+I)=RIGHT$("0"+HEX$(VAL(MID$(UNIT1$,I*2+1,2))),2) 1325 NEXT 1330 FOR I=0 TO 2:BYTE$(13+I)=RIGHT$("0"+HEX$(VAL(MID$(UNIT2$,I*2+1,2))),2) 1335 NEXT 1340 FOR I=0 TO 4:BYTE$(24+I)=MID$(PHONE$,2*I+1,2):NEXT 1350 FOR I=5 TO 0 STEP -1 1360 Q=INT(ESN#/(16^I)) 1370 ESN#=ESN#-Q*(16^I) 1380 IF Q>9 THEN Q=Q+7 1390 ESN$=ESN$+CHR$(48+Q) 1400 NEXT 1410 BYTE$(8)=RIGHT$("0"+HEX$(ESNPREFIX),2) 1420 BYTE$(5)=MID$(ESN$,5,2) 1430 BYTE$(6)=MID$(ESN$,3,2) 1440 BYTE$(7)=MID$(ESN$,1,2) 1450 FOR I=0 TO 60:Q$=BYTE$(I) 1460 QH=ASC(LEFT$(Q$,1))-48:IF QH>9 THEN QH=QH-7:IF QH>15 THEN QH=QH-32 1470 QL=ASC(RIGHT$(Q$,1))-48:IF QL>9 THEN QL=QL-7:IF QL>15 THEN QL=QL-32 1480 Q=QH*16+QL 1490 BYTE(I)=Q:CHECK=CHECK+Q 1500 NEXT 1510 BYTE(20)=HOMEID AND 255:BYTE(21)=INT(HOMEID/256) 1520 BYTE(22)=ACCESS 1530 BYTE(23)=LOCALOPT 1540 BYTE(29)=STATCLASS 1550 BYTE(30)=PGCH AND 255:BYTE(31)=INT(PGCH/256) 1560 BYTE(32)=OVERLDCL 1570 BYTE(33)=PREFSYS 1580 BYTE(34)=GROUPID 1590 AC$=MID$(PHONE$,1,3) 1600 PRE$=MID$(PHONE$,4,3) 1610 PH$=MID$(PHONE$,7,4) 1620 AC=VAL(AC$) 1630 IF MID$(AC$,2,2)="00" THEN AC2=AC-1:GOTO 1670 1640 IF MID$(AC$,3,1)="0" THEN AC2=AC-101:GOTO 1670 1650 IF MID$(AC$,2,1)="0" THEN AC2=AC-11:GOTO 1670 1660 AC2=AC-111 1670 PRE=VAL(PRE$) 1680 IF MID$(PRE$,2,2)="00" THEN PRE2=PRE-1:GOTO 1720 1690 IF MID$(PRE$,2,1)="0" THEN PRE2=PRE-11:GOTO 1720 1700 IF MID$(PRE$,3,1)="0" THEN PRE2=PRE-101:GOTO 1720 1710 PRE2=PRE-111 1720 IF PRE2<0 THEN PRE2=1000+PRE2 1730 IF LEFT$(PH$,1)="0" THEN D=-24:GOTO 1750 1740 D=87-24*(ASC(PH$)-49) 1750 IF MID$(PH$,4,1)="0" THEN D=D-10 1760 IF MID$(PH$,3,1)="0" THEN D=D-100 1770 IF MID$(PH$,2,1)="0" THEN D=D-1000 1780 IF MID$(PH$,1,1)="0" THEN D=D-10105 1790 PH2=VAL(PH$)-D 1800 C=INT(PRE2/4) 1810 B=64*(PRE2 AND 3) 1820 A=PH2 AND 255 1830 B=B OR INT(PH2/256) 1840 BYTE(35)=A 1850 BYTE(36)=B 1860 BYTE(37)=C 1870 BYTE(38)=AC2 AND 255 1880 BYTE(39)=INT(AC2/256) 1890 CHECK=0 1900 FOR I=0 TO 60 1910 CHECK=CHECK+BYTE(I) 1920 NEXT 1930 BYTE(61)=CHECK AND 255 1940 DEV$="1010":ADDR$="000" 1945 ' Select the base address for your printer port with the next line. 1950 BASE=&H378 ' Which is LPT2. &h378 is LPT1 and &h3bc is LPT3. 1960 GOTO 2120 1970 OUT BASE,(DOUT AND 1) OR 2*(CLK AND 1) OR 4*(RELAY) 1980 FOR DELAY=0 TO 9:NEXT 1990 DIN=INP(BASE) AND 1 2000 RETURN 2010 FOR I=1 TO LEN(B$) 2020 B=ASC(MID$(B$,I,1))-48 2030 DOUT=B:CLK=0:GOSUB 1970 2040 DOUT=B:CLK=1:GOSUB 1970 2050 DOUT=B:CLK=0:GOSUB 1970 2060 NEXT 2070 T=0 2080 DOUT=1:CLK=1:GOSUB 1970 2090 IF DIN=0 THEN RETURN 2100 IF T=200 THEN BEEP:PRINT "Nack timeout error":STOP 2105 ' Is voltage applied to the chip? 2110 T=T+1:GOTO 2080 2120 MAX=61:RELAY=1:DOUT=1:CLK=1:GOSUB 1970 2130 T$=TIME$ 2140 IF T$=TIME$ GOTO 2140 2150 FOR J=0 TO MAX 2160 DOUT=1:CLK=1:GOSUB 1970 ' Start bit 2170 IF DIN=0 THEN BEEP:PRINT "Bus not free error":STOP ' Bad! 2180 DOUT=0:CLK=1:GOSUB 1970 2190 DOUT=0:CLK=0:GOSUB 1970 2200 B$=DEV$+ADDR$+"0" 2210 GOSUB 2010 2220 B$="" 2230 FOR I=7 TO 0 STEP -1 2240 IF (J AND (2^I)) THEN B$=B$+"1" ELSE B$=B$+"0" 2250 NEXT 2260 GOSUB 2010 2270 Z=BYTE(J) 2280 B$="":FOR I=7 TO 0 STEP -1 2290 IF (Z AND (2^I)) THEN B$=B$+"1" ELSE B$=B$+"0" 2300 NEXT 2310 GOSUB 2010 2320 DOUT=0:CLK=0:GOSUB 1970 2330 DOUT=0:CLK=1:GOSUB 1970 ' Stop bit 2340 DOUT=1:CLK=1:GOSUB 1970 2350 PRINT USING "###% programmed";100*J/MAX 2360 PRINT STRING$(80*J/MAX,46) 2370 LOCATE CSRLIN-2,POS(0) 2380 GOSUB 1970 2390 IF DIN=0 GOTO 2380 2400 NEXT 2410 RELAY=0:DOUT=1:CLK=1:GOSUB 1970 2420 PRINT:PRINT 2430 'This is the end in case you though the code was truncated somehow...


text:
I Want To Believe
When it was announced that the next XCOM game would be a first-person shooter, the series faithful flipped out, and the game was delayed. But a second XCOM title is also in the works, and it's sure to please those fans who hope the franchise never departs from its strategy roots.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a remake—and a re-imagining—of a 1994 PC classic that has been released under a whole slew of names, including UFO: Enemy Unknown, XCOM: UFO Defense, and even XCOM: Enemy Unknown. In the original game, a plotline that is now familiar to all gamers unfolds: An alien race slowly starts to take over the Earth, and you, our hero, are assigned the task of beating back the threat by controlling a bunch of beefy space marines. Eventually, as the leader of the paramilitary group XCOM, you're responsible for building and deploying a team to Mars to eradicate the threat once and for all. The original game won a loyal fan base not only thanks to its compelling gameplay, but also because of its fear-inducing X-Files vibe.
Throughout the game, players need to carefully budget their money, keep track of UFO kidnappings, intercept alien ships with jet fighters, keep the civilian population satisfied, and even reverse-engineer alien technology. Research is handled at the "ant farm," an XCOM facility featuring top-of-the-line scientific equipment that you can improve as you work your way through the game. Further complicating matters are the facts that you need to suck up to the world's nations if you want them to provide XCOM with funding, and that the aliens are divided into numerous races of their own.
You also have to make sound tactical decisions in battle—and you'd better be careful, because you won't start with a blank slate after each checkpoint. Dead units stay dead, the technology you research can affect your ability to win, and the original was notorious for its high difficulty. It's actually possible to lose the game for good, and many players never finished the original at all.
From the beginning, XCOM has been known for blending different types of gameplay; the 1994 version featured two different views, one that allowed you to make overall strategic decisions in real time, and a close-up view that allowed you to make tactical decisions in turn-based squad battles. (Oddly enough, this is the opposite of the system that would prevail in modern strategy games like Total War: turn-based activity on the world map and real-time battles.) There was also an RPG element, in that winning battles allowed you to improve your skills. All of this will return for the remake.
The new game is careful not to stray too far from what worked before—after the announcement of the franchise's FPS, fans can't handle much more. But the developers are taking a few liberties. For starters, the game is set in the 1960s instead of the 1990s, making way for a graphical style that's "retro" (in the sense of "recreates an old world" rather than "looks like it was made with ancient game technology"). Cinematic cutscenes will advance the narrative over the course of some 70 missions, and it's not yet clear whether the new story will end up on Mars like the old one did.
Judging by the most current set of screenshots, the graphics are modernized and sometimes manage to create a creepy vibe, but they're hardly top-of-the-line. The game will appear on consoles in addition to PC, so we're bound to see streamlined menus and perhaps some dumbing-down of the more tedious mechanics (such as "time units," which have been simplified into a "move-action" system that allows you to move a certain distance and then take an action each turn).
However, the game should sound familiar: Roland Rizzo, who's been making XCOM's foreboding music since the series debuted, is handling the tunes. And the early signs are that if you're expecting XCOM: Enemy Unknown to coddle you like so many other games do today, you're out of luck. Fog of war means that enemies are invisible until they're close. Taking cover, slowly advancing on your enemy, flanking when possible, having snipers in place to pick off a few targets, and keeping the aliens in place with covering fire are key tactics for success. The developers have boasted about the steep challenge of the new game in interviews.
And let's not leave out one of the most compelling reasons to keep an eye out for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The developer is Firaxis, the same folks who are behind Civilization, and even Sid Meier himself is involved in the game's creation. Firaxis and Meier are giants in the strategy genre, and their involvement virtually guarantees that Enemy Unknown will be something special.
XCOM captured the imaginations of gamers almost twenty years ago, and to this day it boasts a rabid fan base that gets angry when the franchise changes too much. It seems like a great candidate for a reboot, Firaxis is the perfect developer to undertake such a project, and the early signs are that this remake can recreate the magic of the original with modern features. The abductions begin in the fall.
Game Features:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Affordable Pet Vet Clinic is operated locally as a proud member of the PetVet Care Centers Network. To search for local and nationwide job opportunities, click the link below.
Why Consider Our Hospital?
At our Tracy hospital, our team members all share the same passion for making and keeping pets well.
Our hospital truly is an excellent place to work, with a highly skilled team focused on 'best in practice' veterinary care.
We are very supportive of individuals looking to grow their veterinary careers and look forward to hearing from you.
Veterinary Positions At Our Hospital
As positions become open, they are posted on PetVetCareers.com.
- Veterinarians
- Customer Service Representative
- Veterinary Assistant
- Registered Veterinary Technician
- Pharmacy Technician


text:
30 in. x 54 in. Spear Point 6-Bar Security Bar Window Guard |
Product Colors
2 Colors |
Window bars help secure your home and valuables against burglars. The toughest of these bars will stand up to any challenge. These bars are an exterior mounting, with a decorative look. Window bars do not distinguish between letting people in or out of a home; you need to make sure your bars have a quick release mechanism to allow residents out in case of emergency.
Become a Grisham Distributor, Click here.
The Sales Department will contact you after Account Approval. |


text:
If you're like most people, you probably don't consume your daily dose of vitamins and minerals, let alone experience their valuable benefits. Nutrient IV Therapy is a safe and effective way to receive natural vitamins, minerals, and amino acids direct to the bloodstream. The 30 to 45-minute session enhances your energy, improves your overall mood, and helps prevent future health conditions caused by stress, malnutrition, and dehydration.
No major side effects are usually seen; however, people do experience some cooling of the arm and a mineral taste in the mouth. Do not worry, as this is all normal.
Our nutrient IV's take approximately 30-45 minutes for the drip to be fully administered.
Nutrient IVs are similar to IV's you would find at your local hospital. They all consist of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, which are found in the body naturally. Adding these nutrients gives the body more of what your organs need to function properly.
None of our IV's contain toxins that are found in medicine or pharmaceuticals, so no one experiences an overdose of any kind. If you are healthy, theoretically it is safe for daily use.
Realistically, most people do not put such high demands on their bodies where they would need daily nutrient IV Therapy.Our most frequent dosage is a bi-weekly program. But you should tailor your IV Therapy to your lifestyle.
Depending on your nutritional and hydration status you may see dramatic effects after the first IV. People who get IV's regularly will feel less dramatic effects as their body starts to obtain optimal hydration and nutritional balance.
Everyone's pain tolerance is different. While some people find needles to be relatively painless, others will find it a bit painful. For these patients, we have ways of making the process more comfortable. However, this procedure is in no way excruciating. We use a smaller needle than what is used in children's hospitals.
If you retain fluids, have kidney problems, or suffer from certain health conditions, you should not engage in nutrient IV Therapy.
We always recommend that you check with your primary care physician if you're unsure. However, anyone with a healthy history can safely obtain its benefits.
Negative reactions are slim to none, since this procedure is proven to be advantageous and safe. Either way, everyone is monitored and if some discomfort begins, we will simply monitor you over time and stop if necessary.
Most people respond favorably to the therapy, feeling energized and alert from the beginning.
IV Therapy is a premium service that improves your body's performance enormously. It is an investment, so if you compare the price against the benefits you receive from it, you'll find it's worth it.
Users agree that preventative medicine such as nutrient IV Therapy strengthens their immune system, helping them avoid expensive doctor visits and prescription medication that come from something like a severe cold or allergy.
After your session, you can go about your day as you would normally. There are no restrictions. We recommend that you exercise, meditate, eat healthy meals, stay hydrated, and get enough rest daily.
Not quite. Even though all IV drips are administered using the same procedure the quantities and nutrients on each one are different, since they look to achieve specific goals (skin lightening, muscle recovery, mental focus, etc.). You can learn more about our IV drip selection right here.


text:
In addition to funding for a border wall and other border security measures, immigration hardliners are sure to push to include mandatory E-Verify in any immigration legislation considered by Congress. E-Verify is a (currently) voluntary program where businesses check job applicants' Social Security numbers and other Information — potentially including "biometric" identifiers like fingerprints — against information stored in a federal database to determine if the job applicants are legally in the United States.
Imagine how much time would be diverted from serving consumers and growing the economy if every US business had to comply with E-Verify. Also, collecting the relevant information and operating the mandatory E-Verify system will prove costly to taxpayers.
Millions of Americans could be denied jobs because E-Verify mistakenly identifies them as illegal immigrants. These Americans would be forced to go through a costly and time-consuming process to force the government to correct its mistake. It is doubtful employers could afford to keep jobs open while potential hires went through this process.
A federal database with Social Security numbers and other identifying information is an identify thief's dream. Given the federal government's poor track record for protecting personal information, is there any doubt mandatory E-Verify would put millions of Americans at risk for identity theft?
Some supporters of E-Verify deny the program poses any threat to civil liberties, as it will only be used to verify citizenship or legal residency. They even claim a system forcing individuals to have their identities certified by the government is not a national ID system. These individuals are ignoring the history of government programs sold as only affecting a particular group or being used for a limited purpose being expanded beyond initial targets. For example, Americans were promised that only the wealthiest Americans would ever pay income taxes. And some of the PATRIOT Act's worst provisions that we were told would only be used against terrorists are routinely used to investigate drug crimes.
E-Verify almost certainly will be used for purposes unrelated to immigration. One potential use of E-Verify is to limit the job prospects of anyone whose lifestyle displeases the government. This could include those accused of failing to pay their fair share in taxes, those who homeschool or do not vaccinate their children, or those who own firearms.
Unscrupulous government officials could use E-Verify against those who practice antiwar, anti-tax, anti-surveillance, and anti-Federal Reserve activism. Those who consider this unlikely should remember the long history of the IRS targeting the political enemies of those in power and the use of anti-terrorism laws to harass antiwar activists. They should also consider the current moves to outlaw certain types of "politically incorrect" speech, such as disputing the alleged "consensus" regarding climate change.
Claiming that mandatory E-Verify is necessary to stop illegal immigration does not make it constitutional. Furthermore, having to ask the federal government for permission before obtaining a job is a characteristic of authoritarian societies, not free ones. History shows that mandatory E-Verify's use will expand beyond immigration enforcement and could be used as a tool of political repression. All those who value liberty should oppose mandatory E-Verify.


text:
Homeownership Rules
Most people agree that homeownership rules! When asked, people say they want a home they can call their own, to raise their family, share with their friends and to feel safe and secure. It also accounts for the majority of most people's net worth.
These rules can help protect your investment and make homeownership more enjoyable.
- Don't overpay for your home
- Maintain your home's condition
- Minimize your assessed value to lower property taxes
- Make extra principal contributions to save interest and build equity
- Validate the insured value of improvements and contents
- Stay current on surrounding property values
- Make mortgage interest payments deductible
- Invest in capital improvements that increase market value
- Don't over-improve the neighborhood
- Keep records of capital improvements and other maintenance
We want to be your personal source of real estate information and we're committed to helping from purchase to sale and all the years in between.


text:
When director Ken Rodgers decided to do a documentary looking back on the battles between late Raiders owner Al Davis and late NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, he decided he wanted to tell the stories from their perspectives.
With both men having died years ago, Rodgers used deepfake technology to make modern science fiction versions of the two main characters and used them to narrate the documentary that is rich in historical footage of both Davis and Rozelle from their battles over the AFL-NFL merger and the Raiders move to Los Angeles.
"No rivalry, on or off the field, helped shape the modern NFL as much as the decades-long struggle between Al Davis and Pete Rozelle," Rodgers said in a press release. "With the 2020 Raiders and the NFL collaborating to fulfill Al's dream of a state-of-the-art stadium for his team, now is the perfect time to look back on two men who differed on many issues, but shared a mutual love of the NFL."
Rodgers will explore that relationship in ESPN'S 30 for 30 series, "Al Davis vs. The NFL," which will air on Thursday night on ESPN.
According to the press release, Rozelle and Davis's stories are specific and real, and the dialogue is based on interviews conducted in the past.


text:
Privacy and Security - The Journey From Policy to Controls
Jameeka Green Aaron, CISO of Auth0, says, "We're not protecting technology; we are protecting people." Because of that, she is a strong proponent of "privacy by design" in security controls, and she strongly advocates for viewing fraud and privacy together - not separately.
In an interview with Information Security Media Group, Aaron discusses:
- Key fraud and privacy trends from Auth0's latest State of Secure Identity report;
- The value of viewing fraud and privacy together;
- Privacy's journey from legislation to controls.
Green Aaron has more than 20 years of cybersecurity experience, having previously worked at Nike, Hurley and Lockheed Martin. She also served in the U.S. Navy.


text:
Maui Strong Island Decals
Hawaiian Island DecalsMaui Strong. 💯% of the profits from your purchase of any of our Maui decals including Lāhainā, Kihei, Kula, Haleakala, etc., decals, will be donated directly to the Maui Foodbank, Hawaii Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund (501c3), snd to the Maui Humane Society. Support needs for folks and animals who have been affected by the recent fires on Maui is going to be an ongoing need
All of Maui is devastated and traumatized by the horrific fire damage which includes other areas on the slopes of Haleakala in Kihei, Kula, and Olinda.
We started Rubber Stamp Plantation in Lāhainā, just making gecko stamps for the 5 Gecko Stores. The Gecko Store on Front Street was next to the Lāhainā Library, at the bottom of Dickinson Street. Everyone instantly smiled as they walked in, realizing the floor was covered with sand! Do you remember?
We make this delightful sticker in 2 sizes: Mini 2" decals, single 4" decals and 6" decals.
Create aloha every day when you decorate your laptop, phone, surfboard, snowboard, kayak, water bottle, journal and any other smooth dry surface you can possibly imagine! We use premium waterproof vinyl that's weatherproof, waterproof and can even go through a dishwasher.
We make Hawaiian Island Decals, and most of our other products in our little Rubber Stamp Shack in sweet Kalihi, on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. All of our designs are our original artwork. Keep an eye out for more to come!


text:
NSA's Big Data Platform Faces Enterprise Test
Startup Sqrrl preps Accumulo data storage software to go commercial, teams with Hadoop provider Hortonworks to combine technologies.
14 Amazing DARPA Technologies On Tap
14 Amazing DARPA Technologies On Tap (click image for larger view and for slideshow)
Accumulo, the data storage software developed by the National Security Agency, has taken another step toward the enterprise market. Sqrrl, the startup launched by former NSA technologists to commercialize Accumulo, has teamed up with Apache Hadoop provider Hortonworks to combine their technologies.
It's the latest in a series of developments for NSA's big-data platform over the past 13 months. The NSA submitted Accumulo to the Apache Foundation in September 2011 for development as open source. In July 2012, a number of NSA employees joined with former White House cybersecurity strategy director Ely Khan to form Sqrrl. Two months ago, Sqrrl announced it had raised $2 million in venture funding.
Based on Google's BigTable data model, Accumulo is a distributed key/value store for structured and unstructured data. When NSA began developing Accumulo in 2008, many of the big data management platforms--Hbase, MongoDB, Cassandra, and others--were new or had not yet been released, unproven, and unlikely to meet the agency's rigorous security requirements. So NSA decided to develop the data management software it needed internally.
"By bringing data sets together, it's allowed us to see things in the data that we didn't necessarily see from looking at the data from one point or another," said Dave Hurry, head of NSA's computer science research section, in an interview with InformationWeek. Accumulo gives NSA the ability "to take data and to stretch it in new ways so that you can find out how to associate it with another piece of data and find those threats, those nuggets you were looking for," he said.
[ Read NASA Issues Big Data Challenge. ]
NSA sought security, scalability, and speed from its database. Accumulo's cell-level security makes it possible to set access control for individual pieces of data using "visibility tags." Without that capability, valuable information might remain out of reach for the analysts who need it, or time might have to be spent creating a sanitized data set. Sqrrl CEO Oren Falkowitz said he met with a large financial institution that lets only three people access a data cluster of sensitive data. With Accumulo, that kind of exclusive arrangement shouldn't be necessary.
That could prove to be a significant advantage for Accumulo. "There's nothing else out there that remotely pretends to be an alternative for a secure BigTable database," said Benson Margulies, who both worked on Accumulo as CTO for Basis Technology, an NSA contractor, and helped get the Apache Accumulo project going.
Through a feature called iterators, Accumulo supports in-database processing, which means it's able to aggregate and summarize data even as new data is added. "The way the system is architected, you're able to do a lot of 'compute on the fly,'" said Antonio Rodriguez, general partner with Matrix Partners, one of the VC firms that recently invested in Sqrrl. Atlas Venture is the other.
NoSQL databases like Accumulo let users add new data types even if they're not part of the original data model, and data attributes can be defined in a more granular way and with greater flexibility than is possible using conventional relational databases. "It's an architecture that allows people to solve the problem they want to solve as it presents itself, and not have the architecture put bounds on what they can do," Hurry said. "One of the powerful side effects is that we no longer have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to normalize the data."
Accumulo's other big selling point is its scalability. NSA doesn't talk about the size of its databases, but the agency's aggregated data is measured in the petabytes. NSA's largest cluster, Rodriguez said, is "much larger than anyone has ever run in Hbase." Sqrrl COO Falkowitz said the software is "ready for quadrillions of records and thousands of nodes."
Accumulo is central to NSA's big data strategy, and other U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, including the CIA, have begun to experiment with Accumulo. In March, the Apache Foundation designated Accumulo as one of its top-level project. The Accumulo development community continues to grow, and has been holding hackathons and meetups.
Sqrrl's commercial version of Accumulo is called Acorn. In addition to the database itself, the startup provides consulting on enterprise deployment and training for developers. It's also adding capabilities to Accumulo by developing its own additional capabilities and through partnerships with other vendors. In September, Sqrrl joined with MapR to bring commercial support to Accumulo and MapR's Apache Hadoop combination.
Sqrrl's target markets include financial services, health care, energy, Internet companies, and government. Falkowitz said potential customers include financial institutions and an oil company.
Accumulo is a relatively new platform, but its jumpstart in federal intelligence should work in its favor. "It's a very mature technology in terms of building a secure data store for one of the most secure customers in the world: NSA," said Chris Lynch, a partner with Atlas Venture.
At the NSA, Accumulo has moved beyond the pilot stage to become a core element of its big data strategy. The agency is using Accumulo to create a "data cloud" that makes its easier to manage, analyze, and share information. Given Accumulo's roots, the development community behind the platform is largely composed of federal agencies, including the Department of Defense. Increased diversity and commercial support will be important to the open source project's success.
Lawmakers are keeping an eye on that. The Senate's 2013 Defense authorization bill requires that Accumulo mature into "a successful open source database with adequate industry support and diversification" before being adopted within DoD (with the exception of NSA). The bill would also require that the NSA help ensure that HBase and Cassadra developers get the technical assistance needed to facilitate adoption of Accumulo's security features.
More than half of federal agencies are saving money with cloud computing, but security, compatibility, and skills present huge problems, according to our survey. Also in the Cloud Business Case issue of InformationWeek Government: President Obama's record on IT strategy is long on vision but short on results. (Free registration required.)
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
The Promise and Perils of AI
July 25, 2024Making Enterprise Service Management a Reality
July 30, 2024Exploring PostgreSQL 17: New Features & Enhancements
August 8, 2024


text:
Chest Armor
Chest armor refers specifically to the armor worn over a character's torso in Diablo III. The term "Armor" is often used for this item slot, but it's also a generic term for all of the various types of worn equipment in the game, including belts, gloves, boots, and more.
Chest armor can be found, bought, or crafted by the Blacksmith, and comes with a wide variety of affixes and values. Chest Armor generally provides substantial defense, and most players seek stats such as +vitality, +mainstat, and 1-3 sockets when selecting chest armor.
There are numerous item sets that include a piece of chest armor and these are among the most popular items for this item slot, both for their individual stats as well as for the set bonuses they generate when equipped with other items from the same set.
There are no attribute requirements (such as strength or dexterity) to equip items in Diablo 3. All characters can use all types of items, providing they meet the level requirement, and the item isn't class-specific.
- Cloaks are a type of chest armor that can only be worn by Demon Hunters.
Chest Armor Catalogue[edit | edit source]
The table below displays all of the Chest Armor in the current game files. The data below comes straight from the game files, and will update automatically when patches change existing stats or introduce new items.
<item type="list">Chest Armor</item>
Armor Looks[edit | edit source]
Armor comes in numerous different styles in Diablo 3, with 18 levels for basic armor looks, plus dozens of unique looks for legendary and set items.
- See the Gear Sets page for numerous full armor outfits.
- See the character art gallery for additional gear set screenshots, as well as dozens of pieces of concept art, a few of which are seen below.
Male Barbarian armor and helm concept art.
Male Barbarian armor variety pack.
Female Monk armor concept art.
Female Wizard concept art.
References[edit | edit source]
Items of Diablo III [e] Item Basics Normal Items Crafting Legendary Armor I Legendary Armor II Legendary Weapons 1h Legendary Weapons 2h Item Sets |


text:
Thank you for reading! ! !
Thank you for reading the free preview! Sorry to cut you off, but I'm working on getting all of my stories published, so I've decided to remove them from FictionPress.
I sincerely thank all of you who have followed my books and pushed me to get them into publication. FictionPress will always have a place in my heart! Thank you all for helping me see my dream come true!
Questions, comments? Feel free to email me at ThoughtlessRomantic gmail. com or follow me on Facebook and Twitter!


text:
This website is owned and operated by Tom's Food Markets, Inc (Tom's). This policy explains how Tom's and its affiliates (collectively, "we" or "us") collect, use, share and protect the personal information that we collect through this website. We value the privacy of our website visitors and do not use or share your personally identifiable information with any organization outside of Tom's and its affiliates, except under the conditions noted below.
We value the privacy of our website visitors. We will only collect and use your information as explained in this policy. This section gives a brief overview of our data collection and use policies. Please click on the links below for a more detailed discussion of each topic. Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or at 231-946-6431 if you have any questions.
We collect the following information:
• information that your browser routinely shares with websites.
• personal information that you provide us on a voluntary basis.
• if you use the mobile version of our website, it may use geographic information temporarily collected from your mobile device to find participating stores in your area.
We use the following types of tracking technology:
• cookies, web beacons and similar technology tracks movement across our website and keeps track of our registered users and their preferences.
• advertising services place ads on the internet for us, and they may use tracking technology. We do not share your personal information with these services.
• Google Analytics may use cookies and browser information to provide demographic, statistical, and other information about the visitors to our website, such as their interests, hobbies, and preferences.
We use and disclose the information we collect for the following purposes:
• to provide services or products that you request.
• to help us improve our website, understand our customers and their preferences, and to market our products and services.
• to our contractors who provide supporting services so that they can access information needed for such services, but only on terms consistent with this policy.
• to protect our business interests or the rights of others, when required by law, to cooperate with law enforcement, or in connection with the sale or merger of all or part of our business.
We use these commercially reasonable data security practices:
• if you make a purchase on our website, we use Transport Layer Security (TLS) to process your payment information and we store your personal information on firewall-protected servers.
• we limit access to your personal information to those who have legitimate need to use it.
Other details about our practices:
• Although we may have links to other websites, this policy applies only to the websites operated by Tom's.
• We use your personal information only for the purposes for which it is collected and consistent with this policy, and we retain your information as permitted by applicable law.
• You can update your online account information at any time.
• We do not intend to collect information from children under the age of 13.
• We may update this policy from time to time, but we will allow you to opt in to any material changes in how we use your personal information.
This website provides information about our stores and the products we sell. You do not need to provide us with any personal information if you simply want to browse through our website and learn more about our stores, our products and our services. Like many other websites, we may record information that your web browser routinely shares, such as your browser type, browser language, software and hardware attributes, the date and time of your visit, the website from which you came, the geographical location of the Internet Protocol address and the pages on this website that you visit. This will generally be anonymous data that we collect on an aggregate basis. We will not try to associate anonymous data with the personal information that you provide to us, except to investigate apparent fraud or a threat to our website, our business or our users.
We may also collect personal information that you choose to provide to us on a voluntary basis. When we ask for your personal information, it is so that we can provide a product or service to you and communicate with you about those products and services. For example, you can register on one of our stores' websites by providing us with your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address, and then elect to receive newsletters or regularly scheduled e-mail. Among other things, you can elect to participate in contests that we may run from time to time, purchase special order foods or create a personal shopping list. It will always be your choice whether to provide your personal information in order to take advantage of these features.
We may also offer certain social networking features on this website, such as the opportunity to post comments or opinions about our products and services. If you choose to submit your comments or opinions, keep in mind that these will be available to the general public and are not subject to any privacy.
We may also operate a version of this website specifically designed to work with mobile devices. The mobile website may include a feature that uses geographic location information provided by your mobile device to identify stores in your vicinity. We do not collect or store your geographic information except to temporarily provide this service.
As is commonly done on websites, we may use cookies and similar technology to keep track of our users and the services they have elected. A "cookie" is a small text file containing alphanumeric characters that is stored on your computer and uniquely identifies your browser. If you are simply browsing on our website, the cookies that we use last only about as long as your session on our website; but if you have created a user name and account, we will also use cookies that remain on your computer between visits so that when you return to our website we can remember who you are and your preferences. For example, we use cookies to keep track of items that you might wish to store in your on-line Shopping Cart between visits. We may allow business partners who provide services to our website to place cookies on your computer that assist us in analyzing usage data. We do not allow these business partners to collect your personal information from our website except as may be necessary for the services that they provide.
You can manage these cookies. For example, you can configure your browser to accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or notify you when a cookie is set. If you disable cookies, however, it may interfere with the functionality of our website and you may not be able to use all of the website's features.
We may also use web beacons or similar technology to help us track the effectiveness of our communications. A web beacon (also known as an action tag, a clear gif or pixel tag) is a1x1 pixel image embedded in a website page used to transparently collect information. For example, we may use a web beacon to count the number of visits to the pages of our website. If you have signed up to receive any of our e-mail newsletters, we use similar technology to count how many recipients have opened the message and clicked on one of its links.
We may offer a version of this website specifically designed to work with a mobile device. If so, we may store information relevant to your use of the mobile website on your device's local storage.
We contract with our business partner Google to serve ads on our website. Google uses DoubleClick cookies and web beacons to make our advertising more effective. Google may use such technology to serve ads based on your prior visit to our website and/or other websites on the Intranet. If you access this website using a mobile device, Google may use anonymous identifiers if the device does not accept cookies. We do not share your personal information with Google. You can learn more about how Google uses the DoubleClick cookies by visiting Google's Policies & Principles. You may opt out of the use of the DoubleClick cookie for interest-based advertising by visiting the ads preference manager.
We use third party advertising services to place our advertisements on other websites. If you click on one of these ads, the company that placed the ad may use cookies, web beacons, or other tracking technology to gather statistics on the effectiveness of our advertisements, to track your movement across websites, and to serve you advertisements targeted to your interests. Except as noted above with respect to Google, we do not permit these advertising services to place cookies from our website. You can learn more about interest-based advertising and opt out of such advertising from certain companies at aboutads.info
We will generally use the information that we collect to help us operate this website, to provide requested services, to help us understand our customers and their preferences, and to market products and services to you in which we believe you may be interested. The following provides a more specific discussion of our uses and disclosures of the information that we collect.
When you provide us with your contact information, we will use that information to provide services related to this website. For example, if you purchase specialty foods on our website, we will use your mailing address to ship your order. We may also send you e-mail messages confirming your order or reporting on the status of your order.
If you register on our website, we give you the option to add your e-mail address to one or more e-mail lists. You may change your preferences or opt out of all e-mails at any time by clicking on the "unsubscribe" link found at the bottom of each e-mail.
We maintain a database about our customers and website users that allows us to (i) analyze and monitor consumer and customer activity, (ii) promote and support our products and services, and (iii) develop a knowledge base regarding our website users and customers.
We may combine the individually identifiable information that we collect from this website with information collected through any customer loyalty programs that we may run from time to time. For example, if you have signed up to receive e-mail messages, we may use information from the customer loyalty program to deliver offers or coupons tailored to your shopping needs.
If you purchase any products through this website, like any other retailer we will have to provide your credit card information to our credit card processor and authenticator for payment purposes, and your name and address to the company that ships our merchandise.
To improve the products and services offered, we may use business partners to help us design and operate our website or provide other services to support the website. For example, we may hire a company to run certain website applications, help us fulfill or deliver orders, process credit card payments, or help us analyze data. Unless otherwise indicated on our website, if we allow our business partners to access the personal information we collect, it will be for limited purposes and in compliance with this privacy policy. We may give you the option to have your information shared with vendors whose goods we carry so that they can send you coupons or other promotional information in which you are interested.
We use Google Analytics to help us gather statistical information about the visitors to our website and how they use the website. We also use Google Analytics to provide us additional information about the users to our website, such as their interests, hobbies, and preferences, based upon information gathered by Google through the use of cookies and browser information. However, all information we gather via Google Analytics will be gathered on an anonymous, aggregate basis but will not associate this data with personally identifiable data. We use this information to gain a better understanding of the visitors to our website and to improve our website and product offerings. We reserve the right to license or sell aggregate information about the visitors to our website, but this information will not be individually identifiable. Depending on which type of browser and device that you use, you may have the ability to control the type of information that Google Analytics uses. If you would like to learn more about Google Analytics, including how to opt out of it, visit tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
We may release your information without prior notice when we believe it is appropriate to prevent fraud; to comply with law or to cooperate with law enforcement activity or other governmental request; to respond to subpoenas, court orders or administrative agency requests for information; to enforce our policies; to protect the rights, property and safety of our business and of others; or when required or otherwise permitted by law. For example, we may share information with law enforcement to reduce the risk of fraud or if someone uses or attempts to use our website for illegal reasons. If there is a sale or merger of the company, division or business unit that operates this website, we may also transfer the information we have collected in connection with such sale or merger.
We will use the information we collect to continuously improve our business and our website development. Your comments and suggestions about our website development are always appreciated. Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or 231-946-6431 if you have any comments or suggestions.
We use commercially reasonable means to protect the integrity of our website and limit access to your personal information. For example, if you purchase any products on our website, we will use Transport Layer Security (TLS) to process your payment information and we will store your personal information on firewall-protected servers. We limit access to your personal information to those who have a legitimate need to use the information. If you have set up a user name and profile, you should be sure to protect your user ID and password to prevent others from being able to access the website in your name. We cannot provide absolute assurances against, and will not be liable for, breaches of confidentiality due to system failures or unauthorized access by third parties.
This website may contain links to other websites operated by companies that are not affiliated with us. For example, grocery delivery may be made available through a third party service provider, and you would be linked to that party's website to fulfill your order. Also, you may have come to this website from a website that is not operated by us. We are not responsible for the operation of these other websites or the information that they collect from their visitors. If you would like to know how another website collects and uses your information, please review its privacy policy.
The information you provide us isn't set in stone. You can update your online account information with us at any time by clicking on the "My Account" link found in the upper right corner of the home page.
We use the information that we collect about you only for the purposes for which it is collected and consistent with this policy. We keep information provided to us for as long as we believe necessary for our business purposes and as permitted by applicable law.
Our business and the laws that regulate us change from time to time, and we reserve the right to change this policy. If we do change this policy, we will post the revised version on this website. If we propose to change our policy in a way that would permit us to make additional uses of the personal information that we had previously collected about you, we will obtain your affirmative, express consent before using your information in a materially different way.
While our website is available for all to come visit, you must be at least 13 years old to register on our website, to purchase products or participate in any of our contests. We will not knowingly collect information about children under the age of 13. If you are under the age of 13, please do not register as a user and do not submit your personal information. If you are a parent who believes that we have collected information about a child under age 13, please contact us at email@example.com or 231-946-6431 with your child's name and address, and we will be happy to delete the information we have about your child from our records and provide information in accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
When you visit this website, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or 231-946-6431 and let us know if you have any questions or comments about our policies or practices.


text:
Meet Beta vulgaris rubra
From sports performance enhancer to heart-failure helper, beetroot juice is having its day in the sun as a superfood. Even research scientists are digging it.
Going nuts for the rooted one isn't new. Its recorded popularity as a panacea dates back to ancient Rome when folk medicine practitioners used it as an emmenagogue (menstruation provoker), hemostatic (hemorrhage arrester), and carminative (flatulence reliever).
It's All About The Nitrates
The beetroot is, after all, a vegetable. By nature, all vegetables are comprised of essential nutrients. Seemingly Beta vulgaris rubra hit pay dirt: It is rich in vitamins C, folate, and B-6, and minerals such as iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and copper. It's also rich in nitrates.
Nitrates make this superfood a superstar within scientific research. Inorganic nitrate naturally converts in the body to nitric oxide, which relaxes and dilates blood vessels. Opening vessels increases oxygen flow throughout the body and generates more energy. Oxygen-rich blood has been found to reduce the amount of oxygen that muscles need to optimally function.
Studies on Beets for Athletes
The US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health site hosts many peer-reviewed published studies that link concentrated beetroot juice consumption with enhanced physical performance.
One study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that the consumption of beetroot improves running performance.
Another study published by Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that nitrate-rich beetroot juice enhanced the time trial performance that put trained cyclists in a simulated high-altitude environment. Beetroot was found to be a credible agent in improving endurance exercise at high altitude.
A third study reported that those drinking the juice just prior to working out could push their workouts 16 percent longer, suggesting that increased dietary nitrate intake has the potential to enhance exercise tolerance during long-term endurance exercise.
Not Just for The Young and Fit
Since nitrates help open blood vessels, beetroot juice increases blood flow to the brain, and this action supports cognitive health at any age. Because lack of oxygenation causes people with cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic diseases to struggle with daily living activities, beetroot juice might improve quality of life.
Experts caution against replacing prescribed medications. Also, certain meds, including nitroglycerine, may interact with a high-nitrate diet. Beetroot can lead to kidney stones in some people. Be aware that consumption may temporarily turn urine pink, but this is not dangerous.


text:
A randomized trial of on-pump beating heart and conventional cardioplegic arrest in coronary artery bypass surgery patients with impaired left ventricular function using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and biochemical markers
Pegg TJ., Selvanayagam JB., Francis JM., Karamitsos TD., Maunsell Z., Yu LM., Neubauer S., Taggart DP.
Background - Beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) improves early postoperative cardiac function in patients with normal ventricular function, but its effect in patients with impaired function is uncertain. We compared a novel hybrid technique of on-pump beating heart CABG (ONBEAT) with conventional on-pump CABG (ONSTOP) in patients with impaired ventricular function. Methods and Results - In a single-center randomized trial, 50 patients with impaired ventricular function were randomly assigned to ONBEAT or ONSTOP. Patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for function and delayed hyperenhancement early and later after surgery. Serial assessment of biochemical markers was also undertaken. Preoperative characteristics were well matched; cardiac index was 2.85±0.53 (ONBEAT) and 2.62±0.59 L·min-1·m-2 (ONSTOP). Early after surgery, there was a trend toward a greater reduction in end-systolic volume index in ONSTOP patients versus ONBEAT (-9±8 versus -4±11 mL·m -2; P=0.06). The changes were sustained and significant at 6 months (-14±18 versus -2±19 mL·m-2; P=0.04). Furthermore, the incidence of new hyperenhancement at 6 days was higher in ONBEAT patients (P=0.05), with 6 of 17 (35%) sustaining 8.2±5.2 g of new hyperenhancement each versus 2 of 23 (9%) in the ONSTOP group, each with 9.8±9.0 g (P=0.86). Finally, median area under the curve for troponin was higher in ONBEAT at 461 (interquartile range, 226 to 1141) μg/L versus 160 (interquartile range, 98 to 357) μg/L for ONSTOP (P=0.002). Conclusions - The incidence of new irreversible myocardial injury was significantly higher in ONBEAT than in ONSTOP patients. Furthermore, at 6 months, only ONSTOP patients demonstrated an improvement in ventricular geometry. The most likely mechanism is inadequate coronary perfusion to distal myocardial territories in patients with severe proximal coronary disease. © 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.


text:
NFL Quick-Hits: 2013 Scouting Combine News & Notes
Te'o holds his own.
Manti Te'o handled the media horde at the combine with maturity and grace. He answered every question, was concise and direct with most of his answers, and took the moment seriously. He no doubt was coached on what to say and he'll continued to be grilled leading up to April's draft, but he past his first test with flying colors. Now, is he a top 10 pick? I don't know if he ever was. Teams will be attracted to his lateral movements, his ability to quickly attack down hill, and his good change of direction skills. He can also cover, is comfortable in space, and is fairly component when it comes to play recognition. But linebackers that aren't elite pass rushers don't hold the same value in the NFL as they did 10 years ago. Some of the best inside or strong-side linebackers (which is where Te'o projects to play at the next level) weren't first-round picks. Patrick Willis was, but Bobby Wagner was a second-rounder, as was Daryl Washington. NaVorro Bowman was a third-round pick and Dannell Ellerbe of the Super Bowl-winning Ravens wasn't even drafted. Is Te'o a first-rounder? No question. Is he a top-10 pick like many have wondered? I highly doubt it. The more likely projection for him is picks 15 through 25.
What was Montgomery thinking?
LSU DE Sam Montgomery wins the award at this year's combine for what not to tell the media. In his combine interview, the pass rusher admitted to betting in college and taking games (not just plays, but entire games) off when the Tigers faced lesser opponents. "Some weeks when we didn't have to play the harder teams, there were some times when effort was not needed. But when he had the big boys come in, the 'Bamas or the South Carolinas, I grabbed close to those guys and went all out." Montgomery also admitted to betting with teammate Barkevious Mingo, including one for $5,000 on which LSU defender would be drafted higher. Based on his talent, Montgomery is a late first, early-second round prospect. He's strong at the point of attack, can be a power or finesse player, and is very good in pursuit. He also played with a lot of energy, although I only watched him against the likes of Alabama, South Carolina, Washington and Auburn. I guess I should have flipped on the film of him playing against the Little Sister's of the Poor because apparently I would have seen a different player.
Deep year for defensive linemen.
This is an impressive crop of defensive linemen, both at end and tackle. Despite a poor effort on the bench press, Texas A&M DE/OLB Damontre Moore really stands out on film. He's difficult to block one-on-one, displays good lateral quickness and does a pretty good job bending the arc when pass rushing. He doesn't always use his hands well and doesn't have a full compliment of pass-rushing moves, but he should attract teams that use hybrid fronts in the NFL. The same can be said for Oregon's Dion Jordan, who ran a blazing 4.53 and a 4.63 forty at the combine. The former Duck will have surgery to repair a torn labrum but that should deter teams from taking him in the first round. He played drop end at Oregon, flashing a combination of speed, athleticism and length. He plays well in space, is violent on contact and is also scheme versatile. He's not as polished as top-10 prospect Bjoern Werner from a pass-rushing standpoint, but he can play with his hand in the dirt or standing up. Former track star Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah also ran well at the combine (he's a former track star, after all) and is likely to be selected in the first 11 picks. He's powerful, holds up well at the point of attack and doesn't have a lot of wasted movement. He's not as explosive off the line as Moore or Jordan, but he's scheme versatile after playing in 43 and 34 fronts at BYU. At defensive tackle, Star Lotulelei is drawing comparisons to Haloti Ngata (although recent reports about his heart condition is concerning), while Florida's Sharrif Floyd is receiving top-1o attention as well. Floyd is built like an ox but is quick, agile and strong. He isn't as explosive as fellow top prospect Sheldon Richardson of Missouri, but he's the perfect fit for a 3-technique in a 4-3 and could wind up being a double-digit sack guy down the road. (The same could be said for Richardson, really.)
Jones a top 5 pick?
SI.com's Peter King believes that Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones could be a top-five pick, although that's hard to envision. Jones suffers from spinal stenosis, which is why he transferred from USC to Georgia in 2010. And while Chris Mortensen reports that Jones got a "favorable review" of his neck at the combine, his medical history could cause him to drop a la Clemson defensive end DaQuan Bowers in 2011. Bowers was widely regarded as a top 5 pick before the draft but offseason knee surgery caused him to drop into the second round. Granted, we're not exactly comparing apples to apples, but the main takeaway is that Jones is a potential red flag for NFL teams. That said, he's one of the better pass-rushers in this year's class thanks to his athleticism and has decent cover skills. He's seemingly a perfect fit as an OLB in a 3-4 but again, it's hard to envision a scenario where he's a top 5 selection.
Barkley a fit for the WCO?
One of the more polarizing prospects in this year's draft class is USC quarterback Matt Barkley, who was once considered to be a candidate to be taken first overall. Scouts are reportedly worried about his arm strength and his ability to stretch a defense vertically. But he's not without skill. He gets the ball out of his hand quickly, displays good touch and is a tough kid. He also throws the ball better outside the numbers and between defenders than people give him credit for but again, he won't survive in a vertical-based offense. Considering he worked the short-to-intermediate game while at USC, he would be a good fit for a team running the West Coast Offense. But because of his arm, teams will have to figure out whether or not he's worth taking before the third round.
Follow the Scores Report editors on Twitter @clevelandteams and @bullzeyedotcom.
Comments Off on NFL Quick-Hits: 2013 Scouting Combine News & Notes
Posted in: College Football, NFL, NFL Draft
Tags: 2013 NFL scouting combine, Damontre Moore, Dion Jordan, Ezekiel Ansah, Jarvis Jones, Manti Te'o, Matt Barkley, NFL column, NFL rumors, NFL scouting combine, Sam Montgomery, Sharrif Floyd, Sheldon Richardson, Star Lotulelei