text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Oct 28, 1997
|Filing date
|Aug 16, 1995
|Priority date
|Aug 16, 1995
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Brian A. Vulpitta, Diane L. Walsh, John R. Nottingham, Jeffrey Plantz, Patrick J. Coyne
|Original Assignee
|Manco, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (14), Non-Patent Citations (13), Referenced by (57), Classifications (14), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention pertains to the art of hand carried luggage and more particularly to a carrying bag which can be used as a children's activity station and desk surface as well as a bag for carrying a child's activity materials.
Parents generally provide their children with a variety of containers for carrying toys and materials and school work. Thus, book bags and lunch boxes are commonly provided to small children. Some of these bags are meant to be carried by means of a hand grip while other bags are provided with shoulder straps for carrying on one shoulder or both shoulders like a rucksack. These bags are often acceptable in their function of carrying toys and the like but perform no other functions.
Families sometimes take trips in automobiles, planes or other vehicles. Children are often encouraged to entertain themselves with their toys or activity materials on such trips not only while they are going but after they arrive at a destination. For example, at the grandparents, daycare, playground, park etc. a child will often be asked to entertain himself or herself. It is thus necessary for a child to bring along a book bag or the like from which he will remove his activity materials. In such a situation, the child is not generally provided with a good surface to perform activities and can therefore become frustrated quickly.
At other times, the surface provided is a clipboard, book or the like resting on the child's lap. Such surfaces are often too low with respect to a child's torso and are often uncomfortable in that a hard rigid surface is placed against a child's thighs and upper leg areas. Some lap desks are cushioned but do not provide anything for storage of the activity materials. Further, organization of activity materials or the like is an important part of starting or completing a project. Having different colored pens, pencils, crayons, etc. within arm's reach facilitates and eases the advancement to completion of a project. Such organization is especially difficult in a vehicle such as an automobile, airplane or train where space is at a premium and movement is limited. Unless activity materials are properly organized, they will likely fall on the floor, under a seat, between seat cushions or under an adjacent person. As such, these materials become lost quickly, frustrating a child or other individual working on a project.
Small items are easily misplaced or left behind in a car, airplane, hotel room unless the item, once used, is immediately put back into the place from which it was retrieved. However, unless replacing the item is made easy with a minimum of effort, it is more likely that the item will be set aside on an adjacent chair, seat or other location. It then becomes difficult to find when it is to be used again or picked up to be transported. This is especially true if the project that is underway must be stopped or interrupted, as is often the case when traveling.
Additionally, there are many households and classrooms throughout the world that have space and money constraints that do not allow children to have a personalized desk of their own.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved child's activity station which performs the function of a material holder, work surface or organizer and the function of an activity material carry bag at the same time.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a child's activity station and craft material carrying case having a handle on its top side a hard surface on its front side, a generally box shaped main compartment and a hinge allowing the front side to be opened, rotating about the top side.
Further in accordance with the invention, the carrying case top side, bottom side, left side and right side are all flexible and generally about three inches from front to back thereby providing a reasonable volume for holding craft materials and a good working height on the lap for children's activities.
Still further in accordance with the invention, the rear side of the carrying case is padded, providing both comfort and stability for the user.
Yet further in accordance with the invention, the side of the carrying case is provided with bins adapted to hold marking pens, crayons, building blocks or interlocking building blocks and the like when the bag is used as a craft station.
Yet further in accordance with the invention, side pockets are provided on the right and left side of the carrying case opening toward the front surface whereby activity materials may be accessed when the front surface is facing upwardly and the compartment is closed.
Yet further in accordance with the invention, the hard writing surface of the bag is provided with a clip near the top side whereby activity materials may be securely held in place even in a moving vehicle.
Still further in accordance with the invention the front side of the bag is provided with closely overlapping flexible corner gussets in some of the corners for further holding down craft work.
Yet further in accordance with the invention, the carry bag is provided with internal compartments adapted to contain activity materials and tools for children.
Still yet further in accordance with the invention, the carry bag is provided with a removable compartment bag, normally stowed in the main compartment, which, when removed, allows access to additional activity materials without accessing the main compartment.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a carrying case which also works as a child's activity work station.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a carrying case which can be placed upon the lap of a child with the handle away from the child and open like a school desk allowing easy access to the interior of the case by the child.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an activity material carrying case having a comfortable rear panel and a hard front panel providing a good work surface and stable support surface for activity projects for children.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a carrying case which is easily carried by children but also provides a convenient work station for children's activities.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a children's activity carrying case having a front surface which securely holds an activity project even in a moving vehicle and allows the surface to be tipped up for easy access to additional tools and materials.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combined activity work station and carrying case which is light in weight, easily carried and comfortable to use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a combined activity materials carrying case and work station having numerous compartments which are adapted for both organization in carrying and organization of the activities by children.
Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light weight travel desk for adults which is adapted for organization of work activities for use in an automobile, airplane or train.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding of the detailed description in the following section.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, the preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view illustrating the use of a child's activity station;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the child's activity station showing the interior thereof;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing a convenient means of carrying the child's activity station;
FIG. 4 is an elevation view showing an edge of the child's activity station having a carrying handle attached thereto;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an elevation view showing an edge of an alternative embodiment from that shown in FIG. 4.; an
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 7.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for the purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for the purposes of limiting same, FIG. 1 shows a child's activity station 10 being used by a child 11, drawn in phantom. Activity station 10 is resting on the lap of child 11 wherein a rigid panel 12 is exposed and upwardly facing. A writing or work surface 14 is provided on panel 12 facing upwardly towards child 11. Panel 12 is retained on a front side wall 15 defined by a top edge 16, a bottom edge 17, a right side edge 18 and a left side edge 19. Rigid panel 12 is retained upon front side wall 15 by a front mesh pocket 23 which is stitched onto front side wall 15 at bottom edge 17 and along a portion of right side edge 18 and left side edge 19 adjacent to bottom edge 17. Preferably front mesh pocket 23 is manufactured from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) mesh which is rugged and durable, and is less susceptible to stretching with constant use, thus insuring writing panel 12 does not loosen within mesh pocket 23 after repeated uses or repeated removal.
A top wall 24 depends from top edge 16, a bottom wall 25 depends from bottom edge 17, a right side wall 26 depends from right side edge 18 and a left side wall 27 depends from left side edge 19. Each of top wall 24, bottom wall 25, right side wall 26 and left side wall 27 terminate in a rear side wall 28 which is opposite and relatively parallel to front side wall 15. Rigid panel 12 is further attached to front side wall 15 by the use of two sets of the mutually interengaging hook and loop fasteners 32, 33, commonly known as VELCRO. As is well known, hook and loop fasteners include one portion or strip comprised primarily of the loops 34 and one portion or strip comprised primarily of the hooks 35. As shown, loops 34 are attached to a front side face 42 of front side wall 15 while hooks 35 are attached to a back surface 43 of panel 12. In this manner, if rigid panel 12 is removed from activity station 10, hooks 35 would enable panel 12 to be fixedly attached to another fabric upon which it is placed for added stability during use. Rigid panel 12 also includes a clip 44, preferably made of plastic material and attached to writing surface 14. Such clips are spring actuated by spring 45 to hold down papers or craft material on writing surface 14 and are well known in the prior art.
A right side storage bin 46 is attached to a right side outer surface 47 of right side wall 26 and an identical left side storage bin 48 is attached to a left side outer surface 49 of left side wall 27. Each of storage bin 46 and storage bin 48 include a bottom panel 52 and 53, respectively, adjacent and generally parallel to bottom wall 25. Storage bins 46, 48 also include a top panel 54, 55, respectively, and opposite parallel back panels 56, 57, respectively. Each of top panels 54, 55 are adjacent and parallel to front side wall 15 while back panels 56, 57 are adjacent and parallel to rear side wall 28. Panels 54, 56 of storage bin 46 are quadrilateral in shape and connected along the outside edges 58, 59, respectively to outside panel 62 which extends between, and is stitched at, bottom panel 52 and right side outer surface 47 adjacent top wall 24. Each of panels 55, 57 are likewise quadrilateral in shape and connected at the outside edges 64, 65, respectively to outside panel 67 which is connected and is stitched at one end to bottom panel 53 and at an opposite end to left side outer surface 49 adjacent top wall 24. Each of storage bins 46, 48 include the access zippers 68, 69, respectively. Zippers 68, 69 are located on top panels 54, 55, respectively, parallel and adjacent to outside edges 58, 64.
Storage bins 46, 48 are relatively deep between top panels 54, 55 and back panels 56, 57, respectively. In the preferred embodiment, bins 46, 48 are two and three quarter inches deep and further, two and three quarter inches wide between right side outer face 47 and outside panel 62 and likewise between left side outer surface 49 and outside panel 67. Thus, the activity materials for many different crafts may be stored within bins 46, 48 and accessed at any time by a child without disturbing the work on writing surface 14. This is especially useful in the closed or cramped quarters of an automobile or airplane where many different colored pens or pencils or crayons may be used on any one project. By placing zippers 68, 69 on top panels 54, 55 storage bins 46, 48 may be accessed while work or writing surface 14 is being used, without otherwise moving activity station 10.
Top wall 24 includes a carrying handle 73 preferably made from one inch wide canvas webbing. Carrying handle 73 is sewn onto the top wall face 74 of top wall 24 at the box-stitched patch portions 75, 76 adjacent right side wall 26 and left side wall 27, respectively. Carrying handle 73 provides a convenient means for a child to transport activity station 10.
The shoulder straps 81, 82 are provided adjacent rear side wall 28 and provided as an alternative means to carrying handle 73 for transporting activity station 10 by a small child. Each of shoulder straps 81, 82 are comprised of two distinct web portions, the large web portions 83, 84 extend from, and are stitched at, top wall 24 at two points generally centrally located between right side wall 26 and left side wall 27. Large web portions 83, 84 are preferably one and one-half inch wide cotton canvas webbing. At the end of large web portions 83, 84 opposite the end stitched into top wall 24 are the buckles 85, 86, preferably the plastic ladder lock type. The small web portions 87, 88 extend from, and are stitched at, bottom wall 25 at points generally adjacent to right side wall 26 and left side wall 27, respectively. Small web portion 87 intersects large web portion 83 at buckle 85, while small web portion 88 intersects large web portion 84 at buckle 86. The length of shoulder straps 81, 82 may then be adjusted as desired. Each of shoulder straps 81, 82 include a snap 93, 94 comprised of a male snap portion 95, 96 rivetted to large web portions 83, 84, respectively, adjacent top wall 24. A female snap portion 97, 98 is rivetted to small web portions 87, 88, respectively, and located at an end 99, 100 opposite the end attached to bottom wall 25. When snap portions 95, 97 and 96, 98 are interconnected, web portions 87, 88 are prevented from dangling to keep a child from tripping over the ends 99, 100.
At the rear exterior side face 102 of rear side wall 28 is located a slide zipper 103 adjacent and parallel to left side wall 27. Slide zipper 103 can be used to access side pouch 104 located within rear side wall 28 on the rear interior face 105 opposite rear exterior side face 102. This pouch can be used to store additional paper or other large relatively flat items.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a main interior compartment 111 of activity station 10 is shown. Main compartment 111 is accessed by a main compartment zipper 112 located on each of bottom wall 25, right side wall 26 and left side wall 27. Main compartment zipper 112 is parallel and adjacent to front side wall 15. Upon opening zipper 112, an interior side 113 of front side wall 15 is exposed, as is main compartment 111. Located on interior side 113 is a lateral pouch 114 accessed by a zipper 115 and a slide pouch 116 having an open end 117 for placing papers, coloring books and the like.
Located within main interior compartment 111 is a storage bag 121 having a zipper 122. Storage bag 121 is removably attached within main compartment 111 by VELCRO hook and loop fasteners 123, 124. As such, storage bag 121 may be removed from main compartment 111 prior to activity station 10 being used as a writing or work surface in order that additional craft materials may be accessed without disturbing the work in progress. Preferably the hook portion 125 of hook and loop fastener 123, 124 is located on the bottom of storage bag 121, as shown in FIG. 5, so that when removed, storage bag 121 may be releasably retained on adjacent fabric material such as a car or airplane seat. Thus, the loop portion 126 will be located within and at the bottom 127 of main compartment 111.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, each of top wall 24, bottom wall 25, right side wall 26 and left side wall 27 are lined, preferably with nylon, in the interior of main compartment 111. Further, each of walls 24-27 includes 5 mm thick foam, preferably EPE foam sandwiched between the outer surfaces of walls 24-27 and the inner lining. EPE foam is copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether. Specifically, the top inner lining 131 encloses a top foam panel 132 and a bottom inner lining 133 encloses a bottom foam panel 134. Further, a right side inner lining 135 encloses a right side foam panel 136 while a left side inner lining 137 encloses a left side foam panel 138. Foam panels 132, 134, 136 and 138 are enclosed by the stitched seams 142 adjacent front side wall 15. As can be seen, stitched seams 142 located at right and left side inner linings 135, 137 include top panels 54 and 55 of right and left side storage bins 46, 48, respectively.
Front side wall 15 includes a front side inner lining 143 enclosing front side foam panel 144, preferably 5 mm thick EPE foam. In contrast, a rear side inner lining 145 encloses rear side foam panel 146. Preferably, rear side foam panel 146 is constructed from 8 mm thick sponge foam to provide additional padding and comfort when rear side wall 28 is resting upon the lap of a child. The foam panels provided with 5 mm thick EPE foam provides flexible properties to each of walls 24-27 and front side wall 15 providing enough structural stability to front side wall 15 and walls 24-27 such that activity station 10 retains a boxlike shape even when empty. This is advantageous so that a child desiring to use activity station 10 as a work or writing surface has a firm surface on which to work.
Activity station 10 uses three types of welt seams. A welt seam 151 is used to retain foam panels 132, 134, 136 and 138 within each of walls 24, 25, 26 and 27 respectively, adjacent rear side wall 28. Welt seams 151 include a welt 152 which overlaps seam 151, and is stitched thereto, for added reinforcement. Welt seams 151, located adjacent right and left side walls 26, 27 also bind back panels 56, 57 of storage bins 46, 48 respectively and side pouch 104 on rear side wall 28. Welt seams 151 adjacent top wall 24 and bottom wall 25 also retain shoulder straps 81, 82. The welt seams 153 are located adjacent main compartment zipper 112 and within main compartment 111 and adjacent bottom wall 25, right side wall 26 and left side wall 27. Welt seams 153 include welts 154, stitched thereto, for extra reinforcement. Each of welt seams 153 work to enclose each of foam panels 134, 136 and 138 as well as front side foam panel 144 within bottom wall 25, right side wall 26, left side wall 27 and front side wall 15. A welt seam 155 is located adjacent top wall 24 and includes welt 156. Welt seam 155, in addition to working to enclose top foam panel 132 and front side foam panel 144 also retains portions of lateral pouch 114 and slide pouch 116. Importantly, welt seam 155 acts as a hinge for accessing main compartment 111. When main compartment zipper 112 is opened, as shown in FIG. 2, front side wall 15 rotates about axis A, to access main compartment 111.
Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8 where another embodiment of an activity station of the present invention is shown, activity station 210 retains many of the original features set forth in the specification above. Where those features are common, identical numbers denoted with a prime symbol, are provided. The embodiment of FIG. 7 also includes the gussets 211 and 212 which extend between a top edge 16' and a right side edge 18' for gusset 211 and between top edge 16' and a left side edge 19' for gusset 212. A front mesh pocket 23' is maintained. In contrast with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, hook and loop fasteners 32, 33 are eliminated. Thus, rigid panel 12' is retained on the front side wall 15'. It will be appreciated that like the embodiment in FIGS. 1-6, top wall 24', bottom wall 25', right side wall 26' and left side wall 27' include 5 mm thick EPE foam panels. The foam panels 132', 134', 136' and 138', while providing flexible wall surfaces provide sufficient structural rigidity such that rigid panel 12' is supported by walls 24', 25', 26' and 27'.
A carrying handle 213, preferably made from cotton webbing, is provided and attached to the box-stitched patch portions 214, 215 by the buckles 216, 217. A webbed portion 222 extends toward right side wall 26' while an identical webbed portion 223 extends toward left side wall 27'. The strap buckles 224 and 225 are stitched to the ends of web portions 222 and 223, respectively. An adjustable strap 226 including the strap clips 227 and 228 are attached to strap buckles 224 and 225, respectively. Thus, activity station 210 is convenient to carry on one shoulder instead of as a back pack as shown in FIGS. 1-6.
As best shown in FIG. 8, no foam panel or separate interior lining is used on front side wall 15'. Since rigid panel 12' is not easily removable, panel 12' retains front side wall 15' rigid at all times.
The main compartment 111' is provided with a pouch 231 and slide pockets 232 and 233. A rear side wall 28' is provided with a rear side foam panel 146' enclosed by a rear side inner lining 145'. Additionally, rear side wall 28' is provided with a sponge foam padding 234. This added padding provides greater comfort for use of activity station 210 over extended periods of time. The right side storage bin 46' and left side storage bin 48' have been altered in shape from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6. Back panels 56, 57 have been eliminated in order that the outside panels 62' and 67' extend to rear side wall 28'. Thus storage bins 46' and 48' curve inwardly towards sponge foam padding 234. Bins 46' and 48' may be additionally stuffed with foam padding in order to provide outer lateral support to the knees 235 of a child, as shown in phantom in FIG. 7.
The invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding this specification. For example, certain of the interior pockets and pouches may be eliminated and others added. Additionally, zippered pouches may be replaced with VELCRO pouches or other suitable fasteners. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations in so far as they come within the scope of the invention.
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|U.S. Classification
|224/153, 108/43, 224/629
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Aug 16, 1995
Owner name: MANCO, INC., OHIO
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:VULPITTA, BRIAN A.;WALSH, DIANE L.;NOTTINGHAM, JOHN R.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:007647/0719;SIGNING DATES FROM 19950808 TO 19950810
|Apr 23, 2001
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Feb 6, 2003
Owner name: HENKEL CONSUMER ADHESIVES, INC., OHIO
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:MANCO, INC.;REEL/FRAME:013727/0054
Effective date: 20020515
|Oct 28, 2005
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Dec 27, 2005
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20051028


text:
Yesterday's linked article about negative resistance oscillators got me thinking about the possibility of creating a radio where literally every component was made by hand. Okay, I'm not quite ready to make my own wire, but the zinc oxide oscillator that Nyle Steiner seemed like it was only one step away from reaching a reasonable approximation to that goal: instead of a transistor, it used an oxidized strip of zinc. Making potentiometers and capacitors isn't that hard: the book Voice of the Crystal will give you some ideas about those.
The one element that seems like a specialized, manufactured bit of kit is the quartz crystal. But I suspected that even this could be manufactured, I just didn't know where to look for information. But then I rembered that my ARRL membership included access to historical back issues of the QST magazine archive, going back to the time of World War I. Sure enough, a short search later uncovered a pair of articles from 1935 by Ivan Loucks, W9ON. Sadly, I can't reproduce links to the articles here (they are copyrighted), but the first is from the Jan, 1935 QST, and is entitled Cutting Quartz Crystal Plates and the second from February is entitled Grinding and Finishing Quartz Crystal Plates. Combined, the two articles give a pretty good description of how quartz crystals can be cut from raw quartz, dimensioned and then ground and polished into crystals suitable for making oscillators.
This information opens up the possibility that you could make a radio transmitter with no premade components. I think that's pretty interesting.
Addendum: Here is a history of the development of quartz crystal technology. It pointed me at an additional pair of articles about crystal control by J. Herbert Hollister from 1928 and 1930 in QST. From the article Quartz Crystal Facts, Hollister opens with this:
With just a year of the narrowband era behind us, we find the ranks of the quartz crystal exponents growing daily. At this time last year most of us thought crystal control was only some trick arrangement for the other fellow to play with and squander his money on. There were few, however, who did not envy the crystal controlled station with the beautiful bell-like note which was always to be found at exactly the same point on the dial.
A New Podcast! With Reviews of XM Radio and the Panasonic DMC-TZ1
What can I say? I was bored on the way home yesterday, and decided to record a 23 minute podcast, reviewing two of my moderately recent gadget purchases:
- The Delphi SKYFI2 receiver for XM satellite radio.
- The Panasonic DMC-TZ1 digital camera, a compact five megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom.
I also gave a brief report about my trip down to the Computer History Museum to see their recently restored PDP-1 and play Spacewar!
And I shamelessly plug Pixar's upcoming summer release of Cars.
I still get pinged by lots of podcast aggregators, here is hoping that somebody is listening.
R.I.P. Brainwagon Radio
Well, I wish my experiment in podcasting was going out with a bang instead of a whimper, but for now, I'm closing the saga that was Brainwagon Radio. It may return in some retooled form in the future: I'm thinking that to really revitalize my interest in doing podcasts I need to find an appropriate cohost and develop a better setup. For now, the 98 episodes stand as an attempt to utilize a new media before I even understood what it was, what I should use it for, or who my audience was. Perhaps when I have a personal answer to one of those questions, I'll be back to try it again.
Until then, I hope that I didn't bore you all, and that you drop in and read my blog, which I will continue to keep. I also hope that at least a couple of you were inspired to reach out to others who reside in the Long Tail and create your own podcasts.
It really has been a blast.
Brainwagon Radio: Sony Rootkits Their Customers, and Thanksgiving Food
Where your host briefly displays his anger about Sony rootkitting their customers, but then happily lapses off into musing about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and food.
Brainwagon Radio: Headset, Reset and Videora Ipod Converter
Another podcast recorded on my Dell Axim x50v after upgrading to Windows Mobile 5. Quicky review: it works, seems to have a few things cleaned up, including some nice enhancements to Pocket Internet Explorer. It does seem however that the Core Pocket Media Player might not be detecting the graphics accelerator in the Dell anymore, I'll investigate that some more.
Other links:
- World Wind from NASA has a new version that includes data on the Moon. It's like Google Earth, but paid for by your tax dollars! On the right you can see the view of my neightborhood. Check it out.
- Videora Ipod Converter a gadget for converting video to a format that can be watched on the ipod. For some reason the files I tried to transfer from my Media PC didn't have sound, I haven't figured that out yet. But the price is right!
Oh, and Happy Anniversary to Tinyscreenfuls.com. While I was podcasting before Josh was, he was the guy whose Axim x50v podcast gave me the idea of recording all these podcasts with my PDA. Thanks Josh, and best wishes for the future.
Brainwagon Radio: Headset and Sunset
Yesterday, I received a package in the mail from Dell including a new headset for my Dell Axim x50v PDA, as well as the upgrade CD for Windows Mobile 5. I recorded this podcast on the way home as a test of the microphone. Also a bit about my sidebar hack for list birthdays of Major Leaguers.
Brainwagon Radio: My Wife Reviews the Video iPod
Holy crap, it's been a month since I published my last podcast. But today I managed to corner my wife in the car and we recorded a brief 10 minute podcast, largely consisting of a review of the new video iPod. She gives her impressions of the iPod, how she's using it, and the success (and minor irritations) that she has experienced with it. Overall though, she really loves it. Listen in for more, as well as a brief interruption while we discuss the horse rolling in a field of manure.
Brainwagon Radio: Comments on Scoble and Specifications
Twice in one day...
Scoble responds to lots of criciticism that he's evangelizing a crappy format, and really misses the forest for the trees. Actually, he misses the trees too. Earlier today I recorded this podcast, which I wasn't going to post, but if Scoble's going to go on, I think it actually merits it.
Scoble writes:
See, as a user, I really don't care about the spec. I can't read them. I don't appreciate them. And, all they seem to do is lead to religious arguments one way or another.
I'm a user. Shoot me.
But what Dave did was give me an application. It works. And, as a user, I wonder "if the format is so crappy, how did Dave get it to work in his own application?"
And, as a user, I wonder "why can't the developers just get their OPML to work with Dave's application?"
The reason that developer's just can't get their OPML to work with Dave's application is because the specification sucks. There is simply no way for anyone to tell if the OPML file generated by their application is really compliant with what Dave's editor implements, or only just happens to never tickle a bug or an ambinguity which wasn't specified.
It's really not that hard to write an application: the trick comes from interoperability. To be useful, these files must be able to be routinely exchanged between applications written by different people, and that simply isn't feasible without a clear, complete specification of what the format actually entails.
Scoble concludes:
The crappy format is good enough until someone comes up with something better. And that's what you're all missing.
What Scoble is missing is that currently he's in a position to help dictate what gets adopted and what users are going to be seeing for the next five, ten, or even more years, and if he had any concern for those users, he'd work to ensure that the technology underlying that growth is as robust and reasonable as possible. OPML doesn't qualify. RSS doesn't even qualify. Did we learn nothing from the whole HTML standards process?
Brainwagon Radio: Turbo Slug, Death of PC, and End of Baseball Season
Well, in this edition of my podcast, I lament the end of baseball season for the Oakland Athletics, talk about the modifications I'm making to my Linksys NSLU2, and then talk about the predicted death of the PC as a platform for innovation.
Links from the show:
- Jonathan Schwartz of Sun talks about how web services are the future.
- Philip Greenspun muses on the idea that the cell phone will replace the PC.
Brainwagon Radio: A Podcasting Duet
I have a special treat in today's podcast: my wife makes an appearance. We chat about our experience at Friday's Oakland A's game which the A's lost (boo!) but which had great fireworks (yay!), as well as a couple of other geeky topics like Jeri Ellsworth's hackable gadget, the C64 Direct To TV. The Slashdot thread about her that I mentioned can be found here. The wikipedia page has links to all the hacking sites that I've found.
Brainwagon Radio: Baseball, Atari 2600, FPGAs, you name it
Today's podcast recaps a bunch of topics which have floated to the top of my conciousness: a recap of last night's baseball game, my experience in programming the old Atari 2600 video console, what it might mean to have a video game console which promoted consumer experimentation and programming, some musings about Field Programmable Gate Arrays, and just a general recap.
Brainwagon Radio: eBay Buys Skype: Why?
Today's podcast mostly concerns my confusion on why eBay purchased Internet phone company Skype. Well, not so much why they bought it as why they paid 2.8 billion dollars for it. I present some of my skepticism about the Web services marketplace as well.
Addendum: Jeff Pulver has an interesting perspective.
A Year of Podcasting
One year ago today, I did my first podcast. I didn't even call it a podcast, I think the term was yet to be coined. Since then, by my rough count I've done 93 or so podcasts, on subjects ranging all over the map, with varying bits of quality, stupidity, mistakes and the like. In short it's been a blast.
In the last year, podcasting has gone from something that Adam Curry was trying to get people to do, to something that is organized into podcasting networks, marketed on the Apple iTunes store, and mentioned on major news networks. There are books. There are pundits. It's everywhere.
And, in some sense, it has left guys like me in the dust.
I was talking to my friend Tom today about why I still am podcasting. I need no more justification than this: I've now got an audio record of a slice of my life for an entire year, consisting of over twenty hours of me talking about whatever was on my mind. It's a time machine. A slice of myself, stored in digital form. Even if it was of no interest to anyone else, it would be valuable for that reason alone.
Still, I hope that you, my occasional listeners and my regular subscribers, have found something of interest. I'll keep it up, and I hope you all do too.
Addendum: I just listened to my first post again, and what was surprising to me is that even in my very first podcast, I foresaw that I'd really like to have a PDA to record my podcasts. I wouldn't get my Dell until February, but very early on I wanted the usage scenario that I have settled on for all my recent podcasts: a mobile gadget that I could carry with me and use to record material wherever I was.
Oh, and I talked about this grasshopper too.
Brainwagon Radio: Computer Chess at the Computer Hitsory Museum
Last night, I attended an event at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View entitled "The History of Computer Chess". It was a panel discussion by some of the pioneers in the field: Monty Newborn, Murray Campbell, John McCarthy, Ed Feigenbaum and David Levy. My daily podcast gives some of my brief impressions. I didn't learn a whole lot, since I've read quite a bit about computer chess and search, but I found the discussion enjoyable and given the increasing age amongst the panel members, I was glad to see these gentlemen talking about the forty-something year pursuit of computer chess in person. The Computer History Museum is having an open house this Saturday, I think I'll be back with my wife to visit it (it seems like a great facility) and I'll be joining as a member.
Brainwagon Radio: Retro Programming on the Atari 2600
Mostly this podcast concerns itself with my latest geeky project: writing programs for the old atari 2600. Why would anyone do this? Have a listen! Hear the sense of childish joy I take in wasting my time!
In the podcast I mentioned my implementation of PDP-1 simulator so I could run the original Spacewar! game (a video game which is just barely older than I am). I thought I'd provide this link to it.
Eventually, I'll have binary images of my "game" available that you can run on Stella. If youa re impatient, you should just grab a copy of it and start writing one yourself. 🙂

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Tag Archives: RE:NEW
Energy and Climate Questions to the Mayor
July 2016: This month Mayor's Question Time included the following:
an update on a GLA study to evaluate the potential for the use trackside solar power production; Post Brexit, how the Mayor will use his role in the Brexit negotiating team to preserve the hard-fought environmental protections; the number of decentralised energy projects that are projected to come online this year; how the Mayor can encourage Londoners to switch energy suppliers; an estimate of the number of connections that will be provided with heat from the Beddington energy from waste plant to the Sutton Decentralised Energy Network (SDEN) – and whether Barratt Homes has signed a heat agreement with the plant's operator, Viridor; whether the Mayor will respond to the Government's recently released Energy Company Obligation (ECO) consultation;
work to encourage energy efficiency improvements in the private rented sector (PRS);
the RE:NEW home energy efficiency retrofit programme's strategy over the coming year; the number of jobs linked to the green economy in London; the Mayor's role with C40 Cities, and borough surface water management plans
Previous months questions to the Mayor can be found here.
Posted in News, Renewable Energy Tagged Brexit, Climate Adaptation, Community Heating, Decentralised Energy, Energy Efficiency, Housing, Photovoltaics, RE:NEW, Sutton, Transport, Waste Leave a comment
Boris confronted on "1,620,000 loft/cavity retrofit target shortfall"
March 2016: …and so after eight years, we come to Boris's last question time as London Mayor! And it's good to see that energy and climate issues featured significantly yet again – a full list of which are posted here. In addition, a video has been posted online by London Assembly Green Party member Jenny Jones of her questions to the Mayor about a shortfall in his domestic energy efficiency programme RE:NEW.
And on that shortfall – Jenny Jones states that 95 per cent off the Mayor's 1.7m home retrofit target has been missed with only 80,000 cavity and loft installations achieved out of a target set by the Mayor of 1.7 million. In response, the Mayor states:
- CO2 has reduced 14% since the programme began – in spite of London economic growth of 20%;
- London has significant challenges on insulation due to the low incidence of cavity wall homes and conservation areas;
- The Green Deal "wasn't working well"
- To compensate he has recently introduced a London boiler scrappage scheme;
- After being called a "minnow" on London climate change action by Jenny Jones, when compared to other city leaders such as former New York Mayor Bloomberg and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Mayor responded that 'he hasn't been swanning off around the world on climate change junkets … to give good green sermons"
The Mayor's 2011 Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy actually states a 2015 target of retrofitting 1.2 million homes. And the June 2015 update to the Strategy sets out that "By the end of the 2013-14 financial year, over 100,000 homes were visited through the Mayor's retrofit programmes. Coupled with wider market delivery, 500,000 home have been retrofitted across the capital", this wider market delivery referring to the number of homes delivered through the Government's ECO programme.
The disastrous cuts to ECO and failure of the Green Deal have dramatically reduced the effectiveness of the Mayor's energy efficiency programme RE:NEW, a recent MQ stating that in "the 12 months from October 2014 RE:NEW supported the retrofit of over 4,500 homes."
A lot depends on what is meant by retrofit: the initial phases of the RE:NEW programme visited homes on a specifically identified area basis, providing households with a number of free "easy measures". These visits where meant to unlock additional, more significant, retrofit action in the visited households, such as the installation of loft, cavity or solid wall insulation. Follow up action by households was however fairly limited (only a few per cent) – as has been set out in the following research paper.
It's clear from a recent MQ that the RE:NEW programme has been adversely impacted by the Government's disastrous changes to its ECO programme, and the flawed nature of the Green Deal. The latest Government data shows that, despite the RE:NEW programme being in place to stimulate the uptake of energy efficiency in the capital, London still has the second lowest number of ECO measures installed (per 1,000 households) across UK regions.
Provisional number of households in receipt of ECO measures by region, up to 30th June 2015 (DECC spreadsheet)
Posted in Energy Efficiency, News, Uncategorized Tagged Energy, insulation, RE:NEW, Solid Wall Insulation Leave a comment
Energy and Climate Questions to the Mayor
March 2016: This month Mayor's Question Time – the last in Boris Johnson's eight year tenure as Mayor – once again included a wide range of questions on energy and climate, which included:
capturing waste heat from London Crossrail stations; the Mayor's record on climate change; London based generators and Licenced Lite; the ability for Londoners connected to a district heating scheme to complain about poor service performance; anticipated prices of district energy heat tariffs; announcing the start of the Licence Lite programme; improvements in electricity export sales price for generators through Licence Lite; the number of Excess Winter Deaths amongst Londoners; challenges in promoting gasification technologies at the Olympic Park; the GLA's Environment Team budget over the last 8 years; targets associated with the Boiler Scrappage Scheme; publication of London district energy schemes heat tariffs; the publication of London Energy Plan studies; guaranteeing that there are no plans for an incineration plan at Old Oak Common; the Mayor's Boiler Scrappage scheme and fraud; RE:NEW energy efficiency retrofit programme delivery problems; how government energy efficiency programmes have helped Londoners; the amount of London's (non transport) energy is supplied through local decentralised energy systems; cuts to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO); the Mayor's recent meeting with the Secretary of State for Energy; the absence of London Fuel Poverty Strategy; the roll out of smart meters in London
Sutton district heating scheme; embodied carbon; annual progress on decentralised energy growth in London; anticipated savings from the new GLA boiler 'cashback' scheme; visits by the Mayor to RE:NEW energy efficiency retrofit projects; TfL future energy costs and the Mayor's meeting with the National Infrastructure Commission.
Previous months questions to the Mayor can be found here.
Posted in Decentralised Energy, Energy Efficiency, News, Renewable Energy, Uncategorized Tagged Community Heating, ECO, Fuel Poverty, licence lite, RE:NEW, Sutton, Transport, Waste Leave a comment
Energy & Climate Change Questions to the Mayor
October 2015: This month the Mayor has been asked questions in relation to: the number of London projects awarded funding from government's Urban Community Energy Fund (UCEF); minutes of the London Plan Energy Advisory Group meetings; helping reduce energy bills for Londoners who have electric heating; GLA loan to Tempus Energy; the impact of the closure of the Green Deal; minimum energy efficiency standards on London's Private Rented Sector; support for the Governor of the Bank of England's recent comments on carbon disclosure (and again) ; the FIT consultation and it's impact on London's solar industry (and again here); suppliers on the Mayor's new RE:NEW energy efficiency retrofit framework; London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) investment in the fossil fuel sector; projected returns from investments made by the London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF); planning approval of the Beddington incinerator; a health impact assessment for Beddington incinerator; London Plan requirements for borough planning carbon offset funds; London business risk and financial exposure to a 'carbon bubble'; climate sceptic views; Greenwich Power Station update; LED lighting on the Great West Road; production of BioSNG in London; tackling fuel poverty; the rollout of smart meters in London; supporting London businesses resilience to climate change; and an update to the License Lite process.
Previous months questions to the Mayor can be found here.
Mayor pulls no punches in FIT consultation response
23 October 2015: The Mayor has posted his submission to DECC's Feed in Tariff (FIT) consultation online today (the deadline for the response) alongside a letter to Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom, from Deputy Mayor for Energy & the Environment, Matthew Pencharz.
The letter pulls no punches, stating "Unfortunately, the proposals that have been consulted on, with little or no prior warning, to come into force, in the new year has created great uncertainty in the solar PV industry, potentially putting at threat thousands of jobs across the UK. The Mayor is concerned about the potential impact on the 3,100 jobs, mainly in SMEs, which make up the solar PV industry in London."
"The Mayor's view is that in order to ensure an orderly transition to subsidy-free solar PV industry, there should be a gradual tapering of the FIT over a two-three year period."
The Mayor has voiced his concerns over DECC's proposals for some months now (see previous statement here) and his sentiments for a 'gradual tapering' echo calls from industry organisations, such as the Solar Trade Association, who have strongly campaigned against the proposed 'cliff edge' withdrawal of support for solar, setting out their own recommendations in a '£1 plan' to 2019.
The Mayor's response to the FIT consultation goes on to raise a number of highly relevant issues for London, including:
- the proposed cuts to the FIT could significantly hamper solar PV deployment rates in London, which already face major rollout challenges, including negatively impacting upon the delivery of Mayor's retrofit programmes, RE:NEW and RE:FIT
- the proposed tightening of the energy efficiency criteria would prevent a large number of properties in London from installing solar PV without significant investment in energy efficiency improvements, for which there is no longer support available following the termination of the Green Deal
- whilst a move towards smart metering with net metering functionality is welcome, making it a requirement for receipt of the export tariff would require a commitment or obligation on the energy suppliers to install a smart meter in a timely manner, as well as ensuring that the property was currently suitable for installation of a smart meter – an issue which arises frequently in London.
The Mayor's response also raise concerns about the impact of the proposals on community energy projects in London. All in all, this is a significant intervention by the Mayor in what has become a highly politicised consultation.
At a recent DECC FIT workshop, officials have said they are looking to respond to the consultation by late November/early December (this is needed as the consultation proposes to introduce changes to the FIT programme as early as January 2016!). With the number of responses predicted to be in the thousands (the shorter-run FIT pre-accreditation consultation had over 2,000 responses), and with the threat of major job cuts in the department, it looks like it's going to be a busy few weeks over at 3 Whitehall Place…
Posted in News, Renewable Energy Tagged DECC, Housing, Photovoltaics, RE:FIT, RE:NEW, Renewable Energy Leave a comment
Energy & Climate Change Questions to the Mayor
September 2015: This month the Mayor has been asked questions in relation to:
data gathered through the Mayor's Business Energy Challenge; the impact on the London Plan carbon targets as a result of the government scrapping the Zero Carbon Homes policy (and again) and again – and one more time; encouraging renewable energy investments through the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA); a discussion around potential winter electricity 'blackouts'; impact of the government's proposals to change the Feed in Tariffs (FITs) on the Mayor's retrofit programmes – and again; lobbying to reduce business rates to district heating – and again; whether the Mayor will attend COP21 in Paris this December; the Clean Bus Summit recently held in London; fuel economy of the New Routemaster bus (and again, and again); a dossier of problems associated with the New Routemaster; GLA and boroughs discussions on coordinating fuel poverty responses across London; the roll out of electric vehicles in London; and supporting zero emission taxi fleets.
Previous months questions to the Mayor can be found here.
Posted in Decentralised Energy, Energy Efficiency, News, Renewable Energy Tagged Electric Vehicles, Photovoltaics, Planning, RE:FIT, RE:NEW, Transport Leave a comment
Energy & Climate Questions to the Mayor
January 2015: This month the Mayor has been asked questions in relation to:
Fuel Povery and Children; Meetings of the Mayor's London Green Infrastructure Task Force; Membership of the Mayor's London Green Infrastructure Task Force; London Plan policies encouraging development of solar farms; consideration of carbon emissions in policy decision making
Invitation to attend the European Capital Cities meeting ahead of the Paris 2015 IPCC summit; Progress made in 2014 to delivering the London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy; Measuring CO2 emissions across the GLA Group; An update on the GLA group's Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) reports; the Mayor's concern over increasing signs of climate change; GLA Economics analysis on energy
Communication to the Treasury over tax incentives for community energy projects; TfL's hedging policy on energy prices; Misleading information on shale gas; Reallocation of RE:NEW funds to RE:FIT programme; Havering Solar Farm planning application; New powers to Ofgem; RE:NEW programme underspend; An update on RE:NEW programme projections; Research commissioned by the GLA's Environment Team
Previous months questions to the Mayor can be found here.
Posted in Energy Efficiency, News, Renewable Energy Tagged Carbon Emissions, Climate Adaptation, Community Initiatives, Photovoltaics, RE:FIT, RE:NEW Leave a comment
London Private Rented Sector energy efficiency push
19 December 2014: A mayoral approval document outlines support to two new projects to save energy and carbon in properties in the private rented sector (PRS) and to boost membership of the London Rental Standard (LRS).
The Mayor has approved:
- Expenditure of £141,000 of capital grant funding and £45,000 of revenue funding including for assessments and testimonial material to support delivery of at least 50 demonstration projects with LRS-accredited landlords, each resulting in a retrofitted PRS home and raising awareness of the benefits that can be achieved.
- Expenditure of up to £80,000 revenue funding for the development and implementation of a pilot programme to trial the use of incentive payments to LRS-accredited lettings agents for achieving retrofit works on at least 400 PRS properties they let or manage on behalf of private landlords.
- Expenditure of up to £20,000 revenue funding for the evaluation of both projects.
The approval document sets out the strong rationale for driving ahead the energy efficiency message in the PRS:
- the PRS accounts for a quarter of London's housing stock (850,000), is growing fast (nearly doubling in size since 2000)
- the Energy Act 2011 requires that from 2016 it will be unlawful for landlords to refuse reasonable requests from tenants for energy efficiency improvements, and from 2018 it will become unlawful to rent out EPC F and G rated properties (see DECC's recent consultation on PRS Energy Efficiency regulations here
- the Landlords Energy Saving Allowance (LESA), a tax allowance of up to £1,500 per building per year, is available but will end on 6 April 2015
- the PRS is the worst performing sector in terms of quality of stock. 17% of PRS tenants are in fuel poverty, while 30% of PRS homes fall below the Decent Homes standard (compared with 10% and 21% across London overall).
Full details of each programme is set out in the approval form. The project will be overseen by the Mayor's Housing Investment Group, which has previously discussed this initiative (see item 8 of minutes) and raised a number of issues including:
- reasons for targeting PRS properties rather than owner-occupied properties
- Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) had not yet had a big impact but this would likely to change as from 2017
- Questions were raised as to whether the scheme would be replicable on a greater scale. The Group heard that, if successful, the programme could be scaled-up and delivered through energy suppliers or contractors, as part of their marketing budgets. A discussion was held regarding the potential involvement of energy suppliers to incentivise the programme. It was agreed that while this could be looked at for future iterations of the programme, to engage energy suppliers at this stage would complicate and delay the start of the programme.
Posted in Energy Efficiency, News Tagged Energy Efficiency, Housing, RE:NEW Leave a comment
RE:NEW sets out programme to 2017
6 August 2014: There have been a number of major updates to the Mayor's flagship home energy efficiency programme RE:NEW, which has been neatly set out in the August meeting of the GLA's Housing Investment Group. These include:
- Following a successful bid for funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB), RE:NEW was awarded €3,016,440 (£2,513,700) on 15 July 2014
- This funding is being matched by a 10 per cent contribution by the GLA of €335,160 (£279,300), taking the funding for a three year support team to €3,351,600 (£2,793,000). The funding will provide a RE:NEW Support Team to 14 July 2017.
- As with the previous phase of the RE:NEW, the programme is to be delivered by Capita Symonds, who were the successful bidder in an OJEU-compliant procurement
- Capita will catalyse investment of £352 million through supporting retrofit to 175,000 properties in London over the next three years. This intervention is the largest and most ambitious retrofit programme anywhere in the UK and will save 93,000 annual tonnes of carbon by 2017.
- An incentivisation model is built into the contract based on these three key performance indicators (KPI) and Capita have committed to achieving these through putting 20% of fees at risk.
- Below is the three year KPI profile.
- A RE:NEW Support Team ITT Schedule of Requirement provides additional programme aims, objectives and proposed benefits
- A new GLA webpage sets out a revised and comprehensive list of RE:NEW Support Team Specialist Services available to local authorities.
The London Assembly has highlighted patchy progress reporting from the RE:NEW team to its members over the past few years (see here and here). In response to this criticism, the Mayor has now committed to providing quarterly reports.
Posted in Energy Efficiency, News Tagged Energy Efficiency, RE:NEW Leave a comment
Energy and Climate Questions to the Mayor
July 2014: This month the Mayor has been asked questions in relation to:
Mayoral involvement with the Local Government Climate Roadmap; organisations operating at the London Sustainable Industries Park; potential for the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) to invest in low carbon London projects; whether Energy Performance Certificate or Green Deal assessments will be provided for homes that go through the RE:NEW programme; monitoring high energy consuming buildings in London; reductions in forecasted projections of CO2 savings in Mayor's energy supply programme; Transport for London's (TfL) Energy Strategy; the Mayor's Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with energy suppliers; visit by Mayor's energy advisor to Camden's biomethane refuelling station; correspondence with DCLG on the Mayor being able to set London specific energy efficiency targets in planning rules for new development; meetings with DECC over encouraging the use of solar PV on GLA land and building; new district heating network using heat from Greenwich Power Station; the low take up of ECO energy efficiency programme in London; connecting Whitehall District Heating Scheme to Pimlico District Heating Undertaking; the Mayor's response to a recent London Solar Energy report by Green Party London Assembly member Jenny Jones; future TfL electricity costs; whether the Mayor responded to the Government's recent solar PV consultation; concerns over government changes to the ECO as raised by the Mayor; funding for the next round of the RE:NEW programme; energy efficiency requirements in the private rented sector; monies received by the Green Bus Fund; work being undertaken to assess the economic impact to London as a result of climate change; attendance at the World Mayors Summit of Climate Change; planning offset funds; contract awarded for management of the RE:NEW programme; and if the Mayor's High Level Electricity Working Group has considered solar PV.
Previous months questions to the Mayor can be found here.
Research Paper on Mayor's home energy efficiency programme published
July 2014: The results of a study of the Mayor's home energy efficiency programme, RE:NEW, has recently been published in major academic journal Energy Policy (which – for once – is freely available online!) focussing on the first major roll-out of phase of RE:NEW, delivered between July 2011 and April 2012, where 50,683 homes underwent a RE:NEW home energy visit.
The conclusions set out in the paper are quite stark and concludes that with respect to the programme's engagement with households, that RE:NEW:
- Visits do not generate significant pro-environmental behaviour change.
- Visits do not overcome the barriers to the installation loft and wall insulation.
The paper's author researched the delivery of RE:NEW in three inner London boroughs and provides a helpful contribution in understanding the limitations and constraints of the programme. The paper also identifies why the design of the programme may have contributed to the challenges RE:NEW faced in achieving its goals and also in engaging effectively with householders. These include:
- "The RE:NEW programme and the specification of the visit were conceived at City Hall and were based on a policy intent of reducing carbon emissions, rather than as the result of demands or expressed desire from residents. As a result, the appetite for the programme, from householders, was questionable."
- one of the limitations of the home energy visit was the time constraint on visits. Visits generally lasted about an hour and this was due to a number of reasons. Most of the advisors were employed as contract workers and were paid a fixed price for each visit delivered…there was a focus on the number of visits delivered, rather than the length or quality of the visit.
- the short visit length meant that advisors did not have adequate time to install all of the easy measures provided during the visit.
- The effectiveness of visits, specifically in relation to encouraging the adoption of curtailment behaviours, was limited by the expertise of the 'energy advisors' who had inadequate training prior to delivering visits.
- over 70% of the visits to the sample groups in local authorities B and C, the householder receiving the visit was living in rented (privately, council or RSL) housing and did not have control over the potential to install further measures.
- the GLA and the local authorities were focused on achieving different outcomes from the RE:NEW visits. For the GLA, the focus of the visits was on reducing carbon emissions, whereas for the local authorities, the focus was on reducing fuel poverty, but these differing aims are not necessarily complementary
- If an impact-oriented approach is taken to reducing carbon emissions then the focus of home energy visits may better placed be on high energy consumers, who are likely to be from more wealthy neighbourhoods and home-owners who will have the control over their properties to make structural changes. Though using tax-payers money to fund such work is unlikely to be politically acceptable
Overall, the study concludes: "Negligible savings were achieved as a result of the installation of significant measures. The impact of the visit on energy and water saving behaviours were also negligible. Overall, for these households, the impact of a visit led to an estimated average reduction in annual household emissions of 3%."
The paper notes that some of the limitations of the RE:NEW programme have been recognised, and were set out in an evaluation report published earlier this year by the GLA (see earlier post here for background and link to paper).
A third phase of the RE:NEW programme has recently been initiated by the GLA.
Posted in Energy Efficiency, News Tagged Energy Efficiency, Fuel Poverty, Housing, RE:NEW Leave a comment
Energy and Climate Questions to the Mayor
June 2014: This month the Mayor has been asked questions in relation to:
Energy efficiency in the private rented sector; carbon offsets used by new developments;
How much energy is produced in London by decentralised energy systems;
heat recovery from London's buildings; meetings with London community energy groups; total spend by the Mayor on domestic energy efficiency programmes;
Mayoral action following the publication of the government's Community Energy Strategy; energy companies supporting the Mayor's License Lite application;
progress against the Mayor's decentralised energy target; the government's new Urban Energy Fund; money spent by the London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF);
hospitals using the Mayor's RE:FIT programme; visits to the Kingston heat pump development; visits to the London Array Wind Farm; Ofgem approval of the Mayor's License Lite application; local authorities using RE:FIT; the Mayor's first license lite supply deal; feedback from the C40 Johannesburg summit; consumer redress to high heat charges on district heating networks;
ESCO deals signed under the Mayor's RE:FIT programme; Mayoral support for the Green Deal in London'; Green Deal Communities Fund; costs associated with applying to DECC's Green Deal Communities Fund; green jobs created by Mayoral programmes;
low carbon sector jobs created; attracting green investment into London; the Mayor's High Level Electricity Working Group;
Previous months questions to the Mayor can be found here.
Posted in News Tagged Community Initiatives, Decentralised Energy, ECO, Energy Efficiency, Green Deal, Kingston, London Green Fund, RE:FIT, RE:NEW, Wind Leave a comment


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EZ Trench BE31-A Wire/Cable Installer w/ 6.5HP Honda GX200 - $850
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- Miss Florida 2017 stripped of crown days after win - US Weekly
- Lindsay Lohan steps out amid relationship drama - TMZ
- Was Taylor Swift snubbed by the VMAs? - Gossip Cop
- Rachel Platten sings "Fight Song" with lots of stars - Just Jared Jr
- Farrah Abraham sizzles in a revealing bikini - Radar
- New pics from the Clooneys' Italian summer - Lainey Gossip
- Fox News snubs major DNC moment - The Hollywood Reporter
19 August 2013 at 2:47 AM
Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale: Back in London After Paris Vacation
About this photo set: Gwen Stefani hops out of her car and grabs some luggage as she makes her way into her home on Sunday (August 18) in London, England. The 43-year-old No Doubt… Read More Here
Photo #: 2932976
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Vegas meets Italy in a Chinese setting at this opulent casino-resort.
Complete with canals and gondolas, the Venetian outpost in Macau is even more dazzling than its Vegas sibling. Highlights include 3,000 suites, a 374,000-square-foot gaming space and luxury shopping in an Italian-themed setting. The resort hosts some of the world's top entertainers, on-site TAIVEXMALO Day Hospital & Spa offers a variety of medical and therapeutic treatments, and fine dining satisfies all appetites, with flavors ranging from Italian to Indian to Cantonese.


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Definition of alcazar in English:
(often Alcazar)
A Spanish palace or fortress of Moorish origin.
Example sentences
- The building is enclosed by imperforate walls, a favourite device of Moneo's that reinterprets the traditional form of the Spanish alcazar.
- And then he put steel to me, and forced me to come with him to his mountain alcazar, his huge palace.
- She began to wonder: if a video camera had been in that room at the Spanish royal palace, or alcazar, what would the stills that came before and after have looked like?
Early 17th century: from Spanish alcázar, from Arabic al-ḳaṣr 'the castle'.
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: al·ca·zar
Definition of alcazar in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
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Main Campus
Take the next steps in your educational journey.
Choose Nashville State.
Surround yourself with people who care about your success. Benefit from expert faculty as you receive a high quality, technical education and build a strong foundation to transfer to 4-year universities. Find helpful student services to assist you along the way as you pursue your academic goals.
Benefit from academic resources to guide and assist you with your course selections, studies, and learning. Get involved with student organizations and activities giving you the opportunity to make your Nashville State experience more memorable.
Join us on the Main Campus.
Apply and register now.
- Fall registration begins Apr. 4.
- Checklist for Attending Nashville State
- Fall Registration and Fee Payment Deadlines
- Class Schedule
Main Campus
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Add Accessories
Oral-B Pro 1000 Power Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush Powered by Braun
- Removes up to 300% more plaque along the gumline* *vs a regular manual toothbrush
- Clinically proven superior 3D Cleaning Action oscillates, rotates and pulsates to break up and remove more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush
- Rechargeable with 1 mode: Daily Clean
- Senses when you brush too hard with pressure sensor
- In-handle timer pulses every 30 seconds to let you know when to switch areas of the mouth
Frequently Bought Together
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Product Description
Product Details
Color: Light Blue
From the Manufacturer
Discover the next level of oral care innovation, brought to you by Oral-B, a worldwide leader in toothbrushes. Each Oral-B power toothbrush provides a superior clean vs. a regular manual toothbrush. Find your perfect electric toothbrush from Oral-B – the #1 dentist used and recommended brand, worldwide*.
*Based on surveys of a representative worldwide sample of dentists carried out for P&G regularly.
Oral-B Pro 1000 Power Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush Powered
The Oral-B PRO 1000 rechargeable electric toothbrush provides a clinically proven superior clean vs. a regular manual toothbrush. The professionally inspired design of the CrossAction brush head surrounds each tooth with bristles angled at 16 degrees, and 3D cleaning action oscillates, rotates, and pulsates to break up and remove up to 300% more plaque along the gumline vs. a regular manual toothbrush. The pressure sensor stops the pulsation movement if you brush too hard and there is 1 mode, plus an in-handle timer to help you brush for a dentist-recommended 2 minutes. Best of all, it's brought to you by Oral-B – the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide*.
*Based on surveys of a representative worldwide sample of dentists carried out for P&G regularly.
The Oral-B PRO 1000 features the professionally inspired CrossAction brush head. The round head is specially designed for a tooth-by-tooth clean, and its CrissCross bristles are set at a 16 degree angle to reach deep between teeth to lift and power away up to 300% more plaque along the gumline vs. a regular manual toothbrush for a superior clean.
Included in pack:
- 1 Oral-B Professional Handle
- 1 CrossAction Brush Head
- 1 Charger
A helpful on-handle timer buzzes every 30 seconds to let you know when it's time to focus on brushing the next quadrant of your mouth. The brush also alerts you when you have brushed for the dentist-recommended time of 2 minutes.
|Oral-B PRO 1000
|Oral-B PRO 3000
|Oral-B PRO 5000
|Oral-B PRO 7000
|Superior clean vs. a regular manual toothbrush
|Gum Care: Activates Massage Mode for gentle stimulation of gums
|Sensitive: Operates at a lower speed to gently clean teeth & gums
|Whitening: Gentle polishing for whiter teeth in 2 weeks
|Deep Clean: Thoroughly cleans hard to reach areas
|Tongue Cleaner: Specialized tough cleaning mode
|Pressure Sensor
|Visible Pressure Sensor
|Bluetooth Technology
|Premium Travel Accessory
Q: How does Oral-B's technology compare to regular manual toothbrushes?
A: The Oral-B PRO 1000 was professionally inspired for tooth-by-tooth precision cleaning to remove up to 300% more plaque along the gumline vs. a regular manual toothbrush.
Q: What are the customized brushing modes, and how do they differ from one another?
A: The Oral-B PRO 1000 features the following mode: Daily Clean. Daily Clean operates with 3D movement for a basic, everyday clean.
Q: Which brush heads are compatible?
A: All of the following Oral-B brush heads are compatible with the Oral-B PRO 1000: CrossAction, Deep Sweep, Floss Action, 3DWhite, Precision Clean, Sensitive, Dual Clean, Power Tip, and Ortho.
Q: What's the importance of the Pressure Sensor?
A: It's important to brush gently to promote proper cleaning. The Pressure Sensor detects when you are brushing too hard and stops pulsations to help protect your gums.
Q: How long does the PRO 1000 hold a charge?
A: A fully charged Oral-B PRO 1000 lasts for up to 7 days with regular use. To ensure that your battery is able to hold its maximum capacity, deplete the battery by using without in-between charges until it is fully discharged. Do this at least once every 6 months for best results.
Important Information
Not intended for children 3 years and under
Read and follow product labels for more information. Dist. by Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati OH 45202.
Customer Reviews
Top Customer Reviews
|Length: 1:09 Mins
This is apparently a tier above the most basic model, by adding "3D" feature--which is really a vibrating brush head in addition to rotation--to the basic rotation model. Based on usage and observations of various users and previous models, and after testing the unit out myself for the claims, let me try to break it down:
- it's still impeccably made; not that the origin (Germany) necessarily have anything to do with it, but I'd be hard pressed to find anything more consistently well made, or feels more solid, including the much more expensive Sonicare lines, or almost any other consumer products I've owned.
- the inductive charging base is much improved over previous models. I'm not talking about the lack of brushhead holder which isn't meant to be on this low end model anyway, but that the charging area next to the inductive notch is completely open. It makes a huge difference as the older designs have difficult to reach corners/crevices that may trap dirt and water deposits that can be hard to clean. It also looks better with symmetrical lines and smaller footprint (that's only slightly bigger than the brush's), adding to the clean, minimalist appeal. It's also much easier to carry if needed for travel.Read more ›
I foung that after using the toothbrush for a week, that this Oral-B toothbrush was significantly better than my old Oral B toothbrush.
Overall, this is a very simple toothbrush. Using the idea that you should brush for 2 minutes, which equals 30 seconds for a quadrant of your mouth, just press the button to turn it on and every 30 seconds, the toothbrush seems to hesitate to let you know that you should brush in a different area of your mouth. Seems a tad silly (I think a simple 2 minute timer would work better/make more sense since you may not need to brush the same amount everywhere), but I got use to it.
The speed of the toothbrush is much faster than my old toothbrush and when I finished brushing, my mouth had that clean feeling you get after your dental hygenist cleans your teeth. I found it easy to handle and use in every cranny in my mouth.
A warning light lets you know when your battery is starting to fade and you need to recharge. The recharger base is much smaller than the old ones and hardly takes up hardly any room (which is important if you don't have much shelf space).
If you're like me and you have an older Oral-B, I recommend upgrading to this new Oral-B. It's a much better toothbrush.
It cleans well and it is itself easy to clean. Really, there isn't anything else you'd need. The more expensive ones have other programs or options, but this cleans as well as any of them. Recommended.
I've been using it for 3 days. On my first day, my first thought was that it was scary-percussive. I was afraid that it was gonna knock my teeth loose! But I kept using it, and thankfully my teeth are still intact. It is a little loud, but I think they all are. What I like about this type of loud is that it's a low-pitched hum - like a really quiet biplane (haha, if you can imagine that) - so it's not too annoying. There are stutters to let you know how long you've been brushing, but they're easy enough to ignore, and the unit doesn't turn itself off. Nice, since I brush for way longer than 2 minutes.Read more ›
Customer Images
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Love it! I got the black one for my boyfriend and the blue one for me. Figured the black one would be more manly 😉 During pregnancy and nursing my teeth/gums health went down, and... Read morePublished 5 hours ago by Denise
I've had one of these for years and just bought a new one since the rechargeable battery seemed to take longer and longer to charge and dissipated quickly (after maybe 10 years). Read morePublished 11 hours ago by Kay E.
Makes my teeth shiny bright so even my dog isn't offended. Seems to take a long time to charge but is a nice unit.Published 12 hours ago by Wayne Pederson
Love this..wish I had thought to purchase one sooner. My teeth feel so much cleaner!Published 1 day ago by NubianQn
This is my first Oral-B toothbrush. The cleaning power of this toothbrush is definitely better than the power of Phillips Sonicare. Read morePublished 1 day ago by Ewa


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The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
W. W. Norton & Company, Paperback, 9780393324815, 316pp.
Publication Date: March 17, 2004
List Price: $15.95*
* Individual store prices may vary.
Buy at Local Store
Enter your zip code below to purchase from an indie close to you.
Buy Here
Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. In a narrative full of fabulous characters and brilliant excursions into the unexpected, Michael Lewis follows the low-budget Oakland A's, visionary general manager Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball theorists. They are all in search of new baseball knowledge insights that will give the little guy who is willing to discard old wisdom the edge over big money.
About the Author
Michael Lewis grew up in New Orleans and has degrees from Princeton and the London School of Economics. Formerly a bond salesman with Salomon Brothers, he is the author of the runaway international bestseller, Liar's Poker. He holds an adjunct professorship at the University of California a " Berkeleya (TM)s journalism school and lives in Berkeley with his wife, Tabitha Soren.


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The Porsche 911 Turbo has a legacy of being a tough car to drive. With a ton of power set right over the rear wheels, its reputation is to lose control as soon as the driver stops concentrating. However, this isn't quite so true anymore. The modern ones are tamed through technology with things like hydraulically controlled engine mounts, not to mention all-wheel drive. In its latest video, Autocar tries to decide whether 25 years of progress really makes the turbo a better vehicle.
2014 Porsche 911 Turbo
1 / 1
22Porsche 991 vs. 930 Flatnose in 911 Turbo convertible faceoff
- Chris Bruce
- Jul 15, 2014
- 22
AddSon of Porsche 911 designer recalls 1963 Frankfurt debut
1512014 Porsche 911 Turbo S
2102014 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S debut [w/video]
- Seyth Miersma
- May 3, 2013
- 210
The Turbo S will dispatch the Nürburgring in "well under seven and a half minutes."
1 / 1
- Volvo shoots for self-drivers by 2021
- Jeep spends $1 billion on factories
- Find Parts & Accessories for your vehicle!
- Obama rolls out new EV plan
- Infiniti dealers ranked best, Tesla worst
- Compare Volvo XC90 and Lincoln MKX


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5 Shows After Dark: Ours is the AWESOME!
By Genevieve Burgess | Miscellaneous | March 31, 2013 | Comments ()
The Zombie Lord Jesus is risen and He has brought with Him a bounty of excellent television. Praise the lord and pass the popcorn. Happy Easter, everyone!
"Doctor Who: The Companions" on BBCA at 7:00pm ET. There's a couple "Doctor Who" specials on tonight for you Whovians. I know you've already got a new episode from last night to talk about, though, so if you want to start chatting in the comments go ahead.
"Call the Midwife" on PBS at 8:00pm ET. Second season premiere. And after this there's a new series premiering called "Mr.Selfridge" about the man who founded Selfridges. So much delightful British period drama!
"Game of Thrones" on HBO at 9:00pm ET. Third season premiere. IT'S HERE! You know what I spent yesterday doing? Standing in line for hours to see some of the "Game of Thrones" costumes and props in real life, and sit on the Iron Throne. Totally worth it. I'm super excited for this season. Though, for non-book readers, I will encourage you to form your support groups for the season early on. You will need them. There is a LOT coming your way. This season is dark and full of terrors.
"The Good Wife" on CBS at 9:00pm ET.
"The Walking Dead" on AMC at 9:00pm ET. Third season finale.
Genevieve Burgess claimed the Iron Throne for approximately ten seconds. Then it was someone else's turn.
Pajiba Love Express
Here's some Daveed Diggs for you. On Daveed Diggs' digs, actually. That man does things with clothes that should not make sense, but are absolutely perfect. (Go Fug Yourself)
Woody Allen has "so moved on" from his daughter's accusations and says he never even thinks about it. He equates her words about him to a bad review he won't read and comments on how wacky it is that Mia Farrow is his mother-in-law. He is the worst. (Celebitchy)
Not The Worst but still very gross: Leonardo DiCaprio and his
Here are 5 under-the-radar shows. I had never even heard of the first two. (Uproxx)


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Peanut Butter & Co., Smooth Operator, Creamy Peanut Butter, 16 oz (454 g)
You purchased this item onView this order
Loyalty Program
- You earn loyalty credit for every order you place at iHerb!
- Loyalty credit is equal to 10% of the value of your order, excluding shipping charges.
- Your loyalty credit will be applied towards your next order as soon as your current order has shipped.
- Your loyalty credits are valid for up to 60 days from the date of your last purchase.
This product is already in your Wish List.
View Wish List
This product is now in your Wish List.
Sorry, this product is no longer in stock.
Expiration Date:?Feb 2018
Expiration Date
The length of time for the expiration date or "best used before" date depends on the type of product, as well as the brand.
Perishable items (such as flax oils or certain probiotics) generally have shorter expiration dates. Although our warehouse is fully air-conditioned, these more fragile items are put in cold storage (freezer or refrigeration unit) for maximum freshness.
Our receiving department does its best to verify and then enter the correct expiration dates for all incoming products. However, discrepancies do occur from time to time. This being said, the exceptionally high turnover at iHerb ensures that our inventory is among the freshest in the industry.
Shipping Weight:?1.3 lbs (0.59 kg)
Shipping Weight
The Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: PNB-00001
- UPC Code: 851087000014
- Package Quantity: 16 oz (454 g)
- Dimensions: 4.8 x 3 x 3 in, 1.1 lbs (0.5 kg)
- Since 1998
- All Natural
- Made with USA Grown Peanuts
- Spread me on Celery
- Bake With Me
- Blend me in Smoothies
- No Trans Fats
- No Cholesterol
- No Hydrogenated Oil
- No High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Quality USA
- Certified Gluten-Free
- Certified Vegan
- Non GMO Project Verified
- GreenPalm Sustainability
- 7g of Protein Per Serving
Suggested Use
Try our peanut butter on sandwiches, fruit, or straight from the jar.
Other Ingredients
No refrigeration required. If oil separates just stir it back in!
|Supplement Facts
|Serving Size: 2 Tbsp. (32 g)
|Serving Per Container: About 14
|Amount Per Serving
|Calorie from Fat
|Total Fat
|15 g
|Sat Fat
|2.5 g
|Trans Fat
|0 g
|0 mg
|100 mg
|Total Carb
|8 g
|Dietary Fiber
|2 g
|3 g
|7 g
|Vitamin A
|Vitamin C
|*Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Hands-down my favorite natural peanut butter I've tried so far. Smooth-operator is right! This peanut butter stayed smooth and nice and didn't get gross or hard a lot of natural peanut butters do. Delicious! Will definitely buy again.
I'm in love with this peanut butter! It contains Fiber and Protein which make it amazing and healthy choice for everybody! Great with smoothies! !! Thank you iherb! Please click YES if you find my review helpful to you!! احلى زبدة فول سوداني جربتها...الي خلاني اشتريها انها تحتوي على الياف عالية وبروتين عالي..رائعة عند وضعها مع السموذي او الميلك شيك
so good - لذيذ
Posted by 5520571396240331175 on Jul 21, 2016
I loved it, definitely gonna purchase the other flavors too جميل وخفيف، سأجرب النكهات الأخرى في المستقبل
A bit too sweet.
Posted by 5240434867861180387 on Jul 17, 2016
Very smooth and sweet. I prefer the one with chocolate.
Thank you
Posted by 5197396766703282996 on Jul 12, 2016
That very very good
great peanut butter
Posted by 5042036952317477511 on Jul 06, 2016
very nice test. thank you.
All Natural vs. Skippy
Posted by 5465886067093882429 on Jul 05, 2016
My wife wanted me to switch from Skippy Reduced Fat to an all natural PB. I love Skippy R.F. for the flavor and texture; lower fat did not matter. Other natural PBs are very salty and I do not like the oil separation. This PB is excellent for flavor. A little sweetness (from the dried cane syrup). Very minor oil separation (a light sheen on the top). The finish is a bit sticky to the roof of the mouth vs. Skippy, but that is how a PB should be, no? I am very happy with this substitution...but I don't think anything could match Skippy R.F.


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I remember in high school in France, our class only had 2 oscilloscopes and few other electronics equipment, needless to say I did not actually get to use an oscilloscope until I went to university. It would have been nice to be able to play around with oscilloscopes, frequency generators, etc… earlier, but due to budget constraints, this was not possible. Dr Ajith Kumar, a scientist working with the Inter University Accelerator Centre of India, has spent several years working on an ultra low cost electronics lab composed of an oscilloscope and a signal generator to provide students attending schools that cannot afford regular equipments. This learning & experimentation tool is called expEYES...
Scooped by
onto Embedded Systems News


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Away from the tumult, Palais Faraj sits alone. It has a wonderful staff and a multitude of beautifully appointed nooks where one can sit and relax after day of sightseeing. Our duplex suite was amazing and worth the price. Hotel is appropriate for those who appreciate luxury and don't require to be in the midst of everything. Lovely pool area. A chance to see how palais living once was.
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Boutique luxury is taken to the next level on the doorstep of Fez's Medina, where unparalleled comfort meets exquisite artistic flair and rich Moroccan tradition at Palais Faraj Suites & Spa.Explosions of colour and examples of ornate intricacy infuse the design-inspired interiors of this luxury boutique hotel. Each of the suites is a haven of meticulously mastered style, immersed in beauty and adorned with exquisite features. Elaborately carved wooden pieces and comfort-steeped designer furnishings mingle with vibrant tiling, sculpted ceilings. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Hotwire, Travelocity, Priceline, Odigeo and Agoda so you can book your Palais Faraj Suites & Spa reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.


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I have created the bootable usb to install ubuntu on my system. However I want to remove my current Windows 7 OS which is installed in the C Drive. Is there any way to retain the data in the D and E drives after completely replacing Windows 7 with Ubuntu?
migrated from stackoverflow.com Jun 12 '13 at 13:33
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
If you do not choose to format the data in D and E drives they will retain if you change the OS . However the contents of C drive will be lost .


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Peter's Savory Cake
Author Notes: Breakfast at my home is usually oatmeal, eggs or Indian breakfast like "idli" or "dosa" "upma" which are savory in nature. One day, my husband asked whether I could make him a single breakfast dish that would include vegetables, eggs, cheese and nuts.
After doing some online research, I decide to use Dorie Greenspan's basic Savory Cake and then add a French-Mediterranean influence by using a combination of cheeses like feta and chevre which go well with olives and the sundried tomatoes.
—Food Enthusiast
Serves 8
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Grease loaf pan (10" x 5" x 2 3/4")
- Break eggs whisk until fluffy, then add milk, olive oil and mix well.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Walnuts & Sage
More Great Recipes: Cheese & Dairy|Eggs|Vegetables|Appetizers|Bread, Rolls & Muffins


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03 Nov 2014
A trial targeting the safety of drivers on unsealed roads in the Yankalilla District Council will soon begin.
New advisory signs will ask drivers to exercise their judgement and drive to the conditions. The aim of the trial is to provide a visual reminder that people should drive appropriately on unsealed roads, where the surface can often be unpredictable.
Drivers will also be advised to go no more than 80km/h on the roads that have been identified as part of the trial.
The District Council of Yankalilla has been working with the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure to select the suitable trial roads, which have been assessed, with speed data collected:
To help in the evaluation of the trial, speed surveys will be conducted for two weeks after the installation of the advisory signs.
The project is the first to be undertaken on selected roads across a whole council area.
This initiative forms part of the Road Safety Action Plan 2013-2016 that aims to reduce serious road casualties by at least 30 per cent by 2020, as outlined in Towards Zero Together - South Australia's Road Safety Strategy 2020.
Road Safety Minister Peter Malinauskas has announced that European ECE 22.05 standard helmets are now legal to be worn by motorcyclists in South Australia.
Road Safety Minister Peter Malinauskas has announced that ECE 22.05 standard helmets will soon be able to be worn by motorcyclists in South Australia.
Sections of seven roads in the Riverland, Murray Mallee and Murray Bridge will be resealed improving safety and extending the life of each road.
The second stage of a $9 million upgrade of a major rural road connecting the upper Yorke Peninsula towns of Bute and Kulpara will begin in March.