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Rulesheet for Williams "Fire!"
1987 System 11A
Rom Revision 2
Jason R. Putnam
July 28, 1998
Version 1.2
Fire! was introduced in 1987, so a rulesheet is a little overdue. I wrote this rulesheet because one didn't exist, and since this game is a mild departure on the traditional pinball machine layout (no pop bumpers, no drop targets, no lane change) I figured a rulesheet would be beneficial to anyone trying to master this game. "Fire!" is a trademark of Williams. This rulesheet is public domain (free).
Since this is my first rulesheet, it may suck. Be that as it may, remember - What did you pay for it!?!? Please feel free to email me if you find any typos, spelling errors, or mistakes involving the rules and gameplay in this rulesheet, or if there is anything that you think I should add to it. That being said, on with the show.
The best way to start off one of these things is to describe the game's layout. So, that's what I'll do. To begin with, we'll start at the plunger, which is of the manual type and in the traditional (right side) location. The shooter lane goes just more than half-way up the playfield, where it comes to a one-way gate that is angled about 45 degrees, so that if one were to shoot the ball and just go through this gate, the ball would roll back and the gate would deflect it down towards the flippers.
The skill shot is in the area just above the shooter lane's one-way gate, and consists of five roll-over sensors and a stand-up target at the very end. These are spaced evenly, and labeled so that the first one from the gate is 20,000 points, then 10,000, then 30,000, then 100,000, then 5,000, and then finally the stand-up is worth 1,000 points. The object here is to shoot the ball just far enough to roll over the 100,000 sensor, and then it rolls back and falls into play. The highest sensor the ball rolls over is the score you get, and if you shoot too hard, the ball hits the stand-up target at the top and you only get 1,000 points.
Next, we'll look down between the flippers and see the fire plug, which is a little round peg that pops up during different parts of the game to prevent a drain. More on this later. Next, you can see that the flippers are of standard size, and just above them on either side are the slingshot kickers, again in the traditional layout. Outside of these you will see little rails that separate the areas outside the kickers into an inlane and outlane on the left and right sides of the playfield.
Now look at the top of the playfield, and you will see in the center a large building that is for our purposes shaped mostly rectangular. In the front of this main building in the middle is a little ramp that has a ladder painted on it that can drop level into the playfield. I'll refer to this as the "Ladder Ramp". There is a turnaround that forms a "U" behind the ladder ramp, with an entrance on each side of the ladder ramp. There is an insert lamp for each side of the turnaround to show when it is "lit". More on this later. If the ladder ramp is in the usual down position (flush with the playfield) then shooting a ball up the middle would hit a bumper peg and be deflected back down. If the ramp is up, the ball can be shot through the "window", in which it will either go to the left or to the right on the upper loop. When this happens, a ball (or "Fireman") is locked ("trapped") into either the East or West building. Immediatly to either side of the ladder ramp are little side buildings with 3 stand-up targets on each. Each target has a insert lamp that looks like a fire. Just below these targets are the upper slingshot kickers, and on the outside of these kickers are the "save the girl" ramps. These start about two/thirds the way up the playfield and extend all the way to the back of the playfield and at the top they are raised up so that the ball almost touches the playfield glass. They have a sensor at the top to register a hit.
Outside of the "save the girl" ramps is the "main loop" ramp. This starts from outside of the entrances of the "save girl" ramps and goes up towards the back of the playfield, under the "save the girl" ramps, and into the sides (through) the main building. The entrances to this loop can raise and lower, so if they are in the initial position (up), the ball is on the lower loop of "the loop", so a shot into the left side would come out on the right side and vice-versa. If the entrances are both down, the same thing happens, only the ball goes on the upper part/loop. Only if one side is up and the other is down, if the ball goes into the side that is down, it will follow around the top loop and go across the other side's entrance, which is in the up position, so the ball continues along a little railing and is dropped into a building, where it is locked in the same place it would be locked if the ball went through the window of the building. If the ball goes under a raised entrance when the other side's entrance is down, the down side entrance will raise to allow the ball to come back out as if both sides were raised (just like the initial position) and then that entrance will go back down. Whew!!
Now, the only part left of the playfield to describe are the buildings where the ball is locked from the loop. These are about half-way up the playfield. On the inside sides of these buildings, are more stand-up targets (three each side) that have the little fire-looking insert lights. The building on the left, when it is releasing a locked ball(s), shoots them out of the upper right corner through a one-way gate just above that building's top-most stand-up target. The one on the right released locked balls through the bottom, which drops each ball into the right side inlane. Oh yeah, just in case you didn't already know, the left side building is the "West" building, and the right one the "East" building. Ok boys and girls?
Game Play
Ok, after the ball is plunged into the game and comes out of the skillshot area, it will head directly for the flippers. Good thing the fire plug is up at the beginning of each ball! If not, a good percentage of balls would drain immediately.. At random during the game, different groups of the fire targets (stand-up targets with the fire looking insets) will be lit. They always lite in their groups of three. When a fire target is hit, the corresponding insert lamp goes out, thus putting out that fire. You have to put out all three targets in the bank to put out the fire "group". Also, sending the ball through the loop will spot (put out) one of the lit fire targets.
Starting from when you plunge a ball into play, one group will be lit, and the 10x lamp will be blinking (of the upper column of 10x, 7x, 5x, 3x, & 2x. The rest will be lit solid.) After a while, if you haven't put the first group of fire targets out, the 10x will turn off and the 7x will start blinking, and so on. Now you get less for putting out that fire, and at random either another fire will start up in addition to the existing one, or if you get lucky, the machine will pick the same fire you already had lit, so you don't have to put out an additional fire to avoid the decreasing fire bonus light. Either way, it is always good to put out the fires as soon as possible. The longer you take, the bonus column will show less of a multi- plyer until you get none. If you already put the first fire out, the timer will reset, and another will light (the column will stay on 10x.)
To get multiball, you must put out all the fires on the building that you want to lock a ball into. Once you put out the building that was on fire, you'll see the opposite side ramp drop down for entry into the building you just put out. Shot the ball up that ramp onto the top loop to lock the ball into the freshly extinguished building. Now try to lock a ball into the other side's building using the same technique. Once you have locked a ball in each building, the ramps should both be up, and the "Lights Rescue" lamps should be lit. Fire a ball through the lower loop to raise the ladder and then get a shot through the window to start multiball. Once multiball is acheived, you must put out all lit fires with at least two balls in play to get the Million point award.
To get an extra ball, you must go up each "save the girl" ramp once. Then, one of the two "save the girl" ramps will be randomly lit. To get the extra ball, you must again hit the target at the end of the lit "save the girl" ramp.
Each time you go through the turnaround at the top of the playfield by the ladder ramp, the fire plug is raised for a few seconds (operator adjusts this) to keep the ball from draining. If one or both sides of the turnaround are lit, enter the turnaround from the lit side to raise the bonus level multiplier. Additionally, sending the ball through the turnaround when it is lit will raise the ladder for a window shot. Each time the ladder is raised, it will stay up for an operator set period of time. You can hear the seconds tick away and see the "Rescue Shot! Break Window" lamp flash as your time of having a raised ramp diminishes. Hitting any slingshot kicker will cycle around which turnaround lamp is lit. Also, the kickers cycle which extra ball light is lit. When the bonus multiplyer is on 10x, if you get another lit turnaround shot, the outlane "Special" lites will be lit.
Bugs/Tricks/Easter Eggs
The only trick I have figured out so far is this: When you have the ball in the shooter lane, you can lightly plunge it so the ball moves through the one-way gate just enough to trigger the 20k sensor, but not enough to go all the way through the gate. This way the ball can register the score and go back down the shooter lane for another attempt. But, unless you're good at this, it could be a sure fire way for you to blow your skill shot. Additionally, the more time you waste fooling around with the shooter lane, the more time you waste on whatever fires are lit, and so your point values for those buildings will be less.
The only bug I've found using the Revision 2 game roms was that when you are getting ready to plunge your final ball, the display will show what score you have to attain to get a replay in the bottom left display, but it will keep toggling between displaying that and something else in that display. All the while there is an empty display on the top right that could be used to show this information, thus no toggling between the messages would be needed. Hopefully, Rom Revision 3 (currently the latest Revision and probably the final) fixes this. Anyone know?
I don't know if this is an easter egg or not, but could Fire! be Williams first game to have cows in it? When you start a game, there is a cow mooing loudly in the background. I guess this is supposed to be the famous cow that started the great fire in Chicago in the old days, hence the theme of this machine. I could be wrong however!
Editor's Notes
|back to Rule Sheets


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Prashant Shenoy, associate dean of the UMass Amherst College of Information and Computer Sciences, and director of the Laboratory for Advanced Systems Software and Center for Smart and Connected Society, was appointed Distinguished Professor following approval by the UMass Board of Trustees at its July 20 meeting.
The title Distinguished Professor is conferred on select, highly accomplished faculty who have already achieved the rank of professor and meet a demanding set of qualifications.
In their letter of nomination, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and Provost John McCarthy highlighted Shenoy's contributions in research, teaching, mentoring, and service to UMass Amherst. As they put it, Shenoy "has been a leader in the fields of energy-conserving computing and computing for energy management," as reflected in his extensive publications, with more than 200 conference papers and 70 journal articles, which have been cited over 20,000 times.
Together with students and colleagues, Shenoy has received best paper awards from conferences including ACM Sigmetrics, ACM e-Energy, Usenix Annual Technical Conference, ACM Multimedia, World Wide Web Conference, IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Quality of Service, International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications, IEEE Conference on Communication Systems & Networks, and the International Workshop on Green Energy and Networking.
His research programs have attracted more than $35M from government agencies and industry. At the campus level, he recently received a Conti Fellowship for his research efforts and has served as a center director within the Institute of Applied Life Sciences.
Shenoy is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He served as general co-chair of the ACM/IEEE Conference on Internet of Things Design and Implementation for 2019 and 2020, and as program chair or general chair for sixteen previous conferences and workshops. He has served on the editorial boards of several publications in the field, including ACM Transactions on Internet of Things, ACM Transactions on the Web, and Multimedia Systems Journal. He currently serves as founder and chair of the ACM Emerging Interest Group on Energy and has previously served on the Steering Committee of ACM e-Energy, ACM BuildSys, and IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing.
Shenoy received his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998, when he joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and has taught computer science classes extensively at the graduate and undergraduate levels with a focus on distributed systems and operating systems. He was promoted to professor in 2009. On his teaching and mentoring, Subbaswamy and McCarthy wrote, "Particularly noteworthy is his extensive use of technology to reach and engage his students. He has also mentored twenty graduated PhD students, several of whom have pursued highly successful academic careers."

subset: commoncrawl


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2006-08-22: Finding our games
by Meguey
1001 Nights is for sale through my game company, Night Sky Games.
Breaking the Ice and Shooting the Moon are for sale through Emily's game company, Black and Green Games.
2006-08-22 01:16:11 Meguey
At least, I expect Shooting the Moon to show up on B&GG any day now, right Em?
2006-08-22 10:21:48 Ricardo Madeira
Yeah, Emily, I'm waiting up on B&GG too. :)
The international S&H costs at IPR are just murderous, so there's nothing like buying direct from the source.
2006-08-22 15:39:14 Emily
Yup, any day. Thanks.
2006-08-24 20:35:12 ScottM
Are you also selling through IPR? Do you know if Mechaton will be there? Or are you only doing direct sales of these games?
2006-08-25 01:16:50 Meguey
You can buy Emily's games through IPR, or e-mail her directly. Breaking the Ice is currently availble, and Shooting the Moon will be soon.
Mechaton will be available through IPR, with a PDF available directly from Vincent over at anyway.
1001 Nights will not be available through IPR in the forseeable future. I do plan on having a PDF available soon. I like walking to the PO and chatting with Grechen and Dave, my friendly PO workers.
2006-08-29 16:15:52 Emily Care
Shooting the Moon is now available via IPR here.
yay! Thanks, Brennan.


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'Do not refute Ahlul-Bid'ah except with knowledge and your silence is a blow against them.' – Sharhus-Sunnah al-Barbahārī by Abu Khadeejah [Lesson 148 – Masjid as-Salafi 07/02/19].
For the complete series CLICK HERE
Please leave a comment below describing the contents of this talk and how you benefited. This will help others and it is your way of aiding the da'wah.


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by Y Combinator2/8/2015
Apptimize is about creating the best mobile experience for each user and context through targeted A/B testing. Our drop-in SDK is for native Android and iOS apps and our users include top 10 apps from each category in the App and Play stores. Mobile product owners and marketers change layouts, CTA's, and flows in real time without programming or app store resubmission. With just a few clicks, you can create and deploy a new variant to your real users and start seeing data in minutes.
Q: Tell us about your background prior to starting your startup.
I was an algorithmic trader and led the Fixed Income Quantitative Strategies team at GETCO in Chicago and NYC. This all means nothing to anyone– my mother never remembered my job and introduced me to her Chinese friends as an "MIT graduate" for years after MIT.
All my trading friends are men. Everyone knew me because I was the only woman trader in the office for years. Algorithmic trading isn't as macho as other types of trading because everyone in high frequency trading is a nerd at heart. You're a nerd who stares at numbers on a computer all day. I had a dozen monitors constantly blinking charts and all day I wrote python scripts and built models. Our nerdiness superseded other differences, because the main thing that matters for traders is PnL.
Being the only woman is not something I notice much anymore because I'm used to it. Before college, almost all my friends were women, but now most are men. At MIT I captained the women's fencing team and was always with women, but starting in middle school there were more men than women in my classes. There was no denying that I was different so I accepted it and got comfortable being weird.
Q: Why did you start Apptimize?
Modern apps are on average terrible. Often they're just miniature websites, a strictly worse experience than web. But mobile is where all the growth is, and mobile data is really good, so apps need to be awesome.
Companies realize transactions are moving to mobile and therefore spend a lot of money and resources maintaining apps, yet they still suck. Why? Many reasons, such as needing to lock everything into a release that needs to be submitted through the store, all the risks involved if something breaks after deployment, the laggy innovation cycle, the constraints in a smaller screen size, intermittent Internet, the fragmentation of devices. Apptimize solves these issues for everyone without needing you to totally rearchitect your app or redo your whole roadmap to revolve around fitting everything into a testing framework.
Q: How did you meet your cofounder?
Jeremy and I met through mutual friends.
Q: What was YC like for you?
We went from being unsure we wanted to apply, to hoping that getting into YC would solve all our problems. Man, did YC not solve all our problems. I look back in fondness at those days when our problems were how we were going to hire our first employee, get our first paying user, Demo Day. The main reason I would ever contemplate going through another startup is because I want a chance to redo and fix all my horrifying mistakes.
I wrote about my experience YC on my personal blog here.
Q: What is the atmosphere like at YC during those 3 months with Demo Day approaching?
I was paranoid we were behind and both dreaded and anticipated Demo Day with a countdown. We were changing our pitch right up to the hour before our demo. It all helps you focus because you ask yourself, "Will this new feature matter for Demo Day? No? Then move on." Even now to check if something's both important and urgent we'll ask "Is this a YC problem?"
Q: Was being female either an advantage or disadvantage in working on your startup?
I try to create situations where whatever is unique about me is an advantage. If being a woman is unique, then I turn it into an advantage. I think part of why my team is so badass is because I'm a woman and everyone knows me.
Q: Why do you think there are fewer startups with female founders than male ones?
I'm not a historian but I'd guess that once upon a time the fields of art, music, writing, medicine were perceived as male just like most stuff. Now there are a lot of women in those fields. Anecdotally, my art and writing classes had a lot of women, unlike my math classes. The cone of possibility that people will see for themselves is expanding more and more and people will be able to choose based on their goals rather than on conventional boundaries.
Q: What do you wish someone had told you when you were 15?
At 15 there was nothing I couldn't do by myself in a fraction of the time it took anyone else. I did my homework during class and relished the feeling of knowing I would lay waste to exams and problems in record time. I thought this meant I was a genius and dedicated my time outside of school to watching The Matrix and my "writing." In reality, my abundant free time meant the problems I was working on were so easy that a single 15-year-old could crush them all during the school day while the teacher talked. I wish I could say, "Self, do you realize that real work worth doing can't be done alone? Humans didn't go to the moon alone. Work on something hard, so hard you can't do it yourself."
Starting a company is a problem hard enough to be too much work for one person, even a genius like 15-year-old Nancy. Before realizing people need other people, before understanding I needed other people, I didn't do anything worth doing. I never could've built Apptimize alone. I need my team. I need my users. I need my investors. Everything I've done that's good I've worked on with other people.
Other Posts
Y Combinator created a new model for funding early stage startups. Twice a year we invest a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200). The startups move to Silicon


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Agility Logistics
When Agility Logistics in Liverpool were moving offices they approached one of the largest office furniture and fit out companies in the North West, however when costs began to spiral they approached Bevlan and we teamed up with Brown and Bancroft for the fit out and to submit a very competitive quotation which subsequently secured the business.
Imperial Pure desks, in Santiago cherry and white, were selected for the office areas. Using 3 way segment desks in the open areas and radial workstations for individual offices with combination pedestals, G7 mesh back chairs with height adjustable arms in blue completed the look. Adding hinged door cupboards with white doors and Santiago cherry carcasses made the storage areas so much more attractive too.
Reunion training tables were used in the meeting / training room, as Agility wanted a reconfigurable solution, along with Negus cantilever chairs for comfort during those long meetings. The cafeteria / breakout area looked stunning by using white Script tables with silver legs and Ikon chairs in orange and grey with matching Ikon stools. Polypropylene mood chairs were used in black, white and grey to complete the look with a 2 seater sofa added for chilling and reflection.


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Mamas & Papas
Though Mamas and Papas has its roots set in Italy, the business first set up shop in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. What was a small, family-run boutique baby shop is now a (still family-run) global enterprise and brand, supplying prams, pushchairs, baby products, maternity clothing, nursery furniture and more in 50 stores in the UK and many more all over the world. The business is powered by a passion for parenting and the desire to support new parents as well as give them inspiration. Mamas and Papas provide an award winning range of prams, pushchairs and buggies that includes something for every lifestyle and budget.


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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Free Journalism Program for Bronx High School Students
Students learn the fundamentals of writing, reporting, and photojournalism through classroom instruction and hands-on reporting in their own neighborhoods. We take them on field trips including the newsroom of a daily newspaper. They will learn about community activism and civic responsibility, how their neighborhoods work (or don't), who has power, who doesn't and why.
Student work gets published in a special youth supplement called Bronx Youth Heard, which appears in Bronx News Network publications - giving youth a powerful voice.
We are looking for students of all academic abilities, but they should be highly motivated, love to write, be naturally inquisitive, and care about what's going on in their communities. Click here to find out more about the program or to download an application form, or call (718) 324-4998 and ask for Jeanmarie Evelly.
You can also like the Bronx Youth Journalism Initiative on Facebook! Click here.
Posted by Bronx News Network at 4:00 PM
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Commercial Fleet Repair Near Glen Burnie, MD
Commercial Fleet Truck Repair Near Glen Burnie, MD
Linthicum-Ferndale Truck Repair is the preferred choice for commercial fleet vehicle repairs in the Glen Burnie area. We serve small businesses with just a few box trucks and large fleets for distribution companies, the MTA, airport shuttles, and more. Our skilled technicians perform the high-quality fleet body repairs you need, and we always do it with fair prices and a devoted work ethic.
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Call 443-524-3100 or contact us now to request an estimate for commercial fleet vehicle repair services near Glen Burnie, MD.
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Whether your fleet is used to shuttle around customers or haul cargo around Maryland, you need a trusted solution for the occasional collision damage or truck body repair close to Glen Burnie. We are an authorized Morgan Repair Center and can service all kinds of box trucks, delivery trucks, dump trucks, shuttle buses, city buses, and more.
Four decades of experience and a commitment to providing personalized service on every vehicle we touch make Linthicum-Ferndale your best choice in Glen Burnie for commercial fleet truck repair. Our services include:
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As our testimonials will tell you, fleet managers love bringing their trucks to Linthicum-Ferndale because we are true service leaders in the field. Every member of our team takes pride in their work. When we make commercial fleet truck repairs for our Glen Burnie clients, we put in every ounce of effort it takes to send you off with a perfectly repaired, better-than-ever vehicle.
In 1979, our company was founded with a mission for stellar service and quality work. Still owned and operated by the same family, Linthicum-Ferndale Truck Repair trains every one of our employees to provide the best fleet vehicle repair services in Glen Burnie.
Bring your commercial trucks, buses, and vans to us for repairs by qualified, certified, experienced professionals. We work swiftly and coordinate with your insurance provider to ensure your fleet trucks are back on the road in Glen Burnie as soon as possible.
Drive or tow to our lot to get an estimate or call 443-524-3100 or contact us online to ask about commercial fleet truck repair in the Glen Burnie, MD area. We're located just across I-97 in Linthicum Heights.


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WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican senators eyeing the presidency split over the renewal of the Patriot Act surveillance law, with civil libertarians at odds with traditional defense hawks who back tough spying powers in the fight against terrorism.
The political divide will be on stark display this month as Congress debates reauthorization of the post-Sept. 11 law ahead of a June 1 deadline. The broader question of privacy rights has gained attention since a former National Security Agency systems administrator, Edward Snowden, disclosed in 2013 that the NSA had been collecting and storing data on nearly every American's phone calls for years.
On one side, Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina want Congress to permanently reauthorize parts of the law, giving the NSA much of its surveillance authority.
If there were another attack, "the first question out of everyone's mouth is going to be, why didn't we know about it?" Rubio asked this week in a speech on the Senate floor. "And the answer better not be because this Congress failed to authorize a program that might have helped us know about it."
The rise of Islamic State militants, the continued threat from al-Qaida and the ongoing civil war in Syria have pushed national security to the forefront in the 2016 race for the GOP nomination, with some candidates determined to show their toughness. On NSA surveillance, however, Americans are wary of government intrusion.
Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky, however, say the law infringes on citizens' privacy.
"They want nothing more than to keep the national security spy state growing until it tracks, traces and catalogues virtually every detail about every aspect of our lives," Paul said in a campaign email to his supporters. "Once government bureaucrats know every aspect of our lives – what we watch, what we buy, what we eat, where we worship – it won't be long until they try to run them 'for our own good.'"
Under the law, the NSA collects information on the number called and the date and time of the call, then stores it in a database that it queries using phone numbers associated with terrorists overseas. Officials say they don't use the information for any other purpose, and that the legal powers that enable the program are essential to the hunt for terrorists. Opponents say the seizure and search of telephone company records violates Americans' expectations of privacy under the Fourth Amendment.
Adding a wrinkle to the debate was Thursday's federal appeals court ruling that the bulk collection of Americans' phone records is illegal. The court all but pleaded for Congress to sharpen the boundaries between security and privacy rights.
The House is slated to vote next week on a bill to reauthorize the law while also ending the government's dragnet collection of records, and Cruz has endorsed the measure, saying it "strikes the right balance between privacy rights and national security interests."
But Senate leaders, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, have spoken forcefully for a competing measure to reauthorize the law as-is.
Across Congress, the political divisions cut along complex lines. Libertarian-leaning Republicans like Cruz and Paul are aligned with many liberal Democrats, insisting that a secret intelligence agency should not be storing the records of every American phone call. But other Democrats and Republicans say the program is needed now more than ever given the Islamic State group's determination to inspire terrorist attacks on American soil.
Graham, the only one of the four who has not formally announced his candidacy, is siding with Rubio in favor of the NSA's spy powers but competing with him for support among defense hawks.
"I'm open-minded to doing reforms," Graham told reporters Thursday. "I just don't want to diminish the capacity of the program to prevent another 9/11. I believe if the program were in operation before 9/11, we probably would have prevented 9/11."
Sen. John McCain, the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee, previewed one likely argument. He cited the incident in Texas last Sunday in which two gunmen were shot dead while trying to attack a provocative event that featured cartoon images of the Prophet Muhammad. In the aftermath, authorities described an alarming trend involving potential homegrown extremists with access to social media and possible exposure to Islamic State group propaganda.
"We must do everything in our power to stop these attacks before they happen," McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, said.
FBI Director James Comey said Thursday although the bureau had opened a new investigation into one of the gunmen, Elton Simpson, agents had no reason to believe he was going to attack the event.


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Indiana Fraud Defense Attorney
Indianapolis fraud defense lawyer Chris Eskew understands accusations of fraud may ruin your reputation, hurt your family, and cause never-ending stress and anxiety. In addition, many employers are averse to hiring individuals with fraud convictions because fraud is seen as a crime of deception. Employers do not want staff that will lie, exaggerate the truth, steal their profits, or damage their brand. A skilled and knowledgeable Indianapolis criminal defense attorney will be able to counsel you on how to minimize the effects of an arrest while also assisting you with clearing your name and defending against unfounded allegations.
Eskew Law, LLC is headquartered in Indianapolis and serves clients throughout the state of Indiana. Our talented legal team has a decade of experience helping clients get their lives back on track. We will handle all aspects of your case, including conducting an independent investigation, representing your interests during a police investigation, ensuring your constitutional rights are respected, negotiating with the prosecutor, constructing a strong defense theory, and advocating for your best interests in court. We take this privilege and responsibility seriously for all of our clients throughout Indianapolis and Central Indiana. Call Eskew Law, LLC today at (317) 974-0177 to speak with someone immediately about your case.
Definition of Fraud
Fraud is a white-collar crime that encompasses many different types of offenses, including:
- Welfare fraud
- Check deception
- Fraud on a financial institution
- Forgery
- Fake government ID cards
- Identity, notarial, and other deception
- Unlawful possession of a card skimming device
- Insurance fraud
- Unauthorized use of cable services
- Government contract procured by fraud
- Check fraud
- Possession of fraudulent sales document
- Making or delivering a false sales document
- Falsifying a drug or alcohol screening test
- Inmate fraud
An individual commits fraud when he knowingly and intentionally misrepresents something in order to gain money, property, or another item of value. The lie is passed off as the truth or a fact in order to deceive or swindle the complainant. The misrepresentation can be an outright falsehood, a gross exaggeration, a misstatement of the truth, or a glaring omission. Complainants can be friends or family members, strangers, customers, employees or employers, companies, banks, and even the government.
Welfare Fraud
According to Section 35-43-5-7 of the Indiana Code, welfare fraud involves deceiving the state of Indiana or local government welfare programs by obtaining or attempting to obtain funding, assistance, or services using fake, false, or misleading claims. All of the following activities constitute welfare fraud:
- Lying about one's employment situation
- Falsely claiming dependents
- Failing to report all income
- Giving or selling welfare benefits to another
- Counterfeiting an authorization for benefits document
Welfare fraud must be done knowingly or intentionally. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor. However, it can be bumped up to a Level 6 felony if the amount of benefits is between $750 and $49,000 or less than $750, but the individual has a prior welfare fraud conviction. It can be further bumped up to a Level 5 felony if the benefits total more than $2,500. When an individual is convicted of welfare fraud, their conviction is reported to state and local welfare agencies.
Check Deception
An individual commits check deception under Section 35-43-5-5 of the Indiana Code when he writes a check and uses it to pay for goods or services knowing full well that his bank will not honor the check due to insufficient funds, fraudulent activity, or any other reason. If an individual knows that he either does not have sufficient funds or that the bank account is not in his name yet intends to deliver a check regardless, he has committed check deception.
The check itself becomes prima facie evidence of the crime. When a check is refused by a bank, it is accompanied by information, including when the bank refused to honor it and why. In addition, the fact that the individual paid by check despite knowing that the check would not be honored is also prima facie evidence of deception. Other evidence includes the information found on the check, such as the name, address, phone number, bank name, routing number, and account number. However, an individual can avoid prosecution by later paying the full amount due, plus charges and fees, within ten days after being notified that the check was not honored.
Check deception is a Class A misdemeanor. It can be bumped up to a Level 6 felony if the check was for more than $750 and less than $50,000 and a Level 5 felony if the check was for more than $50,000.
Fraud on a Financial Institution
According to Section 35-43-5-8, fraud on a financial institution occurs when an individual "knowingly executes, or attempts to execute, a scheme or artifice:"
- To defraud a local, state, or federal bank or
- To obtain money, assets, shares, or other items of value owned by a local, state, or federal bank using false pretenses, misrepresentations, and fraudulent promises
The statute defines eligible banks as financial institutions, credit unions, home loan organizations, and banks that provide loans or banking assistance to consumers. These banks must be insured by the FDIC or NCUA or must operate under local or federal laws. Fraud on a financial institution is a Level 5 felony.
Under the Indiana Code, forgery is the production of a false document or the use of deception to obtain a legal document. Most instances of fraud involve falsifying documents. When an individual creates a written document that claims it was made (1) by another, (2) at a different time, (3) with different terms or components, or (4) with someone's authority who did not in fact give consent for the production of the document, the individual has committed forgery. In addition, possession of a forged document is also grounds for a forgery charge.
Less commonly prosecuted, forgery can also be the basis for a fraudulent driver's license or state ID card application. If an individual gives a fake name or address, lies to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, includes false information on the application, or gives fake documentation to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the individual has also committed forgery.
Forgery is a Level 6 Felony.
Choosing the Right Fraud Defense Lawyer in Indianapolis, IN
When you have been charged with a white-collar crime like fraud, you want an Indianapolis criminal defense attorney you can trust. When looking for a lawyer, consider:
- The lawyer's education and background
- The number of years the lawyer has been practicing in local courts
- Testimonials from old clients
- The lawyer's track record of success or failure
- The lawyer's access to resources
- The lawyer's knowledge of local law and courtroom practices
- The lawyer's personality
- Whether the lawyer's style fits with your preferences
Passionate Indianapolis Criminal Defense Lawyers Assisting Clients with Fraud Allegations
Fraud is a serious and extremely dangerous conviction for your future. Before it's too late, speak with an excellent Indianapolis fraud defense attorney at Eskew Law, LLC today to discuss how to defend against the charges. We will coach you through the investigation process, conduct an investigation of our own, and tailor representation based on the facts of your case, your available defenses, and your own best interests. To schedule a consultation, contact us online or call our office at (317) 974-0177.
Our criminal defense team also handles other types of cases, including:


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Previously: Part 1 a b
The previous two posts dealt exclusively with the need to allow an expansion of access to the international game. The financial realities of cricket, and indeed most sport, don't support an expanded international competition. The IPL, but more importantly, the ICL point to increasing pressures to expand the club based system.
With the current system of international cricket fixture dominating the coverage and therefore sponsorship and attendances, the total number of players making a living off their games (as opposed to being subsidised by their national team) is no more than a hundred. The system scoops the cream off the top of competitive cricket, and distributes the high earnings to an even smaller set of players: the top dozen players in Australia, England, India and South Africa.
This has ramifications for total potential earnings as well. TV coverage is limited to at most a dozen days worth of cricket footage (world-wide) per week, as are attendances, limiting international cricket to each stadium to less than a dozen days per year. By contrast, each major US domestic sport, operating in markets broadly similar in total size, but with closer to 30 teams competing, has upwards of five simultaneous games per day, and closer to fifty games per week (baseball, cricket's closest equivalent averages close to one hundred). Local fans therefore, get thirty or forty days of sport per year, which makes better use of facilities, allowing stadium expansion, producing several times the revenue, albeit dispersed across more players.
The now defunct ICL recognised this potential, and as became quickly apparent, players outside the big-four test sides were extremely interested in making 5-10 times their existing income playing in a league system. That the venture subsequently failed had to do with two things: the restraint of trade (or threat thereof) imposed on those players by their home boards; and the introduction of the IPL to partly assuage the players needs.
Cricket has long been subject to these types of ventures, and a future attempt is not unlikely unless the playing base is expanded significantly, most likely to upwards of 1000 well paid professionals, in at least three leagues (or conferences in a world league). Those types of numbers mean having around 50 teams playing T20 Domestic league cricket, for a minimum of 16 weeks per year.
That type of system has a number of advantages:
The economics of team sports strongly favour close contests and locally based teams that play week-in week-out in the same stadium. Cricket has survived and prospered despite itself, but the advent of T20 means there are both good reasons for making a change, and a ground-swell of public interest in doing so. The international game will not die, and may even prosper, if the ongoing grumbles over meaningless fixtures continue to rumble. The alternative is players retiring earlier from the international circuit, and non-international players shifting loyalties to wherever the money is, which is far more likely to damage the international game, and that would be a pity.
Cricket - Manifesto
23rd November, 2009 13:27:29


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John returned to Edinburgh in 1995 after working in London as a photographer for 13 years. In Edinburgh, John continued as a freelance photographer and in 2000, started teaching in adult education classes for Edinburgh Council. John teaches: Adobe Photoshop, Apple iPads, Microsoft Office Applications and Google Android.
John returned to full-time education in 2004 and gained an Honours degree in photography and film from Napier University. In 2008 he gained a postgraduate teaching qualification from Stirling University. John still works as a freelance photographer, as well as teaching for Edinburgh Council Adult Education Programme.
His photographs have been published in many magazines and newspapers, including the Scotsman and Edinburgh Evening News. His work has been exhibited in London and Edinburgh galleries.
John has been working at Ecas since 2014.
What clients say about Computing
Ecas computer class is the best thing I have done in years. I did not think I would ever learn to use my tablet. The knowledgeable tutor is keeping me right. I am learning slowly, but surely …
It's great to get out of the house to learn more about computing – much better than watching TV at home!


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According to The PR Web from United States BABYMETAL teamed with Warner Bros. and Blue Ribbon Content to release an Animated Digital Series based in the three girls adventures for the US audience through Amuse USA subsidiary. Read the Press Release below.
BABYMETAL Animated Digital Series to be released in United States!
Fresh off the triumphant finale to their unforgettable 2016 world tour in front of more than 110,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, Japanese pop-metal sensation BABYMETAL will embark on a new adventure with an original shortform series from Warner Bros.' digital studio Blue Ribbon Content and Japanese powerhouse Amuse Inc's subsidiary, Amuse USA. Manager and creator of BABYMETAL Key Kobayashi (a.k.a. KOBAMETAL) is also producing. The hybrid live-action and animated project is currently in development, it was announced today by Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series.
Sam Register said: "BABYMETAL have to be seen to be believed — a mind-blowing, fun combination of pop vocals, heavy metal music and dance choreography brought to life by three incredibly talented teenage stars. We are huge fans here at Blue Ribbon Content and are extremely excited to help bring the BABYMETAL phenomenon to U.S. audiences through this upcoming digital series."
Tatsuro Hatanaka, President, Amuse, Inc. and Amuse USA, commented: "We are grateful for Warner Bros. and Blue Ribbon Content's interest in BABYMETAL, and to be moving onward with the project. We are very much looking forward to working on this project with Sam and his team, and hope everyone will enjoy our completed work."
The action-adventure will take viewers inside the magical world of heavy metal music as it comes under attack, and one lonely god, Kitsune, forms the warrior band BABYMETAL to save the day. In the series, Su-Metal, Yuimetal and Moametal join together to ultimately redefine the genre. The series will also feature new live-action performances from the group, who will enter the animated world through a secret portal.
-About Blue Ribbon Content
Formed in 2014, Blue Ribbon Content (BRC) is Warner Bros.' digital studio. BRC develops and produces live-action series for digital platforms, tapping the creative talent already working at the Studio while also identifying opportunities for collaboration with new writers and producers. In addition to live-action programming, BRC produces animated content and is also experimenting with emerging platforms such as virtual reality. BRC programs include the UNINTERRUPTED Original Series Now We're Talking for go90; Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles for Machinima; Vixen and the upcoming Freedom Fighters: The Ray for CW Seed; and the Batman: The Animated Series virtual reality experience with OTOY Inc. for Mattel's View-Master, among others.
-About Amuse Group USA, Inc.
Established in 2014, Amuse Group USA, Inc (Amuse USA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amuse, Inc. Both ventures are led by President Tatsuro Hatanaka. Amuse USA provides artist management and tour support for bands — including BABYMETAL (pop-metal), ONE OK ROCK (rock), and Perfume (EDM) — as well as growing Japanese talent globally, discovering local talent, and producing & investing in local film/TV projects. In spring 2016, Amuse USA launched a breakthrough Japanese content matching project, J-CREATION: A FIRST LOOK SHOWCASE, uniting Japanese IP and Hollywood producers & talent in their shared mission to adapt English language films and TV series.
Press Release via: The PR Web.
BABYMETAL's Official post: click here.
Hope it won't be like this :-)
Come on! Have faith in Koba! Anything BABYMETAL touches turns to gold!!
Wow, The beginning of the end and I have been a fan for only a week
Glad to year you survived your fist week! This is what happened to me at that point:
Stopped listening to any other rock music.
Started to notice Suzuka Nakamoto is on her way to become the best female rock vocalist of all time.
BABYMETAL tee-shirts.
Next up? Got all the blu-ray releases. (except the first one.. I heard it's not great, and the band is air-guitaring). Watch these 2-4 hours per day, every day, until people start questioning my sanity.
Spend a ton of money to fly to the UK to see them do a short set (opening for RHCP)
In two minds about this. On the one hand it's remeniscent of the beatles animated series and the monkees, which puts them in good company, and more exposure is good so they can do arenas potentially in the US. They put on great shows in smaller venues, but I fear lots of small gigs puts much on the 3 girls, and they are so good they deserve bigger billing.
My cynical side though questions whether they are taken seriously by the likes of Warner, and are just trying to cash in. I have some comfort in that Kobametal is producing. I wonder if it's going to be in japanese with english subtitles or just in english. It's just I feel the rest of the world need to catch up to babymetal, and Japanese music in general, and not vice versa.. Lets just say I'd be more at ease if it were a Japanese animation company doing it, and warner were doing an english port for the US.
I wish them the best of luck
I have perused every one of your posts and all are exceptionally enlightening. Gratitude for sharing and keep it up like this.
온라인 카지노
호텔 카지노


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In what was possibly the worst kept secret in technology, Apple recently announced that its flagship product was getting an upgrade—the iPhone 7. When Apple CEO Tim Cook got to the stage—after some carpool karaoke with James Corden—at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, most were not surprised by the news but Apple being Apple still had a few surprises up its sleeve. Cook said the iPhone 7 is, "the best iPhone we have ever created.†Of course, Cook would say that but here at Lifehack, we are inclined to agree.
Increased Storage and New iOS
The first thing most will notice when comparing iPhone models is increased storage size. Apple has prudently abandoned the laughably small storage amount of 16GB and doubled the base model in size to 32GB of storage. Higher tier versions were also double to 128GB and 256GB. By the way, when you upgrade you may want to move some of your old files from your old iOS device; here are some tools you should know about.
iOS 10 will launch with iPhone 7 and it is much improved over 9.3—even though we still love it. Siri gets smarter and can even control third-party apps, and include new functionality for Messaging like showing shared media, via images and links, within chat transcripts.
Dust and Water Resistant
One of the most popular features of the new iPhone 7 is its resistance to dust and water. Officially, the iPhone 7 has IP rating of IP67. IP codes are set by the International Electrotechnical Commission. The first digit of the two-digit code represents protection from solid objects. It runs from 0-6. The second digit represents protection from water and runs from 0-8. In short, the 7 has the highest possible rating from protection from dust and the second highest rating for protection from water.
Lighter Phone in Same Dimensions
The iPhone 7 dimensions are the same as its predecessors—138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm but it does come in lighter; the 6S was a hefty 143g while the iPhone 7 is 138g. So while the identical dimensions mean you can probably reuse your old case, it is a good a time as any to update your case as well. iPhone 7 cases by companies like Bodyguardz protect your phone from impact using the same technology athletes use for protection from impact.
But if you were hoping for the camera to be flush into the aluminum frame, you will be disappointed. However, you might be excited to know the camera bulge houses the antennas on the Black and Jet Black versions hiding the unsightly bands. Silver, gold, and rose gold versions still show the bands.
New Colors
As mentioned above, the iPhone 7 introduces two new colors to the stable: Black and Jet Black. Of course, silver, gold, and rose gold are still options while Space Gray makes a dignified exit.
Stereo Speakers and Brighter Display
Built into iPhone 7 are stereo speakers. Speakers are located at the base of the device and top, providing with louder and higher quality audio. Additionally, while the screen size and resolution remain the same—4.7 inches and 1334×750 respectively—Apple has turned up the brightness. Get ready for a bolder graphic experience. For gamers, cinephiles, and audiophiles in your life, this is huge. And while we are on the subject of films, check out these 10 films you need to watch to be successful.
No Headphone Jack
They finally did it. It was only a matter of time before someone got rid of the analog headphone jack and who better to lead the way than Apple. Sure, Motorola technically did it first, but most people understand Apple is the standard by which most follow. It will take some getting used to but the iPhone 7 comes with Lightning EarPods that you can plug directly into the Lightning port and an adapter that allows you to continue using your old earbuds. If you want to go completely wireless, Apple offers Bluetooth earbuds for purchase.
Larger, Faster, and More Efficient Camera
The rear camera has a larger new 12MP sensor and the front-facing camera upgrades to 7MP from 5MP. The iPhone 7 includes Optical Image Stabilization which previously was only available on the iPhone 6S Plus. Its wide-aperture lens allows more light in—50% to be precise—and uses power 30% more efficiently. The new phone also creates better pictures by using a flicker sensor that comes in handy when in settings of artificial light.
Increased Battery Power
Apple states that with an upgrade to an iPhone 7, users can expect two hours more battery life than previous models, making this the longest-lasting iPhone battery ever. At Lifehack—as will most of you—we cannot wait to test out Apple's claims. An extra two hours battery life is massive in the mobile device industry.
Bottom Line
You need to get this phone. If you have yet to pre-order you may soon be out of luck so move fast.


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The Best of Senior Living Award showcases top senior living communities stand out for their exceptional care and support of seniors.
Independent living offers a carefree lifestyle for older adults who want to enjoy retirement with ease. Senior independent living facilities provide a variety of convenient services and amenities, including prepared meals, transportation, social activities, and housekeeping.
Unlike assisted living, independent senior living doesn't provide help with personal care, like bathing or toileting. In fact, seniors at independent living facilities are generally active, healthy, and able to live on their own, but may desire convenience and more social opportunities.
Independent living services vary from one community to the next. However, independent living facilities focus on providing hassle-free living and building community in a senior-friendly environment.
While amenities vary from one community to the next, independent living facilities may feature:
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Independent living allows older adults to pursue a more relaxed lifestyle without the responsibilities of home ownership and other daily chores. It offers convenience in a social, senior-friendly community. Adults who choose to live in an independent living retirement community are able to spend more time exploring interests and connecting with friends and loved ones. In fact, independent living offers several perks for active, retired seniors.
Household maintenance and chores can be a burden for aging adults. While some may find cooking or gardening therapeutic, other housework — such as bending over to clean floors or climbing ladders to change lightbulbs — can be time-consuming and may lead to unnecessary injuries.
Independent senior living residents don't need to worry about lawn maintenance, home repairs, or housekeeping. Along with a wide range of amenities, these services are key benefits of independent living along with restaurant-style dining, help with errands, and transportation services.
Older adults who live on their own may not want to spend time cooking healthy, nutritious meals for one. Even those who enjoy cooking may find daily meal preparation a burden.
Independent living communities typically provide three meals each day in a common dining room. Menus are developed with senior nutritional needs in mind, and cater to different dietary restrictions. Snacks and drinks may also be offered in all-inclusive facilities.
Dining at an independent living facility can be a social experience for those who enjoy sharing good conversation over meals. It provides opportunities to catch up with friends and make meaningful connections.
However, some senior independent living apartments are equipped with full or partial kitchens for residents who enjoy cooking, want to host dinner guests, or simply prefer to have a quiet, private meal.
Nearly 13.8 million seniors age alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While living alone doesn't necessarily lead to loneliness, certain factors may make it more difficult for older adults to stay connected with loved ones. Chronic conditions, mobility impairment, lack of transportation, and changes in family dynamics — such as divorce or loss of loved ones — may contribute to senior isolation. Loneliness and isolation may worsen health conditions and increase the risk of cognitive decline in seniors.
Independent living provides older adults with a built-in community of people at a similar stage of life. Shared amenities and a variety of make it easy for residents to engage with others and meet new friends.
Older adults who are active and engaged tend to live happier, fuller lives. However, issues like limited mobility and lack of transportation may be barriers for aging adults who want to stay social.
An independent living lifestyle offers a variety of social activities to appeal to many tastes and preferences. Planned events focus on different aspects of wellness — physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Residents interested in connecting with like-minded people enjoy movie nights, fitness classes, book clubs, transportation to religious services and outings to theaters, and more.
While amenities vary from one community to the next, many residents find independent living facilities encourage seniors to stay active, healthy, and engaged without the need to go far.
Falls are a major health risk for older adults, often leading to serious head and hip injuries. In fact, nearly 3 million adults end up at emergency rooms each year because of fall injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Many things contribute to an increased risk of falls in seniors, including mobility impairments and home hazards. But, in some cases, it may be too costly to adapt a home to make it safe and accessible.
Independent living apartments are designed with seniors in mind. Common areas and apartment units come with accessibility features to cater to different levels of physical ability. These often include wide doorways, low thresholds, well-lit spaces, handrails, walk-in showers and tubs, and more.
Many independent living facilities also have staff available 24 hours a day to assist residents in case of an emergency. Some may offer each resident a personal emergency response device or have emergency alert systems in apartment units so seniors can get help at the push of a button.
Older adults are at increased risk of car accidents. While some independent living residents may choose to continue to drive, they may also rely on the convenience of scheduled, complimentary transportation services provided by many communities for outings, medical appointments, shopping, and other errands.
Moving to an independent living facility doesn't mean you need to say goodbye to furry friends. Many communities allow pets. However, some may have rules and restrictions related to the types, size, and number of pets.
If you're planning to bring a pet to live with you at an independent living community, be sure to ask about their pet policy and fees.
Many independent living retirement communities are all-inclusive. This means the monthly base rent fee covers housing, utilities, meals, and amenities. An all-inclusive independent living arrangement allows residents to spend less time managing and paying bills and more time enjoying life.
Older adults have many options when it comes to retirement living. Before choosing a community, it's important to understand your options, assess your needs and preferences, and compare retirement community costs.
Both independent living and assisted living communities offer secure, senior-friendly housing and amenities, along with social activities, outings, and dining options. However, independent living and assisted living differ when it comes to help with personal care.
Independent living is for older adults who can perform activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and toileting, on their own. Unlike seniors in assisted living, independent living residents don't need daily help with hygiene, medication management, or bed transfers. They are able to live independently, but prefer the convenience and sense of community offered by independent living facilities.
Active adult communities are for people 55 and older. These communities usually have age restrictions, and offer a quiet, child-free environment along with features that appeal to active adults. Amenities may include golf courses, pools, tennis courts, clubhouses, and fitness centers. Active adult communities are often located near shops, restaurants, and other attractions for convenience.
Active adult communities may be right for seniors who are interested in downsizing or who want to reduce the upkeep of their home. These communities often offer lawn and landscaping services and exterior home maintenance. However, unlike independent living facilities, active adult communities typically don't provide services like housekeeping, laundry, meals, or transportation.
Like independent living facilities, senior apartments are designed for accessibility, with like elevators, handrails in bathrooms, and wide doorways.
In some cases, senior apartments' rental fees may include utilities, maintenance, and security. Senior apartments are usually low-cost options for older adults who aren't looking for luxury amenities. They offer a no-frills housing solution for seniors who want to live independently but don't want the stress of home ownership.
Unlike independent living facilities, senior apartments typically don't provide housekeeping, laundry, transportation, or meal services.
|Assisted Living
|Independent Living
|Active Adult Communities
|Senior Apartments
|Exterior home maintenance
|Accessibility and senior-friendly features and design
|Fitness center or gym
|24-hour staff to help with emergencies
|Complimentary transportation
|Meal services
|Social activities and outings
|Medication management
|Help with personal care and mobility
Independent senior living is a great option for older adults who are generally healthy and active. Independent living residents don't need medical assistance or help with personal care. However, they may be interested in living in a secure community where they can develop new connections with peers, participate in social events and outings, and enjoy the perks of maintenance-free living.
Ask yourself these questions to decide if independent living is right for you:
If you answered "yes" to most of the questions above, independent living may be right for you. Contact our Senior Living Advisors to discuss your senior living preferences and receive a list of personalized options that match your needs.
Combining independent senior living with home care may be an option for older adults who experience changes in health and care needs. In-home caregivers come to seniors' homes to provide a variety of services that may include help with mobility, personal care, medication management, and more. Home care may allow seniors to remain in independent living and maintain their freedom while receiving the help they need.
However, it's important to consider how much help is needed when calculating home care costs. Home care agencies typically charge by the hour and may require a minimum of several contracted hours a week. The fee is also calculated based on the types of services provided.
Continuing care retirement communities, or CCRCs, are another option for older adults who anticipate needing help with personal care — like dressing, bathing, or toileting — as they age. CCRCs offer a continuum of care for seniors as their needs change. Seniors in CCRCs may start in independent living and may eventually transfer to assisted living or memory care within the same community, as their health and medical needs evolve.
While other retirement communities may also offer different levels of senior care, only those designated as CCRCs offer skilled nursing care and a variety of medical services onsite. This type of community may be a good option for couples who have different care needs.Back to top
Independent living costs vary based on many factors, including location, amenities, the types of services provided, and size of accommodations. The monthly median cost of senior independent living in the U.S. is $2,552.
Most independent living communities are all-inclusive. This means the base rent covers most amenities and services, including:
As you research potential independent living communities, it's important to ask about extra costs, such as admission, carport, and pet fees. In some cases, independent living facilities may charge for meals or housekeeping separately.
Be sure to ask questions to thoroughly understand what your monthly rent covers. If you're planning to live with someone, like a spouse or friend, it may cost extra. Additionally, you may have to pay separately for certain outings, haircuts, laundry, and spa services.
When choosing an independent living community, also consider:
Independent living is often more affordable than other senior living options. This is because independent living facilities don't provide help with daily personal care or medical assistance.
Once you've chosen an independent living community that meets your needs and matches your lifestyle, preferences, and budget, it's time to consider how to afford it. When it comes to financing independent living, Medicaid and Medicare aren't options, but there are other ways to pay for retirement living.
Independent living communities come in all shapes and sizes to fit seniors' preferences and budgets. While some may be large, resort-like communities, others might be smaller retirement homes with fewer services or amenities.
When choosing an independent living facility, start by considering:
Moving to an independent living facility can be an emotional experience. Downsizing and packing may be stressful, overwhelming, and time-consuming, and you may be dealing with liquidating assets or selling a home while planning to move.
Taking a step-by-step approach can ease anxiety and make the move smoother.
While it's normal to feel nostalgic about moving, it's also important to have a practical, positive outlook as you plan for your new, simplified lifestyle. Remember, downsizing means less maintenance and more freedom to enjoy life's experiences.
If you're stressed about moving day, plan ahead and consider finding expert assistance to help with this major transition. A senior move manager specializes in helping seniors downsize, relocate, and move. Delegating what can be an emotional task may help reduce anxiety and stress.
Start with these tips to make moving a little easier. Also, remember to:
With so many options and factors to consider, you may want help determining whether or not an independent living community is right for you. Our Senior Living Advisors can help connect you with independent living facilities in your area. These local senior living experts are available to understand your needs and expectations and help assess your financial resources to find personalized senior living options for you.Back to top
Independent living facilities offer convenient, hassle-free living in a social environment for seniors who are active, healthy, and able to live on their own.
The score shown is the overall experience rating which is an average of the reviews submitted for those communities. The overall experience rating is a star rating that ranges from 1 being the lowest to 5 being the highest.
Below are the 52 largest cities grouped by their metropolitan area.
Top states for Independent Living


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Hamidi Superior Men 50ml Water Perfume
Hamidi Superior Men 50ml Water Perfume
Long-Lasting, Luxuries Fragrance Water Perfumes Ascent is an impression beyond the concept of time and space, opening gates to other realms. Sold Directly By Sterling Perfumes, House of Hamidi. 100% Authentic & Genuine Product – Made in Dubai
Top Notes: Aromatic Woody Scent Bergamot Pink Pepper Grapefruit
Middle Notes: Geranium Pepper Lavender
Base Notes: Patchouli Vetiver Cashmeran
Derived by the word 'Hamid', Hamidi Oud & Perfumes has decades of expertise in manufacturing some of the most intricate and exquisite Oriental fragrances. This brand is dedicated to oriental perfumery and appeals to the modern enthusiast who is deeply intrigued by the mysticism of Arabic perfumery and traditional values. Products include a wide range of Pure Dehn El Ouds, a variety of Agarwoods and Mukhalats, concentrated perfume oils, water perfumes, deodorants, burning essences and air fresheners. Further the brand classifies into sub brands – Tayyib, Deluxe Collection and Feah.
Hamidi oud and perfumes showcases the finest oriental fragrances presented in ornate bottles and spectacular packaging. A selection that celebrates the beauty of Arabic culture and heritage and caters to an infinite group of individuals.
Note: This is an export product only.


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History of WCMI and
This history was provided by the station for a 1989 WVBA book.
A conditional grant was obtained December 30, 1946 from the Federal Communications Commission by WCMI, "one of the Nunn Stations", to build and operate a new Frequency Modulation station at Ashland, Kentucky on 93.7 megacycles with power of 4.4 kw Effective Radiated Power. Ownership was Ashland Broadcasting Company, headed by President Gilmore N. Nunn. This authorization was subject to further review and approval of engineering details. The "Class B" FM station was granted a construction permit in late 1947 along with the call letters WCMI-FM.
In early October 1948, WCMI-FM took to the FM airwaves from studios at 120 South 20th Street, Ashland, Kentucky with a 190 foot tower located at 47th and Clay Streets. It duplicated fully the AM program schedule, including network programming. Charles C. Warren was station manager. On June 14, 1949, WCMI-FM was licensed by the FCC for 4.1 kw power—still broadcasting on 93.7 megacycles. Power was raised to 4.3 kw in late 1949. In the fall of 1953, WCMI-FM along with its AM sister station were purchased from Gilmore N. Nunn and his father J. Lindsay Nunn by the Great Trail's Broadcasting Corporation (of Ohio)—Charles Sawyer was president and treasurer of the firm which acquired 70 percent interest in The Ashland Broadcasting Company for $140,000. Gilmore N. Nunn retained 25 percent interest with five percent interest shared among several employees as gifts. FCC approval came on August 19, 1953.
Power of WCMI-FM was reduced to 4.1 kw ERP in 1953. Station manager Charles C. Warren died on December 5, 1953. His replacement in 1954 was Whitney R. Martin. In 1955, WCMI-FM, still duplicating the WCMI program schedule on the FM band, reduced power to 2.75 KW. The station, in a corporate change, was transferred to the Edwina Broadcasting Company in August of 1956. George H. Clinton was president and majority owner of Edwina. Mr. Clinton then named W. R. Martin to the post of general manager of the WCMI stations. (Clinton was one of the earlier presidents of the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, serving in 1949-50). WCMI Radio Inc. (Frederick Gregg Jr., president and principal owner) acquired both WCMI and WCMI-FM for $69,285 in a sale gaining FCC sanction October 29, 1958. Henry G. Grad then succeeded W. R. Martin as general manager and William Pierce was appointed station manager, a newly created position. In February 1959, both WCMI-FM and WCMI dropped their CBS network affiliations; opting then for independent operation. By 1959, the station maintained a remote studio in nearby Huntington. Main studios continued to be located at 120 20th Street in Ashland.
WCMI Inc. (owned by President Donald J. Horton along with G. D. Kincaid) acquired WCMI-FM February 1, 1960 for $163,000 (the price included the AM facility as well!). The license transfer garnered FCC sanction December 22, 1959. The pair had varying interests in two other Kentucky stations and a radio station in Orlando, Florida. O. C. Halyard Jr. was named by the new owners as WCMI-FM's new General manager in 1960. The stations rejoined the CBS Radio Network March 1, 1960. WCMI-FM's ownership was reorganized December 22, 1960 when WCMI Inc. came under the control of the Bluegrass Broadcasting Company. Ralph Worster was President and 11.4 percent owner. The station was still broadcasting with 2.75 kw from a 190 foot antenna tower, duplicating the AM program schedule. In 1963, Donald Horton and G. D. Kincaid sold their interest in WCMI Inc. to majority owners of the Bluegrass Broadcasting Company.
O. C. Halyard Jr. rose to vice president and general manager in early 1964. By mid-1964, WCMI-FM was operating 19 hours daily. At this time it continued to maintain an auxiliary studio in downtown Huntington. A construction permit was granted by the FCC February 12, 1965 for WCMI-FM to increase ERP from 2.75 KW (190 foot antenna height) to 50 kw (170 foot antenna height). Also in 1965, the station began multiplex stereo operation and Ronald R. Nickell succeeded Halyard as general manager. Power rose to 50 kw in early 1966. The FCC licensed the station on March 25, 1966 covering the raise in power and the installation of a new transmitter.
WCMI-FM (and its AM counterpart) were acquired effective July 1, 1966, by Charbert Industries Inc. for $325,000. FCC approval came on June 10, 1966. The firm was owned by Robert E. Levinson (50 percent) and by Charles B. Levinson (50 percent). Under the new ownership, W. Richard Martin was appointed WCMI-FM's new general manager. In 1967, the 50 kw stereo station began full time separate programming and dropped its duplication of the WCMI-AM program schedule. WCMI-FM affiliated with the new American FM Radio Network on January 1, 1968, the inaugural date of ABC's new four network service.
Two simultaneous transfers were approved by the FCC on November 2, 1970. First, WCMI and WCMI-FM were acquired from Charbert Industries Inc. by the Greater Ashland Broadcasting Corporation (O. W. Myers, President et al). While the new owners retained WCMI, WCMI-FM was spun off to Stereo 94, Inc., a new firm organized by W. Richard Martin, WCMI's general manager. Mr. Martin paid $50,000 for the FM station, and changed its call letters to WAMX-FM on November 20, 1970. On December 1, 1970, WAMX-FM became the property of Stereo 94, Inc. Mr. Martin then became both president and general manager. Its ABC/FM Network affiliation was then terminated. Earlier on November 17, 1970 WAMX-FM was granted an FCC permit to change transmitting location to Musser Lane and Terrapin Ridge Road, 4.3 miles SSE of Ashland, install a 400 foot antenna tower there, and allowed remote control operation of its transmitter from the studio site. This was amended April 27, 1971 to specify a move of WAMX-FM's studio to the Musser Lane and Terrapin Ridge Road site.
WAMX-FM joined the American Entertainment Radio Network in 1972 (an affiliation acquired from WCMI). It had formerly operated as an independent. In 1972, the station began using its new 405 foot antenna tower. It was now airing a "middle-of-the-road" music format. In 1974, this changed to a new stereo "Contemporary" Top 40 music format. On January 10, 1979, the station was granted an FCC permit to reduce ERP from 50 kw to 31 kw (horizontal and vertical polarization) and to increase antenna height to 460 feet (horizontal and vertical polarization). The station's studio and transmitter location by June of 1979 was 1301 Morningside Drive, Ashland. Power rose to 66 kw (from an antenna height of 463 feet) in 1980. At this time, the station operated 24 hours a day. In 1981, the station switched to a "Top 40/MOR" music format and changed its affiliation from the ABC Entertainment Network to the ABC Contemporary Network.
Stereo 94 Inc. ("Dick" Martin, president and owner) sold WAMX-FM on February 1, 1983 to the Stoner Broadcasting System Inc. which paid Mr. Martin $1,750,000 for the FM station. The Stoner group owned WGNT in nearby Huntington, and the purchase of WAMX-FM raised the total Stoner station group number to eleven. FCC approval for the sale took place December 17, 1982. In 1983, Toufie L. Kassab, General Manager of WGNT, was given additional duties as general manager of Ashland's WAMX-FM. Richard T. Wilson became corporate vice president of the Stoner group of stations in 1983.
Studios were relocated in 1983 from 1301 Morningside Drive, Ashland to Suite 200 in the Coal Exchange Building, at 401 Eleventh Street, Huntington, West Virginia. In the same year, the station dropped its ABC Contemporary Network affiliation in favor of independent operation and the station switched to an "Album-Oriented Rock" music format. Power of the station changed from 66 kw to 50 kw (at an antenna height of 463 feet) later in 1983. In early 1984, the station switched to a "Contemporary Hit Radio" music format. The FCC on February 8, 1984 granted WAMX-FM a construction permit to change antenna height to 570 feet. This was modified December 13, 1984 to specify an antenna height of 590 feet. In mid-April 1985, Rick Wilson, Corporate Vice President, left the company. The FCC granted WAMX-FM a permit to double its power output from 50 kw to 100 kw (at 590 feet antenna height) on April 30, 1985. This permit was modified December 19, 1985 to allow for an antenna height of 741 feet (still authorized 100 KW operation).
Today, the station operates 24 hours a day on 93.7 mHz with a power of 100 KW from studios at 401 Eleventh Street (the Coal Exchange Building), Huntington, West Virginia, but remains licensed to the city of Ashland, Kentucky. The stereo adult contemporary formatted station, was sold by Stoner Broadcasting System, Inc. to Fifth Avenue Broadcasting, Inc. in early 1988. Owner is Huntington businessman Tom Wolf, with Joe Johnston, part owner named General Manager. (He had been Sales Manager at WKEE, Huntington.) With the ownership change, the call letters were changed to WRVC-FM in 1988.
In an email in 2008, John Davidson, now living in Florida, wrote the following.
In January of 1972, I was the first announcer to hit the airwaves for Hal Murphy at his new station WCAK-FM in Catlettsburg, Ky. It's a little fuzzy at this point, but the station was either 3kw or 5kw. I had an air name picked out, but Hal, bless his pointed head, forgot what the name was (and after all these years, I can't even remember what it was!) and introduced me as John Davidson when the station first went on the air. We did big band music from 6am to 6pm and country from 6p to 6a!
I was going to the Ashland branch of the U.of K. and majoring in broadcasting. By October of '72, I was fed up with playing Glenn Miller, Whistling Fred Lowery, Jonah James, Stan Kenton, et al from 6am to noon every day and went out and talked to Dick Martin at WAMX. We talked back and forth for a few weeks and I persuaded Dick to hire me to do nights at WAMX and let me program ~my~ music. The first three nights I was on the air, I pushed the music out as far (using my own album collection) as I could until Dick would call me up and tell me to back off as the music was "getting too rocky." I was programming the area's FIRST underground rock radio show. For the next month, I went to the edge every night and played music that I knew the kids in the area and the college students at Marshall would get into more than what the long time Top 40 stations, WCMI in Ashland on the AM side and WKEE in Huntington on the FM dial would play. Every night, I would leave Dick a note on how many requests I had and what they had requested (needless to say, there was a ~little~ padding in there! LOL!) One night in January of 1973, Dick came out to the station on Terrapin Ridge and told me that he had been advised that my program had gone from #11 in the market out of 11 stations on the local cable tv feed, to #1. He then told me that I could play whatever I wanted to play as long as I made money for the station (for decency's sake, I will not repeat what he actually said to me, but he finally had something he could sell to advertisers in the area!). From that point on, I was hell on wheels and did a full-blown underground rock radio show at night.
I was doing the underground/progressive rock format BEFORE any other station in the area, including Charleston. Our signal would drift in and out of Charleston, but it covered the immediate market quite nicely. You could hear anything from blues to Bloodrock, The Mothers of Invention, Blue Oyster Cult, Grand Funk, Alice Cooper and everything else in between. I even played Eric Satie (for which one listener, who was obviously floating above the floor in his house, called up and threatened to come out and "hang me and my car"! I asked him if he planned on wrapping a piece of string around the fuel line in an attempt to throttle my car! LOL!). It was a total free-form format, so the audience never knew exactly what was going to come up next. In early January of 1974, I went to Dick and asked for a raise (I was making $90 a week and did a shift from 7pm to 2am). He told me that he "couldn't afford to give me a raise", although he had gotten himself a new, top of the line Buick and the other two owners/Neil and Don had as well. He then told me that my show wasn't doing that well and I needed to soften up the sound to attract more female listeners. He must of thought that I was just some long-haired hippie kid that had lint between my ears and was too stupid to call his bluff. What he didn't count on was the fact that the station's office was there at the studio and the file cabinets were unlocked. I got my hands on the ratings book and went in to his office couple of days later and told him that I wasn't going to change my show as it would be physically impossible to pull MORE female listeners 18-24. He was quite surprised when I dumped a copy of the ratings on his desk with my ratings circled. In the immediate Ashland market (five stations) I had a 4.0 men 18-24 and a 1.0 women 18-24. The other four stations in the market, including WCMI, the Top 40 station had a whopping combined total of....0.0 in both men AND women! In the Huntington market, I was one - tenth of a percentage point of being third overall in the 11 station market at night and it was a fight between me and WKEE for the 18-24 demo. They did have more women by a small margin, but I OWNED men. I told Dick that he needed to come off the purse strings and give me a raise as I had done as he had asked, made money for the station. He still declined, so I walked into the control room and proceeded to cart all of my albums out to my car and told him that I wished him luck in finding someone who had as many albums as I did and knew how to put them together in a manner that his audience would appreciate, but I no longer worked there.
This timeline is taken from the wcmifm.com web site, which no longer exists. I do not know who wrote this so I did not ask permission and cannot acknowledge the author.
"Cascading over Kentucky, Overloading Ohio and Wailing over West Virginia with 100,000 watts of Music Power 94 WAMX Ashland Huntington," the classic Joe Kelly ID I loved. We had that one in the fall of 86. But they were all sweepers from Joe Kelly and SuperSpots out of Chicago. WAMX pretty much stopped using the sung jingles by early 85 and were primarily using the sweeps. They were trying to differentiate themselves from WKEE. KEE was leaning a little AC during the day. Thom Robinson the WAMX PD was attempting to make it a much cooler, hipper CHR. However the Arbitron numbers were still in KEE's favor hence the switch to a Rock based CHR approach starting in the Summer of 86 which also was a complete failure. Then came the full on AC with W-Mix 93.7 in early 1987 with no jingles or sweepers. It was truly awful. I probably shared far more info than was necessary. Then in 1988 Stoner sold it and it became WRVC and I left and went to KEE.


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Rumble Ramble
Established in 2015, Rumble Ramble is a platform used by wrestling fanatic couple, Evan and Caitlin, to discuss everything awesome in WWE.
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Introduction: Stuffed Pals for Lovely Gals
Here's a way to make an adorable little fuzzy pal, and in the somewhat altered words of Snoop Doggy Dog a la Lodi Dodi:
"For those who don't like it, eat a d*ck. But for those who with me, SEW that sh*t."
So you find yourself with a lovely girlfriend, but you live 236 miles away? Make her a plush friend to hold in your stead!
This isn't particularly hard to make, either. Just requires patience and time. If you hand-sew it for some dumb reason (like I did), then you can expect this to take at least 20+ hours. With a sewing machine, I imagine the process will be much faster.
You can make this with minimal sewing knowledge (basic sewing, making knots, tucking in/hiding knots, closing an opening) and relatively low costs (fabric, thread, and any sewing supplies you may need to buy).
Step 1: Design & Prepare.
First, make sure you know what you're going to make. Sounds simple, but all too often I start projects without a solid idea of what I'm doing. While that's not fatal or even problematic, it certainly helps if you have a clear image of what you're going for.
One very important thing to consider when you're designing your doll is that the entire doll has to be flipped inside out during its creation, so make sure you don't have any parts that will be impossible to flip. (For instance, the arms in this design was almost too large on the end.) On the other hand, it IS fabric so you do get some allowance with size.
Necessary Tools:
- Scissors
- Marker/something to mark the fabric
- Fabric glue
- Needle(s)
- Pins
Necessary Materials:
- Two kinds of fabric (try to pick contrasting colors for visual impact etc.)
- Felt (for facial parts)
- Thread
- Filling (fiberfill, old shirts, your annoying cat that won't stop messing with your project)
Optional Tools and Materials:
- Thimble
- Cardboard (for a pattern)
And of course, lots of free time.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE NECESSARY TOOLS & MATERIALS . (Hopefully that seems obvious to you)
Step 2: Trace, Pin, Trim.
Now that you have all the requisite tools and materials, it's time to make a larger template of your design! There's no picture for that particular step since it's entirely up to you what you make and how large you make it.
After you have your template, lay it down on your chosen fabric. Make sure the fabric is folded in half, wrong sides facing out, so you can pin and cut out both sides of the doll at the same time. Now pin everything down so it does not move around, and start tracing the pattern onto the fabric!
Done? Ok, now, make sure everything is pinned down, and start cutting around the lines, leaving about 1/4 in. allowance outside of it at the very least. Make sure you mark clearly the opening through which you'll flip the doll inside out, so you don't accidentally sew it shut. (Trust me, you want to make this VERY visible)
Step 3: So...sew.
Maybe not.
First of all, if you're not sure how to sew, I recommend this instructable to learn yo'self some sewin'.
Now, once you've learned how to sew (or if you already knew how), sew the two pieces together along the traced lines.
WARNING: If you used marker or anything dark to mark the lines, make sure you sew on the inside of the lines, or the marks will be visible when you flip the doll inside out!
Again, make sure you DO NOT sew through the opening for the inside-out-flipping process . (By now the more astute readers among you have probably discerned that this is something I do all too often...learn from my mistakes, people.)
Step 4: Details 1
Now that you have the base of the doll done, it's time to start adding some details!
Follow the procedures used for the doll base to cut out various details and embellishments for the doll out of your other fabric.
Once you have the pieces of fabric, either pin them on or glue them on (i prefer to glue) and sew around the edges to firmly attach it to the doll. If you do choose to use glue, make sure you leave an unglued strip around the perimeter of the piece so you can hide the knotted ends of threads under it.
WARNING: Be careful not to sew through both layers of the fabric when sewing on the detail pieces!
Of course, another way of doing this, and one that avoids the other problem altogether, is to sew the details on before you sew the two pieces of the doll base together. However if you're not careful that can cause the two sides to no longer be identical in size and shape after the details are sewn on.
Be creative. Be REALLY creative. This is the step that really makes the doll your own unique design.
Step 5: Details 2
Once your first round of details are done, it's time to add the final bits!
I added a heart and various face pieces cut out of felt. Use similar methods to the doll base and detail pieces to make the felt pieces.
Again, glue and sew.
Of course, you can always go without sewing too, as I did for the face parts. Sewing around it just gives it a nice look, I think.
Step 6: Stuff & Close!
Almost done!
Now just stuff the doll to your liking (use a pen or a stick if you can't reach the narrower bits).
You can really stuff with anything (preferably soft and inanimate), but fiberfill is nice, soft, and not very expensive.
Once the doll is adequately stuffed, you must sew the opening closed.
I don't have a picture for this, but let me give you a brief description of how to close up a doll.
- thread your needle, knot the end, and push the needle from the inside side of the fabric to the outside.
- making sure to keep the 1/4-inch allowance, thread the needle from the inside-out from the front side of the doll, and then outside-in on the back side of the doll. Continue until the opening is completely closed.
- tie a knot around the last stitch, and then make a knot as close as you can to the stitch. push the needle through the seam and out somewhere else to pull the knot into the doll, and cut the remaining thread close to the fabric so the thread disappears into the doll.
Now sit back, and bask in the glory of a project well done. Give it a name, too, to prevent future identity crises should they ever gain sentience. This one was named Zeke.
Oh, and of course, give it to the lady. I know, you want to keep it because you put so much work into it, but that's precisely why it'll mean that much more as a present. I know buddy, I know. Parting with them is always the hardest.
Also, if anybody would rather just have a doll made for them, I'd be happy to help. Feel free to message me and we can work something out.


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Airfoil for Mac Version 4.5 – Now Receiving From iOS and iTunes
Posted By Paul Kafasis on July 6th, 2011
Less than 8 months ago, we unveiled Airfoil 4, a major update to our tool to help you play audio all around your house. We didn't stop there though, and now we're unveiling Airfoil 4.5. This update brings two major new features to Airfoil Speakers, as well as other improvements, including full support for third-party AirPlay devices. Best of all, it's a free update for all licensed owners of Airfoil 4.
Read on to learn more, or just head over to the Airfoil page to get it now.
Send It Right to Airfoil Speakers
The biggest change in Airfoil 4.5 is actually found in Airfoil Speakers. Airfoil Speakers can now receive audio from several new sources, without even needing to use Airfoil. What does that mean for you?
First and foremost, Airfoil Speakers for Mac can now receive audio from your iOS device! Launch Airfoil Speakers, and it will appear in the list of AirPlay devices on iOS. When you play audio in an app on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, you can select Airfoil Speakers from the AirPlay list, and you'll hear the audio right on your Mac.
Send audio from your iOS device right to your Mac
Airfoil Speakers can now also receive audio directly from iTunes. You've always been able to do this by setting iTunes as your source in Airfoil, but now you can play audio directly from iTunes on Mac OS X or Windows, right out to any Mac running Airfoil Speakers. We've even worked with CatPig Studios to add support for sending from their Radium audio player directly to Airfoil Speakers.
Airfoil Speakers remains a complimentary add-on for Airfoil, but if you're using it on its own (without Airfoil), you'll want to be sure to enter your Airfoil license into Airfoil Speakers to ensure it's fully unlocked.
Enhanced Remote Controls and Metadata
Airfoil 4 added remote control support for Airfoil Speakers, enabling you to control supported sources remotely. With version 4.5, Airfoil Speakers can now remotely control even more sources – we've added support for Spotify, Rdio, and Radium! You'll also get album artwork and track titles from these sources, right inside Airfoil Speakers. To see the full list of supported sources, see this Knowledge Base article.
Note the album art and track titles, as well as the remote controls
AirPlay Too
Airfoil 4.5 also adds full support for third-party AirPlay devices, from companies like iHome, JBL, and many more. If you've got a certified AirPlay audio device, Airfoil will be able to send audio to it!
The B&W Zeppelin Air is just one of many supported devices
Get It Now
All these awesome new features and much more, and yet Airfoil 4.5 is a free update for licensed owners of Airfoil 4. You can download it immediately from the Airfoil page.
If you're still using Airfoil 3, upgrade to version 4.5 for just $10.
Finally, if you're a Windows user as well, be sure to check out the newest version of Airfoil for Windows, which has also shipped today!


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We hope that the majority of the web site is intuitive and easy to use however the following knowledge base topics may help you get the most from the site.
Click here to Visit the Knowledge base.
If you have any problems using the website please report them using this link to the support team.


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Noah wrote in, asking if we had seen these new Klein Heavy Duty wire strippers. Yes, but only online. I might order a pair from Home Depot to get some quick hands-on time.
The new Klein wire strippers, K12055SEN, look completely different from any of Klein's usual electrical tools. It's certainly unlikely any of the Klein wire strippers that I own, from the jaws, to the handle.
The new heavy duty strippers are said to be 4X stronger than other wire strippers, hence the heavy duty part. They can strip solid wire from 10 to 18 AWG, and stranded from 12 to 20 AWG.
Klein says that with this tool you can cut or twist up to 3 wires at once. You can also shear 6-32 and 8-32 machine screws.
The front jaw is knurled (cross-grooved?) for twisting, grabbing, and looping wire.
It's not very clear from the first photo, but there's a lock to keep the spring-action stripper closed for more compact carrying or storage.
Price: $30
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Buy Now(via Amazon)
First Thoughts
I can't shake the feeling that these pliers were inspired by Milwaukee's wire strippers.
Here's the 2nd generation prototype.
And, 2nd from the top, is Milwaukee's 1st generation wire strippers.
The new Klein handle grip looks to be a cross between their Klein Kurve wire strippers, and more standard ones.
You can buy the new Klein heavy duty wire stripper for $30.
Hmm, does this new stripper take the place of their all-purpose pliers. It seems that these all-purpose pliers were perhaps inspired by Milwaukee's design, with the new heavy duty stripper being more of an evolution.
But the heavy duty stripper looks different enough from past Klein and competitors' offerings that it might have been designed from the ground up. I'm not really sure.
Which works better? Are either pliers/strippers now made redundant by the other?
I've never found complaints with my Klein wire strippers, and if there was something they couldn't do, such as twist wires, I'd grab lineman's-style side-cutting pliers or something similar.
Thank you to Noah for the heads-up!