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Patent application title: INTERACTIVE SYSTEM
Paul Lapstun (Balmain, AU)
Tobin Allen King (Balmain, AU)
Simon Robert Walmsley (Balmain, AU)
Kia Silverbrook (Balmain, AU)
IPC8 Class: AG06F1700FI
USPC Class:
700 94
Class name: Data processing: generic control systems or specific applications specific application, apparatus or process digital audio data processing system
Publication date: 2009-01-29
Patent application number: 20090030539
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Patent application title: INTERACTIVE SYSTEM
Kia Silverbrook
Paul Lapstun
Tobin Allen King
Simon Robert Walmsley
Origin: BALMAIN, AU
IPC8 Class: AG06F1700FI
USPC Class:
700 94
An interactive system for playing audio. The system comprises an article
having a position-coding pattern and a plurality of different print
elements printed thereon; an optical sensor for reading a portion of the
position-coding pattern; a processor coupled to the optical sensor for
determining a position using the read portion of the position-coding
pattern; a computer system configured for identifying an audio data file
using the position determined by the processor; and an audio output
device for playing an audio output corresponding to the identified audio
data file.
1. An interactive system comprising:an article having a position-coding
pattern and a plurality of different print elements printed thereon, each
print element corresponding to a different audio output;an optical sensor
for reading a portion of the position-coding pattern;a processor coupled
to the optical sensor for determining a position using the read portion
of the position-coding pattern;a computer system configured for
identifying an audio data file using the position determined by the
processor, said computer system having a memory storing audio data files
for respective audio outputs, each audio data file being indexed with at
least one position; andan audio output device for playing an audio output
corresponding to the identified audio data file.
2. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the article comprises one or more sheets of paper.
3. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the position-coding pattern comprises a plurality of dots.
4. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein said position-coding pattern is infrared-absorptive.
5. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein the position-coding pattern identifies a plurality of positions on the article.
6. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein the position-coding pattern identifies an identity of the article.
7. The interactive system of claim 1 wherein the different audio outputs comprise different music outputs associated with the print elements.
8. The interactive system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator to enable a user to activate the optical sensor.
9. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein said actuator is configured to actuate the optical sensor when a nib is operatively contacted with said article.
10. The interactive system of claim 9 wherein the actuator is selected from the group comprising: a button, a switch, and a force sensor.
11. The interactive system of claim 1, where at least said optical sensor, said processor and said audio output device are contained in a handheld device.
12. The interactive system of claim 11, wherein said handheld device has the form of a pen.
13. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein at least one print element is a visual representation of the corresponding audio output.
[0001]The present application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/917,466, filed Aug. 13, 2004, which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/722,087 filed on Nov. 25, 2000, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,982, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
[0002]The present invention relates to devices for receiving machine-readable input and for outputting a human discernable output, usually in the form of audio or visual information. More particularly the invention relates to an audio player which may be used to scan or sense machine-readable coded data on a surface and to output audio material in response to the sensed coded data.
[0003]Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the invention Ser. No. 09/722,087:
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.
[0004]Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on Oct. 20, 2000:
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by reference.
[0005]Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on Sep. 15, 2000:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,679,420 6,963,845 6,995,859 6,720,985
[0006]The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by reference.
[0007]Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on Jun. 30, 2000:
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.
[0008]Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on 23 May 2000:
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.
[0009]Purpose-specific devices such as radios and audio cassette players, as well as more general-purpose devices such as personal computers and organizers, can be used to play back audio material such as music. Many of these devices can also be used to record audio material, such as voice dictation.
[0010]In general, these devices don't provide access to situated audio, e.g. to a music clip associated with a concert poster encountered at a train station, or spoken instructions associated with a page in a workshop manual. Each device must be used to seek out the desired audio material through a virtual space accessible through the device, or the audio material must be brought to the device in a device-compatible physical format.
[0011]The present invention utilizes methods, systems and devices related to a system referred to as "netpage", which is described in our co-pending applications listed above.
[0012]In one broad form the invention provides a hand-held audio player with a sensor device capable of sensing coded data. Images including coded data are sensed by the audio player and decoded. The decoded information is transmitted to a computer system which identifies one or more files stored on the system associated with the decoded data, using previously stored association data. The file or files identified are transmitted to the audio player for immediate playback or later playback under user control, either via a built-in loudspeaker or via headphones or similar.
[0013]Accordingly, in one broad form, the invention provides an audio player for download and playback of audio files, the audio player including: at least one sensor device capable of sensing images including coded data; a decoder for extracting data from sensed image data; a transceiver for transmitting the decoded data to a computer system and for receiving one or more audio files associated with the decoded data from the computer system; and at least one audio output device for outputting an audio signal corresponding to the audio file.
[0014]In another broad form the invention provides a method of downloading files, the method including: providing a plurality of files; associating each of the plurality with one or more identities; providing a user interface displaying at least one selection data, the or each selection data associated with or encoding at least one identity; selecting the or one of the selection data displayed on or by the user interface with a selection device; determining the identity or identities associated with the selection data and identifying the file or files associated with the identity or identities determined from the selection data; and downloading the file or files so identified to the selection device.
[0015]The audio player preferably has a memory and a screen for displaying information relating to any files stored in the memory.
[0016]The user interface is preferably a piece of paper and preferably the images including code are invisible, infrared absorptive tags. Other forms of display are possible, such as a screen or substrates carrying electronically addressable ink, such as E-Ink produced by E-Ink Corporation.
[0017]The audio player may communicate with the computer system via wireless or wired means, or by a combination of both.
[0018]The audio player may operate out-of-range of a netpage base station if it is configured to utilize an embedded mobile telephone transceiver, or if it is itself embedded in a mobile telephone which it is configured to interoperate with.
[0019]Each selection on the user interface may be associated with one or more files, for instance, a single track or an "album" of many tracks.
[0020]Preferably the audio player has a unique identity encoded in the audio player, to enable identification of the audio player and/or a user requesting downloads. If downloaded files are stored in memory the audio player identity may also be stored within or in association with stored files. Playback of stored files may be limited to the original audio player or audio players owned by the same owner. This validation may occur within the audio player or by transmitting information to the computer system.
[0021]Memory provided for storage of downloaded files may be fixed in the audio player or removable or some may be fixed and some removable.
[0022]FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view from below of an audio player according to a first embodiment of the invention;
[0023]FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view from below of the audio player of FIG. 1;
[0024]FIG. 3 shows a front exploded perspective view from above of the audio player;
[0025]FIG. 4 shows a plan view from above of the audio player;
[0026]FIG. 5 shows an end view of the audio player;
[0027]FIG. 6 shows a side view from the right of the audio player;
[0028]FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional side view of the audio player taken along line AA shown in FIG. 4.
[0029]FIG. 8 shows a perspective view from below of the PCB of the audio player;
[0030]FIG. 9 shows an exploded perspective view from below of the PCB of the audio player;
[0031]FIG. 10 shows a perspective view from above of the PCB of the audio player;
[0032]FIG. 11 shows an exploded rear perspective view from above of the audio player;
[0033]FIG. 12 shows a plan view of a page for use with the first embodiment; and
[0034]FIG. 13 shows a block diagram of the electronic components of the audio player.
[0035]Referring to FIGS. 1 to 11 and 13 there is shown an audio player 10. The audio player has a body formed of upper and lower casings 12 and 13 in which is located a PCB 14. Mounted on the PCB are an optical sensor device 16, an alphanumeric display 18, control switches 20, a volume control 15, a speaker 22 and a headphone jack 24. The upper and lower casings 12 and 13 are held together by screws 17 which pass through openings 19 in the upper casing 12, through an aperture 21 in the PCB 14 and into bosses 23 in the lower casing, so securing the two casings and the PCB together. The upper casing has an aperture 25 into which the display 18 and an elastomeric keypad 27 extend. A transparent window 29 overlays the display 18 and both the window 29 and the keypad 27 are held in position by a top cover 131. The cover 131 has an aperture 26 into which the window 29 extends, so the top surface of the window is flush with the top of the cover 131. The cover 131 also extends over the screws 17. The cover 131 is preferably affixed to the top casing by adhesive but may be a snap fit to the top casing. The keypad buttons 28 extend through corresponding apertures 33 in the cover.
[0036]The optical sensor device 16 includes an image sensor 30, infrared LED 31, a light guide 32 and lens 34. The near-infrared LED 31 may be strobed in synchrony with image capture to prevent motion-blurring of captured (tag) images. The image sensor 30 typically consists of a 200×200 pixel CCD or CMOS image sensor with a near-infrared bandpass filter. The light guide 32 and lens 34 may be integrally formed or may be separate components. The lens extends out of the body. The free end portion 35 of the light guide 32 is cylindrical and a force sensor collar 37 is slideably mounted on the cylindrical portion. The collar extends beyond the free end of portion 35 so that when the audio player is pushed against the surface the collar rather than the lens 34 contacts the surface.
[0037]The collar 37 extends around and behind the optical device 16 and engages a micro switch 39. The micro switch is biased to an open position; pushing on the collar against the micro switch 39 overcomes the biasing means in the switch 39 and closes it. When the force is removed the biasing means urges the collar outward and opens the switch again. A separate biasing means may be provided external of the switch 39 in addition to the micro switch's own biasing means.
[0038]The speaker 22 is located in a circular extension 141 at the top of the body and the top casing 12 is provided with a series of apertures 143 to allow sound to be transmitted by the speaker 22.
[0039]The extension 141 also serves as a battery compartment 145 and this is accessed by a cover 147 which clips onto the lower casing 13. Power is supplied to the PCB by a rechargeable or disposable battery 44. The battery 44 is located in the compartment 45 and engages battery contacts 149. The speaker and battery contacts are connected to the PCB by wire sets 151 and 153 respectively.
[0040]The PCB includes one or more processor chip 36, a flash memory/buffer 38, a DRAM chip 43, a transceiver chip 40, a compressed audio decoder 41 and an aerial 42. An audio digital to analogue converter 45 and an amplifier 47 are provided but not shown on the PCB.
[0041]The processor unit 81 controls and coordinates the various electronic components of the player. The processor executes software which monitors, via the sensor 16, the identity of the underlying page and the position of the player relative to the page; communicates the identity and position data to a netpage base station via the wireless transceiver 40; receives audio clip information and streaming audio data from the base station via the transceiver 40; displays clip information to the display 18; decompresses streaming audio data to the audio output via the audio decoder 45; and interprets user input captured via the user interface buttons 28. The embedded software executed by the processor is stored in the non-volatile memory 38, typically in the form of ROM and/or flash memory. Identity information unique to the player, as well as communications encryption keys, may also be stored in the non-volatile memory. During execution the processor utilizes faster volatile memory, typically in the form of a 64 Mbit (8 Mbyte) dynamic RAM (DRAM) 43.
[0042]Assuming high-quality 12:1 compression of MP3-encoded audio data, the player's memory 43 can hold 9 minutes of stereo audio. With higher compression ratios or more memory, correspondingly longer clips can be held. If streaming playback is used by the player, then only a small audio buffer is required to eliminate transmission jitter, and a significantly smaller memory may be used.
[0043]The processor unit 81 communicates with the other components via a shared bus 49. The processor, the bus, and any number of other components may be integrated into a single chip. As indicated in the block diagram, the integrated components may include the digital transceiver controller 51, the audio decoder interface 53, and the tag image sensor interface 55. A parallel interface 57 is interposed between the bus 49 and the buttons 48, display 18, LED 31 and contact switch 39. In a more highly integrated chip, they may also include the audio decoder, the audio DAC, the tag image sensor, and the memory. The analog radio transceiver is unlikely to be integrated in the same chip, but may be integrated in the same package.
[0044]Since the player incorporates a dedicated audio decoder 41, the processor only needs to be powerful enough to control and coordinate the other components. Alternatively, the audio decoder may be omitted, and a more powerful processor can used to decode the compressed audio in software.
[0045]The transceiver 40 is typically a short-range radio transceiver. It may support any of a number of wireless transmission standards, including Bluetooth/IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.11, HomeRF/SWAP, HIPERLAN, and OpenAir. Bluetooth/IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.11-1997, HIPERLAN, OpenAir, and HomeRF/SWAP all support transmission rates in the range of 1 to 2 Mbit/s. IEEE 802.11b supports transmission rates of 5.5 Mbit/s and 11 Mbit/s. HIPERLAN also supports a transmission rate of 24 Mbit/s in an alternative mode. Beyond these currently-supported wireless LAN (WLAN) standards, next-generation WLAN standards promise to support transmission rates of 100 Mbit/s and beyond.
[0046]The player may alternatively be connected to the base station by cable, or may utilize a non-radio-frequency wireless transport, such as infrared. IEEE 802.11, for example, optionally utilizes an infrared transport. IrDA also utilizes an infrared transport.
[0047]The player may alternatively or additionally contain a mobile telephone transceiver for longer-range communication with a netpage server via a mobile telephone network. If the transceiver supports a third-generation `always-on` packet-switched connection, then the player may download or stream audio content at will. If the transceiver only supports a circuit-switched connection, then the player may choose to connect (and potentially stream audio content) only when it encounters a hyperlink.
[0048]If the player incorporates a longer-range transceiver, then it may act as a netpage base station for wireless netpage pens and other netpage sensing devices.
[0049]Assuming 12:1 MP3 compression, the receiver must support a data rate of 118 Kbit/s. This is clearly well within the minimum capabilities of the various wireless transmission standards described above.
[0050]The PCB 14 may also be provided with a microphone 55 on its lower surface and the lower casing 13 is provided with an aperture 157 to allow sound to the microphone. A record switch 59 is provided to activate the microphone 155, also on the lower surface of the PCB. A record button 61 overlays the record switch 59 and is accessible via an aperture 63 in the lower casing. Preferably the button is flush with the outer surface or recessed, so as to prevent accidental activation.
[0051]The optical sensor device 16 is a netpage sensor capable of detecting invisible coded tags, as described in our co-pending patent application U.S. Ser. No. 09/721,893. The tags have preferably been printed using infrared absorptive inks. The PCB processor chips 36 includes all of the functional features of a netpage pen as discussed in our co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/721,893 for decoding sensed tags. This decoded data is passed to the transceiver chip 40 for transmittal via aerial 42 to a netpage base station, such as a netpage printer or a netpage-enabled mobile telephone as disclosed in our co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/721,892. Handshake and authentication between the base station and the audio player occurs before this occurs. Again reference is made to application U.S. Ser. No. 09/721,893 for a full explanation.
[0052]In the present embodiment of the invention a netpage 70 is provided. This page is tiled with invisible netpage tags 78 over some or all of the surface. For clarity only some tags are shown. The netpage 70 includes a listing 72 of audio files, available for downloading and playing. The files may be music files, speech files or other audio files, such as recordings of animal sounds or any combination of types of recordings. Each entry preferably has a summary of the entry 74 and means for the user to select the entry. This may be a separate selection button 76 or by "hyperlinking" the summary information 74 itself. Hyperlinking may be indicated by underlining of text.
[0053]A netpage consists of a printed page (or other surface region) invisibly tagged with references to an online description of the page. The tags may be printed on or into the surface of the page, may be in or on a sub-layer of the page or may be otherwise incorporated into the page. The online page description is maintained persistently by a netpage page server. The page description describes the visible layout and content of the page, including text, graphics and images. It also describes the input elements on the page, including buttons, hyperlinks, and input fields. The page descriptions of different netpages may share components, such as an image, although the netpages (and the associated page descriptions) are visibly different. The page description for each netpage may include references to these common components. A netpage allows markings made with a netpage pen on its surface to be simultaneously captured and processed by the netpage system.
[0054]Multiple netpages can share the same page description. However, to allow input through otherwise identical pages to be distinguished, each netpage is assigned a unique page identifier. This page ID has sufficient precision to distinguish between all netpages envisaged to be used in the environment of use. If the environment is small then the precision need not be as great as where the environment is large.
[0055]Each reference to the page description is encoded in a printed tag. The tag identifies the unique page on which it appears, and thereby indirectly identifies the page description. In the preferred embodiments the tag also identifies its own position on the page. Characteristics of the tags are described in more detail below.
[0056]Tags are printed in infrared-absorptive ink on any substrate which is infrared-reflective, such as ordinary paper. Near-infrared wavelengths are invisible to the human eye but are easily sensed by a solid-state image sensor with an appropriate filter. A sensor sensitive to the relative wavelength or wavelengths may be used, in which case no filters are required. Other wavelengths may be used, with appropriate substrates and sensors.
[0057]The user selects an entry by "clicking" on the hyperlink or the selection "button" and the sensor detects the tag(s) 78 in its field of view, decodes the tag(s) and transmits the decoded information to the netpage system via aerial 42. As an alternative to the collar 37, a separate selection button may be provided on the audio player to enable a user to select a link. "Clicking" the audio player against an entry or "button" involves pushing the collar 37 against the page 70 so as to cause the micro switch to close and then releasing the pressure, typically within a preset (small) time period. Whilst the micro switch is closed the image sensor device is activated and attempts to sense one or more of the tags on the page; the sensor is off when the micro switch is open to conserve power.
[0058]If the click action fails to successfully acquire and decode a tag image preferably the audio player emits an audible tone or message via the speaker 22.
[0059]When a selection has been validly made the audio player may automatically initiate audio download or streaming. Alternatively the audio player may ask for user confirmation, using the display 18 and control buttons 28. An invalid selection may also be notified to the user via the display 18 or via a dedicated LED (not shown). Communication may be via any netpage base station, such as netpage printer, or via a netpage enabled mobile telephone (see co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/721,892. The netpage system determines that the decoded information equates to a request for a particular audio file or files and transmits the file(s) to the audio player 10 via the same or a different path as the request was transmitted.
[0060]In the preferred form the audio file or files are downloaded in their entirety and stored in the audio player's memory 38. The audio file may comprise one song or track or multiple songs or tracks. Alternatively a header file may be provided with an index of songs or tracks with each song or track stored in a separate file. Preferably the audio file also includes information which identifies the song or track titles, track numbers, musicians etc. and this information may be displayed on the display 18.
[0061]In use, the user may use the control buttons 28 to select any tracks stored in the memory 38. The processor 36 accesses the relevant portion of the memory, extracts the information, converts the (usually) digital format to an analogue format. Audio is routed to the speaker, or, if a plug is present in the stereo headphone socket, to the attached headphones or other external audio device. Audio may also be routed to wireless headphones via the transceiver, either directly from the base station or via the player.
[0062]Digital audio is usually sampled at 44.1 kHz, i.e. at twice the 22.05 kHz upper cutoff frequency of the 25th critical band of human hearing. Slightly higher sampling frequencies, such as 48 kHz, are sometimes used because in reality it is impractical to lowpass filter the audio with a sharp cutoff at 22.05 kHz prior to sampling. With typical quantization of 16 bits per channel, a stereo signal therefore generates 1.41 Mbit/s, and this is consequently the data rate of many common digital audio applications, including, for example, the audio compact disc (if error correction overhead is ignored).
[0063]Because the typical 1.41 Mbit/s digital audio data rate is non-trivial, there is a strong incentive to compress the digital audio signal. The most successful digital audio compression schemes have a perceptual basis, i.e. they exploit the frequency-dependence of the threshold of human hearing, and signal-dependent masking, whereby a relatively louder tone can locally raise the threshold curve and thus mask relatively softer adjacent tones. Audio compression also typically relies on traditional compression techniques such as entropy-coding. In multi-channel audio, inter-channel redundancy is also commonly exploited. A much fuller discussion of digital audio coding is given in Pohlmann, K. C., Principles of Digital Audio, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 1995, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0064]The MPEG Audio Layer 3 (MP3) standard uses perceptual coding to achieve `near-CD` and `CD` quality reproduction at compression ratios of between 16:1 and 12:1, i.e. reducing the data rate from 1.41 Mbit/s to between 88 kbit/s and 118 Kbit/s.
[0065]Audio files may be compressed to reduce their size. Any compression algorithm may be used; however, the MP3 compression algorithm is, currently, an effective industry standard and so MP3 compression is used to enable maximum compatibility. A dedicated MP3 decoder 41 is provided for this purpose, the audio decoder 41 may be an STMicroelectronics STA013 decoder (STMicroelectronics, STA013 MPEG2.5 Layer III Source Decoder,). The STA013 accepts streaming data via a serial interface and is controlled via an I2C interface. Any of a number of other audio encoding standards may be supported via suitable audio decoders, including Dolby AC-3, and RealNetworks' RealAudio. The processor chip 36 may provide MP3 decoding by use of software decoding or hardware decoding. Other decoding schemes may be incorporated in the audio player together with or instead of MP3 decoding. These may be implemented in hardware or software.
[0066]The internal memory 38 is preferably 8 MB in size, enough storage for approximately 9 minutes average MP3 files. Additional storage may be provided using user replaceable memory, preferably non volatile solid state memory. Audio files may be downloaded to such user replaceable memory via the audio player 10 or via a user's personal computer. Where user replaceable memory is provided, the memory 38 provided for storage of audio files may also be implemented in user replaceable form, i.e. the audio player itself typically will have no permanent memory for storage of audio files.
[0067]In the preferred implementation the audio player downloads audio files, stores the file in memory and then plays the tracks under user control. Where the files are of significant size, downloading the entire file may take some time and so "streaming" may be implemented. In "streaming" the audio file is played as it is received, rather than once it has been fully downloaded. A file played via "streaming" may still be stored in the memory 38 for later playback.
[0068]The audio player optionally includes a microphone and a record button. It can then be used to record speech input, thus providing another kind of netpage input. Recorded speech input may, for example, be associated with a location on a netpage, in the form of an annotation, by clicking at the location with the audio player. Subsequent clicks at the same location using an audio player then cause the audio annotation to be played back. If the surfaces of physical objects are universally netpage-enabled, i.e. tagged with unique netpage tags, then audio annotations can be placed almost anywhere. Such audio annotations may be private or public. When they are private they may only be played back by their author. When they are public they may be played back by anyone.
[0069]When incorporating a microphone, the audio player can be configured to act as a wireless telephone under the control of a telephony application. Since the player lacks a user interface for dialing numbers, numbers can be selected from a netpage in the manner described in our co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/721,895.
[0070]An audio clip may be associated with a netpage in the form of a hyperlink, in which case activation of the hyperlink by the audio player is ultimately handled by an application whose responsibility it becomes to provide the audio clip to the player. An audio clip may also be logically embedded as an audio clip object in a page description, in which case clip activation is ultimately handled by the page server which holds the page description. Any click in the zone of the audio clip object is interpreted by the page server as audio clip activation. In either case the actual audio clip may be stored on a separate remote server, which may become involved in the streaming playback or download of the audio clip.
[0071]The audio player can download an audio clip activated by the user into its internal memory before making it available for playback, or it can stream the audio clip on demand from the remote server in response to the user interacting with the player's playback controls.
[0072]Some of the audio files downloaded will be commercially produced songs for which the copyright owners require payment. Since the netpage system incorporates owner and device authentication, providing payment is relatively simple.
[0073]Audio files may be downloaded upon payment for a limited or infinite number of playbacks. Where the audio file is limited to a set number of playbacks the file may include a counter which is decremented after each playback. One-time "playback" may be implemented by streaming, with code to prevent recording of the file or by use of a counter with an initial value of 1. To prevent piracy, particularly where removable memory is used, the audio file stored may be modified to include the netpage ID of the audio player 10 to which it was originally downloaded. Playback may be limited to that particular audio player or to playback devices owned by the owner of the original audio player. This second option may require interaction with the netpage system for authentication.
[0074]Payment for each playback may also be implemented each time the file is played, rather than by way of a single payment. In this scenario, when the file is played, the audio player transmits information to that effect to the netpage system for debiting of the user's account. Authentication from the netpage system after debiting has occurred may be required before the audio player commences playback.
[0075]The player typically incorporates power management. After a period of inactivity the player may inactivate the status display. After a longer period of inactivity the processor may enter a power-conserving quiescent state. Power management may be coupled with the tag sensor micro-switch, allowing wake-up on page interaction. The player may also incorporate an accelerometer for this purpose.
[0076]Whilst the invention has been described with reference to the netpage system which uses invisible tags, the invention is not limited to the netpage system or the use of invisible tags. If desired, the invention may utilize tags or codes which are visible to the average unaided human eye, such as bar codes. The tags need not merely encode an identity which is then used to look up the relevant files. The tags may encode instructions at a higher level. For example a tag may encode an instruction of "play the track entitled X by the artist Y". If invisible tags are used they need not be limited to the tags disclosed in relation to the netpage system. Other tagging systems are available and any suitable tagging system may be used. The invention is not limited to the use of inks which absorb certain wavelengths or fluoresce certain wavelengths. Magnetic inks, surface modification, including apertures, modification of the structure of the substrate itself all fall within the scope of the invention. The systems and methods to link the audio player of the present invention and the source of the audio files are not limited to netpage systems. An audio player may be linked by a cable to a single computer, rather than a network of computers.
[0077]The present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment and number of specific alternative embodiments. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant fields that a number of other embodiments, differing from those specifically described, will also fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments described in the present specification, including documents incorporated by cross-reference as appropriate. The scope of the invention is only limited by the attached claims.
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Patent applications by Kia Silverbrook, Balmain AU
Patent applications by Paul Lapstun, Balmain AU
Patent applications by Simon Robert Walmsley, Balmain AU
Patent applications by Tobin Allen King, Balmain AU
Patent applications in class Digital audio data processing system
Patent applications in all subclasses Digital audio data processing system
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—On a rainy Senior Day at Battle Field in Panther Stadium, the Birmingham-Southern men's lacrosse team capped off its regular season home slate with a 15-6 victory against Methodist University.
The Panthers, who defeated Hendrix in Conway, Ark., just 24 hours prior to today's game, move to 7-6, while the Monarchs, a first-year program, fall to 3-7.
Prior to the start of the game, BSC honored its five seniors: Connor Carman, Brad Cooper, John Gunnells, Peter Raffanti, and Josh Todd.
BSC jumped out to a 4-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game before Methodist got on the board at the end of the first quarter. The Panthers then out-scored the Monarchs 6-1 in the second quarter to lead 10-2 at the half. BSC was 4-1 against Methodist in the third quarter before the Monarchs scored three goals to the Panthers' one in the fourth, cutting it to a 15-6 final.
Freshman McHale Schneider led the Panthers with four goals, and also added two assists, while sophomore Evan Lalande had three goals and four assists. Freshman Thomas Grove led all players with 10 ground balls and 12 face-off wins, and freshman A.J. Clarke had two caused turnovers. Junior goalkeeper Conor Perine recorded nine saves in the first three quarters, and freshman Hank Harris played the fourth quarter and made two saves.
BSC closes out the regular season next weekend with two road Southern Athletic Association contests, facing Berry on Friday, April 11, at 4 p.m. ET in Rome, Ga., and Sewanee on Sunday, April 13, at noon in Sewanee, Tenn. If the Panthers finish as one of the top four teams in the SAA standings, they will host a first-round quarterfinal game of the SAA Championship on Saturday, April 19. Currently BSC is tied with Berry at third with a 3-2 mark. Sewanee leads the league with a 5-0 SAA record, followed by Centre, who defeated the Panthers last weekend, at 4-1.

subset: commoncrawl


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Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use.
Target 6: By 2020, all fish and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants are managed and harvested sustainably, legally and applying ecosystem based approaches, so that overfishing is avoided, recovery plans and measures are in place for all depleted species, fisheries have no significant adverse impacts on threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems and the impacts of fisheries on stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits.
Technical rationale:
Overexploitation, including that which results from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, is the main pressure on marine ecosystems globally, leading to the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem structure.
Global marine capture fisheries are yielding lower harvest and contributing less to the global economy than they could do under stronger policies to manage fish stocks in a way that is sustainable. The World Bank estimates that this situation represents a lost profitability of some $50 billion per year and puts at risk some 27 million jobs directly and the well-being of more than one billion people.
The main drivers of overexploitation, such as subsidies leading to over capacity, generally reflect governance failure at international, regional and national levels. Better management of harvested marine resources, such as through the increased use of ecosystem based approaches and the establishment of recovery plans for depleted species, is needed to reduce pressure on marine ecosystems and to ensure the sustainable use of marine resource stocks. For example it is estimated that the global fishing fleet is currently 2.5 times larger than what the oceans can sustainably support. However, models suggest that, for some fisheries, on average, modest (~10%) reductions in catch could halve the pressure on marine ecosystems while also contributing to the long-term profitability and sustainability of fishing.
(Where fisheries are already managed sustainably, no further reductions in fishing pressure may be needed, while in some areas greater reductions might be warranted.) Such a reduction in fishing pressure would substantially diminish the likelihood of fishery collapses. Other examples of destructive harvesting and management practices include bottom trawling and dynamite fishing, which physically damage marine environments, such as coral reefs and seamounts, which serve as habitats for marine biodiversity.
The specific target should be regarded as a step towards ensuring that all marine resources are harvested sustainably, are within safe ecological limits and that fisheries have no significant adverse impacts on threatened species of vulnerable ecosystems. Actions that build upon existing initiatives such as the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing could help to ensure this. Actions taken to reach this target would help to ensure implementation, with respect to marine living resources, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its 1995 Implementation Agreement of its Provisions relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.
Progress towards this target would also contribute to fisheries targets set during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development
and build upon the diverse approaches and tools agreed upon there: the Ecosystem Approach; the elimination of destructive fishing practices; the establishment of representative networks of marine protected areas; and time/area closures for the protection of nursery grounds. This target would also contribute to the Johannesburg Plan Of Implementation (JPOI).
In situations where fisheries are shared by several countries in a region, mechanisms, such as multilateral strategies, may need to be developed to allow for a coordinated approach to resource management. The programme of work on marine and coastal biodiversity is the most relevant to this target, along with the sustainable use cross-cutting issue.
Indicators and baseline information:
Indicators to measure progress towards this target include the Marine Trophic Index, the proportion of products derived from sustainable sources and trends in abundance and distribution of selected species. However, for several of these indicators, additional data would assist with monitoring progress. Other possible indicators include the proportion of collapsed species, fisheries catch, catch per unit effort, and the proportion of overexploited stocks. Baseline information for several of these indicators is available from the work conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Possible process indicators could include the incidence of cooperation with the scientific bodies of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations.
Possible milestones for this target include:
By 2012, Parties should have taken steps to address the management of fishing capacity for international fisheries requiring urgent attention, with priority being given to those harvesting transboundary, straddling, highly migratory and high seas stocks which are overexploited, depleted or recovering;
By 2012, Parties should have eliminated destructive fishing practices;
By 2012, Parties should develop or update national assessments of fishing capacity and national plans for the management of fishing capacity, in line with the Ecosystem Approach, in order to halve the pressure on marine ecosystems by 2015 and end overfishing in both domestic and foreign waters by 2020;
By 2012, Parties should have submitted alternative fishing plans that comply with the principles of sustainability (economic and ecosystem) and should have begun to implement them so that, by 2020, they are fulfilling their goal to eliminate destructive fishing practices;
By 2012, Parties have taken steps to address the management of international fisheries requiring urgent attention, with priority being given to transboundary, highly migratory and high seas stocks that are significantly overfished;
By 2012, Parties should develop or update national assessments of fishing capacity and national plans for the management of fishing capacity, in line with the Ecosystem Approach, in order to halve the pressure on marine ecosystems from unsustainable fishing by 2015;
By 2012, Parties should have taken all actions relevant to a responsible Flag State, especially with respect to its fishing vessels operating on the high seas;
By 2012, Parties have prohibited subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing through the implementation of a transparent and enforceable mechanism;
By 2012(2014), Parties have agreed, through appropriate Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, arrangements, or through the Food and Agriculture Organization, to collect, exchange and publish basic fisheries data necessary for the proper management of fisheries;
By 2015, Parties should have restored stocks to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield;
By 2015, pressure on marine ecosystems from fishing is halved at the global level;
By 2015, Parties should have restored XX per cent of fish stocks to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield;
By 2015, Parties are implementing measures for the sustainable management of bycatch and have reduced the level of discard by 50 per cent.
Worm, B, et al. (2006). Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services. Science, 314(5800), 787-790.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. (2009) TEEB for Policy Makers, Summary.
Worm, B, et al. (2009). Rebuilding Global Fisheries. Science, 325(5940), 578-585.
Target 31(b) of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation reads: Ratify or accede to and effectively implement the relevant United Nations and, where appropriate, associated regional fisheries agreements or arrangements, noting in particular the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks17 and the 1993 Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas;
Targets adopted in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation include: the application by 2010 of the Ecosystem Approach; to establish representative networks of marine protected areas by 2012; to put into effect the international plans of action of the FAO, in particular the International Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity by 2005 and the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing by 2004.
In particular Target 16 of the plan which states "To achieve sustainable fisheries, the following actions are required at all levels: (a) Maintain or restore stocks to levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield with the aim of achieving these goals for depleted stocks on an urgent basis and where possible not later than 2015" (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/WSSD_POI_PD/English/POIToc.htm).
Food and Agriculture Organization (2009). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2008. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Rome.
WTO Pledge 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Text.
Cf UN Fish Stocks Agreement, Annex I, Article 3.
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation paragraphs. 30-32.
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pipe lgc
someone for hospy?,or if not I will make him I bluish eye so then it will be for hospital:):):):)
Ohhhhhhhhhh, I always thought it was "U shoot friends" which is why I always team attack on USF servers. People who I've played with know this all too well. I either die, or kill my team.
haha Juib lol "USF" "United Special Forces"
You like complain about USF
Honestly Aztec and Pool day = Gayest maps ever
LGC Ready
cant compare PG to this, movement,aim,sound,medic,...so much more....shame that i have to play with 300+ ping :{
Does anybody have any idea how to use either Playstations Dual Shock 4 gamepad, Xbox 360s gamepad, or the Xbox 1 gamepad to play AA.Proving Grounds on my pc?
Or How do I get F12 to work on my Mac keyboard within the game
How can I use Admin privledges on my mac?
"Mortal men and women defending their own world. It's not about death, but life." - Raiden
Mortal Kombat!
never mind his name a reptile lol
venom was mine
Tsung 2nd
Raiden was my favs...
Hey my love
Ohh wow ! you guys still playing .
i work until 9 pm....at my store
bad boy you goo play ?
Pipeline was so cool yesterday evening, a dream to see 20 players on it. Hope we'll do it again soon :)
welp let me know, i will check back in 10mins
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Monday, February 25, 2013
I'm Working On A New Knitting Project
Posted by Shirlee at 12:27 PM 19 comments
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Dental Update, Blogger Problem Continues
Thanks to everyone who has offered me their good wishes & prayers regarding my dental problems. The endodontist returned my call yesterday & apparently the swelling means I have an infection for which he prescribed a week's worth of amoxicillin. He also told me I could increase my hydrocodone from 1 to 1.5 pills every 6 hours. The increased dosage works well but only lasts for 4 hours. I spend the remaining 2 hours urging the hands of the clock to move quickly so I can get another hydrocodone fix. At least things are getting a little better pain wise. The swelling really doesn't seem to be lessening very much though. I guess it takes time.
Last night I had John take a couple photos of me in all my swollen glory thinking I might share one with you. However, the photos of the swelling, along with no makeup, eyes red from crying, & hair pulled back from my face, were not what you'd call flattering; therefore, here's a photo of me in healthier times.
Posted by Shirlee at 11:04 AM 20 comments
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
IHKW Report ... & More
I'm a bit late doing my International Hermit & Knit Weekend report. In my post this past Saturday, I mentioned that I would be going back to the endodontist on Monday to have the second root canal infection treated. I wrote that I anticipated a simple procedure, quick healing, & little, if any, pain. Remind me not to anticipate things anymore. The procedure itself lasted an hour & consisted of drilling a hole through my crown, through the metal post it was attached to, removing the old root canal filling material, & treating the infection. The root canal was then filled with new filling material, the hole in the post repaired, & then the hole in the crown repaired. I wondered how in the world a hole could be drilled in my crown without damaging it but I figured this procedure has been done thousands if not millions of times throughout the world so I had no worries. However, the endodontist filled the hole in the crown with regular cavity filling material & told me I now need to see a regular dentist to have the hole filled with porcelain, if possible. If it's not possible, I will need a new crown. Isn't that nice? I just bought this crown last year & now I might need to buy another one?
Before the endodontist started my procedure, he said he was going to need to numb me (duh) & I asked him to shoot me with enough novocaine to numb an elephant. He stated that I probably didn't need a whole lot but thankfully he gave me a whole lot anyway & I felt no pain during the procedure. I was not even worried when I heard him say "I can't believe how long this root is" or "I need a longer file." I only had mild concern when he filed & filed & filed away at this second infected root canal, just like he did with the first one. It never occurred to me that I would have any problems.
We didn't get back home until quite late (6 p.m.). I was feeling a little sore as the novocaine wore off but it was nothing I couldn't handle. The soreness seemed to intensify as it got closer to bedtime & I decided to take one of the leftover pain pills that he prescribed for me after the surgery in January. I woke up yesterday morning still feeling quite sore. The soreness turned to pain. I tried to hold out as long as I could, wanting to take another pain pill at bedtime so I would sleep, but by 8 o'clock I couldn't wait any longer. I was feeling like my face was swelling & sure enough, when I got up to take the pain pill, I looked in the mirror & the left side of my face was quite puffy. I couldn't do much of anything for the remainder of the night because the pain got worse instead of better. I cried & cried & cried. The prescription stated to take 1 pill every 6 hours. I went to bed near midnight with 2 more hours to wait until I could take another what appeared to be useless pill. I couldn't get to sleep because of the pain & at 1:00 a.m. I got up & took another pill rather than waiting another hour. I went back to bed & must have dozed off for a while because I remembered dreaming. Either that or I was hallucinating. I looked at the clock & it was 2 a.m. I decided to try sleeping in the recliner. No could do. The second pain pill was as useless as the first one. The pain increased. The swelling increased. I cried throughout the night. I finally was able to doze off for a little while after the sun came up ... maybe 45 minutes or an hour.
When the endodontist's office opened, I called & left a message explaining how swollen I am & how much pain I am in. The receptionist called me back & said she is going to try to have the endodontist see me today. He won't be in until after 11:00 so I am waiting now to find out what's going to happen.
I must admit that I have a nice looking upper lip. I lost my lips several years ago. I had no idea it was happening. One day I just looked in the mirror & wondered what happened to my lips. Rather than the pouty, kissable lips that had always been there, I suddenly needed a magnifying glass to see the 2 pink pencil lines that replaced them. Sure, this lip is giving me a lot of pain right now ... along with it's friends nose, cheek, & jowl ... but it's nice to have a lip again. Here I am ... finding something good in the midst of a bad situation.
My IHKW was rather uneventful. I did work on my sock but ended up taking it apart & starting again.
Posted by Shirlee at 10:58 AM 16 comments
Saturday, February 16, 2013
New York City
Posted by Shirlee at 8:59 AM 18 comments
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
I'm Not As Stupid & Incompetent as I Thought!
Hooray! My fellow knitters on the Ravely knitting site have instructed me that yes, my shawl does have to be blocked which will make it wearable for someone other than a Munchkin or a mouse (Hi mouse!) so I have ordered myself a blocking board & will give that a try.
I learned to knit in the late 90s. I found out that there was a knitting group in the next town that got together at someone's home once a month. I was thinking it was once a week but no, it was once a month. Anyway, I called the lady who hostessed this group & she met with me one day to show me how to knit. She started me out on a dishcloth. I can remember sitting & working on that dishcloth, tears rolling down my face, sobbing all the while, until I got it right. Of course I didn't want to learn to knit so I could make dishcloths! I wanted to make sweaters & socks! I then got some yarn & a pattern & taught myself to make socks. I had one sock done & was working on the second when I attended my first meeting with the group & saw the hostess who was speechless when she saw me working on my second sock. Apparently knitting socks is supposed to be difficult. Well, no one told me so I just jumped right into it! I made myself at least a dozen pair of hand knit socks which I would wear & save to hand wash all at one time. One day I was sorting the laundry & apparently not paying attention to what I was doing because the socks ended up in the washing machine along with one of the piles of laundry, then in the dryer, & I ended up with a whole bunch of baby booties. This kind of bummed me out & I put down my needles & never knitted again until the interest was rekindled last summer at which time I started working on a shawl, had some problems with it & walked away.
Since my cross stitch PTSD continues to prevent me from stitching, last night I decided to start knitting a pair of socks. I've chosen to start off with a really simple, basic pair of socks to get myself back in the sock knitting saddle again, & so far, so good.
Posted by Shirlee at 10:11 AM 13 comments
Monday, February 11, 2013
Kill Me Now
It is quite shocking for me to see that the last time I did a blog post was 10 days ago. Along for the Ride really did a number on me. If I even walk too close to my stash, I break out in a sweat & start to shake. I absolutely cannot stitch right now. My guess is that if I were able to pick up a piece of linen, choose a pattern & threads, & sit down to stitch, I might be able to do it, but the picking/choosing/sitting associated with it all I just haven't been able to do. I'm sure I will stitch again. Could be today, could be next week, could be a year from now. It will happen.
In the meantime, I decided to knit something. There is no way I can just sit at night & do nothing. I chose to knit a shawl. I like shawls, & I could really use one when John & I sit out on the front porch & the wind is a bit too cool. I had some yarn I bought last year so I looked on Ravelry for an uncomplicated shawl pattern. This is the yarn.
Posted by Shirlee at 9:52 AM 19 comments
Friday, February 1, 2013
The Breaking Point
Posted by Shirlee at 8:44 AM 27 comments


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The Particulars
Harvard returns to Harvard Stadium Friday night for a 7 p.m. game against in-state rival Holy Cross.
The game can be viewed live or on-demand with a multi-camera video stream complete with replays and analysis from Harvard's broadcast team of Bernie Corbett and former quarterback Mike Giardi.
Series History
Saturday's game will be the 66th meeting between Harvard and Holy Cross in a series that dates back to 1904. Harvard, which enjoyed 36 consecutive home games in the series from 1904 to 1980, holds a 39-24-2 series lead.
- Download Complete Game Notes (PDF)
- Video: The Sights & Sounds of Harvard Football (YouTube)
- Video: Harvard-Brown Highlights (YouTube)
Harvard has won seven of the last 10 meetings and 11 of the last 15 although Holy Cross has taken each of the past three games played at Fitton Field in Worcester, including a 30-22 decision last year. Harvard has won five straight times against Holy Cross in games played at The Stadium.
Last Year's Meeting
Holy Cross came back from a 14-3 deficit as the Crusaders downed Harvard, 30-22, marking Harvard's last loss.
With Holy Cross leading 23-14 early in the fourth quarter, Andrew Zitnik picked off a Collier Winters pass at the 3-yard line and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown and a 30-14 lead. The mishap capped an afternoon of uncharacteristic mistakes for a Harvard team that scored on its first two possessions but saw the Crusaders answer with 27-straight points before Harvard got back into contention.
Winters finished 24-of-41 for 265 yards and all three Harvard touchdowns (one rushing). Chris Lorditch had seven receptions for 68 yards and senior captain Alex Gedeon led all players with 13 total tackles (eight solo, five assisted) including one for a loss.
Harvard's Last Time Out
Treavor Scales scored four touchdowns rushing to lead Harvard to a 45-31 victory against Brown in the 112th meeting between the Ivy League teams.
Harvard outscored Brown 21-14 in a wild fourth quarter that saw the teams combine for more than 360 yards of offense.
Colton Chapple passed for one touchdown and ran for another for the Crimson; Scales rushed for 136 yards, and Chapple finished his night 30-for-40 with 351 yards passing. Seitu Smith II caught eight passes for 92 yards and a score.
Patrick Donnelly completed 27 of 40 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Harvard, however, held Brown to 3-for-10 on third-down attempts and sacked Donnelly four times.
Holy Cross' Last Time Out
Riley Lyons's 31-yard field goal with 1 second remaining, following a Holy Cross fumble, lifted Dartmouth to a 13-10 victory in Worcester last week.
With 11 seconds left in a scoreless second half, Vernon Harris recovered a fumble by Sam Auffant, putting the Big Green at the Holy Cross 31 yard line. Alex Park's 17-yard pass to Ryan McManus set up Lyons' kick.
Holy Cross, which is 0-3 on the season and at home, took a 10-0 first-quarter lead, getting a 1-yard touchdown run from Eddie Houghton at the end of a 59-yard drive, the longest of the game. John Macomber added a 46-yard field goal.
Dartmouth, whose five-game win streak is its longest since 1997, got a 3-yard scoring run by Dominick Pierre and a 34-yard Lyons field goal in the second quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Ryan Laughlin, making his first start for Holy Cross, which lost Kevin Watson with a knee injury last week, was 21-of-30 for 106 yards.
Out of the Gates
Harvard has won its Ivy League opener in 12 of the last 14 seasons with 11 of the wins coming against Brown and the other coming against Columbia.
Current winning streaks in the Football Championship Subdivision:
1. Harvard - 11
2. North Dakota State - 8
3. Delaware - 7
4. Dartmouth - 5
5. 9 tied with 4
Conference Call
Harvard's nine game Ivy League winning streak is the second-longest such streak in the nation behind Lehigh's 14-game win streak in the Patriot League.
Harvard Coach Tim Murphy
In his 19th season as Harvard's all-time winningest head coach, Tim Murphy enters Friday's game with a 122-59 record with the Crimson and a 154-104-1 overall head coaching record, which includes five years at Cincinnati and two years at Maine. Murphy is one of just five coaches to win 100 games since the formation of the Ivy League in 1954. Murphy has led Harvard to six Ivy League championships (1997, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011). Murphy serves as president for the American Football Coaches Association this season. He is 12-5 all-time against Holy Cross.
Holy Cross Coach Tom Gilmore
Tom Gilmore is in his ninth season on the Holy Cross sideline, and he enters the game against Harvard with a 51-41 record with the Crusaders. Gilmore, who played at Penn as an undergraduate, was the 1985 Ivy League player of the year. He is 3-5 against Harvard as a head coach.


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Milk Frother Recipes
Turmeric Latte Recipe
As I've mentioned in the past, turmeric is known as a healing spice in traditional Chinese medicine. However, you don't need to feel weak to enjoy this delicious hot drink. I was able to buy fresh turmeric root at a local Indian market a few months ago and I've stored it in the freezer since then. After going through our freezer today, I decided make good use of it and prepared a turmeric latte. It's so delicious, soothing and relaxing, especially with the weather we've been having.
You could prepare this drink with the milk of your choice. If you decide to go with a lower calorie milk such as almond or cashew milk, you could add a bit of coconut cream, oil or ghee (Indian clarified butter) to the turmeric. A little bit goes a long way but it makes such a difference and adds extra oomph.
Full Recipe...
Matcha Green Tea Latte
I prepared my matcha green tea latte with the same procedure one would use for making white hot chocolate. The drink is made with a blend of lightly sweetened matcha green tea, white chocolate, steamed milk and heavy cream. You wouldn't want to drink this every day, but that's what holiday treats are all about!
This recipe can be modified to feature many different seasonal flavors. Peppermint, cinnamon and other spices come to mind. You don't have to go to the local coffee shop to enjoy holiday specials anymore; be your own barista and save the change for stocking stuffers.
Full Recipe...
Pumpkin Spice Latte
What's the cure for a chilly Fall afternoon? A pumpkin spice latte. I decided to make some today because the girls have the week off from school and they really wanted to cook. They wanted to make a pumpkin pie, but I thought it would be fun to take our pumpkin pie recipe and turn it into a drink.
I've had pumpkin spice lattes in the past that really only have nutmeg and cinnamon. I made ours with real pumpkin purée, and I sweetened the latte with condensed milk, as I do for cà phê sữa nóng (Vietnamese-style coffee).
It was such a hit. I served the latte in tall glasses, and as quickly as I poured it, the girls drank it. Sunny actually took to drinking it directly from the saucepan!
There's definitely going to be a big pot of pumpkin spice latte on the table for Thanksgiving. If you try it, I bet it'll be on your table as well.
Full Recipe...


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University Police Escort
What is the purpose of the Escort Service?
The university established this service with the purpose of increasing the safety felt within our community. This service was designed to enhance your safety and peace of mind if you must walk on campus.
Who is eligible for the escort services?
The escort is a free service and is available to all students, staff, and faculty members.
When are the escorts available?
Escorts are available at all times.
Who will escort me?
McNeese police officers will provide the escorts.
Can I have an escort from a parking lot?
If an escort is needed from a parking lot please call the McNeese Police Department at 475-5711, or stop by on your way to the lot. Once in the parking lot, please remain in your vehicle with your doors locked and your headlights on if it is after dark.
How do I arrange an escort?
Please call 475-5711 10 to 15 minutes ahead of time for an escort. You will need to provide your name, location, destination, number of people that need an escort, and call back telephone number. Escorts will be provided in the order requests were placed. Please wait for the escorts at the agreed upon location. An officer will be dispatched and respond as soon as possible. In most instances the officer will respond in a timely manner, however an emergency situation may dictate a longer waiting period for the escort. Please be patient.
To what locations can I be escorted?
The Escort Service will provide you with an escort to or from any location within any location on campus.
We strongly encourage you to walk in pairs or small groups especially late at night.


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Wifi SMS Communication Manager (Free) - See below for limits.
This app provides a web interface for SMS text message communication. You can send and receive text messages via your computer through your phone. They will appear to the receiving person as if you used your phone (new messages still appear on your phone). The app contains a simple web server running on port 8080 (by default). Configurable password protection for the website to stop others on the same network using or viewing your SMS conversations.
The web page layout is simple, with tabs for each person you are communicating with. No special plugins to download or special software needed on your PC! You can select a person from the contacts list from your device or enter a new number (enter numbers only). New messages are polled (poll time is configurable) every few seconds.
Messages are logged to a folder (.wifiSMS) on your sdcard.
Configuration options:
1. Port number to run web server on (8080).
3. Polling time (seconds)
4. Use Password? Y/N and Password value. If selected you must enter a password to access the web server.
Tested on the latest Internet Explorer, FireFox and Chrome on Windows 7 and Windows XP.
Note: Will only work if your computer (PC) and Android are on the same Wifi network. Please do not expect it to work across networks or through firewalls.
** The free version is intended for you to try the app before you buy to see if it works for you. New SMS messages are limited to sending 5 characters. For the full version look for "Wifi SMS Communication Manager" in the Android market **
免費玩Wifi SMS Communication (Free) APP玩免費
免費玩Wifi SMS Communication (Free) App
Google Play


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Delaware OSHA 30 Hour Construction
The Delaware OSHA 30 Hour Construction Industry Outreach Training course is a comprehensive safety program designed for anyone involved in the construction industry. Specifically devised for safety directors, foremen, and field supervisors; the program provides complete information on OSHA compliance issues. OSHA recommends Outreach Training Programs as an orientation to occupational safety and health for workers covered by OSHA 29 CFR 1926. Construction workers must receive additional training, when required by OSHA standards, on specific hazards of the job. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive an OSHA 30-Hour Construction Outreach DOL course completion card within 6-8 weeks. The 30 Hour Construction Outreach course is NOT equivalent to the OSHA 510 or 511 courses and will not meet the course prerequisites to take the OSHA 500 or 501 courses.
You will find supplementary materials available for download by clicking the "Materials" tab on the menu located within the course player. Other reference materials are available from the OSHA website; please visit: OSHA.gov
Delaware OSHA 30 Hour Construction Course Outline
- Orientation
- Introduction to OSHA and the OSH Act
- Recordkeeping
- Basic Safety Orientation
- General Safety and Health Provisions
- Health Hazards: Hazard Communication
- Health Hazards: Hazardous Materials
- Process Safety Management: (PSM)
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Fire Protection
- Materials Handling and Storage
- Hand and Power Tools
- Welding and Cutting
- ocus Four Electrical Safety
- Focus Four Struck-By and Caught in Between Hazards
- Focus Four Fall Protection
- Cranes and Rigging
- Motor Vehicles
- Excavations
- Concrete and Masonry Construction
- Stairways and Ladders
- Confined Spaces
- Lead Safety in the Workplace
- Use of Explosives in the Workplace
- Scaffolds
- Final Exam
ehsschool.com's Outreach training courses are accepted by OSHA and powered by 360training. Outreach Trainer – Matt Luman
30 Hour Construction Learning Objectives
- Given OSHA historical events and current information, the student will be able to explain the importance of OSHA in providing a safe and healthful workplace to workers covered by OSHA.
- Locate OSHA Standards references applicable to specific hazardous conditions and practices (Introduction to OSHA Standards)
- Recognize the aspects of 1926 Subpart C (General Safety and Health Provisions)
- Implement preventative measures for accidents in their workplace (Subpart D – Occupational health and Environmental Controls)
- Describe types of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the requirements for use in OSHA standards (Subpart E – Personal Protective Equipment)
- Understand the requirements for fire protection in the workplace (Subpart F – Fire Protection and Prevention)
- Identify types of rigging equipment used to protect employees (Subpart H – Rigging; Subpart N – Cranes and Rigging)
- Identify the critical health and safety hazards of welding and cutting in the construction industry (Subpart J – Welding and Cutting)
- Implement measures for protecting workers and equipment from dangerous falls (Subpart M – Fall Protection)
- Recognize the hazards associated with working in or around excavation sites (Subpart P – Excavations)
- Understand the safety requirements necessary to protect workers around concrete and masonry jobs (Subpart Q – Concrete and Masonry)
- Identify the precautions and hazards to protect workers using explosives or blasting agents (Subpart T – Demolition)
- Protect workers who perform jobs on or around stairways or ladders at worksites (Subpart X – Stairways and Ladders)
- List and describe the hazards and prevalence of confined spaces
- Identify common electrical hazards and related OSHA standards (Subpart K – Electrical Standards)
- Understand the importance of scaffolding for workers in elevated workplaces (Subpart L – Scaffolding)
Exam and Quiz Information
At the end of each module, you will be given a 10 question module quiz. You must score at least 70% on each module quiz to move forward in the course. You will be given up to three opportunities to pass each module quiz. Failure to successfully pass the quiz will result in being locked out of the course and not allowed to continue with an online training format for your outreach training. Once you have successfully completed all of the modules, you must pass a final exam to receive full credit for the course. The exam is 20 questions long and will test your knowledge on information covered throughout the course. You must make a score of at least 70% to pass this course. You will be given up to three opportunities to pass the final exam; if you do not pass it after three tries, you will be locked out of this course will no longer be able to take your outreach training in an online format. There is a 6 month time limit to complete the course package.
For more details Visit OSHA Outreach FAQ's.
OSHA 10 and 30 Delaware Outreach Program Overview
The OSHA Delaware outreach training online Program teaches workers about their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint as well as how to identify, abate, avoid and prevent job related hazards. OSHA training courses online authorizes safety and health Providers to conduct occupational safety and health training for workers. After OSHA safety training is completed, providers document their training and become osha certified Organization and student receive completion OSHA cards to distribute to the workers who successfully completed OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 training.
The OSHA online training course is requirements contained in any OSHA standard. However, some states and local jurisdictions have enacted laws mandating OSHA Delaware outreach training certification. Some employers, unions, and various other jurisdictions also require workers to have this OSHA training to work on job sites and to fulfill their own safety training goals. For a more details, visit OSHA.GOV .
Health and safety is a critical part of both OSHA 10 and 30 training. When employees are faced with job loss, it can be hard to fathom being able to worry about anything but finding another job. However, part of being an organization means taking responsibility of your workers so that they are able to get their OSHA health and safety training. By doing so, you are able to guarantee that your employees become OSHA certified. osha safety training certification helps organizations to grow as a professional and gives your organization that much deserved Health and Safety. Letting your employees' OSHA Delaware Outreach certification lapse is always a bad idea because it can open your company to a bombardment of lawsuits.
An expired OSHA 10 and 30 safety training certification isn't going to do anyone any good. With the accessibility and affordability of OSHA training courses online, you don't have to worry about the expense of traveling, attending seminars or courses. You can rest easy knowing that you have everything taken care of, and you will be able to focus more on the business side, which is what you need to be doing now.
OSHA 10 and 30 certifications is required for a variety of professional jobs. It's no wonder that so many people seek online osha 10 and 30 training every single year. OSHA safety certification is actually one of the most popular areas of safety training that people search for. Your organization relies on the valuable skills that your employees provide, and you need to protect yourself and your business by taking the time to track and keep your people's OSHA training up-to-date.
For more details please visit OSHA Outreach FAQ's


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New Posts and Updates
Contact Us
Chippewa Falls WI
Email at
Latest Stewardship Updates
One year ago the Lake Wissota Improvement and Protection Association (LWIPA) was challenged to raise $250,000 and partner with the Chippewa County Land Conservation & Forest Management Committee (LCFMC) to guarantee the continuation of the public/private partnership between the Chippewa County Land Conservation & Forest Management Department (LCFM) and the previous partner, the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. The goal, for the project, is to improve the water quality in Lake Wissota. By January 2018, through a fund-raising campaign and generous donations and pledges from Lake Wissota land owners, area townships, local businesses, civic groups and other community members, the goal was reached. The $250,000 raised provides a yearly $50,000 budget that pays for a water specialist/project manager, hired and supervised by the LCFM. The project manager, under guidance of an implementation team, leads and implements the project. The implementation team is comprised of LCFM staff, LWIPA board members, Wisconsin Farmers Union representative and local business owners. The LCFM provides services and oversight, produces a yearly budget and timeline for project completion, sponsors grants, and provides technical assistance.
Using the model developed for the Little Lake Wissota Stewardship Project, the project was expanded to include the Yellow River watershed and renamed the Lake Wissota Stewardship Project (LWSP). The LWSP set three goals: conservation on the land to reduce runoff, monitoring water quality and community outreach.
Caleb Meyer was hired in February 2018 to lead the program. He set the following priorities for this year: a) applying for grants such as Targeted Runoff Management grants that supply funds to reduce non-point pollution sources in watersheds, and b) completing an extensive watershed management plan called a 9 Key Element Plan for the Little Lake Wissota watershed. The latter is in its final stages of approval by the DNR. This plan is critical for obtaining competitive grants and will be the long-term management guide for the watershed.
LWSP has three goals and has been successful in working on each of them.
1. Conservation on the land to reduce runoff – Three sediment basins were installed to collect and infiltrate runoff before it reaches surface water. Four tree and shrub buffers were planted along waterways. A twenty-five acre wetland was restored in the Yellow River watershed. Acres in the watersheds were taken out of production and placed in permanent easements.
2. Monitoring water quality – Monitoring was expanded this year. Little Lake Wissota monitoring continued with Boy Scout Troop #75. Moon Bay area monitoring was continued and expanded by volunteers. The DNR trained eight LWIPA volunteers in stream monitoring for eleven sites in the Lake Wissota watershed. The monitoring for summer total phosphorus was done on Little & Big Drywood Creeks, Yellow River, Paint, Stillson & Frederick creeks. Little & Big Drywood Creeks were added to establish a baseline of current conditions to the Yellow River/Moon Bay area of Lake Wissota. The Yellow River is currently listed as impaired for total phosphorus. The other sites provide up to date total phosphorus levels in Little Lake Wissota. In addition, the DNR water quality staff conducted fish surveys at 15 sites in the Drywood watersheds and will collect macroinvertebrate samples at these locations this fall. The data will help show the
current health of the fish population and if the biology of the system is being affected by any impairments to the water quality.
3. Community outreach – the LWIPA and LWSP worked together to provide many opportunities to improve community awareness of water quality issues including: Canoes for a Cause tree planting, training water monitoring volunteers, initiating a Healthy Lakes best practices grant process. Caleb presented an overview of the project at the LWIPA's annual meeting and attended the annual picnic answering questions and talking to donors and provided speakers to three area non-profits. Signs about the project were also posted at completed projects.
What's ahead? 2019 preparations are well underway. At least five new watershed projects are being evaluated. There is a lot of farmer interest in potential projects and use of the CREP agreements to set aside cropland for 10-15 years is being encouraged. Chippewa County is in the process of hiring an agronomist who will work with county farmers. The LWIPA will apply for a Healthy Lakes best practice grant for at least 5 private property owners who want to complete projects on their lakeshore property next year. The DNR will target other sub-watersheds in the Lower Yellow River for further monitoring. Caleb will begin the process of writing a 9 Key Element Plan for the Yellow River watershed.
It takes a community effort to maintain and improve one of the Chippewa Valley's important recreational and economic assets. The Lake Wissota Stewardship Project thanks all our donors for enabling the program to continue. We are still soliciting funds for projects. Although public funding through grants is important, it is the private funds that can be applied more quickly. For instance, wetland restoration of a forty acre field in a critical area can be installed in a timelier manner through private funds.
LWIPA invites donors and interested lake area residents to attend a meeting at the Lafayette Town Hall on Wednesday, November 7, at 7:00PM. Dan Masterpole, head of Chippewa County Land & Forest Management, and Caleb Meyer will represent LWSP. We will be honoring landowners who participated this year and answering any community members' and donors' questions about the Lake Wissota Stewardship Project.


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Lab 8: Drought Mitigation Trade-offs
The lab activity described here was created by Betsy Youngman of Phoenix Country Day School and LuAnn Dahlman and Sarah Hill of TERC for the EarthLabs project.
Summary and Learning Objectives
In this activity students explore how to reduce vulnerability to drought risk through mitigation strategies. Students investigate one or more of four technology-based mitigation strategies by reading articles or viewing short podcasts and completing hands-on activities. Students make a presentation or poster to communicate their findings to the class.After completing this investigation, students will be able to:
- Evaluate the costs and benefits of drought mitigation strategies.
- Construct a physical model to illustrate the technology used in a drought mitigation strategy.
- Prepare and present a report to their classmates on one strategy.
Context for Use
This is a culminating experience for a unit on drought. Lab 8 turns the responsibility for background research, modeling, and evaluation over to student teams. The lab has students working in small groups and using common lab equipment.
Estimated Time Required:
- 1 class period to read and research
- 1 class period for hands-on activity
- 1 class period to prepare and practice presentation
- 1 class period to share presentations with class
Activity Overview and Teaching Materials
This lab assigns students to work in cooperative research teams of 3-6 students. Student teams are assigned to one of the following mitigation strategies and asked to present a report to the class.
Dams and Reservoirs
Students investigate the costs and benefits of building dams and reservoirs to mitigate drought. They use their physical model from Lab 2 to conduct a simple investigation to model dams.
Materials needed for hands-on activity
- watershed models from Lab 2
- clay
Cloud Seeding
Students investigate the costs and benefits of cloud seeding to mitigate drought. As a illustration of the strategy, they create clouds in a bottle to demonstrate the role of small particles in cloud formation.
Materials needed for hands-on activity
- clear plastic bottle with pop-up cap
- matches
- water
New Farming Technologies
Students investigate the costs and benefits of new farming technologies to mitigate drought. Students build a simple model to illustrate the strategy of drip irrigation.
Materials needed for hands-on activity
- 1- or 2-liter plastic drink or water bottle with a flat-surfaced cap
- hammer and a small finishing nail OR a hand drill with small drill bit
- serrated knife or tin snips to cut plastic bottle
- potted plant with in a 6-inch or larger diameter pot
- water
Students investigate the costs and benefits of desalinization to mitigate drought. Students set up a simple distillation demonstration to show the energy it takes to remove salt from water.
Materials needed for hands-on activity
- 400 mL beaker with 200 mL tap water plus 7 g salt
- hot plate
- ring stand
- glass funnel
- clamp
- one-hole stopper with bent glass tube
- rubber tubing
- 200 mL beaker
- watch glass
Printable Materials
This lab does not have any Stop and Think questions. You will need to assess student learning based on their contributions to the small group work and the product they produce to communicate their findings.
Teaching Notes and TipsAt this point in the unit students are well versed in drought terminology and the techniques for conducting simple investigations. For this activity students are grouped into small expert teams. There are 4 types of mitigation strategies to investigate so teachers should assign one small group of 3-6 students to each strategy. If need be, more than one group can investigate a single strategy. This activity uses a jigsaw mode of teaching strategies, separating your class into subgroups who will then report back to the full class. To learn more about cooperative strategies, visit the Cooperative Learning page on the Starting Point website.
Assemble all materials for the hands-on activities ahead of time. To supervise these diverse activities, designate one class period as the hands-on lab period. Students can conduct their activities and prepare the apparatus so they can share a demonstration of it during the presentation day. You will need to be moving around the room ensuring that all students are working safely.
For the background research you may decide it is best to print out selected articles for the teams to read and review in class.
Students will need to work cooperatively in preparing their presentation to share with the class. One technique to encourage sharing of responsibility is to create a template slide for students to use in PowerPoint or some other presentation method. Giving them the headings such as introduction, positive benefits, costs, negative impacts on the environment, etc., will help the groups stay on task.
Students should be assessed on their individual contributions to their group's successful project.
State and National Science Teaching Standards
Applicable California Science Teaching Standards
Investigation and Experimentation Standards
l. Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining and applying concepts from more than one area of science.
m. Investigate a science-based societal issue by researching the literature, analyzing data, and communicating the findings. Examples of issues include irradiation of food, cloning of animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer, choice of energy sources, and land and water use decisions in California
Applicable Massachusetts Science and Technology Standards (PDF - 1.3 Mb)
Earth and Space Science - Earth Processes and CyclesNone identified.
Applicable New York Core Curricula
Physical Setting/Earth Science (PDF - 135 Kb)
STANDARD 7 — Interdisciplinary Problem Solving. Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.
- Key Idea 2: Solving interdisciplinary problems involves a variety of skills and strategies, including effective work habits; gathering and processing information; generating and analyzing ideas; realizing ideas; making connections among the common themes of mathematics, science, and technology; and presenting results.
Applicable North Carolina Earth and Space Science Standards
1.02 Design and conduct scientific investigations to answer questions related to earth and environmental science.
- Analyze and interpret data.
- Communicate findings
Applicable Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
(10) Science concepts. The student knows the interactions that occur in a watershed. The student is expected to:
- (B) analyze the impact of floods, droughts, irrigation, and industrialization on a watershed; and
Applicable National Science Education Standards (SRI)
Science as Inquiry (12ASI)
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
- 12ASI1.6 Communicate and defend a scientific argument. Students in school science programs should develop the abilities associated with accurate and effective communication. These include writing and following procedures, expressing concepts, reviewing information, summarizing data, using language appropriately, developing diagrams and charts, explaining statistical analysis, speaking clearly and logically, constructing a reasoned argument, and responding appropriately to critical comments.
Understandings about Science and Technology
- 12EST2.2 Science often advances with the introduction of new technologies. Solving technological problems often results in new scientific knowledge. New technologies often extend the current levels of scientific understanding and introduce new areas of research.
Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges
- 12FSPSP6.1 Science and technology are essential social enterprises, but alone they can only indicate what can happen, not what should happen. The latter involves human decisions about the use of knowledge.
- 12FSPSP6.2 Understanding basic concepts and principles of science and technology should precede active debate about the economics, policies, politics, and ethics of various science - and technology - related challenges. However, understanding science alone will not resolve local, national or global challenges.
Additional Resources
This 2007 article from Southwest Hydrology is included as an extra resource in Lab 8C - Basic Cloud Seeding Concepts.
Pedagogic Considerations
If you are unfamiliar with having students working in groups, take a look at the Starting Point website on Cooperative Learning.


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[media-credit name="House Republicans" align="alignnone" width="495″][/media-credit]
A bill that creates a Colorado Rockies special license plate easily passed the House today.
Under House Bill 12-1295, by Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, those who want the plate would make a one-time charitable donation of $52.80 to the Colorado Rockies Baseball Foundation, a charitable organization that helps underprivileged and at-risk youth.
"Colorado Rockies baseball is important to many people in the Rocky Mountain West," Priola said in a news release. "This bill allows Coloradans to show their home team pride and help kids at the same time."
The measure passed the House 54-9 and now moves to the Senate. If the bill becomes law, the Department of Revenue may begin issuing the plate on Jan. 1.
Last year, the legislature passed a bill creating a Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets special-license plate after one of the best committee hearings ever. Those who wanted the plate had to make a one-time donation of $45 to Kroenke Sports charities.