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In 2018, every company is launching new phones from their respective brands. They are covering all kind of categories like from budget mid-range to flagship. But there is one thing which we want to point out. The phones which are coming to launch in the flagship category is for sure going to expense to buy. And the budget or mid-range smartphones are not good enough in terms of performance. So here is the idea, why not we look at the 2017's flagship smartphones because their prices are going down. Well, here is our Top 10 best value for money smartphones in 2018. Let's check out.
10. Huawei Mate 10 Pro
Huawei company is not well known in many countries but it is one of the largest selling smartphone company in the world after Apple. Then there is definitely something great about their phones also. In 2017 Huawei launches their flagship Mate pro 10. This phone is able to grab attention in the tech community because its being as feature packed.
This is a design apartment Huawei drops their old uni-metal body to the glass which gives the phone a very fresh look. And it round aluminum fits in hand very well. The display is also one of the major change. This year phone rocks 6 inches 1080 x 2160 pixels(402 PPI density) AMOLED panel. The display is not Quad HD and also loses some pixel density but it's not all that bad. It's 18:9 aspect ratio i.e, 80.9% screen-to-body ratio compensate the average display.
Hardware specification of the display is also very interesting. The phone comes Huawei's own built Hisilicon Kirin 970 octa-core processor with Mali-G72 MP12 GPU with 4 GB or 6 GB of Ram. As being a flagship its definitely not disappoints a lot in terms of performance. It easily performs every single task like quickly launching apps, playing high graphics games and ram management is also good for keep apps in memory.
Benchmark scores are also very good. In addition, Huawei offers a feature which you can connect your mobile with Television and it starts working as a CPU the same as Samsung Dex. Huawei designs newer interface for this new feature which is fluent to use.
Let's talk about the camera which is also one of the interesting aesthetic of the phone. The phone comes with a dual camera setup. Primary 12 megapixel(f/1.6 aperture) lens megapixels pixel(f/1.6 aperture) monochrome lens for better color production. Huawei is using Leica optics lens. Leica is a very well known between photographer community because of their very high-quality lens. The phone captures very beautiful images in daylight as well as low light. Leica lenses help to production the best colors and dynamic range in the photos. The camera is also loaded a with a ton of features like pro mode in which adjust every setting like shutter speed, ISO, etc to get the best shot. 8 megapixel(f/2.0 aperture) camera is also very good for taking selfies.
The phone comes Huawei AI technology. In which you can perform some very intelligent tasks like phone understand what the camera is looking at gives the result according to that. Like for example there is a text written in China and you are not able to read it just point the camera at that image and it will show you the English translation of the text isn't it cool. Huawei is also saying that the phone itself learns the functionality as the way you uses them for the phone. It's definitely a feature to look forward in the future.
In terms of software, phones come with Android Oreo out of the box with Huawei's own custom UI called EMUI. The software is packed with features. There is one important thing which is worth mentioning that there is no headphone jack present in the phone so if you are who love to use headphones to listen to music in your phone then sorry you have to dongle for that or else buy some new wireless headphones.
Mate 10 pro comes with the huge battery pack. The phone comes with 4000 mAh battery which easily lasts the whole day and even more depends upon your usages. Fast charging is also available in the phone which boosts your 58% battery in just 30 minutes.
|6.0-inch AMOLED 1080 x 2160 (402 PPI Density)
|Hisilicon Kirin 970 Octa-core (4×2.45 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
|Mali-G72 MP12
|64 or 128 GB
|4 GB or 6 GB
|Android 8.0 (Oreo)
|Rear Dual 12 MP & 20 MP and Front 8 MP
|Li-Ion 4000 mAh
9. HTC U11 Plus
For HTC 2017 doesn't start well because of their not impressive phones. HTC was trying very hard but every time missed it with a slight merge. There is always room left for improvement. In mid-2017, HTC launches another device and with this device, they become able to hit the home run with their latest flagship HTC U11+. It's an almost perfect device from HTC.
Let's first talk about the design. The phone is definitely a very eye-catching device. It's a certain type of liquid finished glass which is very reflective and an aluminum frame and round edges make feel phone more comfortable to use in hand. Yeah, its definitely not one hand use the phone because large display which you obviously don't want to drop. The phone comes with 6 inches 1440 x 2880 pixels (538 ppi density) Quad HD Super LCD6 panel.
HTC also following 2017 trend of smaller bezels in the phone which makes 6-inch display a little to use. The display is not as good as OLED panels. It's good in its own manner. Colour, contrast, and viewing angles are good enough to make this phone delight media consumption in the phone.
In terms of hardware, everything is same as like HTC U11. The phone also comes with IP68 dust and water resistant which is a must-have feature now these days. The phone comes with all the flagship features in 2017. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor and Adreno 540 GPU. The phone comes with two different variants of Rams i.e, 4 GB and 6 GB of Ram.
There is one more thing that phone lacks which might be disappointing to view peoples. There is no headphone jack present on the phone. So, you do need to use dongles to use your old headphones or buy the new wireless. HTC tries to cover a little with speakers on the phone. HTC is well known for its boom sound speaker which is present in this phone which gives very good sound quality. You can also tweak sound settings from the phone itself.
In terms of camera performance, the phone doesn't disappoint at all. The phone comes with 12 megapixels (f/1.7 aperture) lens. There is no dual camera present in the phone which is not a very big disappointment if you are not a person clicks much portrait shots. HTC U11+ camera is as good as pixel 2 but not exactly the same. The phone clicks very beautiful daylights and doesn't even disappoints in low light photography. Exposure and dynamic range is good and optical stabilization also helps you to take well steady video recordings. The phone is able to take 2160p videos at 30fps and 1080 at 120 fps.
In software department phone comes with Android Oreo out of the box with HTC's own HTC Sense UI. The software gives you clean experience with few additional features which makes HTC experience much better. The phone is also loaded in HTC's own proprietary features like HTC weather, blink search, etc.
HTC U11+ gives with a very special feature which is squeeze edges which is very unique to have in a phone. Squeeze side edges of the phone to launch various apps like google assistant. You can also customize it as per your need. In terms of battery, the phone comes with huge 3930 mAh which easily lasts your whole day without looking for the charger. The phone also supports Quick Charge 3.0 for fast charging.
|6.0-inch Super LCD6 1440 x 2880 (538 PPI Density)
|Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4×2.45 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
|Adreno 540
|64 or 128 GB
|4 GB or 6 GB
|Android 8.0 (Oreo)
|Rear 12 MP and Front 8 MP
|Li-Ion 3930 mAh
8. Oneplus 5T
The oneplus company started its journey in 2013 with Oneplus one as their first flagship killer device. The phone performs very well in the market, a very different position between other competitors because of their attractive pricing. In 2017, Oneplus launch's two phones.
First Oneplus 5 which is newer of their older Oneplus 3. Performance is well in the market again because of the pricing. And then Second device Oneplus 5T launches later continuing their trend from last year. Oneplus 5T checks all the boxes where the Oneplus 5 lacks.
The phone comes with a uni-metal body with the aluminum as like the precious. The major changes in the device are on the front side. As following 2017 small bezels trend Oneplus puts 6.01 inch 1080 x 2160 pixels(401 PPI density) optic OLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio i.e, 80.0% screen-to-body ratio. The display looks very beautiful as expected from an OLED panel. The display is not Quad HD but it considerable at this price range and don't get noticed much apart from using VR headsets. And Full HD display also helps in better battery performance. Colors are very vibrant and blacks are very deep.
Media content is very pleasing in this device because of the smaller bezels in the front. Because of the small bezels, their no room left for a fingerprint scanner. So Oneplus puts it on the backside of the phone which is good. Fingerprints unlocking speed is also very fast. And in addition, Oneplus also introduces the face unlock feature. It unlocks phones much faster than iPhone X Face ID and yeah it's not as secure as fingerprint and Oneplus do mention it in the app as well.
In terms of performance, the phone comes with all other similar hardware specification as Oneplus 5. The phone comes with Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 835 processor and Adreno 540 GPU. There is two variant of Ram. One is of 6 GB and the other one is of 8 GB.
As expected from these kinds of specs phone to performs every single task. With this huge amount of Rams, the phone keeps apps in memory very well and apps loading time is also very fast. In-camera department Oneplus have also made some changes.
This time it's using dual 13 megapixels (f/1.7 aperture) lens in their dual camera setup. There is no telephoto lens is present so the optical 2x zoom is not possible. They are saying that they have done it to improve low light photographs. You might be thinking so no telephoto no portrait images. No, still they have portrait shots options. So, you can still able to take beautiful portrait shots from this phone. Camera performance is good and its feature loaded camera app makes things more exciting. 16 megapixel (f/2.0 aperture) front-facing camera also will not disappoint you to take beautiful selfies.
In terms of software, phones come with Oxygen OS 4.7 which is based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box and so expected to get Android Oreo. It's close to stock android with a few interesting software tweaks which make the device more powerful.
Phones come with 3300 mAh of the battery which easily lasts your whole day. If you are out battery no worry Oneplus's special Dash charger helps full-day battery life in just 30 minutes. Oneplus 5T fastest charging as compared to any other device in the market. Oneplus 5T is one of the best smartphones in 2017 and its aggressive pricing also makes it more considerably.
|6.01-inch Optic AMOLED 1080 x 2160 (401 PPI Density)
|Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4×2.45 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
|Adreno 540
|64 or 128 GB
|6 GB or 8 GB
|Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)
|Rear Dual 16 MP & 20 MP and Front 16 MP
|Li-Ion 3300 mAh
7. Essential Phone
Essential phone is the new entry in the smartphone but why we are putting in our list, there is a reason behind it. This Essential phone comes directly from the father of Android, Andy Rubin. So, it's expected to get something new from this device. First, let's talk about design and built quality. If we call it The Best built quality smartphone of the year there is nothing wrong with that.
The phone is built of ceramic and titanium material which consider as the most strong material and it's not easy to get scratch and any dent in the phone's body. The phone feels very premium in the hand but yes its a little heavy as compare to the other phones as the choice of material slightly increases its weight.
Phones display is also a very interesting aesthetic. The phone comes in 5.71 inches 1312 x 2560 pixels LTPS IPS LCD panel. The display is stretch all away to the top of the phone with a little camera notch. At first, it is a little noticeable but you easily get used to it. Apps are also optimized as per display which helps to justify the looks even better. The display is not as good as OLED panels. But yeah it's good in their own looks. Colors and viewing angles are good. And for watching you-tube videos you get a little bar in the top which feels like normal display. It will be much better if they use OLED panel because black bars are not proper black like OLED displays.
Apart from design and display when looking at the architecture of the phone, there is nothing disappointing a lot. The phone comes with all the top specs of 2017. The phone is powered with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor and Adreno 540 for high-end graphics performance which is well supported by 4 GB of Ram. Performance of the phone is very good it easily outperforms all the tasks like quickly launching apps, switch between apps without loading, playing graphics intensive, etc.
The phone comes with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box and soon accepted to get an upgrade to Android Oreo. You'll get pure stock android experience without any bloatware for slowing things down. The phone comes with one sacrifice to view people it matters and for it's not. There is no headphone jack present on the phone. Well, Essential phone drops an essential feature of the phone. So, if you want to use old headphones you'll need to use a dongle for that or else buy wireless headsets.
Let's talk about the camera which is the most disappointed part of the phone. Phone does follows the 2017 trend and put dual camera setup on their phone. The phone comes primarily with 13 megapixels (f/1.9 aperture) and secondary also the 13-megapixel monochrome lens. Phones image processing is a very poor and dynamic range as well, Sometimes it's hit and miss. Essential phone camera app makes things even worst. The app lacks many features and crashes a lot during use. HDR photos take so long time to process sometimes you'll why you have even turned it on. The secondary monochrome lens helps you a take great black & white photos. But why anyone wants to do so and want a specific camera for that. 8 megapixels (f/2.2 aperture) front-facing camera is also very average don't accept too much from it.
In terms of storage, phones come with 128 GB of storage capacity which you can't expand with SD card. The battery is also of very medium size. The phone comes with 3040 mAh battery which gives you 6 to 7 hours whole usages.
There is one thing that makes Essential phone stands apart of the other phones are their modularity features. There are two pins are present on the back side of the phone. In which you can attach different extra accessories to the phone. One of the accessories 360 camera is available in the market. From which you can capture 360 images from the phone.
|5.71-inch LTPS IPS LCD 1312 x 2560 (504 PPI Density)
|Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4×2.45 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
|Adreno 540
|Android 7.1 (Nougat)
|Rear Dual 13 MP and Front 8 MP
|Li-Ion 3040 mAh
This year LG makes a very drastic entry in the smartphone world. Previously LG makes good phones but not that good which can be considered in flagship as compare to other companies. With LGV30, LG gains a good position in our top 10 smartphone list. LG enters 2017's smartphone market with different offerings as compared to other companies who are just following the trend. LG puts the same display technology which they are using in their high-end televisions.
The phone comes with 6-inch P-OLED 1440 x 2880 pixels display. Colors are very vibrant and natural. The display looks very beautiful in hand because of their 81.2% screen-to-body ratio i.e, 18:9 ratio. It feels like you are holding a display in your hand. LGV30's glass and aluminum built feel very premium in hand. The phone is also very rough and tough with military toughness and IP68 dust and water resistant.
In 2017 most of the flagship phones drop the headphone jack in the name of future depend for wireless connectivity. LGV30 choices their own path by not just keeping the headphone in their phone by also making it next level tech. LGV30 comes 32 bite HiFi quad deck which gives you very high-quality sound output. If you are a music lover and love enjoying audio in wired headphones then this device is for you. LGV30 audio output is just not comparable to other smartphones in the market.
As being 2017's flagship as expected, the phone comes with all top notch specs. LGV30 is loaded with Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 835 Octa-core chip set with Adreno 540 support with 4 GB of Ram. With this kind of specs what you expect? The phone just performance outstanding. Loading applications, playing graphics intensive games, switch between apps and their reload time, compiling heavy video files these heavy tasks phones performance easily buttering smooth experience.
Now let's talk little camera because in this department LGV30 is very different from other competition where most the phones are offering dual camera setup more portrait phones and optical zooms. Here LGV30 comes with very different offerings from others. LGV30 comes with 16 megapixels (f/1.6 aperture) primary lens and 13 megapixels (f/1.9 aperture) wide angle lens. Primary clicks outstanding beautiful images with very vibrant color and dynamic range. And secondary helps you to click the wide image of the same object which is very helpful for pro photographers.
LGV30 able to stunning landscape with the help of wide angle lens. The story becomes more interesting when comes to the LG camera app. It's loaded with tons of features. There is one pro mode in which you can handle each and everything manually from shutter speed to ISO. And in LGV30 V stands for videography and it does justify in every aspect. The most interesting and only thing you can with this apart from other phones in recording LOG videos.
It is just huge for professional because it gives you full freedom for post editing your video. You can make most of the changes without losing any video quality. Various other features are also available like cinematic video filters and pinch and zoom-in feature. If you are a professional who always wants to have a well-loaded camera phone in your pocket, this is a must have a phone.
In terms of battery, phones come with 3300 mAh which easily lasts your whole day with high to medium usages. And Android 7.1.2 Nougat expected to upgrade in Oreo well supports phone very in all aspects. And LG's customize UX UI gives you a lot of additional features as well.
|6.0-inch P-OLED 1440 x 2880 (537 PPI Density)
|Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4×2.45 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
|Adreno 540
|64 or 128 GB
|Android 7.1.2 (Nougat)
|Rear Dual 16 MP & 13 MP and Front 5 MP
|Li-Ion 3300 mAh
5. Samsung S8 and S8 Plus
Samsung's S series phones are always there in the spotlight because of their premium design aesthetic and good hardware. Samsung S8 & S8 plus are newer members of the family. Both phones carry the legacy of the series with the most design and built quality.
Aluminum and glass built feel very premium in hand. S8 & S8 plus comes with 5.8 inch 1440 x 2960 pixels(570 PPI density) & 6.2 inch 1440 x 2960 pixels (529 PPI density) super AMOLED display which Samsung is calling them infinity display because of their 84% screen to display ratio edge to edge display. Watching images and videos on the phone is very appealing. It feels like holding a display in hand because of their minimal bezels. The display is also HDR+ compatible.
In terms of performance, both the phones are just a beast. Both the phones come with Qualcomm' s flagship Snapdragon flagship processor for super fast performance and Adreno 540 GPU for graphics-intensive works. Playing high graphics intensive games and compiling videos is very fast as well.
In terms of memory, the phone comes with different memory options. S8 comes with 4GB of Ram And 64 Rom and its bigger brother S8 plus comes with 6 GB of Ram and 128 GB Rom as well as 4GB of Ram and 64 GB Rom.
S series cameras had a very good reputation in the market among others S8 & S8 plus are not less. Both phones come with 12 megapixels (f/1.7 aperture) Dual pixel PDAF lens. The camera takes very beautiful images with very high dynamic range and vibrant colors in low light as well. Optical image stabilization is also present in the phone for recording stable beautiful looking 4k videos. 8 megapixel (f/1.7 aperture) lens for taking beautiful selfies.
Let's talk about battery performance, S8 & S8 plus comes with 3000 mAh & 3500 mAh battery which easily can give your phone whole day power. If you are out battery no worry phone also supports Quick Charge 3 for fast charging and in addition, the phone also supports wireless charging.
In addition, Samsung comes with a new feature called Samsung Dex in which you can use connect you are to Televisions and use it as like CPU. For this Samsung designs new interface which very smooth but currently, all apps don't support this feature very well. This is definitely going to be an interesting feature in the near future.
|5.8-inch(S8) & 6.2-inch(S8 +)Super-AMOLED 1440 x 2960 (529 PPI Density)
|Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4×2.35 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
|Adreno 540
|4 GB or 6GB RAM
|Android 7.0 (Nougat)
|Rear 12 MP and Front 8 MP
|Li-Ion 3000 mAh (S8) & 3500 mAh (S8 +)
4. Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 plus are the new brother in the iPhone family. Every year Apple fans had so much expectation from Apple to excite them from their newer iPhone. Unfortunately this year these iPhones are unable to become the hot topic to talk about the iPhone community. Because of their same regular old design from last years iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 plus. And also because the iPhone X launch grabs others attention more. If we call it iPhone 7s & iPhone 7s plus it wouldn't be wrong. It's not like everything is the same as last years. In 2017 welcomes glass design in iPhones.
Everyone knows nobody can compete with Apple's build quality. Keeping that in mind phone looks are elegant with shining glasses in the back which also welcomes wireless charging feature FINALLY. iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 plus rocks 4.7 inch & 5.5 inch(65.4% screen-to-body ratio) wide color gamut True-tone display respectively. iPhone 8's displays are very appealing with beautiful colors. Everything is not exactly the same as the last years.
Most of the major changes are the architecture point of view. iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 plus also comes with Apple's latest A11 bionic ship same as like iPhone X. This 64-bit ARM comes with two high-performance cores which 25% faster than A10 and four high-efficiency cores which are up to 70% faster than the energy efficient cores in A10.
We want to make only one statement for iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 plus performance is this phone is insanely fast. Their benchmarks scores are in the top of any phones right now. 2 GB & 3 GB Ram's are present in the phone for smooth multi tasking and keep apps in memory so that they don't again. Apple GPU of three core graphics is also available graphics intensive games and video compiling.
Let's talk camera which core strength of the iPhone. iPhone 8 camera comes with 12 megapixels (f/1.8 aperture) lens And iPhone 8 plus with primary 12 megapixel(f/1.8 aperture) and secondary 12 megapixels (f/2.8 aperture) tele-photo lens from which you can click apple's iconic portrait images. Both phones come with optical image stabilization cameras which can record 4k videos at 60fps. And you can also record slow motion videos @240fps which is very cool. 7 megapixel(f/2.2 aperture) front facing camera is also present for taking beautiful selfies.
Both the phone comes 64/256 GB storage options to choose from. Apple's battery capacity always matters of debate for everyone. iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 plus comes with 1821 & 2691 mAh battery respectively which iOS 11 is well optimized to day whole juice in one charge.
|4.7-inch(iPhone 8) & 5.5-inch(iPhone 8 Plus) IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 (401 PPI Density)
|A11 Bionic Hexa-core (2x Monsoon & 4x Mistral)
|Apple GPU (Three-Core) Graphics
|iOS 11
|Rear Dual 12 MP(iPhone 8 Plus) and 12 MP(iPhone 8) and Front 8 MP
|Li-Ion 1821 mAh
3. Samsung Note 8
Samsung had a very great reputation with its Note series phones. Unfortunately last years Note 7 was a big fall because of their battery blasting issues which pushed this Note line up into a little danger. In 2017, Samsung comes with their new Note 8 in the market and this phone is just a beast in all aspects.
Samsung's designs are always top notch as same goes with Note 8. The phone looks just gorgeous from all angles. Phones with 6.3 inches of super AMOLED display which Samsung calls it infinity display because of their minimal bezels(83.2% screen-to-body ratio). Colors reproduction is very vibrant and dynamic. There is only a word which comes to your mind after seeing the display is just WOW.
In addition, Samsung comes with a new feature called Samsung Dex in which you can use connect to your Televisions and use it as like CPU. For this Samsung designs a new interface which is very smooth but currently, all apps don't support this feature very well. This is definitely going to be an interesting feature in the near future. S pen is also a very unique feature which only comes in Note lineup. You can perform many interesting tasks with this S Pen.
This year was the trend for dual camera smartphones. Samsung is not a leftover in this and introduces it's first phone Note 8 to come with the dual camera. The primary camera is of 12 megapixels (f/1.7 aperture) and secondary 12-megapixel telephoto lens (f/2.4 aperture). The camera takes full quality images with low light as well. The camera also comes with bokeh photograph feature and name it as a live focus which you can even adjust after clicking a photo. Both the cameras are also optically stabilized which helps to record very good stable 4k videos from the phone. The phone does not disappoint selfie lovers. With 8 megapixels (f/1.7 aperture) front facing camera you can take beautiful selfies with this phone. The camera also performs very well in low lights.
As is Samsung's 2017 flagship device, the phone comes with all the top-notch features in the market. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 along with 6 GB of ram and adreno 540 GPU which makes devices performance super fast and smooth.
Now the most important question asked from every note lover is what about the battery, is it still the same? Is still there is a chance that phone blasts while charging? The answer is NO. This time Samsung worked very hard on Note 8's battery and restrict to 3300 mAh battery. The phone itself is gone through many tests to make sure there is no problem left with battery.
The phone comes with Android 7.1.1 out of the box which also helps get good battery backup. It can easily get through the whole day with medium to high usages. It also comes with quick charge support which boosts your phone's battery very quickly. You also have wireless charging option if you don't want to carry your old cliche wired charger.
|6.3-inch Super-AMOLED 1440 x 2960 (521 PPI Density)
|Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4×2.35 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
|Adreno 540
|Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)
|Rear Dual 12 MP and Front 8 MP
|Li-Ion 3300 mAh
2. Apple iPhone X
This year was the iPhone's 10th anniversary. From the day of the launch of the original iPhone, Apple gave us the best devices in the market compared to the others. In this special occasion, everyone was accepting something great and surprising from apple and they don't disappoint in their latest flagship iPhone X. Apple was repeating in design again and again and everyone got bored from that.
This year the best change is their design. Finally, apple now switched to OLED displays with their own color tweaks which looks absolutely marvelous. The phone comes with a 5.8-inch display which almost covers the whole. It feels like you are holding a display in your hand which is so cool.
Phone rocks apple's latest A11 bionic chip which is very fast. Its multi-core score on benchmarks tests is just insane. You can run any task in this phone even like 4k video compiling do it so easy. And it's 3 GB Ram well supports for its multitasking and switching between apps. Phone now comes with 2716 mAh battery which gives phone full daily life.
With the new glass design iPhone X now also supports wireless charging and in addition, fast charging is also available to quickly boost your phone's battery. As the phone now comes with full body display there is no home button to navigate. Because of that new gesture functionality comes to iPhone X which is very new to the Apple ecosystem. Also because of the removal of the home button, there is no fingerprint scanner is present on the phone.
So, for the replacement of finger print button apple now introduces Face ID unlock. With the depth-sensing cameras, the phone scans your facial points and unlocks your phone. The infrared sensor makes it work good in low lights also. Apple is always well known for its cameras. In iPhone X, no disappointments to their fans. The phone comes with dual 12-megapixel cameras. Primary wide angle lens is of f/1.8 aperture and the secondary telephoto lens is of f/2.4 aperture. Both the cameras are optically stabilized. And capable of shooting 4k videos in 60 fps which is just wow. Front facing 7-megapixel True depth camera is also capable of taking portrait photos.
|5.8-inch Super AMOLED 1125 x 2436 (458 PPI Density)
|A11 Bionic Hexa-core 2.39 GHz (2x Monsoon & 4x Mistral)
|Apple GPU Three-core graphics
|iOS 11.1.1
|Rear Dual 12 MP and Front 7 MP
|Li-Ion 2716 mAh
1. Google Pixel 2 XL
Pixel 2 is the new brother from its originally launched pixel in 2016. It is Google's flagship device. As being a flagship from Google you have a lot of expectation from it, and it is absolutely delivering it as compared to the previous generation phones. Phone rocks Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor and Adreno 540 for high graphics performance. Loaded with 4 GB LPDDRX Ram for buttering smooth multi multi-tasking.
The phone comes with 64/128 GB storage capacity which you can't expand. You'll get the best Android experience on this phone. As Google's phone, it is also the first phone to get the latest updates. Now let's talk about camera performance. Previously google phones had an image of very poor cameras. But from the launch of the pixel, Google is back on camera department game as well. Last year pixel phone becomes the first mobile phone camera to get highest 90 marks on DxO mark ratings. And again Google breaks this record by pixel 2 by getting 98 marks.
Pixel 2 comes with 5-inch screen size and pixel 2 xl bigger brother comes with 6-inch screen size with 1440 x 2880 pixels 18:9 ratio and 538 ppi density (76.4% screen-to-body ratio). Both phones comes with the P-OLED display. There is one important thing which worth mentioning because last year Google laughs at Apple for dropping headphone jack and this year they also did the same thing which is obviously weird.
|5-inch(pixel 2) & 6-inch(pixel 2 XL) P-OLED 1440 x 2880 (538 PPI Density)
|Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4×2.35 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
|Adreno 540
|Android 8.1 (Oreo)
|Rear 12.2 MP and Front 8 MP
|Li-Ion 3520 mAh
That's our top 10 best value for money smartphones in 2018. Let us how you liked our article. Your feedback is valuable to us.
Keep Reading.
Also, read: Top 10 Announcements Made In Google I/O 2018 Event


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Meet & Greet for Board of Education candidates
April 26, 2018 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Sponsored by The American Federation of Teachers, this meet & greet will give you the opportunity to get to know the candidates running for Board of Education.
It is important that we educate of children and it starts with the Board of Education, so save the date!

subset: commoncrawl


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Apparently, this pregnant mama ain't the only one doing a bit of nesting... Look what's on the top of the wreath on my front door! FOUR BABY BIRDS! Ignore the poop -- aren't they gorgeous?
4 comments:
- nmassie218 said...
OH my goodness, they are so cute!
- June 9, 2010 at 4:22 PM
- Lisa L said...
Sweet little fuzzy babies! I read some of your blog...you have such a way with words! Not sure why anyone wouldn't like you, I know I did when we first met. Hope your are feeling good and hope to see you soon. :-)
- June 9, 2010 at 5:32 PM
- OCDena said...
OK... reality time... my ocd in me says NASTY... you need to come here and visit... so I dont get the Avian FLu.. lol
- June 11, 2010 at 3:07 PM
- ROFO said...
cute birdies :) we have swallow nests at school where I work. they're so beautiful
- June 15, 2010 at 5:09 AM
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Century Property Developments will be inviting members of the public to join them as they showcase spectacular home designs for Blue Hills Equestrian Estate by one of the top architectural firms in South Africa – JK Designs.
The Home Design Showcase
The Home Design Showcase will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, 10 and 11 March from 9am to 5pm at the Blue Hills Equestrian Estate in Midrand.
Zotos Construction will also be there to provide accurate build costings and show you how to customise your own finishing schedules. You'll be able to interact directly with the builders and architects and find out how to make your dream home in the countryside a reality!
If you'd like to attend, you can contact Musi on 082 806 1735 or Email Musi now
About Blue Hills Equestrian Estate
Blue Hills Equestrian Estate is the epitome of country living and provides the opportunity to build your dream family home in a secure environment away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Living at Blue Hills, you can expect a unique duality between country living and cosmopolitan suburban lifestyle.
The Estate features a Reddford House private school, equestrian facilities, large spacious greenbelts with walking trails and play parks and a future commercial, retail and office precinct.
Property values are expected to follow the sold-out Waterfall Equestrian Estate, where values have increased 600% in the last seven years. Stand sizes range from 5,000m² – 15,000m² and are priced from R3,1m.
Blue Hills Equestrian Estate at a glance:
- Total number of stands – 132
- Stands sold – 102
- Percentage of stands sold – 77%
- Stands available – 30
- Completed homes – 11
- Stands under construction currently – 16
- Stands sold since the beginning of January 2018 – 4


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RICHARDSON, Texas — The Southwestern University Pirates swept the first day of UT-Dallas Invitational, following a five-set victory over No. 23 Pacific Lutheran with a four-set victory over the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens.
"Having two in-region wins and seeing some quality rhythm and better offensive decision-making makes this team see how our training can transfer to live match play," Head Coach Don Flora said. "The overall serve and pass component of the game was cleaner today than in our last matches a week ago."
First year setter Katelyn Whitehead set the table for her teammates, finding a good balance between outside hitters Elleanna McGown (15 kills, .333 hitting percentage) and Emma White (10 kills, .194 hitting percentage) to produce 33 assists on 93 touches.
Southwestern hit .218 as a team while holding Pomona-Pitzer to a .154 hitting percentage, getting 21 digs from Ali Grona and five team blocks. The serve reemerged as a weapon, putting together double-digit aces for the first time since the first two days of the regular season with 10 total.
- McGown continues to light up the box score to begin her collegiate career, totaling double-digit kills for a third consecutive match. She also showcased her defense with nine digs and one block assist.
- Grona set a career-high in digs and aces, accounting for six of the Pirates' 10 service aces. She finished the day with eight aces total.
With the two victories, the Pirates improve to 4-2 on the season. They'll continue play tomorrow, facing Aurora at 12:30 p.m. Aurora entered the season ranked No. 10 in Division III in the AVCA preseason polls but have since dropped out of the top 25. They follow that with a match against host team Texas-Dallas at 3:00 p.m.
The @SUPiratesVB team sweeps the day after defeating Pomona-Pitzer in four sets (25-16, 25-20, 15-25, 25-20). pic.twitter.com/5uWhemwC3F— Southwestern Pirates (@SUPirates) September 6, 2019


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Fiscal stress and revenue generation from Aadhaar8 min read . Updated: 02 Mar 2018, 06:44 AM IST
Bad as the non-tax revenue situation of the government might be, the Aadhaar database should not be tapped for its revenue-generating properties
Bad as the non-tax revenue situation of the government might be, the Aadhaar database should not be tapped for its revenue-generating properties
The Union budget for 2018-19 was that of a fiscally stretched government. Stretched because of all the ambitious ideas for using revenue not yet in hand. And now, a few weeks after the budget, even more stretched by the avalanche of public sector bank (PSB) scams that will eventually have to be met through the exchequer one way or another.
The fall in non-tax revenue was among the reasons advanced for the fiscal and revenue deficits being higher than budgeted in the year just ending. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) dividend did fall below expectations. Then there was the shortfall in expected receipts from telecom auctions.
Non-tax revenue is what you get from returns on publicly owned assets like royalties on minerals or dividends from public sector units (PSUs). PSBs are still nursing their wounds, and finding newer wounds by the day. After the recent and most welcome tightening of norms for dealing with non-performing loans announced on 12 February, their profits will be swallowed up ever more by internal provisioning. No dividends forthcoming there. Non-tax revenue can also come from leasing out rights of use to others for a fee.
This is what Nandan Nilekani recommends that the government do with the digital infrastructure created by Aadhaar in a recent article ("Open Up Aadhar Infrastructure", Hindustan Times, 13 February). Nilekani is a widely revered man for his technical and organizational capabilities, his leadership skills in having resolved the recent impasse at Infosys, his philanthropy, and the awards he gets for being all of the above. And the suggestion he offered to the goods and services (GST) council at its January meeting for de-synchronizing voucher uploading and return filing was good, but apparently poses too big a burden for the GST network to handle.
What scares me is that his opinions on how to generate revenue from Aadhaar might actually be acted upon by a fiscally stretched government. Nilekani begins with self-deprecation, as "someone who had a part to play in the creation of Aadhaar". Thus, he sets the stage for why his ideas about the use of the Aadhaar information base should be heeded. Let us call it the Aadhaar revenue (AR) proposal.
First, he cites the growth in the last year alone of the mutual funds asset base of small towns by 46% to Rs4.1 trillion. He attributes this to the fact that people can now invest in systematic investment plans (SIPs) with amounts as low as Rs100 instead of storing their money under their mattresses, thanks to Aadhaar-enabled eKYC (know your customer) as compared to the earlier costs of physical verification. Where he is wrong is that the alternative to an SIP was not storage under a mattress. Even people with a mattress thick enough to store things inside or under, do not normally leave savings as inactive cash. There is a time value of money and they know it. They entrust it to an aggregator who then loans it out. The saving is available for local investment.
An entrepreneur who wants to set up a shop for repair of water pumps and other small gadgets like the pressure cookers or induction stoves increasingly used in small towns, can then borrow the financial capital he needs from the aggregator (at exorbitant rates it is true), and he is in business. Even a pakoda maker needs capital. With local savings having been sucked up into mutual funds, the potential entrepreneur can only become a job-seeker, but the mutual funds industry won't invest in the kind of enterprise that will give him a job in his small town. Using Nilekani's own figures, if the growth rate of mutual funds in small towns in the absence of eKYC had been say 10%, the incremental siphoning of local savings away from availability for local lending is of the order of Rs1 trillion.
Yes, it is true that mutual funds are now able to give the local aggregator a run for his money, possibly making him lower the margin between his lending and borrowing rates. But no, he is also afraid after demonetization that he will be reported for having black money. So, the rise in his risk premium on that account may leave his margin the same as before, perhaps even higher. Nilekani's conclusion that "Aadhaar increases reach and inclusion where markets have traditionally failed" is therefore erroneous. On the contrary, Aadhaar has reduced reach and inclusion, where loanable funds were traditionally obtained, albeit through cruel and exploitative intermediaries. Unless it is established that Aadhaar enhances the flow of credit to local entrepreneurs, its effective impact so far has been to add to the number of job seekers.
The second reason advanced for the AR scheme is that denying private players access is akin to saying that because the state builds a highway, only state-owned vehicles should drive on it. How's that again? The very case for building a highway is that it will be open to public use. Aadhaar was not built up on that case at all. It was justified as a database to be used by the state alone, to improve targeting of social sector expenditures.
Universal access, according to Nilekani (https://goo.gl/KtQDcA), ensures universal oversight over security controls. "The democratic checks and balances that we build to regulate private access will also regulate government actions." I don't see such a "democratic" regulator appointed by government, the owner of the data base, subjecting the owner and the buyers to the same scrutiny. The global record of private players in protecting databases is poor anyway. But more later on oversight.
The third reason for the AR scheme is that the big global players are constructing digital identity databases anyway, and storing their data on foreign soil where it is accessible to foreign governments. The proposal contrasts the wealth of that database with Aadhaar, described as a dumb ID. "It only shares your demographic details and a photograph with private players after taking your consent, instead of deep profiles about your likes, browsing patterns and desires", Nilekani writes in Mint. Aadhaar is not so dumb. If it were, there would be no market for it. To use Nilekani's phrasing, it does indeed offer a deep profile on a person because it has now been linked to the permanent account number (PAN) and through that to the entire direct tax record of the person, to mobile numbers and therefore to the entire telephone records of the person, to all bank accounts, and all financial instruments, debit and credit cards.
Aadhaar reveals much more than expressed likes or browsing patterns, because it is linked to where the money goes. It tells you what exactly the person bought with any kind of debit or credit card, not what they were browsing through sites looking to buy. It tells you the ratio of cash to digital payments for each individual through their cash-withdrawal patterns from their linked bank accounts. It tells you whom they converse with over the phone and how often, through the linked mobile number. It tracks travel through public modes, and even private vehicles through toll booths.
What a lollipop. I can just see digital identity providers lining up to buy up the Aadhaar database. With that, foreign governments will have even more access to our information than they currently have.
The AR proposal does not actually list the promised fourth reason, but closes with a vision of what would have happened if the US government had huddled to itself the satellite infrastructure which was used to create the geographical positioning system (GPS), used ubiquitously today. Bad analogy again. Isro satellites are the appropriate analogy, built up with public money, and available for use for meteorology and a host of other services. Telecom or road or rail or power or satellite networks were built up with public money, on the premise that these would bring corresponding services to the people, however those services were operated.
Aadhaar was not built up on that premise at all. It commandeered personal information from people, like their fingerprints and iris images, for the exclusive use of government in targeting social sector programmes. Other inducements dangled before us were that itinerant workers would be able to collect their food security or other entitlements even while away from their parent household. That was the contract between the people and the state when Aadhaar was built up. They were not told at the time that private parties would be given access to this information. Bad as the non-tax revenue situation might be, I don't believe the Aadhaar database should be tapped for its revenue-generating properties.
Back to Nilekani's premise that private player participation will improve the security of the database. Will it really? The recent string of PSU bank scams tells us that we in India have a serious problem when it comes to supervisory monitoring at the last mile. It just takes a direct approach to someone at the lowest level of the structure to open the floodgates. No private player buying into the database will have a role in security oversight powerful enough to prevent that from happening. And every private player will find it that much easier to reach to levels where manipulation is possible.
Since the global financial crisis, international banks have placed their most competent information technology analysts to work in their compliance departments, for the design of complex mechanical internal checks and balances which will be outside the control of any single individual. We need Nilekani to use some of his undisputed designing skills towards doing that for Aadhaar, so as to leash the juggernaut he helped create.
That still leaves us with having to fill that non-tax hole. Public assets can be leased out for private use in a number of ways that do not damage the public interest. The possibilities are endless. Let us leave the Aadhaar database alone.
Indira Rajaraman is an economist.
Comments are welcome at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Broome high school hockey playoffs beginPosted: Updated:
Broome high school hockey playoffs began, Thursday, as the #1 ranked Elmira-Horseheads Express took down the Union-Endicott Tigers in a close game, 5-4.
Early on, the Tigers came into the SUNY Broome Ice Center with a sense of urgency. The last time the Tigers battled the Express, Elmira walked away with a 10-3 victory, but tonight U-E was determined to not relive the same experience.
Scoring the first goal of the night (11:24) in the first period, U-E's freshman, Anthony Basile, gave the Tigers the 1-0 lead, thanks to an assist by Tyler Farr.
But the Express would tie things up in the third period, 4-4. Elmira's Tony Robinson would give his team the goal needed to end the game in the third period, with an assist by Nate Gee.
The Express had 60 shots on goal, compared to the Tigers' 12.
It should be worth noting the goal saving heroics by U-E's David Samson, allowed the Tigers to remain in the fight. Samson would have 55 saves, Thursday night, allowing 5 goals.
Elmira-Horseheads will face the winner of tomorrow's game, Chenango Valley and Chenango Forks at 6:45 p.m., February 10 at 6:45 p.m.


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MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called on OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic to thoroughly analyze the European Parliament's resolution against anti-EU propaganda by third countries as her reaction to the document lacked specifics.
Zakharova channeled a letter to Mijatovic, the text of which was posted on the Russian foreign ministry's Facebook account on Friday.
"I have read your first reaction to the European Parliament's resolution on EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against it by third parties of November 23," Zakharova wrote. "I think it lacks specifics as concerns professional assessment of this document which is unprecedented in terms of possible persecution measures against Russian mass media in the European Union countries."
"Russian mass media are literally equated to media structures of the terrorist organization Islamic State [outlawed in Russia - TASS] and other terrorist structures recognized as such by the United Nations," the spokeswoman noted.
The Russian diplomat admitted that the European Parliament's activities are outside Mijatovic's competences but she stressed that the document it passed undermines the basics of democratic relations in the sphere of the mass media and hence requires an adequate assessment by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
"Taking into account the current level of our cooperation, I strongly ask you to be unbiased in analyzing the resolution and possible implementation impacts on the future of Europe as a space of democracy and supremacy of law and give it a public assessment. Silence in this case would mean connivance to the worst, i.e. to official recognition of the expediency of persecution of the mass media," the spokeswoman stressed.


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Posting Date: March 5, 2019
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The Multi-Media Journalist / Reporter has the general responsibility of gathering and producing content for air and for use online. Covering breaking news is the priority. MMJs also must be creative and generate content that finds the human angle of the story to appeal to the core needs of a Northern Nevada audience.
Candidates must be prepared to work nights, mornings or weekends.. Solid news judgment is essential, along with an ability to work quickly and efficiently with limited oversight on weekends.
When breaking news happens, we want aggressive journalists who want to be on the front lines, whether those lines involve protests, blizzards or wildfires.
--Create news content (on air, online and social networking).
--Manage content throughout the week and oversee the planning of newscast stories/interviews.
--Work with anchors, producers and managers to be consistent with the KOLO 8 News Now brand.
--Must be able to shoot video and edit. Knowledge of ENPS and Edius is a plus.
--Must be comfortable in live and breaking news situations.
--May be called upon to fill in, producing newscasts.
--College degree in journalism, related field, or equivalent job experience.
--Two years reporting/MMJ experience preferred.
--Producing experience a plus.
--Willing to reside within 30 minutes of station.
Salary based on experience.
PLEASE SUBMIT RESUMES ELECTRONICALLY: Click here
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A healthy school lunch gives children energy to learn and play. Packing a nutritious lunch helps your child to eat well and influences their future eating habits. Involving your child in planning, shopping for and preparing their lunchbox develops their ability to make healthy choices and enjoy good food.
A healthy lunchbox
The food eaten at school should be about a third of the food consumed over the course of a day. Typically this would consist of lunch and a snack. Ideally this would include:
- A lean protein food such as: tuna or salmon (canned in spring water or oils such as canola, olive or sunflower), boiled eggs or lean meats such as chicken or beef. Vegetable protein sources can include tofu, nuts (where school nuts and anaphylaxis policies allow) and legumes/beans.
- A starch food such as: bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. There is a variety to choose from such as wholegrain, wholemeal or high fibre breads such as seeded rolls, Lebanese bread, pita, lavash, bagels, plain popcorn, a wholemeal low sugar muffin, brown and white rice or pasta.
- Fruit and/or vegetable such as: whole or chopped fruit, raw vegies such as carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber or capsicum strips, canned fruit in natural juice or a small salad.
- A reduced fat dairy food such as: reduced fat yoghurt, reduced fat cheese, or reduced fat milk or their alternatives (remember to pack in an insulated container with an ice pack or frozen bottle of water).
- Bottle of tap water frozen on hot days to keep the lunchbox and your child cool. Sweetened drinks such as juice, cordial or soft drink are not recommended as these contain too much sugar, which is not good for dental heath and contains no nutritional value.
What to do when it's not working
Even when you're doing all the right things the lunchbox food may come home uneaten.
- Involve your children in planning the lunch menu for the week and shopping to choose the fruit and vegetables for their lunchbox. Buying all the necessary fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, milk and yoghurt, bread and crackers in advance will also allow you to shop wisely for good quality and better value for money.
- Consider another type of lunchbox.
- Consider if the lunch is too fiddly. Some children are put off by fiddly packaging or don't like getting sticky hands. Try removing the orange peel or cut a kiwi fruit in half and add a spoon.
- Is it too much? If so, offer smaller servings. Half a sandwich might be more appropriate than a whole one.
- Is it too boring? Try to vary the lunches daily. Young children may appreciate it if sandwiches are cut different ways.
Get creative
Encourage your children to help prepare and pack their own school lunchbox. They can make their own snack packs from fresh ingredients which you can buy in bulk such as a small box or bag of dried fruit, rice cakes or unsalted and unsweetened popcorn. The internet offers a multitude of creative ideas if you search for healthy school lunchboxes.
Lunchbox menu ideas
There are a number of web sites referenced below that offer mix and match sample menus to help you keep the lunchboxes varied and so keep your kids interested in the food you provide. The following examples come from the NSW Healthy Kids website.
Lunchbox 1
- Fruit in season
- Boiled egg
- Vegetables with natural yoghurt
- Pita bread, filled with salad vegetables or tabouli and lean rissoles
- Water
Lunchbox 2
- Fruit in season
- Egg, lettuce, tomato, cheese multigrain sandwich
- Vegetable sticks
- Slice of fruit bread
- Dried fruit and nuts*
- Frozen UHT reduced fat milk 125mL
Lunchbox 3
- Wholemeal pikelets
- Frozen UHT reduced fat milk 125mL
- Vegetarian pizza or a sandwich
- Vegetable pack
- Fruit salad
- Reduced fat yoghurt
Lunchbox 4
- Fruit in season
- Bread roll filled with vegetables, cheese and a slice of lean roast beef
- Reduced fat yoghurt
- Grapes
- Water
* Where children do not have allergies or intolerance to nuts. Take note of the school's Anaphylaxis policy.
Food safety
When packing a school lunch, it is important to consider how the lunch will be kept cool to prevent foods and drinks from spoiling. If food is not stored properly, bacteria in the food can grow and make your children sick. For this reason it is essential to keep school lunches cool. Lunches kept in children's school bags all day are likely to get warm, and foods such as meat or cheese sandwiches, milk, cheese and yoghurt must be kept cool.
Try the following:
- To keep sandwiches fresh and protected from contamination, wrap them in plastic wrap or 'snaplock' plastic bags.
- Freeze small packs of UHT milk or water ahead of time and put into a lunchbox to keep it cool.
- When preparing lunches the night before they will be eaten, make sure they are stored in the fridge overnight.
- Choose a lunch box that includes a water bottle. Fill the bottle with water and freeze it, then place it in the lunch box to keep food cold.
- Insulated lunchboxes are also a great option.
- Remember to wash, rinse and thoroughly dry lunchboxes after every use to keep food safe.
Fresh Tastes – www.health.act.gov.au
The Heart Foundation – healthy-eating for mums has a variety of tools and recipes. www.heartfoundation.org.au
The ACT Government and Canberra Hospital and Health services TuckaTalk Pack a Lunch With Some Punch Fact sheet. www.health.act.gov.au
Nutrition Australia What's For Lunch? Fact sheets and recipes www.nutritionaustralia.org
ACT@Nutrition Australia, Packing The School Lunchbox. www.nutritionaustralia.org/act
Lunchbox ideas and other resources at the NSW Government website www.healthy-kids.com.au
Additional resources
Good Habits for life for ACT Parents www.goodhabitsforlife.act.gov.au
Go to www.raisingchildren.net.au and search for nutrition
Resources for families about suitable nutrition for children www.vaccho.org.au


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Last night Four Corners aired the first episode of its two-part series exposing the "everyday" suffering experienced by aged care residents, and the serious problems staff have observed the industry.
The programme went to air only one day after the Government announced a Royal Commission into aged care in response to growing numbers of risk reports, facility closures, and accreditation failures.
The programme, titled "Who Cares", reveals the personal stories of families who watched their loved ones struggle in nursing homes. The stories are dovetailed against the observations made by aged care staff, who describe the shortcomings they see in the aged care system – the lack of qualified staff, poor personal care, cost cutting – and who say the aged care system is in crisis.
Introducing the programme, Sarah Ferguson said that while horrific stories of abuse make headlines, Four Corners' coverage of "everyday stories of neglect and inattention, poor quality food, lack of personal care, boredom and heartbreaking loneliness" equally require our attention.
"How we care for and respect older people is one of the measure of who we are as a society. This is a story for everyone," she said.
There simply aren't enough staff
The most damning complaint from the program was that there simply aren't enough staff employed in aged care facilities, and those who are employed are too often not the most qualified or experienced. Personal care attendants, some with as little at six weeks training, make up 70% of the workforce.
Melanie Whiteley, Personal Care Assistant, said, "I think families think that they're getting their loved one looked after. I think that they think that they're paying for that to happen, and in reality it's just not. It can't happen. It can't happen. There's not enough staff."
Tony Northcote, Facility Manager and Clinical Consultant, said the numbers of highly qualified staff employed in aged care is actually declining. "We're going the other way at the moment, we're reducing the number of skilled staff and increasing the number of unskilled carers," he said.
Rebecca De Haan, who worked as a personal carer for 10 years, said she believed that increasing staffing levels could fix most of the problems in aged care.
"I just think that homes need to get more staffing, just way more," she said.
"That would be the first thing. And then the quality of this staff. You need people that are educated in a way so that they know how to deal personally with the residents and people that have a love of the job."
Katrina Legzdins, enrolled nurse, said, "There was just the sheer number of people that you have to look after. So, there was myself and a registered nurse in charge of 72 residents."
Could staffing ratios improve the quality of care?
Many expressed their belief that resident-to-staff ratios should be introduced.
"There's no ratio, I guess, for number of staff to residents, so they can just get away with bare bones, bare minimum," said Ms Legzdons.
But Sean Rooney, CEO, Leading Age Services Australia disagreed. "With regards to staff ratios… that is a very blunt instrument in order to deliver person-centred flexible care to meet a growing and changing set of needs," he said, adding there was no research to say that staff-to-resident ratios would improve the quality of care.
Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt appeared to leave the door open to considering staff ratios in future.
"Now we've not mandated a staffing ratio… but if I find that there is continued failings after we establish the Commission and after the new standards come into place, then certainly there'll be further discussion in respect to workforce," he said.
Heartbreaking neglect
Dayna Vereguth shared the story of her grandmother, World War II veteran Catherine Logan, who moved into a nursing home in 2016. Ms Logan wasn't properly showered – only her face was wiped, her hearing aids weren't kept working, her meals were removed too quickly for her to eat, her drinks weren't filled, her commode wasn't emptied, and on hot days, staff didn't think to turn on fans.
Ms Vereguth complained to the nursing home's management, who were shocked by her observations, but there was no change in the care her grandmother received.
A year after she moved into the nursing home, Ms Logan died.
Michael Borenstein shared the story of his mother, spirited Holocaust survivor Neta Borenstein, who was ignored by staff when she woke during the night. The scheme in which she cried out "help, help, help" in the night was one of the most distressing of the programme.
Mr Borenstein said his mother "when she woke up in the morning she would be wet and often soiled and so you can imagine lying in bed wasn't very pleasant."
Mr Borenstein secretly filmed footage of his mother, and that film convinced the family to remove her from the facility.
Restricting continence pads
Ms Borenstein's case raised another common theme – restrictions placed on the use of continence pads.
Wayne Beasley, who worked in aged care, said, "People would get an allocation of three. There was a pad room, and sometimes you would need more, and you'd have to go and ask to get the key, and you would be referred over there, and you'd be questioned why you're needing more."
Others said they had had similar experiences, and some were told that they weren't allowed more continence pads.
Unpalatable, low quality food
A recent study showed on average aged care facilities spend $6 a day on food. Other research revealed that around 50 per cent of aged care residents are malnourished.
Image: a meal served in aged care. Source: ABC.
Many sent the ABC pictures of food their loved one had been served to eat. Party pies and other fast food were often served, and the food often looked unpalatable.
But Mr Rooney did not appear to be concerned about the quality of food in aged care or the high rates of malnourishment. "These meals are being prepared for people that have a low nutrition requirement. This is not people that are eating four-course meals," he said.
Exaggerated care needs to maximise Government funding
Another issue raised more than once was that aged care facilities exaggerate the care needs of residents so they receive more money through the Government's Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI).
Ms Bain said, "The ACFI manager actually said that he wanted every woman that came into the aged care facility to be classed as high care incontinence and that meant more funding for the facility and also for the individual person.
"I could not believe what I was hearing actually. It really beggars belief," she said.
Overuse of medication for people with dementia
A recent study found that nearly two-thirds of aged care residents have been given psychiatric drugs, including anti-psychotic medications that are mainly used for illnesses such as schizophrenia. Yet it's known that medication is actually not terribly effective in treating agitation for people with dementia.
The programme revealed that doctors are often asked for medication and medication is being administered "as required" by care workers, some of whom have only minimal training, with very limited medication training. Consent was also often not sought from families, though it is legally required.
Pamela Passlow moved into an aged care facility, and her daughter, Deanne Morris, quickly came to the view that staff there had limited experience with residents with dementia. Ms Passlow was given anti-psychotic Risperidone without her family's knowing, and she ended up in a psychiatric hospital twice. Ms Passlow is now cared for at home, and now no longer taking the medication, has returned to her old personality.
Are nursing homes putting profit before care?
The revelations from the programme point to the fact that operators are trying to maximise income and keep costs down – the low staffing levels, the employment of lower cost, less experienced staff, the alleged minimal spending on food, and restricting use of continence pads, all point to a culture of cost minimisation.
"Whether they're doing it intentionally or not, I don't know, but certainly if we look at the reduction in care staffing, it's pretty obvious that something's not working," said Mr Northcote.
"I saw them trying to save money by cutting staff hours down and adding to staff loads. I saw the food that was served, really poor food," said Ms Bain.
The second and final episode of Four Corners' 'Who Cares?' will be aired next Monday night.
While last night's Four Corners' report into aged care highlights failings in the system, we must also acknowledge the dedicated employees and operators who do put quality of care ahead of any other factor. There are thousands of committed people working in aged care who are absolutely passionate about caring for our elderly – and we commend them.


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Beavers Stay Unbeaten in NEWMAC with Third Straight Win
WORCESTER, Mass.—Visiting Babson College scored twice inside of five minutes early in the second half to rally for a 2-1 win over Clark University in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's soccer action on Saturday afternoon at Granger Field.
With its third straight win, Babson improves to 9-2-4 overall and 4-0-2 in league play. Clark slips to 10-4-2 overall and 2-3-1 in the NEWMAC.
Senior Noah Parker (Hampden, Maine) and first-year Ross Shellow (Miami, Fla.) each had a goal for the Beavers, who are ranked eighth in the initial NCAA regional rankings. Junior goalkeeper Steven Heintzelman (Middleton, Mass.) finished with seven saves in the victory.
Junior Charlie Lane (Southborough, Mass.) scored his fifth goal of the season for the Cougars, who got six saves from sophomore goalkeeper Melvin Vincent (Rochester, Mass.).
Clark took the lead into halftime thanks to Lane's goal in the 28th minute. Following a long throw-in into the box from the left sideline, Heintzelman came off his line to make a kick save on junior Sean Munroe's (Silver Spring, Md.) chance from just outside the six-yard box. Babson was unable to clear the ball out of danger though, and it bounced to Lane, who volleyed home inside the left post from the top of the bubble for a 1-0 lead.
The Green and White pulled level less than 10 minutes into the second half when Shellow converted a penalty kick for his second goal of the year after junior Alex Crompton (Killington, Vt.) was tripped up inside the box. Fellow junior Chris Czarnecki (Baltimore, Md.) just missed a chance to put the Beavers ahead a little over three minutes later when his strike from 25 yards banged off the left post.
Babson's pressure paid off moments later though, as Parker netted the go-ahead tally with a tremendous volley. Crompton's service into the box from the top of the bubble was headed to Parker by a Clark defender on the right side of the box and he blasted the loose ball inside the far post for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
The Beavers' defense made it stand up as Heintzelman turned away four shots over the final 15 minutes, which included denying a bending 20-yard free kick by junior Jonathan Guilherme (Oxford, Conn.) in the 77th minute.
The Green and White finished with a 15-13 edge in shots and a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Babson returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Bridgewater State at 7 p.m., while Clark travels to WPI next Saturday at 10 a.m.
• The Beavers are 37-17-6 all-time against Clark and have lost just once in the last 11 meetings between the programs.
• Parker has scored a goal in four consecutive matches and has at least one point in each of the last six games.
• Babson improves to 9-0-4 this season when conceding one goal or less.
• Saturday's victory was the first since 2012 for the Beavers when trailing at halftime. Babson has been down just twice at halftime this season and only 19 times in its last 126 fixtures.


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Did you know that at Maroma Adventures you can do some exciting and fun camel riding? Well this is certainly a very entertaining and unique activity to engage in during your stay in Riviera Maya. Camels are friendly and domesticated creatures that are fun to ride along the beach and among the Maya jungle.
Here are some interesting facts about these animals, so you have a good idea about them before taking your tour. Camels are sweet, smart, social animals that can get along really well with people, even kids. They have been domesticated for thousands of years and have been human companion and help in some cultures.
Fun Camel Facts
Camels are very strong animals and manage to hold out without water for long periods of time. This is due to their blood cell shape (oval instead of circular) that eases the blood to flow even when dehydrated. They do not keep water in their humps. These are actually made of fat which provides insolation from the harsh hot weather. And talking about weather, camels have 2 rows of eyelashes to keep dusty wind away from their eyes. They can also close up their nostrils for the same effect.
They have a reputation for spitting a lot. Yes, they do spit, but this only occurs if they become distressed. As they are already used to being around people, this won´t happen.
Now for the camel ride.
This a 45 minute ride that can be done with family and friends. You should take sunglasses, comfortable clothing and wear sunscreen as you will be riding along the beach and also through vegetation. There will also be also time to hang out with the camels. So take your camera to capture this unique moment at Maroma Adventures, located at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!


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10 March 2014 – A lucky punter from New Jersey hit the biggest online jackpot yet in the newly legalized online gambling market in New Jersey winning $84,300 while playing the Monopoly Level Up Plus slot game by IGT. The lucky man, whom wishes to stay anonymous, was playing at the Borgata online casino. The win is not big by international standards, but it is a great start for the US state. Emil Ragone, on the other hand, won a $655,852 jackpot on the slots floor at the Borgata land-based casino in New Jersey.
The Biggest Online Jackpot in New Jersey Hit at Borgata
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Welcome to the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at International Islamic University Chittagong. The field of Electrical and Electronic Engineering encompasses many exciting technologies such as power system, electrical machineries, microelectronics, computer systems, communications system, nano technology, biomedical system and etc. which have been among the fastest growing and most challenging technologies that enable the development of the modern information-based society.
The Department runs an undergraduate programme, namely Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE). The Department currently has 35 academic staff and 13 administrative staff; about 650 undergraduate students. We have 10 laboratories with advanced equipment and facilities for supporting our teaching and research.
The mission of the Department is to produce the highest quality of graduates with strong morality to lead the Ummah, serve the society, and to conduct leading-edge research.
The Department's web site (http://www.iiuc.ac.bd/eee) provides a range of information about the Department. We hope you find the information useful and would of course welcome your comments.
Muhammad Athar Uddin
Associate Professor and Chairman,
Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
International Islamic University Chittagong


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Please get in touch with Solacoat from the Contact box on the right.
2 listed
|Reduces Housing Temperatures
Reduces Housing Temperatures Extensive testing has shown that in summer Solacoat can reduce the temperature of roofing materials by around 40 degrees... more »
|Temperature Of Commercial Buildings.
Solacoat on your building, on a typical summers day, will reject 80%+ of unwanted solar radiation from going in your building!... more »


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Federal Medical and Dental College (FMDC) is the only public sector Medical College in (Islamabad) the capital city of Pakistan, affiliated with SZABMU-PIMS. ETC test commonly known as HEC test introduced by HEC will conduct Test for Federal Medical and Dental College (FMDC). There are total100 seats available in FMDC for MBBS and students can get admission on open merit as well as on quota base. FMDC test is expected on 23rd September 2017. FMDC test will held by HEC and there are total 120 MCQ's from Biology, Physics, English and Chemistry. Pakprep.com provides complete material for the preparation of HEC/ FMDC test. We have more than 15,000+ MCQ's with answers and explanation. To start your preparation today Click here. Here are some Biology questions with answers and explanation for FMDC test.
Topic: Bioenergetics
Which of the following is correct when equal intensities of light are given. There is more photosynthesis in?
- Answer A : Red parts than in the Blue part
- Answer B : Blue parts than in the red part
- Answer C : Both have same rate
- Answer D : Blue part always has the highest rate
Correct: A
When equal intensities of light are given, than there is more photosynthesis in Red parts than blue part because red has more capability to absorb the sunlight and thus more sunlight, more energy transfer and more photosynthesis.
Topic: Evolution & Genetics
What is the risk of a color blind child in family when father is color blind but mother is normal?
- Answer A : 100%
- Answer B : 50%
- Answer C : 25%
- Answer D : 0%
Correct: D
Color blindness is a X linked recessive trait so the chance being affected is 0% as per figure below.
X-linked recessive genes are expressed in females only if there are two copies of the gene (one on each X chromosome). However, for males, there needs to be only one copy of an X-linked recessive gene in order for the trait or disorder to be expressed. The image bellow explains that both the sons would be affected.
Topic: Ecosystems & Environment
Which ecosystem is common in the rain shadows of major mountain ranges?
- Answer A : Desert
- Answer B : Forest
- Answer C : Grassland
- Answer D : Aquatic
Correct: A
Deserts are the bio-mes found commonly in 20-30 north and south latitude and also in the rain shadows of major mountain ranges.


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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Telecommunications stocks mostly retreated in Tuesday action, though UTStarcom Inc. and Alcatel bucked the trend.
UTStarcom Inc. on Tuesday won a potentially lucrative contract to help the biggest phone company in China to build a network over which it plans to deliver television service. The stock ended with a 23% gain, up $1.53 to $8.10. See full story.
Alcatel's ALA, -0.90% U.S.-listed shares rose as much as 5% after the French vendor was selected by Australian telecom group Telstra to be one of its key suppliers in a $2.5 billion upgrade of the company's network.
Most stocks, however, drifted lower. The Nasdaq Telecommunications Index $IXTC dipped 1.27 points to finish at 183.96, as 16 of the index's 20 largest stocks fell.
In the phone sector, most stocks declined. Sprint Nextel Corp. S, +2.22% surrendered 2.2% in value to close at $24.63. Level 3 Communications Inc. LVLT gave back part of its strong gains from the day before, down 2.2% to end at $3.62.
The only gainer: BellSouth Corp. BLS, +0.00%, which added 7 cents to $26.22.


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One of the cheaper book boxes out there, I felt that the Book Box should be given one more subscription month to see if it would still deliver something good for that very cheap price (20 GBP). Fair to say, I wasn't disappointed in the Wildest Dreams Book Box April.
So the theme for this month was Hocus Pocus. That of course, is very broad and I was hoping for a book that would fall into the fantasy genre this time around. When I saw the book and the goodies, it actually fits the theme quite well, most of it anyway.
This month we received the following items:
Hubble Bubble bubblegum scented Bath bomb – A bubblegum scented bath bomb, made with moisturizing Shea butter and apricot kernel oil. Turn your bath blue and pink: no magic required. Ok I'm not going to lie, trying to fit this in with the theme is a bit far fetched. However, I do love bath bombs and I can't wait to try this one out!
Witch's Brew – Surprise Tea – You can actually get 2 different teas this month. Either you will receive Sweet Magic with edible stars or Very Cherry that leaves your tea blood red. I got the Very Cherry tea version and I will be interested to try it out. I'm hoping it will be very sweet.
Border Biscuits – with that tea we get some lovely biscuits. It's shortbread, which I gave to my boyfriend. Not because I don't like it, but because I said I wasn't going to eat that many biscuits any more. He told me they were lovely.
Several other goodies – The book came with a signed book plate, an exclusive letter for the Wildest Dreams Subscribers, some postcards and a bookmark.
The Book
I always love it when a company puts an extra layer of protection around their books. Fairy loot does it with a little bag, OwlCrate wraps it in plastic and Wildest Dreams packs the book in thick, brown paper. It's almost like unwrapping a gift.
The book this month is The Witch's Blood by Kate & Liz Corr. I have oogled the first book in this series before in Waterstones, but haven't bought it just yet.
The Witch's Blood is the third book in the series. Even though I find it a bit risky of a book box company to put a follow up book in their boxes, it's not a bad book to get.
Now of course I will have to buy part 1 and 2 just so I can start reading this final book.
Goodreads' synopsis:
Just who can you trust when no one around you is who they seem?
The final spell-binding book in THE WITCH'S KISS trilogy by authors and sisters, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr.
Life as a teenage witch just got harder for Merry when her brother, Leo is captured and taken into an alternative reality by evil witch Ronan. Determined to get him back, Merry needs to use blood magic to outwit her arch-rival and get Leo back. Merry is more powerful than ever now, but she is also more dangerous and within the coven, loyalties are split on her use of the magic. In trying to save Leo, Merry will have to confront evil from her past and present and risk the lives of everyone she's ever loved. Given the chaos she's created, just what will she sacrifice to make things right?
I will say that for now this will be my last box from Wildest Dreams, not because I didn't enjoy the box, it's really great for the price you pay, but simply because I want to stick with one box for now and that spot is already filled by FairyLoot.
Speaking of FairyLoot, they are doing a great sweepstake at the moment:
FairyLoot came up with something very exciting for the May 'SAVE THE KINGDOM' boxes: There will be a special chance to win an entire year of free FairyLoot boxes.
Within all of the May boxes that FairyLoot will ship out next month, their busy packing bees will randomly pack the following three unique tickets:
- The Golden Fairy Queen's Dowry − this ticket will give you a year of free FairyLoot boxes
- The Silver Fairy Queen's Dowry − this ticket will give you 6 months of free FairyLoot boxes
- The Bronze Fairy Queen's Dowry − this ticket will give you 3 months of free FairyLoot boxes
Anyone who has a May box automatically participates in this raffle. And if you are one of the lucky winners and find a Fairy Queen's Dowry ticket in your May box? Take a snap of it alongside your box and and send it to FairyLoot via their support form.
Some May 'SAVE THE KINGDOM' boxes*
are still available in their online store now!
…so if you haven't ordered your May box yet, there is still the chance to do so!


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Forex Leverage
The speaker discusses a basic concept in the forex market, leverage. Typically, brokers will allow clients leverage in the forex market in the amount of 100:1 and even 200:1. When you put in a deposit for $200, you are trading with $20,000. Through a simple trading example, he shows you how your account could be wiped out with 1 bad trade and discusses the importance of stops.


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I've just finished watching HBO's "Big Little Lies" as part of my ongoing series of "shows I need to see before the Emmys" and I loved it.
Starring Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Reese Witherspoon, it's based on the namesake book written by Liane Moriarty.
Before watching the pilot, I knew very little about it. Just that involves a murder mystery, a small town and the lives of these three women.
Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) has two children, a part time job at the theatre comunity, an ex-husband who remarried. Her current huband is Ed (played by the lovely Adam Scott who has a majestic beard you won't forget). She is chatty, very involved in the comunity and on the first day of school, she befriends a young women called Jane.
Jane Chapman is single mom who recently moved to town. She is young and completely different from all the other moms. We know very little about her and her past.
Celeste Wright is Madeline's best friend. She has two twin boys and a younger husband. The relationship with said husband seems perfect, her marriage rock solid. But there is more than meets the eyes.
By the end of the episode, you see all three women getting ready to go to bed and the atmosphere shifts: while before you felt the mystery and the secrets, now all I perceived was sadness. Utter emptiness in Madeline, Jane and Celeste's eyes.
I really like the writing and directing: the story is told in medias res, they start by introducing the women and their lives and in between that, the aftermath of the murder: the police describing the extend of the victim's injuries and the interrogarions of some member of the community. All of this, without revealing the identity of the person who was murdered.
The first show that comes to mind where they have used this technique is "The Affair" (Showtime). And I really really like it. This one is even more particular, that is because it's not the main characters who are interviewed, but merely bystanders.
I am hooked and I cannot wait to continue it. I have heard that some things are different than the book and some have said that it is not as good. I don't really care. I'm just looking for amazing television.
There isn't much else too say… It's gripping, entertaining and it makes you want to bing watch it all in one day.
As soon as I finished it, I will let you know my overall opinions. Even though I am pretty sure I will like it. A lot.
Hope you liked this quick post. At least for my standards. 🙂
Let me know your thoughts about it and if you've read the book or see the show!
I'm so excited for the Emmys!!!


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As a growing company, Fusion Products is always looking for dynamic people to join our talented, experienced and engaged team. We will post the positions we are currently recruiting for from time to time.
Fusion Products is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, physical and/or mental handicap.
If you are interested in joining a winning team you can submit your resume to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Welcome to Shadyside and Our Pittsburgh Hotel
Venture slightly north of Hotel Indigo to discover the thrilling neighborhood of Shadyside. With bistros, taprooms, and shops everywhere you look, Shadyside knows how to impress its guests. A trio of streets—Ellsworth, Highland, and Walnut—hosts the area's best dining and nightlife, which ranges from laid back to lavish.
Besides Shadyside's thriving going-out culture, they're home to cultural attractions too. You can view exciting exhibitions at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts or explore the beautiful gothic ruins of a 1920s mansion at Mellon Park. Business destinations like Chatham University, UPMC Shadyside Hospital, and Hillman Cancer Center are within walking distance too.
- Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (0.8 miles)
- Mellon Park (0.9 miles)
- Chatham University (1.0 miles)
- UPMC Shadyside Hospital and Hillman Cancer Center (1.1 miles)


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DescriptionDelivering high output with clear sound and sonic accuracy, the DJ PRO 4000 Stereo Headphones from Stanton are suitable for long, demanding performances, where background noise reduction is crucial along with high output. In production sessions, they provide sonic accuracy in the studio or at the mixing board. The DJ PRO 4000 features a blue ring accent light.
Technical Specifications
|Driver Size
|1.6" (40 mm)
|Dynamic neodymium
|Voice Coil
|Copper-clad aluminum
|34 Ohms @ 1 kHz
|Frequency Range
|20 Hz to 24 kHz
|104 dB @ 1 kHz
|Max Input
|500 mW @ 1 kHz
|Total Harmonic Distortion
|< 1%
|Cord Length
|Removable 8' (2.4 m) straight
|11 oz (320 g)


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Monday, August 17, 2009
new episode: the things we do for love!
2 comments:
- ohmylanta said...
I'm sorry you've been sick! We have too. :( Sick with the three day flu bug. What ever happened to the good ol twenty four hour virus? Of course my mind goes straight to.... west nile..... or swine flu. Either way, there is just no time for mom's to be sick.
Truth be told, when the kids are sick, my hubby cuddles them and cleans up after them and he can do it without worry because he never gets it. Sadly enough, I'm the one saying "don't get too close honey - can you scoot back" or "no kisses tonight, mommy doesn't want to get sick" Do I sense some MOMMY GUILT coming on? HA HA
Hope you get better and your trip ends fabulously.
- August 18, 2009 at 7:45 AM
- Toby and Tammy said...
I wrote you an e-mail so check it when you get a chance.
I'd love to meet up and left my contact info in the e-mail.
Sorry your kiddos are sick. No fun at all.
- August 20, 2009 at 10:50 PM


text: FAIRIES. THE FLOWER BOOK trans. by June Head. NY: Herbert Dubler 1946. 16mo (4 5 3/4"), pictorial boards, VG+. This is a charming book with flower fairies and humanized flowers. Featuring 12 lovely full page illustrations by IDA BOHATTA MORPURGO. Each of the text pages features a rhyme about a...... More


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Antique Equipment, Boat Anchors, Homebrewing, Radios
A Restoration Project01/17/2016
As a kid I tried to learn about electronics the old fashioned way - tear something apart and try to put it back together. Unfortunately I did not have someone overseeing my explorations, and so very little was actually learned! If amateur and shortwave radio itself is an attempt to recapture something I really enjoyed when I was young, tinkering with electronics is even more so a fulfillment of something I sought as a child. Electronics, as it applies to the radio hobby, is almost as magical as the signals these radios receive. Antennas grab signals as they course through


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LMS Society Meeting at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2018
The lecture is aimed at a general mathematical audience. All interested, whether LMS members or not, are most welcome to attend this event.
This day meeting takes place during the International Congress of Mathematicians 2018 from 1-9 August 2018
6.00 pm Opening of the meeting
Marta Sanz-Solé (Barcelona)
From gambling to random modelling.
The meeting will be followed by the LMS Reception for members and guests (the reception is a ticketed event)
Regisration: Please register for your place at the ICM here. (Earlybird rates available until 27April; USD 450, with a discounted rate of USD 200 for PhD students.
LMS Reception: The LMS Reception for Members and Guests will take place after the Society Meeting from 7.00 - 9.00 pm. Please register for a ticket here.
Location and Further Details: Available here


text: Alan Grayson has been one of the most serious and effective members of the House. With Marco Rubio giving up his Senate seat to run for president or vice-president, Alan has decided to toss his hat into the ring. We can't think of a better person Florida could send to the Senate to stand with Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley. The DSCC, of course, has their own right-of-center hack in the race but with our help Grayson should be able to win the primary and then the general election in 2016. Please watch Alan's heartfelt announcement video above. And spread it around.


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Some Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) included. They are marked with an *. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
A more accurate title for this post would be 'My Favourite Books of 2018' because not all of them were published in 2018, but I called my first yearly book round-up the 'Best Books of' back in 2015 and feel the need to be consistent so we're just going to go with it.
2018 was the year I stopped rating books by stars on Goodreads. I still list the books I've read (you can find me here), but I realised that star ratings are not something I judge books on and, to be honest, there can be so little difference between four and five stars that they feel pointless.
It was also the year of reading to my own schedule instead of feeling that I needed to read the latest releases all the time. That said, by being more selective with the advance reader copies I accepted six of my top ten were books I was sent for review purposes (they're marked with an * throughout the post). Turns out I quite enjoy reading new releases, even when it is at my own pace!
This Really Isn't About You by Jean Hannah Edelstein*
This Really Isn't About You* is my sleeper hit of the year. I enjoyed it when I read it, but I wasn't the expecting to still have a book hangover months later. After years abroad Jean Hannah Edelstein moves back to the US because her father has terminal cancer. Shortly after her return, he dies. Edelstein is faced with the possibility that she has inherited a gene that makes her more susceptible to cancer and the decision of whether or not to find out for sure.
Pain Woman Takes Your Keys, and Other Essays from a Nervous System by Sonya Huber
A collection of essays about living with chronic pain, particularly the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, sounds right up my street. So much so, that I am surprised I haven't come across Sonya Huber's work before. No matter, I'm glad I finally have! Pain Woman Takes Your Keys struck so many chords with me that I basically highlighted the entire the book. Hearing someone else express the same frustrations I regularly experience, like struggling to rate my pain on the ridiculous scale doctors insist on using or not really knowing how to navigate talking about your chronic pain on social media, was genuinely life changing. Objectively I knew I wasn't the only one to feel these things, but Huber writes in a way that feels like she is inside my head. I'll be recommending this one to people with chronic pain, as well as people who want to learn more about what living with an invisible illness is like, for years to come.
The Hoarder by Jess Kidd*
The Hoarder* is a wonderfully strange tale full of secrets, betrayal and humour. Maud Drennan is a carer with a difference; she spends her days surrounded by the ghosts of saints and being far more psychic than she would like. When she meets her newest client, Cathal Flood, she finds herself drawn to the secrets his house full of junk might hold. But Cathal's temperament mean it's best not too ask him too many questions. So, it's up to Maud and her agoraphobic landlady, Renata, to get to the bottom of why Cathal is living the way he is.
The Water Cure by Sophie Macintosh*
Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Sophie Mackintosh's debut The Water Cure* is a coming-of-age story with power, survival and sisterhood at its heart. Grace, Lia and Sky are sisters who are kept away from the outside world. This is for their own protection according to their mother and father, King. The world makes women physically sick and men are not to be trusted, but as long as the sisters do things their parent's way everything will be alright. However, the arrival of a group of men will change their lives forever.
Skin Deep by Liz Nugent*
Liz Nugent's appearance on my best of list is something of a tradition, at this stage, but she has yet to have a misstep as far as I'm concerned. Cordelia Russell is a woman who drinks too much, perhaps because her life is, to put it mildly, complicated. Throw in the dead body in her apartment and the word 'complicated' no longer even begins to cover it. Skin Deep* is a devilishly good read about a woman who appears not to have a caring, or a likeable, bone in her body!
Promising Young Women by Caroline O'Donoghue
There was a time when I would have described Promising Young Women as chick-lit with a difference or chick-lit but better. That is until Caroline O'Donoghue and her Sentimental Garbage podcast made me rethink why I saw chick-lit as something less than. Chick-lit is now a badge I intend to use with the pride it is intended! Promising Young Women is brilliant chick-lit. What starts as a, seemingly, familiar story about a young woman starting an ill-advised relationship with an older man from work soon takes a Gothic turn. You may not make the same choices Jane does (or, hey, maybe you would!), but there is a lot we can learn about ourselves from her mistakes.
Almost Love by Louise O'Neill*
I never did complete that review of Almost Love* that I promised back in March. I'm still gathering my thoughts about Sarah's relationship with Matthew and the impact it has not only on her relationship with her boyfriend, Oisin, but with herself. That's what makes it a must-read. It messes with your head and, if you're anything like me, makes you question the narratives we are fed about obsessive love and self-worth.
Notes to Self by Emilie Pine
Essays made up a not insignificant amount of the reading I did this year. I'm a huge fan of Narratively's Memoir Monday newsletter, which makes finding the best of the best personal essays a whole lot easier. When it comes to essay collections Notes to Self left a lot for others to live up to. Ranging from her father's alcoholism, infertility, mental ill-health, to feminism and rape culture these essays are deeply personal. Yet they strike the right tone and never feel like oversharing. Emilie Pine's writing is honest, confronting, reflective and absorbing.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Another one from the Man Booker Prize longlist, Normal People follows Marianne and Connell from their childhood in rural Ireland to their college days in Dublin. Their relationship has always been complicated and adulthood doesn't make it any less so. Sally Rooney has a way of writing characters that get under your skin and refuse to leave. It seems simple, but takes a great deal of skill.
People Like Me by Lynn Ruane
Senator Lynn Ruane is not what most people expect a politician to be like. That is not to do Ruane a disservice, she makes no secret of the fact that she never expected people like her to become politicians much less become a politician herself. From her experience with addiction, to becoming a mother at the age of 15, to returning to education and finding her voice through student politics People Like Me may be a personal story, but it explores issues that affect wider society. Issues around class and whose stories get to be told.
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