text:
Is Europe missing out on the market potential of the platform economy?
Let's be honest — the headline figures do not look good. Out of a total of USD 4.3 trillion globally, Europe can currently claim only 200 billion of market capitalisation — that is, less than 5%.
Such potential figures are reflected by market realities — whereas 82 digital platforms exist in China, including the all-powerful Alibaba, the UK has only 8 and Germany 4.
'You can see how far behind Europe is,' said Dr. Peter Evans, VP Research at The Center for Global Enterprise, at a recent BearingPoint event covering the platform economy. But does this mean the continent is doomed to consume services from North America and China, in the worst case becoming a sideshow in an increasingly digital world?
We do not believe so, for a number of reasons. If we look at the way the digital revolution is unfolding, it is clear that we are still at an early stage. Even with the enormous potential already being demonstrated by information-centric companies such as Google and Facebook, and sharing organisations like Uber and AirBnB, there is more to come — which plays to Europe's strengths.
Where are such breakthroughs to come from? The answer is to look at the intersection between the physical and the digital worlds. While the Internet of Things might have a long heritage, it is also clear that current IoT solutions — largely sensor-based remote monitoring and management — are relatively primitive.
Industry 4.0, or the fourth industrial revolution, is a significant opportunity, not simply to improve operational efficiency and the customer experience, but also to use cloud-based analytics and machine learning, 3D printing and virtual reality to create new ways of design, engineering and construction, maintenance and management. Some great companies in Europe have already been leading this charge - not least Schindler, Schneider and Siemens.
While Europe may be lagging behind in platform provision, it has a heritage and market leading position in manufacturing and engineering, as well as computerisation. Europe's business landscape has numerous examples of organisations that are bridging the gap between the physical and digital, from automotive companies to construction.
At BearingPoint, we believe the future lies not in simply building services on top of a platform, but delivering a platform that can also evolve in line with a rapidly changing landscape. Indeed, this is one of the founding principles of our own services platform initiative and product set, which we call Digital Ecosystem Management. Agility should be a facet of both the platform and the services it enables.
While the future is digital, it will also be physical — where software and services meet the real world. Europe may have lost ground to Silicon Valley in technology terms, but an even bigger opportunity looms, in which Europe has a real chance of success. Speed is of the essence, however — in this rapidly changing world, only the fastest moving organisations will maintain their current advantage.


text:
Difference between revisions of "MSEide+MSEgui"
(Fixed heading levels; added See also for orphaned tutorial pages)
|Line 40:
|Line 40:
* Current version: 5.0 (2020-04-02)
* Current version: 5.0 (2020-04-02)
* Authoritative reference: [
* Authoritative reference: [://mseide-msegui MSEide+MSEgui homepage] with installation instructions
* Cooperative homepage: [
* Cooperative homepage: [://.com/]
* Download: [https://github.com/mse-org/mseide-msegui/releases/]
* Download: [https://github.com/mse-org/mseide-msegui/releases/]
* Work in progress: [https://github.com/mse-org/mseide-msegui]
* Work in progress: [https://github.com/mse-org/mseide-msegui]
Revision as of 03:27, 6 January 2021
English (en) │
español (es) │
français (fr) │
WARNING: MSE project is part now of mse-org: https://github.com/mse-org
MSEide & MSEgui sources are here: https://github.com/mse-org/mseide-msegui
Biography of Martin: https://sites.google.com/view/martin-schreiber-biography/
The MSEide is a Cross Platform GUI Development System for Pascal programmers, completely written in Pascal. The MSEgui does not feature VCL compatibility. The graphics library provides an interface to win32 and X11. Despite being a single person (Martin Schreiber) effort for the moment, the IDE and GUI has already an amazing feature list:
- Internal character encoding is UCS2.
- Internationalization tool included.
- Docking forms.
- Embedded forms (similar to TFrame).
- Visual form inheritance.
- Links to xlib and gdi32, no external widget library needed.
- Database access components and data edit widgets.
- Integrated debugging.
- Integrated report designer.
- Flexible and handy build system with switchable macros.
- and more...
But what about Lazarus?
Lazarus is an IDE that aims to provide a high degree of compatibility with VCL code, while providing a native look on many platforms. The native look is very important for many developers, but combined with the VCL compatibility necessitates many complex interfaces to the different native widget sets (Gtk,Win32,Carbon,Qt). The continuous evolution of these native widget sets (gtk1->gtk2, win32->?, qt) provokes endless catching up.
MSEide+MSEgui neither features (or suffers :-) VCL compatibility, nor provides a real native look on target platforms. The graphics library provides an interface to win32 and X11. The advantage of the X11 layer is the immediate availability of a large and stable (in time) target platform.
These different goals of both projects make them both fulfill different needs.
Why this wiki
The design of the MSE GUI is a fresh approach to GUI design patterns. It features many innovative solutions for typical GUI tasks. Being innovative, the MSE GUI library differs substantially from VCL/LCL/CLX. Switching from VCL to MSE may be more challenging than switching from VCL to LCL. These wiki pages aim to ease the first steps with this promising alternative IDE and GUI library.
- Current version: 5.0 (2020-04-02)
- Authoritative reference: MSEide+MSEgui homepage with installation instructions
- Cooperative homepage: [1]
- Download: [2]
- Work in progress: [3]
Quick start
Open Project
Launch the IDE and use Project->Open to open the provided demo msegui/apps/demo/demo.prj. The title of the IDE reflects the opened project. Hit F9 and (if you followed the installation instructions :-), be amazed by the speed of FPC+MSE.
First RAD steps
Close the running project. Use Project->Source to open the project source demo.pas. Ctrl-click on the parameter mainfo in the line
to navigate to main.pas. Click on F12 to toggle between unit and form. Not everything will feel that familiar, because of that, these pages are written. Click on the button, this will auto raise the property editor (unusual but useful). Let us add another button. Make the component palette visible if necessary (View->Toolbar->Component Palette). Select the tbutton on the widget page. Click on the form to create the button. Give it a caption in the usual way. Creating an event handler does not work with the usual double clicking on the onexecute property. Instead, you must select the onexecute property in the property editor, type the name of an event handler and press enter. The MSE RAD will create the handler and position the pointer on the definition. Use ctrl-shift-down arrow (or up) to navigate between implementation and definition. Just add some code like writeln('Hello world'); Hit F9. The writeln will end up in the target console window of MSE (not the console in which you started MSE).
Adding a Main Menu
Add Main Menu
Add a tmainmenu component from the Gui component tab to your main form. Click on your mainform (mainfo), so that Object Inspector shows the properties of the mainform. Use the arrow next to the mainmenu property of the mainform, to select tmainmenu1 as the mainmenu of mainfo.
Add Menu Items
In the Object Inspector, expand the mainmenu branch. In this branch, open the menu property of mainmenu. Change the submenu.count of menu to 1 (or higher). Now expand the submenu.count property, which will show "Item 0". Expand "Item 0" and set the caption, for instance to "&File". Now you can repeat the same procedure one level deeper... Change the submenu.count property of "Item 0" to 1. Expand this last submenu.count property and set the caption of the new "Item 0", for instance to "E&xit". Hit F9 and your program should have a menu File with the entry Exit in it.
Alternatively, in Object Inspector you may right click a submenu.count property, or an "Item n" property, which will reveal a context sensitive pop up menu. Use this pop up menu to insert, append or delete menu items.
Once you have more than one submenu, you can use drag and drop to move the menu items ("Item n"). Start the drag mouse move on the "Item n" line.
Create New Project
In order to create a new project based on a template, use Project->New->From Template. For a GUI project select "default.prj", for a console project select "console.prj"
The concept
MSEgui is a Pascal program library, which provides the building blocks for developing programs with graphical user interface.1
MSEide is the corresponding integrated development environment for effective software production with Free Pascal and MSEgui. MSEide is also suitable for the development of gcc and microcontroller applications.
Currently MSEide+MSEgui run under i386-linux, x86-64-linux, arm-linux, x86-64-freebsd, i386-win32 and x86-64-win64 while supported microprocessors are CPU32, ARM and AVR32. MSEgui is predominantly platform independent. Additional platforms may be added by implementing the system-dependent software elements. The system-dependent MSEgui modules are located in subdirectories of lib/common/kernel.
Main development goals
- Relevant increase in productivity, compared with other development systems.
- Identical appearance and functionality on all platforms, without additional measures in the user code.
- Dependence on additional libraries kept as little as possible.
- Orthogonality - there should be as little as possible interference between different program elements and as few as possible exceptions and special cases.
- Highly parametrised GUI elements.
- Working with MSEide+MSEgui should be fun.
Architecture overview
MSEgui requires no external component libraries - it communicates directly with the graphical interface of the operating system, X11 via Xlib on Linux and gdi32 under Windows.
For the individual GUI elements no operating system resources are required - only the main windows are known to the operating system. The entire processing of external events (keyboard, mouse, focus control ...) happens within MSEgui on a Pascal level.
The base class for GUI elements is a
twidget. There is no distinction between simple graphic elements and elements which can receive input focus, as is the case in Delphi. All MSEgui widgets have the full functionality of a
twidget at their disposal.
Important features of
twidget are
twidget.frame and
twidget.face. When frame or face are not used, they are represented by NIL pointer, in this way using almost no resources.
twidget.frame is responsible for the frame around the working area of the element. The appearance of the frame is higly adjustable - it can be a simple and quickly drawable 3D frame, as well as a complex and slower composite construct, based on images. There are also other frame elements, that can build scroll bars, buttons and labels.
twidget.face draws the background of the working area of a desktop GUI element - color gradients and images in various forms can be shown, while partial transparency is also possible.
Setting the properties of frame and face can be centralised by using
tframecomp and
tfacecomp, which can be selected into
tframe and
tface as templates.
The next level of centralization is
tskincontroller, through which program-wide settings can be made. In order to achieve that,
tskinkontroller assigns to the GUI elements the appropriate
tframcomp and
tfacecomp templates.
The control of the widget functions (focusin, focusout, ...) is done by virtual procedures and functions and not through messages. The MSEgui message function has other tasks. Also a Corba-style interface is used - for the safe connection between the various components and the automatic disconnection through destroy, a
tobjectlinker is used.
The type
msestring is used in MSEgui for storing text. At the moment, msestring equals WideString. However, the reference counted FPC WideString (UnicodeString) is planned to be used under Windows, as soon as it becomes available in one of the future FPC releases.
In text files the utf-8, ASCII or the local encoding is used - MSEide+MSEgui does not use utf-16 files.
The MSEgui database components provide the conversion from the local encoding or the utf-8 (adjustable) to WideString for the data buffering. For file operations, a set of MSEgui's own functions with WideString interface exists. An MSEgui application can therefore work consistently with WideStrings, which is a significant relief for some tasks.
Specialized data edit widgets for the basic data types (integer, real, tdatetime, ...) are available in MSEgui (
tdatetimeedit, ...). The main event property of these widgets is
onsetvalue, which can be used for reacting upon user input.
t*edit widgets can be inserted into a
twidgetgrid and in that way form a column of the appropriate data format.
For viewing and editing of data fields a
tdbwidgetgrid togeather with a set of
tdb*editwidgets can be used. Worth mentioning are also different lookup components and a
tlookupbuffer, a fast associative data memory.
The basic component of the MSEgui's database environment is
tmsebufdataset, from which
tmsesqlquery is derived. MSEgui DB is a fork of the FPC SQLDB system, where TBufDataset and large parts of TSQLQuery and the connection components have been completely rewritten.
tmsebufdataset offers local indices, calculated and internalcalc-fields, a mode with an interrupted database connection, an in-memory mode where no database connectivity is necessary and can keep a local journal, in order to later reconect a previously disconnected database connection.
tmsebufdataset stores texts as WideStrings of variable length.
Further, there are SQL script components and
tsqlresult for quick queries without the TDataset overhead. Persistent TField instances are either kept within
tmsesqlquery, where they can be edited in the object inspector via
tmsesqlquery.controller.fields, or they can be inserted into forms or modules as as individual components from the 'DBf' component palette.
MSEide supports 'visual form inheritance', Submodule (Delphi TFrame equivalent) and allows the assignment of components of other forms or modules to component properties at design time.
Internationalization is done via resource modules that are loadable at runtime. The MSEi18n, a tool that supports the import and export of texts in spreadsheet programs is available for editing - therefore facilitating a translation by nonprogrammers.
1) This chapter is based on a translation of a German text provided by Martin Schreiber.
Tips: MSEide
Larger fonts
Some may find the standard menu font a bit small. The standard font for the main menu of an MSEgui application is the font defined by the stf_menu stock font. You can change a stock font value with a startup parameter, <fontheight> is given in pixels.
So if you start the mseide like this, you can get a larger menu font:
mseide --FONTALIAS=stf_menu,sans,16
In order to increase the base font size for all stock fonts use
mseide --FONTALIAS=stf_default,,16
- Ctrl+F4 - Close
- Ctrl+S - Save
- Ctrl+E - Select page
- F11 - Toggle Form/Inspector
- F12 - Toggle Form/Unit
- Shift+Ctrl+[0..9] - Bookmark 0..9
- Ctrl+[0..9] - Go to bookmark 0..9
- Ctrl+LeftClick - Go to var(class, method, unit) declaration
- Shift+Ctrl+Up - Go to method declaration
- Shift+Ctrl+Down - Go to method implementation
- Shift+Ctrl+Space - Show procedure header
- F7 - Step
- F8 - Next
- F9 - Continue
- Shift+F7 - Finish
- Shift+Ctrl+F8 - Next instruction
- Shift+Ctrl+F7 - Step instruction
- F5 - Toggle breakpoint
- Shift+F5 - Toggle breakpoint enabled/disabled
- Ctrl+B - Breakpoints on/off
- Ctrl+W - Watches on/off
- Ctrl+Z - Undo
- Ctrl+X - Cut
- Ctrl+C - Copy
- Ctrl+V - Paste
- Ctrl+F - Find
- F3 - Search again
- Ctrl+L - Go to line.
- Ctrl+I - Indent block
- Ctrl+U - Unindent
Print from IDE
You need the ghostscript
Recent opened files or projects
The last opened projects are in the dropdown list of 'Project'-'Open'-'Name'. The last opened files are in the dropdown list of 'File'-'Open'-'Name'.
Menu Editing
- Use submenu.count to set the wanted menu items count.
- Right click on submenu.count or on a menu item "Item X" to display a context-sensitive menu that allows to insert,append or delete a submenu entry
- Use drag and drop on a submenu entry to move the the item in the array.
New Panels in the IDE
Example, you want to have the watch, stack and cpu window in a window:
- select the menu item View-Panels-New Panel.
- select the menu item View-Watches.
- drag the Watches window by the grip (not the window title!) in the new panel.
- same with Stack and CPU window.
- to split horizontal drag one of the grip of the inserted widgets to the left border of the panel.
- to split vertical drag one of the grip of the inserted widgets to the bottom border of the panel.
- to use tabs drag one of the grip of the inserted widgets to the centre of the panel.
Design Tab-Order
Main way in MSEide is set the tab order after all widgets are placed in the form with the popup menu function "Set Tab Order". Select a widget in the container where you wish to set the tab oder, click right, click "Set Tab Order", click row 0, click "Start", click the widget in the container which should get tab order 0, click the widget which should get tab order 1..
An alternative is to drag and drop the rows to the desired position. The first row corresponds to the tab order 0 the second to the 1 and so on.
Creating a new event handler
Select the event you want in the Object Inspector, then type name of the new event handler. IDE create a new procedure(declaration and implementation) in the source code. If you double-click the name of the event handler in the Object Inspector, source editor opens with the cursor at begin of your handler implementation.
Tips: MSEgui
Tabbed control
- Put ttabwidget control on the form. Now you have container (ttabwidget1) for pages.
- Put as many ttabpage controls on the ttabwidget1 as tabs you want.
We have two widgets (widgetLeft, widgetRight) and we need horizontal splitter between them.
- Add TSplitter to form and resize it as you want.
- Change the linkleft of tsplitter1 to widgetLeft and linkright to widgetRight. At this step our widgets stick to splitter.
- Change the spo_hmove to True. That's all.
- If you want to save a proportion between width of widgetLeft and width of widgetRight when the main form is resized then change the so_hprop to True.
- If you need the vertical splitter then use other properties linktop, linkbottom, spo_vmove, spo_vprop.
Switch-off auto-scrolling of the form(widget)
Change the container - frame - sbhorz - options - sbo_showauto property of the form to False.
Read/write data in the twidgetgrid
- editwidget.value -> value of the actual row
- editwidget[rowindex] or editwidget.gridvalue[rowindex] -> value of the addressed row
- editwidget.gridvalues the whole column as a dynamic array.
First events
OnCreate is called before loaded procedures of the components of the form are called, OnLoaded is called after loaded procedures of the components of the form are called. Many components do initializations in loaded procedures, event properties are inactive before procedure loaded of the component is called.
MDI - application can be created using TDockFormWidget or TDockPanel (as MDI-area) and TDockForm (as ancestor for you MDI-child window). There are examples:
- How to use TDockForm with custom MDI-buttons http://brefi.narod.ru/mdi_example2.tar.gz or in $MSESOURCES/contributed/ivankob/examples
- Simple MDI-controller (create, switch, ... the child windows) http://mihafpc.narod.ru/MDISample.tar.gz or in $MSESOURCES/contributed/miha
Redraw form the additional thread
Use a tthreadcomp (tab Gui) to do the long time procedure. If you need to access widgets and other gui variables from the additional thread, call application.lock before and aplication.unlock after accessing the main event thread elements.
Force repaint
- twidget.invalidate to invalidate an individual widget
- twidget.rootwidget.invalidate to invalidate the window
- application.invalidate to invalidate all windows (=forms) in the application
Draw text
There are two methods to draw texts in MSEgui:
- Simple text positioning by baseline position of start of the first character with tcanvas.drawstring.
- With the drawtext procedures of msedrawstring.pas.
Widgets canvas
No twidget has a canvas. The canvas used for painting is normally one of the canvas of twindow, it can also be an canvas of a tbitmap or a tprinter or... MSEgui uses one canvas to paint a whole window with all widgets. tcanvas.font is initialized by twidget.getfont, canvas.color by twidget.actualcolor before calling twidget.dopaint, see twidget.paint procedure in msegui.pas.
Theming (Frames & Faces)
Every twidget has a property frame and face. If they are deactivated (<disabled> in object inspector) they are only an nil pointer and need no more resources. Activate them by clicking on the ellipse button in the right object inspector column in the row face respective frame.
The face property defines the background of the client area of the widget.
It is a combination of a fade and a bitmap. Both of them can be semitransparent. The bitmap can be stretched and/or tiled. Example: you want to create a button with a fade as face.
- place a tbutton on the form.
- in object inspector activate property face.
- set face.fade.color.count to 2.
- click on the + at color.count.
- in item 0 select cl_gray.
- in item 1 select cl_ltgray, now you have a left to write fade from gray to light gray.
- change face.fade.direction to gd_up or gd_down, you get a convex resp. concave fade.
If you want, you can blend an additional structure over the fade:
- select the wanted pattern image in face.image.
- activate face.image.alignment al_tiled.
- adjust face.image.transparency to your needs, $000000 = opaque, $ffffff = fully transparent. The number defines the transparency of the three color channels ($RRGGBB).
To centralise the face look use an tfacecomp (tab Gui) and select the facecomp in template of the face properties.
The frame property defines the look of an additional frame around the component and shows a possible caption at the widget. Example: you want an lowered frame around and a caption right of the button.
- activate property frame.
- set frame.levelo to -1.
- set frame.leveli to 1.
- enter the caption text in frame.caption.
- set frame.captionpos to cp_right.
To centralise the frame look use an tframecomp (tab Gui) and select the framecomp in template of the frame properties.
Desktop colors in the MSE application
Default values of the mapped colors stored in the array msegraphics.defaultmapped. For change it's values you can use function msegraphics.setcolormapvalue Win32 and KDE example ($MSESOURCES/contributed/miha/GuiStyle.pas)
Application examples and screenshots
A Firebird application
The following screen shots are taken from an MSEgui Firebird database application. The programmer writes he has customized the look and feel of his application in about 30 minutes with a tfacecomp and two tframecomp. He states that the look and feel is identical on Linux and Windows.
The report is designed and rendered with the built-in MSEide+MSEgui report designer and report generator.
Two MDI forms with fade and flat frame.
An embedded system
An embedded system for medical applications, in this case steam sterilizers, was realized with MSE-IDE & MSE-GUI for the control unit, nowadays also commonly called the "human machine interface", HMI.
The control unit uses a touch panel a its display, therefore all active controls have to be made rather large to enable the personnel to handle them easily. The main screen consists of a few informational display fields and allows to select the implemented sterilizing processes by means of a menu consisting of several button components showing the process names along with a short description in a separate panel. The visibility of the buttons and their captions are defined during program loading by means of a configuration file. The informational fields display the devices' operating values in real time using a MSE system timer to collect the information from the PLC.
After processing has been started, the display is switched to a different format showing the operating values in large digits on some numeric display field components on the left and a graphical representation of the process history on the right, again both as real time "live displays". If the diagram curves would reach the right panel border, the diagram would change to a scrolling mode, always showing the current state at the extreme right.
For diagnostic purposes, also a schematic state display is available. This shows a simplified schematic of the apparatus, along with real time animated symbols of the control elements, as there are valves and pumps, each displayed in a derived version of a timage component, created and placed dynamically on program load. Also shown are the most important process values as numerical displays, also dynamically placed. The schematic field really is the output of a separate program, running in parallel to the process display which provides the upper and lower parts of the screen display.
There is also a mode for setting several control and function parameters and to recall previous operational and diagnostic data. It is organised as a tabbed screen containing several run time parametrized menu pages and a couple of display field pages. Some of the pages allow access only after entering a pass code to prevent missuse of critical functions.
This is a screen displaying a graphical protocol of a previous process. The protocol is usually printed out immediately after termination, as required by the regulations. The printer output is generated as a postscript file, processed by ghostscript both for print out and for the on screen display shown, which uses the png format for loading into the display field.
Of course, there is also an attribution display, showing program version, creator information and the tools used for the creation of the system, Free Pascal and MSE-IDE & MSE-GUI. As background, it uses a photography of one such apparatus as it is used in clinics displayed in an image component carrying several label fields used for the text. Above all of that sits a transparent button to close the picture.
Reference: MSEide
- To move and resize components without gridsnap use shift+cursorkeys and ctrl+cursorkeys.
- There are many possibilities with properties twidget.frame and twidget.face, for instance tiled semitransparent bitmaps and color fades (all twidget descendants have these properties!).
For client area of forms use tmseform.container.frame and tmseform.container.face, tmseform has additionally onpaint to do custom drawing.
You can write your own widgets and override procedure dopaint or use teventwidget with onpaint,onresize,onmouseevent,onkeydown,onkeyup...
How to convert filenames to windows format? Unit msefileutils: function tosysfilepath(const path: filenamety): filenamety; procedure tosysfilepath1(var path: filenamety); Converts to filename format of actual OS. function tomsefilepath(const path: filenamety): filenamety; procedure tomsefilepath1(var path: filenamety); Converts from filename format of actual OS.
Where is the MDI ??? In MSEgui we have tdockform and tdockpanel for that purpose. Have a look at property dragdock.
Reference: MSEgui
On this page you can find a working in progress for documenting MSEGUI.
See also
- MSEide MSEgui first step Tutorial for beginners showing to create first program.
- MSEide MSEgui Howto Windows example.
External links
WARNING: MSE project is part now of mse-org: https://github.com/mse-org
MSEide & MSEgui sources are here: https://github.com/mse-org/mseide-msegui
Website: http://mseide-msegui.sourceforge.net/
Community website: http://www.msegui.com
Unofficial incomplete help pages started from Z505 at: http://z505.com/cgi-bin/mse/idx.cgi?file=generalindex
Read the beginner's tutorial (in Russian) at: http://freepascal.ru/article/mse/20060108181639/
Also: "MSEide+MSEgui. Draw lesson." (in Russian) http://freepascal.ru/article/mse/20060205191314/
You can also find an English translation here: http://www.geocities.com/yetanothergeek/mseide-tutorial-en/
This page in Russian: http://freepascal.ru/wiki/index.php/MSEide%26MSEgui
MSElang, the future compiler for the MSEide+MSEgui project https://gitlab.com/mseide-msegui/mselang/wikis/home

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Why Vodafone Group's Shares Have Been Climbing
LONDON -- The shares of Vodafone have rarely topped the 160 pence mark since November 2012, despite a 52-week high of 191.25 pence recorded in August. In fact, they sank to a 154.45 pence low at the end of last year.
However, this month has seen Vodafone's shares mount a small recovery, climbing to a high of 166 pence on Jan. 9. Today sees the shares up 2.4% from yesterday's close to 167 pence.
There are several factors behind the share-price climb, which I've outlined below:
The FTSE 100 has had positive start to 2013 -- when the market is on a bull run, its biggest constituents often follow suit; with the Footsie crossing the 6,000 mark at the beginning of the year, it has now broken through the 6,200-point barrier and has extended its two-month rally to 12%.
There have been reports in the media recently speculating that Vodafone may receive a bid for its U.S. operations, Verizon Wireless, from the co-owner of the joint venture, Verizon Communications. It's no secret that shares often rise in anticipation of a bid; however, they often drop if no deal transpires, of course. Watch this space...
Vodafone has held talks about cutting its workforce within its Spanish operation, where Vodafone is the second-largest operator by customers. This follows the company's 5.9 billion pound writedown of the value of its businesses in Spain, Italy, and Greece last November.
Talks are planned with Indian officials about the group's $2 billion tax dispute. Cases such as this are often off-putting for investors, and this one has hung around Vodafone's neck for a prolonged period of time. With a resolution seemingly imminent, interest in the company is creeping back as investors hope to get on board before the recovery speeds up.
The telecommunication group release its third-quarter results on Feb. 7, and reports suggest that Vodafone has circulated consensus forecasts ahead of its next update. Indeed, Goldman Sachs analysts believe that "Vodafone has attractive potential to materially improve its structural position by acquiring cable assets, and realising substantial potential synergies... selling a portion of its stake in Verizon Wireless to fund cable acquisitions would be accretive to long-term value with cautious execution assumptions."
So, is this the Vodafone recovery that private investors have been waiting for? Time will tell but, as a shareholder, I'll be keeping a firm eye on any news relating to the company over the next few weeks.
So, too, will City super-investor Neil Woodford, who owns a significant holding of Vodafone within his high-yield portfolios. His track record speaks for itself, having beaten the FTSE 100 by 200%-plus during the 15 years to October 2012 by identifying large-cap winners on a regular basis.
The Motley Fool has produced a special report on the eight blue-chip companies favored by Woodford, now updated for 2013. It's completely free, but available for a limited time only. Just click here to have the report delivered instantly to your inbox.
The article Why Vodafone Group's Shares Have Been Climbing originally appeared on Fool.com.
Sam Robsonowns shares in Vodafone, but no other company mentioned. The Motley Fool has recommended shares in Vodafone. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


text:
Each winter up here in the wilds of New Hampshire we get ice and snow storms. Then the power goes out. Soon the neighborhood is humming with the sounds of generators as folks flip the appropriate switch and electricity flows back along its appointed rounds. Except at my house.
After living here 12 years and watching the town relentlessly expand and develop, I can't help but expect that this is the year the power company will figure out that winter storms in winter in New Hampshire are not a fluke. This will be the year the power remains on. This despite the fact that, as my neighbors gleefully point out, each year it gets worse.
In my mind, their generators are what enable the power company to get away with this disgraceful performance and I, for one, will not be a party to it.
So the power goes out. The lights go dark. The well pump stops and the taps (and toilets) go dry. Slowly the heat leaks away into the bitter cold night while the food in the freezer spoils.
In righteous indignation I huddle under piles of blankets until my wife and daughter load up the car and take us all to the hotel and restaurants for a few days where we will spend roughly double the cost of a generator waiting it out.
During one of these adventures a couple of years back as we stepped out from a lovely breakfast in what passes for the big city downtown around here, I noticed a graceful new building across the street with a banner announcing "For Lease."
"Hey," I said, "let's check this out."
Moments later we are being shown a beautiful two bedroom two bath apartment reminiscent of the place my wife and I spent the first three blissful years of our marriage.
"This is awesome," said my now Senior in High School little girl. "Why didn't we move here when we first came to New Hampshire?" Why indeed?
Back in 1999 I took a new job and the company moved us to New Hampshire. Little Girl was in second grade. While I've always known owning a home is a lousy investment, there are times when it seems worth the money for the lifestyle.
If I was going to live in New Hampshire I figured we needed a classic 4-bedroom, 2.5 bath colonial. The one we bought sits on a little hill with woods and a stream to the back and sides and a pond down the hill where a neighbor clears the snow each winter for ice skating. An old stone wall defines the back border and big chucks of granite stick up out of the ground. It practically screams "New England!"
Wildlife is continually on parade and we even had a moose in our yard a few years back. How cool is that?
It is tucked up at the back of a cul-de-sac with actual neighborhood streets for the local kids to play in. I had visions of my little girl riding her bike, swimming, fishing in and ice skating on the pond and exploring the woods with her pals.
Turns out, she's a dancer and nobody lets their kids just go out and play anymore anyway.
She went exploring the woods and stream with a visiting friend just once. We got an earful on responsible parenting from the kid's folks.
She went ice-skating twice. Broke her arm and had surgery the second time. Still has the cool scar.
She rode her bike around maybe four times. It's boring alone.
Mostly we shuttled her to dance classes, soccer practice and the like.
The dog and I have enjoyed the woods. There is a nice rock outcropping perfect for a rest and a cigar on a bright winter's day. But I never wanted a house and as it turns out, neither did she. Guess we're both city people and there are certainly better things to do with the money.
We began looking at apartments and rapidly determined there were two downtown buildings that fit our needs. I could almost taste the freedom from home ownership, not to mention the delicious meals at the restaurants we could walk to.
With great excitement in the spring of '11 we put the house on the market and waited. And waited. Showed it a few times. Lowered the price. And waited. This, it turns out, is a bad time to be selling a house.
The listing expired and we went to Ecuador for the summer.
Come September and back on the market she goes. New still lower price. Showings dribble in, no real interest. Then one day another house in the 'hood goes on the market at a way, way low price. They have it professionally staged. Neighbors are abuzz about how "they're giving it away." It sells in six days at the full (although low) price. Mmmmm.
Mid-December our listing has again expired. Time for a new approach, fresh ideas and a new agent. We have her chosen before Christmas, a new 30k lower price and we have hired:
If you are new to this whole staging process, as we were, here's the deal. Professionals come in, in our case two very artistic women, and proceed to very nicely explain to you what hideous taste you have and how they can make the place appeal to today's demanding, hip and stylish buyers. Which, clearly, you are not. The most disturbing thing is, they are correct.
In come the movers. The office goes from a bedroom to the living room. ("No one cares about a formal living room these days.") The family room gets the nice living room furniture and the family room furniture goes out to the garage and onto Craig's List. It now graces a lovely woman's seaside rental.
Then the painters arrive (how could we have ever chosen those awful colors) and soon "Pottery Barn" shades sooth the eye.
Out comes the old carpet we had lovingly installed and in goes the fresh new neutral (beige) carpet.
Then the Stagers come back and rearrange the decor. This goes there, that goes out. This painting on that wall. Lots of stuff to the garage. (Less is more.) Up go the window treatments. (I guess here more is more.) I prefer the unobstructed views of the woods and pond but my opinion has long lost any credibility.
Two weeks and $5500 later it is done and, oh my. This really does look spectacular. Still it's hard to swallow spending all that money so I can price the joint at 30k less. But the market is an exacting and demanding mistress.
The realtor's photographer shows up and takes the shots. Up on the websites it goes. My wife checks it out and says, "Wow! can we buy this house??"
Ah, no.
Casa de jlcollinsnh
The neighbors all say we are "giving it away." Certainly I'd love to get the 550k it would have brought in 2006 and will again some day. But today is today. It's time for us to move on.
It's time for a new family to enjoy the house, the woods, the pond and the neighborhood. If it sells quickly and smoothly, I'm OK with them getting a deal as well.


text:
Researchers have come up with host-based security software that blocks distributed denial-of-service attacks without swamping the memory and CPU of the host machines.The filtering, called identity-based privacy-protected access control (IPCAF), can also prevent session hijacking, dictionary attacks and man-in-the-middle attacks, say researchers at Auburn University in their paper, "Modeling and simulations for Identity-Based Privacy-Protected Access Control Filter (IPCAF) capability to resist massive denial of service attacks."
This new method is suggested as a replacement for IP-address filtering, which is sometimes used to block DDoS attacks but is problematic because IP addresses can be spoofed, says Chwan-Hwa "John" Wu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Auburn and lead author of the paper.
The method also greatly reduces the resources attacked machines have to expend in order to figure out whether requests are legitimate, he says.
Under IPCAF authorized users and the servers they try to reach receive a one-time user ID and password to authenticate to each other. After that they cooperate to generate pseudo IDs and packet-field values for each successive packet so packets get authenticated one at a time.
The receiving machines simply check the field value in each packet in order to decide whether to reject it. Only after the filter value checks out are more memory and CPU resources allocated to further process the packets, Wu says.
DDoS attacks can cripple access servers and disable resources needed by legitimate users, resulting in recent high-profile outages at Twitter and Bitbuket.
The major challenge to attacked machines is that they must commit memory and CPU resources to figuring out whether requests are legitimate. Separate appliances can sort out bad packets and proxy legitimate ones to the attacked machines, but that requires capital outlay for the devices and ongoing maintenance and management, he says.
By contrast, IPCAF runs on servers and client machines and does its work with negligible impact on performance of the machines involved, he says. For instance, the CPU on a machine running IPCAF and processing legitimate requests during testing was 10.21 per cent. That rose to 11.78 per cent when the same machine was under attack, Wu says.
He says machines using Pentium-class processors can filter packets in 6 nanosec using IPCAF, whereas the same machines would take a few milliseconds to make the same decision using public key infrastructure. That's about a million times slower with PKI. The significance is that the machines can get attack packets out of the way quickly before they start backing up and degrading response times to the point that users notice, Wu says.
To conserve processing power, IPCAF employs a lightweight hashing method — hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) — to generate the filter value it will use to authenticate each successive packet.
He says during lab tests, when a 10Gbps link to a server was filled with legitimate traffic and then with attack packets, network latency increased by 30 nanosec. "For humans, there is no difference," he says. Users don't sense the attack is underway, he says, and it remains possible for network security teams to trace the command and control center behind attacks.
Wu says the goal of the research is to create a commercial version of the software for use in business networks, but was uncertain when that might happen. He and his colleagues are still working on how their software might trace the source of attacks.


text:
46 Must-Have Items For Your Emergency Vehicle Kit
As much as I like to think I have a handle on things, sometimes projects slip through the cracks. Case in point: Since the big road trip to Arizona in late September, not once have I gone out to the Subaru and reviewed the contents of my car kit. At the time of my journey, I was certain that I had everything I needed in the event of a calamity along the way. The journey, after all, was close to 1,500 miles.
Since then, life has happened. We needed room to cart groceries and, in Shelly's case, to transport 4 set of golf clubs along with 3 of his buddies. Something had to give, but what?
Today's challenge is to take inventory of your emergency vehicle kit and supplies. To get you started, here is a car kit submitted by a long-term reader, Elaine K. I think it is a good one and am going back to check my own supplies to make sure that I am as prepared as she is.
Best Practices: 46 Items To Include In Your Vehicle Emergency Kit
1. Tow chains
2. Jumper cables
3. Spare tire
4. Tire jack
5. Fix-a-flat (I like this brand)
7. Gasoline funnel
8. Candles
9. Flashlight
10. Cigarette lighters
11. Matches
12. Flares
13. Duct tape
14. Disposable gloves
15. Well-stocked first aid kit (here is one I put together myself)
16. Well-stocked tool kit
17. Solar blankets
18. Wool blankets
19. Warm socks
20. Rain coat
21. Cash (bills and coins)
22. Winter hat
23. Heavy gloves
24. Heavy sleeping bag for winter, lighter sleeping bag for summer
25. Paper
26. Pen
27. Whistle
28. List of important phone numbers
29. Can opener
30. Knife
31. Map
32. Garbage bags in various sizes
33. Paracord or rope
34. Quart of oil
35. Sewing kit
36. Baby wipes
37. Toilet paper
38. Hand soap
39. Comb
40. Hair brush
41. Tooth brush
42. Change of clothes
43. Various towels in Ziploc bags (women can use to urinate in if caught in traffic)
44. Water
45. Water filter such as the Survivor Filter Pro
46. Edible nuts stored in raw honey
I don't know about you, but I got some good ideas from this list. And shame on me; for all of my foresight, I did not have a fire extinguisher in my car. Thanks, Elaine, for your valuable contribution to Backdoor Survival and to our preps!
Source: backdoorsurvival.com


text:
Here's the reality of the situation.
— The economy is in bad shape and it's conceivable that going over the fiscal cliff could push it into recession, although nobody really knows one way or the other.
— Going over the fiscal cliff is probably the best hope for deficit reduction we'll have in the next four years.
— We're being told that Republicans will be blamed if we go over the fiscal cliff and that may be so. However, the Republicans always seem to be blamed, so what else is new?
— Publicly at least, the Democrats don't seem to be making any sort of serious attempt to avoid the cliff. They're refusing to continue the status quo, they're offering nothing of significance in return for tax increases and Barack Obama is on vacation. In fact, the Democrat strategy seems to be to go over the cliff and play it for politic's sake.
Republicans in Congress have received all sorts of advice on how to handle this and here's mine: A good deal is better than no deal, but no deal is better than a bad deal.
Just as Barack Obama was reelected, Republicans were reelected to control the House. So, John Boehner has every bit as much of a mandate as Barack Obama to deal with the situation as he sees fit. In an ideal world, we wouldn't go over the fiscal cliff, but if this were an ideal world, Barack Obama wouldn't be President and people like Nancy Pelosi would be considered unelectable.
However, in the real world that we're in, the Republican base is going to be unhappy if the party raises taxes and that would do as much political damage, if not more, than the Democrats' transparent attempts to engineer a crisis so they can blame Republicans for it. That doesn't mean the GOP shouldn't cut a deal, but it does mean that if they do, it needs to be a genuine compromise, not a Republican cave-in. If the Democrats want tax increases, are they willing to cut spending NOW? Are they willing to put real entitlement reform on the table? If the answer is, "No," they're only willing to offer small spending cuts or will only agree to offer spending cuts in the future, then offer to continue things "as is." If they refuse that offer, then go over the cliff and point the finger where it belongs — at the President of the United States.
Barack Obama has spent four years engaging in the most hamfisted partisanship we've seen since the Nixon years even as he's claimed to be a bipartisan reformer. He apparently intends to keep that up throughout his second term and that cannot be allowed. Republicans should represent the people who sent them to the House by cooperating if it's in the best interests of the country and saying, "No," when it isn't.


text: Northeastern Researcher Develops Model to Track Concentration of E. coli in the Lower Charles River by News@Northeastern - Contributor April 24, 2008 Share Mastodon Facebook LinkedIn Twitter BOSTON – April 24, 2008 – It is a common belief that the water quality of the Charles River and other lakes, streams and rivers is at its worst after a large rainfall because of pollutants carried by runoff. However, a recent study completed by researchers at Northeastern University in Boston found high concentrations of E. coli bacteria in the Charles River after a long period of no rain. Ferdi Hellweger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Acting Director of the Center for Urban Environmental Studies, both at Northeastern, used high-resolution monitoring and modeling to understand the fate and transport of E. coli bacteria in the lower section of the Charles River to determine what factors may lead to the increased concentration. The results, which were published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Water Resources Association, go above and beyond the current data available about the water quality in the Charles and have the potential to impact the location of future beaches and their management. Because current monitoring programs do not resolve the small-scale patterns of E. coli, Hellweger and his team carried out a high-resolution monitoring program. Using spatial and temporal surveys at different intervals and locations, Hellweger and his team gathered 757 samples along transects across and along the river, and over time at a fixed location. The results indicated an increased concentration of E. coli after a period of little rainfall. To make sense of these results, they developed a mathematical model of the river. The model accounts for various drivers, including upstream and downstream flow, wind, combined sewer overflow (CSO) and non-CSO flow from two major tributaries, the Muddy River and the Stony Brook. Based on hydrodynamics and die-off kinetics, the model reproduced the general patterns of E. coli in the water over space and time. "Our analysis suggests that the Stony Brook and Muddy River are the predominant sources of E. coli in the lower Charles River," said Hellweger, whose interest in urban hydrology drove this research project. "However, it is important to determine where the bacteria go and their concentration at different times and locations." One surprising finding was the effect of the New Charles River Dam, which when open, allows the Charles River to flow downstream and empty into the Boston Harbor. When it is closed, however, the Charles River acts more like a lake or a reservoir, creating a static environment. Thus, in addition to rainfall, the Dam operation cycle does affect the level of bacteria in the Charles River. "Our study results show that water quality in the Charles River is impacted by several factors, including the New Charles River Dam," added Hellweger. "While the primary focus of the Dam is to control flooding and navigation, I think that taking water quality issues into account could help reduce public health risk to present boaters and future beachgoers in the Charles," added Hellweger. Their model can be used to predict water quality in the lower Charles River, which can be used to evaluate various management scenarios and assess public health risk to swimmers at different times and locations. In a 2002 study, 25% of surveyed beaches had at least one advisory or area closed, mostly due to unsafe levels of certain forms of bacteria. Exposure to unsafe levels of bacterial can sometimes result in recreational water illnesses (RWI), causing diarrhea, respiratory, skin, ear and eye infections. Water pollution continues to be a public health threat, and because the Summer is quickly approaching, there will be a heightened interest in protecting people who spend time in the water. "My goal is to help make the Charles River a place where people can swim safely," said Hellweger. About Northeastern Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university's distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu


text:
The Dow Jones industrial average surged nearly 340 points Thursday after European leaders agreed on a deal to slash Greece's debt load and prevent the debt crisis there from engulfing larger countries like Italy. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is close to having its best month since 1974.
Commodities and Treasury yields rose as investors took on more risk. The euro rose sharply against the dollar.
Europe's sweeping agreement, reached after an all-night summit meeting, is aimed at preventing the Greek government's inability to pay its debt from escalating into another financial crisis like the one that happened in September 2008 after the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
Banks agreed to take 50 percent losses on the Greek bonds they hold. Europe will also strengthen a financial rescue fund to protect the region's banks and other struggling European countries such as Italy and Portugal.
"This seems to set aside the worries that there would be a massive contagion over there that would have brought everything down with it," said Mark Lamkin, head of Lamkin Wealth Management.
Stronger U.S. economic growth and corporate earnings also drove markets higher. The government reported Thursday that the economy grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate from July through September on stronger consumer spending and business investment. That was nearly double the 1.3 percent growth in the previous quarter.
The Dow Jones industrial average soared 339 points, or 2.9 percent, to 12,208. All 30 stocks in the Dow rose, led by aluminum maker Alcoa Inc. with a 10-percent gain. Commodities prices and Treasury yields also rose as investors took on more risk. The euro rose sharply against the dollar.
The Dow hasn't closed above 12,000 since Aug. 1 and is up 12.5 percent for the month. With only two full days of trading left in October, the Dow could have its biggest monthly gain since January 1987. The Dow's jump was its largest one-day point gain since a 423 point rise Aug. 11th.
The S&P 500 rose 42, or 3.4 percent, to 1,284. The gain turned the S&P positive for the year for the first time since Aug. 3, just before the U.S. government's debt was downgraded. The index is up 13.8 percent for the month, its best performance since a 16.3-percent gain in October 1974.
The Dow and S&P have both fallen for the previous five months.
The NASDAQ composite jumped 88, or 3.3 percent, to 2,738.
Small company stocks rose more than the broader market. That's a sign investors were more comfortable holding assets perceived as being risky but also more likely to appreciate in a strong economy. The Russell 2000 index jumped 5.8 percent.
Raw materials producers, banks and stocks in other industries that depend on a strong economy for profit growth led the way. Copper jumped 5.8 percent to $3.69 a pound and crude oil jumped 4.2 percent to $93.96 a barrel.
The euro rose sharply, to $1.42, as confidence in Europe's financial system grew. The euro was worth $1.39 late Wednesday and had been as low as $1.32 on Oct. 3. European stock indexes also soared. France's CAC-40 rose 6.3 percent and Germany's DAX jumped 6.1 percent.
Investors sold U.S. Treasury notes and bonds, an indication they were moving away from safer investments. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves in the opposite direction of its price, rose to 2.39 percent from 2.21 percent late Wednesday.
European leaders still have to finalize the details of their latest plan. French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke with Chinese President Hu Jintao amid hopes that countries with lots of cash like China can contribute to the European rescue.
Past attempts to contain Europe's two-year debt crisis have proved insufficient. Greece has been surviving on rescue loans since May 2010. In July, creditors agreed to take some losses on their Greek bonds, but that wasn't enough to fix the problem.
Some analysts cautioned that Europe's problems remained unsolved. "The market keeps on thinking that it's put Europe's problems to bed, but it's like putting a three-year old to bed: you might put it there but it won't stay there," said David Kelley, chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds. Kelly said that Europe's debt problems will remain an issue until the economies of struggling nations like Greece and Portugal grow again.
Worries about Europe's debt crisis and a weak U.S. economy dragged the S&P 500 down 19.4 percent between April 29 and Oct. 3. That put it on the cusp of what's called a bear market, which is a 20 percent decline.
Since then, there have been a number of more encouraging signs on the U.S. economy. Despite the jitters over Europe, many large U.S. companies have been reporting strong profit growth in the third quarter.
Dow Chemical rose 9.4 percent after its profit last quarter rose 59 percent on strong sales growth from Latin America. Occidental Petroleum Corp. jumped 10 percent after reporting a 50 percent surge in income.
Citrix Systems Inc. rose 17 percent. The technology company's revenue rose 20 percent last quarter, and it forecast growth of up to 13 percent for 2012. Akamai Technologies Inc., whose products help speed the delivery of online content, jumped 17 percent after the company reported earnings that beat analysts' expectations.
Avon Products Inc. fell 17 percent, the most in the S&P 500, after the company said the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating its contacts with financial analysts and Avon's own probe into bribery in China and other countries.


text:
Nissan 240SX Performance Modification/Brakes
There are many brake upgrades for the 240sx. Bellow is a list of them and the process of putting them together.
Stock brake spec and known compatible replacements[edit | edit source]
Front options for S-chassis
s13 USDM ('89-'94) rotors are 252x20mm (non ABS) or 257x22mm (with ABS)
180SX/Altima rotors are 280x22mm
Z32 rotors are 280x 26mm or 30mm
rear options for S-chassis
S13 - 10" non-vented rotor, smaller single piston caliper, integral handbrake
S14/S15 - 10" non-vented rotor, larger single piston caliper, integral handbrake
A31 Cefiro - 10.5" vented rotor, smaller single piston caliper, drum handbrake
J30/Q45 - 11" vented rotor, larger single piston caliper, drum handbrake
Z32/R32 - 11.75" vented rotor, 2-piston caliper, drum handbrake
General notes on brakes[edit | edit source]
When considering upgrading brakes several factors tie in to the end result. An often overlooked function of a braking configuration is the bias. Brakes should not be upgraded in front or rear only. Rather, the amount of applied braking torque should be increased proportionally front and rear for appropriate feel/bias (e.g. 6 piston front brakes with stainless lines up front and stock pads/lines in the rear can actually decrease overall braking performance).
I cannot emphasize enough how important bias is in a braking setup. Just being able to lock-up your front tires easier does NOT mean you are now able to stop quicker!!
All the parts need to be considered in a braking setup to determine if its right for you!
Master Cylinder[edit | edit source]
If you get a larger or smaller master cylinder then for every inch of pedal travel more fluid will be pushed through the lines. Don't just go buying a random larger MC without knowing the specifications, as these have internal valving that determines brake front and rear bias which will severely impact your braking performance.
Pads[edit | edit source]
There are many aftermarket pad companies that produce sport oriented brake pads. There are many different materials a pad may be comprised of, each having its own individual properties. This will impact dust creation & color, rotor & pad wear rate, and A very important thing: EVERY PAD HAS A HEAT RANGE. This means the pad will ONLY function optimally within a given set of temperatures. OEM brake pads are usually designed to function well in very cold temperatures to moderate braking. When you have had several large hard stops they heat up to a certain point and get out of their range causing the pad to not have the same braking torque and "glaze" the surface. Glazing is a condition in which the properties of the outermost contact layers change and it essentially polishes the mating surface, decreasing the normal grip levels. This is PERMANENT damage to the pads! There is a wide range of compounds from stock all the way up to full race. Note that a pad designed for full race will NOT grab sufficiently during daily street driving and you will be unable to stop normally! Get a pad that suits your driving environment and/or style. If you are going to the track, consider using 2 sets of pads and swap them out at the track.
Rotors[edit | edit source]
Rotors in a braking system do 2 things. They act as a heatsink so they absorb heat when you brake, and dissipate it normally from air moving over them. The larger the rotor, the more the metal. The more the metal, the more heat can be absorbed during braking and the more fade resistance your car will have. Stock brake rotors are "blanks"; this means that they are just a flat surface. This is the surface your brake pad will mate to and provides the largest total available clamping area per revolution. There are several different variations of the standard brake rotor; some of them are often misunderstood and aren't quite as relevant today as they once were.
'''Slotting:''' Doing this to a brake rotor does have benefits, but is more visually appealing than beneficial. Slotting a rotor provides angled slots along the surface that exist to help wipe the pad surface clean on every pass. This ensures a fresh pad surface at all times and it does in fact help protect a pad against fade since it always scrapes off the top layer. It also helps with water and debris evacuation. There are several problems with slots however that outweigh these benefits. One of them is the fact that part of the brake pad is not in contact with the rotor at any given time. This means a lower total square inch area of friction material doing what its there for - applying braking torque. If part of your pad isn't touching, then what's the purpose of it being there? Another issue is with the manufacturing process and physical properties. A slotted rotor is thinner in some areas and although more structurally sound than cross drilling, it still weakens the rotor by providing. This makes the rotor more prone to warping. Another problem depends on if you get a more "economy" production. This means the fresh blank gets churned out in high numbers by a shop that isn't doing it for a quality name but the almighty dollar. In turn, they are cut too hard and too fast by the machine making metals first heat treating an uneven distribution. Its heat treated around and in the cut but the areas nearby don't get hot enough so the isolated spots modified the grain structure of the metal permanently but not all of it. This will also make them more prone to warping. Another problem with slotted rotors is they can tend to create an undesirable pulsating pedal feel by nature. The level is application variant (i.e. larger or more numerous slots translate to more pulsing).
'''Cross drilling:''' Cross-drilling a rotor is a practice adopted probably 50 years ago when the materials for a braking pad were mainly a crude organic base. These pads when heated would produce a gas that would get trapped between the pad and the rotor and making a cushion of air between the pad and the rotor. Cross-drilling was created to give the gas an area to escape through. MOST MODERN RACING PADS ARE DESIGNED WITH DIFFERENT METALLIC MATERIALS THAT ALMOST NEVER PRODUCE MORE THAN A FINITE LEVEL OF GAS. This means that cross-drilling a rotor is no longer needed in 99% of applications. Because of the previous need and the stylish benefits these are still widely sold and people are very misinformed on their need. Cross-drilled rotors have a large amount of metal removed and suffer the same problems of slotting. This metal is not in contact with the pad so that is less overall available pad contact surface area for braking torque. This also means less metal available to absorb heat, essentially functioning as if you had a smaller rotor. Also similar to slotted roters, production of cross-drilled rotors can be problematic if they are drilled too fast, causing the initial heat treating to be in isolated spots, and modifying the grain structure of the metal permanently. Another issue is when drilled, a rotor may receive microscopic cracks in the surrounding area. This can cause severe issues, perhaps to the point that a rotor may actually CRACK IN HALF! If you feel you must have cross-drilled rotors for looks, don't get "economy" versions. The best quality cross-drilled rotors have the holes actually CAST or FORGED into the rotor and have a much lower loss in structural integrity.
Brake Lines[edit | edit source]
Braided stainless steel lines are a great upgrade for any brake system with rubber lines. OEM brake lines tend to be a very soft rubber that expands slightly when pressure is applied. The expansion rate is not linear however so the impact on pedal feel from having them won't be either. Stainless braided lines have the metal reinforcement to deter expansion and result in a stiffer, more linear feel. When purchasing lines, consider those with a plastic or similar outer sleeve protector. This way if rubbing occurs, it wont wear through the stainless braiding, maintaining the integrity of your braking system.
Brake Fluid[edit | edit source]
Using quality brake fluid is very important for any performance-oriented driver. There are different classifications and rating systems by the department of transportation that determine the minimum dry and wet boiling temperatures. The higher the boiling temperature, the more likely you are able to resist high heat braking without gassing out the lines. Boiling brake fluid introduces air pockets instead of fluid which compress when pressure is applied vs the fluid. This means the pedal might sink to the floor but any line pressure isn't getting to the caliper! That can be very dangerous, and you can tell if your brake fluid is getting to the point where its been boiled by looking at it. fluid appears white if it has ever boiled and should be changed.
Dry / Wet boiling temp
DOT 3 401ºF 284º F POLYGLYCOL ETHER BASED FLUID
DOT 4 446º F 311º F POLYGLYCOL ETHER BASED FLUID
DOT 5 500º F 356º F SILICONE BASED FLUID
DOT 5.1 518º F 375º F POLYGLYCOL ETHER BASED FLUID
Dry boiling temp is the fluid in its virgin state. Wet boiling temp is the fluid + 3% water by volume.
Dot 3,4, and 5.1 are all inter-mixable without any negatives. Dot 5 fluid is silicone based and cannot be mixed. Silicone fluid has its ups and down. It is non corrosive to paint unlike normal brake fluid, and it doesn't mix with water so its boiling temps stay the same (actually a negative) Since it doesn't absorb the water the water stays separate. No brake system is completely sealed and will always absorb water. If the system absorbs water but it stays separate you will have 2 fluids, one of them with a very low boiling point (bad) Silicone fluid also has more compressibility by nature and will cause a more "spongy" pedal feel.
Fluid sold in metal cans absorb water far less than plastic cans while on the shelves. A good common practice would be to change your brake fluid once every 6 months when your car sees a lot of "spirited" braking, And bleed them well every change to be sure there is no air in the system. Bleeding before/after track events is a good idea to be sure your brakes are optimal for the event and you didn't boil your fluid during.
Calipers[edit | edit source]
When upgrading your brake system a larger caliper may be used to provide more braking torque. There are several deciding factors with caliper choice that impact the overall effectiveness. Increasing the overall piston diameter will distribute the braking force over a larger area and generally provide more clamping force whether going to a larger piston than stock in single piston designs, or migrating to a multi piston setup. Bigger and more doesn't always mean better however. Too much braking torque for your setup might mean you can lockup the tires from just tapping the pedal, and making an "on/off" feel impossible to modulate.
Choose a caliper appropriately sized for your tires and application used (just because you can lock all seasons doesn't mean you can stop efficiently on r-compounds) Caliper mounting brackets determine the pad and caliper clamping location on the rotor. Think of it like a torque wrench... The farther out you brake the more torque you can apply to stop the car and the more overall surface area the pad will contact in 1 full revolution. It may be a sufficient enough upgrade to just get larger rotors and relocate your calipers/pads farther out by extending the bracket.
Speed Bleeders[edit | edit source]
An often overlooked part of the brake system is the installation of speed bleeders. These do nothing for performance, but everything for sanity. They make it so you can bleed the brakes efficiently and by yourself. All you do is crack them a 1/4 turn and pump away. there is a bearing inside the bleeder that every time you let off the pedal is returns in to stop air from coming in as well. Very worth while thing to do, epically if you plan on track racing your car.
Stock Upgrades[edit | edit source]
The stock 240sx front brakes are single piston units with 9.8" ventilated rotors. The rear is a 10.2" rotor and a single piston caliper with an integrated e-brake. These brakes are sufficient for most people and with appropriately upgraded pads/fluid/lines. Rule of thumb if you can lockup your brakes then a larger brake caliper is not needed for the speeds and tire compounds your using. These brakes are more than adequate for daily driving and some track use, but once your start doing some serious racing you will need to upgrade parts appropriately to handle the heat and to avoid the dreaded brake fade. The stock brakes will be great for spirited driving and light track, But research your options and decide on an upgrade appropriate to you. Several factors need to be considered. Something with larger rotors is needed for more repetitive stops, and something with a larger amount of clamping force is needed if you are not able to push your current tires to the locking point (while using pads with an appropriate heat range).
Z32/Skyline Front Brakes[edit | edit source]
By far the most popular brake upgrade for the 240sx. The stock brakes on the 240sx are fine for autocross and track days on stock power, but as soon as you get more power and start attaining more straight away speeds you are going to want to upgrade to big brakes to handle the heat and to help avoid brake fade. Skyline brakes are almost identical, but do come with some small variations in width[1]. Also some JDM S14's came with 300zx brakes from the factory. Another note about z32 brakes is that they are bigger so wheel clearance can be a problem. Only 7 spoke S13 alloys sometimes clear. S14 stock wheels will clear z32 brakes, You can shave off the Nissan lettering on the outside of the caliper to gain more clearance, and you can also run wheel spacers to also help with wheel clearance. But remember about your wheel offset when using wheel spacers.
Parts Necessary[edit | edit source]
You will need the following parts to make the Z32 front brakes work on your 240sx.
Calipers[edit | edit source]
There are many different versions of the Z32 brake calipers. There are some that are aluminum and some that are cast iron. There are some that accept 26mm wide rotors and some that accept only 30mm rotors. 26mm aluminum calipers were only used on 1990 non turbo model 300zx's. 30mm aluminum calipers were used on 1990 twin turbo and all 1991-1992.5 300zx's (turbo and non turbo). 30mm iron calipers were used on all 1992.5-1996 300zx's. The best way to see if you have aluminum or iron is with a magnet. Obviously if its aluminum a magnet will not stick to it.
Rotors[edit | edit source]
There are many different rotor designs to choose from, but make sure you get the rotors to match your calipers. You can get slotted, cross-drilled or both on the same rotor. These features help with the heat dispersal by giving you more surface area, although they do eat away at your pad quicker than blanks. The 300zx came with 5 lug wheels as well as 5 lug rotors. This is not a problem for S14 SE's because they all came with 5 lug stock, but for us S13 guys there are 2 options.
Lines[edit | edit source]
Conversion lines are necessary for doing the conversion. SPL parts sells them for a very reasonable price. The fitting going onto the caliper is different from the stock style. The stock fitting is a banjo style, and can be made to work with an appropriate adapter, otherwise z32 brakes will need 10mm Inverted Female (IF) flare fittings. Also steel braided brake lines are recommended because they help with brake feel and are less likely to fail, unlike the stock rubber lines.
Installation[edit | edit source]
Installation is very straight forward. Remove and replace everything and bleed the system of air. The only tricky parts is the removal of the dust shields. The stock dust shields are designed for stock rotors, and since the Z32 brakes are so much bigger they must be modified/removed. You can either take the whole set up apart and remove them completely or simply cut them so that they are out of the way, the choice is yours.
Z32 Rear Brakes[edit | edit source]
The stock rear brakes on the 240sx are single piston with an integrated e-brake. The Z32 rear brake set up is comprised of a 2 piston caliper, an 11.6" rotor and a separate drum e-brake. The swap can be difficult, but it does help complete a total braking system.
Parts Necessary[edit | edit source]
Calipers[edit | edit source]
The rear calipers from any z32 will do, but once again make sure that they match your rotors.
Rotors[edit | edit source]
These come in many designs similar to the front rotors, and the same 4-5lug solutions apply.
Other Parts[edit | edit source]
You can directly bolt on the rear brakes the same as the front if you wish, but you will not have an e-brake. The only part that is not bolt-on is the hydraulic line, which requires a different fitting on the caliper end. Solutions can be had from local shops that make custom brake lines or from online shops that specialize in the 240SX, and stock the necessary lines. To make the e-brake work you will need the Z32 rear drum assembly and the e-brake cables. Some people have used the Z32 aluminum uprights, but it is not necessary and requires the use of different rear lower shock mounts.
For the 240SX you will also need to get e-brake extension cables. If you can find them, R33 cables are long enough without extension.
s13 can use the 300zx ebrake cables no problem.
Installation[edit | edit source]
You need to remove the stock calipers and remove the spindle from the control arm. Also unbolt the axle so that you can get the spindle free from the car. Remove the hub from the stock assembly and put the new splash shield/ z32 e-brake assembly onto your hub. After this is complete reattach the spindle to the hub assembly. Run the e-brake cable through the sub-frame towards the e-brake handle, and then reattach the spindle assembly. Put the caliper back on, attach the brake lines, attach the e-brake cables, bleed the system and you're done.
Q45 Front Brakes[edit | edit source]
Q45 brakes are a cheaper still upgrade to the brakes of your 240sx. They don't have the Nissan logo on the calipers. They are dual piston calipers that, compared to stock, provide about 25% more clamping force with a larger rotor and ~40% more pad surface area. They also have the pistons on the inside of the caliper so the wheel clearance is almost the same as with stock brakes, allowing the ability to continue running many different-sized wheels. Pads have many options as with all the other brake options we have here. The lines are the same fittings as stock so you can reuse your stock lines to save even more money.
You will need the following parts to make the Infiniti Q45 front brakes work on your 240sx: 2003 Sentra SE-R Rotors (Not Spec-V, those won't fit) mean you won't have to do a 5-lug swap. The only stock wheels that fit over Q45 front brakes are "teardrops", and any stock 240sx wheel that is 16" or greater. Stock r32 fit also because they are 16".
Calipers[edit | edit source]
You will need a set of calipers from a 90-96 Infiniti Q45. These calipers are larger than the stock 240sx calipers. They use two 42.8 mm pistons instead of one 54mm piston to increase clamping force. These calipers will bolt onto the stock location as well as use the stock banjo brake lines.
Rotors[edit | edit source]
There are many different rotor designs to choose from, but make sure you get the rotors to match your calipers. You can get slotted, cross-drilled or both on the same rotor. These features help your brake pad stay in contact with the rotor by providing a place to contain debris. Another point is that when some pads rub against the rotor, a gas is released, and this layer of gas between the pad and rotor reduces the brake's effectiveness. A slotted or cross-drilled rotor provides a pocket into which the gas can be compressed, leaving more of the pad material in contact with the rotor. It is pointed out above that perhaps modern pad compounds do not release this gas. Regardless, these rotors will wear out brake pads quicker than blanks. The Q45 came with 5 lug wheels as well as 5 lug rotors. This is not a problem for S14 SE's because they all came with 5 lug stock, but for us S13 guys there are 2 options. One is to convert to 5 lug (which is explained elsewhere on this wiki), or you can have the rotors re-drilled for the 4x114.3 lug pattern. Any competent machine shop should be able to do this. The Q45 rotors are approximately the same diameter as the 300z rotors, however the width of the rotor is in between the two thicknesses available from the 300z. The rotors are 28mm thick.---NEW POST---4 lug Nissan Altima rotors are the same diameter as 300zx and Q45. They are not as thick but are centered between the caliper perfectly. I have been using this set up for a few months with some extra shims and it works great. This really saves time and trouble because there is no need to re-drill or convert to 5-lugm and they are around $30 each at any Autozone. !!New Post!! Also Sentra SE-R Spec-V Brembo rotors can be used
Pads[edit | edit source]
The brake pad options are the same as with stock and they come in a lot of different compounds from mild to wild. Once again make sure you are getting the correct pad for the caliper/rotor set up you have.
Lines[edit | edit source]
Conversion lines are not necessary for doing the conversion, but make sure your brake lines are in good condition for safety's sake. Steel-braided brake lines are superior because the walls don't flex as much under pressure (more pressure to act directly on the calipers), and they also provide increased durability. The stock 240sx fitting is a banjo-style end and the Q45 calipers use the same connection.
Installation[edit | edit source]
The installation of the Q45 brakes is simpler than it would sound. The hardest part is cutting away or removing the splash guard from the front wheel hub. This can be done with a set of tin snips or an angle grinder. Once the splash guard has been removed the Q45 rotors and calipers will go on the same way the stock ones came off. Tighten down and bleed the brake system.
Benefits[edit | edit source]
One of the benefits of the Q45 brake upgrade over many of the other one available is that the calipers and rotors are significantly less expensive than the 300zx and 240sx rotors and calipers. Furthermore, because they use the banjo brake lines the swap is quicker and can be done without having to replace as many parts. The Q45 calipers do not use as large an amount of brake fluid as the 300zx calipers due to the smaller piston sizes. Though not super critical, the brake bias is slightly changed by the q45 caliper upgrade.
Infiniti M30 Brake Upgrade[edit | edit source]
The M30 brake upgrade that is also available for the 240sx. The M30 used a larger rotor and single piston floating caliper which will increase braking power. The M30 was also a 4 lug vehicle, which makes it an ideal upgrade for those looking to increase their braking power without having to replace the 4 lug hubs or re-drill the rotor.
Calipers[edit | edit source]
The rear M30 brake use an integrated drum design for the parking brake.
Rotors[edit | edit source]
According to PartsAmerica.com, M30 front rotors are 10.78" in diameter and .865" (approximately 22mm) thick. The rear rotors are solid 10.47" in diameter and .394" (10mm) thick.
Maxima / 180sx spec Brake Swap[edit | edit source]
The owners of S14's ('95-'98), can upgrade their brakes using 1995 Nissan Maxima calipers, rotors and pads, and for those with 4 bolt use 1995 Nissan Altima rotors with a 3mm spacer between the caliper and the spindle.
For the owners of S13s ('89-'94) You can upgrade your stock front brakes to JDM 180sx spec using USDM parts. This upgrades main benefit is the additional mass to the rotor for heat dissipation. The caliper pistons are not so large as to impact braking bias more than a trivial amount. The following will be needed for this swap:
('93-'97) 1st generation Nissan Altima rotors. These are 280x22mm and have a 4x114 bolt pattern.
('89-'99) 3rd and 4th generation Nissan Maxima brake calipers
('89-'99) 3rd and 4th generation Nissan Maxima brake caliper mounting brackets
('89-'99) 3rd and 4th generation Nissan Maxima brake caliper mounting bracket hardware kit
('89-'99) 3rd and 4th generation Nissan Maxima brake pads
These parts all directly bolt onto the s13 with no major modifications needed. This swap retains near stock
Before and after pictures of swap done on '90 240sx without abs:
Concerns worth noting:
-The brake swap will not fit anything smaller than a 15" alloy wheel. This will not clear a stamped steel wheel and drags on the caliper parallel surface.
- The stock rotor dust shield no longer clears the larger brake rotor. Modifications or removal to this are necessary for fitment. 2" deep slices with shears spaced 1.5" apart should be sufficient to allow the outside edge to be bent flat.
-The pad hangs over the edge from this setup by approximately 5mm. Although it is visually striking, it does not negatively impact braking performance or cause any reliability issues.
Master Cylinder Upgrade[edit | edit source]
This only really applies to the Z32 brakes set up.
The stock master cylinder on the 240sx manual transmission is a 7/8" piston. That is fine for stock brakes, but you are now pushing between 10 and 12 pistons. Stock is just 4, so you can imagine that you will need a bigger master cylinder to help push more fluid and get the brake feel and bias closer to where you want it. There are many options of master cylinder sizes to go to. Many people have run all of these on different brake set ups, so its up to preference on which one you prefer. I have had a 7/8 (stock) 15/16 and a 17/16 and I think the 15/16 is perfect (stock brakes rear Z32 front). The 17/16 was much too stiff and hard to modulate.
Master Cylinder Sizing[edit | edit source]
15/16 MC[edit | edit source]
This came off of either a Z31 300ZX or an S12 200SX. This is the best set up if you plan on running Z32 front brakes with stock rear brakes. The bias is close to stock and the feel is perfect.
1" MC[edit | edit source]
This came off of Z32 300ZXs made after 2/91. It is bigger than a 15/16", so this is better for a full brake conversion (front and rear Z32).
17/16 MC[edit | edit source]
This is off of Z32 300ZXs made up to 2/91, and it is the biggest master cylinder you can get. It will give you an even firmer pedal feel.
Installation[edit | edit source]
On a S13 240sx with ABS these should all be direct bolt on, as the ABS models only have 2 lines running to the master cylinder. For non ABS you have to take out the middle screw (5 sided hex key) and put in a flare fitting to match your brake hard line. This can be attained from your stock master cylinder by cutting it out. As soon as you get this part out lightly tap it into the master cylinder. It is impossible to get it all the way in, so just get it to sit upright and use the brake line to make it square in the master cylinder. For S13 the lines are all in the right place, but for S14 you are going to need to bend the lines around to meet up with the master cylinder. Be careful not to kink them when you are doing this. Unbolt the old master cylinder from the brake lines and the brake booster and reinstall the new one. Done and done.
Aftermarket Big Brake Kits[edit | edit source]
There are many aftermarket brake kits out on the market for the 240sx. These kits are usually very big (13"+ rotors) and they require the use of 17" rims. Also they usually come with 2 piece rotors, that is where the hat (the part that the wheel sandwiches between itself and the hub) and the rotor are 2 different pieces like Arizona z cars.
- ↑ "Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 Brake Dimensions". motowag.com. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)


text:
A Half-Hearted Week in Review
In case you've been away from our site and don't like scrolling, here is some of what you missed:
1. 6 Gangsters Who Earned Their Nicknames
A thug, is a thug, is a thug. But would a thug by any other moniker still be as dangerous? We're guessing "yes."
[Read the full story: 6 Gangsters Who Earned Their Nicknames]
2. The Real Story Behind A Charlie Brown Christmas
In my mind, the Christmas season doesn't officially start until CBS shows A Charlie Brown Christmas. Who out there doesn't picture Snoopy dancing joyfully with his nose in the air whenever they hear the familiar strains of that jazzy piano music? Interestingly enough, this Christmas staple - the longest-running holiday special on TV - started out as an afterthought.
[Read the full story: The Real Story Behind A Charlie Brown Christmas]
3. 10 Alternative Electronic Gifts (for those who can't find a Wii)
Nintendo knew three months ago there would be a Christmas shortage of the Wii game system. tybnm bWhat to do? Maybe this list will help, full of electronic gadgets and toys that may distract the giftee from the fact that he won't find his heart's desire under the tree this Christmas. Or at least baffle him for a while.
[Read the full story: 10 Alternative Electronic Gifts (for those who can't find a Wii)]
4. 5 Famous Christmas Songs Written by Jewish Songwriters
While there are more than five Christmas carols written by Jewish songwriters, I thought I'd just cover my favorites, starting with not only the most famous Christmas song written in modern times, but according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the best-selling single of all-time: "White Christmas."
[Read the full story: 5 Famous Christmas Songs Written by Jewish Songwriters]
5. Art of a Champion: The Ultimate Athlete Tattoo Quiz
Any fair-weather fan can plunk down a hundred bucks for a piece of fabric, but only the truly devoted would consider the permanent gesture of replicating a favorite player's tattoo on their own body.
[Take the quiz: Art of a Champion]
Later in the weekend, I'll be back with more of what you missed. Or, you know, you can just look down.


text:
I was just notified that I'm now a full professor at CUNY. I'm well aware that one could substitute faux for full as I'm not an academic; I'm a professional. So I'm all the more humbled by the title. I'm grateful to my deans — Steve Shepard and Judy Watson — and my fellow faculty and the trustees for it. I wasn't sure I wanted to go through the process but I enjoyed it. Writing statements about my teaching, research, and service required me to think again about what I want to accomplish. Here is my personal statement.
I am grateful to our school for many things but mostly for this: freedom. CUNY has given me the freedom to explore ideas about journalism, the freedom to take on a new career in the classroom, and most of all the freedom to speak. Some may say I say too much, but it is thanks to this freedom that I am able to research, experiment, theorize, practice, and provoke and take part in debates about the future of journalism. And, yes, I most certainly believe there is a future (or else why would I be here?).
In his memoir, Deadlines and Disruption, our dean, Steve Shepard, tells the story of my first day on the job and the rather accidental path that led to my primary concentration at CUNY: entrepreneurial journalism. When Steve and I started discussing his plans for the school, I thought my main role here would be to teach and proselytize new forms and tools for news: new media, online news, digital media, interactive journalism; I'm still not sure what to call it.
I also had an idea for a class that would teach students the business of journalism because I believe our professional disdain for the commercial side of the industry as inherently corrupting helped make us irresponsible stewards of our trade. When I launched Entertainment Weekly, I found that I didn't have the knowledge and experience necessary to protect my magazine from bad business decisions — only some of them mine — and I vowed I wouldn't allow myself such ignorance again. Cleaning out our attic recently, I came across a 1993 job evaluation by my editor at TV Guide. It said, "Jeff's enthusiasm for the business side overwhelms him and he wants to get involved in an area that is not compatible with his editorial role." I ignored that advice. At that rapidly shrinking magazine, at the bankrupt Daily News, and then at Advance.net, where I spent 12 years before coming to CUNY, I schooled myself on every angle of our business that I could.
At CUNY, I wanted to teach students about the economics of news companies and the dynamics affecting our industry, helping them to find opportunity rather than dread in the profound disruption news was undergoing and to become the leaders who would build journalism's future. I had the idea of teaching that worldview through exercises in inventing new products — a pedagogical device, really; I don't think I imagined then that students would be so intent on starting their own businesses. The prelaunch curriculum committee shelved that course in favor of teaching more tools. But Steve and Judy Watson resurrected it and promised I could teach it. That was the first of innumerable times when our deans acted to encourage my work and thus challenge me to explore unfamiliar frontiers.
I am indebted to them both for their leadership, support, guidance, and mentoring. But this is a bittersweet moment as our leader, Dean Shepard, announces his well-deserved if nonetheless lamentable (for us) retirement. CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein charged Steve with building one of the top journalism schools in the country and if we do say so ourselves, he succeeded. Now begins a search for new leadership. As much as I trumpet the virtues of change and the opportunities presented by disruption for our industry, I will confess that personally, uncertainty unsettles me. Yet I hope this moment of change will prove good for us, as we continue to constantly question what we do and how we do it even as we validate — in our new strategy statement — the vision the dean laid out when he founded the school. I have faith that we will come through this transition because this is a school built for transition. From the moment we eliminated required media tracks, our faculty has demonstrated the courage to face and cause change. As our strategy document says, our school was born of disruption.
In my statements in this document, I will try to focus more on the future than the past, on the challenges I face and the opportunities we will see together. But in this personal statement I suppose it is appropriate to reflect for a moment on my past and my career, on how I got here.
I was planning to go to law school but in my freshman year at Claremont, I thought better of my ability to say "yes, your honor" and mean it. Searching for a new path, I realized that I enjoyed reporting and editing for my high school and college papers and thought that could make a fine career. So I transferred to Northwestern and then the Medill School of Journalism.
On the way there, in 1973, I started my first newspaper job for a suburban Chicago weekly, the Addison Herald-Register, and continued working full-time in the business until the day I quit to come teach. I was lucky to get my dream jobs early in life and lucky at each of them to have a mentor. I wish to credit them: Howard Spanogle (my high-school journalism teacher), Christie Bradford, Jennie Buckner, Milton Hansen, Jim Willse (at three companies), Jim Houck, Pat Ryan, Anthea Disney, Steve Newhouse, Judy Watson, Steve Shepard.
I worked at The Hawk Eye in Burlington, Iowa, as part of Medill's Teaching Newspaper program — a great experience and the reason I was enthusiastic about our internship program from the start. I next interned on the Detroit Free Press in what was still called the women's section. As I finished my last courses at Northwestern, I got an internship and then a job as a rewriteman — we still called the post that — and energy reporter for Chicago Today, covering the '73 oil embargo, a great story. Today died a year to the day after I'd arrived. It was "the paper that has no tomorrow," a heartless flack said to me as we worked on our last edition, even while our heartless owner, Tribune Company, was prying the nails out of our city desk. I caught the lifeboat to the big paper on the midnight shift. While waiting for shootings and fires to cover, I started playing with these new-fangled VDTs that dotted the newsroom. I was the kid who wasn't afraid of this strange new technology and ended up training much of the newsroom on it. Little could I know how much technology could come to guide my career.
I became an assistant city editor at age 21 — dayside was the fringe benefit. Then I left for the San Francisco Examiner, where I edited the Examiner's half of a combined Examiner-Chronicle Sunday paper and was plucked out to write a six-day-a-week column (the publisher liked a caption I'd written — such was my luck). After that same publisher and I came to disagree, New York beckoned and I went to People as a writer and then TV critic, which inspired me to write a memo proposing Entertainment Weekly six years before it eventually launched in 1990. In the vast entertainment choices brought to us by our new cable remotes and VCRs, there was confusion, and in that change I saw a need and an opportunity. I was inexperienced as a magazine editor and was able to bring EW to the market only with the help of amazing partners, including Joan Feeney and Peter Hauck (I've had the privilege of working with each of them again and both have been friends of our program at CUNY). EW went through a rough and notorious launch, but that's a long story better told over beer.
I left over true creative differences and was hired by Jim Willse at the Daily News as Sunday editor, just as an ugly strike was about to begin. "Man," said city desk wag Hap Hairston, "you jumped from the frying pan into the microwave." After the News went bankrupt, I left for TV Guide as critic, also working on development projects. Then — after a very brief detour at News Corp's fledgling internet acquisition, Delphi — I followed Willse again to Advance, just as this thing called a browser was released commercially. There I oversaw the content, technology, strategy, and launch of Advance's 10 newspaper-affiliated sites (including NJ.com. NOLA.com, and OregonLive.com) and helped on the launches of its magazine-affiliated sites at CondéNet (including Epicurious, Style.com, Concierge, and others no longer with us). I also worked on projects at Random House, before Advance sold it, and Brighthouse Cable.
At Advance, I had the privilege of working for Steve Newhouse, who is unsung in our industry as an innovator and true believer in interactivity. It was Steve who taught me the value of opening up to conversation with the public. Steve schooled me in understanding the fundamentals of our business. He later tolerated my blogging and outspokenness. He also made it my job to seek out, learn from, and negotiate with entrepreneurs and technologists. One of them was Nick Denton. We invested in his company, Moreover, where I served on the board, and Nick also got us to invest in and save a mortally challenged startup with the silly name Blogger.
I clearly remember the day Nick demonstrated blogging to me. I confess I didn't comprehend the big deal. But that changed after September 11, 2001. I was on the last PATH train into the World Trade Center as the first jet hit the north tower. To my wife's continuing ire, I stayed downtown because, after all, I am a journalist. I was about a block from the south tower when it collapsed, thrown into utter darkness in the cloud of destruction. After taking shelter in a Chase tower, I walked to Times Square and wrote my story for online and print. Days later, I had more to share and so I started a blog, honestly believing I'd do it for a few weeks. Then two bloggers in Los Angeles read what I'd written, wrote about it in turn, and linked back to my blog. I wrote in response and linked to them. And that was my career-altering *ding* moment: Thanks to the link, we were having a conversation but in different places at different times. I began to see in rough form a new shape for media. I will admit that I thought this notion of news-as-conversation was fresh, until I had the privilege of meeting Columbia's Jim Carey, who told me he'd built his career and scholarship around this idea.
To this day, I marvel at the power of the link to disrupt what we do, changing our relationship with the public we serve (who are now, to name one role, our true collaborators); the form of news (for example, isn't a link often better service to the reader than a background paragraph — and once we start unraveling the article in such a way, where does that lead?); and the business models that sustain our important work (is it time to serve people as individuals rather than as masses and doesn't that, too, require that we reset our relationship with the public?). Those are the themes I am pursuing in my work now: new relationships, forms, and models for news.
There is the education of a would-be educator. The threads that make me who I am are obvious in hindsight: finding opportunities in technology and disruption, questioning orthodoxies, benefitting from mentors' guidance and collaborators' help, facing business challenges, and embracing every opportunity to join a startup — like our school.