text:
Use this guide to open your iPad Mini 2 LTE and replace the display.
Parts of this guide were shot with a Wi-Fi model and as such the internals may look slightly different from the LTE model. The procedure is the same for both models except where noted.
Place the iOpener in the center of the microwave.
I didn't find this to be as hard as I had built it up in my mind to be; HOWEVER, saying that I need to say years ago I was the local Nokia service center in my town. But many years ago right after they got rid of analog times. Yeah. A classic installer/repairer mistake when starting something they haven't fixed or installed before is picking up the instructions, flipping through them; maybe even reading a section that is new-then tossing the instructions over the shoulder. "I got this." This usually comes right before something major gets broke. And I can tell you when you try to do it yourself and then mess it up horribly then take it to the repair shop. Well we called that "I can do it myself" syndrome and charged extra to put back together what they brought in in the box. Now knowing all this - I can't stress this enough because I am stupid, stupid, stupid. COVER YOUR SCREEN IN CLEAR BOXING TAPE AND READ ALL THE INSTRUCTION BELOW THROUGH TO THE END BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTING THIS FIX. Take my advise.
I didn't have an iOpener, so I used a wheat type heat bag. If you do this though, make sure you put a layer of plastic between your Mac and the bag, or you'll get condensation in places you don't want it.
I started out using the iOpener but switched to my wife's hairdryer. A heat gun or hair dryer proved to be much more convenient and is a time saviour. You can heat more and the glue becomes more fluid make the next steps with the opening picks much easier
I know this is obvious, but backup your iPad with iTunes before you start. I'd also turn off your passcode if you have one.
Ther first time you heat up the iOpener for this repair when its room temperature I had to heat it up for more than 30 seconds. I remember I had to heat it up for around 45 seconds. However, after that when you need to reheat it again during the repair 30 seconds will be enough.
I used the wheat bag in a sensor microwave heating up to 65-70 deg C (155 def F).
Get yourself a cherry pit bean bag the size of your iPad. Heat it, put the iPad on it for 3 to 5 minutes or so, reheat the cherry pit bean bag, again put your iPad on it. Then heat the iOpener and start working. The cherry pit bean bag will have to be reheated several times, but it will soften the adhesive so you have less problems with the iOpener
The heating can be done very effectively (and quickly) with 3d printer heated bed. Make sure the bed is clean. Set the temperature to 60c, (130f ) and put the ipad face down for +/- 10 minutes. Repeat as needed throughout the "gentle prying" stages.
The iOpener did not work at all for me.
I had to use a heat gun and bring the edges of the case up to ~200 degrees (used an infrared thermometer to measure) before the glue would weaken. This obviously superheated the metal frame, so I also had to wear gloves to handle the phone while prying the back off with the included picks.
Repair instructions worked like a charm. Had to be patient with the iOpener and getting the screen off. I tried repeatedly without success until shifting the suction cup a bit to the left side where perhaps the glue had loosened up a bit more.
The iOpener, in my opinion, is of no help. Many warnings to say "don't warm it too much", but the glue doesn't melt if not warm enough. As a result, a complete waste of time and energy. In addition, too much liquid in it, so it doesn't lay on the device on a sufficient surface. I took a hairdryer and it worked much much better.
I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.
My experience. I was replacing the screen which had been cracked and a little shattered in some places. The iopener is pretty much useless, so was the suction cup. The suction cup would probably be more useful if I was doing something besides the screen. Also you probably want the clean the screen before using it so it can get good suction. I used a hair dryer on high for a couple of minutes at a time (someone on this tread suggested that). I used my exacto knife and a razor blade to get into the adhesive. First the exacto to get the initial cut, then the razor blade to go a little deeper. Could have probably just used the razor blade, but the exacto has a little more finesse. I got the razor blade in and a little under the glass then I used the picks to wedge in. I didn't want to risk anything using the razor blade too much. Used tape to keep the shattered glass together.
My experience pt2
Fortunately the shattering was mostly on the edges and most of it had adhesive on the back so it stuck together. Just take your time and work your way around following the guide to get the screen off. Have some goof off or goo be gone to clean the frame when putting the new glass on or putting the existing one back. (someone suggested that also, very good idea). Be careful of the LCD (you should know that). The cable on my LCD was pretty tight, so I propped it up while taking the cable cover off and when I put it back on I did the same thing. I just put a bottle on the battery and leaned the back of the LCD on that while attaching the cables and putting the screws back on the cover. Also be careful with the home button and the bracket on the back of it. I had enough old adhesive on left on the bracket that it stuck back to the new glass fine. So far only 12 hours in, so we will see how that holds up when the kids get at it.
Another alternative if you do not have the iopener is to use a bed time hotwater bottle. Do not over fill it though. Just put enough hot water in to support the phone while you work around the adhesive.
I use both the hot water bottle and iopener together on Samsung's. It makes life easier
I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. This allowed me to separate the last bit of the back of my Samsung S8, which was already coming off due to a swollen battery (hence the reason for the repair).
Hallo,habe den Akku erfolgreich getauscht.Doch seitdem gibt es bei Telefonaten eine Rückkopplung für den anrufenden.Bei mir ist alles normal.Woran liegt das?Mfg
If you follow these instructions, you will crack your screen like I did. Heating the iOpener for 30 seconds, using it to melt glue, then waiting 10 minutes to reheat is useless. The iOpener can be used to maybe warm the glue on whatever side you aren't working on. You need a hairdryer and/or a heat gun to melt the glue and separate the glass from the iPad.
Anyone want to buy an old iPad with broken glass and a dead battery?
Not everybody has a microwave. You should provide a target temperature for the iOpener and instructions for a conventional oven, or pot of warm water, or whatever. Although I will probably use a heat gun …
Three times heating opener and no luck. Tried pressing down gently on opener with a towel, and the opener broke. Wondering if I now replace table mats, fancy table cloth, etc. or will this stuff wash out.
Not impressed so far. Maybe the hair dryer next.
I support the comments about the iOpener. Everyone has a hair drier, FHS, so get a cheap IR thermometer (£18) and blow heat until the area is 60+ deg C. Still takes w while, and getting the screen off is v scary, but just add more heat if you feel resistance.
The rest of the kit is good, esp the magnetic screwdrivers.
No, everyone does not have a hairdryer. Some of us don't even have hair. Thank goodness I already had an IR thermometer, though.
nin10doh -
Hatte einen winzigen, minimalen Sprung im Display. Ich dachte es könnte gehen, weil der Sprung "abgeschlossen" war. Er hat in einer Ecke ein winzige Glasteil rausgeschnitten. NEIN! Geht nicht. Habe alles mit viel Geduld dem iOpener und einem Föhn erhitzt. Es ist trotzdem sofort über das komplette Display zersprungen…
I've started with iOpener but changed very quickly to a heatgun. That was more efficient.
I could not get the iOpener hot enough to melt the glue on my ipad 6. I heated for 45 seconds once and it was boiling and it still never worked. Thank goodness contributors mentioned using a hair dryer. Using an 1700w hair dryer on high did the trick to get the screen off. Still took some time and the case got pretty hot but be patient. It took twice as long and a lot more patience to get the battery out.
I have an Ipad with touch screen issue, if i replace this part it should be Ok?
The metal microwave rack can heat up and melt through the iOpener cover letting the contents leak out.
Not a big issue for me as I have a heat gun and used that instead.
I opened my iPad with the iOpener. Be patient! It may take quite a bit longer to it the iOpener in the microwave than it says in the guide. My microwave can only do 800W and I had to put the iOpener in several times (maybe a total of 90-120 seconds). I recommend that you have the transparent side up an watch the bag carefully. As long a the bag doesn't bloat up and the liquid doesn't start bubbling you should be fine. But I recommend to take the iO out from time to time to check it. (More comments in Step 6.)
I gave upon the I opener and used a hairdryer. (Fixed an iPad 6)
iPad mini gen5. I used the iOpener. My microwave is 1200w with carousel. 30 sec got the iOpener to 155ºF. For the 2nd heating, after 10 minutes sitting, the temp was still around 125º so I only cooked it for 15 sec. Not enough increase so +5 sec more which me to 165-170ºF. This should be considered ballpark info because who knows the real output of the various microwaves and the quality of the IR tool used to determine temp.
To successfully open my iPad mini I applied the iOpener twice to the left edge and twice to bottom. & once to R edge. Using the suction cup was difficult for me (I'm in my 70's so my hands don't work too well anymore). I had trouble holding the guitar pick and slipping them in (at an downward angle). In the end, sliding my thumbnail along the edge opened it very slightly and allowed the pick to get into the gap. I marked the ends of all my picks with a sharpie pen for the recommended 2mm insertion to avoid going in too deep. To get the screen open it took me approx 1 hour.
A hairdryer or heat gun works, if heating is kept around 100 deg C (212 deg F - boiling point of water). But… heating this way is cumbersome. Using a hotplate, set to 100 deg C, measured carefully with a fairly inexpensive IR gun, is simpler and easier, if you can afford the hotplate (I used an old pancake griddle with a thermostat knob). It works great for phones, setting them face down for 2 minutes, then picking them up with insulated gloves - cheap, wool gloves work fine. This may require repeated reheating to continue the display removal, but its much simpler.
Because its almost impossible to repeatedly lay an iPad/tablet on the hot plate, I propose an alternative.
Initially lay the larger iPad/tablet, face down, for 2 min, to heat all of the adhesive surrounding the display. Lift and begin the picking process describe in your removal steps. Then lay an iOpener on the hotplate for 2 min (already set to the exact, desired temp) to bring it to working temp for the remaining operations.
For iPads in particular, it makes sense to construct a simple, aluminum window frame, laid on a hotplate (see my comment above) that only touches the edges of the display, heating only the adhesive underneath. This prevents general heating of the entire device. Four strips of aluminum, placed together as a frame, would be the simplest and allow variations for all devices - envision it as a pinwheel of strips, radiating outward. Use it for any size device.
BTW, always read all comments at each step. New, and possibly useful, suggestions appear on occasion that can be crucial.
Heat the iOpener for thirty seconds.
Throughout the repair procedure, as the iOpener cools, reheat it in the microwave for an additional thirty seconds at a time.
I had to heat mine up for more than 30 seconds. After 30 seconds on high it was only warm. It had to keep trying different times and checking it until it got hot. I think the initial time that I put it in for was over a minute.
DO NOT USE IN NON ROTATING MICROWAVE! It will pop a hole. I had it in for 45 seconds the first time. It wasn't very hot inside and I saw it started to leak on the paper towel I put under it. Just a fair bit of advice. I think I will just stick with the heat gun. Loud but useful.
I heated mine up for 30 seconds, tested, then again for 30 seconds. It felt adequately hot. Leaving it on the left side, per the instruction, for a minute did not loosen the adhesive. I ended up pulling the suction cup hard enough to shadder the old screen. Moral of the story, I don't think it gets hot enough safely to have an affect.
There is a clear problem here with the heating part using the iopener things....no details are given. Whoever is testing them needs to make it clear - What temperature does it need to be? And for which phone models, because they differ in what's needed. It's only £10-15 for a laser guided temp sensor unit, and the designers/repairers should have one of those already for doing these kinds of repairs. Explaining half a repair, is worse than not explaining at all :-(
All phones/devices differ it's unrealistic and unsafe to put a exact time/temperature needed to soften the adhesive. It's really quite simple you warm the device evenly and in a controlled manner just enough to enable pry tools and picks to begin separating. Best tool in my opinion but again this is because I have experience is a hot plate and heat gun both of which are used at nearly the lowest settings and I can handle flat palming the plate for almost 10 seconds I leave the device to conduct heat until approx it's about 110 at most 120 ish this will be plenty to soften all the adhesive if any problem areas I use heat gun while prying. Again you need go slowly and learn with a throw away phone
I used a hot water bottle, works well as it covers the whole screen and stays hot for longer.
If I may suggest include your microwave wattage so people can get an idea on time for there own
I agree with this.
I ended up using a hair dryer. That iOpener thing took forever.
30 seconds sure isn't cutting it… 45 didn't get the screen of my iPad air 2 to budge either… even after resting on the ipad for 4 minutes.
60 seconds in the microwave, the iOpener burst.
I'll get a new one and try once more with heating it 45 seconds and repeat that for 30 minutes like others have said here. If that doesn't work it'll have to be the heat gun.
I can't recommend the microwave. If the the iOpener becomes too hot, it bursts. Better put the opener in cooking water. Dry it and use it. Instead of an iOpener you can use hot/cool packs as well.
Great idea with using the heat packs. I will try that next time. Thank you
Collins -
Trust the directions! I forgot and left it in the Microwave too long and after 1 minute I had Mt Vesuvius - the iOpener burst and spewed the goodies out. The problem is, the Digitizer can be damaged by a hot air gun, so I had to tough out and remove the glue the hard way. I made it … with lots of patience! Tough lesson.
I also used a hairdryer. I used it on the low setting and I cut a piece of carboard to protect the rest of the screen. The iFixit tool and method is vert tedious and very time consuming in comparison. With the hairdryer method you can literally have the display apart in a few minutes. Using your other hand nearby the area you are heating it should be very hot but not enough to burn your hand. You only have to heat metal part of case near glass edge. If you have a cellular model then you need to be very careful because the black antenna area is plastic. So less heat and work your way up in adding heat just enough to separate around the area but not so much you melt the plastic!
iOpener was the worst part of the kit. Followed directions for :30 in microwave and took 4 trips to the microwave to loosen adhesive on left side of home button. I thought I was figuring it out and it was working well… even set a timer to wait 10 minutes between heating it up. Was on the right side and was on my 12th heat up when it exploded in the microwave. My only tip is that if you set it clear side up, as soon as you see any bubbles or boiling in the liquid, STOP! If you put a pot holder over the iOpener and press slightly to make good surface contact, that seemed to help. I finished heating with a "Corn Sack" that held heat better than the provided iOpener.
Mon iopener n'a pas tenu une réparation. Je ne vous conseille pas ce produit
Nous sommes désolés que votre réparation ne se soit pas déroulée comme prévu. Il se peut que le produit était défectueux. Veuillez contacter notre service client firstname.lastname@example.com (boutique américaine) ou email@example.com (boutique européenne) en décrivant ce qui s'est passé.
Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.
Thank you for posting some actual temperatures. I have a heat gun with a very fine self-temperature regulation setting capability.
I will set it for 150-180 F, and use that to soften the adhesive.
I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. A second heating about 15 minutes later in the micro and it came out at 190 degrees F. Plenty hot enough to soften the adhesive for removing the back on my S8. Based on the comments above I think people just need to use more patience.
I used various time settings. It got very hot. It would soften the glue but not a whole lot. If my screen had been intact and I was replacing something that was not a digitizer, it may have worked. A broken screen makes the process significantly more difficult. I ended up breaking the home button cable. Good bye TouchID…
After reading previous comments I didn't even use the i-opener. Used the heatgun ( hairdryer ) which works great for me. Maybe I was lucky as this is my first attempt at replacing a cellphone battery. Motoz 3
It appeared 30 seconds were not enough, so I heated it more, by 5 seconds at a time until I got the right temperature about 70 degrees Celsius (measured with infrared pistol) to get the screen heated up to 60 C, the best for softening the glue. But the heat was quickly dissipating by the big aluminum back cover, so the best I got in 2 minutes of applying iOpener was around 45 C, which made the procedure difficult and having risk of breaking the screen. So I eventually abandoned iOpener and user a hot air gun with precise temperature setup. I set it to 90 C, which allowed me to open my iPad quickly and safely.
I, too, ended up using a hot air gun. I've done earlier versions of iPad before but the adhesive used on this IPad 5 A1822 was particularly difficult to remove.
Also, while the suction cup worked great when the glass is in tact, any cracks in the glass make the suction cup useless.
You need to remember here are different sizes of microwaves. I had the same issue.
Heating on a smaller unit I used 45-60 seconds. That worked but was time comsuming
Remove the iOpener from the microwave, holding it by one of the two flat ends to avoid the hot center.
I did this repair. I used a hair dryer, I think it works better: gets very hot fast.
I did too, you get far more control and no expense on fancy equipment.
Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method. I don't know how much microwaves vary in heating consistency with these pads, but knowing how inconsistent the temperature of a bowl of plain rice gets in my microwave, I wasn't interested in even trying to use it for this.
I used an electric griddle set to the lowest setting. It seemed to work very well.
I vote for the hair dryer. The other methods work too but if you aren't having any luck, switch to the hair dryer. While holding the iPad in my hand, I found that I am aiming the dryer at my finger at the same time and it gauges how hot it is. I stop when my finger can't take it - maybe five seconds up close. Repeat as needed like I did.
If the maximum temperature for this iOpener is lower than the gadget glue minimum temperature, this device does not make sense.
I think the maximum temperature for this iOpener is below 100⁰C and most gadget glue minimum temperature is higher than 100⁰C. So the iOpener is useless for many opening steps in repair guides. But who knows because temperature range is not specified for this iOpener.
Fill a pot or pan with enough water to fully submerge an iOpener.
Heat the water to a boil. Turn off the heat.
Place an iOpener into the hot water for 2-3 minutes. Make sure the iOpener is fully submerged in the water.
Use tongs to extract the heated iOpener from the hot water.
Thoroughly dry the iOpener with a towel.
Your iOpener is ready for use! If you need to reheat the iOpener, heat the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and place the iOpener in the water for 2-3 minutes.
2 or 3 cups Rice in a sock, heat for about 2 minutes. But, I recommend the iopener.
When boiling in water you can put the iopener in a ziplock to keep it dry.
Even if you don't put in a ziplock bag, I found that the surface is mostly hydrophobic so drying it is very easy. I also didn't have tongs, but the bag is denser than water, so it sank and I attached clothes pins to the ends and was able to remove it with those.
2-3 minutes in near boiling water, then 2-3 minutes on my s10+ and it was super easy to cut the glue off.
If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping the glass.
Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPad's display until the whole face is covered.
Do your best to follow the rest of the guide as described. However, once the glass is broken, it will likely continue to crack as you work, and you may need to use a metal prying tool to scoop the glass out.
Handling it by the tab, place the heated iOpener on the side of the iPad to the left of the home button assembly.
Let the iOpener sit for about five minutes to soften the adhesive beneath the glass.
Carefully place a suction cup halfway up the heated side.
Be sure the cup is completely flat on the screen to get a tight seal.
While holding the iPad down with one hand, pull up on the suction cup to slightly separate the front panel glass from from the rear case.
While holding the glass up with the suction cup, slide the point of an opening pick into the gap between the glass and body of the iPad.
Pull the suction cup's plastic nub to release the vacuum seal and remove the suction cup from the display assembly.
Reheat and reapply the iOpener.
Let it rest for a few minutes to reheat the left edge of the iPad.
Place a second opening pick alongside the first and slide the pick down along the edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive as you go.
Continue moving the opening pick down the side of the display to release the adhesive.
If the opening pick gets stuck in the adhesive, "roll" the pick along the side of the iPad, continuing to release the adhesive.
Take the first pick you inserted and slide it up toward the top corner of the iPad.
If you can see the tip of the opening pick through the front glass, don't panic—just pull the pick out a little bit. Most likely, everything will be fine, but try to avoid this as it may deposit adhesive on the front of the LCD that is difficult to clean off.
Reheat the iOpener and place it on the top edge of the iPad, over the front-facing camera.
Slide the opening pick around the top left corner of the iPad to separate the adhesive.
Slide the opening pick along the top edge of the iPad, stopping just before you reach the camera.
Pull the pick out slightly, and slide the very tip gently along the top of the front-facing camera section of the top edge.
Leave the opening pick in the iPad slightly past the front-facing camera.
Take a second pick and insert it to the left of the camera, where the first pick just was. Slide it back to the corner to completely cut any remaining adhesive.
Leave the second pick in place to prevent the corner adhesive from re-sealing as it cools.
Insert the previous pick deeper into the iPad and slide it away from the camera toward the corner.
I broke the "small antenna cable". Should have paid more attention to the fact that the LTE model is different from the WI-FI model. I have the LTE version. Oh well. I didn't discover the break until reassembly so we'll see what I've lost.
I broke this cable too. Even though I'd read through this section before I got to it, when I was actually going through the process (with these photos and the text to hand) I didn't appreciate the danger. If the photo linked to in the warning paragraph (showing the pick caught underneath the cable) was included in the main photos I'm very confident I'd have known exactly how to avoid the problem. It'd be worth tweaking the way this bit is presented. Thanks for the guide.
Leave the three picks in the corners of the iPad to prevent re-adhering of the front panel adhesive.
Reheat the iOpener and place it on the remaining long side of the iPad—along the volume and lock buttons.
Slide the top right opening pick around the corner to fully release the top edge of the glass.
Insert a new opening pick and slide it to the middle of the right edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive as you go.
Continue to slide the pick down the right edge of the iPad, releasing the adhesive.
Leave the opening picks in place and reheat the iOpener.
Set the reheated iOpener on the home button end of the iPad and let it rest for a few minutes to soften the adhesive beneath the glass.
Slide the lower left pick to the lower left corner to cut the adhesive on that corner.
Leave the pick at the corner. Do not pry any farther, and do not remove the pick from the iPad.
Home button cavity
Digitizer cable
The following steps will direct you where to pry to avoid damage to these components. Only apply heat and pry where directed.
With a new pick, slice gently over the left-hand antenna, stopping before the home button.
Leave the pick in place before moving on.
Insert the tip of one last pick next to the previous step's pick, and slide it beneath the home button.
Insert the pick slightly deeper and work it back toward the home button.
Reheat and reapply the iOpener to the top bezel of the iPad.
At the top of the iPad opposite the home button, you should have a pick lodged into each corner. Twist the picks to lift the glass slightly, separating the last of the adhesive along all four edges.
Lift slowly and gently to further detach the adhesive along the lower edge.
Once all of the adhesive has been separated, open the front glass like a page in a book and rest it on your workspace.
Rock the camera housing up on one edge to free it from the adhesive and remove it from the front panel.
Return the front-facing camera housing to its recess in the rear case.
Remove the following Phillips #00 screws securing the LCD:
Three 3.3 mm screws
One 4.5 mm screw
Insert the flat end of a spudger under the LCD between it and the LCD shield plate and lift gently.
Peel up the thin foam tape attached to the very top of the LCD. Under it is a small strip of tape holding the top edge of the LCD down. You won't be able to remove the LCD without first peeling back this tape. Trying to pry up the LCD without removing it will most likely bend the LCD.
There is a problem that I ran into. This picture shows a wifi only model which does not have the LTE antenna up above. What I ran into is that on the LTE model the antenna has a slight lip that holds the LCD down. So on this model you actually have to lift the bottom portion up first just enough that you can then move the panel downward slightly then lift the top end of the LCD panel up past the lip on the antenna housing near the front facing camera at the top.
How about those two rectangular magnets on each too corner? What happens if they're removed?
Insert the spudger between the LCD and LCD shield plate and slide it to the far edge of the iPad.
Hold the LCD with one hand, and the rear body of the iPad with the other.
Gently pull the LCD away from the speakers to separate the tape, being careful not to pull on the digitizer cable.
Flip the iPad LCD like a page in a book, lifting near the camera and turning it over the home button end of the rear case.
Lay the LCD on the front panel glass to allow access to the display cables.
Slide the tip of a spudger between the LCD and the adhesive tabs to free the display.
Push gently between each of the two adhesive tabs; be careful not to damage any of the nearby cables.
Remove the seven 1.8 mm Phillips #00 screws from the LCD shield plate.
Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the LCD shield plate up and out of the iPad.
Remove the LCD shield plate.
Remove the following Phillips #00 screws from the display cable bracket:
One 2.7 mm screw
Two 1.4 mm screws
Remove the display cable bracket from the iPad.
Use the flat tip of a spudger to gently lift the battery connector up off its socket on the logic board.
BE SURE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY! If you don't, when you put it back together the backlight will not light.
And be sure to use something to block the connector from falling back and touching the battery connector again - a little tape or foam, or a piece of plastic will hold it safely.
When I reassemble the iPad, must I first connect the display and then the battery? or do I have to reverse and connect the battery first and then the display?
During reassembly this is where you want to reconnect the battery then power up the device to test. Make sure the LCD, digitizer, home button, etc., are functioning properly BEFORE you seal it up.
Use spudger to lift the LCD connector up off its socket on the logic board.
Lift and remove the LCD from the iPad Mini.
Need to add step for disconnecting the plug for digitizer as well
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
I successfully completed the repair after the second go round. Somehow I must have damaged the LCD the first time I tried to replace my cracked screen. My only suggestion would be to make note of where the two magnets are located so you can put them back.
OK, completed this, and all is working…whew! Props to the author for posting this, and it *does* cover getting the display out pretty thoroughly, BUT, it doesn't cover a lot of things that you need to know when the whole thing goes back together - just saying "follow in reverse" to re-assemble doesn't get it: What to do about all the adhesive? alcohol prep pads work well for removing all the gunk. What about the magnets attached to the screen (they come off when you clean up all the adhesive), they need to be placed correctly and held with adhesive.
You need new adhesive strips for this to all go back together well. Digitizer cable needs to be tucked in opposite the direction it naturally folds or the entire display won't close up correctly. In short, it really takes sourcing three or four other repair videos to get through this correctly. Total process (remove and replace LCD screen) took about 2.5 hours.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
EWS 60051 with a rock train ready to depart Peak Dale. Note flooding caused by heavy rains.
Peak Dale shunter.
So who authorized DBS' entry then...? Sign at the entrance to the Peak Dale facility.
Peak Forest South signal box. Note dumped product in the middle of the far left track.
60051 leaving Peak Dale with a loaded stone train.
EWS 66150 shunting bad-order cars in Peak Dale.
EWS 66150 shunting in Peak Dale.
EWS 60013 in Peak Dale.
66s changing drivers at Peak Dale. Somewhat lengthy but does show the semaphores in operation towards the end.
EWS 66090 arrives in Peak Dale with an empty rock train.
Old industrial architecture in New Mills.
FGW 185 115 as First Transpennine Express passing New Mills South Jct.
142 038 to New Mills Central in New Mills South Jct.
East Midlands 158 856 in New Mills South Jct.
East Midlands 158 846 in New Mills South Jct.
A number of clips from New Mills South Jct., including an almost perfect meet of FGW 185s.
DMU to Buxton approaches Furness Vale station.
142 038 from New Mills Central in New Mills South Jct.
New Mills South Jct. signal box.
150 203 in Furness Vale.
156 483 approaches Furness Vale.


text:
Hello friends
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I have the 404 error "Page not found"
Why? I saved the .htaccess on right place? Or I forgot something?
My system operation is ubuntu 10.10, I'm using Yii 1.1.4


text:
Britain set to be lashed by Ophelia's tail on anniversary of great storm
The tropical storm was named a hurricane overnight and the US National Hurricane Centre has warned it could strengthen over the coming days.
The remnants of Ophelia look set to reach the UK on Monday, with unsettled weather expected to cause disruption, the Met Office said.
The west of the country will see the worst of the weather, with winds of between 60mph and 70mph forecast.
It will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Great Storm of 1987, which hit southern England overnight on October 15.
The storm caused damage estimated at £1 billion and claimed 18 lives.
Met Office forecaster Alex Burkhill said: "Ophelia became a hurricane overnight and the forecast track takes it eastwards towards Iberia for the weekend.
"After that, indications are that by that point it will then have weakened and be no longer a hurricane or tropical storm, it will be extratropical.
"But then it will continue its way towards the British Isles, probably reaching us very early next week."
Mr Burkhill said cold sea temperatures mean Ophelia will not be strong enough to be categorised as a hurricane when it hits Britain.
But he added: "It's definitely something that we are keeping an eye on, for the possibility of some disruptive weather early next week."
The unsettled weather looks likely to continue into Tuesday due to a separate band of low pressure, and will remain changeable throughout the rest of the week.


text:
Pitesti Master Class, 2011
Pitesti Master Class, 2011
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text:
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Heavy Americans who drink diet beverages rather than those sweetened with sugar appear to eat more, according to a study released on Thursday that raised questions about the role lower-calorie drinks play in helping people lose weight.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed data from a U.S. survey of 24,000 people over a period of 10 years. People who were overweight or obese generally consumed the same amount of calories a day no matter what they drank, but those who chose diet drinks got more of those calories from food.
Outside experts were quick to caution that it is not clear what role, if any, diet drinks such as low- or no-calorie versions of sodas, sports drinks and teas played for people who ate more.
In the study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, overweight drinkers of diet beverages in the United States ate 1,965 in food calories a day compared to 1,874 calories among heavy people who drank regular sugar-sweetened beverages.
Among obese diet beverage drinkers, those who consumed low- or no-calorie drinks ate 2,058 calories a day in food versus 1,897 food calories for those who had regular drinks, researchers said.
Such differences were statistically significant, they added.
Lead author Sara Bleich said the results, when paired with other research, suggest that artificial sweeteners may affect people's metabolism or cravings, although more study is needed.
She acknowledged that people could be deciding to eat more since they are saving calories with their diet drinks.
"The push to diet soda may not make a lot of sense if you are then also eating more solid food," Bleich said. "The switch from a sugary beverage to a diet beverage should be coupled with other changes in the diet, particularly reducing snacks."
Critics said the analysis, based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey between 1999 and 2010, is flawed and that it is too early to say what, if any, role the low-calorie drinks or their artificial sweeteners play in weight loss.
Several researchers noted that the study did not track a set group of people over time and only looked at a 24-hour snapshot of what any individual consumed.
The beverage industry, which has long promoted diet drinks as an alternative to full-calorie beverages, defended such alternatives to help manage weight.
"Losing or maintaining weight comes down to balancing the total calories consumed with those burned through physical activity," the American Beverage Association said in a statement on Thursday.
Low- or no-calories drinks contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose. Many beverage companies are also turning to other alternatives, such as the extract of Stevia.
Kelly Brownell, a professor psychology and neuroscience at Duke University and dean of its Sanford School of Public Policy, said while the study was compelling and there are still many questions about such sweeteners, more data is needed.
"People need to separate the biology from the psychology," he said.
Bonnie Liebman, the director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said while her group may have other questions about artificial sweeteners, "it's premature to conclude that it's something going on in your brain."
In the meantime there are other ways to watch your weight, she said: "You're much better off with water - or coffee or tea, if they're unsweetened." (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by David Gregorio)


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Promising treatments for those blinded by an often-hereditary, retina-damaging disease are expanding throughout Europe and making their way across the pond, offering a ray of hope for the hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. left in the dark by retinitis pigmentosa. The disease—which affects about one in 4,000 people in the U.S. and about 1.5 million people worldwide—kills the retina's photoreceptors, the rod and cone cells that convert light into electrical signals, which are transmitted via the optic nerve to the brain's visual cortex for processing.
There is no effective treatment for the condition, but researchers are making great strides to remedy this through implants that stimulate still-active nerves in the retina, the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye. In mid-November Retina Implant, AG, got approval to extend the yearlong phase II human clinical trial of its retinal implant outside its native Tübingen, Germany, to five new sites—Oxford, London and Budapest, along with two additional locations in Germany.
The company's implant is a three- by three-millimeter microelectronic chip (0.1-millimeter thick), containing about 1,500 light-sensitive photodiodes, amplifiers and electrodes surgically inserted beneath the fovea (which contains the cone cells) in the retina's macula region. The fovea enables the clarity of vision that people rely on to read, watch TV and drive. The chip helps generate at least partial vision by stimulating intact nerve cells in the retina. The nervous impulses from these cells are then led via the optic nerve to the visual cortex where they finally lead to impressions of sight.
Thus far, some patients report having a narrow field of vision partially restored, providing them with enough acuity to locate light sources such as windows and lamps as well as detect lighted objects against dark backgrounds. The chip's power source is positioned under the skin behind the ear and connected via a thin cable.
Window on the world
For those suffering with retinitis pigmentosa, Retina Implant's technology creates a small black-and-white window on the world, says Eberhart Zrenner, the company's co-founder and director and chairman of the University of Tübingen's Institute for Ophthalmic Research in Germany. Retina Implant has successfully placed chips beneath the retina of nine patients since May 2010. A 10th patient experienced a problem when their optic nerve did not forward the information on the chip to the brain.
Looking ahead, Zrenner hopes to widen patients' field of vision further. "Because our chip has independent miniature photodiodes, we could arrange three of them in a row beneath the retina," he says. The ability to produce accurate colors via retinal implants, however, is very complicated and may not be possible for years, he adds. Retina Implant has also developed an outpatient treatment for early-stage retinitis pigmentosa called Okuvision, which uses electric stimulation to help preserve retinal cells.
Sights set on the U.S.
The phase II extension expands Retina Implant's trial to an additional 25 patients beginning early next year and follows a partnership the company struck in March with the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia. Wills is looking to become the lead U.S. clinical trial investigator site for Retina Implant's technology and to help the company through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) review process.
Cutting-edge technologies such as sub-retinal implants are typically at a disadvantage when seeking FDA approval due to the lack of a track record, but Retina Implant's work in Europe provides a precedent for the FDA to consider, says Julia Haller, Wills's ophthalmologist in chief. "There's information available to U.S. regulators about how patients have responded so far," she adds.
Commercial implant
Whereas Retina Implant's technology is just getting started in the U.S., another retinal implant–maker is already in FDA human clinical trials, which are expected to conclude in July 2014. Second Sight Medical Products sells its Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System in Europe—the first commercial implantation of their device took place October 29 in Pisa, Italy (pdf).
Second Sight's technology is fundamentally different, converting video images captured by a miniature camera—housed in a special pair of glasses worn by the patient—into a series of small electrical pulses transmitted wirelessly to an array of electrodes implanted on the retina's surface, rather than under it. These pulses are intended to stimulate the retina's remaining cells and create the perception of patterns of light in the brain. Epiretinal devices (overlying the retina) such as the Argus II preprocess an image before sending it to the retina. Because the camera does not create an exact simulation of normal retinal outputs, patients need time to learn how to process the information that their brain receives.
Although both Retina Implant and Second Sight's technologies are still relatively unproved, their potential is great. "As somebody who has to tell families that their child is going to lose all vision and not be able to do any of the things they had dreamed he or she would be able to do, I know that every little step you make, from absolute blindness to being able to see shapes to being able to count fingers and read words makes an incredible impact on a person's life," says Haller, who, in addition to being familiar with Retina Implant, has experience implanting Second Sight's retinal prosthetic devices.
Alternative implants
Retina Implant and Second Sight's technologies may be the furthest along in terms of testing but they are not the only ones working on ways to treat, and even prevent, retinitis pigmentosa.
A sub-retinal implant under development by Optobionics in Glen Ellyn, Ill., most closely resembles the work of Retina Associates. Optobionics's Artificial Silicon Retina (ASR) microchip is designed as a stand-alone implant placed behind the retina to directly stimulate the remaining viable cells of the retina. Instead of an external power supply, the Optobionics chip has an array of micro-photodiodes that convert light energy to electrical signals, which stimulate retinal cells. Haller implanted several Optobionics sub-retinal chips as part of a study conducted at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore throughout 2004 and 2005 while she was a surgeon there (pdf). The company's funding subsequently ran out, however. Only recently were Optobionics' co-founders able to acquire the rights to the ASR implant technology. They plan to reorganize a new company under the Optobionics name.
Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Lincoln, R.I., is developing a different type of implant. Their intraocular implant consists of human cells genetically modified to secrete a nerve growth factor they say is capable of rescuing and protecting dying photoreceptors. The implant does not replace retinal tissue but rather is a way to resuscitate damaged retinal cells.
At Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University in New York City, neuroscientist Sheila Nirenberg is leading a project to develop an artificial retina with the capacity to reproduce normal vision. Rather than increasing the number of electrodes placed in an eye to capture more information and send signals to the brain, Nirenberg's work focuses on the quality of the artificial signals themselves so as to improve their ability to carry impulses to the brain.
It will take some time to see which approach works best, Haller says, adding, "All of the treatments for retinitis pigmentosa are experimental right now, so there's no real comparison yet between what works and what doesn't."
Electric Eye: Retina Implant Research Expands in Europe, Seeks FDA Approval in U.S.
Several technologies to restore sight to retina-damaged eyes are making headway--one seeks to begin human trials in the U.S. and another has already hit the market in Europe
Promising treatments for those blinded by an often-hereditary, retina-damaging disease are expanding throughout Europe and making their way across the pond, offering a ray of hope for the hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. left in the dark by retinitis pigmentosa. The disease—which affects about one in 4,000 people in the U.S. and about 1.5 million people worldwide—kills the retina's photoreceptors, the rod and cone cells that convert light into electrical signals, which are transmitted via the optic nerve to the brain's visual cortex for processing.


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People who cooked with a blend of sesame and rice bran oils saw a significant drop in blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions.
The researchers found cooking with a combination of these oils in a variety of ways worked nearly as well as a commonly prescribed high blood pressure medication, and that the use of the oil blend with medication yielded even more impressive results.
"Rice bran oil, like sesame oil, is low in saturated fat and appears to improve a patient's cholesterol profile," said Devarajan Sankar, M.D, Ph.D., a research scientist in the Department of Cardiovascular Disease at Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital in Chikushino, Japan. "Additionally, it may reduce heart disease risk in other ways, including being a substitute for less healthy oils and fats in the diet."
The 60-day study in New Delhi, India, divided 300 people with mild to moderately high blood pressure into three groups. One group was treated with a commonly used blood pressure lowering medication called a calcium-channel blocker (nifedipine). The second group was given the oil blend and told to use about an ounce each day in their meals.
The final group received the calcium channel blocker and the oil blend.
All three groups, with approximately an equal number of men and women, average age of 57, saw drops in their systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading and measures the force of blood against your artery walls when the heart is pumping.
Systolic blood pressure dropped an average of 14 points for those using only the oil blend and 16 points for those taking medication. Those using both saw a 36-point drop.
Diastolic blood pressure also dropped significantly: 11 points for those eating the oil, 12 for those on medication and 24 for those using both. Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number in a blood pressure reading that measures the force of blood against your artery walls when your heart is at rest between beats.
As for cholesterol, those using the oils saw a 26 percent drop in their LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and a 9.5 percent increase in the HDL ("good" cholesterol), while no changes in cholesterol were observed for the patients who used only the calcium-channel blocker. Those who took the calcium channel blocker and the oils had a 27 percent drop in LDL levels and a 10.9 percent increase in the HDL.
Healthier fatty acids and antioxidants, such as sesamin, sesamol, sesamolin and oryzanol, in the oil blends may be responsible for the results, Sankar said. These antioxidants, mono and poly unsaturated oils are compounds found in plants and have been linked with lower blood pressure and total cholesterol in earlier studies.
Additional studies are needed to determine if the oil blend is as beneficial as it seems. The combination was made specifically for this study, and there are no plans to market it commercially, Sankar said. Blending these oils yourself would not necessarily produce these effects.
People with high blood pressure should not stop taking their medications and should speak with their doctors before trying any product that might change their blood pressure to ensure they're being properly monitored.
Co-authors are.Ravinder Singh, M.B.B.S., and Biprabuddha Chatterjee, M.Sc.
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Materials provided by American Heart Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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text:
Theme Description:
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text:
Export 4 results:Author [ Type] Year
Filters: Author is Frederik Verstreken [Clear All Filters]
"Orthosis", U.S. Patent WO/2016/1812822016.,
Conference Paper
"Statistical shape and pose model of the forearm for custom splint design", in IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI), 2021.,
"An Articulating Statistical Shape Model of the Human Hand", in Advances in Human Factors in Simulation and Modeling (AHFE 2018), Cham, 2019, vol. 780, pp. 433–445.,
Conference Abstract
"Screw fixation of simulated scaphoid waist fractures: a biomechanical comparison of two screw lengths.", European Federation of National Associatinos of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT), 18th ANNUAL CONGRESS, VIENNA, AUSTRIA. 2017.,


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Using a "patient monitoring" device attached to a whale entangled in fishing gear, scientists showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale's diving and swimming behavior. The monitoring revealed how fishing gear hinders whales' ability to eat and migrate, depletes their energy as they drag gear for months or years, and can result in a slow death.
The scientists in this entanglement response suction-cupped a cellphone-size device called a Dtag to a two-year-old female North Atlantic right whale called Eg 3911. The Dtag, developed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), recorded Eg 3911's movements before, during, and after at-sea disentanglement operations.
Immediately after Eg 3911 was disentangled from most of the fishing gear, she swam faster, dove twice as deep, and for longer periods. The study, by scientists at WHOI, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and NOAA Fisheries, was published online May 21 in the journal Marine Mammal Science.
"The Dtag opened up a whole new world of Eg 3911's life under water that otherwise we weren't able to see," said Julie van der Hoop, lead author of the study and a graduate student in the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography.
North Atlantic right whales were nearly eradicated by whaling and remain endangered today, with a population of 450 to 500. About 75 percent bear scars of fishing lines that cut into their flesh.
Born in 2009, Eg 3911 was first sighted entangled and emaciated by an aerial survey team on Christmas Day 2010, near Jacksonville, Florida. Fishing gear was entangled around her mouth, wrapped around both pectoral fins, and trailed about 100 feet behind her tail.
Teams aboard boats attempted to cut away the fishing gear on Dec. 29 and 30, 2010, but were not successful because the whale was evasive. A multiagency team tried again on Jan. 15, 2011. First, they applied a Dtag. Then they administered a carefully calculated sedative with a dart gun developed for large whale drug delivery by Paxarms NZ in collaboration with Dr. Michael Moore, director of the Marine Mammal Center at WHOI and a marine mammal veterinarian. The becalmed whale allowed the team to approach and remove nearly all the fishing gear.
The Dtag measured 152 dives that Eg 3911 took over six hours. There were no significant differences in depth or duration of dives after sedation, but "the whale altered its behavior immediately following disentanglement," the scientists reported. "The near-complete disentanglement of Eg 3911 resulted in significant increases in dive duration and depth."
"Together, the effects of added buoyancy, added drag, and reduced swimming speed due to towing accessory gear pose many threats to entangled whales," the scientists wrote. Buoyant gear may overwhelm animals' ability to descend to depths to forage on preferred prey. Increased drag can reduce swimming speeds, delaying whales' timely arrival to feeding or breeding grounds. "Most significant, however, is the energy drain associated with added drag," they said.
To calculate that drain, the scientists, in a separate experiment, towed three types of fishing gear from a skiff, using tensiometers to measure the drag forces acting on Eg 3911. They then calculated how much more energy whales would require to compensate for the drag. The results: Entangled whales have significantly higher energy demands, requiring 70 to 102 percent more power to swim at the same speed unentangled; or alternatively, they need to slow down their swimming speed by 16 to 20.5 percent.
The study provides the first data on the behavioral impacts of sedation and disentanglement and the energetic cost of entanglement in fishing gear due to drag.
On Feb. 1, 2011, an aerial survey observed Eg 3911 dead at sea.
"She didn't make it," van der Hoop said. The whale was towed ashore for a necropsy. "We showed up on the beach that night. I remember walking out there and seeing this huge whale, or what I thought was huge. She was only 10 meters long. She was only two years old. And all these people who had been involved in her life at some point, were there to learn from her what entanglement had caused."
The necropsy showed that effects of the chronic entanglement were the cause of death.
"No fisherman wants to catch a whale, and I wish no fisherman a hungry day," said Moore. "There needs to be a targeted assessment of how the fishery can still be profitable while deploying less gear so we can reduce the risk of marine mammals encountering fishing gear in the first place. At WHOI, we have hosted workshops talking with fisheries managers and fishermen about what might change so that they can continue to catch fish and stop catching whales."
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Materials provided by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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text:
Countries/regions covered | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | How to obtain this publication
OECD Territorial Reviews: The Mesoamerican Region:
The Central American economic integration process, which dates back to the 1950s, entered a new era in 2001 with the launching of the Puebla Panama Plan. This plan helped shift the focus to the greater "Mesoamerican region" (MAR), which includes the seven Central American countries plus the nine southeastern states of Mexico. In this context, the OECD Territorial Review of the Mesoamerican Region marks two major firsts: a comprehensive regional development study of the entire Mesoamerican region and the OECD's first ever multi-national territorial review.
This review recognizes that economic integration per se is just part of the solution to the Mesoamerican region's challenges. Realising the economic potential of the MAR requires regional policies that can better exploit its many comparative advantages and better governance at mesoregional, national and local levels. The MAR could spur development through inclusive competitiveness policies that address cross-cutting measures for all firms, such as improving the region's human capital, firms' quality standards and networks between cities, as well as specific policies for promising sectors, including tourism, agro-industry, light manufacturing and logistics. To achieve true bottom-up economic integration, the review looks at improving the limited capacity at the sub-national levels to effectively and efficiently provide local public goods. Recommendations for governance reform include:
Overall, the Review's geographic and thematic scope is broad. Thus, what results is a comprehensive development agenda for Mesoamerica that will necessarily require a prioritization exercise at both the country and regional level.
The term Mesoamerica has been used since the adoption of the Puebla Panama Plan (PPP) to indicate the region comprising:
Chapter 1 Trends and Challenges in the Mesoamerican Region
Chapter 1 illustrates the most defining characteristics emerging from the analysis of the Mesoamerican region's (MAR) principal socio-economic indicators. Mesoamerica's existing rich economic potential stems from its strategic geographic location, its natural and cultural environment and its light manufacturing industries. However, the difficult overall conditions of MAR economies remain, as the region is characterised by GDP gaps between countries, high poverty levels, rural-urban disparities, individual income disparities and the persistence of the large informal economy.
The chapter is divided into three parts. Part 1.1 defines the unit of analysis of this Review and provides the rationale for analysing the Mesoamerican region. Part 1.2 highlights Mesoamerica's shared regional potential and discusses related opportunities for economic development. Part 1.3 first assesses the region's macroeconomic situation, and then analyses the stark regional and individual disparities that characterise the MAR.
Chapter 2 Improving Competitiveness and Social Cohesion
This chapter seeks to highlight the opportunities for Mesoamerica to improve its international competitiveness. Competitiveness has become part of the explicit agenda for policy makers in the region, in many cases through a national co-ordination body or "competitiveness council", and a range of policy measures have been introduced that aim to improve the general business environment or support specific sectors. However, firms in the region continue to face a number of obstacles that inhibit growth and that reduce the incentives for investment. Some of these obstacles are regional in nature, adhesion to trade agreements for example; others are more general (or horizontal) and relate to the level of development of the countries of the region, such as skills and educational attainment; while others are more specific to local contexts and, in general, appear responsive to more local solutions than those currently in place.
The chapter is divided into four parts. Part 2.1 discusses progress in regional (MAR) co-ordination and integration, highlighting the significance that this process has on creating opportunities for firms to integrate into regional and global markets. This section then assesses the different competitiveness policies in the region and underlines the common priorities that have emerged. Part 2.2 identifies the cross-cutting (horizontal) determinants of competitiveness that are applicable to all countries and industries. These levers to increase competitiveness include human capital development, technology upgrading and networking across the region's major cities for greater specialisation. Part 2.3 assesses how Mesoamerica could better capitalise on its economic potential, based on the region's factor endowments, in four major industries: tourism, agro-industry, light manufacturing and assembly (textile and other products), and logistics. This section also includes a discussion on how the cluster framework could be further exploited to improve the effectiveness of firms in these and other sectors. Part 2.4 explores important strategies for linking the poverty reduction and competitiveness agendas to enhance the effectiveness of both strategies.
Chapter 3 Towards More Effective Governance
Chapters 1 and 2 of this report highlight two key aspects. On the hand, the fact that further economic integration of the Mesoamerican region (MAR) can be an important factor for its development. On the other hand, the preceding chapters have underlined that integration per se is not a solution to the problems of Mesoamerican countries and that much of their potential resides in a number of unused resources that should be identified and mobilised through more co-ordinated and inclusive action at all levels of government.
Looking at Mesoamerica's integration process from a governance perspective, this chapter discusses ways to couple the on-going process of economic integration of Mesoamerica with a process of integración desde abajo (bottom-up integration), whereby strategic policy decisions are nourished by knowledge held at different levels of government and supported by appropriate horizontal co-ordination mechanisms at both national and local levels. The chapter is divided in two parts. Part 3.1 considers the status of mesoregional governance, that is, to what extent are countries co-ordinating their policy in the region. Part 3.2 looks at multi-level governance issues and discusses to what extent decentralisation and bottom-up initiatives can contribute to engage and co-ordinate the relevant actors at all levels of government in the development processes.
How to obtain this publication
Readers can access the full version of OECD Territorial Reviews: The Mesoamerican Region: Southeastern Mexico and Central America choosing from the following options:
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This is a great trick you can play on your friends. To disable the display of local or networked drives when you click My Computer.
1.Go to start->run.Type regedit.Now go to:
Now in the right pane create a new DWORD item and name it NoDrives(it is case sensitive). Now modify it's value and set it to 3FFFFFF (Hexadecimal) .Now restart your computer. So, now when you click on My Computer, no drives will be shown(all gone…). To enable display of drives in My Computer, simply delete this DWORD item that you created.Again restart your computer.You can now see all the drives again. Magic……..lol..


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Welcome to Chris Borders TikiMan Productions, Inc
Chris Borders TikiMan Productions, Inc has been working as a world-wide leading full-service professional voiceover production house in Southern California, since 1994.
TikiMan Productions, Inc has a comprehensive group of highly trained professionals who work directly with the client to obtain the highest quality voiceover production the industry has to offer world-wide.
TikiMan Productions, Inc provide their clients with state-of-the-art production, including the following services...
Consultation, Project Coordination-Supervision, Union Auditions-Casting, Celebrity Casting / Negotiations, Professional Studio Direction, Union Signatory-Payroll (SAG & AFTRA), Digital Recording-Editing-Mastering, Motion Capture, Script Supervision / Adaption / Doctoring, PR B-Roll Digital Photography, On-Camera Cast Interviews, and MORE!
Some of TikiMan Productions, Inc clients include the following... Microsoft Game Studios, Warner Brothers, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Eidos Interactive Ltd, DreamWorks SKG, Cartoon Network, Namco, Codemasters, THQ, D3 Publishing, Activision, Sony, Disney, and Epic Games (just to name a few)
TikiMan Productions, Inc has produced the voiceover for many multi-million selling and award winning titles, including: "Gears of War 1, 2, 3, Judgement", "Mass Effect 1 & 2", "Dragon Age: Origins", "Need For Speed", "Scarface: The World is Yours", "Jade Empire", "The Matrix: Path of Neo", and "Baldur's Gate 1 & 2" just to name a few.


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Home Ownership: it's just a little bit more . . .
By Stew
Someday, I hope to own another home, but not until I am good and ready. We are quite happy with our rental situation at the moment.
When we purchased our first home, after a year of marriage, everyone told us what a great decision we had made – "It's the best investment you can make . . . we were married for ten years before we could afford our own home." I am not opposed to home ownership. Under the right conditions, I think it is a great idea, however, it is important to recognize that as a culture we have been conditioned to think that owning your own home is the pinnacle of human existence. The problem is that in the past, when a person owned a home, they truly owned it – now the definition of home ownership has become "living in a building owned by a bank". And that building, owned by the bank always seemed to cost us just a little more.There were many things that I did not understand when I signed the documents that committed me to live in and care for the bank's home for the last eight years. The biggest factor that I did not completely grasp was the true cost of home ownership. I soon came to realize that owning a home costs just a little bit more.
Loan Approval and Shopping for a Home
When you go to the bank for loan approval, the monthly payments always seem to be a few dollars higher than you were originally told. The realtor will always show you homes that are just a little bit more than what you think you can afford.
Understand all of the components of your mortgage payment – everyone knows about principle and interest, but make sure you know if you are subject to private mortgage insurance or PMI. PMI can add anywhere from $20 to $100 per month to your monthly payment. Your broker will tell you "it's just a little bit more".
Closing Costs
Yes, they were all there on the little sheet, the whole list, but when we bought our first home, I never really looked at the entire picture. I saw all the relatively small amounts – $50 here, $250 there, $75 again, but each one was just a little more out of pocket cash or making my monthly mortgage payment just a little higher.
Property taxes
Property taxes are a major deal killer in my book. In the state where we lived, our taxes were almost double the amount that they would have been in any other state. Be sure to use this in figuring the cost of home ownership. Taxes are always just a little bit more.
I think my homeowner's insurance was reasonable. I think we were getting a good value for our money, but sometimes insurance is not always something that new homeowner's think about critically. To them it's just a little bit more.
I really underestimated how much money we would spend on maintenance costs when we became "home owners". There are so many things that the house needs, things break, improvements are needed and it's all just a little bit more.
We did everything we could to reduce utility costs in our home, but we never seemed to be under budget. Cold winters, hot summers and everything in between all served to squeeze just a little more money out of us.
Here is the point, new, potential homebuyers need to look at ever single expense as a lump sum before making the decision to buy. I do not believe that my wife and I would have become home owners eight months into our marriage if we had added the following costs:
- Principle
- Interest
- Private Mortgage Insurance
- Homeowner's Insurance
- Soft water softener rental
- Heating bill
- Electric bill
- Water bill
- Maintenance costs – lawn care, exterior, interior, systems repair, cleaning
Add that stuff up, look at that number and if you still think you want to buy the house – great! But be sure to add just a little bit more.
Photo by jamiejohndavies


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While some daytime shows (like The Jeff Probst Show) have been cancelled in recent months, others are still doing just fine. Steve Harvey is one of the latter and has just been picked up for two more seasons. This will keep Harvey on the air through 2016.
Here's the press release:
Daytime's #1 New Show in Key Women Demos, Produced by Endemol USA, Renewed for Additional Seasons in More Than 65% of the U.S.
CHICAGO, IL – June 12, 2013 – NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution announced today it has sold the hit daytime show "Steve Harvey" through 2016 to station groups across the country, including the NBC Owned Television Stations. "Steve Harvey," which has been a phenomenon in all key ratings benchmarks in its debut season and earned accolades including an Emmy(R) nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host, has already been renewed for three additional seasons in more than 65% of the U.S. to date.
"Steve is one of the best entertainers in the country and his first season has been a tremendous success because of the personal connection he makes with the daytime audience," said Ted Harbert, Chairman, NBC Broadcasting. "It's so great to see Steve's very funny and substantive show being rewarded with long-term commitments from our station partners."
"Steve Harvey," which was already renewed for its second season in national syndication earlier this year, has now been extended for additional seasons through 2016 with station groups including the NBC Owned Television Stations, Hearst, Cox, Media General, FOX, Sinclair, Gannett, Local TV, Allbritton, LIN, Nexstar, Raycom and more.
"Steve Harvey's engaging, funny and warm style has been a hit with our audiences, and we couldn't be happier to continue our partnership with Steve and his great team," said Valari Staab, President, NBC Owned Television Stations. "'Steve Harvey' has strengthened our daytime lineups and proven to be a strong lead in to 'Ellen' and, in turn, our local newscasts."
"The sale of the show through 2016 is a testimony to its popularity, the immense talent of Steve Harvey and his ability to resonate with a broad and diverse daytime audience," said David Goldberg, Chairman and CEO, Endemol North America. "I am grateful to Steve, his dedicated and creative producers as well as NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution and our station partners around the country," he continued.
In its premiere season, "Steve Harvey" has become one of the most successful new first-run syndication launches in the past decade. In the May 2013 sweep, "Steve Harvey" was the #1 new first-run show with Women 18-49 and Women 25-54 nationally, and was the only new show to build over its lead-in and improve the year ago time period. Across the metered markets in May, "Steve Harvey" was up over its lead-in by +24% in households, and +25% with Women 25-54. Compared to the May 2012 (year ago) time period average, "Steve Harvey" showed +44% increases in households and was up +42% with Women 25-54.
Each weekday, Steve Harvey, who was chosen by the 2013 People's Choice Awards as Favorite New Daytime Show Host, weaves universal relationship themes into his show, bringing a blend of common sense advice and insightful humor to a vast range of relatable topics such as marriage, romance, parenting, friendship and workplace.
"Steve Harvey" is produced by Endemol USA. Steve Harvey, Alex Duda and Rushion McDonald are executive producers. The show is distributed in national syndication by NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution and internationally by Endemol Worldwide Distribution. "Steve Harvey" is taped before a live studio audience at the state-of-the-art HD NBC 5 studios in downtown Chicago.
About NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution:
The NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution division is responsible for the sales and distribution of NBCUniversal product to broadcast television within the United States. The division develops and produces first-run programming and distributes these shows, along with off-network content, to broadcast syndication. Current first-run broadcast syndicated programming includes "Access Hollywood," "Access Hollywood Live," "Maury," "Steve Harvey," "The Jerry Springer Show," "The Steve Wilkos Show" and "Trisha Goddard" as well as weekend syndicated series "On The Money with Maria Bartiromo" and "The Chris Matthews Show." Current off-network programming includes "30 Rock," "House," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Monk" and "The Office."
About Endemol USA:
Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in unscripted and scripted genres for network and cable television. David Goldberg is Chairman and CEO of Endemol North America. The studio produces hit series including Big Brother (CBS), Wipeout (ABC) and the syndicated daytime show "Steve Harvey." They are also known for producing some of the most popular non-scripted primetime programming in North America, including Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Fear Factor. Endemol USA launched Endemol Studios, Endemol USA's scripted television operation in August, 2011, following Endemol USA's successful development of the scripted break-out hit series Hell on Wheels (AMC). Endemol USA's subsidiary production companies include Authentic Entertainment, Endemol Studios, 51 Minds, Original Media and True Entertainment. Endemol USA is a division of the Endemol Group, a leading international content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands and the UK, has over 80 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 31 countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. Endemol is a privately held company. For more information, please visit www.endemolusa.tv.
What do you think? Are you glad to hear this show's been renewed? How often do you watch?


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The death toll of a car bomb explosion reaches 31 people in southern Baghdad, a Sunni-suspected operation that targeted Shiite Muslims days after the Ashura commemorations
Bombs targeting Shiite Muslims in areas south of Baghdad on Thursday killed 31 people and wounded 98, security and medical officials said.
The attacks marked the second wave of bombings against Shiites this week after three car bombs exploded near their places of worship in Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 12 people and wounding 50.
In Thursday's attacks, two roadside bombs targeting a group of Shiite pilgrims in the city of Hilla killed 26 people and wounded 85, police and medical sources said.
The dead included two women, three children, two medics and a civil defence member, they said.
Iraqi security forces cordoned off the area of the blasts and set up checkpoints in the city to search cars, an AFP correspondent said, adding that shops near the site were shuttered after the attack.
In the shrine city of Karbala, a car bomb exploded under a bridge, killing five people and wounding 13, a police spokesman and a medical official said.
The spokesman said that security forces closed off all roads leading to the old city, where Imam Hussein, one of the most revered figures in Shiite Islam, is buried, and were searching for a second car bomb.
Members of Iraq's Shiite majority are often targeted by Sunni insurgents in bomb attacks.
Millions of pilgrims flock to Karbala each year for Ashura commemorations marking Hussein's death in battle in 680 AD, which peaked on November 25 this year.
While pilgrims have often been targeted by bombings during Ashura that killed dozens, the commemorations were largely free of violence this year, though two attacks against pilgrims killed three people and wounded 35.
Pilgrims also walk from across Iraq to Karbala during the 40-day mourning period that follows Ashura.
Violence in Iraq has decreased dramatically from its peak in 2006 and 2007, when brutal sectarian violence swept the country, but attacks remain common.


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Voice interactions with AI assistants are fast becoming commonplace at home. With Alexa for Business, Amazon hopes to make the same true in the office.
"Just like Alexa is making smart home experiences easier, the same is possible in the workplace with voice controls," said Collin Davis, Amazon's general manager for Alexa for Business.
Launched in November 2017, Alexa for Business is a managed service with three main components: a set of management tools, APIs to integrate with existing IT applications and infrastructure, and the Echo devices themselves. It is delivered by Amazon's cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, which sells to large corporate customers.
Amazon's aim is to make it easier for businesses to deploy and operate Alexa in the workplace. Configuring and operating devices across an organization presents a different and more complex challenge than setting up multiple devices in the home, said Davis. "While the Alexa mobile application works great for configuring at-home or personal use, there's so much more that an enterprise needs," said Davis.
Device or room-specific profiles can be created with common configurations that only need to be set up once and are "easy to scale."
"Alexa for Business is an interesting concept," said Werner Goertz, a research director at Gartner. "There are still things to complete. But once it is complete, I think it is an excellent platform that brings voice interactions to the enterprise."
How to use Alexa for Business
There are two principal ways staff will use Alexa: as a shared device that multiple employees can interact with – in locations such as conference rooms, lobbies and kitchens – and as a personal assistant for individual productivity tasks.
"Our vision is to enable a world where Alexa is always available as you move throughout your day in order to be more productive," Davis said. That vision, not surprisingly, starts with the home, he said, where a person might ask Alexa what their schedule is for the day. From there, they can set up a meeting with a colleague, for example.
On the way into the office by car, Alexa will soon be more broadly available. Automakers have unveiled plans to add the functionality to some of their vehicles over the next few years. That will allow commuters to continue using Alexa for work-related duties while fighting traffic. (Stuck in a traffic jam and going to be late? Just have Alexa notify your colleagues and re-schedule any meetings.)
In the office, Alexa clearly fits the bill as a meeting room assistant that lets employees kick off audio conferences with voice commands. "Imagine walking into a conference room to start a meeting with remote participants and not having to deal with bridge lines, passcodes, web presentation programs," said JP Gownder, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester.
"Just say, 'Alexa, start the meeting,' and all of those things open up – saving people minutes at the beginning of many or most meetings that are wasted today."
There are wider smart office applications, too. Staffers could ask for directions around office spaces to locate meeting rooms, for instance, report a tech issue or order new equipment supplies.
"Alexa can help you streamline simple tasks and help you control your work environment by doing things like turning on and off the lights, starting a meeting, reporting issues to IT, and much more," said Davis.
Businesses can access tens of thousands of Alexa skills already available, or build their own skills, which can be made public or kept for internal use only.
Alexa can also be used as a personal assistant that lets users check their calendars, manage to-do lists and set reminders. Admins can link corporate calendars to Alexa for Business, integrating with Office 365, Microsoft Exchange,and Google G-Suite calendars.
In May, Amazon made it easier for business users to manage personal schedules via Alexa voice commands, adding the ability to move appointments and schedule meetings based on participants' availability.
In the future, Alexa may be able to actually move meetings on a user's behalf because it knows one task or topic is more important than another, according to Davis. "The goal is that Alexa becomes an always-available intelligent assistant to help you throughout your day wherever you are," he said.
Alexa skills business will use
There are already a large number of Alexa skills available to users – 40,000, according to Amazon, up from 25,000 in December - and many are focused toward workplace productivity.
Here's a sampling of those that would be useful in the office:
- The Astrobot skill reads out emails from Gmail or Office365 accounts, and lets users snooze, delete, archive and respond with 10 canned replies.
- Ticket Now lets users create and manage tickets in IT service management tool ServiceNow. Once the ticket is created, you can add and review comments and report SLA breaches by speaking to Alexa.
- The Voice Metrics skill reads out business data and KPIs from apps such as Google Sheets and Slack.
- And for IT pros managing cloud infrastructure, the Voice Dashboard skill links to an AWS account and provides updates on information such as resource allocation.
Since the launch of Alexa for Business, numerous tech vendors have created their own skills aimed at supporting their products. Salesforce has built a skill that allows access to its Einstein analytics via Alexa and a Tact skill that reads out Salesforce data. Finally, Concur's skill lets customers find itinerary details for upcoming travel plans.
Alexa's competition: Cortana, Google Assistant, Siri and others
From a consumer sales perspective, Amazon's Echo is quickly outpacing the competition. According to a report from Slice Intelligence, Amazon accounted for 72% of A.I. assistant speaker sales between January and March year – even as Apple was launching its HomePod speaker, which uses Siri to respond to voice commands.
Voice-activated virtual assistants are not as established in the workplace, however. "Alexa for Business today has a certain level of first mover advantage," said Goertz.
In other words, Amazon's early success at home gives it a strong foundation on which to build as it targets the enterprise. Users already know how to use Alexa around the house, meaning they're primed to continue doing so in the office.
Rival firms are eyeing the same market, and planning similar moves. Competition comes from two angles. One involves unified communications vendors such as Avaya or Cisco. Cisco, for example, has already unveiled its Webex Teams Assistant – formerly Cisco Spark Assistant – which is focused on the meeting room experience.
While that specific function is a first prime use case for Alexa for Business, it is as a general-purpose A.I. assistant that Alexa will likely draw competition from the likes of IBM, Microsoft and Google. "Especially in the IBM and Microsoft case, these guys all really have strong enterprise connections and will be wanting to leverage those," said Goertz.
Microsoft already has a strong presence in the enterprise with its Cortana voice assistant. Apple, too, has its own voice technology, Siri, which will be familiar to many business users.
However, Vaishno Devi Srinivasan, unified communications and collaboration industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan, said Amazon has already stolen a march on its competitors thanks to the launch of Alexa for Business and the popularity of its Echo speakers among consumers.
PC manufacturers are also starting to build Alexa into devices, offering another potential entry point into the workplace.
"Amazon is well positioned to grab the opportunity in enterprises much ahead of Microsoft Cortana, Google Assistant and Apple's Siri," Srinivasansaid.
What does Alexa for Business cost?
Alexa for Business is a 'pay as you go' service charged on a monthly basis, with a fixed contract length.
Businesses are charged $7 per month for each shared device they use, and a further $3 per month for every enrolled user.
Shared devices are accessible by anyone with physical access to the device and are not linked to a specific user. Each device, such as a Dot or Echo, is managed through the Alexa for Business console.
Enrolled users can join their personal Alexa account with Alexa for Business, meaning that they will have access to the same skills that they use at home, alongside private skills developed by the business. Enrolled users can access and use an unlimited number of shared devices.
There is also the cost of the Alexa hardware to take into account; on Amazon's website, the Echo Dot 2nd generation costs $49.99; the Echo Plus 2nd generation sells for $99.99; and the Echo Plus goes for $149.99.
Alexa for Business also supports Amazon's Echo Spot ($129.99) and Echo Show ($229.99). Both of these devices feature video screens and are aimed at individual use at a person's desk, rather than as a shared device.
An Alexa for Business starter kit (priced at $709.93) includes threeEcho devices, twoEcho Dots and two Echo Shows. Large businesses procuring more than 250 devices can contact Amazon directly for bulk pricing.
Security concerns with virtual assistants
Data privacy and security has been a concern for home users of Alexa. This was most recently highlighted by reports of an Alexa speaker recording a conversation between a husband and wife and sending it to their contacts without permission. (Amazon offered an explanation, claiming the incident was an "extremely rare" occurrence.)
Nonetheless, those kinds of concerns won't be any different when using Alexa in the enterprise. "That is the number one concern: privacy and security, especially when you access Alexa through far-field voice communication devices like the Amazon Echo," said Goertz. The same issue will, of course, apply equally to other companies selling voice assistants to businesses, he noted.


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"The D.A. Show" Premieres In The New Year Boasting Major Market, Nationwide Coverage
CBS Sports Radio today announced Damon Amendolara as host of the network's weekday overnight show. His new program, "The D.A. Show," which will debut Wednesday, January 2, 2013, upon the launch of the network, will be heard on select stations from 2:00-6:00 AM, ET on-air, streaming online and through the Radio.com application for mobile devices. Amendolara, known by his fans as D.A., joins the network from CBS RADIO Boston's WBZ-FM "98.5 The Sports Hub," where he has served as evening host since the station's launch in August 2009. As he makes the transition to CBS Sports Radio, Amendolara promises a program which will be a mix of the latest sports news, discussions and controversy, in addition to interviews with tastemakers from the sports world and calls from night-owls across the country. He joins the previously announced schedule which includes powerhouse talent such as Jim Rome, Doug Gottlieb, John Feinstein and Scott Ferrall.
The following stations will be among those broadcasting Amendolara's "The D.A. Show":
KRLD-FM Dallas
KILT-AM Houston
WIP-AM Philadelphia
WJFK-FM Washington, D.C.
WCNN-AM/WFOM-AM Atlanta
WBZ-FM Boston
WXYT-FM Detroit
WJZ-FM Baltimore
WFNZ-AM Charlotte
WKRK-FM Cleveland
KFNZ-AM/KJQS-AM Salt Lake City
WSJZ-FM Orlando/Melbourne
"D.A. is an all-star in Boston, and his energy and understanding of the sports world will no doubt translate to a national platform," said Eric Spitz, Director of Programming, CBS Sports Radio. "Damon is certainly the man to keep listeners engrossed overnight, and his work at stations across the country, covering a multitude of different sports, will be beneficial to our listeners. His success and following on our local radio station and his charitable endeavors in the community prove he will make a great addition to our already outstanding lineup at CBS Sports Radio."
CBS Sports Radio will offer around-the-clock national sports coverage and programming, harnessing the power and resources of CBS RADIO and the award-winning CBS Sports. High-profile personalities from CBS Sports, CBS Sports Network and CBSSports.com will play a prominent role on CBS Sports Radio which will reach more than 10 million listeners when it debuts. Original programs across multiple weekday and weekend time periods will feature expert sports commentary and interviews with major sports figures along with listener calls and fan interaction. Cumulus Media Networks serves as the exclusive syndicator and sales partner for CBS Sports Radio.
In addition to his work on Boston's 98.5 The Sports Hub, Amendolara is the sideline reporter for the New England Revolution on Comcast and a frequent guest and fill-in host for CSN's Sports Tonight/Sports Sunday. Furthermore, he is an anchor on CSNNE's Pregame Live and Postgame Live, appears on Fox-25 Boston, while contributing to NFL Films and the NFL Network's Top 10 series, ESPN News' Air Check and NFL Films Presents on ESPN. Prior to The Sports Hub, Amendolara worked at WQAM in Miami and Kansas City's 610 Sports. Amendolara began his career at 1040 WYSL in Rochester, NY and Sportsradio 770 ESPN in Ft Myers-Naples, FL. The Warwick, NY native was graduated from Syracuse University in 2001, where he served as Sports Director at WAER Radio.


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OSGi comes of age?
Early in my career at SpringSource, my colleagues presented me a T-shirt with "CICS does that!" printed on the front. However, nobody anticipated what that statement might eventually include.
IBM has just announced that the latest version of the CICS transaction monitor includes support for applications packaged as OSGi bundles. From the announcement letter:
The JVM server infrastructure with integrated OSGi support and tooling provides a new industry standard Java runtime environment in CICS.
The JVM server environment supports the development and deployment of Java applications through the use of industry standard OSGi bundles. This will require Java applications to be packaged into an OSGi bundle, and then deployed as a CICS BUNDLE resource with reference to the OSGi bundle and its version, removing the need to load Java applications from a statically defined class path. This function will significantly improve the system management of Java applications in CICS through the provision of application isolation and versioning, cross-package prerequisite checking, and simplified package redeployment.This is heart-warming news to me, both as an OSGi proponent and as a former member of the CICS development team. I'm guessing CICS is using Equinox as its OSGi framework, but I'm looking forward to reading the documentation for the details.