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This glitch requires a 25 Speech skill level. Go to Camp McCarran, and talk to Angela Williams in the science lab. Choose the "I have some questions for you." option followed by the "What's your role here?" option. After she answers, choose the "What do you think of Dr. Hildren?" option. After she answers, choose "[Speech 25] He seemed focused on results. Maybe not so much on people." You will get 28 experience points each time you do this, and it can be repeated as many times as desired.
This glitch requires a 30 Speech skill level and neutral or friendly with NCR. Go to Camp McCarran, and talk to Sergeant Bitter-Root. You should be able to find him in one of the tents. Ask him about his name, and then there will be an option for a 30 Speech skill level attempt. You can keep saying "Bitter-Root. You have an unusual name.", and each time you say it, you can do the Speech attempt again. Simply say "Bitter-Root. You have an unusual name.", do the Speech attempt, ask to talk about something else, and then repeat the process as many times as desired.
This glitch requires a 30 Speech skill level or the "Confirmed Bachelor" perk and friendly with NCR. Go to HELIOS One, and the woman should automatically talk to you. Once she allows you access to HELIOS One, you should be able to start the "That Lucky Old Sun" mission. Proceed with the mission, and talk to Fantastic and Ignacio Rivas. While talking to Rivas, make sure you get him to reveal that he is a Follower of the Apocalypse by using Speech or Confirmed Bachelor, and agree with his ideals about peace or say you are neutral. Do the mission regularly until you get to the point where you activate the Mainframe Terminal. Configure the Power Grid to "5. Full Region (Emergency Output Level)". Finish the mission by hitting the Reflector Control Panel outside on top of the tower. Go back to Ignacio Rivas, and choose the "I overloaded the plant. No one....." option. That option will never disappear. Keep selecting that option to get 350 XP, 3 Stimpacks, and 2 Doctor's Bags.
If your Speech skill level is 50 or higher, you can persuade Old Ben to offer his escort services to the local bar. You will get 61 XP each time you complete this Speech Challenge. If you follow him back to the bar afterwards and wait until he sits down, you can speak to him again and repeat the same Speech Challenge as many times as desired. You can find Old Ben sitting by a fire close to The King headquarters in Freeside.
This glitch requires a high Speech skill level and 8 Intelligence skill level. Go to the Camp McCarran Terminal building inside Camp McCarran. Talk to the guy at the far end of the building, in the left corner. He is the leader and gives you multiple quests. Accept the interrogation quest, then go meet the woman upstairs to start the quest. When you get in the room to talk to Sirus, pick the "Intelligence" option first, the "Speech" option next, and then the "Intelligence" option. Any of the three "Intelligence" options work. Then, select the "Speech" option (which should now be grayed out), and cycle through the "Intelligence" options. You will get 50 XP every time you cycle through the options.
Go to Vault 11, and you will get a quest to find out what happened there. Once you get the overseer's passcode and enter it into her computer, you will be led to the "sacrificial chamber". Use a Stealthboy to get past everyone, and when the walls on the left open (as you walk in), go into the door and access the computer mainframe. You will be given three options, "Override" and "Download" for two conversations. Select the second download to get 500 XP. Do not exit the mainframe. Just keep selecting that option to get 500 XP each time. Repeat this as many times as desired.
This glitch requires a 35 Barter skill level. Go to Cottonwood Cove (in the southeast corner of the map alongside the river). You will meet a man named Aurelius of Phoenix (he sometimes wanders out of the camp). Speak to him, and choose to barter with his camp for ammunition and supplies. Select this option will get you 35 XP. Keep selecting that option to get 35 XP each time. Repeat this as many times as desired.
This glitch requires a 35 Medicine skill level. Once you gain access to the main strip, find Victor outside the Lucky 38 Casino. He will tell you that Mr. House wants to meet you. Follow him inside, and go up the elevator. Speak with Mr. House (the giant television face that looks like Howard Hughes). Find the dialogue choice pertaining to needing to ask him a few questions. Then, ask "Who exactly are you, Mr. House?", and choose "You appear to be a computer, not a man". Next, select the Medicine skill check response, "The lifespan you're claiming is impossible, except for ghouls and super mutants." You will then get 35 XP (or 39 XP if you have the Swift Learner perk). You can repeat this as many times as desired.
This glitch requires a 50 Barter skill level. In "The House Always Wins, I" quest, when you meet Mr. House for the first time, he will ask you to get his chip. When he tells you the deal is 1,000 caps, refuse it. Keep refusing his offers after bartering until he tells you to come back. After you talk to him again, select the following choices: "Tell me your terms again?", "The chip is worth far more than that", then "Still not interested", and repeat as many times as desired.
Gamble in a casino, and play roulette. You will get 100 XP no matter if you win or lose.Infinite caps
Go to the town of Primm, and successfully complete the "My Kind Of Town" quest to get them a new sheriff. Wait 3 to 7 in game days for the Vikki and Vance Casino to open again in Primm. Then, go to the Vikki and Vance Casino, and either win as many chips as possible from gambling or exchange as many caps for chips as possible. Go to the cash register to trade the chips in for caps. You will get the equivalent for the chips in caps, but you will still retain all your chips. Simply keep trading in the chips for caps to get as many caps as desired. Note: This glitch was done on an unpatched version of the game.
Go to a weapons and/or armor merchant, and see if they have two of the same weapon or armor for sale. If you can afford it, get the overall most expensive item at the lowest condition. For instance, if they have two Raider Sadist Armors at 45% and 76$, but also has two Flamers at 20% and 8%, then choose the Flamers. Purchase the cheapest of the two items, and then immediately sell it back to the merchant. Buy it again, and sell it back to them again. Usually the second, but sometimes the third time, you buy the same item from them, and it will appear in your inventory at 100% condition. Sell it back to them, and it will reappear in their inventory at the original low % condition. Buy it again, and it will appear at 100% condition. Repeat this until they have no more caps. If you wait three days after they run out of caps, they will have new stock and approximately 650 caps. The longer you wait, the more robust their inventory will be and the more caps they will have. Note: This glitch can cause the game to freeze. It is recommended you save your game often when doing this just in case the game freezes.
Successfully complete the "Wang Dang Automatic Tango" quest to find Fisto, a Sexbot. Then, go to Silver Rush Casino, and talk with Fisto next to the roulette table. He will offer his services. Choose the "No thanks" response to get 10 caps. You can keep selecting this answer as many times as desired to get 10 caps each time.
Play the "I Put A Spell On You" quest (you start the "I Put A Spell On You" quest through the Caesar's legion quest line), and complete up to the part where you blow up the monorail and have to go talk to Colonel Hsu. Note: Make sure you have successfully blackmailed Private Crenshaw first. You will have the option to tell him who blew up the monorail. After you tell him who it was, you will have to provide proof. Tell him Private Crenshaw had explosives and plans for the operation bearing Caesar's emblem. He will award you 100 caps. You can keep doing this to get 100 caps each time. -From: SummerSinnerEasy caps
If you lose in any of the gambling games and then reload your saved game, the game will force you to wait 30 seconds to prevent you from cheating. However, there is a way around it. When you are at the slot machines, do not exit slot machine mode to reload your game when you lose. Instead, once the wheel stops spinning and your results are shown, pause the game and reload your saved game. As long as you do not exit slot machine mode before reloading, you will not be forced to wait 30 seconds after reloading. To make easy money, try the slot machine at its maximum of 200 tokens. Never try more than twice at a time. If you lose both spins, just reload your saved game. If you win one of the two times, save your game and continue. Note: This glitch was done on an unpatched version of the game.
In Guardian Peak, you will meet an NCR soldier who is wounded. Through some Speech checks, you can get him to give you his gun for escorting him out of the cave that he is in. When you get to the entrance of the cave with him in tow, he will speak, and you can keep asking him for his rifle, which he will give you along with ammunition. Note: This is best done after getting the perk that allows for over encumbered fast travel.Free repairs
The following glitch allows you to repair all items to the player's current repair level without using any caps. You first must have the Confirmed Bachelor perk and enough caps to cover the repair cost of the item. When you arrive at the Mohave Outpost to get the pardon for the new sheriff of Primm, during the conversation with Major Knight, a Confirmed Bachelor speech option is available. Select it, and whenever you do repairs through him, the item will get repaired to your repair level, but no caps will be deducted from your inventory. This can be very useful when combined with any of the "Infinite caps" glitches, and results in your player having all items at 100% condition (even items like the Fat Man, where replacement parts are difficult to find).Infinite magazines
Go to Old Mormon Fort in Freeside. Find Julie Farkes inside the Fort. Choose the dialogue option to help them get medical supplies. Go through the dialogue options to hear one that tells you that she just got a shipment of magazines. Then, choose the "I have some medical supplies to drop off" option. There will then be three options; choose the "Rad-Away" option, as it is the easiest one of the three to find. You only need to leave one thing if you do not care about fame. Every time you give them something, you will gain more fame. After you give them the supplies, choose the "I'd like to buy medical supplies" option. There are a few aid supplies there that you can get if desired, but they will not regenerate. In the supply list, you can find the magazines. Buy any desired magazines, and then exit. You can then choose the option to give med supplies again. This time you do not need to give them anything; simply choose the "Never mind" option. Go back to "Buy medical supplies", and you can repeat the process for more magazines. You repeat this as many times as desired as long as you choose to drop off supplies first. You can even come back to do it again at a later time. You can get the following magazines: Fix-in' Things (Repair +10), Lad's Life (Survival +10), Meeting People (Speech +10), Programmer's Digest (Science +10), Salesman Weekly (Barter +10), and Today's Physician (Medical -10).Easy kills
Purchase or find the Anti-Material Rifle. Then, equip it with incendiary rounds. Target an enemy or enemies with it in VATS, then close VATS. You will not use any ammunition, but they will still be on fire and lose health. You will not aggro enemies or friendlies. Also, you will not lose Karma or Reputation with each kill. This glitch is very useful if you need to kill a NCR/Legion that has a weapon or item on them. Note: This glitch was done on an unpatched version of the game.Easy stealing
Find a place to hide that is out of the line of sight of all surrounding NPC's, and save the game. Then, pick up an item by pressing R3, and drag it to your hiding spot. Once it says you are "hidden", press X to add it to your inventory. If you lose any Karma, reload your saved game, and try again. A good place to do this trick at is Gloria Van Graff's energy weapons shop in Silver Rush, Freeside. You can do this with any of the items on the counter, and there is a hiding spot on the back side of the room.Easy Speech
This glitch requires a 20 Speech skill level. Talk to the 10 of Spades in Camp McCarren. You may first need to find out about Corporal Betsy's trauma. Start a dialogue with him, and select "I heard about what happened to Corporal Betsy", then "Tell me what happened". The next options will be the Speech Check or "If you were unconscious, how could you have done anything?" Do the Speech Check, and then the other option will be the only one available except "Never mind". After you select the unconscious option, the Speech Check will be available again, but grayed out. However, you can still keep pressing X, and they will alternate. Even though the Speech Check is grayed out, it still counts as a pass.Easy Hacking, Speech, and Stealing bonuses
Save the game before starting a dialogue with a Speech bonus, hacking a computer, lock picking, or pick pocketing. Then, simply reload the game if you fail the challenge.Easy hacking
To always hack successfully, go to the terminal, and save the game. Then, start the sequence. If you fail, just reload your saved game, and try again until you do it successfully.
Only use three attempts during a hack, so you leave yourself with one to back out. Then, go back to the attempts screen, and you will have four more chances. Repeat this as many times as desired. -From: Brett Grimes
If you move your cursor throughout the symbols, sometimes you will highlight a group of symbols that you can enter as the password. They usually start with "(", "<", "[", or "{", have different characters in the middle, and end with the same symbol that it started with, except in reverse, such as ")", ">", "]", or "}". This will completely refill your password attempts, or delete "dud" words. -From: Brett GrimesRepairing weapons for free
Sell any weapon that is broken to the Gun Runners. You will receive 0 caps. Accept the sale, and then buy it back for 0 caps. It will be fully repaired for free. -From: Chris GreffeKilling people without getting bad karma
Find a large object that you can push or pick up. Drop it next to a standing NPC that is not leaning against a wall, doing push-ups, or sitting. Run against the object, and it will damage the NPC without them becoming hostile or you losing reputation. Repeat this until the target is dead. Note: You may take some damage, and the object might fly away.Getting better items
Find a vendor that has two of the same items, but different quality. If you buy the cheaper quality item, you will still get the higher quality item.
In Camp McCarran, you can gain entry to the monorail that goes directly to the strip. Take the long way around, and stay as close to the vending machines as possible. Follow the wall around the back way. Make sure the other soldier has his back to you. Crouch and sneak up to this soldier. You may hear the phrase indicating that if you get any closer, they will have to shoot you. However, as long as you remain hidden, it should only flash "Detected" briefly a few times. As soon as you are close enough to the door, you can go through it and take a monorail directly to the strip. This may require a few attempts. Be careful when returning to the monorail from the strip, as you will probably be shot. However, as soon as you enter the monorail, it resets, and you can again ride it back to the strip again. By using this glitch, you can bypass many annoyances and quests, and skip directly to meeting Mr. House and finding the person who shot you.Stealing all 37 gold bars ("Dead Money" DLC)
Note: This trick requires a few C4 and a Detonator. In the final part of the "Dead Money" downloadable content, you will enter a vault with 37 gold bars weighing 35 pounds each. Each gold bar is worth 10,539 caps. You are not supposed to be able to take them all; however, this glitch allows you to take all 37 gold bars. Enter the vault, and the door will lock behind you. Take everything in the room that you want including the 36 gold bars on the table to your right and the gold bar on the Overseers desk. Deactivate the security system, and activate the computer on the desk. Then, only read "Vera", and do not access the file that shows up after you read it. Elijah will appear on the monitor; convince him to meet you in the vault. When the conversation ends, the door will unlock. Leave the room immediately, and walk to the far right stairway. A blue force field will appear blocking your path; lay the C4 at the bottom of those stairs, and then press your body against the blue force field in the doorway. When Elijah finishes speaking, he should switch places with you. Make sure he is on or very near your C4. Detonate the C4, and then leave the way you came. You should now have all 37 gold bars worth a total of 389,943 caps.Chinese Stealth Armor location
Enter the offices in Hoover Dam, and find the room with radiation signs around it. In that room are barrels of goo. To the left is a stack of crates. One of the crates contains the armor. There are two sets, so you can make repairs.Desert Ranger Combat Armor location ("Honest Hearts" DLC)
The Desert Ranger Combat Armor is in Zion, Stone Bones Cave in Sorrows Camp in the "Honest Hearts" bonus downloadable content. It is the best non-power armor in the game, and has no faction connections.
Go to the REPCONN rocket factory where the "Come Fly With Me" mission takes place. Go to the basement where Chris goes when they are about to launch the rocket and asks for spare parts. In this room to the left side as you enter is a shelf with an orange suit and a helmet that resembles a fish bowl. Pick them up. When you wear them, they look like something from a 1960's comic book. The Spacesuit gives a good amount of RAD resistance, but has a low DT and breaks easily.Unique weapon locations
Search the indicated locations to find all unique weapons:
- .357 Magnum Revolver - Lucky: In Primm at The Bison Steve Hotel, in a floor safe (requires 75 Lockpick skill level) behind the cash register of the Gift Shop (northeast room).
- .44 Magnum Revolver - Mysterious Magnum: Owned by the Lonesome Drifter, by the Sunset Sasparilla Billboard, close to El Dorado Dry Lake.
- 9 Iron - Nephi's Golf Driver: Carried by a Fiend named Driver Nephi, in his territory.
- 9mm Pistol - Maria: On Benny, when you kill him.
- 9mm Submachine Gun - Vance's Submachine Gun: In Win's Hideout, inside the safe.
- Alien Blaster: Locate the large spaceship north and a little east of Horowitz Farmstead (east of Brooks Tumbleweed Ranch), then kill the Alien Captain. Note: Wild Wastleland trait is required.
- BB Gun - Abilene Kid LE BB Gun: Inside the Fiend's Shack, lying on a shelf.
- Bladed Gauntlet - Cram Opener: In Camp McCarran, owned by Little Buster.
- Boxing Gloves - Golden Gloves: Inside Lucky 38 Casino, on the upper bar of the casino floor.
- Bumper Sword - Blade Of The East: In Legate's Camp, carried by Legate Lanius.
- Cleaver - Chopper: On the stove of Wolfhorn Ranch.
- Combat Knife - Chance's Knife: In Chance's Grave.
- Cowboy Repeater - La Longue Carabine: In Camp McCarran, carried by Corporal Sterling, whom you must kill to get it.
- Displacer Glove - Pushy: Inside the Ruby Hill Mine, on the body of a Jackal Gang member.
- DogTag Fist - Recompense Of The Fallen: In Aurelius' desk, on the upper floor of the main building in Cottonwood Cove.
- Euclid's C-Finder: On the Freeside Streets, carried by Max, in and around Nick and Ralph's. To use the weapon, you must supply power to ARCHIMEDES II during the "That Lucky Old Sun" mission.
- Fat Man: In Quarry Junction, near the skeleton by the southern silt pool. It is also occasionally found on prospector corpses.
- Fire Axe - Knock Knock: In the Camp Searchlight Fire Station, in the restrooms.
- Frag Grenade - Holy Frag Grenade: In Camp Searchlight, in the basement of the eastern church. Note: Wild Wastleland trait is required.
- Gauss Rifle - YCS/186: At the Mercenary Camp; Wild Wasteland trait must not be taken.
- Grenade Machine-gun - Mercy: On the floor of Dead Wind Cavern, near a dead BoS Paladin.
- Grenade Rifle - Thump-Thump: At the Nellis Array, lying on the floor near the Ant mound.
- Hunting Shotgun - Dinner Bell: At The Thorn, in the sewers in front of Westside. You must complete the "Bleed Me Dry" quest given by Red Lucy.
- Laser Pistol - Pew Pew: After completing "The Legend Of The Star" quest, it will be on the body of Allen Marks.
- Laser Rifle - AER14 Prototype: Inside the Vault 22 Common Area, on the blocked stairwell only accessible from the fifth level (Pest Control).
- Lead Pipe - The Humble Cudgel: Inside the Sealed Sewers, near the Prospector Corpse.
- Machete - Liberator: In Nelson, carried by Dead Sea.
- Minigun - CZ57 Avenger: In The Devil's Throat in the northeast of the map. In the middle of the crater is a truck. Inside is a dead prospector, and next to him is the CZ57 Avenger minigun with a pack of ammo. On his body is a Party Hat, Authority Glasses, Reinforced Combat Armor, and some other items. Note: The Party Hat and Authority Glasses are unique apparel items.
- Missile Launcher - Annabelle: In Black Rock Mountain, carried by the Nightkin Sniper on Black Rock Summit, whom you must kill to get it.
- Marksman Carbine - All-American: In the Armory Cache, Vault 34, on the floor, on an upturned table.
- Oh, Baby!: In the deepest part of Charleston Cave, near a Chewed Stealth Boy.
- Plasma Rifle - Q-35 Matter Modulator: In the locked shipping room of REPCONN HQ, in a pod casement.
- Pulse Gun: In the Armory Cache, Vault 34.
- Sawed-Off Shotgun - Big Boomer: In Gibson Scrap Yard, carried by Old Lady Gibson, whom you must kill to get it.
- Sniper Rifle - Gobi Campaign Scout Rifle: In the footlocker of the Sniper's Nest, overlooking the Cottonwood Cove.
- Spiked Knuckles - Love and Hate: In Bonnie Springs, on the Viper Gang Leader.
- Straight Razor - Figaro: In the back of King's School Of Impersonation, owned by Sergio, whom you must kill to get it.
- Tesla Cannon - Tesla-Beaton Prototype: On the ground near the crashed Vertibird, which is located at the south of the map, in about the middle.
- That Gun: In Novac, on a shelf in the locked storage room inside the Dino Bite Gift Shop.
- This Machine: At the end of the "Dealing With Contreras" quest, it will be a reward from Contreras for not turning him in.
- Varmint Rifle - Ratslayer: Inside the Broc Flower Cave, propped up against the desk.
- Zap Glove - Paladin Toaster: In Black Rock Cave, near the body of the dead prospector.
The following unique weapons require the "Honest Hearts" bonus downloadable content:
- A Light Shining In Darkness: In a footlocker infront of the Southern Passage right after the main quest is completed.
- Survivalist's Rifle (Unique Service Rifle): In Zion, Red Gate.
Search the indicated locations to find all eight companions. Successfully complete the listed task(s) to recruit the corresponding companion. Note: You can only have one human as a companion at a time. If you recruit a new human companion, you will need to tell them to go to the Lucky 38 Casino so you can swap with him or her later.
Arcade Israel Gannon
Location: Arcade Gannon is a member of the Followers Of The Apocalypse with a mysterious past, and can be found in the Old Mormon Fort.
Perk: Better Healing allows you to regain 20% more health from all sources such as Stimpaks, Doctor's Bags, food, etc.
Upgrade: Hoover Dam help or Tesla Armor as a gift when you complete the quest.
Location: Cass (a.k.a. Rose of Sharon Cassidy) is a caravan merchant and the daughter of John Cassidy, and can be found at the Mojava Outpost inside the Mojava Outpost Barracks sitting at the bar drinking. You must complete the "Heartache By The Number" quest to start the process of being able to recruit her. You must then complete the "You Can Depend On Me" quest from Alice McLafferty. Note: Additional quests may come up during these quests depending on the choices you make and how you are playing the game.
Perk: Whiskey Rose gives you and Cass a higher damage level when you both drink whiskey. You will also not suffer intelligence loss from consuming alcohol and ignoring the effects of alcohol addiction.
Upgrade: Hand Of Vengeance or Calm Heart. The Hand Of Vengeance allows Cass to do 15% additional damage with all guns, and to have better skills with guns. The Calm Heart gives Cass +50 HP, and makes her survive longer during combat.
Craig Boone
Location: Craig Boone is a very talented ex-NCR sniper with a grudge against Caesar's Legion, and can be found inside the Dino's mouth guarding the town of Novac after 9 p.m. You must complete the "One For My Baby" quest that he gives you when you talk to him in order to be able to recruit him as a companion. He offers a lot of help if you play in Hardcore mode. He pairs really well with either ED-E or Rex.
Perk: Spotter automatically marks hostile targets in the area, which can help at night in case you do not spot an enemy or to differentiate between a friend or an enemy.
Upgrade 1: 1st Recon Beret, which gives you +1 Perception and +5% Critical Chance. You will get this after completing the first quest with Craig Boone.
Upgrade 2: 1st Recon Survival Armor or 1st Recon Assault Armor. The only difference between both armors is cosmetic. You will get this after completing the second quest with Craig Boone.
Location: ED-E is a prototype eyebot designed for combat and reconnaissance operations, and can be found in Primm.
Perk: Enhanced Sensors allow you to detect enemies at an increased range, and enemies will appear on the compass and can be targeted in VATS even while cloaked. This works even better if you use this in conjunction with the Spotter perk from Craig Boone.
Upgrade: Enhanced armor or weapons when you complete the quest.
Lily Bowen
Location: Lily Bowen is a friendly nightkin and former member of the Master's army, and can be found in Jacobstown.
Perk: Stealth Girl improves the duration of Stealth Boys by 200%, and all Sneak Attack Critical Hits do an additional 10% damage.
Upgrade: Dialogue about medicine after psychotic breaks or administer medicine in varying amounts to affect the frequency of psychotic breaks and combat damage.
Raul Tejada
Location: Raul Tejada is a ghoul mechanic and former gunslinger held hostage by Tabitha, the mad leader of the State of Utobitha, and can be found in Black Mountain.
Perk: Regular Maintenance slows down the decreasing condition of weapons and armor. It basically lengthens the amount of time you have with a weapon or armor. This can also counteract the negative effects of the Build to Destroy trait.
Upgrade: Vaquero or Full Maintenance. Vaquero gives an increased combat ability. Full Maintenance slows down the decreasing condition of weapons and armor by 75%.
Location: Rex is a cyberdog belonging to The King, and can be found inside The King's School Of Impersonation in Freeside. You will either need to pay 500 caps or have a 60 Speech skill level to get past Pacer who is guarding the door. You will get the 500 caps back when you talk to The King inside. You must complete the "G.I. Blues" quest given from The King before you get the "Nothin' But A Hound Dog" quest from him, which is how you will be able to recruit Rex. It takes approximately 40 minutes to complete both of these quests.
Perk: Search and Mark allows you to find unequipped chems, firearms, and ammunition within a short distance as well as other items such as hidden safes and hollow rocks while you are using the binoculars.
Veronica Santangelo
Location: Veronica Santangelo is a disillusioned Brotherhood Scribe, and can be found in the 188 Trading Post.
Perk: Scribe Assistant allows you to craft workbench items through Veronica's dialogue. She is basically a portable workbench. She also benefits in close combat skills when you complete the quest.
Search the indicated locations to find all skill books:
Tales Of A Junktown Jerky Vendor (Barter)
- 1. Allied Technologies Offices: In the room to the west of the entrance room, in the southwest corner.
- 2. Cap Counterfeiting Shack: On the suitcase by the bed, in the back room of the cellar.
- 3. Primm: Inside the Bison Steve Casino, on the floor behind the gift shop counter.
- 4. Vault 22 (Pest Control): Go north of the steps from the elevator, into the lab room; it is on the table with bubbling vials.
Nikola Tesla And You (Energy Weapons)
- 1. Hidden Valley: In Bunker L1, in the white plastic bin by the desk in Schuler's office.
- 2. Old Nuclear Test Site: On the small table opposite the entrance, inside the irradiated shack.
- 3. REPCONN HQ: Inside the locked shipping room with the collapse ceiling, on top of a safe on the floor, in the corner.
- 4. REPCONN HQ: On the second floor, in the northeast server room, on the table with the terminal in the far corner.
Duck And Cover! (Explosives)
- 1. Mojave Outpost: Inside the bar and barracks building, on the bottom shelf, in the middle below the bar counter.
- 2. Nellis AFB: Inside Mother Pearl's barracks, on the bookshelf.
- 3. Ranger Station Foxtrot: On the desk in the office.
- 4. Sloan: Inside the small barracks shack, next to the trailer, on the left locker shelf, near the bunk beds.
Guns And Bullets (Guns)
- 1. Gomorrah: In the Zoara Club, on the first low bookshelf, to the left of Big Sal's office.
- 2. Nevada Highway Patrol Station: In the first room you come to after the entrance, on a desk near the door that leads to the cells.
- 3. Raul's Shack: In the small wooden crate on the floor, at the foot of the metal shelves, to the left of the entrance.
- 4. Vault 34: On the small metal table between the sofas by the pool table, in the Armory Common room. Follow the sign after descending.
Pugilism Illustrated (Hand-to-Hand)
- 1. Fisherman's Pride Shack: On the bedside table inside the shack.
- 2. Nipton Road Rest-stop: Inside the store marked "Lester", on one of the wooden bookcase shelves.
- 3. The Tops Casino: On a small table near the pool tables, in the Presidential Suite.
- 4. Vault 11: Inside the living quarters, in Female Dorm #1, by the fallen dresser.
Tumblers Today (Lockpick)
- 1. Bitter Springs Recreation Area: Inside the office shack to the west, on the desk in the smaller of the two rooms.
- 2. Silver Peak Mine: Inside the shack, behind the two small tables, on the bottom of an open locker, to the right of the entrance.
- 3. The Prospector's Den: Inside the cave system, in the subterranean section, in the barracks room, on the floor in the far right corner.
- 4. Wolfhorn Ranch: Inside the farmhouse, under the door-less refrigerator.
D.C. Journal Of Internal Medicine (Medicine)
- 1. Follower's Safehouse: On the bedside table shelf, in the second room.
- 2. HELIOS One: On the bed with the pillow, in the room with the Holotape password, on the very top floor; cross the planks to get there.
- 3. Mesquite Mountains Crater: Inside Hell's Motel, below the globe with the hat on it, on the table with the repair kit and radio.
- 4. Novac: Inside Ranger Andy's motel bungalow, in the middle of the queen-sized bed.
Grognak The Barbarian (Melee Weapons)
- 1. Cannibal Johnson's Cave: On the sleeping mattress near the ham radio, close to the campfire.
- 2. Cottonwood Cave: Inside the Headquarters building, on the upper floor, on the bedside table's shelf.
- 3. Hidden Supply Cave: On one of the cave's large metal crates.
- 4. Jacobstown: On the floor next to the cooker, inside the eastern bungalow, near the pond.
Dean's Electronics (Repair)
- 1. Abandoned BoS Bunker: On the metal sill, opposite the reloading bench, inside the office area.
- 2. Nellis Air Force Base: Inside Loyal's workshop shed, on the long metal counter.
- 3. Sloan: Inside the barracks, on the shelf between the dino toy and radio.
- 4. Southern Nevada Wind Farm: Inside the shack, on the table with the clipboard.
Big Book Of Science (Science)
- 1. Brewer's Beer Bootlegging: In the basement of the shack, on the table with the chemistry equipment.
- 2. Camp Forlorn Hope: Inside Major Polati's tent, on the desk in the far right corner.
- 3. Nipton: On the mayor's desk, on the top floor of the town hall.
- 4. REPCONN Headquarters: Inside the HQ, on a shelf in the Gift Shop store-room.
Chinese Army: Spec. Ops Training Manual (Sneak)
- 1. Camp Searchlight: In the east chapel, inside the Gecko-filled basement, on the stone floor, at the foot of the metal shelves.
- 2. Goodsprings: Under a book in the low bookcase, inside the ranch house just east of the schoolhouse.
- 3. NCR Sharecropper Farms: In the ranch house near the four fertilizer hoppers, by the corner desk.
- 4. Vault 3: On the low bookcase, inside the executive dorm.
Lying, Congressional Style (Speech)
- 1. Brooks Tumbleweed Ranch: On an open locker shelf, in the upstairs room with the chessboard.
- 2. Cerulean Robotics: On the floor among the desks in the office.
- 3. Lucky Jim Mine: Inside the shack, below the Varmint rifle, to the right of the empty fridges.
- 4. NCR Correctional Facility: In the Administration Building, on the desk in the darkened room opposite Eddie's room.
Wasteland Survival Guide (Survival)
- 1. Lone Wolf Radio: Inside the radio trailer, near the Scrap Electronics and mattress.
- 2. Matthews Animal Husbandry Farm: Top balcony of the northern barn, near the barrel.
- 3. Mesquite Mountains Campsite: Inside the westernmost tent, behind the rolled-up bedding.
- 4. Scavenger Platform: On the Northern Platform section, among the other books by the fallen metal shelf.
Search the indicated locations to find all Hollow Rocks, which contain ammunition and equipment stashes:
- 1. Northern Passage: On the eastern rock wall, near the grave and "The Sun Is Killing Me" graffiti.
- 2. Ruby Hill Mine: Part of the rock wall, just to the right of the door.
- 3. Charleston Cave: Part of the rock wall, just to the right of the door, by the heart graffiti.
- 4. Silver Peak Mine: Part of the wall, just to the right of the shack through which you enter.
- 5. Vault 22: On the north bank, across from the "Keep Out" sign, by the entrance.
- 6. Jacobstown: Just outside the perimeter, to the right of the main entrance, where the Super Mutants stand guard.
- 7. Remnants Bunker: About 10 feet north of the entrance, part of the rock wall.
- 8. Chance's Map: Adjacent to the dirt map, with "The Sun Is Killing Me" graffiti on it.
- 9. Bloodborne Cave: Just to the right of the cave entrance.
- 10. Cannibal Johnsons Cave: Just to the right of the cave entrance.
- 11. Fishermans Pride Shack: By the campfire, north-west of the shack.
- 12. Camp Guardian: Next to the Camp Guardian population sign, at the base of the path up to Guardian Peak.
- 13. Followers Outpost: Built into the steps of the signal box structure.
- 14. Boulder Beach Campground: By the side of the road, north-west of the jetties, with "The Sun Is Killing Me" graffiti.
- 15. Cazador Nest: Part of the rock wall, on the east side of the nest alcove, facing back towards the alcove.
- 16. Tribal Village: At the start of the Ravine Path, close to the corpses and tents.
- 17. Makeshift Great Kahn Camp: On the west side of camp, near the desert plants.
- 18. Yangtze Memorial: At the base of the south steps, with the peace symbol graffiti.
- 19. Goodsprings Cave: Just to the right of the cave entrance.
- 20. Primm: Attached to a large rock, near the scattered chems and the rock perimeter, above the concrete support wall.
- 21. Jack Rabbit Springs: South of the pools of radiation, on the shore of the Dry Lake.
- 22. Morning Star Cavern: By the entrance to the cavern, by the bones and the explosive crate.
- 23. Crescent Canyon West: In the canyon, on the west exit slope, adjacent to a rusting car husk.
- 24. Crescent Canyon East: On the east exist slope, just after the rail bridge.
- 25. Vault 11: Just to the right of the entrance.
- 26. Black Rock Cave: Just to the north of the fallen radar dish.
- 27. El Dorado Dry Lake: West of the Savaged Brahmin, in the sands of the Dry Lake.
- 28. Hidden Valley: West of the eastern bunker, with the "no missile" and heart graffiti.
- 29. Powder Ganger Camp East: Next to a Honey Mesquite Tree, around 20 to 30 feet south of the camp.
- 30. Primm Pass: Close to the Brahmin bones, on the western end of the pass.
- 31. Dead Wind Cavern: On the south rock wall slope, around 20 to 30 feet from the entrance.
- 32. Hidden Supply Cave: To the left of the cave entrance, with the "no missile" graffiti.
- 33. Walking Box Cavern: Around 20 to 30 feet east of the cavern entrance.
- 34. Broc Flower Cave: At the foot of the entrance slope, with "The Sun Is Killing Me" graffiti.
- 35. Abandoned BoS Bunker: With the small cluster of rocks and shale on the slope leading up to the bunker grating.
- 36. Techatticup Mine: To the right of the entrance, with the white blocks graffiti.
- 37. Lucky Jim Mine: Slightly beyond the shack, near the wooden cart.
- 38. Searchlight North Gold Mine: On the flat rock bank to the south of the entrance hole.
- 39. Searchlight East Gold Mine: Southeast of the entrance; climb on the pile of rock and shale to reach it.
- 40. Cottonwood Cave: On the road between the two sets of crucifixion poles, with "The Sun Is Killing Me" graffiti.
- 41. Bradley's Shack: On the west side of the entrance, by the small valley landslide.
- 42. Fire Root Cavern: At the foot of the entrance slope, on the left.
Search the indicated locations to find all seven Snow Globes:
- Goodsprings: In Goodsprings Cemetery, at the foot of the small rectangular gravestone, near where the earth has been dug up, close to the water tower.
- Mormon Fort: In Old Mormon Fort, inside the same tower as Julie Farkas' office, on top of a wooden bookcase.
- Test Site: In Lucky 38 Casino, in the cocktail lounge, on the curved sideboard across from the entrance, behind the till.
- The Strip: In Vault 21, inside Sarah's locked bedroom, between the two beds, on a small table.
- Nellis AFB: In Nellis Air Force Base, inside Pete's museum, on the corner table by the mural.
- Hoover Dam: In Hoover Dam, on a desk in the visitor's center, by a terminal.
- Mt. Charleston: In Jacobstown, on the large curved desk in the reception area of the lodge, near the terminals.
The following Snow Globe requires the "Honest Hearts" bonus downloadable content:
- Zion National Park: In the general store, on the bottom shelf near the cash register.
Search the indicated locations to find all Caravan Cards and people to play the card game against:
- Ambassador Dennis Crocker: In NCR Embassy, play or take.
- Blake: In Crimson Caravan Company, purchase cards from Blake.
- Chet: In Goodsprings, purchase cards from Chet.
- Cliff Briscoe: In Novac, inside the Dino Dee-lite Gift Shop or inside Dinky. Play or take.
- Dale Barton: In The Fort, near the Legates Gate. Play or take.
- Isaac: In Gun Runners, play Isaac, or get his cards from him using any desired method.
- Johnson Nash: In Primm, inside the Vikki and Vance Casino. Play or take.
- Jules: In North Vegas Square, near the Squatters. Play or take.
- Keith: In Aerotech Office Park, inside Suite 200. Play or take.
- Lacey: In Mojave Outpost, propping up the barracks bar. Play or take.
- No-bark Noonan: In Novac, in his shack, or around town. Play or take.
- Little Buster: In Camp McCarran, near the First Recon tents. Play Little Buster, or take his cards.
- Old Lady Gibson: In Gibson Scrap Yard, purchase cards from Old Lady Gibson.
- Poindexter: In Camp Golf, take them.
- Private Jake Erwin: In NCR Embassy, play or take.
- Prospector Corpse: In Central Sewers, at Prospector's Rest, inside the sewer. Loot the corpse.
- Prospector Corpse: In Deathclaw Promontory, on a corpse, surrounded by deathclaws.
- Prospector Corpse: In Nevada Highway Patrol Station, on a corpse, in the cells.
- Prospector Corpse: In Prospector's Den, on a corpse, inside the dorm room.
- Prospector Corpse: In Prospector's Den, on a corpse, just outside the cave entrance.
- Prospector Corpse: In Prospector's Den, on a corpse, placed randomly inside the cave.
- Prospector Corpse: In Prospector's Den, on a corpse, placed randomly inside the cave.
- Prospector Corpse: In Prospector's Den, on a corpse, placed randomly inside the cave.
- Prospector Corpse: In Scorpion Gulch, on a corpse, near the ramp, in the ravine.
- Quartermaster Mayes: In Camp Forlorn Hope, inside his tent. Play or take.
- Ringo: In Goodsprings, inside the Gas Station. Play or take. He also gives you your first deck.
The "That Gun" unique weapon resembles Deckard's Gun from Blade Runner.Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull reference
Go south on the road out of Goodsprings. After about 100 yards, you will find a refrigerator at the base of a hill. There is a skeleton wearing a fedora inside.Star Wars reference
Go to the town of Nipton. Walk to the right of the town hall's front entrance to find a burned out building, with a pair of burned corpses in front. The view resembles the scene from Star Wars where Luke Skywalker finds the bodies of his Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen.Easy "Artful Pocketer" trophy
This trick can be done before or after you have completed the quests in Nipton. Inside the Nipton General Store is an NPC named "Boxcar". Since the Legion has broken his legs, he cannot chase after you when you pick his pocket, nor will he fight back. You can repeatedly enter and exit out of the general store if caught and place items in Boxcar's inventory, then steal them back until you have gotten the "Artful Pocketer" trophy. If you do not want infamy with the Powder Gangers, create a new saved game before using this trick.Easy "Outstanding Orator" trophy
When you have a Speech 40 skill level, go to Camp Golf, by Lake Las Vegas. Accept the quest from the sergeant. Agree to O'Hanran's method, and convince everyone, with Mags being the last. After convincing Mags to play nice, accept her method, and go to the gun range. Help them with their guns (45 skill level required), and wait for them to start walking back to their tent. Talk to Razz, and ask about squadmates. The speech challenge should still be there. You can easily get the "Outstanding Orator" trophy, as well as experience points in increments of 40. When you are done, talk to the sergeant to complete the quest or talk to O'Hanran and ask about the squad. Note: You have the option of helping them with explosives after the guns.Trophies
Successfully complete one of the following tasks to get a trophy:
- New Kid (Bronze): Reach 10th level.
- Ol' Buddy Ol' Pal (Bronze): Recruit any companion.
- Crafty (Bronze): Craft 20 items.
- Mod Machine (Bronze): Install 20 weapon mods.
- Walker of the Mojave (Bronze): Discover 50 locations.
- You Run Barter Town (Bronze): Sell 10,000 caps worth of goods.
- Blast Mastery (Bronze): Cause 10,000 damage with Energy Weapons.
- Love the Bomb (Bronze): Cause 10,000 damage with Explosives.
- Lead Dealer (Bronze): Cause 10,000 damage with Guns.
- No Tumbler Fumbler (Bronze): Pick 25 locks.
- Stim-ply Amazing (Bronze): Heal 10,000 points of damage with Stimpaks.
- New Vegas Samurai (Bronze): Cause 10,000 damage with Melee Weapons.
- Jury Rigger (Bronze): Repair 30 items.
- Hack the Mojave (Bronze): Hack 25 terminals.
- Artful Pocketer (Bronze): Pick 50 pockets.
- Outstanding Orator (Bronze): Make 50 Speech challenges.
- Desert Survivalist (Bronze): Heal 10,000 points of damage with food.
- Old-Tyme Brawler (Bronze): Cause 10,000 damage with Unarmed weapons.
- Know When to Fold Them (Bronze): Win 3 games of Caravan.
- One Armed Bandit (Bronze): Play 10 spins of Slots.
- Little Wheel (Bronze): Play 10 spins of Roulette.
- Double Down (Bronze): Play 10 hands of Blackjack.
- Ain't That a Kick in the Head (Bronze): Complete Ain't That a Kick in the Head.
- All or Nothing (Bronze): Complete All or Nothing.
- Veni, Vidi, Vici (Bronze): Complete Veni, Vidi, Vici.
- Eureka! (Bronze): Complete Eureka!
- No Gods, No Masters (Bronze): Complete No Gods, No Masters.
- Come Fly With Me (Bronze): Complete Come Fly With Me.
- Talent Pool (Bronze): Complete Talent Pool.
- Return to Sender (Bronze): Complete Return to Sender.
- Arizona Killer (Bronze): Complete Arizona Killer.
- You'll Know It When It Happens (Bronze): Complete You'll Know It When It Happens.
- G.I. Blues (Bronze): Complete G.I. Blues.
- That Lucky Old Sun (Bronze): Complete That Lucky Old Sun.
- Volare! (Bronze): Complete Volare!
- The Legend of the Star (Bronze): Complete The Legend of the Star.
- Up and Comer (Silver): Reach 20th level.
- The Boss (Silver): Reach 30th level.
- The Whole Gang's here (Silver): Recruit all companions.
- Master of the Mojave (Silver): Discover 125 locations.
- Globe Trotter (Silver): Discover all snow globes.
- Caravan Master (Silver): Win 30 games of Caravan.
- The Courier Who Broke the Bank (Silver): Get banned from all the Strip's casinos.
- They Went That-a Way (Silver): Complete They Went That-a Way.
- Ring-a-Ding-Ding (Silver): Complete Ring-a-Ding-Ding.
- The House Always Wins (Silver): Complete The House Always Wins.
- For the Republic (Silver): Complete For the Republic.
- Render Unto Caeser (Silver): Complete Render Unto Caeser.
- Wild Card (Silver): Complete Wild Card.
- Hardcore (Gold): Play the game from start to finish in Hardcore mode.
- Platinum Trophy (Platinum): Collect all other 50 trophies for this trophy.
The following trophies require the "Dead Money" bonus downloadable content:
- Assemble Your Crew (Bronze): Recruited Dead Domino, Christine and Dog.
- Having a Ball (Bronze): Completed the Sierra Madres Gala Event.
- Cash Out (Silver): Confronted Father Elijah in the Sierra Madre's Vault.
- Sierra Souvenir Aficionado (Silver): Collected 500 Sierra Madre Chips.
- Safety Deposit Box (Gold): Trapped Father Elijah in the Sierra Madre's Vault.
The following trophies require the "Honest Hearts" bonus downloadable content:
- In a Foreign Land (Bronze): Scouted the Zion Valley for signs of the White Legs.
- When We Remembered Zion (Bronze): Arrived at Zion.
- O Daughter of Babylon (Silver): Crushed the White Legs.
- Restore Our Fortunes (Silver): Resupplied Daniel and the Sorrows.
- May my Hand Forget its Skill (Gold): Evacuated Zion.
The following trophies require the "Old World Blues" bonus downloadable content:
- Cardiac Arrest! (Bronze): Recovered X-13 cardiac regulator sneaky suit!
- Making Friends (Silver): Reactivated all of the Sink's robotic assistants.
- Make up your Mind (Bronze): Made up your mind...about your brain.
- Outsmarted (Gold): Completed Old World Blues.
- Spinal-Tapped! (Bronze): Recovered X-8 vertabrae-pulse-de-sensitizer frequency!
The following trophies require the "Lonesome Road" bonus downloadable content:
- ED-Ecated (Bronze): Found all of ED-E's upgrades in the Divide.
- Condemned to repeat it (Bronze): Decided the fate of all the Divide dwellers.
- Lonesome Road (Gold): Completed Lonesome Road.
- Rocket's Red Glare (Silver): Acquired all upgrades for the Divide's signature weapon.
- Warhead Hunter (Silver): Detonated all of the warheads in the Divide.
The following trophies require the "Gun Runners Arsenal" bonus downloadable content:
- Curios and Relics (Bronze): Cause 10,000 damage with unique Mojave Wasteland weapons.
- Master of the Arsenal (Silver): Cause 10,000 damage with Gun Runners' Arsenal (GRA) Weapons.
- Up to the Challenge (Bronze): Complete any three Gun Runners' Arsenal (GRA) one star (*) Challenges.
- Combat Veteran (Silver): Complete any three Gun Runners' Arsenal (GRA) two star (**) Challenges.
- Pros Only (Gold): Complete any three Gun Runners' Arsenal (GRA) three star (***) Challenges.


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Last week came further proof (as if we needed any) that popularity on the Internet does not necessarily translate into popularity in the real world. The web-
The show is the brainchild of longtime TV vets Marshall Herskowitz and Edward Zwick. Herskowitz and Zwick were the writing/
The show concentrates on a group of whiny, self-centered twentysomethings. Twenty years ago, Herskowitz and Zwick were chronicling the lives of whiny, self-centered thirtysomethings. Now, these fiftysomething fossils are going to pretend they know how twentysomethings talk, think and act? Sure enough, this group of young, Slacker-esque "creative types" (film school nerds, computer geeks, actors and--worst of all--journalists) behave like no human beings on Earth. (Dialogue sample No. 1: "Happiness is a construct invented by the bourgeoisie for the purpose of stimulating the desire for material possessions and creating an unsustainable consumer economy." Dialogue sample No. 2: "A job is where you check your soul at the door and spend the day doing the bidding of people trying to exploit humanity, where you give up your dignity in order to strip others of theirs, where your greatest asset is inauthenticity.")
The storylines centers loosely (very loosely) around sodden-looking Courteney Cox substitute Dylan Krieger (Bitsie Tulloch, famed for her work on aborted viral video sensation "lonelygirl15"). She's an associate editor at an upscale women's magazine. Like her six photogenic friends/roommates, she struggles with the idea that she's "sold out" and spends her days and nights searching for some way of regaining her precious artistic integrity. Unable to vent to her friends (odd, considering that's all anyone does on this show), Dylan pours her innermost feelings out on a video blog. (Cue endless shots of Dylan monologuing into a grainy Web cam.) For reasons inexplicable, Dylan's blog becomes an Internet sensation. Dylan's friends soon find out and get mega-bent over the fact she's spilling their dirty secrets into computer land.
Taken in eight-minute segments, "quarterlife" might be considered tolerable. Glued together into a one-hour glob, the show is unwatchable. Angsty diatribe follows angsty diatribe, and no one comes out looking even vaguely sympathetic ... least of all, the creators.

subset: commoncrawl


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Photographed by Christian Oth and Mark Seliger, the must-be-seen-to-be-believed lush images—appearing here for the first time—show nuptials guests like Olivia Munn (holding a bunny!), Sean Lennon, Allison Williams, and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. You can see the couple's "performance-art" vision for their wedding come to life—Parker, 33, oversaw all details, from the leather-bound keepsake volume for guests, to the nine-foot-tall wedding cake, to the fur-pelt-strewn beds in the lounge area. Dedicated to their love of old-growth forests, the celebration—which included Tolkien-ized costumes for all 364 guests by Lord of the Ringscostume designer Ngila Dickson—cost Parker $4.5 million for the wooded site alone.
Read more about Sean Parker's wedding, where some guests watched the Game of Thrones "Red Wedding" episode, in David Kirkpatrick's exclusive dispatch from the event. Plus, look back at our 2010 profile of Parker and his post-Napster adventures.


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BEIJING /NEW YORK – Huawei Technologies unveiled on Thursday a new database management system, in a bid to expand its enterprise business and challenge Western rivals such as Oracle Corp in China, amid growing scrutiny over its main telecom business.
Huawei said in a statement its new database management software, called GaussDB, is backed by artificial intelligence and works locally as well as on clouds.
The move comes amid growing international scrutiny over Huawei's main telecom equipment business as Washington tries to persuade its allies that Huawei posed national security risks.
Huawei is trying to grow its nascent enterprise service business, a segment accounting for around 10 percent of its revenue, while its smartphone business continues to grow its share in a shrinking global market.
Industry consultancy IDC said in a report this month that China's cloud system and management software market is expected to grow to $650 million in 2023 from $105 million in 2018 driven by growing demand for cloud service.
Huawei is the largest player with one fifth of the market, closely followed by U.S. firm VMware.
IDC analyst Thomas Zhou was quoted saying, "Traditionally, the database market in China is dominated by relationship database, and that market is dominated by foreign players such as Oracle, IBM and Microsoft.
"But this is changing in recent years because of the rapid growth of public cloud services, with many enterprises migrating to the cloud, they also turn to cloud-based databases."
Alibaba Group is the largest cloud service provider in China with nearly 43 percent of the market, followed by Tencent Cloud, according to IDC.
"Huawei is unlikely to challenge Oracle's dominant position in traditional, structured database. But that is a stagnant market. The fastest-growing market is in big data platforms," Zhou added.
U.S. software giant Oracle earlier this month axed more than 900 jobs in China – 60 per cent of its workforce there – as part of a company-wide restructuring, media outlets, including the Financial Times, reported.
In response to a request by Reuters for comment, Oracle said by email: "As our cloud business grows, we will continually balance our resources and restructure our development group to help ensure we deliver the best cloud services to our customers in China."


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- Autor/autorzy
- Mandl, Irene; Patrini, Valentina; Lantto, Eero; Muraille, Marcel; Jalava, Jenna
- Number of pages
- 66
- Nr referencyjny
Not finished at 50: Keeping older workers in work
Over the last decade, European labour markets have seen a surge in the number of older workers in work and a continuous decline in their unemployment rates. A lot of young and middle-aged workers lost their jobs in the Great Recession, but not so the older age group. This favourable state of affairs means they receive less policy attention, which is unfortunate for older workers who suddenly find themselves without a job.
It is common knowledge that unemployed workers over 50 find it harder to get work than their younger counterparts. Data show that they tend to remain unemployed longer once they have been let go, for several reasons. On the one hand, employers often stereotype older workers, thinking them less productive, more expectant of higher salaries, or likely to have health problems. On the other hand, older workers can be less willing to change occupation or to look farther afield if job opportunities are scarce in their local area.
Such disadvantages are compounded when there is a collective dismissal. In a situation where a big pool of workers is competing for the same jobs, especially in a region where employment opportunities are limited, older workers will often lose out to their younger colleagues.
Why focus on older workers?
This is an issue that warrants specific attention – not only because long-term unemployment is as damaging for older workers as for any other age group, but also because of the consequences for our societies. European countries, like other countries around the globe, have ageing populations. This poses a threat to the sustainability of social welfare systems, as lower numbers of workers will have to finance increasing numbers of pensioners. Governments across Europe are attempting to maintain the balance between the two by raising statutory retirement ages and introducing other measures to extend working life.
While such steps are having an impact, they are only part of the solution. Measures are also needed to prevent redundancy from resulting in long-term unemployment among older workers, but not many schemes exist at present.
What can be done?
Across the Member States, a relatively small number of measures specifically target redundant older workers, but there is a wide spectrum of initiatives either tackling redundancy (irrespective of the age of the target group) or addressing the integration of older workers into the labour market (irrespective of the reason for unemployment). They target either the workers themselves or prospective employers, and fall into two broad groups – those that anticipate potential future redundancy and prepare for it, and those that manage current redundancy situations. The figure below shows what such public interventions typically focus on.
Orientation of measures to support older workers in the labour market
What works, what doesn't
Because older workers have difficulty getting back to work once they become unemployed, efforts must be made to prevent that from occurring in the first place. This means measures to ensure workers' skills don't become obsolete and to tackle health problems at a younger age so that these issues do not compromise workers' employability when they are ageing. In the specific situation of a redundancy, interventions need to kick in early, during the notice period after an announcement. That gives employment services and the affected workers more room to work on a smooth job-to-job transition without a spell of unemployment.
Measures that give just one type of support are less effective than comprehensive packages that combine, for example, advice, training and employment subsidies. Ideally, the advice component should be one-to-one, tailored and frequent, but it could also include group-oriented elements such as peer exchanges among older unemployed people. Training should extend beyond the classroom to take in on-the-job experiences. And while employment subsidies can help to overcome employer reticence, governments should take care that subsidised jobs do not substitute existing employment, and that the job continues after the subsidy ends.
Governments also need to look beyond labour market policy to social policy because that also plays a role. In many Member States, older workers have an alternative exit route through early retirement or social welfare schemes. If these are easy to access and generous, redundant older workers might not be motivated to look for a new job. This underlines that different policy areas need to be aligned – for example by offering financial incentives to remain in the labour market while imposing financial disincentives on alternative exit strategies.
Read more in the working paper below State initiatives supporting the labour market integration of older workers.
Image © Jack Frog/Shutterstock
Working papers
- State initiatives supporting the labour market integration of older workersWorking paper15 Listopad 2018


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About the Lifetime Oil & Filter Change Program
If you purchased a new or used vehicle from any Moss Bros. Auto Group dealership between January 1, 2013 and October 31, 2015, you are automatically eligible for no cost lifetime oil & filter changes as long as you own your vehicle. Also eligible, are those who took a test drive of any new vehicle from any of our eight dealerships who purchased a new vehicle of the same make elsewhere within 7 days during the program period.
How You Qualify:
- Buy any new or used vehicle from a Moss Bros. Auto Group dealership during the program period,
- Buy a new vehicle of the same make available at a Moss Bros. Auto Group dealership from a competitor within seven days of taking a test drive at Moss Bros. during the program period
- Have all factory recommended maintenance performed at a Moss Bros. Auto Group dealership
How To Maintain Eligibility:
Customers must have all factory required and recommended maintenance performed at a Moss Bros. Auto Group dealership at factory recommended intervals.
These services include, but are not limited to,
- Tire Rotation,
- Vehicle Inspections, and
- Basic, Minor, Intermediate, and Major Services
Only requested oil changes that fall within the manufacturer's maintenance schedule will qualify. Please consult your owner's manual, manufacturer website, or service advisor on what and when your next service should be for your vehicle.
We're Committed to Customer Service
Customer service is a top priority at Moss Bros. Volkswagen of Moreno Valley, and that's why we always remind you, "At Moss...You're the Boss!"™. We want our customers to have a great experience and offer you unique benefits for giving us a chance to earn your business. Vehicle performance and resale value are consistently mentioned by customers as important factors when choosing a vehicle, so we're here to help.
With proper maintenance, your vehicle will last longer and maintain a higher resale value when it comes time to trade it in. Our Lifetime Oil & Filter Change service will help you achieve these important goals and enjoy your vehicle as long as possible.
Again, we appreciate the opportunity to earn your business, and we hope you enjoy receiving a lifetime of free oil & filter changes. Remember, "At Moss...You're the Boss!"™


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NFL commissioner to teams: 'Everyone should stand' for anthem
In a letter to team executives, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said "we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem," and the issue of player protests will be addressed during next week's fall meeting.
The letter comes two days after Vice President Mike Pence abruptly left a game featuring protests and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones threatened to bench those who kneel during the anthem. Earlier on Tuesday, a league spokesman said on in a media call that the issue would be "front and center on the agenda."
Goodell's letter urges teams to "move past" the anthem controversy by developing a plan to be reviewed at next week's meeting for an "in-season platform to promote the work of our players on these core issues, and that will help promote positive change in our country."
Often at odds with players over disciplinary issues and rule changes, Goodell tried to toe the line between protecting the NFL's strong link to patriotism and recognizing players' feelings.
Of the anthem, the letter said "it is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us. We also care deeply about our players and respect their opinions and concerns about critical social issues."
President Donald Trump seemingly responded to Goodell's letter Wednesday morning, tweeting: "It is about time that Roger Goodell of the NFL is finally demanding that all players STAND for our great National Anthem-RESPECT OUR COUNTRY"
The practice of players kneeling or sitting during the national anthem has grown since former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began doing it last season to protest racial injustice and police brutality. While there are fans, including military members, who respect the actions, many others are disgusted -- booing loudly, burning jerseys and even selling off their tickets.
Goodell also wrote that the league has heard directly from "several players" about why the issue matters to them and how the league can support them. He said the league met with the NFL Players Association last week.
President Donald Trump has crusaded against the protests, creating an escalating feud that started with him using a derogatory term to refer to players who kneel. It reached a new peak with Pence's walkout on Sunday.
Early Tuesday, Trump suggested over Twitter that the U.S. change its tax laws to punish organizations like the NFL if members are "disrespecting" the national anthem or flag. The NFL gave up its federal tax-exempt status a few years ago and now files tax returns as a taxable entity. So it's unlikely that Trump's proposal would change anything.
Goodell said the dispute "is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country."
The NFL has no explicit rule requiring players to stand during the anthem, though its gameday operations manual says they "should."
The NFLPA could push for the issue to be collectively bargained, but the spokesman said "I don't believe that the anthem per se is an issue that's collective bargained."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.


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Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Action, Documentary, Music
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Action, Documentary, Music
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The camera follows Justin Bieber (1994- ) during the ten days leading up to his August, 2010, sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. Footage of these ten days of concerts, rehearsals, and down time with boyhood friends, his mom, and his entourage is inter-cut with home movies, old photos, and interviews showing a musical prodigy who loves to perform, comes to the attention of an Atlanta agent via YouTube, impresses Usher, and rockets to international stardom soon after his 15th birthday. His manager emphasizes the importance of social media and of Justin's work ethic and personality in making him a star; the camera emphasizes Bieber's look. His mom and grandparents shine. —
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December 16, 2019


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TYR racing swimsuits are known for their quality. TYR constantly plays with technology to see what works best for competitive swimmers. The TYR AP12 swimsuits have quickly become a favorite of swimmers all over the globe. The compression is unsurpassed and creates a flawless fit for swimmers in the water. The AP12 suits are stitch free for a lightweight, non-constricting fit for swimmers. A combination of bonded seams and four-way lock seams reduce drag.
The TYR AP12 racing swimsuits are available in four different styles. The first is the Compression High Back Speedsuit. This suit has a sleek look and is a one piece for women. Straps allow for fluid movement and stability. The important feature of this suit is the high back, which offers security for some swimmers. The women's suit is also available in an open back. Some swimmers prefer the feeling of an open back as a high back can sometimes feel constricting. Neither suit is better than the other; it all depends on the swimmer's needs. Both suits implement the cutting edge technology that TYR is known for.
For men, the brand created the AP12 Compression High Short and Speed short. The High Short offers a high waist, which for some swimmers creates the same security brought on by the high back-style swimsuits. This extra fabric doesn't drag down a swimmer but instead, creates additional compression that is more comfortable to wear. The Speed shorts have a lower waist and are ideal for male swimmers who do not want the added material above the waist. The TYR AP12 shorts for men are created anatomically correct for superior fit. There's enhanced compression in the areas that need it most. Both shorts use the four-way lock seams for an ultra-smooth fit.
AP12 is a well-known collection from TYR and is FINA approved. It isn't every day you come across a collection of competition swimsuits that implement the latest technology and have approval from the organization that oversees competitive swimming. TYR knows how to marry function and technology so it benefits swimmers. TYR swimsuits are an investment that offers a swimmer peace of mind as they compete. The AP12 collection has a fit for everyone and ensures the best of swim technology is what you're wearing in the water. Though comprised of textiles, the suits offer enhanced compression and a trim fit that will feel at one with your body as you take a plunge.


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ATHENS — A Georgia man is appealing the convictions and death penalty he received for the 2007 rape and murder of a 6-year-old boy.
The state Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in the appeal of David Edenfield. He was convicted in 2009 in the death of Christopher Barrios in a trailer park outside Brunswick.
Edenfield's lawyers argue the trial court shouldn't have allowed incriminating statements Edenfield made, saying they were improperly obtained. They also say the judge should have declared a mistrial when the prosecutor called Edenfield an "animal" during sentencing.
Prosecutors argue Edenfield's statements were correctly obtained and note the prosecutor apologized for his "animal" remark, and the judge instructed jurors to disregard it.
The arguments will be held at the University of Georgia School of Law in Athens.


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a workshop for up-and-coming film professionals
SOFA – School of Film Agents invites young film agents for a workshop training to Wroclaw, Poland. The program's special quality is its unique target group: upcoming film professionals from Middle and Eastern Europe, Germany, Greece, Central Asia and the republics of Caucasus. SOFA doesn't aim to educate film directors or producers. SOFA supports culture promoters, mediators and catalyzers with unique film/cinema project ideas for the local and international audience in their country of origin – in all possible creative shapes.
SOFA helps its participants to make their innovative »dream project« come true and – at the same time – develops regional film culture and industry.
Don't sit on your couch: join SOFA!


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The Fosters
Stef Foster, a dedicated police officer, and her partner Lena Adams, a school vice principal, have built a close-knit, loving family with Stef's biological son from a previous marriage, Brandon, and their adopted twins, Mariana and Jesus. Their lives are disrupted in unexpected ways when Lena meets Callie, a hardened teen with an abusive past who has spent her life in and out of foster homes. Lena and Stef welcome Callie and her brother, Jude, into their home thinking it's just for a few weeks, until a more permanent placement can be found. But life has something else in store for the Fosters.
Views: 29
Director: Brad Bredeweg, Bradley Bredeweg, Peter Paige
Actors: Amanda Leighton, Cierra Ramirez, Danny Nucci, David Lambert, Hayden Byerly, Jake T. Austin, Maia Mitchell, Noah Centineo, Sherri Saum, Teri Polo
Studio: Nuyorican Productions, Prodco
TV Status: Ended
Duration: 42 min
Release: 2013
TMDb: 6.2
Country: USA
Networks: ABC Family, Freeform


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In the Western church four main dialects of plainsong developed—Ambrosian, Roman, Mozarabic and Gallican—that seem to have been derived from similar sources. Gregorian chant is named for Pope Gregory I, whose credited role in compiling liturgical books during his papacy (590–604) is now considered questionable.
The origins of the chant go back to early Christian times, and it seems to have derived from musical practice in the Jewish synagogue and Greek musical theory. During the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and also in later times, the chant melodies were used as the basis for polyphonic composition. In the 19th cent. the Benedictine monks of Solesmes sought to restore the Gregorian chant to its original form and their published editions from 1889 onward became the official music of the Catholic Church. The texts of plainsong are the words of the Mass, the Psalms, canticles, and certain verse hymns.
The tonality of Gregorian chant is based on the system of eight modes (see mode). The notation of the chant evolved into systems of neumes (see musical notation) that were still used in the 20th cent. in preference to modern mensural notation for plainsong. Little is known of the rhythm with which the chants were performed in the Middle Ages. The chants were contained in two principal books: those for the Mass in the
Gradual, those for the Office in the
Antiphoner. The modern Liber usualis is a compilation of most frequently used chants from the two.
See W. Apel, Gregorian Chant (1958); J. R. Bryden and D. G. Hughes, ed., An Index of Gregorian Chant (2 vol., 1969).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Music: Theory, Forms, and Instruments


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For decades, scientists have been grappling with the consequences of climate change and working toward viable solutions. Climate engineering, also known as geoengineering, is the most controversial possible solution.
For decades, scientists have been grappling with the consequences of climate change and working toward viable solutions. Climate engineering, also known as geoengineering, is the most controversial possible solution.
Currently, one of the most talked about geoengineering ideas is Solar Radiation Management (SRM), which intends to block shortwave solar radiation, thus cooling the Earth to offset rising temperatures. In other words, SRM may be one way in which global temperatures could be artificially stabilized. But a new study in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, finds that while SRM-style geoengineering may succeed in cooling the Earth, it would also disrupt precipitation patterns around the world.
One popular SRM idea is to fire sulfates into the atmosphere, simulating what happens during a volcanic eruption, when plumes of debris are emitted into the atmosphere and effectively act as shields against solar radiation. However, large volcanic events are often accompanied by negative effects on local and even global environmental systems. For instance, the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines weakened the water cycle and depleted the stratospheric ozone layer above the Arctic pole for two years.
Climate change is generally expected to increase global precipitation because the heat trapped near Earth's surface leads to higher rates of evaporation. But using SRM is expected to decrease rainfall. Therefore to better understand what rainfall may look like in the future under various scenarios, scientists led by Simone Tilmes of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) manipulated 12 of the world's leading climate simulation models via the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP).
Model accuracy is important, and those used by this team were vetted against past observations and shown to correctly predict previous long-term climatic observations. However, their accuracy diminished when used for more specific weather events.
"For instance, over the last 100 year period, most of the models showed the observed temperature increase;" said Tilmes, "however there are still uncertainties in the detail...Climate models cannot predict specific weather phenomena, but they can predict that for instance, hurricanes become stronger, rainfall extremes increase, and that can be compared if we have long observational records."
The team began by setting global CO2 levels at an extremely high level: 1,120 parts per million (ppm) or four times the pre-industrial level of around 280 ppm. This level is on the extreme side of projections for the end of this century.
Read more from our affiliate, MONGABAY.
Volcano cloud image via Shutterstock.


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It's a calm day on Cowichan Bay. The air is so still that the water is like a mirror. Fishing boats line the wharf and they seem to hover in mid air. The reflection of the island a mile offshore is its perfect twin. The world is glass and there is a feeling here that time does not exist. The smell of salt water, fish, rope, marine oil, and gas transports you to a simpler time. Wayfarers and mariners. Here they still exist.
CowichanBay is a long inlet that sits about the mid way point on Vancouver Island. It's called CowBay by locals and those who have come and fell in love with the place. The town, or at least the parts I've seen of it, strung out along the shoreline, is what you'd imagine John Steinbeck discovered when he wrote Cannery Row.
It's a fisherman's world that I know nothing of. The boats that sit packed tightly around the wharf are mysterious things. They are oddly shaped to my eye: ungainly and seemingly unsuited for days and weeks on the sea. I've never been an intertidal person. The sights and smells and look of this place inspire the storyteller in me and I look at it all with a hunger to know it.
I'm here to tell stories at a national conference. What fuels me the most when I do these events are mornings like this one. Mornings when I see the world as though for the very first time. It's then I realize again that everything around me has a story. Everything around me has a vital energy that fills me, excites me, connects me it all. I feel empowered and curious.
That's the wonderful thing about the world and about this country. When you think you know something of it, when you think you understand it and heck, can even glean your own special place in it, the world has the power to upset all that. It has the power to re-introduce you to itself and teach you things about yourself you never knew before. It's always had that power and I hope it always will.
Looking out this window at a world that holds more secrets, I feel those stories all around me. The seabirds, the wharf, the loops and coils of rope, the rugged shore of the nearby island; they all contain stories within themselves. When I close my eyes I can feel them.
There's no special magic to this. You don't have to be a storyteller to glean that. Instead, you just have to be open to the world, to want to fill yourself with it, to want the experience of being somewhere lead you to ask questions and be patient enough for the answers to come.
That's how our traditional storytellers found the motivation to create. They opened themselves to the world and the world gave them story. It still operates the same way. Stories are as close as an open window or a walk through an unknown territory. They wait for you. They want to be told. All that it takes to gather them is the acceptance of the notion that everything exists as story.
As a writer I have come to believe in that. I tend to look at things a lot longer than most people I know. I can study something for hours, intent of discovering what it has to tell me. There's always something. That something usually finds its way into a story at some time or another. What happens for me is that I remain curious about the world and I retain the power of the innocence that comes from a feeling of wonder.
The stories I tell to the people at the conference will include this vision across Cow Bay. There's the essence of Canada here. The country revealing another spectacular part of itself to me in images, shapes and sounds foreign to me. The people I spoke to in the museum, on the wharf, in the diner and the quirky shops all add substance to the stories I will tell.
For every story I shape and gather about this country, there is an immense payoff. I become more. The idea of Canada fills me. I can transcend issues. I learn to see the country and my place in it as the articulation of a great story. I am a part of that story. It's a thrilling prospect each time I revisit it.


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Draco drā´kō [key] or Dracondrā´kŏn [key], fl. 621 BC, Athenian politician and law codifier. Of his codification of Athenian customary law only the section dealing with involuntary homicide is preserved. From this and from later accounts in the writings of Aristotle and Plutarch it appears that in Athens the penalty of death was prescribed for the most trivial offense. The code adopted the principle that murder must be punished by the state and not by vendetta. Though the code was considerably ameliorated by Solon, its name became a synonym for harsh legislation.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Law: Biographies


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Amendment II
Document 9
William Rawle, A View of the Constitution of the United States 125--26 1829 (2d ed.)
In the second article, it is declared, that a well regulated militia is necessary to the security of a free state; a proposition from which few will dissent. Although in actual war, the services of regular troops are confessedly more valuable; yet, while peace prevails, and in the commencement of a war before a regular force can be raised, the militia form the palladium of the country. They are ready to repel invasion, to suppress insurrection, and preserve the good order and peace of government. That they should be well regulated, is judiciously added. A disorderly militia is disgraceful to itself, and dangerous not to the enemy, but to its own country. The duty of the state government is, to adopt such regulations as will tend to make good soldiers with the least interruptions of the ordinary and useful occupations of civil life. In this all the Union has a strong and visible interest.
The corollary, from the first position, is, that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
The prohibition is general. No clause in the Constitution could by any rule of construction be conceived to give to congress a power to disarm the people. Such a flagitious attempt could only be made under some general pretence by a state legislature. But if in any blind pursuit of inordinate power, either should attempt it, this amendment may be appealed to as a restraint on both.
In most of the countries of Europe, this right does not seem to be denied, although it is allowed more or less sparingly, according to circumstances. In England, a country which boasts so much of its freedom, the right was secured to protestant subjects only, on the revolution of 1688; and it is cautiously described to be that of bearing arms for their defence, "suitable to their conditions, and as allowed by law." An arbitrary code for the preservation of game in that country has long disgraced them. A very small proportion of the people being permitted to kill it, though for their own subsistence; a gun or other instrument, used for that purpose by an unqualified person, may be seized and forfeited. Blackstone, in whom we regret that we cannot always trace the expanded principles of rational liberty, observes however, on this subject, that the prevention of popular insurrections and resistance to government by disarming the people, is oftener meant than avowed, by the makers of forest and game laws.
This right ought not, however, in any government, to be abused to the disturbance of the public peace.
An assemblage of persons with arms, for an unlawful purpose, is an indictable offence, and even the carrying of arms abroad by a single individual, attended with circumstances giving just reason to fear that he purposes to make an unlawful use of them, would be sufficient cause to require him to give surety of the peace. If he refused he would be liable to imprisonment.
The Founders' Constitution
Volume 5, Amendment II, Document 9
The University of Chicago Press
Rawle, William. A View of the Constitution of the United States of America. 2d ed. Philadelphia, 1829. Reprint. New York: Da Capo Press, 1970.
Easy to print version.


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Somewhat more run-of-the mill in styling terms than the quirky Philips DVD recorders of old, the DVDR5520 combines DVD recording with 160GB of HDD capacity, a single digital tuner and HDMI upscaling all the way to 1080p.
Also on board are multimedia playback coupled with a 'jukebox' facility; i.Link for dubbing from digital camcorders; automatic HDD 'buffering' of the current programme; and – unique among the recorders tested here – Dolby Digital 5.1 recording.
Sharing files
However, the latter isn't as useful as it sounds. First of all, the input is coaxial-only, making it incompatible with the optical-only Sky+/HD hardware, unless adaptors are used. Secondly, 5.1 recordings can't go beyond the HDD.
In a nod to our multimedia world, the 5520 incorporates a USB 2.0 port for 'complete file transferability'. In other words, you can copy at will between the DVD, HDD and USB.
Digital TV recordings and DVD-sourced material can't, however, be transferred – this feature is strictly for JPEG, DivX and MP3/WMA files on USB or CD/DVD-ROM.
Only solid-state USB devices are supported – external HDDs are ignored.
Slow operation
The digital tuner is strictly Freeview; there's no CI slot for pay-TV upgrades.
There's also an analogue tuner with Nicam stereo sound, but given its pictures are noticeably inferior to the digitally-derived ones it should only be used as a last resort.
Setup of these, and the rest of the 5520's functionality, is achieved via 'wizards' and menus that are steady but slow. The same can also be said of general use, which can be frustratingly unresponsive.
However, it's better in this respect than earlier Philips efforts.
Multi-tasking deck
Helpfully, you can record to the HDD while playing a DVD.
Recordings – whether manually-invoked, retroactively-captured from the timeshift buffer or scheduled with the 40-event timer – can be dubbed from HDD to DVD at high-speed, but not vice-versa.
Basic HDD editing allows recordings to be trimmed-down beforehand.
You can't change the recording mode when dubbing, though. On which subject, the 5520 supports DVD-R/+R (single or dual-layer) and DVD+RW/-RW media.
Fine quality recordings
The 5520 acquits itself favourably with subjectively crisp and noise-free pictures, from DTT, commercial DVDs and its own recordings alike.
The quality 'watershed' is the SPP recording mode, which accommodates 2.5hrs per (single-layer) DVD.
Go below this, and the resolution takes a noticeable turn for the worse. Use dual-layer DVDs for longer recordings if quality is important.
Upscaling works well subjectively, although the 5520 fails the HQV jaggies test.


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Another Day, Another Customer
Click here to Get Italian Ice Prices
One of our newest customers just picked up a Little Jimmy's Italian Ice pushcart from our offices in beautiful Elizabeth, New Jersey this past weekend. The Manes' have a great location in Atlantic, City, NJ and have all sorts of things lined up for this coming Italian ice season. Now is a good time to get yourself a Little Jimmy's Italian Ice pushcart- all you need is a good location and events to go to and you're all set! Give us a call at 800 763 4348 and get started.


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high risk high reward research
Driving Innovation and Creativity with High Risk Research
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
High-risk research isn't for the faint of heart. It's for fearless researchers who envision and develop innovative projects with unconventional approaches that, if successful, may yield great leaps in our understanding of health problems and/or biological mechanisms. It takes nerve and creativity to conceive such projects—and, often, special support to bring them to fruition. And, as the name implies, there is a significant chance of failure.


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Update, March 18, 2011: The Skype Skam appears to be more of a Skype Skrew-up, though whose screw-up it was remains unclear. I say "was" because I have now repeated the experiment described below several times and come up with different results. When somebody who subscribes to Skype's voice mail leaves me a message, I am now able to hear it, even though I haven't paid $6 to subscribe to Skype voice mail. I have obtained this satisfactory result both with a Skype employee and with someone who is not employed by Skype. I now believe that you, dear reader, will experience the same result. So in the words of the late, great Emily Litella: "Never mind."
It remains true that both Slatereader Auros and I (both using Macs) experienced different results prior to publication of this article. * So what happened? I see two possible explanations (though there may be more). One is simple user error on both Auros' part and mine. That would seem a peculiar coincidence, but we can't rule it out. Another is that the problem we described was eliminated by the latest Skype software update, which I happened to download after I conducted the experiment and before I repeated the experiment post-publication. A third possibility is that something I haven't thought of got in the way.
At any rate, Milosevich assures me, "The product was designed so that when you receive a message, you can receive it free of charge."
My original article from March 15 on the Skype voice mail problem is below:
Last week I performed a little experiment. I asked Slate intern Rebecca Rothfeld to phone me via Skype, the software app that turns your computer into a telephone and lets you talk and even video-chat with people around the globe free of charge. I instructed Rothfeld to pay $6 to sign up for three months of Skype voice mail. (Memo to self: Remember to reimburse Rothfeld!) Then I told Rothfeld to go ahead and contact me via Skype. Before she had a chance to get through, I logged off Skype and found something else to occupy my attention.
After perhaps 15 or 20 minutes, I logged onto my e-mail and found a message from Skype. "You have a new voice mail," it said in big blue letters, and then, in smaller black letters: "Left by Rebecca Rothfeld. Sign in to Skype to listen to the message or call your Skype To Go Number to hear it." I don't have a Skype To Go Number—that's a mobile phone service for which Skype charges $2.99 to $19.99 per month, depending on coverage—so I logged onto my regular, old, completely free Skype. There I saw a little icon that looked like a cassette tape—a nostalgic tribute to the days when answering machines had moving parts. There was also a "play" button. I pressed "play" and a little round dot moved from left to right, trailing a blue line. A little counter ran below: one second, two seconds, up to nine. A nine-second message from Rebecca Rothfeld was playing, but I couldn't hear it because, unlike Rothfeld, I hadn't shelled out for voice mail service. Skype was holding Rothfeld's message hostage until I paid a $6 ransom. It was really annoying!
Our experiment was an attempt to re-create an experience that blogger, Slate reader, and self-appointed Slate fact-checker par excellence R.M. "Auros" Harman had described to me in an e-mail. Auros is an investment adviser whose boss travels a lot. [Update, March 16:Harman modestly informs us he is a portfolio analyst, not yet an investment adviser.] To stay in touch when the boss is overseas, the two use AOL Instant Messenger and Skype. One day, when the boss was in France, he tried to reach Auros by Skype but Auros wasn't at his computer, so he left Auros a voice mail. Auros doesn't subscribe to Skype's voice mail service, so imagine Auros' exasperation when he got an e-mail saying he had a message from his boss that he couldn't listen to unless he paid up. "I shouldn't be able to get voice mail on Skype," Auros told me.
Good luck complaining to Skype about this—or anything else—by phone. There is, I've been assured by Skype spokesman Brian O'Shaughnessy, absolutely no customer-service phone number for Skype. The company is based in Luxembourg and is owned by Silver Lake, a private equity firm in Menlo Park, Calif., situated on Sand Hill Road (venture capital's Great White Way). Skype itself has a U.S. office in Palo Alto, and in theory you can call it up; the phone number is 650-493-7900. But when I dialed it at 2 p.m. West Coast time on a weekday, nobody answered and—ironically—no recording came on inviting me to leave a voice mail message. (I reached O'Shaughnessy, who is based in Luxembourg but happened to be traveling in Texas, through a Silver Lake spokesman. I could give you O'Shaughnessy's cell number, but then I would have to kill you.)
In a blog item, Auros wrote up his unhappy experience and quoted an e-mail message he received from Skype in response to his e-mailed complaint. Skype's reply—which I would summarize as a more polite version of "sucks to be you"—read like it had been written by a computer, a person with an unsure grasp of English, or a computer with an unsure grasp of English:
We understand your concern regarding the voicemail services that you are receiving although you do not have a voicemail subscription. We know this can be inconvenient specially that your contacts may expect that their message has been relayed. We will be glad to assist you with this.Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to block the voicemails that were being sent to you by your contacts who have a voicemail subscription. We appreciate your feedback on this and we will definitely look in to this.However, for now, your only option is to inform your contacts not to leave a voicemail since you will not be able to hear them or you may subscribe to a voicemail.
Auros' e-mail exchange took place a couple of weeks ago. When I spoke with O'Shaughnessy today he said that neither he, nor a Skype customer-service expert he contacted in London, nor a Skype product manager he contacted in London, had ever heard of this problem before, which makes the Skype e-mail's pledge that "we will definitely look in to [sic] this" ring a bit hollow. O'Shaughnessy further told me that the London office had, in response to my query, attempted and failed to re-create Auros' experience and mine; when they directed somebody with Skype voice mail to try to leave a message for someone who didn't have Skype voice mail, they found it couldn't be done. I invited them to try to leave a voice mail for me, but I never received one. By then it was getting on toward 10 p.m. in London; maybe everybody went to bed. Or maybe the problem only occurs with voice-mailers you've already communicated with at least once via Skype. "We need more time to understand this issue," O'Shaughnessy finally told me via e-mail. "Please understand that we take matters like this seriously … . We are investigating and will follow up soon with you."
In March 2010, the Web site Classmates.com agreed to pay up to $9.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that the site (since renamed "Memory Lane") had conned people into subscribing by telling them that former schoolmates were trying to reach them. What Classmates.com did was much worse than what Skype is doing, because after you purchased your Classmates.com subscription you found out that, in fact, no former schoolmate was trying to reach you—not through Classmates.com, anyway. A judge recently rejected the Clasmates.com settlement, sending both sides back to the bargaining table, because "it does not require Classmates.com to stop sending deceptive e-mails." Skype is not engaging in deception, but its voice mail hostage-taking—whether a bug or a feature—sufficiently resembles the Classmates.com marketing scheme that Keyser Söze or whatever reclusive figure runs Skype out of Luxembourg or Menlo Park should feel embarrassed. And if this really is the first that the Skype brass are hearing about it, then maybe it's time to install a few more telephones.
Correction, March 18, 2011: An earlier version of this update said that Skype's customer-relations representative acknowledged the problem to Auros. The earlier version also reported that Skype spokesperson Kim Milosevich said that the Skype representative had misinterpreted the question. Milosevich did say that initially, but later she was able to establish that the Skype representative, though appearing to acknowledge the problem, was acknowledging what I now understand to be a different and relatively trivial problem—the receiver's inability to block incoming voice mail messages. That inability looms fairly small if the receiver is able to listen to those messages. (Return to the corrected sentence.)