text:
Select a vehicle year and model below to get a valuation.
The 2006 Honda Accord Cpe is a two-door coupe with seating for five passengers and is capable of achieving 34 mpg on the highway.See All Model Years
A hybrid sedan with seating for five, the 2006 Honda Accord Hybrid is a new model which utilizes a hybrid gas-electric powertrain to earn an EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 34 on the highway.See All Model Years
A reliable and fuel-efficient mid-size sedan with seating for five, the 2006 Honda Accord Sdn is offered with a manual or automatic transmission and a choice between a four or six-cylinder engine.See All Model Years
A two-door coupe, the 2006 Honda Civic Cpe has been redesigned for the new year with a more sleek style yet maintains its fuel-efficiency when heading down the road.See All Model Years
A five-passenger hybrid sedan, the all-new 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid will keep you between fill-ups for some time thanks to a fuel economy rating of 49 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway.See All Model Years
The 2006 Honda Civic Sdn is a five-passenger compact sedan that has been redesigned for the new year and now comes standard with side-curtain airbags.See All Model Years
A two-door compact sports car, the 2006 Honda Civic Si has morphed from a hatchback to a coupe with this new redesigned style, and is powered by a 197 hp motor under the hood.See All Model Years
The 2006 Honda CRV is a compact SUV with seating for five and is available with 2WD or 4WD.See All Model Years
A five-passenger crossover with a unique boxy style, the 2006 Honda Element is offered with a manual or automatic transmission, and with two or four-wheel drive.See All Model Years
An incredible EPA rating of 60 mpg city and 66 mpg highway push the 2006 Honda Insight, a two-door hybrid coupe with seating for two, to the head of the fuel-efficiency game.See All Model Years
A stylish and reliable minivan, the 2006 Honda Odyssey offers seating for eight passengers and is available with a DVD entertainment system to keep those other seven people entertained.See All Model Years
The 2006 Honda Pilot is a crossover SUV with seating for up to eight passengers and it has received a style refresh inside and out.See All Model Years
A unique and all-new four-door pickup, the 2006 Honda Ridgeline offers stand-out styling and an enclosed trunk under the bed.See All Model Years
Available in one no-nonsense trim, the 2006 Honda S2000 is a two-passenger convertible sports car that offers crisp handling and turn-shredding ride.See All Model Years
Honda's 2006 vehicle line-up is highlighted by a redesigned favorite and a newcomer. Premiering in 2006 is the eighth generation Honda Civic involving a sleeker exterior and an interior that incorporates a two-tier instrument panel. Along with promoting new technologies for greater safety and entertainment, the 2006 Civic also marks a return with the Si. Built as a hatchback from 2002 to 2005, the new Civic Si trim level reverts back to the coupe body style that is now powered by a 197-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Based on a concept vehicle, the Honda Ridgeline debuts as the Japanese brand's first North American production product with a bed box. While boasting the flexibility of a pickup truck, the 2006 Ridgeline is focused around urban use and comfort. Also worth noting, an all-new EX-P version of the 2006 Honda Element provides a single color body appearance that replaces the front, rear and roof cladding.


text:
The power & Efficiency you need
3.0L Turbo Diesel
The highly refined Isuzu 4JJ3-TCX 3.0L turbo-diesel common rail engine which offers superior fuel efficiency thanks to low friction, fuel injection optimisation and a large front-mounted intercooler.
This advanced Euro 5-compliant unit generates 140kW of power and a peak torque output of 450Nm from a low 1,600 to 2,600rpm. The high levels of torque from a low rpm provide strong take-off and acceleration and aid drivability with consistent torque output through the majority of the rev-range.
1.9L Turbo-Diesel
Available for select models in both 4x4 and 4x2 drivetrain options, the Isuzu RZ4E-TC 1.9L turbo-diesel engine generates 110kW of power and 350Nm of torque whilst achieving supreme fuel efficiency and refined operation.
With 2.8T+ (manual) and 3.0T+ (auto) braked towing capacity, it offers a flexible and economical option that's ideal for fleet, tradies and small business operators.
6-Speed Transmission
The 'Rev-Tronic' 6-speed automatic gearbox with sequential sports mode automatically selects the most appropriate shift and lock-up points according to the driver's behaviour, vehicle load and road speed.
The 6-speed manual transmissions benefit from a new dual mass flywheel, which absorbs vibrations and torque pulses from the engine for smoother and more efficient driveability and transmission longevity.
The advanced 3.0 litre turbo-diesel engine produces 140kW and an avalanche of torque on demand, with 450Nm available from just 1,600 through to 2,600rpm. This provides exceptional take-off and acceleration with a broad, flat torque band aiding overall drive-ability - also perfect for when carrying a load, or towing up to 3.5T+.
1.9L Power & Efficiency
The Isuzu RZ4E-TC 1.9 litre turbo-diesel, available for select models, delivers the perfect balance between power and fuel efficiency. Generating 110kW of power and 350Nm of torque, available from just 1,600 through to 2,600rpm.
3.5T Pulling Power
The 3.0L D-MAX is built to tow and can make light work of a boat, a caravan or a trailer. With 3.5 tonne towing+, the truck-based chassis of the D-MAX gives you the ability to tow pretty much anything you can throw at it.
OFF-ROAD Ready
Rear Differential Lock
To get you out of the toughest spots, our 4x4 models come standard with a rear differential lock. If you're on a slippery, uneven surface with the rear wheels spinning, the rear differential lock assists the low-ratio 4WD-low mode to give you the extra traction and control needed to keep moving.
800mm Wading Depth∞
Wherever you're planning to go, your 4x4 D-MAX is up for the task. With generous steel underbody protection, and a wading depth∞ of up to 800mm, the D-MAX is your most reliable way to escape the everyday.
4x4 Terrain Command
Engineered for Australian conditions, every 4x4 D-MAX features 'Terrain Command' as standard, allowing you to switch between 2WD-high and 4WD-high modes at speeds of up to 100km/h. When the going gets tough, selecting 4WD-low will provide increased traction and complete control.
Hill Start Assist & Descent Control
Take on any challenge with Hill Start Assist which prevents vehicle roll-back when starting on steep gradients (above 5.7 degrees). Hill Descent Control gives you the confidence to tackle any downhill terrain by ensuring maximum traction.
Underbody Protection
The D-MAX 4x4 models have sturdy steel underbody protection, including a steel sump and transfer case guard, for extra protection in punishing off-road conditions.
Advanced Fuel Injectors
High pressure Common Rail fuel injection gives the most power while minimising the fuel required in the combustion process, and boosting economy.
The D-MAX Variable Geometry System (VGS) constantly adjusts to achieve optimum air compression from low revs, which ensures minimal fuel consumption with maximum torque across the rev-range.
Aerodynamic Design
The D-MAX has undergone vigorous testing to ensure a low drag co-efficiency (Cd) figure and the most aerodynamic body design yet. Low drag not only improves fuel efficiency, it reduces cabin noise for a quieter, more comfortable ride.
+3.5-tonne braked towing capacity on all 3-litre engine D-MAX models, 3.0-tonne braked towing capacity on 1.9-litre engine automatic transmission models and 2.8-tonne braked towing capacity on 1.9-litre engine manual transmission models when fitted with an optional genuine Isuzu D-MAX tow bar kit or tow tongue kit. ∞Up to 800mm of wading depth on all D-MAX models when travelling at a consistent speed of 7km/h. Water ingress may occur if speed is not maintained or if the vehicle is static in water above 350mm.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Build" CrossCast as you need it, with all the available modules and apps.
This one time set up will take a few short minutes.
From CrossCast you'll be able to manage all your assets: you won't need any additional software.
The only requirement? A simple web browser.
CrossCast supports every avertising format, from the standard ones to the most innovative ones. Even for videos. Start monetizing you inventory now!
Do you manage one or more YouTube channels and want to monetize your video inventory with a new website based on CrossCast?


text:
The problem with remaking classic movies is they always will be compared to the original.
Thus, even if a film is funny, entertaining and worthy of a solid grade, it will have its critics — simply because it didn't rise to the level of the movie that came first.
That's the only explanation for Disney's live-action remake of Aladdin (PG) receiving ho-hum reviews from critics and teetering on a "rotten" score at the aggregator site RottenTomatoes.com.
It's pretty good — according to the consensus among critics — but it's not great. Or as the consensus summary at RottenTomatoes.com puts it, Aladdin retells the story with "spectacle and skill" but "never approaches the dazzling splendor of the animated original."
That 1992 film won two Oscars for its music. The 2019 version has fine music but may or not be Oscar-worthy. We'll have to wait.
Such comparisons are unavoidable but they can get in the way of the central questions moviegoers have when they read a review:
Is it good? (My answer: Yes.)
Is it worth watching? (Yes.)
Is it family-friendly? (Yes — assuming you're OK with your children watching a romance and seeing two kisses.)
So what if Disney didn't hit a grand slam? It's a double or a triple, and most children will love every minute of it.
Aladdin tells the story of a swindling street urchin named Aladdin (Mena Massoud) who falls in love with a princess named Jasmine (Naomi Scott). They desire to marry but are forbidden from doing so because of tradition and law. (She's a wealthy woman from royalty; he's a low-class peasant.) Aladdin then stumbles upon a magic lamp and a Genie (Will Smith) who grants him three wishes. Aladdin asks the Genie to turn him into a prince.
The 2019 version mostly mirrors the 1992 classic but differs on a few points. In the newest film, Jasmine desires to succeed her father, the Sultan. In another change, the Genie falls in love with Jasmine's servant. Both changes make for a better plot but also for a longer movie (two hours compared to 90 minutes.) Jasmine also wears more clothes than she did in the 1992 film (thank goodness). Of course, the 2019 film also has updated music (Smith sings a few hip-hop-type songs. I liked them.)
The plot includes a few hiccups that may need to be discussed in a post-movie conversation. First, Aladdin steals to make a living. (Children can be asked: Is it ever OK to take what's not yours?) Second, Genie claims to be the "most powerful being" in the universe. (Ask kids: How does that differ from what the Bible teaches?) It contains no language or sexuality and only minor violence.
Still, Aladdin gives us plenty of solid positive lessons. We learn that money and power can't bring happiness. We see one character resist the lust for power and another succumb to it. We also hear about the importance of discovering what's on "the inside" of a person.
The newest Aladdin may not be perfect, but it's still worth the price of admission.


text:
News From:
In an original EDGE essay, Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger claims that the Web's ability to aggregate public opinion and knowledge into some form of "collective intelligence" is leading to a new politics of knowledge. According to Sanger, the power to establish what "we all know'" is shifting out of the hands of a small elite group and becoming more of a conversation open to anyone with a Net connection. However, Sanger is also the founder of Citizendium, a competitor to Wikipedia that, according to its Web site, "aims to improve on (the Wikipedia) model by adding 'gentle expert oversight' and requiring contributors to use their real names." In this essay, titled "Who Says We Know: On The New Politics Of Knowledge," Sanger argues that a lack of "expert" oversight leads to unreliable information, something he sees as a major flaw in knowledge egalitarianism. I'm sure this essay will spark as much fiery debate as the previous essay in this EDGE series, Jaron Lanier's "Digital Maoism." From Sanger's essay:
Today's Establishment is nervous about Web 2.0 and Establishment-bashers love it, and for the same reason: its egalitarianism about knowledge means that, with the chorus (or cacophony) of voices out there, there is so much dissent, about everything, that there is a lot less of what "we all know." Insofar as the unity of our culture depends on a large body of background knowledge, handing a megaphone to everyone has the effect of fracturing our culture.
I, at least, think it is wonderful that the power to declare what we all know is no longer exclusively in the hands of a professional elite. A giant, open, global conversation has just begun—one that will live on for the rest of human history—and its potential for good is tremendous. Perhaps our culture is fracturing, but we may choose to interpret that as the sign of a healthy liberal society, precisely because knowledge egalitarianism gives a voice to those minorities who think that what "we all know" is actually false. And—as one of the fathers of modern liberalism, John Stuart Mill, argued—an unfettered, vigorous exchange of opinion ought to improve our grasp of the truth.
This makes a nice story; but it's not the whole story.
As it turns out, our many Web 2.0 revolutionaries have been so thoroughly seized with the successes of strong collaboration that they are resistant to recognizing some hard truths. As wonderful as it might be that the hegemony of professionals over knowledge is lessening, there is a downside: our grasp of and respect for reliable information suffers. With the rejection of professionalism has come a widespread rejection of expertise—of the proper role in society of people who make it their life's work to know stuff. This, I maintain, is not a positive development; but it is also not a necessary one. We can imagine a Web 2.0 with experts. We can imagine an Internet that is still egalitarian, but which is more open and welcoming to specialists. The new politics of knowledge that I advocate would place experts at the head of the table, but—unlike the old order—gives the general public a place at the table as well.


text:
This article will teach you how to develop an application for Sugar and the XO, the OLPC project machine. More precisely, in this article,
I will use C# and Mono to create a new "activity" which works on the XO and on the Sugar emulator included in the downloadable virtual machine.
The One Laptop per Child association develops a low-cost laptop—the "XO Laptop"—to revolutionize how we educate the world's children.
The mission of the OLPC project is to provide educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost,
low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.
Shortly, the XO is a netbook. The XO is an innovative hardware design, with a dual-mode display—both a full-color transmissive mode and a black and white
reflective mode (sunlight-readable). The laptops have a 433 MHz processor and 256 MB of DRAM, with 1GB of NAND flash memory (there is no hard disk).
The laptops have wireless broadband that allow them to work with a standard access point or as a mesh network—each laptop is able to talk
to its nearest neighbors, creating an ad hoc local-area network (based on the 802.11s standard). The laptops use a wide range of DC power inputs (including wind-up and solar).
Sugar is the Operating System of the XO laptop. The Sugar Learning Platform promotes collaborative and critical-thinking learning. It is already in use worldwide
on 800,000 XO distributed to developing countries. Sugar is supported by a large community of developers and teachers around the world. Sugar is useful not only
on the XO laptop but on every other laptop.
Technically speaking, Sugar is based on Fedora Core Linux and on the Gnome user interface. However, Sugar could also be used on other Linux distributions (Debian, Fedora, Mandriva, ...).
Sugar has a unique window manager with simplified concepts that every child can understand very quickly. More importantly, most of the interface can be handled
by children who haven't yet been taught to read.
The Mono project is an open development initiative to develop an Open Source version of the Microsoft .NET development platform. Its objective
is to enable Linux developers to build and deploy cross-platform .NET applications. The project implements technologies developed by Microsoft and submitted
to the ECMA organization for standardization.
Mono is not only a ".NET clone". Mono comes with some unique C#-based components, libraries, and frameworks. The most important one is Gtk# which allows building of Gnome applications
in C#. Gtk# is a "binding" for the Gtk+ GUI toolkit. The word "binding" means that it allows a call to native libraries directly from C# source code.
The following screen capture shows a very basic sample in Mono using a command line compiler.
If you are a .NET developer, this sample should look familiar to you. The only difference with .NET is that the .EXE resulting file is not directly executable on Linux so you should
prefix the command line call with mono.
Sugar is mainly written in Python. Python is a scripting language so it's a good tool to let users customize the system. If you want to create new
applications (named "Activities"), Sugar will provide you a large number of Python APIs for that.
Torello Querci is a contributor to the Mono project. Torello wrote an year ago a C#/Sugar binding to let you use Mono
to create Sugar Activities. This binding is packaged as a .NET assembly named Sugar.dll. Most Sugar APIs are callable from this assembly. Of course,
the Sugar.dll assembly is need for the sample described here.
To create our first activity, we're going to use MonoDevelop. MonoDevelop is a Visual Studio like IDE. MonoDevelop lets you edit and package a Mono application.
Let's start:
We're using the Gtk# template because Sugar is based on Gtk. Let's now configure this solution to add the Sugar binding.
We just need to add the Sugar.dll assembly. Right click on References, "Edit References…", choose the ".NET Assembly" sheet, and select the right assembly.
That's all, the solution is now ready.
Here is the source code to create the main window for the Activity:
using System;
using System.Collections;
using Gtk;
using Sugar;
namespace LabActivity
public class MainWindow : Sugar.Window
public new static string activityId = "";
public new static string bundleId = "";
public MainWindow(string activityId, string bundleId)
: base("Lab", activityId, bundleId)
this.SetDefaultSize(400, 400);
this.DeleteEvent += new DeleteEventHandler(OnMainWindowDelete);
VBox vbox = new VBox();
vbox.BorderWidth = 8;
Label _text = new Label("Hello Lab Activity");
Button _button = new Button();
_button.Label = "Quit";
_button.Clicked += new EventHandler(OnClick);
void OnMainWindowDelete(object sender, DeleteEventArgs a)
a.RetVal = true;
void OnClick(object sender, EventArgs a)
If you are a .NET WinForms developer, the Gtk framework should look familiar to you.
The MainWindow's constructor is responsible for the window initialization: it creates controls and sets up event handlers. The Sugar binding adds
the need to inherit from the Sugar.Window class to access the low level communication with the Sugar API. More precisely, the main window should
handle the Activity's identifier and the instance's identifier. Both values are send to the window manager and should be retrieved from the Activity entry point. Here's how:
public static void Main(string[] args)
if (args.Length > 0)
IEnumerator en = args.GetEnumerator();
while (en.MoveNext())
if (en.Current.ToString().Equals("-sugarActivityId"))
if (en.MoveNext())
activityId = en.Current.ToString();
if (en.Current.ToString().Equals("-sugarBundleId"))
if (en.MoveNext())
bundleId = en.Current.ToString();
new MainWindow(activityId, bundleId);
We can now build and run the new application: click on "Project/Run". You should obtain this:
It's a first success: we've got our first C# Gtk application which is compliant with Sugar.
A pre-requisite to run a .NET application is that the .NET Framework should be installed. Of course, it's the same thing for Mono, you should have Mono installed
on your machine. Unfortunately, Mono is not a standard package on the XO and we can't force each user to pre-install it to run our application.
Hopefully, Mono provides a unique feature in .NET: the capacity to package Mono into an executable file. It's what we call a "bundle".
A bundle allows you to generate a run-able file embedding all things needed to execute it: assemblies for the .NET Framework, user assemblies, and the JIT compiler
to translate MSIL to the machine code instruction suitable for the processor.
The previous schema shows the bundle for the Hello World application. On the left side, the .EXE file is just a standard assembly. This assembly only contains
the MSIL code for the application and uses the JIT compiler and the .NET Framework at runtime. On the right side, we create a Mono bundle. The bundle embeds the JIT
compiler and only the .NET Framework assemblies are needed. Nothing more is needed at runtime.
Here is how you can create the Mono bundle for the Hello World application using the mkbundle2 command:
Of course, both the hello.exe assembly and the hello bundle do the same thing. Note that the hello bundle no longer needs the mono prefix
and is very huge (4Mo to compare to 3Ko for the initial assembly!).
The Mono bundle for our sample activity is not shown here but could be built the very same way.
On the Activities page of the OLPC wiki, you could find all activities downloadable on the XO laptop.
The following screen capture shows a small part of this page. As you could see, downloading a new activity means downloading a .XO file. Let's see what a ".xo" file
is and how we can generate this sort of file.
Like other common file formats (.JAR, .DOCX, ...), the .XO file is a zip file containing all the needed files for the activity: binary and resource.
We describe it below.
The most important file in the .XO file is the manifest. The manifest should be located at the root of the file. Here is the content of the manifest (named MANIFEST)
for the activity:
The manifest file describes all files in the .XO file. The .XO file has two directories: activity which holds the Activity's properties and bin
which holds the binary files.
Binary files are: Mono bundle for the activity (labactivity.exe), Gtk# shared libraries (.so files), and a Python script to start the Activity (labactivity-activity).
The first file in the Activity directory is the Activity's icon. This file use the SVG format. SVG is a vectorial format based on XML. The SVG file used here just draws a little square:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE svg PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD SVG 1.1//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/1.1/DTD/svg11.dtd" [
<!ENTITY stroke_color "#666666">
<!ENTITY fill_color "#FFFFFF">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="55" height="55">
<rect x="5" y="5" width="45" height="45"
stroke="&stroke_color;" fill="&fill_color;" stroke-width="3.5"/>
Another important file is the activity.info file. This file contains all the properties for the Activity. Here is our file:
name = LabActivity
activity_version = 1
host_version = 1
service_name = org.olpcfrance.LabActivity
icon = activity-labactivity
exec = labactivity-activity
mime_types =
The activity.info file is just a text file containing the values for each property: name, ID, link to the icon file, link to the start script, ...
So, as a conclusion, to create the .xo file, you should:
The deploy script included with the source file of the project automatically builds the .XO file. You should launch it at the end of each build.
At the end of the script, a LabActivity-1.xo is generated:
Our Activity can be installed on the Sugar emulator. A shortcut for this emulator is available on the Ubuntu desktop from the virtual machine included with this article.
Once launched, the Sugar emulator displays the Sugar home page:
To install a new Activity, first click on the Terminal Activity (icon square with an included dollar). Then launch the command line sugar-install-bundle
on the ".xo" file. This system command unzips the package and adds the Activity.
The icon's Activity is now visible at the top of the desktop (the little white square).
A click on the icon launches our Activity:
Note that Gtk controls are slightly different on Sugar than on Ubuntu: buttons are rounded.
If you have the luck to get a XO machine, you could install the Activity with a USB key where you previously put the .XO file or use the Browse Activity
if you have previously deployed the .XO file on a website. The resulting window is exactly the same as the one in the emulator.
The previous part of this article shows you how you can write a new Activity from scratch. Alternatively, you could be interested in porting an existing application.
It's what we call "Sugarize" an application. Torello Querci has done a great job to sugarize the existing Mono Gbrainy application.
Gbrainy is a collection of little games based on memory. The following screen capture shows you the application on the XO.
Gbrainy was initially wrote in pure Gtk. Gbrainy is also an interesting application because it uses two advanced Mono features: Glade and Gettext.
Glade is a window design tool for Gtk. Glade comes with a dedicated designing tool and uses a file format based on XML to store resources.
Gettext is the localization tool for Gnome. The Mono.Unix namespace allows calls to Gettext from
your C# application. Note that both Gettext and the standard localization mechanism of .NET are usable from Mono. The main advantage of Gettext is to be supported by a large
community of developers and to be compliant with a lot of common tools like the Pootle server
or the Poedit editor.
The following source code comes from the Sugarized Gbrainy application. You could see the Sugar features, the use of Glade properties ([Glade.Widget]),
and some calls to localization methods (Catalog.GetString(...)).
public class gbrainy
[Glade.Widget("gbrainy")] Gtk.Window app_window;
[Glade.Widget] Box drawing_vbox;
[Glade.Widget] Gtk.Label question_label;
[Glade.Widget] Gtk.Label solution_label;
[Glade.Widget] Gtk.Entry answer_entry;
[Glade.Widget] Gtk.Button answer_button;
[Glade.Widget] Gtk.Button tip_button;
[Glade.Widget] Gtk.Button next_button;
[Glade.Widget] Gtk.Statusbar statusbar;
[Glade.Widget] Gtk.Toolbar toolbar;
GameDrawingArea drawing_area;
GameSession session;
const int ok_buttonid = -5;
ToolButton pause_tbbutton;
string activityId="";
string bundleId="";
public gbrainy (string [] args, params object [] props)
Catalog.Init ("gbrainy", Defines.GNOME_LOCALE_DIR);
IconFactory icon_factory = new IconFactory ();
AddIcon (icon_factory, "math-games", "math-games-32.png");
AddIcon (icon_factory, "memory-games", "memory-games-32.png");
AddIcon (icon_factory, "pause", "pause-32.png");
AddIcon (icon_factory, "resume", "resume-32.png");
AddIcon (icon_factory, "endgame", "endgame-32.png");
AddIcon (icon_factory, "allgames", "allgames-32.png");
AddIcon (icon_factory, "endprogram", "endprogram-32.png");
icon_factory.AddDefault ();
Glade.XML gXML = new Glade.XML (null, "gbrainy.glade",
"gbrainy", null);
gXML.Autoconnect (this);
Sugar.Activity activity =
new Sugar.Activity(app_window, activityId, bundleId);
activity.SetActiveEvent += activeChanged;
toolbar.IconSize = Gtk.IconSize.Dnd;
Tooltips tooltips = new Tooltips ();
ToolButton button = new ToolButton ("allgames");
button.SetTooltip (tooltips,
Catalog.GetString ("Play all the games"), null);
button.Label = Catalog.GetString ("All");
button.Clicked += OnAllGames;
toolbar.Insert (button, -1);
// ...
// ...
This article is an introduction to Sugar development using Mono. Mono allows you to use your .NET and C# skills to create software for the XO laptop, to contribute
to the OLPC project, and then to provide educative material for the world's poorest children. Why not take this chance?
This article comes from a full tutorial on the SugarLabs wiki. A French version is also available
on the TechHead Brothers website. Do not hesitate to contact me for more information on the OLPC project.
This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)
General News Suggestion Question Bug Answer Joke Praise Rant Admin
Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.


text:
6 Things to Do in Copenhagen in Summer
Summer Holidays in Copenhagen
A summer holiday in Copenhagen is ideal for soaking up the Scandinavian summer sun on long afternoons of wandering around royal castles and museums. The warm nights are ready-made for sampling Scandinavian fare and lively jazz. Book a summer hotel in Copenhagen.
All the fun of the fair at Tivoli
Toddler, teenager or septuagenarian, a summertime amble through Tivoli Gardens is an essential experience on a Copenhagen summer break. Hop on an old wooden carousel or roller coaster, munch candy floss or popcorn and let the organ grinders, jugglers and clowns entertain you. Oriental-style buildings, a toy railway and pantomime ballets based on Hans Christian Andersen tales fill out the day. In the evenings, musicians and dance troupes perform on stage as onlookers drink pints of Carlsberg and watch the sun sink towards the horizon.
World-beating haute cuisine
Copenhagen has built a reputation as a major destination for inventive cuisine. During the warmer months native Danish fruits and vegetables are harvested. In Tivoli, the gardens' two Michelin-starred restaurants, Herman and Restaurant Kokkeriet, compete with creative cooking. Nearby is the Michelin-starred Noma, rated by experts among the top 10 restaurants in the world. Sult offers inventive fusion dishes and brunches. BioMio, in Vesterbro's Kødbyen, serves affordable organic dishes in trendy surroundings.
Shopping for international brands and local one-offs
- Shoppers
Summer is the season for sales and Copenhagen is home to the best shopping in Scandinavia. Lengthy cobbled pedestrian walkways are given over entirely to edgy designs, hip clothing boutiques and houseware stores. Strøget, the longest pedestrian shopping street in the world., holds many international chains along with Købmagersgade. Further on is Kronsprinsensgade, home to many internationally recognised modern Danish designer clothes shops. The streets stretching east towards Gothersgade are best for exploring up-and-coming labels.
photo by Jens Cederskjold (CC BY 3.0) modified
A pint of beer on an outdoor terrace
There are scores of delightful places to enjoy a pint of Carlsberg smooth pilsner, the city's home brew, or any of Denmark's numerous microbrews. Charlie's Bar, in the city centre, pours award-winning draught ales and ciders as does nearby Zum Biergarten, a Bavarian bierstubbe with an authentic Oktoberfest atmosphere. Nørrebro is home to Bryghus Ryesgade, a popular brewery-cum-pub. Ølbaren ('beer bar'), serves dozens of lagers from around the world.
photo by Stig Nygaard (CC BY 2.0) modified
Nighttime music inside and out
Walk the streets of summertime Copenhagen to be romanced by the sounds of street musicians, troubadours, buskers and jazz clubs around every corner. There are numerous places to listen to music, pint in hand. La Fontaine, opposite Christianshavn, hosts rousing nighttime jazz and boogie-woogie. Mojo, just around the corner, is the city's best known blues joint.
photo by Roman Boed (CC BY 2.0) modified
Warm days and balmy nights in parks and open-air spaces
Once the snow melts, Copenhagen is ideal for long walks or runs in the park. The verdant f is crossed with small canals and the stately Frederiksberg Palace has alluring lawns for picnics. Nearby Assistens Kirkegaard contains the tombs of Hans Christian Andersen and footballer Niels Bohr. The hippie community of Christiania is the place to wander aimlessly for unusual artwork, artisans' boutiques and lively residents.
photo by Stig Nygaard (CC BY 2.0) modified


text:
OPENING BELL: Stocks open mostly lower
The Associated Press
Stocks are opening mostly lower on Wall Street led by declines in utilities and real estate companies.
Banks were also lower as bond yields fell. Bank of America fell 0.5 percent.
Drugmaker Depomed fell 3 percent after the company replaced its CEO late Tuesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,358.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 42 points, or 0.2 percent, to 20,656. The Nasdaq composite increased 3 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,878.
More stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange.


text:
Warner, Mark Robert
Warner, Mark Robert, 1954–, U.S. politician, b. Indianapolis, grad George Washington Univ. (B.A., 1977), Harvard Law School (J.D., 1980). After settling in Virginia and working as a congressional staff member, Warner founded (1989) a successful venture capital fund that invested in technology companies, serving as its managing director until 2002. A moderate Democrat, Warner managed L. Douglas Wilder's successful 1989 Virginia gubernatorial campaign and served (1993–95) as Virginia Democratic party chairman from 1993 to 1995. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 1996, but in 2001 he was elected governor of Virginia, becoming a popular leader who worked the Republican legislature to avert a fiscal crisis and enact tax reforms. Retiring as governor in 2006, Warner won a U.S. Senate seat in 2008 and was reelected in 2014.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


text:
Celebrating Visionaries in Healthcare honoring Dr. Tim and WCVB-TV with Natalie Jacobson on Nov. 7
On Nov. 7, 2013, Lynn Community Health Center will celebrate its annual "Wisdom to Wellness: Celebrating Visionaries in Health Care" Event.
This year's honorees will be Dr. Timothy Johnson, Emmy-Award winning medical journalist, for his many years communicating health and medical issues in everyday terms; and WCVB-TV for its commitment to making his work accessible to the general public.
LCHC is a leader in innovating to improve health care delivery and has developed a unique, fully integrated behavioral and medical health care team model that involves: co-location of behavioral health and primary care services and co-management of patients. Integrated Health Care is a patient-centered approach that delivers point-of-care behavioral health services, minimizes stigma, increases care coordination, and efficiently improves access to needed care, resulting in increased quality and improved clinical outcomes.
"Our highest priority is to achieve the goals of the Patient Centered Medical Home model, in which care coordination and patient engagement are fundamental components of primary care" says Lori Abrams Berry, Executive Director. "The need to communicate in simple, everyday terms is important, especially with a patient population that is as diverse and multicultural as ours. Dr. Tim was working to make complex health issues accessible to the general public long before social media, the internet, or even cable TV. We are thrilled to honor him."


text:
WASHINGTON – Thousands of U.S. job hunters are losing out because employers use faulty background-check data drawn from shoddy records, consumer advocates said in a new report.
Those advocates want the government to make sure people know what information prospective employers see, so that errors can be corrected and abusive companies can be held responsible.
Use of criminal-background data is exploding as the economy struggles back from the worst job crisis in decades, the National Consumer Law Center said in the report, which is being released Wednesday. To meet surging demand, countless dubious companies have sprouted up, it said.
"It's the Wild West for background-screening report companies," said Persis Yu, lead writer of the report. "They're generating billions in revenue, but they have little or no accountability."
Nearly three-fourths of companies conduct criminal background checks for some job applicants, according to a 2010 study by the Society for Human Resource Management. They buy criminal-background data from providers of all sizes, including national names like Lexis-Nexis as well as upstarts that could include "anyone with a computer, an Internet connection and access to records," the report said.
Data providers obtain information from online public records, private vendors, jails and police blotters, it said. Sloppy handling of that data can cause a search on one person to turn up a rap sheet about someone with a similar name, for example.
Other common errors include displaying criminal records that were supposed to be sealed or wiped clean, misclassifying minor offenses as major crimes and listing charges that have been dismissed, the report said.
The information is more widely available in part because local law-enforcement agencies are selling it to raise money, the group said. It said some data providers refuse to correct errors even when people can document inaccuracies.
That's not an option for many people, Yu said, because employers often ignore laws requiring them to let people correct any false, negative information before making a hiring decision.
"It's a source of confusion for many employers," she said, and the law is hard to enforce because it's impossible to know why a person's job application was rejected.
Further muddying the picture, data providers aren't registered with the government, so it's impossible to get a full picture of the industry, Yu said.
The report is the first in-depth survey of consumer abuse by private companies that sell dodgy dossiers. Many of the issues it explores were first described last year in an investigation by The Associated Press.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has the authority to write rules governing data companies under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the law governing credit-report companies, the report said. Advocates want the agency to make data providers update their records annually, prohibit matches based only on name and take other steps aimed at making them more accurate.
The CFPB has proposed adding credit-report companies to the list of companies it will supervise closely. It has not discussed regulating consumer-data providers.
NCLC also wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate data providers and employers to make sure they are complying with FCRA.s


text:
Earlier this month, when I showed you the rise and fall of Nokia (NOK 2.11%) and Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM), I noted how both companies that are now fighting for their lives saw smartphone unit shipments both peak during the exact same quarter: the fourth quarter of 2010.
Of course, Apple's (AAPL 0.99%) iPhone and Google Android played no small roles in the precipitous declines, but there's another important phenomenon at play: the Osborne effect.
A trip down memory lane
For a quick history lesson refresher on the Osborne effect, back in the early 1980s the Osborne Computer Corporation was enjoying robust sales of its personal computer, the Osborne 1. It was released in 1981 and considered among the first commercially successful portable microcomputers on the market.
In 1983, founder Adam Osborne preannounced a couple of new next-generation models, the Executive and Vixen, touting how much better the new machines were relative to their predecessor. Importantly, these computers were not ready yet and were yet to be manufactured, so prospective customers would have to wait before getting their hands on one.
Wait they did, and in the meantime sales of the existing Osborne 1 plunged and revenue dried up to the point where the company was forced into bankruptcy shortly after. Some tech historians say there were many contributing factors to Osborne's demise, with the product preannouncement being just one of many.
Regardless, early announcements of unfinished products that lead to plummeting sales is now affectionately known as the Osborne effect.
Back to the future
This is exactly in part what's happening to Nokia and RIM as we speak, and both incidentally had major strategic product announcements almost immediately after smartphone unit shipments peaked in the fourth quarter of 2010.
In February 2011, Nokia and Microsoft (MSFT 1.26%) made their love affair public, announcing a major strategic partnership that effectively abandoned the Symbian operating system in favor of the software giant's Windows Phone push. Nokia said it would "adopt Windows Phone as its principal smartphone strategy." This was just six months after ex-Microsoft exec Stephen Elop was named Nokia's CEO.
The first fruitful offspring of this union wouldn't be born for another nine months, with the Lumia 800 launching in November in the U.K. The first U.S.-bound device would follow shortly, with the Lumia 710 released on T-Mobile's network in January of this year. You can see in that graph what happened to smartphone shipments in the meantime.
Microsoft also recently gave prospective Lumia buyers even more reason to wait, when it said current devices wouldn't be upgradable to the next major version, Windows Phone 8, and that apps made for the new operating system would not be backwards-compatible.
There's no mystery left in our relationship
Research In Motion pulled a similar move a month later. The BlackBerry maker had acquired QNX Software in April 2010 from Harman International. This acquisition would be the foundation of its PlayBook tablet OS, with the device being unveiled less than six months later, in September 2010.
On an earnings conference call in March 2011, then co-CEO Jim Balsillie outlined not just one, but the next two major operating system upgrades: BlackBerry 6.1 and QNX. At the time, the plan was to launch BlackBerry 6.1 devices in 2011, with QNX-based devices following up in 2012.
BlackBerry 6.1 was subsequently renamed BlackBerry 7 and launched the following month at BlackBerry World. In June, Balsillie's better (or worse) half, then co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, talked up the planned switch to QNX:
And we're trying to very carefully navigate that transition. I think we've done probably the best job we could in the sense that we now have two very powerful platforms that are very perfectly evolved with the kind of markets they're going after and the kind of experience they're trying to provide. And plus, at the same time, we have an opportunity to really get into the high-end, high-performance platform that will allow us to have a, really, a common single platform in the future that encompasses smartphones as well as tablets.
It's almost as if he was begging consumers to wait, promising a powerful, perfected, high-end, high-performance, unified platform on the horizon. Little did consumers know at the time, but now BlackBerry 10 is slated for a 2013 launch after numerous delays, and assuming it's not delayed again. Current BlackBerry 7 devices also won't be upgradable to BlackBerry 10.
How long do the remaining BlackBerry loyalists have to wait?
You promised me, Apple
This is one of many reasons Apple is so notoriously secretive. With the levels of hype that Apple product launches garner, it would undoubtedly crush its own sales if it announced products even months in advance.
Instead, Apple slowly and silently draws down inventory in distribution channels, and then the upgraded product is available immediately (or nearly immediately) after it's announced. When marketing chief Phil Schiller unveiled the new MacBook Pro with Retina display last month, it began shipping same day. This mitigates the risk of getting stuck with unsold, less valuable, and "fundamentally evil" inventory sitting around.
Apple's not entirely immune. After all, its fourth-quarter "miss" with iPhone sales last year was attributed to consumers who postponed iPhone purchases amid the feverish media frenzy over a slightly later-than-usual iPhone launch. In that case, the media coverage was prompting consumers to wait.
Fortunately, the $76.2 billion in cash it had at the end of the previous quarter was just barely enough to get it by before the bill collectors came knocking. That, and it made up for it the very next quarter. And then some.
The final countdown
For Nokia and RIM right now, it's a race to see whether they can get their new products to market before they run out of cash as sales dry up. They're sitting on about $12 billion and $2.2 billion in cash, respectively, right now. Nokia also just saw its debt downgraded to junk status amid the uncertainty of its transition.
It's also worth noting that this phenomenon is much stronger in hardware sales, which are generally much more difficult or expensive to upgrade (if at all) after the initial sale compared with software. For Nokia and RIM, both companies are transitioning to new software platforms that previous hardware configurations are not compatible with.
Can they escape their self-inflicted Osborne effects?
Apple has perfected its operational prowess and product unveilings, so the Mac maker might just fit in your portfolio, as it still has plenty of room to run. When you sign up for this brand-new premium Apple research service, you'll get a detailed report on the company's biggest opportunities and risks, as well as future updates included.
Nokia and RIM investors could use a multibagger to recover losses over the years, and this rule breaker might be just what the doctor ordered, literally. Grab a copy of this free report to learn more.


text:
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Return of the Saturday Morning Mix! (Youtube Edition)
Just so my street cred is still in tact I am gonna add a little Metallica into the mix..LOL
14 comments:
- Captain Dumbass said...
The Saturday Morning Mix? Finally.
- January 17, 2009 at 7:56 AM
It's funny to see them driving on the right (not as in "correct"; to me that is just fucked up)side of the car.
- January 17, 2009 at 7:57 AM
I didn't even have to finish the video to know I may have finally found a song to replace the one that has been playing over and over again on my iPod... Circus. Mark will be thrilled.
- January 17, 2009 at 8:03 AM
- The Stiletto Mom said...
Thank God you saved your street cred, I was little worried about you. :)
- January 17, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Not my thing - although I think Cheryl Cole is a sweetie!
- January 17, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Love ya but could not make it past a minute in the first video. So not my music but funny to watch them ride on the WRONG side of the road. ;)
- January 17, 2009 at 2:06 PM
- Kristin said...
Love your new layout!!
- January 17, 2009 at 3:53 PM
- Michelle said...
M lovin the new layout!!
- January 17, 2009 at 5:33 PM
- Sprite's Keeper said...
You've gone Brit on us! Even your masthead! If you hadn't posted the Metallica, I would have been very concerned.. :-)
- January 17, 2009 at 6:44 PM
- Lola said...
Oh, dear! I thought you had lost your mind for a second there. I couldn't stop that video fast enough.
You redeemed yourself in the end, though, with Metallica ;)
- January 18, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Erhem, wash your mouths out those of you who said nasty things about Girls Aloud.
Wrong side of the road? We had roads centuries before you did so I'm thinking it's you lot who drive on the wrong side.
S'ok Kat, I'll stick up for you ;)
- January 18, 2009 at 1:56 PM
Bummer, can't watch videos...hubby is napping next to me and my dog ate my headphones...Lol....literally!
- January 18, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Admittedly, it is the fact that hard work plays the most wholesale electronics pivotal role in people's success. And also we can not overlook some negative impact of luck on people's success china wholesale in that luck may bring people success easily, but it may also let people lose success rapidly. Nevertheless, we can not deny that china electronics wholesale Luck opens more doors to success, or even changes people's fate totally. In sum, although we can wholesalenot ignore the importance of hard work and some negative impact of luck on people's success, in the light of the wholesale above discussion, it can be safely said china wholesale that Luck contributes a lot to people's success, especially in creating possibilities to succeed and changing people's fate. When luck comes to embrace or visit people, people should not let it slip away.
- January 19, 2009 at 1:26 AM
- Cape Cod Gal said...
I would have to say that's a girly group I can't get into. But, I love me some Metallica!!!!!!
- January 19, 2009 at 6:15 AM


text:
Tiger lurking at U.S. Open
The Associated Press
Aspen, CO Colorado
SAN DIEGO " Even with a sore knee, Tiger Woods hit his stride Friday at the U.S. Open.
It started with his feet on a concrete cart path and a shot that went under a tree and over a bunker to 18 feet for birdie. What followed was flawless golf and a 30 on the front nine at Torrey Pines that gave Woods a 3-under 68 and left him one shot behind Stuart Appleby going into the weekend.
Appleby holed a 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 70 that gave him the lead in a major for the first time since he led Woods by one shot going into the final round of the Masters last year.
Appleby was at 3-under 139 and will play in the final group with Rocco Mediate, who seems to play his best golf in the toughest conditions. Mediate reached 4 under at one point before settling for a 2-under 140.
Woods will play with Robert Karlsson (70), whom he defeated in a meaningless singles match at the Ryder Cup two years ago.
"He wants to play some golf, we want to play some golf," Appleby said, and then he joked: "I just know I'll be doing the best I can to actually throw a club toward his sore knee. It'll be an accident, of course."
The others were jostling for the lead throughout the afternoon, and Appleby finally grabbed it on his final hole. He recovered from back-to-back bogeys early on his back nine with birdies on the par 5s, the last one from below the ridge that put him atop the leaderboard and left several players more than 10 shots out of the lead and out of the tournament.
Woods was on the opposite side of the course, and despite the famous "June Gloom" layer of fog that blanketed Torrey Pines, he was easy to find. A high-charged gallery, crammed in the bleachers and behind the ropes, rose to their feet with every birdie.
"All of a sudden, they just started flying in from everywhere," Woods said.
After his approach shot just inches from the cart path on No. 1, he never missed another fairway or another green. Woods poured in a 20-foot birdie on the second hole, then rolled one in from 25 feet up the slope on No. 4, putting him at even par for the tournament.
One hole later, his downhill putt from 18 feet broke sharply toward the ocean over the final inches and dropped into the heart of the cup, bringing another light fist pump and a red number on the board. He was under par.
He finished his round with a fairway metal that hung in the gray skies and landed on the green at the par-5 ninth, running just over the back. Woods chipped to 6 feet and made the birdie, just moments after Appleby had made his on the 18th.
"I was just hanging around, hanging around," Woods said. "This golf course will bite you quick. You've just got to hang in there and stay patient."
Woods almost always bites back at Torrey Pines, where he has won the Buick Invitational a record six times. This one is far more meaningful, and his late charge left him in great position to chase a U.S. Open title that has eluded him since 2002 at Bethpage Black, the last time it was held on a municipal golf course.
Phil Mickelson, a hometown favorite and three-time winner at Torrey Pines, could not keep up in the featured pairing with Woods.
He again played without a driver in the bag, and this time it might have hurt him. Lefty could not reach the par5 13th, where Woods got home in two and made eagle, and he was 30 yards behind Woods on the sixth hole, putting his approach on the tongue of a bunker that led to one of six bogeys in his round of 75.
Mickelson was at 4-over 146, seven shots out of the lead in a hometown U.S. Open he called his "once in a lifetime" chance.
Shiffrin ends World Cup ski season with yet another record, awarded the overall globe
After capping her record-setting season with career win 88, Mikaela Shiffrin was asked one question over and over again — and she couldn't really answer it: What's next?


text:
Today marks the two-week anniversary of my latest lawsuit, requesting the federal courts to shut down the NYPD's plans to scan New Yorkers as they walk down the streets for guns without suspicion at all. The city was simultaneously served the complaint as well as a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction*. By local rule, their opposition, if any, is due by midnight tonight. So far, crickets chirp when opening the docket.
What does this mean? Likely the city asking for an extension shortly, which would probably be granted, but may not be: motions for temporary restarining order can be granted ex parte, so technically the judge needn't have waited for a reply at all. I've e-mailed the city's attorneys in hopes that the new e-mail sound effect on their inbox will wake them from their slumber. It's nice to see that the city takes this matter as seriously as it does the civil liberties of its citizens.
* What's the difference between a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction, you say? In the federal courts, a temporary restraining order is a short-term injunction that a judge can act on immediately, without waiting for the other party to respond, lasting only until a motion for preliminary injunction can be heard. A preliminary injunction, on the other hand, requires motion practice including time for oppositions and replies, but this type of injunction can last until the merits of the case are decided — potentially for years.


text:
Proliant ML370 G4 Overview
HP ProLiant ML370 Generation 4 (G4)
The flagship ML370 G4 provides industry-leading
management, performance and availability in a dual processor expansion
server engineered to excel in a variety of environments - from corporate
work groups in growing businesses to critical remote sites requiring continuous
accessibility and uptime.
Standard Features
NOTE: Up to 2 processors supported.
NOTE: High Performance configurations include two processors up
to 3.6 GHz. Models available with either 2MB or 1MB of Level 2 cache.
Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) Standard Management
Through a single management view, HP SIM provides core management
services that include device discovery and identification, event
views, health monitoring, inventory data collection, software version
control and reporting. HP SIM is built on industry standards and
is extensible with value-added ProLiant Essentials, Integrity Essentials
and Storage Essentials software to meet individual management needs.
For more details on HP SIM visit https://www.hp.com/go/hpsim.
HP SIM provides organizations with the following benefits:
Insight Management Agents and The HP System Management Homepage are included
on ProLiant Support Packs, and can also be installed using the server
profiles provided with the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment
Pack. For additional information about the Management Agents and
the HP System Management Homepage please visit the management Web
site at https://www.hp.com/servers/manage.
Optional software offerings that selectively extend the functionality
of an Adaptive Infrastructure to address specific business problems
and needs:
Rack 10000 series Cabinets
The increasing power of new high-performance processor technology requires
increased cooling efficiency for rack-mounted servers. The 10000 Series
Racks provide enhanced airflow for maximum cooling, allowing these racks
to be fully loaded with servers using the latest processors.
CAUTION: If a third-party rack
is used, observe the following additional requirements to ensure adequate
airflow and to prevent damage to the equipment:
CAUTION: Always use blanking panels
to fill all remaining empty front panel U-spaces in the rack. This arrangement
ensures proper airflow. Using a rack without blanking panels results in
improper cooling that can lead to thermal damage.
HP Factory Express offers configuration, customization, integration and
deployment services for HP servers and storage products. Customers can
choose how their factory solutions are built, tested, integrated, shipped
and deployed.
Factory Express offers service packages for simple configuration, racking,
installation, complex configuration and design services as well as individual
factory services, such as image loading, asset tagging, and custom packaging.
HP products supported through Factory Express include a wide array of
servers and storage: HP Integrity, HP ProLiant, HP ProLiant Server Blades,
HP BladeSystem, HP 9000 servers as well as the MSA1000, VA7xxx, EVA, XP,
rackable tape libraries and configurable network switches.
For more information on Factory Express services for your specific server
model please contact your sales representative or go to https://www.hp.com/go/factory-express.
This product is covered by a global limited warranty and supported by
HP Services and a worldwide network of resellers and service providers.
Hardware diagnostic support and repair is available for three years from
date of purchase. Support for software and initial setup is available
for 90 days from date of purchase. Additional support may be covered under
the warranty or available for an additional fee. Enhancements to warranty
services are available through HP Care Pack services or customized service
NOTE: Server Warranty includes
3 year Parts, 3 year Labor, 3-year on-site support. Additional information
regarding worldwide limited warranty and technical support is available
at: https://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/platforms/warranty/index.html
HP Care Pack services include coverage for the HP branded hardware options
qualified for the server, purchased at the same time or afterward, internal
to the enclosure, as well as 22" and smaller external monitors and
tower UPS options up to 3kVA; these items will be covered at the same
service level and for the same coverage period as the server. Coverage
of UPS Battery is not included, standard warranty terms & conditions
apply. For servers or storage systems installed within a rack, service
also covers all HP qualified rack options installed within the same rack.
HP services provide continuous care and support expertise with committed
response designed to meet your IT and business needs.
To fully capitalizing on your HP ProLiant servers' capabilities requires
a service partner who thoroughly understands your server technology and
systems environment. HP Services, an industry leader in provision of multi
vender support solutions provides a range of support services designed
to meet the varying needs of business. Whether an SMB or large global
corporation HP has a ProLiant server support offer to help you speedily
deploy and maximize system uptime.
Enhanced Care Minimum recommended service support offer designed
to ensure customers have access to expert assistance, whenever they need
Continuance Care Recommended service delivering cost-effective
support options designed to extend HP Services committed response and
guaranteed fix times, designed to speed problem identification and resolution.
Total Care Highest HP Support service level recommend to help
increase IT performance and availability with comprehensive, integrated
hardware and software services
Deployment Services HP Installation and Start Up services designed
to take time, risk, and worry out of the deployment of ProLiant servers
and free customers IT support staff to focus on what they do best,
their business.
Serial Models for 2.5-inch SCSI/ATA
Ultra320 SCSI Models (Processors with 2MB Level 2 cache)
Configuration Information - Factory Integrated Models (North America only)
NOTE: For Configure to Order requirements within EMEA region,
please consult local Sales Contact.
NOTE: HP does not allow factory integration of options into standard
models listed above.
Configure-to-order (CTO) servers must start with a CTO Chassis.
NOTE: This product offering does not support HP Factory Express
Server Configuration Level 1.
NOTE: FIO indicates that this option only available as a Factory
Installable Option.
Internal Storage
Optical Drives
Management Options
Tape Drives
NOTE: For the complete listing of Tape Drive offerings,
please see:
For recommended tape drive offerings for this ProLiant server
see the following:
NOTE: Please see the HP Data Protector Express QuickSpecs for
additional information regarding the purchase of HP Data Protector Express
NOTE: To obtain a free licensed copy of HP Data Protector Express
for ProLiant edition software, please visit the "Protect Your Data"
link accessible from your ProLiant server's System Management Homepage
(SMH) software (SmartStart 7.5 or later).
HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array 50
HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array 50 Enclosure
HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array 500
NOTE: Please see the Modular Smart
Array 500 QuickSpecs for additional information including configuration
steps and additional options needed for a complete solution at:
HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array 1000
HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array 1500 cs
Modular Smart Array 1500 Controller Shelf
Uninterruptible Power Supply - Tower
Uninterruptible Power Systems - Rack UPS
Rack Conversion Kit
Keyboards and Monitors
HP ProLiant ML370 G4 Models
Standard Memory
1 GB PC2-3200R Single-ranked Memory comes installed (2 x 512 MB SDRAM)
NOTE: HP ProLiant ML370 G4 does
not support dual-ranked memory.
Standard Memory Replaced with Optional Memory
Up to 16 GB of memory is available with the removal of the standard 1 GB
of memory and the optional installation of 16 GB PC2-3200R Memory Option
Kit (8 x 2 GB)
NOTE: This chart does not represent
all possible memory configurations.
Following are memory options available from HP:
Drive Support
Removable Media
External Storage
Host Controller or Adapter
Modular Smart Array 30 Family
1 per external VHDCI SCSI connector
NOTE: For an up-to-date listing of the
latest O/S Support details for each of the Tape Drives listed below, please
see the following:
NOTE: For an up-to-date listing of the latest O/S Support details
for each of the Tape Autoloaders and Tape Libraries listed below, please
see the following:
NOTE: For complete listing of tape drive offerings see https://www.hp.com/products1/storage/compatibility/tapebackup/ISS/index.html
SAS Tape Drives: Connecting hard drive cage and SAS tape to the same SAS
Controller using split cable (supplied with tape drive) deactivates 1
of the hard drive bays. Actual hard drive bay deactivated depends on where
split cable plugs into SAS drive connector. Example: 3x SAS cable connector
plugged into SAS drive connector (5-8) on the back of the hard drive cage
would mean drive bay 8 is deactivated.
For recommended tape drive offerings for this
ProLiant server see the following:
Power Specifications
Efficiency (%)
Power Factor
Leakage Current (mA)
Maximum Inrush Current (A peak)
Maximum Inrush Current duration (mS)


text:
National Zoo prepares panda cub for debut
WASHINGTON – Bao Bao, the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, is getting used to seeing fans outside her panda house enclosure as she prepares for her public debut this month.
Bao Bao had a tryout Monday in front of the media. After waking up in her exhibit at about 8 a.m., she spent the morning crawling, climbing, following mother Mei Xiang and poking her head over rocks to a chorus of camera clicks.
For the most part, Bao Bao is oblivious to all the commotion but aware people are around, panda curator Brandie Smith said.
"She's got a great disposition. She doesn't even seem to notice the folks who are watching her, her adoring public," Smith said. "Her focus is mostly on Mom right now."
Bao Bao will make her public debut Jan. 18 and may be visible inside or outside, depending on the weather and her mother's choices for any given day. Zoo members will have an early preview beginning Saturday.
By the time she goes on public display, Bao Bao will be nearly 5 months old. She's still a baby, zookeepers said. She sleeps about half the day and plays while she's awake, rolling and tumbling on her head, gnawing on bamboo and poking at her mother.
That routine will continue when people are allowed to stream through the panda house. Smith said they won't make Bao Bao or her mother do anything they don't want to do. They will bring her out into the enclosure for viewing, conduct some training sessions with her and sometimes weigh her in public view.
"But if the cub chooses to go back into the den, or if Mom chooses to take her back into the den, we won't force her to be out on display," Smith said.
If Bao Bao is distressed or hungry, she will make a contact call for her mother, Smith said.
In recent months, Bao Bao has become more active, moving around on her own and exploring the environment. Now she's working on climbing, but some rocks are still too big for her tiny frame.
And Bao Bao has been spending more time in her exhibit area — a good sign for visitors who want a chance to see her.
During a VIP tour of the zoo in December, actor Hugh Jackman was allowed to peek inside the panda house and found Bao Bao in full view. He posted a picture on Instagram.
Bao Bao has turned out to be calm and relaxed, more subdued than older brother Tai Shan, said biologist Laurie Thompson, who has worked with the pandas for years.
"Tai Shan was a little more vocal when we did things like weigh him, where she seems kind of relaxed about it," she said. "She's like her dad. Tian Tian is very relaxed and kind of goes with the flow. So I'm thinking she got that from him.


text:
I have been in Brussels just over a week now and, unsurprisingly, Brussels does not quite feel like home yet. But I am sure things will feel different once my boxes from Rome have arrived (which should happen some time next week), my cookbooks are crammed into my bookshelf and I actually have a sofa to sit on. Until then, I will bake scones. Scones are easy and if there is anything that can make you feel at home then it is eating a freshly baked scone slathered in butter and jam (even if you are eating your scone standing in your kitchen as your flat does not yet have any chairs or a sofa).
The first thing I had planned on baking in my new kitchen wasn't these scones or anything sweet at all. Instead, I wanted to bake bread, a variation of the kamut and polenta bread I posted a while ago. But when I wanted to weigh my ingredients I realised I had accidentally bought baking powder instead of dried yeast. However, I did have all the ingredients to make scones.
For me scones are the perfect mid-week indulgence – they taste like lazy Sunday mornings yet are quick enough to prepare even on a busy weekday morning. In fact, I like to think I have my mid-week scone routine down to a pat: I switch on the oven to pre-heat and assemble my ingredients as soon as I stumble out of bed. While I wait for my coffee I prepare the dough and once the coffee is ready I slide the scones in the oven. As soon as I am out of the shower, the scones are ready to be taken out of the oven and the time it takes me to get ready is the perfect amount of time for the scones to cool down enough so I can eat them without burning the roof of my mouth.
I play around with my basic scone recipe quite a lot – the beauty of this recipe is that it is so forgiving – you can throw in some fresh or oven-roasted fruit, dried fruits or nuts or use different flours – so feel free to adapt the recipe to suit your preferences or what you happen to have in your pantry.
Einkorn, Goat Yoghurt and Date Scones
Note: If you don't have einkorn flour, feel free to use spelt or wholewheat flour. The goat yoghurt is what I had to hand but I normally make the scones with plain cow milk yoghurt so just use what you have. Lastly, although these scones look rather wholesome they are in fact pretty sweet thanks to the addition of the dates. To enjoy them on their own I think the level of sweetness is just right but if you want to eat them for breakfast, maybe with a little honey or jam, you might want to half the sugar or leave it out entirely. The scones will taste best on the day they are made but will keep fresh for a couple of days.
Makes 4 small scones
120g Einkorn flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
40g caster sugar
25g cold butter, cubed
5 dates, pit removed and chopped finely
70g goat yoghurt
1-2 tbsp milk
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the cubed butter. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles sand and you can no longer see any large chunks of butter.
Add the chopped dates and stir to combine. Pour in the yoghurt and knead the dough just long enough for it to come together into a shaggy ball.
Shape the dough into a rough ball, set in the middle of the parchment paper and carefully roll out to a disk of ca. 2-3 cm thickness. With a large knife divide the disk in four triangles.
Brush each triangle with a little bit of milk and bake for ca. 18 minutes or until risen and just starting to colour on the edges.


text:
Every business owner dreams of having a workforce that their competitors are jealous of. However, creating a team of the best employees isn't something that's...
How To Avoid IT Outsourcing Failures
5 Tips On Creating A Relaxing Environment In Your Medical Practice
Gaming Industry Trends 2023-2026
The Top Four Reasons To Design Your Own PCB
Tips On Going Away For Business
TechGeek365 is one of the MENA's leading technology news platforms, producing & publishing content related to technology, gadgets, cybersecurity, social media & so much more!
We're a team of young tech savvy individuals who work towards the one goal of bringing you, our amazing readers the best quality tech articles on the internet.
If you're a young, tech savvy individual with extensive knowledge in any of the categories we write about and would like to join our growing team of authors, then send us an email and tell us a little more about yourself! We'd love to have you on board!
Let's put your brand in front of an audience that wants to listen! A number of advertising opportunities are available on TechGeek365, ranging from in-house custom campaigns to basic advertising solutions.
Custom campaign inquiries should be directed to: ads[at]techgeek365[dot]com
© 2023


text:
Six weeks after the end of a bruising 191-day lockout of its musicians, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is turning the page to what it hopes will be the happiest chapter of its existence.
On Wednesday, the SPCO and it arts partners officially kick off construction at the Ordway Center of an 1,100-seat concert hall that will become its principal home. The venue, on the site of the soon-to-be-demolished McKnight Theatre, is due to open in spring 2015.
The SPCO plans to use the new hall about 20 weeks a year, said SPCO President Bruce Coppock. "People are going to hear the SPCO in a whole new way in this purpose-built hall," he said, alluding to past complaints about the Ordway's acoustics for orchestral music.
The new, still-unnamed hall is part of a $79 million campaign that already has raised $65 million. Construction will cost $40 million, leaving $32 million for an endowment to ease rents for principal tenants, and $7 million for transition costs.
The concert hall is the result of a years-long effort to achieve peace at the Ordway, which has a history of fractious relations among its principal users — the SPCO, the Ordway itself, the Schubert Club and Minnesota Opera.
From the Ordway's opening on Jan. 1, 1985, the resident arts groups competed for time on the main stage and for resources to fund their respective efforts. Coppock, who ran the SPCO for nine years, then left and just returned for a second stint at the helm, referred to the tense decades at the Ordway as a "25-year civil war."
For the past seven years, or so, they are all working collaboratively, spurred on by funders led by Carleen Rhodes of the Saint Paul Foundation and Bob Senkler, chairman and CEO of Securian Financial Group.
They have come together under the aegis of the Arts Partnership, a separate nonprofit entity.
"It's a Minnesota solution to a problem that people have wherever there's a center used by orchestras and theater and music," said Rhodes, now president and CEO of Minnesota Philanthropy Partners.
The new facility promises to relieve pressure on the tightly packed schedule of the 1,900-seat music hall, which is used by the Ordway for Broadway productions, dance concerts and music, by the opera for its shows and by the Schubert Club for recitals.
Due to its short runs at the Ordway, Minnesota Opera for years has double-cast its main singers to give them a chance to rest their voices. When the new venue opens, the opera will have the option to do longer runs with just one cast.
The concert hall is being designed by architect Tim Carl of HGA to complement the original look by architect Ben Thompson. It will continue Thompson's glassy facade fronting both Rice Park and 5th Street. The 270-degree view will allow patrons to see the St. Paul Cathedral from the upper-floor lobbies. The oblong auditorium will feature undulating wood ceiling panels and some seats behind the musicians and facing the conductor.
"In the past, some star architects were dismissive of sound design and so you have these well-known venues with poor acoustics," said Carl, who recently designed a new concert hall at Macalester College and oversees the renovation of Northrop Auditorium. "Not us. We work very closely with our acousticians." Paul Scarbrough of Akustiks is HGA's partner in the design.
The idea for a new facility began to emerge about eight years ago, when David Galligan headed the Ordway and some residents murmured about the need to move out. That is when Senkler and Rhodes brought together the parties, some of whom could barely stand to be in the same room with each other.
The conveners also enlisted the help of California-based consultant Steven Bronfenbrenner, who sees the historic problems of the Ordway as endemic to multi-arts venues across the nation.
"It's really an issue of competition for limited resources," he said. "The answer in St. Paul is so elegant, my partner and I use it as an example across the country."
Now the Ordway, a jewel of a venue in St. Paul, is poised to have another facet.


text:
Recommended Accommodation
Glan Morfa Lodge (https://www.holidaycottages-anglesey.com) has 6 self-catering cottages of various sizes, set on a 37-acre nature reserve, 5 minutes away from Newborough and 15 minutes away from Menai Bridge.
Ty Croes Farm Vineyard Campsite (http://www.vineyardcamping.com) Welcome to Ty Croes Farm Campsite - a unique Anglesey campsite in a tranquil vineyard setting. Just a short (2km) journey from the pretty village of Newborough with its neighbouring pine forest, red squirrels and sand dunes. The area boasts some of the finest scenery and beaches in the UK - all within a short drive (or cycle) of Ty Croes.
The Bulkley Hotel in Beaumaris is in a stunning location, is a beautiful place and is very bike friendly!
On the mainland (and just a short drive away) our recommended hotel would be the Celtic Royal in the royal town of Caernarfon, with a gym and pool it's a great place to relax after your race!
For Anglesey there are lots of options at the Visit Anglesey website as well as a number of local options to Newborough...
Anglesey Information


text:
Hand Painted Silk Autumn Leaves appliques decorate this one of a kind Challah Cover.
Upper base materials: Synthetic, in wrinkled pattern
Bottom base materials: Cotton
Decorative Materials: hand painted Silk applique.
The Shabbat text is printed in gold color on this Challah Cover: שבת ויום טוב
Size: 15" x 19" (40 cm x 50 cm)
Color: Green, Yellow & Gold
Shipping options:
Free Shipping by Standard Economy (delivery within 3-4 weeks)
DHL Express\UPS: $28, delivery within 2-3 days once shipped


text:
Here's what you need to make a glow stick!
Cut off the electric plug that has the two prongs
Cut off four bulbs
Cut the wire as close to the fifth bulb as possible so you have about three inches of wire at each end of the string.
Separate the wires
Strip the ends of the wire
Pop a snap cap onto the 9-volt battery
Both snap cap wires should have about ½ inch of exposed metal wire at the end. Strip them if necessary.
Make a connection
Complete the circuit
Complete the circuit by attaching the other two exposed wires as in Step 7.
Test the circuit
Did you know?
A circuit is a path along which electricity can travel. When you connect the wires from the lights to the wires on the snap cap, you've made a circuit. When all parts of the circuit are connected, electricity flows from the battery to the lights and back to the battery, making your glow stick glow!
Try this next!


text:
Countrywide Invents Evidence In Foreclosure Hearing
One of the nation's biggest mortgage lenders, Countrywide, admitted to a Pennsylvania judge that it had fabricated some of the evidence supplied in a homeowner's bankruptcy case. The evidence in questions were a series of letters the lender said it sent to the homeowner notifying her that she owed $4,700 because of problems with escrow deductions. The homeowner had filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy and the mortgage debt was discharged after she met the terms of her 60-month bankruptcy plan. But then later Countrywide told her they were foreclosing on her house because she still owed them money. They said they had sent her three letters notifying her of the debt. The homeowner, her lawyer, and the Chapter 13 trustees say they never got them. When Countrywide produced the letters it supposedly sent, the homeowner's lawyer noticed that the ones addressed to him didn't have the address of his office at the time; they had the address of the office he had moved to AFTER the dates on which the letters were said to have been sent. What a bunch of crooks.
Lender Tells Judge It 'Recreated' Letters [NYT] (Thanks to pangeloni!)
(Photo: Getty)
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


text:
Sleep is a really important ingredient for creating a healthy lifestyle.
With proper sleep our body can better manage stress hormones, our metabolism can function normally, our body cleanses itself of things that aren't good for us and our mind has time to calm and reset.*
Yet, sleep is often overlooked; we sacrifice half an hour of sleep here to get to the gym and half an hour there to finish a chapter of a great book.
Reprioritize Sleep
Well, it's time to reprioritize and put sleep higher up on your agenda to make sure we're getting the full 7-9 hours of sleep per night that is recommended for adults by The National Sleep Institute. Improving your relationship with sleep will not only help you, it will also set good examples for your little ones who need sleep even more than adults!
*Sources: NHS Sleep routines, Sleep Rhythms and Metabolism, Sleep Detox, Negative Thinking


text:
With the announcement that Futurama is coming back as a series six years after its cancellation - mirroring Family Guy's resurrection - we got to thinking about which SF shows could use a little animated spell to get healthy again.
There's already precedent for science fiction shows living on past cancellation on Saturday mornings - Lost in Space, and more famously, Star Trek both had stints as cartoons, after all, and Happy Days even became a science fiction show when it became a cartoon:
It wasn't just television shows, of course; why could forget The Real Ghostbusters or Robocop keeping the flame alive for the failed movie franchises?
With all that in mind, can you blame us for thinking of these five dearly beloved - well, and Knight Rider - shows that could perfectly translate into the animated format so that they could stick around for a few more years (and hopefully get the Futurama treatment, coming back to life with a complete season order)?
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Why it'd work: Man versus machine, including time-traveling and ridiculous stunts? The biggest surprise is that the Terminator franchise hasn't made it to Saturday mornings already.
Why it may not be the best idea: Could the show's larger questions about the nature of identity and predestination thrive in an animated series? And, even if they could, would the audience be even smaller without Summer Glau, Brian Austen Green and Lena Hedley to make it look pretty (admittedly, in bruised and bloody way) each week?
Verdict: There could definitely be a Terminator cartoon... But a Sarah Connor Chronicles cartoon...? We're not convinced.
Pushing Daisies
Why it'd work: Quirky, filled with color and with four detectives solving weird mysteries on a weekly basis, it's a less-annoying Scooby Doo with Ned's magic finger replacing the comedic titular dog.
Why it may not be the best idea: Would network standards and practices have a problem with a cartoon with such a high body count every episode? Would the show's tendency towards the saccharine seem even more pronounced with animated actors?
Verdict: If it could keep the level of writing as the original - and Chi McBride and Kirsten Chenowith as voice actors - we'd happily tune into an animated Daisies every week.
Knight Rider
Why it'd work: It's a man fighting crime with the help of his talking car. Let's face it; this should've been a cartoon to begin with. Maybe the scripts would've been better than this recent go-around, if it had.
Why it may not be the best idea: Without the real-life car porn, is there any point to Knight Rider at all? Also, could the show's creators resist the lure of turning KITT into a Transformer now that CGI budget constraints would be gone?
Verdict: Thanks to the thoroughly generic nature of the original, there's nothing worth tuning up for a Knight Rider cartoon model.
Why it'd work: High adventure on the space waves with a band of colorful characters risking life and limb as they try to survive? It's like Dungeons and Dragons grown up and transplanted into orbit.
Why it may not be the best idea: Would it hurt too much? Perhaps - or maybe we just wouldn't be interested if we couldn't see Jewel Staite on a regular basis. But Whedon's series work in large part because of the actors as much as the writing, and it just wouldn't be the same without them.
Verdict: Sadly, we're saying that the Serenity should stay grounded.
The Middleman
Why it'd work: From its origins as a comic book to its broad cartoony comedy as a television show, this is another series that has always felt like a cartoon despite its flesh and blood stars. Plus, as a cartoon, imagine everything it could get away with but couldn't afford on an ABC Family budget!
Why it may not be the best idea: We have no reasons why. Seriously, this is a no-brainer.
Verdict: Did you miss the part where we called it a no-brainer above?
So, did we forget a show that would be perfect for the animated treatment? Do you think that we're insane for arguing that a cartoon Firefly wouldn't work? And, most importantly, who do we have to beg for a Middleman animated series?


text:
The owner or owners of any mining claim heretofore located may, at any time prior to issuance of patent therefor, waive and relinquish all rights thereunder to Leasing Act minerals. The execution and acknowledgment of such a waiver and relinquishment by such owner or owners and the recordation thereof in the office where the notice or certificate of location of such mining claim is of record shall render such mining claim thereafter subject to the reservation referred to in section 524 of this title and any patent issued therefor shall contain such a reservation, but no such waiver or relinquishment shall be deemed in any manner to constitute any concession as to the date of priority of rights under said mining claim or as to the validity thereof.
Waiver and relinquishment of mineral rights
July 22, 2020


text:
Deep dive: The Apple Watch Series 2 delivers on last year's promise
This year's model addresses many first-generation flaws.
When Apple jumped into the wearables market last year with the first Apple Watch, it delivered a device that offered a lot of promise, while at the same confusing and confounding many early adopters.
App loading times were sluggish; the UI was wholly unfamiliar to longtime Apple buyers; connectivity was sometimes an issue; and fitness tracking didn't always work as it should. That didn't stop millions of buyers from plunging ahead, making the Apple Watch a modest success in a crowded wearables market.
This year's Apple Watch Series 2 -- unveiled last month when the iPhone 7 was previewed -- builds on last year's model and addresses most, but not all, of the issues early adopters faced. With the inclusion of GPS, a faster system architecture, better water resistance and support for more activity profiles -- including swimming and wheelchair support -- the Series 2 turns the Apple Watch into a more complete fitness band. And the system's overall responsiveness, in concert with watchOS 3, largely delivers on last year's first-generation promise.
The hardware details
But first, let's tackle the basics. In terms of look and feel, nothing much has changed; this year's model continues to reflect typical Apple minimalism. The main watch body is a simple rectangle of stainless steel, aluminum or -- on the high end -- ceramic. Weight varies from model to model depending on the materials, but the dimensions tend to be similar. As before, there are two display sizes. The version with the 42mm (1.6-in.) display measures 1.67 x 1.43 x 0.45 in. and weighs in at 1.2 oz.; the watch with the 38mm (1.5-in.) display measures 1.49 x 1.31 x 0.45 in. and weighs 0.99 oz.
All Series 2 watches feature a capacitive multitouch Retina display that's brighter than last year's screens and includes Force Touch technology. Pixel resolution is unchanged: 312 x 390 pixels (302 ppi) for the 42mm watch and 272 x 340 pixels (290 ppi) for the 38mm watch. The biggest change is that screen brightness has more than doubled, from 450 nits to 1,000 nits. The difference is easily apparent in broad daylight.
All models feature built-in GPS, the custom Apple-built S2 dual-core processor system on a chip, 8GB of internal storage, an ambient light sensor, heart-rate sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, and up to 18 hours of battery life (which is reasonably accurate, based on my usage over the past three weeks). Like its predecessor, the Series 2 carries on with a built-in mono speaker and microphone.
In addition to the wholly new Series 2 Watch, Apple now sells the "Series 1" Apple Watch, which is basically last year's model but with the faster chip. Since it starts at $269, this might be the model to try out If you're price-conscious.
The new lineup
Along with two differently-sized models, Series 2 is divided into four categories: the basic Apple Watch, the sporty Apple Watch Nike+, the stylish Apple Watch Hermés, and the pricey Apple Watch Edition.
Built of aluminum and Ion-X glass, the Apple Watch starts at $369 (vendor price) and comes with a sport band of woven nylon. The Watch housings come in a variety of colors, including rose gold, gold, black and silver. The more durable steel and sapphire display models start at $549 and have various price points up to $1,049, depending on the watch band and material. (The Space Black models cost more than the Stainless Steel models.)
The Nike+ models are based on the Series 2 models, but with a choice of four different -- and rather sporty-looking -- Nike bands. These start at $369, will ship Oct. 28 and are designed to tell the world you're a fitness aficionado. Functionally, they're the same as the base model, with the exception that this model also ships with exclusive Nike+ watch faces and complications, along with the Nike+ Run Club app.
The Apple Watch Hermes versions offer seven different bands to choose from, with a Hermes-specific Watch face option. This collection is based on the Series 2 stainless steel models with sapphire displays. Prices start at $1,149 on the low end and go up to $1,499 for the Etoupe Swift Leather Double Buckle Cuff.
Finally, the Series 2 Apple Watch Edition features a white ceramic body with sapphire display and a light gray-colored sports band called Cloud that's exclusive to this model. The Edition also comes with a charging dock, as well it should. It starts at $1,249.
For this review, I initially purchased the 42mm Space Black model before returning it for the shinier Stainless Steel model with a white sports band. To me, the regular Stainless Steel just looks more upscale, the Space Black, more sporty.
The importance of software
Software is the bridge to interacting with hardware. Last month, Apple's Watch received a pretty dramatic update with the arrival of watchOS 3, which went a long way to improving the user experience. The Watch team seems to have taken into account many of the early complaints and adjusted the software accordingly, including changing the little-used Favorites button so that it now launches the more useful Dock for recent and favorite apps. WatchOS 3 also boosted app launch speed by keeping Dock apps always in memory and introduced new exercise profiles for more accurate calorie tracking across even more activities.
Also important: WatchOS 3 introduced a new feature called SOS, which, when activated, calls out to the local emergency number, shares your location with emergency services and emergency contacts, and reaches out to your contacts with updates about your location if you move.
(For more details, see our in-depth watchOS 3 review.)
The enhancements to Watch Series 2 make use of those new features: GPS on the Watch makes location tracking more precise without an iPhone; the improved water resistance allows for use while swimming, diving or taking part in other water-based sports; and the improved system performance means you won't be impatiently waiting on the Watch to do something while you wonder if grabbing your iPhone would have been a better option. (That often happened to me with watchOS 1 and 2.)
Focus on fitness
Series 2 is being pushed as a more comprehensive health companion, and the hardware upgrades illustrate why. First, the entire casing has been redesigned to be more water resistant, up to 50 meters deep, according to Apple. There is even a setting in the software for when the Watch will be immersed, found in the Control Center. This setting locks the screen to avoid spurious interface touches due to the wet display; it is turned off by rotating the digital crown. A series of beeps will ring out as the Watch uses sound waves to clear the speaker cavity of water.
With the previous Watch, I never hesitated to wear it while showering, swimming in pools, or visiting water parks. And I never had problems. But this model is actually built for the water, not only with the aforementioned water- resistant casing and sound wave trick, but by being able to more accurately track swimming workouts.
The addition of GPS is also significant because it makes the watch truly a standalone fitness device; no longer does it require an iPhone to be present for accurate running and walk tracking.
What's also great about the GPS feature is that there is no way to turn it off or on. When the Workout app is launched, the Watch locks on to GPS, and if it sees that an iPhone is not around, it'll use that preemptive GPS lock to track your run or walk. It's all invisible, and happens with no user interaction.
As a result, I was able to run without any interruptions from iPhone notifications. But there's a caveat: Not having the iPhone means you can't capture a photo when the light hits a tree just right, and of course, you won't get any phone calls or messages. There's peace without the iPhone, but you're also leaving behind ... everything. This will be the case until the Watch comes with its own cellular data connection.
If you don't want your runs to be completely quiet, the Series 2, like earlier versions of the Apple Watch, lets you sync up to 250 songs and store them on the Watch itself. These songs can be played from the Watch when connected to a Bluetooth headset. However, to get GPS-accuracy with last year's model, you had to bring your iPhone with you. And since the iPhone's storage capacity is much greater than the Watch, it made sense to just pair your Bluetooth headset to the iPhone and access your larger song catalogue there. Now that the Watch uses GPS for tracking runs and walks, playing music stored on the Watch makes more sense.
Other enhancements
System performance is doubled in the Series 2; an improvement that is instantly obvious. It's not just app loading times that have improved -- the Watch is much faster to react to touches and gestures.
Because the Series 2 is faster, I've started relying on it for even more functions. I even downloaded some simple games for it -- Apensar, BlackJack, Trivia Crack and Elevate -- to use as quick distractions. That's significant because I never felt compelled to try any gaming on the first gen Watch.
Another big difference this year is that the Taptic Engine is stronger, which makes a big difference on the Stainless Steel models. (The Taptic Engine is the component that provides physical feedback when you press on the screen or if the Watch is sending you an alert.) I was able to turn off the Prominent Haptic option because of the improved hardware; before, I would sometimes miss notifications without the additional buzzing Prominent Haptic feedback provides.
Making a switch
After using the Series 2 Space Black model for two weeks, I returned it for two reasons: The bands I purchased looked better with the Stainless Steel, and I knew I'd be forced to go back to using my first-gen Watch while waiting for the new one to arrive. I wanted to see if this year's improvements were actually worth the purchase of the new one or if I could survive with the older model.
I quickly realized that the brighter screen really does make a difference in day-to-day activities (especially if you're outdoors often). The heart rate monitor seems to be improved -- important to me since I'm active. And, most importantly, the faster hardware in the Series 2 goes a long way to encouraging use. I found myself more impatient with the first-gen Watch after spending time with Series 2. Speed spoils.
How I use it
I started out using the new Watch to track activity and workouts, as before. But I also figured since the watch already tells me to stand -- and to relax (via the Breathe app) -- it can also do things like notify me to drink water regularly and track sleep. For those, I use the WaterMinder and Sleep Pulse 2 apps, respectively. (Unlike most people who charge their watch overnight, I charge mine in the car on the commute back-and-forth to work.)
There are a variety of features on the Watch I use often, such as controlling the lights at my house on the Watch via Siri, starting my car, making payments via Apple Pay, and the ever-convenient action of logging into my Mac without entering a password. The integration with the iPhone (and the unlocking feature for Macs running macOS Sierra) make the Apple Watch a good add-on to the Apple ecosystem.
But mostly I use the Watch as a filter. With it on my wrist, my iPhone no longer rings and vibrates; it's always in silent mode. Every time I remove the phone from my pocket, my Lock Screen shows me those notifications that weren't important enough to interrupt my day -- the important ones I've already responded to with the Watch. I've customized it so that only the important notifications are sent to my wrist. If the Watch is tapping my wrist, it's telling me something I need to be aware of now. Without this filter, my phone would be constantly nagging me.
Bottom line
Still, there are a few things that would the Apple Watch Series 2 better.
To be a more complete fitness tracker, the Watch needs a barometer so it can more accurately track elevation changes; better battery life, so that GPS usage doesn't cut into what should be a day's worth of use; and new sensors in the bands to expand tracked Health data. That said, this year's software and hardware updates make the Series 2 a very good stand-alone fitness device.
If and when Apple ships a Watch with LTE/cell capabilities, that watch -- in concert with a Bluetooth headset -- could actually replace the cell phone for people on the go. But for now, we have a much-improved wearable from Apple that slots right into the ecosystem and provides a large number of uses for a wide variety of people. That said, it remains a good-to-have device more than a must-have.
WatchOS 3 went a long way to make the Apple Watch much more user-friendly and Apple-like in its utility. The hardware update finished the job. If you're already an iPhone user and in the market for a fitness band, or for a way to filter out digital distractions, this year's Watch models are worth checking out. They've come a long way in a year.
Apple Watch Series 2
- Faster than previous model.
- Uses watchOS 3, which much improves utility.
- Now includes GPS.
- More water resistant than previous model.
- Brighter screen.
- Still doesn't have a barometer.
- Battery life could be improved.
Copyright © 2016 IDG Communications, Inc.