At Google this weekend. Seeing a CMU telepresence robot now.

 

Some details from the scifoo Wiki:

 

I'd like to discuss an idea I'm formulating to improve climate modeling called "Global Swarming." The core idea is to deploy tens of thousands of ocean probes by leveraging the creative smarts and logistics coordination of the web.

 

As someone who served as an expert witness in the Dover "Intelligent Design" trial, and who has worked in the "creation-evolution" arena for a long time, if there is any interest I would be happy to run a session on "What happens post-Dover?" What will be the next wave of anti-evolutionism and anti-science? What needs to be done to combat it and raise the American public's awareness of the evidence for evolution? Why is this issue critical to the success of basic research in this country? How do scientists, educators, and tech folks fit in?

 

I'd like to brainstorm about programmable matter ProgrammableMatter. Programmable matter is any substance which can be programmed to change its shape or physical properties. We are currently working on constructing programmable matter and investigating how to program it. I would be most interested in talking about how one might program ensembles.

 

I’d like to present on OpenWetWare, a wiki promoting open research among biologists and biological engineers. With 65 labs and 1200 users on OpenWetWare, I can provide practical examples of how scientists are currently making use of the web(2.0) to support research and education in new ways. I’ll also talk about where the site is headed in the future, and how foocampers could help make it easier for scientists to share more of their secrets online.

 

I'll bring a memory stick with the recent radar images of what appear to be hydrocarbon-filled lakes on Saturn's moon, Titan, and some movies from Titan. I'm also happy to discuss the interesting phenomenon of "instant public science" done by enthusiasts everywhere who have instant access to the latest space science data from the web. BTW, Nature magazine's piece on exciting questions in chemistry (this week) included a mention of Titan, which should be on every organic chemists' hit list for places to visit.

 

I am interested in discussing the dichotomy of design and evolutionary search as divergent paths in complex systems development. - jurvetson.blogspot.com

 

I could begin a session about Systems Biology, with a general theme of building towards whole cell or whole organisms models in biology. I have some (whacky) ideas about this in addition to having done some real science on this subject.

 

I could present about novel circuit-focused neurotechnologies I'm developing, for advancing the study of brain function and consciousness, and for treating neurological and psychiatric disorders. Although I've been exploring this question in academic research settings – and I'm gearing up to set up my own university laboratory – I'd like to brainstorm about how to build the significant community of clinicians, engineers, scientists, and psychologists that we'd need to make strong scientific progress on the timeless, unyielding problem of understanding the nature of consciousness.

 

I could talk about/demonstrate: digital fabrication in the lab and its impact in field fab labs around the world, mathematical programs as a programming model for enormous/unreliable/extended systems and their application in analog logic circuits and Internet 0 networks, and microfluidic logic to integrate chemistry with computation

 

I could contribute to a session on powerlaws in nature, markets and human affairs. They're found nearly everywhere, from earthquakes to species distributions to cities to wars. We used to think the world was mostly defined by gaussian distributions (bell curves) with neat medians and standard deviations. But now we see that powerlaws, where low-frequency events have the highest amplitude, are far more common, and they're infinite functions where concepts like "average" are meaningless. What are the factors that create powerlaws and what does nature have in common with economics and social networking in this instance?

 

I'd like to talk to the assembled folks about a project we are running to help scientists move large datasets without using the internet (which can be very slow or expensive.

 

I hope to demo a viral database and talk about efforts to build real time surveillance via the WHO.

 

I'd like to discuss the range of applications being discussed in HE (HigherEd) that permit faculty and research groups to store and share a wide range of scholarly assets, including research data, texts (articles such as pre-prints and post-prints), images, and other media. These next generation academic apps provide support for tagging, community-of-use definitions, discovery, rights assertions via CC, and new models of peer review and commentary. Early designs typically implicate heavy use of atom or gdata for posting and retrieval, lucene, and ajax.

 

I can offer a brief introduction to the Human Genome, and the field of Comparative Genomics which focuses on comparing our own genome to that of other species. I'll try to give a taste of some of the startling revelations, seeming paradoxes, and many open questions that make working with this three billion letter string a ball.

 

I could offer the opposite point of view, looking at the very simplest organisms, what they do, how they work, and what life looks like when the genome fits on a floppy.

 

I would like to talk about the future of the scientific method. How the scientific method was one invention the Chinese did not make before the west, and how the process of science has changed in the last 400 years and will change even more in the next 50 years. I'd love to hear others' ideas of where the science method is headed.

 

I could offer some (possibly naive) ideas on how we could design evolvability into the scientific process by learning from the evolution of cellular complexity. I can also include some examples from language evolution and software evolution.

 

I can describe our general approach for open collaborative biomedical research at The Synaptic Leap.

 

I have in mind a presentation related to my project on Milestones in the History of Data Visualization – an attempt to provide a comprehensive catalog documenting and illustrating the historical developments leading to modern data visualization and visual thinking. The talk might encompass some of (a) some great moments in the history of data visualization, (b) 'statistical historiography': the study of history as 'data', (c) a self-referential Q: how to visualize this history. The goal would be more to suggest questions and aproaches than to provide answers – in fact a main reason to present would be to hear other people's reactions.

 

As we're on the topic of visualizations, I could give a talk about the rise of the geobrowser/virtual globe and how it is revolutionizing the geospatial visualization of information. I can showcase some of the best examples of scientific visualizations, show how geobrowsers are helping humanitarian causes and discuss the social-software aspect of Google Earth and other expected 'mirror worlds', where geospatial information is shared, wiki-like. Above all, I would love to brainstorm the possible use of geobrowsers in the projects of other campers.

 

I'm willing to give a talk about imaging projects in the Stanford Computer Graphics Laboratory, such as our large array of cameras, our handheld camera whose photographs you can refocus after you take the picture, and our work on multi-perspective panoramas (the Google-funded Stanford CityBlock Project). These projects are part of a trend towards "computational photography", in which computers play a significant role in image formation.

 

I'm a Hugo Award-winning science-fiction writer, and I'm working on a trilogy (my 18th through 20th novels) about the World Wide Web spontaneously gaining consciousness once the number of interconnections it has exceeds the number in a human brain. I'd love to talk a bit about my ideas of how such a consciousness, at first an epiphenomenon supervening on top of the web infrastructure, might actually come to access the documents and input sources available online and how it might perceive external reality, and I'd love to brainstorm with people about what sort of interactions and relationships humanity might have with such an entity.

 

I could talk about the current and future generation of astronomical surveys that will map the sky every three nights or so (e.g. the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope). They are designed to be able to address multiple science goals from the same data set (e.g. understanding cosmology and dark energy through to indentifying moving sources such as asteroids in our Solar System). With hundreds of thousands of variable sources detected each year (on top of the ten billion non-variables) the flow of data presents a number of challenges for how we follow up these sources.

 

I could talk about insights gained as part of the NSF-funded Pathways research project (Cornell U, LANL) that looks at scholarly communication as a global workflow across heterogeneous repositories and tries to identify a lightweight interoperability framework to facilitate the emergence of a natively digital scholarly communication system. Think introspecting on the evolution of science by traversing a scholarly communication graph that jumps across repositories. I could also talk about work we have been doing with scholarly usage information: aggregating it across repositories, and using the aggregated data to generate recommendations and metrics.

 

I'd love to show the prototype of an NSF-sponsored web-based simulation designed to help students learn about the nature of science. I'll bring the server on my laptop; we can all connect and play cosmologist. Advice welcome. More at NatureOfScienceGame

 

Making Open Access Affordable (free): There is a move afoot to put all science literature in the public domain (it is mostly funded with tax-free or tax money). There is a move afoot to put all science data in the public domain (ditto). These are unfunded mandates. We can not do much about the funding, but we computer scientists can do a LOT to drive the needed funds to zero by making it EASY to publish, organize, search, and display literature and data online. This also dovetails with Jill Mesirov's approach to reproducable science – future science literature will be a multi-layer summary of the source data – words, graphs, pictures on top and derivations + data underneath. Many working on these issues will be at this event. We should have a group-grope.

 

Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) for small labs with BIG data. It is embarrassing how many scientists use Excel as their database system – but even more embarrassing is how many use paper notebooks as their database. New science instruments (aka sensors) produce more data and more diverse data than will fit in a paper notebook, a table in a paper, or in Excel. How does "small science" work in this new world where it takes 3 super-programmers per ecologist to deploy some temperature and moisture sensors in a small ecosystem? We think we have an answer to this in the form of pre-canned LIMS applications.

 

Related to this I could talk a bit about how our work on myGrid has been aiming at taking the escience capabilities offered to large well funded groups down to a more 'grass roots' level - grid based science is traditionally the realm of people and groups with serious money but we don't think this has to be the case.

 

I could present a software demo of a new web-based collaborative environment for sharing drug discovery data – initially focused on developing world infectious disease research (such as Malaria, Chagas Disease, African Sleeping Sickness) with technology that should be equally applicable for scientists collaborating around any private or public therapeutic area. This demo is a collaboration initiated between Collaborative Drug Discovery, Inc and Prof. McKerrow at UCSF which could shift drug discovery efforts away from today's fragmented, secretive, individual lab model to an integrated, distributed model while maintaining data and IP protection.

 

Our present vaccine production infrastructure leaves us woefully unprepared to deal with either natural or artificial surprises – think SARS and avian influenza (H5N1), which can both easily outpace our technological response. There are superior technological alternatives that will not be widely available for years to come due to regulatory issues, and I would like engage the other campers on ways to address this problem. In particular, I would like to explore the potential contribution of distributed, low cost science – garage science – to improving our safety and preparedness.

 

The "Encyclopedia of Life" is a buzz phrase being bandied around by biologists – the idea is having an online resource that tells you what we know about each species of organism on the planet. It's an idea that seems obvious, but how would we achieve this given the scale of the task (number of known species about 2 million, those waiting to be found maybe 2-100, we really don't know), the rapidly dwindling number of experts who can tells us something about those organisms, the size of the literature (unlike most sciences, taxonomists care about stuff published back as far as the 18th century), and the widely distributed, often poorly digitized sources of information? I'd willing to chat about some of the issues involved, and some possible solutions

 

I would like to share briefly with you the results of a five year project to create and publish the world’s first totally integrated Encyclopedic vision of food – its origins, variations, complexity,nutrients, dimensions, meanings, enjoyment, history and a thousand and one stories about food. The result is a new kind of truly multidimensional Encyclopedia of Food and Culture that I edited with a whole team of scientists and scholars, and Scribner’s (Gale /Thompson) published in 2003. The Encyclopedia has been well reviewed and we won, among many awards, the Dartmouth Medal (the top prize in the reference world) in July 2004. I am bringing a three volume HARD copy with me and will put it on display at the “Table” for everyone to peruse at your leisure -(it is designed to ‘catch you’ – so if you are a browser and you love food you may have trouble giving it up for others to read!)I would also be delighted to talk about a new kind of World Food Museum that is designed to make the Encyclopedia come alive (please seem my bio statement for more).

 

I would like to present Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Citizen Science work as an example of several of the broader citizen science interests described in the Wiki. These include: Challenges of involving the public in data collection for professional research, scientific tradeoffs and possibilities, internet data collection tools, dynamic graphing and mapping tools, data mining, sustainability, webcommunity building plans for the future, and recruitment models within the contexts of conservation science and ornithology.

I would also like to demonstrate the new Pulluin software chip that fits in a TREO palm cell phone. It has a bird ID tool, lets you hear vocalizations, see pictures, and enter data into one of our citizen science projects, eBird. The ideal way to show you this toy would be to take interested campers on an early morning bird walk. If I can get enough signups, I will try to get eBird project leader, Brian Sullivan, to come up from Monterey, providing he is available. We would probably carpool to the shore to bird. If you are interested, email me and tell me which days, Sat., Sun., or both, you would be available.

 

Who are we? I'd like to give a short talk to argue for the importance of addressing an old question with a new meaning: What is it like to be human? Why do we dare, care and share? Why are we curious, generous and open? We have to deal with these questions before artifical intelligence, genetic engineering and the globalisation of cultures have changed us irreversibly. Many areas of activity in science, technology and the arts offer new perspectives: Sexual selection, algorithmic information theory, perception, nutrition, experimental economics, game theory and network theory, etc. They point to a coherent view of humans as flows and processes, rather than things and objects. Openness is essential. Attention is essential. Time is ripe for a new collective effort at producing a view of human being relevant to our age.

 

Robotics for the Masses – I would like to present two new technologies that we are public-domaining imminently. One is Gigapan, a technology for taking ultra-high-resolution panoramic images with low-cost equipment. We can generate time lapses of an entire field with enough detail to see individual petals in detail as they bloom and wither. The second is the TeRK site, which is designed to enable non-roboticists to make robots for tools without becoming robotics experts. I will bring Gigapans and TeRK robots with me and would love to show them doing their techie things. Both of these strands have the potential to be useful scientific tools.

 

Science, not near as much fun as math! :~) But without it the world remains untouchable. Do you want your child with maximum understanding? We better equip the rest to understand her, so that she is heard when speaking about this exquisite world. But how to reach as many as can be reached? Free is not near enough, full access comes close. The challenge is to deliver science, as the compelling, engaging, tantalizing world that it is, the very first frontier to cross into who we are. The quality of that experience needs freedom of expression. NASA World Wind is a bold step towards that. We are delighted to share the not-so-secret secrets thereof.

 

I could discuss how our fundamental discoveries on bipedal bugs and octopuses, gripping geckos and galloping ghost crabs have provided biological inspiration for the design of robots, artificial muscles and adhesives. I can include a demo of artificial muscles from Artificial Muscle Incorporated. I will bring two robots in development – a gecko-like climbing robot from our collaboration with Stanford and an insect-like hexapedal robot built by our UPenn colleagues. I will carry with me live death-head cockroaches that serve as our inspiration. I could facilitate a discussion of neuromechanical control architectures. I will introduce briefly our new center at Berkeley (CIBER – Center for Interdisciplinary Bio-inspiration in Education and Research) and a new journal - Bioinspiration and Biomimetics. I welcome this group’s creative suggestions not only for the next generation of robots, but also for novel designs using tunable skeletal structures, artificial muscles and dry adhesives

 

I would be interested in discussing and debating technical and nontechnical issue involving Social Semantic Search and Analytics. There is a significant interest in Social Search, and some interest in Semantic Search. Here is a scenario that probably involves more futuristic capabilities but a modest verion of this can lead to lower hanging fruits involving "little semantics" and "weak semantics" which would involve less infrastructure in creating and maintaining ontologies (albeit my experience shows building and maintaining large ontologies is doable, see Semantic Web: A different perspective on what works and what doesn't: (a) a research paper is published ;Eg: Semantics Analytics on Social Networks www2006.org/programme/item.php?id=4068], (b) there is a popular press article with numerous factual errors and unsupported conjuctures e.g., this one, (c) there are several versions on popular web sites along with numerous blog postings containing emotional reactions See for example, (d) Tim O'Reilly digs into the facts and sets the record staight in Datamining Social Networking Sites. How can we track the string of these stories along various dimensions [thematic, spatial, temporal] while provding overview, ranking based on various criteria, contextual linking, insights on individual postings, and more? I am interested in more than clustering and linking through statistical analysis which are good to put some stories in font of a reader,but would not sufficiently help someone who needs to creat a cogent understanding of an event or a situation.

 

I'd like to discuss the planning of a Mountain View Consensus, in response to Bjørn Lomborg's Copenhagen Consensus, a ranking of where to spend money on the world's biggest problems. The frustrating thing about the Copenhagen Consensus is that it is published as a report – so if you think the compund interest rate should be 2% higher, you can only speculate on what the effect would be of changing it. For the Mountain View Consensus we would publish findings as a collaborative spreadsheet, with annotations for the values that different participants place on each variable, and the opportunity for anyone to add annotations. Also, while Lomborg invited only economists, we would include scientists and engineers who understand the technologies, and venture capitalists who understand risk factors and chances of technology bets.

 

I have two projects I'd like to share at Science Foo–and i'm eager to hear your thoughts on how best to build and deploy them both:

1) An open source project–the Family Medical History Tool –that could graphically capture essential medical data and which could be shared by family members (with this goes a myriad of challenging issues around privacy, HIPPA laws, etc.

2) We're initiating a "citizen science" approach to a retrospective clinical trial providing open and transparent results real-time. We believe that additional data could be rapidly collected to demonstrate a correlation between drug metabolism and genotype for the 2D6 gene and the drug tamoxifen. Preliminary data shows that 5-10 % of women who are 2D6 poor metabolizers taking tamoxifen (to avoid a reoccurrence of cancer) may be getting nothing more than a placebo effect, and worse, run a 3 times greater risk of a cancer reoccurrence.

 

I could give a talk and lead a discussion on the status and prospects for advanced nanotechnologies based on digital control of molecular assembly. I'd start by describing machines that already do this (in biology) and how they are being exploited to make nanostructures. I'd then outline a path forward to some very powerful technologies that today can be studied only by means of physical modeling and computational simulation. There are potential applications on a scale relevant to the climate change problem.

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

Parked trailer full of crushed cars ready for their final journey to the recycling plant.

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 26185

 

ITM1692074

 

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month It’s that time month! different Just because she’s different it doesn’t mean she’s bad lot have lot explaining do right Turn right when reach corner study Let’s study English lessons together book borrow your English book eye She has pink eye job love job word Describe yourself one word are angry now I’m sure forget about this later business thriving issue This issue side Whose side are on anyway kind Always kind even strangers four There are four seasons year head Let’s head back it’s freezing out here far We’ve gone too far now we’re lost black She has long black hair long She has long brown hair both They both love chocolate ice cream little have two little boys with now house quiet without yes hope say yes after all this time has finally learned love since Ever since mom died has been cranky angry at world long That was such long time ago provide provide with list your services service have specific dental service treat this around went around block friend You’re good friend important You’re important father father important sit Let’s sit outside together away He’s away right when away power With great power comes great responsibility hour I’ve been checking temperature every hour game Let’s play game often buy from bakery as often as yet He’s yet home line There’s long line at grocery cashier political stay away from political discussions end It’s end era all pets Have ever tried this cake stand stand still minute bad did was bad lose can’t lose however buy this bag however need save up it first member She’s member babysitter’s club pay Let’s pay groceries law There’s law against jay-walking meet meet aunt car Let’s go inside car city This city that never sleeps almost I’m almost done with report include Did remember include summary your report continue continue working tomorrow set Great let set appointment later I’ll finish it later community community very tight knit much There’s much learn English language name What’s your name five give five reasons why need watch that video had puppy named Bark white love white sneakers least She’s least productive among all employees president She was class president back high school learn I’d love learn more about English language real real name change change that things get better team They hired team design their new office minute She’s laughing every minute every day best This best potato salad I’ve ever tasted several have several old clothes need donate idea It was your idea go beach remember kid loved that toy when was kid body She worked out hard achieve toned body information This information need nothing There’s nothing now ago Three years ago visited Japan first time right You’re right go back there lead Just lead way I’ll follow social feel awkward these social gatherings understand how feel big groups or small groups always feel little shy at first back Looking back knew was always introvert watch Let’s watch sun set on horizon together They’re together now follow I’ll follow home around You’ll always have around parent Every parent trying hard doing their best only are only allowed go out today stop stop that face Why your face red anything ask anything create Did create that presentation It was good public This public property already asked resend report speak Could speak little louder others others haven’t arrived yet read read somewhere that this house haunted level level are that game allow allow your kids play outside house add it okay add bit sugar tea office Welcome office spend How much did spend on your last shopping spree door left door open health must take good care your health person are good person art This work art sure Are sure this alone such are such brave little boy war war has finally ended history She history professor party Are going party tonight within support everyone within small community grow everyone grow thrive their careers result result this outreach program amazing open Are open teaching on weekends change Where change diaper morning It’s such beautiful morning! walk Come take walk with reason are reason came home low blood pressure has gotten really low win win this match work together research How your research going girl That girl class guy I’ve seen that guy school before early come work early every day food Let’s buy some food I’m hungry! before talk before go home moment moment she walked room puppy started jump dance again himself cooked this Turkey himself air am loving cold night air here teacher are best teacher ever force Don’t force play with other kids offer offer ride home enough Boys that’s enough playing today both both need change into your sleep clothes now education just get best education across Your dog ran across park although she felt tired she still couldn’t sleep remember think she still remember after ten years foot foot got caught one ropes second This second time she got late this month boy There’s boy class who keeps pulling have ice cream dessert toward took step toward able able send your report today age average marrying age these days off cat ran off with dog policy They have generous return policy everything Everything on sale love love you’re wearing! process Wait give time process everything you’re telling music love music including Around 20 people attended including Bob Beth consider hope consider project proposal appear How did that appear out nowhere actually I’m actually just heading out buy I’m going buy these shoes probably He’s probably still asleep human Give break only human wait it alright wait few minutes serve This blow dryer has served well years market Let’s visit Sunday market die don’t cat die let’s take vet send send package address expect can’t expect much from their poor service home can’t wait go home! sense did sense that something was okay build going build dream house stay stay with few weeks fall careful might fall oh Oh no left phone at home! nation have act as one nation plan What’s your plan this time cut Don’t cut your hair college met college interest Music interest mine death Death such heavy topic course course did take up college someone there someone who go with experience exciting experience! behind I’m scared check what’s behind that door reach can’t reach him won’t answer phone local This local business kill Smoking kill six have six books about Psychology remain These remain on top shelf effect Wow effect that mascara great! use use your phone yeah Yeah did call earlier suggest did suggest that class same English class control Where’s remote control raise It’s challenging discipline kids these days care don’t care about think perhaps Perhaps arrive at compromise little There’s little bird outside window late am running late doctor’s appointment hard That test was hard field He’s over there by soccer field else anyone else coming pass pass by grocery store former She was former housemate sell sell your old couch online major It’s major issue project sometimes Sometimes forget turn off porch lights require They’ll require show your I D along tag along your road trip development This news development really interesting themselves They take care themselves report read report it was great! role She’s going play role Elsa better Your singing has gotten much better! economic Some countries are facing economic crisis effort government must make effort solve this up grades have gone up decide decide where eat rate How would rate hotel’s service strong They have strong customer service here! possible Maybe it’s possible change their bathroom amenities heart heart full drug She got patent drug she has created cure cancer show show how solve this puzzle leader are wonderful leader light Watch face light up when mention name voice Hearing mom’s voice all need right now wife wife away weekend whole have whole house myself police police have questioned about incident mind This relaxation technique really eases mind finally finally move out from old apartment pull baby niece likes pull hair return give tickles return free best things life are free military dad military price This price pay lying report Did report this police less am praying less stress this coming new year according According weather report it’s going rain today decision This big decision explain I’ll explain everything later promise son son cute! hope hope I’ll have son one day even Even they’ve broken up they still remain friends develop That rash could develop into something more serious view This view amazing! relationship They’ve taken their relationship next level carry carry bag town This town extremely quiet road There’s road that leads edge woods drive can’t drive there need walk arm broke arm during practice true It’s true I’m leaving company federal Animal abuse now federal felony! break Don’t break law better better learn how follow rules difference What’s difference between happiness contentment thank forgot thank pie she sent us receive Did receive pie sent value value friendship much international Their brand has gone international! building This building tall! action next action going critical full work load full now model great leader great model how things join wants join soccer team season Christmas favorite season! society Their society holding fund raiser because I’m going home because mom needs tax How much current income tax director director yelled ‘Cut!' early I’m too early appointment position position your hand properly when drawing player That basketball player cute agree agree! cute! especially especially like blue eyes record record minutes this meeting pick Did pick color theme already wear that you’re going wear party paper use special paper your invitations special Some special paper are even scented! space leave some space write down your phone number ground ground shaking form new island was formed after that big earthquake support need your support this project event We’re holding big event tonight official official wedding photos are out! whose Whose umbrella this matter does it matter anyway everyone Everyone thinks stole that file center hate being center attention couple couple on their honeymoon now site This site big! end It’s end era project This project file due tomorrow hit hit burglar with bat base All moms are their child’s home base activity musical activity suggest toddler star son draw star! table saw draw it while was writing on table need need enroll good preschool court There’s basketball court near house produce Fresh farm produce best eat could eat that all day American sister dating American teach love teach English lessons oil Could buy some cooking oil at store half Just half liter situation situation getting out hand easy thought said this was going easy cost cost fuel has increased! industry fuel industry hiking prices figure government figure out how fix this problem face can’t bear face this horrendous traffic again again street Let’s cross street image There’s image stored inside mind itself bike itself pretty awesome phone Plus it has phone holder either either walk or commute work data How simplify this data cover Could cover during emergencies quite I’m quite satisfied with their work picture Picture this: lake cabin lots peace quiet clear That picture clear inside head practice Let’s practice dance number piece That’s piece cake! land Their plane going land soon recent This most recent social media post describe Describe yourself one word product This favorite product their new line cosmetics doctor doctor wall post this up on wall patient patient much pain now worker She’s factory worker news saw that on news test have pass this English test movie Let’s watch movie later certain There’s certain kind magic air now north Santa lives up north love l love Christmas! personal This letter very personal open Why did open read it support support simply simply won’t tolerate bad behavior third This third time you’ve lied technology Write about advantages technology catch Let’s catch up soon please! step Watch your step baby baby adorable computer turn on computer type need type your password attention have your attention draw draw this film That film absolutely mind-blowing Republican Republican candidate tree That tree has been there generations source are source strength red I’ll wear red dress tonight nearly nearly died that accident! organization Their organization doing great things street kids choose Let choose color cause have see cause effect this experiment hair I’ll cut hair short change look look at items bought point point all this century We’re living 21st century Mary evidence evidence clearly shows that guilty window I’ll buy window curtains next week difficult Sometimes life difficult listen have listen your teacher soon launch course soon culture hope they understand culture better billion target have 1 billion dollars account by end year chance there chance that this brother brother always have back energy Now put that energy into walking period They covered period twenty years course Have seen course already summer I’ll go beach summer less Sometimes less more realize just realize that have meeting today hundred have hundred dollars that lend available am available work on your project plant Plant seed likely It was likely deer trail opportunity It was perfect opportunity test theory term I’m sure there’s Latin term it short It was just short stay at hotel letter already passed letter intent condition know condition am choice have no choice place Let’s meet out at meeting place single am single parent rule It’s rule law daughter knows how read now administration take this up with administration south am headed south husband just bought ring birthday Congress It debated at Congress floor She floor manager campaign handled their election campaign material She had nothing material report population population nearest big city was growing well wish well call am going call bank economy economy booming medical -She needs medical assistance hospital I’ll take nearest hospital church saw church last Sunday close -Please close door thousand There are thousand reasons learn English! risk Taking risk rewarding current your current address fire Make sure your smoke alarm works case fire future -The future full hope wrong That wrong answer involve need involve police defense your defense or reason did this anyone Does anyone know answer increase Let’s increase your test score security Some apartment buildings have security bank need go bank withdraw some money myself clean up by myself certainly certainly help clean up west drive West arrive California sport favorite sport soccer board see board seek Seek find per Lobster $20 per pound subject favorite subject English! officer Where find police officer private This private party rest Let’s take 15 minute rest behavior This dog’s behavior excellent deal used car good deal performance Your performance affected by your sleep fight don’t fight with throw German ball! top are top student quickly Let’s finish reading this quickly past past English was as good as it today goal speak English fluently second second goal increase confidence bed go bed around 10pm order would like order book author author this series world-famous fill need fill (up) gas tank represent represent family focus Turn off your phone TV focus on your studies! foreign It’s great having foreign friends drop don’t drop eggs! plan Let’s make plan blood hospital needs people give blood upon Once upon time princess lived castle agency Let’s contract agency help with marketing push door says ‘push ’ ‘pull ' nature love walking nature! colou color blue no ‘No’ one shortest complete sentences recently cleaned bathroom most recently think it’s your turn this time store I’m going store buy some bread reduce reuse recycle are ways help environment sound like sound wind chimes note take notes during lesson fine movie let’s buy popcorn! near Near far wherever are believe that heart goes on movement environmental movement international movement page turn page 62 enter enter building on left share Let share idea than Ice cream has more calories than water common Most people find something common with each other poor had poor harvest this year because it was dry other This pen doesn’t work try other one natural This cleaner natural there aren’t chemicals it race watched car race on TV concern Thank your concern but I’m fine series your favorite TV series significant job earns significant amount money similar These earrings don’t match but they are similar hot Don’t touch stove it’s still hot language Learning new language fun each Put flower each vase usually usually shop at corner store response didn’t expect response come soon dead phone dead let charge it rise sun rise at 7:00 a m animal kind animal that factor Heredity factor your overall health decade I’ve lived this city over decade article Did read that newspaper article shoot wants shoot arrows at target east Drive east three miles save save all cans recycling seven There are seven slices pie left artist Taylor Swift recording artist away wish that mosquito would go away scene painted colorful street scene stock That shop has good stock postcards career Retail sales good career some people despite Despite rain still have picnic central There good shopping central London eight That recipe takes eight cups flour thus haven’t had problems thus far treatment propose treatment plan your injury beyond town just beyond those mountains happy Kittens make happy exactly Use exactly one teaspoon salt that recipe protect coat protect from cold weather approach cat slowly approached bird lie Teach your children lie size size that shirt dog think dog good pet fund have savings fund college serious She serious she never laughs occur Strange things occur that empty house media That issue has been discussed media ready Are ready leave work sign That store needs bigger sign thought I’ll have give it some thought list made list things do individual buy individual or group membership simple appliance comes with simple instructions quality paid little more quality shoes pressure There no pressure finish right now accept accept credit card answer Give your answer by noon tomorrow hard That test was very hard resource library has many online resources identify can’t identify that plant left door on your left as approach meeting We’ll have staff meeting after lunch determine Eye color genetically determined prepare I’ll prepare breakfast tomorrow disease Face masks help prevent disease whatever Choose whatever flavor like best success Failure back door success argue It’s good idea argue with your boss cup Would like cup coffee particularly It’s particularly hot outside just warm amount It take large amount food feed elephant ability has ability explain things well staff There are five people on staff here recognize recognize person this photo indicate reply indicated that she understood character trust people good character growth company has seen strong growth this quarter loss farmer suffered heavy losses after storm degree Set oven 300 degrees wonder wonder Bulls win game attack army attack at dawn herself She bought herself new coat region internet services are your region television don’t watch much television box packed dishes strong box TV There good movie on TV tonight training company pay your training pretty That pretty dress trade stock market traded lower today deal got good deal at store election Who think win election everybody likes ice cream physical Keep physical distance six feet lay baby crib general impression restaurant was good feeling have good feeling about this standard standard fee $10 00 bill electrician send bill message have text message on your phone fail fail see funny about that outside cat goes outside sometimes arrive When your plane arrive analysis I’ll give analysis when I’ve seen everything benefit There are many health benefits quinoa name What’s your name sex know sex your baby yet forward Move car forward few feet lawyer legal helped write present everyone present meeting begin section stadium are sitting environmental science economy politics political politician issues are news glass much heavier than plastic answer Could answer question skill best skill woodworking sister lives close PM movie starts at 7:30 PM professor Dr Smith professor operation mining operation employs thousands people financial keep accounts at financial institution crime police fight crime stage caterpillar larval stage butterfly ok Would it ok eat out tonight compare should compare cars before buy one authority City authorities make local laws miss you when see again design need design new logo sort Let’s sort these beads according color one only have one cat act I’ll act on your information today ten baby counted ten toes knowledge have knowledge fix that gun Gun ownership controversial topic station There train station close house blue favorite color blue state After accident was state shock strategy new corporate strategy written here little prefer little cars clearly instructions clearly written discuss We’ll discuss that at meeting indeed Your mother does indeed have hearing loss force It takes lot force open that door truth tell truth song That’s beautiful song example need example that grammar point democratic Does Australia have democratic government check check work sure it’s correct environment live healthy environment leg boy broke leg dark Turn on light it’s dark here public Masks must worn public places various That rug comes various shades gray rather Would rather have hamburger than hot dog laugh That movie always makes laugh guess don’t know just guess executive company’s executives are paid well set Set glass on table study needs study test prove employee proved worth hang hang your coat on hook entire ate entire meal 10 minutes rock There are decorative rocks garden design windows don’t open by design enough Have had enough coffee forget Don’t forget stop at store since She hasn’t eaten since yesterday claim made insurance claim car accident note Leave note you’re going late remove Remove cookies from oven manager manager look at your application help Could help move this table close Close door sound dog did make sound enjoy enjoy soda network Band name internet network legal legal documents need signed religious She very religious she attends church weekly cold feet are cold form fill out this application form final divorce was final last month main main problem lack money science studies health science at university green grass green memory has good memory card They sent card birthday above Look on shelf above sink seat That’s comfortable seat cell Your body made millions cells establish They established their business 1942 nice That’s very nice car trial They are employing on trial basis expert Matt IT expert that Did see that movie spring Spring most beautiful season firm ‘no was very firm she won’t change mind Democrat Democrats control Senate radio listen radio car visit visited museum today management That store has good management care She cares mother at home avoid should avoid poison ivy imagine imagine pigs could fly tonight Would like go out tonight huge That truck huge! ball threw ball dog no said ‘no ’ don’t ask again close Close window finish Did finish your homework yourself gave yourself haircut talk talks lot theory theory that’s good plan impact drought had big impact on crops respond hasn’t responded text yet statement police chief gave statement media maintain Exercise helps maintain healthy weight charge need charge phone popular That’s popular restaurant traditional They serve traditional Italian food there onto Jump onto boat we’ll go fishing reveal Washing off dirt revealed boy’s skinned knee direction direction city from here weapon No weapons are allowed government buildings employee That store only has three employees cultural There cultural significance those old ruins contain carton contains dozen egges peace World leaders gathered peace talks head head hurts control Keep control car base glass has heavy base it won’t fall over pain have chest pain apply Maria applied job play children play at park measure Measure twice cut once wide doorway was very wide shake Don’t shake soda fly fly France next year interview job interview went well manage Did manage find keys chair table has six matching chairs fish don’t enjoy eating fish particular That particular style looks good on camera use camera on phone structure building’s structure solid politics Mitch very active politics perform singer perform tonight bit It rained little bit last night weight Keep track your pet’s weight suddenly storm came up suddenly discover You’ll discover treasures at that thrift store candidate There are ten candidates position top flag flies on top that building production Factory production has improved over summer treat Give yourself treat job well done trip are taking trip Florida January evening I’m staying home this evening affect bank account affect how much buy inside cat stays inside conference There expert presenters at conference unit foot unit measure best Those are best glasses buy style dress out style adult Adults pay full price but children are free worry Don’t worry about tomorrow range doctor offered range options mention mention your story rather Rather than focusing on bad things let’s grateful good things far don’t move far from family deep That poem about life deep front face front edge stand close edge cliff individual These potato chips are individual serving size package specific Could more specific writer are good writer trouble Stay out trouble necessary It necessary sleep throughout Throughout life have always enjoyed reading challenge challenge better fear have fears shoulder have shoulder all work on your own institution Have attended institution higher learning middle am middle child with one older brother one younger sister sea sail seven seas dream have dream bar bar place where alcohol served beautiful are beautiful property own property like house instead Instead eating cake have fruit improve am always looking ways improve stuff When moved realized have lot stuff! claim claim fast reader but actually am average

Google is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence,[9] and consumer electronics. It has been referred to as "the most powerful company in the world"[10] and one of the world's most valuable brands due to its market dominance, data collection, and technological advantages in the area of artificial intelligence.[11][12][13] Its parent company Alphabet is considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft.

Google was founded on September 4, 1998, by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were PhD students at Stanford University in California. Together they own about 14% of its publicly listed shares and control 56% of the stockholder voting power through super-voting stock. The company went public via an initial public offering (IPO) in 2004. In 2015, Google was reorganized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Google is Alphabet's largest subsidiary and is a holding company for Alphabet's Internet properties and interests. Sundar Pichai was appointed CEO of Google on October 24, 2015, replacing Larry Page, who became the CEO of Alphabet. On December 3, 2019, Pichai also became the CEO of Alphabet.[14]

The company has since rapidly grown to offer a multitude of products and services beyond Google Search, many of which hold dominant market positions. These products address a wide range of use cases, including email (Gmail), navigation (Waze & Maps), cloud computing (Cloud), web browsing (Chrome), video sharing (YouTube), productivity (Workspace), operating systems (Android), cloud storage (Drive), language translation (Translate), photo storage (Photos), video calling (Meet), smart home (Nest), smartphones (Pixel), wearable technology (Pixel Watch & Fitbit), music streaming (YouTube Music), video on demand (YouTube TV), artificial intelligence (Google Assistant), machine learning APIs (TensorFlow), AI chips (TPU), and more. Discontinued Google products include gaming (Stadia), Glass,[citation needed] Google+, Reader, Play Music, Nexus, Hangouts, and Inbox by Gmail.[15][16]

Google's other ventures outside of Internet services and consumer electronics include quantum computing (Sycamore), self-driving cars (Waymo, formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project), smart cities (Sidewalk Labs), and transformer models (Google Brain).[17]

Google and YouTube are the two most visited websites worldwide followed by Facebook and Twitter. Google is also the largest search engine, mapping and navigation application, email provider, office suite, video sharing platform, photo and cloud storage provider, mobile operating system, web browser, ML framework, and AI virtual assistant provider in the world as measured by market share. On the list of most valuable brands, Google is ranked second by Forbes[18] and fourth by Interbrand.[19] It has received significant criticism involving issues such as privacy concerns, tax avoidance, censorship, search neutrality, antitrust and abuse of its monopoly position.

In March 1999, the company moved its offices to Palo Alto, California,[52] which is home to several prominent Silicon Valley technology start-ups.[53] The next year, Google began selling advertisements associated with search keywords against Page and Brin's initial opposition toward an advertising-funded search engine.[54][22] To maintain an uncluttered page design, advertisements were solely text-based.[55] In June 2000, it was announced that Google would become the default search engine provider for Yahoo!, one of the most popular websites at the time, replacing Inktomi.

 

In 2003, after outgrowing two other locations, the company leased an office complex from Silicon Graphics, at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California.[59] The complex became known as the Googleplex, a play on the word googolplex, the number one followed by a googol zeroes. Three years later, Google bought the property from SGI for $319 million.[60] By that time, the name "Google" had found its way into everyday language, causing the verb "google" to be added to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary, denoted as: "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet".[61][62] The first use of the verb on television appeared in an October 2002 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[63]

Additionally, in 2001 Google's investors felt the need to have a strong internal management, and they agreed to hire Eric Schmidt as the chairman and CEO of Google.[49] Eric was proposed by John Doerr from Kleiner Perkins. He had been trying to find a CEO that Sergey and Larry would accept for several months, but they rejected several candidates because they wanted to retain control over the company. Michael Moritz from Sequoia Capital at one point even menaced requesting Google to immediately pay back Sequoia's $12.5m investment if they did not fulfill their promise to hire a chief executive office, which had been made verbally during investment negotiations. Eric wasn't initially enthusiastic about joining Google either, as the company's full potential hadn't yet been widely recognized at the time, and as he was occupied with his responsibilities at Novell where he was CEO. As part of him joining, Eric agreed to buy $1 million of Google preferred stocks as a way to show his commitment and to provide funds Google needed.

Google generates most of its revenues from advertising. This includes sales of apps, purchases made in-app, digital content products on Google and YouTube, Android and licensing and service fees, including fees received for Google Cloud offerings. Forty-six percent of this profit was from clicks (cost per clicks), amounting to US$109,652 million in 2017. This includes three principal methods, namely AdMob, AdSense (such as AdSense for Content, AdSense for Search, etc.) and DoubleClick AdExchange.

In addition to its own algorithms for understanding search requests, Google uses technology its acquisition of DoubleClick, to project user interest and target advertising to the search context and the user history.

In 2007, Google launched "AdSense for Mobile", taking advantage of the emerging mobile advertising market.

Google Analytics allows website owners to track where and how people use their website, for example by examining click rates for all the links on a page. Google advertisements can be placed on third-party websites in a two-part program. Google Ads allows advertisers to display their advertisements in the Google content network, through a cost-per-click scheme.[138] The sister service, Google AdSense, allows website owners to display these advertisements on their website and earn money every time ads are clicked.[139] One of the criticisms of this program is the possibility of click fraud, which occurs when a person or automated script clicks on advertisements without being interested in the product, causing the advertiser to pay money to Google unduly. Industry reports in 2006 claimed that approximately 14 to 20 percent of clicks were fraudulent or invalid.[140] Google Search Console (rebranded from Google Webmaster Tools in May 2015) allows webmasters to check the sitemap, crawl rate, and for security issues of their websites, as well as optimize their website's visibility.

Consumer services

Web-based services

Google offers Gmail for email, Google Calendar for time-management and scheduling, Google Maps for mapping, navigation and satellite imagery, Google Drive for cloud storage of files, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides for productivity, Google Photos for photo storage and sharing, Google Keep for note-taking, Google Translate for language translation, YouTube for video viewing and sharing, Google My Business for managing public business information, and Duo for social interaction. In March 2019, Google unveiled a cloud gaming service named Stadia. A job search product has also existed since before 2017, Google for Jobs is an enhanced search feature that aggregates listings from job boards and career sites.

Some Google services are not web-based. Google Earth, launched in 2005, allowed users to see high-definition satellite pictures from all over the world for free through a client software downloaded to their computers.

Software

Google develops the Android mobile operating system, as well as its smartwatch, television, car, and Internet of things-enabled smart devices variations.

It also develops the Google Chrome web browser, and Chrome OS, an operating system based on Chrome.

 

Hardware

 

In January 2010, Google released Nexus One, the first Android phone under its own brand. It spawned a number of phones and tablets under the "Nexus" branding until its eventual discontinuation in 2016, replaced by a new brand called Pixel.

In 2011, the Chromebook was introduced, which runs on Chrome OS.

In July 2013, Google introduced the Chromecast dongle, which allows users to stream content from their smartphones to televisions.

In June 2014, Google announced Google Cardboard, a simple cardboard viewer that lets user place their smartphone in a special front compartment to view virtual reality (VR) media.

Other hardware products include:

•Nest, a series of voice assistant smart speakers that can answer voice queries, play music, find information from apps (calendar, weather etc.), and control third-party smart home appliances (users can tell it to turn on the lights, for example). The Google Nest line includes the original Google Home (later succeeded by the Nest Audio), the Google Home Mini (later succeeded by the Nest Mini, the Google Home Max, the Google Home Hub (later rebranded as the Nest Hub), and the Nest Hub Max.

•Nest Wifi (originally Google Wifi), a connected set of Wi-Fi routers to simplify and extend coverage of home Wi-Fi.

 

Enterprise services

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite until October 2020) is a monthly subscription offering for organizations and businesses to get access to a collection of Google's services, including Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides, with additional administrative tools, unique domain names, and 24/7 support.

On September 24, 2012, Google launched Google for Entrepreneurs, a largely not-for-profit business incubator providing startups with co-working spaces known as Campuses, with assistance to startup founders that may include workshops, conferences, and mentorships. Presently, there are seven Campus locations: Berlin, London, Madrid, Seoul, São Paulo, Tel Aviv, and Warsaw.

On March 15, 2016, Google announced the introduction of Google Analytics 360 Suite, "a set of integrated data and marketing analytics products, designed specifically for the needs of enterprise-class marketers" which can be integrated with BigQuery on the Google Cloud Platform. Among other things, the suite is designed to help "enterprise class marketers" "see the complete customer journey", generate "useful insights", and "deliver engaging experiences to the right people". Jack Marshall of The Wall Street Journal wrote that the suite competes with existing marketing cloud offerings by companies including Adobe, Oracle, Salesforce, and IBM.

 

Internet services

In February 2010, Google announced the Google Fiber project, with experimental plans to build an ultra-high-speed broadband network for 50,000 to 500,000 customers in one or more American cities.[178][179] Following Google's corporate restructure to make Alphabet Inc. its parent company, Google Fiber was moved to Alphabet's Access division.[180][181]

In April 2015, Google announced Project Fi, a mobile virtual network operator, that combines Wi-Fi and cellular networks from different telecommunication providers in an effort to enable seamless connectivity and fast Internet signal.

 

Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, its name comes from the face book directories often given to American university students. Membership was initially limited to Harvard students, gradually expanding to other North American universities and, since 2006, anyone over 13 years old. As of July 2022, Facebook claimed 2.93 billion monthly active users,[6] and ranked third worldwide among the most visited websites as of July 2022.[7] It was the most downloaded mobile app of the 2010s.[8]

Facebook can be accessed from devices with Internet connectivity, such as personal computers, tablets and smartphones. After registering, users can create a profile revealing information about themselves. They can post text, photos and multimedia which are shared with any other users who have agreed to be their "friend" or, with different privacy settings, publicly. Users can also communicate directly with each other with Facebook Messenger, join common-interest groups, and receive notifications on the activities of their Facebook friends and the pages they follow.

The subject of numerous controversies, Facebook has often been criticized over issues such as user privacy (as with the Cambridge Analytica data scandal), political manipulation (as with the 2016 U.S. elections) and mass surveillance.[9] Posts originating from the Facebook page of Breitbart News, a media organization previously affiliated with Cambridge Analytica,[10] are currently among the most widely shared political content on Facebook.[11][12][13][14][15] Facebook has also been subject to criticism over psychological effects such as addiction and low self-esteem, and various controversies over content such as fake news, conspiracy theories, copyright infringement, and hate speech.

 

Zuckerberg built a website called "Facemash" in 2003 while attending Harvard University. The site was comparable to Hot or Not and used "photos compiled from the online face books of nine Houses, placing two next to each other at a time and asking users to choose the "hotter" person". Facemash attracted 450 visitors and 22,000 photo-views in its first four hours. The site was sent to several campus group listservs, but was shut down a few days later by Harvard administration. Zuckerberg faced expulsion and was charged with breaching security, violating copyrights and violating individual privacy. Ultimately, the charges were dropped. Zuckerberg expanded on this project that semester by creating a social study tool. He uploaded art images, each accompanied by a comments section, to a website he shared with his classmates.

A "face book" is a student directory featuring photos and personal information. In 2003, Harvard had only a paper version[ along with private online directories. Zuckerberg told The Harvard Crimson, "Everyone's been talking a lot about a universal face book within Harvard. ... I think it's kind of silly that it would take the University a couple of years to get around to it. I can do it better than they can, and I can do it in a week."[29] In January 2004, Zuckerberg coded a new website, known as "TheFacebook", inspired by a Crimson editorial about Facemash, stating, "It is clear that the technology needed to create a centralized Website is readily available ... the benefits are many." Zuckerberg met with Harvard student Eduardo Saverin, and each of them agreed to invest $1,000 ($1,435 in 2021 dollars[30]) in the site.[31] On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook", originally located at thefacebook.com.

Six days after the site launched, Harvard seniors Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra accused Zuckerberg of intentionally misleading them into believing that he would help them build a social network called HarvardConnection.com. They claimed that he was instead using their ideas to build a competing product. The three complained to the Crimson and the newspaper began an investigation. They later sued Zuckerberg, settling in 2008 for 1.2 million shares (worth $300 million ($354 million in 2021 dollars[30]) at Facebook's IPO).

Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College. Within a month, more than half the undergraduates had registered.[36] Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes joined Zuckerberg to help manage the growth of the website.[37] In March 2004, Facebook expanded to Columbia, Stanford and Yale.[38] It then became available to all Ivy League colleges, Boston University, NYU, MIT, and successively most universities in the United States and Canada.

In mid-2004, Napster co-founder and entrepreneur Sean Parker—an informal advisor to Zuckerberg—became company president.[41] In June 2004, the company moved to Palo Alto, California.[42] It received its first investment later that month from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. In 2005, the company dropped "the" from its name after purchasing the domain name Facebook.com for US$200,000 ($277,492 in 2021 dollars). The domain had belonged to AboutFace Corporation.

In May 2005, Accel Partners invested $12.7 million ($17.6 million in 2021 dollars) in Facebook, and Jim Breyer added $1 million ($1.39 million in 2021 dollars) of his own money. A high-school version of the site launched in September 2005. Eligibility expanded to include employees of several companies, including Apple Inc. and Microsoft.

 

Facebook was sued by the Federal Trade Commission as well as a coalition of several states for illegal monopolization and antitrust. The FTC and states sought the courts to force Facebook to sell its subsidiaries WhatsApp and Instagram.[183][184] The suits were dismissed by a federal judge on June 28, 2021, who stated that there was not enough evidence brought in the suit to determine Facebook to be a monopoly at this point, though allowed the FTC to amend its case to include additional evidence. In its amended filings in August 2021, the FTC asserted that Facebook had been a monopoly in the area of personal social networks since 2011, distinguishing Facebook's activities from social media services like TikTok that broadcast content without necessarily limiting that message to intended recipients.

In response to the proposed bill in the Australian Parliament for a News Media Bargaining Code, on February 17, 2021, Facebook blocked Australian users from sharing or viewing news content on its platform, as well as pages of some government, community, union, charity, political, and emergency services.[187] The Australian government strongly criticised the move, saying it demonstrated the "immense market power of these digital social giants".

On February 22, Facebook said it reached an agreement with the Australian government that would see news returning to Australian users in the coming days. As part of this agreement, Facebook and Google can avoid the News Media Bargaining Code adopted on February 25 if they "reach a commercial bargain with a news business outside the Code".

Facebook has been accused of removing and shadow banning content that spoke either in favor of protesting Indian farmers or against Narendra Modi's government. India-based employees of Facebook are at risk of arrest.

On February 27, 2021, Facebook announced Facebook BARS app for rappers.

On June 29, 2021, Facebook announced Bulletin, a platform for independent writers.[197][198] Unlike competitors such as Substack, Facebook would not take a cut of subscription fees of writers using that platform upon its launch, like Malcolm Gladwell and Mitch Albom. According to The Washington Post technology writer Will Oremus, the move was criticized by those who viewed it as an tactic intended by Facebook to force those competitors out of business.

In October 2021, owner Facebook, Inc. changed its company name to Meta Platforms, Inc., or simply "Meta", as it shifts its focus to building the "metaverse". This change does not affect the name of the Facebook social networking service itself, instead being similar to the creation of Alphabet as Google's parent company in 2015.

In November 2021, Facebook stated it would stop targeting ads based on data related to health, race, ethnicity, political beliefs, religion and sexual orientation. The change will occur in January and will affect all apps owned by Meta Platforms.

In February 2022, Facebook's daily active users dropped for the first time in its 18-year history. According to Facebook's parent Meta, DAUs dropped to 1.929 billion in the three months ending in December, down from 1.930 billion the previous quarter. Furthermore, the company warned that revenue growth would slow due to competition from TikTok and YouTube, as well as advertisers cutting back on spending.

Analysts predict a "death spiral" for facebook stock as users leave while ad impressions increase, as the company chases revenue.

On March 10, 2022, Facebook announced that it will temporarily ease rules to allow violent speech against 'Russian invaders'. Russia then banned all Meta services, including Instagram.

  

At a crossroads – Needing to make an important decision

When you are at a crossroads, you are at a point in your life where you need to make a decision. The implication is that the decision you make will have big, life-altering consequences.

Bad apple – Bad person

You can use this idiom to describe someone who is not nice and maybe even criminal.

Barking up the wrong tree – Pursuing the wrong course

When you “bark up the wrong tree” you are pursuing the wrong solution to your problems.

Be closefisted – Stingy

If you are being “closefisted”, you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

Be cold-hearted – Uncaring

If you decide to be “cold-hearted”, you are making a deliberate decision not to care about someone or something.

Be on solid ground – Confident

When you are “on solid ground”, you are confident in your position or feel that you are safe.

Beat around the bush – Avoid saying

When you do this, you are taking a long time to say what you really need to say. You may be doing this because the “truth” is embarrassing or your unsure about how the listener will take it.

Behind you – Supportive

When you are “behind” someone, you are saying that they have your support.

Between a rock and a hard place – Facing difficulties

When you have to choose between two options, neither of which are ideal or “good”.

Blow off steam – Try to relax

When you are stressed or upset about something, sometimes you need to do something to keep you from thinking about it.

Born with a silver spoon in their mouth – Born wealthy

This idiomatic expression is used to describe someone who was born into a wealthy family.

Break the bank – Spend a lot

When you “break the bank”, you spend a lot of money on something. If something will “break the bank”, then it’s expensive.

Bright spark – Smart

A “bright spark” is someone who is smart and valuable to an organization.

With my brother in Spain I thought I work on something that he maybe seeing while he is away ... Although I took this picture not far from where he lives ...

 

Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact details

 

Copyright © 2012 Neal Pritchard Photography

This photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography

This musical phenomenon comes to Theatr Clwyd for the first time thanks to Tip Top Productions.

 

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. “Prologue – Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” additional material written by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe; ”Memory” additional material written by Trevor Nunn.

 

The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year—the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their stories to Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life. Among the candidates are the aging theatre cat, Gus; the rocker, Rum Tum Tugger; and the once-glamorous Grizabella, now but a faded memory of her former self.

 

Boasting a score that includes Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, Mr. Mistoffelees and Memory, this compelling fable takes audiences to a fantastical world that can only exist in the theatre. Cats has been performed worldwide and translated into over 20 languages. The original West End production ran for 21 years and the original Broadway production ran for 18 years

 

For tickets and more info see:

www.tiptopproductions.co.uk/cats/1313

 

#TravelTuesday with Guest Photographer Bob Wick through Southeastern Utah’s Red-Rock Riches!

 

Moab, Utah is synonymous with slickrock canyons and public land adventure sports. One could fill a novel with nearby public land recreation opportunities within a stone’s through of town. But for this trip, we’ll use Moab as a jumping off point to head further south into more remote canyons and mesas of Southeast Utah.

 

Between Moab and Montecello is the immense Canyon Rims Recreation Area. It offers top-of-the-world vistas of vast the labyrinth of Colorado River Canyons including several BLM wilderness study areas and the east side of Canyonlands National Park. The BLM maintains two primitive campgrounds on the rim, which are open from May to October and can serve as a base for exploration – although the views from the campgrounds themselves are so spectacular that there is no need to go far for stunning photo opportunities. More adventurous explorers can search the canyon rims for that perfect photo angle in the ever-changing light on the multi-hued red rocks.

 

Next, continue south to Cedar Mesa to visit one of the most significant cultural history locales in North America. This area was occupied by Ancestral Puebloan Native Americans, often called the “Anasazi”, between 800 and 2,000 years ago. Remains from their civilization are located throughout the canyons that dissect the mesa, and it is very moving and humbling to stand among them. Cliff dwellings, graineries and other structures are extremely well preserved and perched under overhangs in the cliffs. Amazing pictographs and petroglyphs can also be found here. All of the sites require moderate to arduous hikes into the canyons and even multi-day backpacks are popular in Grand Gulch. Due to the significance and fragility of the sites, you must obtain a permit for use of the area and numbers are limited during peak seasons. Plan ahead and also stop by the Kane Gulch Visitor Center for the latest information.

 

Driving further south along Cedar Mesa, Highway 261 eventually reaches a lip that seems like the end of the earth – the mesa drops 1100 feet straight down to the desert below with the buttes and spires of Monument Valley visible in the distance. The curiously named “Moki Dugway”, a bit of a white-knuckle route carved into the escarpment, allows you to drive down the cliff face to the valley below. A short drive further takes you to the Valley of the Gods, a hidden gem with scenery similar to that of nearby Monument Valley. Valley of the God’s isolated buttes, towering pinnacles and tall cliffs offer endless photo angles. A 17 mile drive circles the valley and more adventurous ecplorers can go into the Road Canyon Wilderness Study Area for backcountry hikes.

 

Photo Tips: Often the best and most unique photo angles in Utah’s canyon country and other western landscapes require traveling far off the pavement on remote back roads, then hiking away from your vehicle. I often use web-based aerial image programs (like Google Earth) to scout areas before trips for the best potential photo spots. Safety should always be front in these remote places. Even renowned western author and explorer Edward Abbey spoke of some close calls in the desert in his book Desert Solitare. I always tell someone where I am going with as many specifics as I can. Most importantly I tell them when I plan to be out and when I will contact them. I always carry a GPS emergency locator unit, and I can use that to check in with family each night while on extended trips when I am out of cell range. I also carry enough clothing and water to be able to be on my own without help for several days. Finally, I mark my vehicle location with a GPS waypoint so that I can find it when I am hiking back in the dark after an evening photo shoot!

Image source:

www.flickr.com/photos/limaoscarjuliet/225249268/

 

Read the article on opensource.com

Mashing up library data with open source

Law. gov—opening up primary legal materials

Golan v. Holder: The future of fair use in education

Booktype makes book collaboration web-based and simple

I designed the cover of this book for MyFonts last year. It contains material compiled from the web-based Creative Characters interview series, which I also designed, plus additional type specimens, etc.

 

I'm glad to see the book has finally been printed – complete with spot varnish and fluorescent pink ink!

 

Fonts used include Amplitude and Farnham, both designed for Font Bureau by Christian Schwartz.

The amazing turquoise waters of the Broome pearling ground ...

 

Looking to take 4 liked minded enthusiastic photographers/travelers on a 10day best of California Tour in 2017 ... If you think you would be interested please let me know via a massage ...

 

Copyright © 2016 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

www.prestandabelysning.se

 

A friend running a web based flashlight and LED-/HID - headlight shop asked me to shoot his project.

Putting 11 IPF 930 with a total of 1100 Watts of HID conversion kits on a Nissan Navara Doublecab.

I can tell you that the actual lamps doesn't cost a fraction of the total amount. We're talking a 40A relay to each single light, including a spare to each section of lights. (4 on the roof, 3 in the upper bar of the bullbar and another 4 in the lower bar of the bullbar)

  

The cable list as follows

12 meters of 50mm2

6 meters of 35mm2

10 meters of 4mm2

25 meters of 2*2,5mm2

  

3 Optima Yellowtop batteries and it just goes on and on.

  

Here's some pictures of the 7 SPOTS in the bullbar.

  

The photos are taken att a landing field at Backamo Flygfält, south of Ljungskile, Sweden. The lenght of the visible light here is aproximately 800 meters, but because of the snowfall and all the moist in the air I would say that the trees, probably 1500 meters away would be well lit up if the conditions were better.

INSANE!!

   

4-6 December 2012

Great Ocean Road Workshop

Join myself as we shoot some of the best locations along the Great Ocean Road, shooting some of the areas most stunning scenes at the best times of day. I will instruct you in the field when we shoot and when we are not shooting in the best possible light i will be showing you my digital post production workflow and tools I use.

 

We will be shooting waterfalls, forest and the Apostles over the course workshop. This is my last workshop for the year. All meals, transport and accommodation is provided on the workshop. Workshop numbers are very limited and small so I can spend quality time with each person. Please contact myself for further information and to reserve you spot today at info@spoolphotography.com ….

 

Workshop Includes

 

Composition

Using the conditions to your advantage

Camera Raw processing

Blending through luminosity clusters

Luminosity masks

White point

Curves

Levels

Selective image contrast

Painting light with levels and curves

Increasing dynamic range without getting that awful HDR look

Blending layers to achieve desired tone, clarity and vibrance

Preparing images for final internet presentation through to print

And some neat tricks I have developed through years of trails …

 

If you would like a workshop in your area please register your interest at info@spoolphotography.com …. We already have registered interest in 2013 for the Central Coast NSW, and Tasmania …

 

Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact detailsCopyright © 2012 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography

Looking for solutions for your web based erp system then look no further than www.expanderp.com/

My social online presence.

By Frank Da Silva

 

A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.

 

Most services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, and so on. Social networking has revolutionized the way we communicate and share information with one another in today's society. Various social networking websites are being used by millions of people everyday on a regular basis and it now seems that social networking is a part of everyday life.

 

The main types of social networking services are those which contain directories of some categories (such as former classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages), and recommender systems linked to trust. Popular methods now combine many of these, with MySpace and Facebook being the most widely used in North America, Bebo, MySpace, Skyrock Blog , Facebook and Hi5 in parts of Europe, Orkut and Hi5 in South America and Central America, Friendster, Orkut and CyWorld in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Le Monde provided a detailed map of popularity, January 14, 2008.

 

This musical phenomenon comes to Theatr Clwyd for the first time thanks to Tip Top Productions.

 

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. “Prologue – Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” additional material written by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe; ”Memory” additional material written by Trevor Nunn.

 

The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year—the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their stories to Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life. Among the candidates are the aging theatre cat, Gus; the rocker, Rum Tum Tugger; and the once-glamorous Grizabella, now but a faded memory of her former self.

 

Boasting a score that includes Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, Mr. Mistoffelees and Memory, this compelling fable takes audiences to a fantastical world that can only exist in the theatre. Cats has been performed worldwide and translated into over 20 languages. The original West End production ran for 21 years and the original Broadway production ran for 18 years

 

For tickets and more info see:

www.tiptopproductions.co.uk/cats/1313

 

house on pier

 

Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact detailsCopyright © 2012 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography

Artists: Cox richardson Architects and Planners. Collaborator : Rebekah Collins. Vastitude explores concepts of ‘vastness’. Its simple architectural form hosts multidimensional displays that respond in real time to web-based interactions by users.

The capital of Western Australia and home to 1.6 million people. Situated on the Swan River this city is surrounded by parks and gardens.

 

Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact detailsCopyright © 2012 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

Explored - August 12, 2014 - # 170

 

epiFlection.epiclectic.com - The Album

 

Twisted graphic enhancements of mostly found life form images captured from the web-based world, courtesy of the epiPhone camera, Photoshop and the warped mind of the epiclectic.

 

Disclaimer - If anyone objects to me reprocessing one of their images, please drop me a flickr mail and I will be more than happy to provide a link to your original image - or remove it from my public photo stream.

 

Call for Images - If you have a photograph you would like to submit for an official epiFlection treatment, send me a flickr mail with a link to your photo. Once posted, you will get credit, a link to your photo, and a great photo for downloading, printing, framing and giving as a wonderful gift to loved ones in your close circle of friends.

For sale

Hand printed and toned on archival fiber based paper in a wet based darkroom.

 

5 x 7 inches $50

 

prices are for one print only for personal use( not for publication or web based use) Price for publication on request. Does not include shipping. Please flickrmail me your zip code and country and I will quote shipping costs.

 

epiFlection.epiclectic.com - The Album

 

Twisted graphic enhancements of mostly found life form images captured from the web-based world, courtesy of the epiPhone camera, Photoshop and the warped mind of the epiclectic.

 

Disclaimer - If anyone objects to me reprocessing one of their images, please drop me a flickr mail and I will be more than happy to provide a link to your original image - or remove it from my public photo stream.

 

Call for Images - If you have a photograph you would like to submit for an official epiFlection treatment, send me a flickr mail with a link to your photo. Once posted, you will get credit, a link to your photo, and a great photo for downloading, printing, framing and giving as a wonderful gift to loved ones in your close circle of friends.

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto

 

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,731,571 in 2016, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration of 9,245,438 people (as of 2016) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario, while the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) proper had a 2016 population of 6,417,516. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, and culture, and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world.

 

People have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest, for more than 10,000 years. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase, when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown, the British established the town of York in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by American troops. York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the city of Toronto. It was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation. The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km2 (243.3 sq mi).

 

The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. More than 50 percent of residents belong to a visible minority population group, and over 200 distinct ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city.

 

Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums and galleries, festivals and public events, entertainment districts, national historic sites, and sports activities, attract over 43 million tourists each year. Toronto is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, the CN Tower.

 

The city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks, and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism.

 

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Broadcasting_Corporation

 

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (French: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian federal Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster for both radio and television. The English- and French-language service units of the corporation are commonly known as CBC and Radio-Canada, respectively.

 

Although some local stations in Canada predate the CBC's founding, CBC is the oldest existing broadcasting network in Canada. The CBC was established on November 2, 1936. The CBC operates four terrestrial radio networks: The English-Language CBC Radio One and CBC Music, and the French-Language Ici Radio-Canada Première and Ici Musique. (International radio service Radio Canada International historically transmitted via shortwave radio, but since 2012 its content is only available as podcasts on its website.) The CBC also operates two terrestrial television networks, the English-Language CBC Television and the French-Language Ici Radio-Canada Télé, along with the satellite/cable networks CBC News Network, Ici RDI, Ici Explora, Documentary Channel (part ownership), and Ici ARTV. The CBC operates services for the Canadian Arctic under the names CBC North and Radio-Canada Nord. The CBC also operates digital services including CBC.ca/Ici.Radio-Canada.ca, CBC Radio 3, CBC Music/ICI.mu and Ici.TOU.TV, and owns 20.2% of satellite radio broadcaster Sirius XM Canada, which carries several CBC-produced audio channels.

 

CBC/Radio-Canada offers programming in English, French and eight aboriginal languages on its domestic radio service, and in five languages on its web-based international radio service, Radio Canada International (RCI). However, budget cuts in the early 2010s have contributed to the corporation reducing its service via the airwaves, discontinuing RCI's shortwave broadcasts as well as terrestrial television broadcasts in all communities served by network-owned rebroadcast transmitters, including communities not subject to Canada's over-the-air digital television transition.

 

CBC's federal funding is supplemented by revenue from commercial advertising on its television broadcasts. The radio service employed commercials from its inception to 1974, but since its primary radio networks have been commercial-free. In 2013, CBC's secondary radio networks, CBC Music and Ici Musique, introduced limited advertising of up to four minutes an hour, but this was discontinued in 2016.

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

Blogged up: jaredstein.org/2008/03/06/ple-mapping-draft-1/

 

First attempt at drafting my personal learning environment. You'll note that I did not limit myself to technologies, let alone Web-based tools as some have been inclined to do. I've used all tools, utilities, and resources that make up my actual environment for teaching, learning and professional/creative production (do I need to separate creation from learning? I don't think I can)

Oliver Laric ( ° 1981, Inssbruck ) is an Austrian sculptor and video artist. His web-based artistic practice or net art is characterised by the manipulation and reinterpretation of existing cultural images. In doing so, intellectual property and originality are often questioned. In his more conventional work, he approaches form as a process of continuous change and variable content, in order to adapt to changing circumstances.

More about this work: www.beaufort21.be/en/artists/oliver-laric

This work can be admired during Beaufort 2021 at the Belgian coast in Westende: www.beaufort21.be/en

 

Oliver Laric ( ° 1981, Inssbruck ) is een Oostenrijks beeldhouwer en video kunstenaar. Zijn webgebaseerde artistieke praktijk of net art wordt gekenmerkt door de manipulatie en herinterpretatie van bestaande culturele beelden. Daarbij worden intellectueel eigendom en originaliteit dikwijls in vraag gesteld. Hij benadert vorm als een proces van continue verandering en variabele inhoud, om zich aan wijzigende omstandigheden aan te passen.

Meer over dit werk: www.beaufort21.be/kunstenaars/oliver-laric

Dit werk kan worden bewonderd tijdens Beaufort 2021 aan de Belgische kust in Westende: www.beaufort21.be/

 

Oliver Laric (° 1981, Inssbruck) est un sculpteur et vidéo-artiste autrichien. Sa pratique artistique basée sur le web ou net art se caractérise par la manipulation et la réinterprétation d'images culturelles existantes. Ce faisant, la propriété intellectuelle et l'originalité sont souvent remises en question. Dans son travail plus conventionnel, il approche la forme comme un processus de changement permanent et de contenu variable, afin de s'adapter aux circonstances changeantes.

Plus sur cette oeuvre: www.beaufort21.be/fr/artistes/oliver-laric

Cette œuvre peut être admirée pendant Beaufort 2021 à la côte belge à Westende: www.beaufort21.be/fr

 

This musical phenomenon comes to Theatr Clwyd for the first time thanks to Tip Top Productions.

 

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. “Prologue – Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” additional material written by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe; ”Memory” additional material written by Trevor Nunn.

 

The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year—the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their stories to Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life. Among the candidates are the aging theatre cat, Gus; the rocker, Rum Tum Tugger; and the once-glamorous Grizabella, now but a faded memory of her former self.

 

Boasting a score that includes Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, Mr. Mistoffelees and Memory, this compelling fable takes audiences to a fantastical world that can only exist in the theatre. Cats has been performed worldwide and translated into over 20 languages. The original West End production ran for 21 years and the original Broadway production ran for 18 years

 

For tickets and more info see:

www.tiptopproductions.co.uk/cats/1313

 

Thanks to a flickr friend... discovered a web based photo editor... playing around with it... eventually I'll have to get a real program... having fun... bear with me... Thanks for the inspiration Dee Dee!!!!

The Internet Archives of the original text

Viral Marketing phenomenon explained.

 

(Original version published in the Netscape M-Files, May 1, 1997. Edited Version published in Business 2.0, November 1998)

 

A lot of the energy behind the Internet is the ability for everyone to be a publisher. Consequently, we are in a land grab for precious spectrum - people's attention. Attention is finite. Rising above the noise of a thousand voices requires creativity. Shouting is not very creative. Just hanging up a web shingle and hoping for visitors is not very creative. Rather, new companies can structure their businesses in a way that allows them to grow like a virus and lock out the existing bricks and mortar competitors through innovative pricing and exploitation of these competitors' legacy distribution channel conflict.

 

In 1996, Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith pioneered a great new product category -- free web-based email. But many great ideas and great products have withered on the vine. The special catalyst for Hotmail's torrid growth is what we at Draper Fisher Jurvetson have come to call "Viral Marketing" -- not because any traditional viruses are involved, but because of the pattern of rapid adoption through word-of-mouth networks. Viral Marketing powerfully compounds the benefits of a first-mover advantage. And it's something we eagerly look for when evaluating any Internet startup company. As a founding investor in Hotmail and a member of their board of directors, we think Hotmail is a great case study on the impact of the Viral Marketing strategy over its full life cycle.

 

Hotmail's Amazing Growth:

 

Hotmail grew a subscriber base more rapidly than any company in the history of the world ...faster than any new online, Internet, or print publication ever.

Hotmail is the largest email provider in the world.

In its first 1.5 years, Hotmail signed up over 12 million subscribers.

A traditional print publication would hope to reach a total of 100,000 subscribers within a few years of launch. Hotmail signs up more than 150,000 subscribers every day, seven days a week.

Every Hotmail subscriber, without exception, has filled out a detailed demographic and psychographic profile including occupation and salary. This is an unprecedented supply of personal information.

Yet, from company launch to 12 million users, Hotmail spent less than $500K on marketing, advertising and promotion. This compares to over $20 million spent on advertising and brand promotion by Juno, Hotmail's closest competitor with a fraction of the users.

Other companies may have distributed more unit volume of product than Hotmail did in their first year - especially when releasing upgrades or brand extensions to an established franchise. But for a new entrant with a new product, the challenge is more daunting. "Subscriptions" have their own challenges as well. Users face a trust decision in deciding to share their private information and email with an online entity. And the user may not be certain that the end product is worth the effort. These are barriers to adoption in the subscription model. How did Hotmail overcome these barriers as an undercapitalized startup? Viral Marketing.

 

Hotmail originally approached us as JavaSoft, Inc., a web database tools company, and, as Business Week recounted: Sabeer and Jack went to see "Draper Fisher Jurvetson, but the investor was unimpressed by their idea for database software for the Net. As they were packing up to leave, [the VCs] asked: 'Do you have any other ideas?' Sabeer said they'd noodled over a scheme to offer free, advertising-supported E-mail over the Web. A week and a half later, the venture capitalists ponied up $300,000, and Hotmail was born." (BW, August 25, 1997)

 

In our next meeting, Tim Draper suggested that they should append an advertising message to every outbound email: "P.S. Get your free email at Hotmail. It was very contentious at the time. Would users balk at having this automatic addition to the content of their private messages? Hotmail tempered the idea by clearly demarcating the promotional plug, and removing the "P.S." Nevertheless, every outbound message still conveyed an advertisement and a subtle implied endorsement by the sender - the recipient knew that the sender was a Hotmail user, and that this new free email thing seemed to work for them. Each new user becomes a company salesperson, and the message spreads organically.

 

Hotmail's business model maps well to the medium. By contrast, Juno does not map well to the medium, and they have already spent $20 million in advertising. Hotmail did not spend the money, yet gained over three times as many users in half the time.

 

Elements of Viral Marketing:

The Hotmail adoption pattern is that of a virus - with spatial and network locality. People typically send e-mails to their associates and friends; many of them are geographically close, and others are scattered around with clusters in areas of high Internet connectivity. We would notice the first user from a university town or from India, and then the number of subscribers from that region would rapidly proliferate. The beauty of it is that none of this required any marketing dollars. Customers do the selling.

 

Digital viruses can spread internationally more rapidly than biological viruses that rely on the physical proximity of hosts for their spread - via a sneeze or handshake. Hotmail is the largest email provider in Sweden and India despite the fact that they have done no marketing of any sort in these countries. It's a happy day when you discover your business has displaced several entrenched competitors to become the market share leader in a country you have never visited. What's more, Hotmail is used in over 220 countries, despite the limitation that it is only available in English.

 

Viral Marketing captures the essence of multi-level-marketing and applies it to all customers - the "word-of-mouth" spread of the Hotmail message is involuntary. And it's more powerful than many other marketing techniques that lack the implied endorsement from a friend. Hotmail had "Free Email" buttons on several other highly-trafficked web sites, but they generated comparatively negligible numbers of subscriptions. Juno has shown that advertising is relatively cost-ineffective. It is hard to spend your way to Hotmail-like growth. The snowball effect is a mechanism to greatly leverage a first-mover advantage. Whenever a product involves people other than the purchaser, then there is an opportunity to market to potential new customers. It is no surprise that Amazon encourages its customers to send a book as a gift to a friend. When the recipient receives the gift book, the packaging contains a flyer for the amazon.com service. Similarly, whenever someone uses iShip.com to send a package, the recipient will learn about how iShip.com can save them money on their shipping needs.

 

As more Internet and Intranet applications move beyond computation to embrace communication, the Viral Marketing strategy has wide applicability. E-commerce, groupware, community, messaging and promotions businesses can all use these techniques to further the Internet explosion.

 

In addition to Hotmail, we have seen a similar viral communications approach taken by Mirabilis, an Israeli-based company that signed up twelve million instant messaging subscribers to its ICQ service before its acquisition by AOL for almost $300 million. To use ICQ, both parties need to download the client software. So each subscriber ends up emailing their friends to solicit them to engage in this new communication channel. The friends in turn, experience the product first hand, and may repeat the pattern. It's like the old shampoo commercial refrain "they told two friends who told two friends, and so on." While powerful, these dyadic communication products recruit new customers one by one.

 

Viral Broadcasts:

A sneeze releases two million aerosol particles. In the digital domain, this can get very interesting. For example, Tumbleweed Software enables secure e-mail delivery of documents or newsletters to a huge numbers of recipients. Every recipient also gets a web link to the enabling Tumbleweed service. So when a single new customer starts to use Tumbleweed, thousands of potential new customers receive the Tumbleweed pitch.

 

This viral broadcast model can be creatively applied to a variety of products, such as web-hosted address books, calendars, list servers and news group readers. Homestead enables families, sports teams, alumni organizations, and other affinity groups to create rich and private "community" web sites. When someone builds a Homestead, the system facilitates them to broadcast an invitation to the members they would like to recruit to participate in their Homestead. A new recruit may belong to several affinity groups, and may find the service compelling enough to replicate in these other circles - thus proliferating the Homestead platform.

 

The power of this approach has been demonstrated in the junk email domain. Have you ever gotten one of those email chain letters that urge you to forward it to as many people as possible? Often shrouded with a bogus virus warning or a charitable cause, these messages rapidly spread throughout the globe until people have received multiple copies.

 

These junk e-mails are like digital graffiti in that the people that create them want their "tag" or message to be seen by as many people as possible. Traditional graffiti "artists" choose targets like trains and buses to maximize their exposure. Similarly, many computer virus authors are seeking to promote their name, and they seek maximum exposure - on the PC. You don't see many viruses on niche computer platforms (as the Macintosh market share has dwindled, so too have the number of new Mac viruses). This personal quest for fame, while annoying, is not too different from the desire of many businesses for brand awareness.

 

New businesses also want to let the world know their name, but they do not want to be annoying, and thus, they must provide a compelling reason for customers to help spread the word. In all of these viral businesses, the balance between the customer value provided by the network and the concerns surrounding privacy will be a delicate one.

 

For many network applications - from ICQ to the traditional fax machine - the value of the network, and the value that each member realizes increases disproportionately as more people join the network. The first fax machine customers were delighted to see more people buy compatible machines. A company that can provide a strong enough incentive for customers to share their massive lists of personal contacts - whether for communications or community - will have a powerful viral opportunity at their disposal. A good virus will look for prolific hosts (such as students) and tie to their high-frequency social interactions (such as email and messaging). Viral Marketing is most powerful when it taps into the breadth of its customers' weak connections to others. Tapping the customer's entire address book is more valuable than just reaching their best friend.

 

Viral Marketing Strategies:

The typical viral entry strategy is to minimize the friction of market entry and proliferation with an eye to building in hooks and barriers to switching for customers. If the service is trying to blatantly monetize its subscriber base in every way imaginable, new users will be reluctant to spread the word. Therefore, many of these services are free and light on the revenue generation in the early days of their rapid proliferation. When we first invested in Four11 and Hotmail, we could not say with certainty how they would ultimately monetize their subscribers. We brainstormed several possible scenarios for how they might eventually exploit their large audience and market position as a communications hub. But in the viral growth phase, the simple banner ad seemed the most innocuous.

 

In an extreme example, prior to their acquisition by America OnLine, ICQ's CEO took delight in the fact that they not only had no revenue, but had no current plan for revenue. This is not to say that businesses without revenue prospects are necessarily attractive - just that people's attention (or "eyeballs") have proven to be monetizable in every media.

 

A company that can choose to delay revenue maximization (e.g., by not burdening their service's clarity of purpose and speed of download with excessive ads and promotions) may find that they can exploit a first mover advantage in the Internet land grab to gain a dominant market position. This is one of the reasons so much VC money flows into these Internet start-ups.

 

The Internet is a wonderful substrate or petri dish for the proliferation and replication of intellectual property. A good idea can spread more quickly over the Internet than had ever been possible before in the physical world, where manufacturing and distribution fundamentally limit the rate of product adoption. Especially in the Internet era, a company's competitiveness seems to depend on its velocity of thought and action. Companies can grow more rapidly than ever before, but so too may they suddenly die from obsolescence. The critical differentiator is whether the company has built in switching barriers for its customers and barriers to entry for its competitors. Rapid growth is of no value without customer retention.

 

Whenever we consider an investment in an Internet startup company, we strategize about customer switching barriers, and the impact of the inevitable arrival of competitive imitators. We have witnessed a particular entrepreneur that has used an offshore development team to quickly copy one of our portfolio companies' lead into a new market - three times in a row! First they copied Four11's directory services, then Hotmail's free email, and now Kana Communications' wildly successful email-based customer support software. The Internet supports an ecology of organisms, and the "fast follower" is a classic form.

 

The ability to rapidly recruit subscribers creates market value - but only if a company can retain these customers over multiple visits to their site. In the public markets, many of these consumer Internet companies are being valued at $20 to $100 per subscriber. Investors and bankers are approximating the lifetime economic value of these subscribers discounted back to the present day. How many ad dollars will they generate over lifetime? How much will they buy? A huge variable in this economic equation will be the customer retention rate.

 

Are you like a subway station with banner ads flying by the commuters who are just trying to get to their destination, or are you like a cafe where customers mingle and feel like they belong? Web communities, e-mail, personalization, contact lists, calendars, personal web pages - these are all "sticky" applications that help retain customers. This is where most of Yahoo and the other portals' energy has gone in the last two years. That's why Yahoo bought Four11 for its RocketMail service and Microsoft bought Hotmail.

 

Hyper-Growth:

An interesting side effect of geometric growth is that by the time a virus spreads to the point of being an epidemic, its growth curve relative to a new entrant is somewhat daunting. Hotmail was doubling in size each month, but it took several months to reach one million users. Until then, they were under the radar screen of many potential competitors and acquirers. By the time the industry came to realize that free web-based email was indeed a hot idea, Hotmail was adding one million new subscribers per month, and that growth rate was accelerating. A new fast follower would start small and have to grow for several months to reach one million subscribers. But in that same time, Hotmail would have grown to 10 million subscribers. So although Hotmail's followers grew geometrically as well, the absolute difference in subscriber bases widened every month (while the ratio remained approximately constant).

 

Absolute size matters. One significant effect of Hotmail's absolute size is that their efficiencies of scale allowed them to be the lowest-cost e-mail provider on the planet. Server utilization and bandwidth pricing improved with growth. Also, the perceived gorilla in a category tends to get the dominant share of the business and financial partnerships. Many advertisers and media companies do not want to spend time with sub-scale properties. All of this makes it tougher for the smaller new entrant. It also skews the make vs. buy decision toward "buy" for the large portal companies, which realized en masse that they wanted an email solution with proven scalability. A similar buying frenzy is currently underway for "community-building" web sites, such as Tripod, PlanetAll and Homestead.

 

A challenge for the hyper-growth gorilla is scalability. On a technology level, server scalability is a critical concern. Fortunately, companies like Hotmail are turning software into a service. What was sold as email servers and clients is now offered as a web-based service where the customer need only have a standard web browser. This makes product upgrades a lot easier; Hotmail can upgrade its server software several times a month without involving or in many cases, even notifying its large customer base. The customer still uses the same browser.

 

But once one problem is solved, hyper-growth tends to uncover new scalability bottlenecks. Often the young Internet company finds that its growth is constrained by its ability to hire good people. This is why many of these companies try to engineer around people-intensive elements of their business.

 

New Distribution Channels:

New companies are often the primary beneficiaries of new distribution channels, as Dell has shown in the PC industry. Dell just passed Compaq to become #1 in desktop PC shipments. Compaq's legacy channel partners prevent it from entering the lower-cost mail order channel. For many businesses, the Internet is a still lower cost channel of distribution.

 

By lowering prices or offering free products, and employing a "market shrink" strategy, the new entrant can make it very painful for established companies with established distribution relationships to follow them. Although the new market size may be smaller, driven by Internet price efficiencies, the new entrant can gain significant share by restructuring the basis of competition. There may be less revenue in a free email market, but it's tough for Eudora and companies based on selling client software to follow Hotmail's lead.

 

Viral Marketing provides a new distribution channel for almost any Internet application. Although it naturally lends itself to free "communications" or network applications, Viral Marketing could also be applied to traditional stand-alone software to accelerate the word-of-mouth spread of good software. How might this work? Release Software can embed in just about any software application an e-commerce engine for electronic software distribution and "try before you buy" purchasing. When a customer gives the application to a friend, it triggers the embedded sales agent to offer a 30-day trial period, after which the new user has to pay for the software. It turns software piracy into a sales opportunity.

 

Release can also credit multiple distribution partners involved in the sale with a percentage of the transaction. To engage viral marketing, the customer would be treated like a distribution partner. So, in the ultimate pyramid scheme, if a software company were willing to pay a two percent sales commission, a customer could be credited 1% of the sales price for a copy she gives to friend when they buy, and 0.5% for her friend's friends, and 0.25% for three levels down, and so on - thereby spending no more than 2% of sales on "word-of-mouth" promotions. Netcentives, a web currency innovator, could be added to this equation to allow users to accumulate frequent flyer miles for spreading a software application to colleagues and friends.

 

This could lead to some interesting consumer behavior. Customers would have an incentive to post software to their favorite download sites or other distribution outlets to maximize the total sales of their copy of the application. Not only would the customers help resell product directly, they would innovate and discover new distribution networks. Perhaps these should be called "self-organizing viral distribution networks." Established companies are unlikely to experiment with them, because of channel conflict with their legacy partners.

 

Where might this all lead? We are still looking for the emergent intelligence of the hive. An ant colony exhibits a higher order of intelligence than that of its individual members. We don't look at a neuron and think of it as being very smart. In many ways, we are the neurons on the Net, and the network applications that take advantage of that collective intelligence have not been developed yet. The Santa Fe Institute argues that computer viruses are a form of artificial life. Perhaps viral marketing can also find an evolutionary form.

 

But in the meantime, the Hotmail juggernaut just keeps on growing - quietly, and consistently on its own momentum. Hotmail now has over 30 million subscribers. As a technological dislocation, we believe that the Internet provides an unfair competitive advantage to nimble startup companies. A good idea can spread like wildfire if its business model maps to the medium. Viral Marketing adds fuel to the fire.

Infographic #001 – Global Map of Social Web

www.globalwebindex.net/latest/index.php/2009/11/26/infogr...

 

Mashable is highlighting this amazing data visualization / info

graphic from TrendStream (http://www.trendstream.net/) who also do the

Global Web Index (http://www.globalwebindex.net/). Alright, I admit

it, this is cheating. It isn't really a cool toy itself, but it is

about cool toys. :) And I am such a sucker for visualizations

andinfographics, just love them.

 

This is a nice tight way to look at how different cultures are using

social media in different ways, and the relative importance, both to

local users and to the impact on the global social media community.

Two caveats on that.

 

First, China, because they've locked down so much internet access at

the border, does not have the impact on the global community that you

would expect from them having both the largest population of social

media users AND the largest percentage of that population! Second,

this is only looking at the social WEB, and does not include mobile

use of the same social tools, meaning this is not a comprehensive look

at the social media space.

 

Aside from those, here is a quick snapshot view.

 

Countries with the biggest social media presence internationally:

United States / China, meaning basically the USA has the largest

presence for now. If China gets smart and unlocks their borders, they

will likely dominate everyone else.

 

Countries for which the social media impact is pervasive throughout

their culture:

China

India

Brazil

Russia

South Korea

Mexico

 

Who's missing? Well, Japan is using mostly mobile (the wave of the

future, folks, so pay attention!). That means they don't show up as

web based users, but they are probably major players in the social

media space, just not in the way it is being measured here.

 

Now, of these big users, who is using what (since the various

countries are using social media in very different ways).

 

United States = social network (eg. Facebook) / pics (eg. Flickr)

China = pics / blogs

India = pics / social network

Brazil = social network / pics

Russia = pics / social network / video

South Korea = pics / blog

Mexico = pics

 

What about our linguistic neighbors, the other English speaking

countries? How do they compare to the USA's behaviors with social

media? Well, basically Australia and the UK are very similar to the US

in percent of population engaged with social media and the preferred

types of tools. Canada is very similar, but with a higher percentage

of their population engaged.

 

Basic takeaway? Pictures are WAAAAYYYYY more important for marketing

to and engaging with other countries than I had ever imagined.

Vastitude explores concepts of ‘vastness’. Its simple architectural form hosts multidimensional displays that respond in real time to web-based interactions by users.

 

The exterior of Vastitude is a simple rectangular structure that hosts a complex three-dimensional grid of LED lights suspended inside parallel mirrors, creating the illusion of a deep, vast ‘field of lights’.

 

Users interact with the installation in real-time through a dedicated social media portal. When users direct their posts to the installation system, it will translate the user’s post into values that control the colour, speed and type of animation that will be displayed.

 

Artists: Cox Richardson Architects and Planners (Andrew Butler (Australia) / Danny Nguyen (Australia) / Rob Asher (South Africa / Mitchell Page (USA) / Adrian Taylor (USA)

 

Collaborator: Rebekah Collins (Australian)

  

www.vividsydney.com/event/light/vastitude

A local Tucson McDonald's has become the site of a concerted effort by a web-based group of loonies demanding that a replica of a Tyranosaurus Rex (in place for 30 years) be removed because they believe it discourages religious belief in a "young earth" literal interpretation of the Bible. The restaurant owners have also resisted the fringe group's recommendation that, short of removal of the offensive effigy, it be labeled as a "fictional character"--ironically, they apparently have no problem with the larger-than-life Ronald McDonald that also graces the property.

Angel wings over the war memorial

 

Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact detailsCopyright © 2013 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography

full moon over san francisco

 

Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact details

Copyright © 2012 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

www.clickconnectgo.com/treasures-of-pondicherry/

What keeps a person all agog and hooked on to glee is a journey. For most, it’s a trip that makes them a tranquil soul and keeps their life frabjous. With no space for doubt, travelling provokes amicability in one’s behaviour and exploring new places gives rise to more skills. Coupled with a visit to a beatifying destination, the moments get converted well-nigh into euphoric state. When it comes to such a place, Puducherry (formerly known as Pondicherry), casually referred to as ‘Pondy’, holds one of the top positions to offer intense happiness and excitement to its guests.

 

Pondicherry is a union territory located in Tamil Nadu, the south-eastern state of Bharat. If it’s your first step in South India, there is whole lot to get excited about. If you dig into the history, it states that the territory took place in records after the colonial rule by British, Portuguese, French, and Dutch. France ruled over Pondy until 1954 and the impact is still reflected through the French dialect used by some people. Well, the next section brings the whole shebang including the challenges tourists may face; let’s read on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I personally believe solo travelling is the best way to rejuvenate the soul. I, however, was accompanied by a large group of friends who were on the brink of 20’s and were avid for having a glimpse of pretty Pondy. You can also whisk away with your sweetheart and experience a peachy tryst once again. Golly! By a surprising coincidence during a get together, we finally planned to make it in December last year which undoubtedly is the best time to enjoy Pondicherry. You can experience a pleasant Pondy trip from October to March. You can also plan the trip between July to September (Monsoon) if you love to (who doesn’t?) soak in the drops showered by rain; nonetheless, despite rainy season, this place is hot and humid. During rest of the year, Pondy is obsessed by comparatively more heat and humidity hence lacks the potential to show its best.

 

We got air tickets booked from New Delhi (IGI Airport) to Chennai. No matter where you are coming from, you need to land in Chennai. Well, it was a fine Sunday morning when our flight was scheduled to take off. We avoided packing more than two bags each. You prolly know the hassles that may create due to too much of luggage. However, since it was winter season, we kept some light woollens with us; you also never avoid paying heed to the choice of clothes according to the season.

 

With so much excitement, we reached airport and festinated to catch the flight. Right after the departure we began yearning for sumptuous South Indian food, engaging culture, and scenic beauty. After duration of approximately 2h 40m, we got landed at Chennai airport. Subsequently, after checking out, we pushed our way through the throng on taxi stand outside the airport. We couldn’t find a polyglot, therefore, encountered language issues. You can see everyone speaking Tamil around you. Taxi drivers approached us to drive us to the desired destination; however, the language left us entirely confused.

 

Fortunately, we had pre-booked a car through Zoomcar, a group that provides a car on rent with a deposit of Rs. 5000 as security. The amount is non-refundable in case of accident or damage to the car. Therefore, it is recommended to take pics of the car as a proof and check meter reading to avoid pesky arguments. It provides both web based as well as mobile based applications. The latter is easy, fast, and time effective. Tariff varies depending on the class of car you choose. We opted for a Honda City and paid accordingly. Zoomcar includes unlimited fuel in its tariff and also suggests you to keep the receipt if you have fuelled the car by some extra litres. Note that no discount is offered and charges are a bit high during peak season.

 

We bore the total bill of Rs.12360 (approximately) for 3 days and 22 extra hours for a distance of 574 Kilometres. If hours were exceeded, extra money would be charged accordingly. You may also consider opting for a taxi from Uber, OLA, Meru, et cetera.

 

Visitors also take trains or buses that run frequently at fixed intervals from Chennai to Pondicherry; Volvo bus facility is also available which indeed is a comfortable option.

A Journey of Taste and Unique Flavours (Pondicherry)

Our first journey to cover at Chennai included breezy beach which is a serene place to be at. The charisma of this place is beyond the hustle & bustle of the city. It, however gets over-crowded on weekends. I have been an ardent fan of the food served by Sarvana Bhavan at Delhi and wished to experience it on its own land. So, in the evening, we couldn’t resist our temptation and entered Hotel Sarvana Bhavan. The service was unbelievably quick, and before we knew it, our order was before us. We took every bite with relish, beginning with a round of delicious kaima idli with raita, 14 idly with sambhar ghee which was followed by Kara Dosai and Kal Dosai. Next, a fresh lime soda and sweet lassi added a punch to the meal, but it was kaima idli that won the hour.

 

 

Marina Beach is just opposite to it; a complete hot and humid place. Not recommended for tourists. The parking guys dont issue a receipt; therefore, they do not vouch for the safety of your vehicle. Moreover, the way to beach is unpleasant or I must say it’s terrible to be here. Next, we decided to shop to boost up our mood and found our way to Pothys store. It is a nice and big shopping hub where you can buy garments, silk saris, and lungis as souvenir. Another happening shopping place is Express Avenue Mall where we hung out for hours. If you have enough time like we had, visit the mall for a grand shopping experience.Well, before heading to Pondy, we first decided to drive through some of the popular destinations in Chennai. We first dug into a south Indian plate at Murugan Idli Shop, ‘temple of idli’. However, our appetite for South Indian forced us to tickle our taste buds at Adyar Ananda Bhawan where we experienced ambrosial food with yummy coconut chutney.

 

Now was the time to get back to our itinerary. The drive to Pondicherry can be dangerous because of no availability of lights on the narrow highway at night, we planned a sojourn at Mahabalipuram.

 

We had enough leeway while proceeding towards Mahabalipuram, therefore, visited Madras Crocodile Bank that justifies the name to the full extent. Especially when you are with kids, it’s a must visit place which is popular to have contained a huge bank of crocodiles and snake pits; an absolute interesting place.

A Date with Ancient India - Mahabalipuram (Pondicherry)

 

Mahabalipuram measures the distance of approx. 56 kilometres from Chennai that took us hardly an hour to reach there. Golden Sun Hotel & Beach Resort was our stay point that charged us Rs. 2200 for a night. An old city Mahabalipuram is located in Kancheepuram district and is known for consisting of ancient temples and stone carved monuments. Therefore, we found it worth it to spend some time at Mahabalipuram and experience the glimpse of this ancient land. It cannot be gainsaid that Mahabalipuram is among the most loved cultural heritage sites of India. If you are culturati, you will fall head over heels in love with the sites offered by this age old town.

 

Shore Temple

 

The Shore Temple was the first destination we chose to touch. Lo and behold! This amazing place made me believe in the unlimited potential of human. The 1400 years old temple, perfectly situated on the sea shore dates back to Pallava Dynasty and has the images of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, Lord Vishnu, and Nandi carved on its walls. When the sun rises, the natural glow hovers over the water surface and demonstrates what real beauty truly stands for. The temple consists of two main shrines namely Vishnu Shrine and Shiva Shrine. It is believed that the Vishnu Shrine was built first. It has a flat roof. There are a number of narrow pathways within the temple that connect the two shrines. We were just wondering how many generations have gone through these narrow paths. We first entered Shiva Shrine that has its face directed towards east at the sea.

 

Through a narrow path we entered the Vishnu Shrine that is popular for Lord Vishnu’s sleeping posture. Here, Lord Vishnu is lying in Ananta Shayana pose; therefore, the shrine is named as ‘Narapathisimha Pallava Vishnugruham’. The entry fee for the temple is Rs. 10 per person that also includes entry fee to Panch Rathas. The temple is 7 days open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. There is no entry fee for the kids below fifteen years. Visit duration is 30 minutes.

 

 

Mahabalipuram boasts 8 Cave Temples namely Varaha, Tiger, Krishna, Panchpandava, Trimurti, Mahishasuramardini, Atiranachanda, and Kotikal built by Pallava dynasty in 7th century. A fine and detailed rock cutting makes these caves a true demonstrator of finest ancient Indian art.

An Evening with Krishna’s Butterball

Krishna's Butterball is another interesting attraction to see. The Butterball of 5 meters diameter is balanced on a smooth slope & defies the laws of Physics. We enjoyed underneath the rock for a while and clicked many candid pics.

 

Towards Happier HoursOther attractions that we explored include Arjuna’s Penance, Pancha Rathas, and beaches. Wherever you go, almost all sites are coverable on foot so you can stroll along the city. Mahabalipuram has now been declared as UNESCO world heritage site.

 

 

Next day we started off our journey to Pondicherry at 5.30 AM with an amazing gut feeling. Since Pondicherry is located approx. 131 kilometres far from Mahabalipuram, it took us around two hours and a few minutes to reach there. Supported by scenic destinations, mouth-watering food, and lovely coastline, Pondicherry is a small town and allows visitors to explore and enjoy on foot.

 

 

It was early morning and no restaurant was open; on asking people around, we were told that restaurants start serving from 9:00 AM onwards. Till then we satiated our hunger with the snacks we had and quenched our thirst with a small amount of water left with us. We then proceeded to French Guest House that we found a nice place to stay. The guest house is located near to Promenade beach promising to provide a breath-taking view. For corporate travellers, Le Royal Park is a good choice that offers a pool and good amenities. More importantly, this place offers everything at commendable prices. An interesting feature of Le Royal is its mid-night buffet that is available till 2.30 AM. If you are not hungry at supper time, the buffet turns out to be your true companion and that too at a very reasonable price. However, the hotel most of the times encounters traffic in front of it, making it a bit unpleasant for tourists.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram (Pondicherry)

After freshening up, we had tasty bites of breakfast and discussed our plan for rest of the day. We then found our way around the city beginning with Aurobindo Ashram which is also a centre for education. The Ashram opens from 8:00 AM to 12 noon and 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The highlights at the Ashram include:

 

Samadhi: Visit the inner courtyard to see the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and his disciple Mirra Alfasa whom Sri Aurobindo considered the divine mother and entitled her as ‘The Mother’. She was French and recognized that Sri Aurobindo was the one whom she had been seeing in her vision, and became the lifetime disciple.

Art Gallery: The Art Gallery was named ‘The Studio’ by the Mother who had keen interest in arts and painting. The gallery consists of paintings and photographs from the Mother’s collection and the paintings made by the people of Ashram. It opens from 9.00 AM to 11.00 AM, 3.00 PM to 4.00 PM.

Bureau Centre: Dedicated to visitors, Bureau Centre features an exhibition that explains the life of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, a detailed map of Pondicherry, video programs, and information about the Ashram.

Library: Recognized as an intellectual sanctuary by the Mother, the Library possesses eighty thousand books in twenty five languages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ashram society also provides accommodation for visitors; however, it is easily available for Ashram guests only. Others need to get reservations in advance.

 

Near to Ashram (almost 7 km. drive) there is Auroville that welcomed us as warmly as if it had received instructions from nature to engulf us with ecstasy. Yes, this place is worth forgetting the routine life you live and living the life you always dreamt of. This place was established by The Mother and is adorned with utmost peace and spiritual atmosphere. Auroville is worth a stay of at least 4-5 days, cherish freedom, and give yourself a treat to live a little. We unfortunately didn’t have enough time so had to come back after spending a few hours out there. Additionally, the day just turned perfect owing to the murky weather. Auroville is often frequented by foreigners. The place is richly decorated with a beautiful beach known as Auroville beach; an ideal place to spend a spectacular, calm, and splendid evening. If possible, hire a scooty at Pondy to add more joy to your experience in the town. However, do not forget to bargain and limit them to max. Rs. 200 as the scooty rent varies between Rs. 150-200.

Time to Enjoy French Bites (Pondicherry)

After a busy yet enthralling day, we felt ravenous. Voila! Baker Street, a French Bakery served as a saviour. Tuna sandwich, doughnuts, mushroom puffs and other French delicacies satiated us. The restaurant provides WIFI connection; it is, however, better to take away. We enjoyed each French bite at Promenade Beach (Pondicherry Beach) that is a walk only zone at night. Taking a stroll or sitting by the beach and getting fresh air is an incomparable experience. The beach is a great place to be, surrounded by fascinating shops, water beyond, outstanding view, and relax.

 

While doing quite a little walking, we found a Gandhi statue and a sea facing restaurant named Le Cafe, a number of chaiwalas and chaatwalas, making it a more happening place. We enjoyed local chaats while celebrating tickling sounds of roaring waves.

 

 

At supper hour, we chose to taste the offerings of Le Café restaurant. It’s an open restaurant next to the beach where we enjoyed yummy cuisine while having a look at different facets of the sea. Though the restaurant draws many customers owing to its location and quality of food, the service was up to the mark despite good crowd; staff is quite attentive. Skipping the starters, we directly starved for the main course. Being a pure veggie, I ordered BBQ Paneer Tikka that pleased me with every spoonful. There is a variety for non-vegetarians, such as Chicken Tikka, Prawns, and much more. Following, our desire for Apple Tartlet remained disappointed as it was not as good as it should have been.

 

An important thing to keep a sincere check on is prices of food or any other item. Be it Pondicherry, Chennai or other places in South India, if you are a North Indian, you must possess good bargaining skills to avoid yourself from being looted.

An Italian Lick (Pondicherry)

 

With a wonderful experience throughout the day at Pondy, our tired body begged us to hit the hay. We drove to the hotel and had a sound sleep. The next morning, we woke up to glowing sun. Over breakfast, we decided to rush to the market and shop for local things.Ibaco is another nice ice-cream parlour which is located on Villianur Main Rd. It takes hardly 15 minutes to cover the distance from Promenade Beach to Ibaco. Other ice-cream shops are Richy Rich Snowflakes Ice Cream Parlour, etc.

 

Pondicherry houses local markets, boutiques, and Ashram shops most of which are located at MG road and Nehru Street. Special things worth buying at Pondy include arts & handicrafts, paper mache, room aromas, fragrance candles, bags and soaps that you can keep as souvenirs or present to your friends. We bought a bagful of aromatic items from a boutique at Auroville. There are several similar outlets at Pondicherry as well. Sunday market with vendors sitting alongside the street offers a good reason to spend an interesting time. From cheap clothes, shoes, bags to metal plates and pots, everything available in market makes people go gaga.

 

In the evening we were set to head to Paradise Beach, aka Plage Paradiso Island, one of the best beaches in India. In order to reach the beach, we had to first reach Pondicherry-Cuddalore highway which is approx. 7 kilometres far from the main city. From here a regular boat rode us to the island of Paradise Beach in 15-20 minutes.

 

With calm surroundings, array of tall coconut trees, incredible sound of sea waves and breeze, and picturesque landscape, the very much quintessential island, Paradise Beach is a hidden surprise. Playing and having fun at the beach like happy kids made us extremely happy. Sitting like someone with no worries and taking a deep breathe filled my heart with a feeling of immense pleasure and appreciation for everything our planet offers. Visit this paradise in the evening and stay thankful to this place for offering you such an amazing piece of peace. The time of over 3 hours spent at Paradise Beach is unforgettable. It’s a must visit place especially for those who love swimming. Along with a joyous time, we didn’t forget examining the zoomcar and taking clicks for an easy refund.

Cheers! (Pondicherry)

Our last activity at Pondy included enjoying liquor sips. Believe it or not but a large number of people visit Pondicherry for buying liquor. With the ‘no tax’ tag, the cheap liquor has made Pondy the cynosure of all alcoholics. After getting awesomely greeted by the Paradise Beach, now was the time to get into a restaurant cum bar. We were told by locals of a place named LB2 Lounge located on the La Bourdonnais Street. It’s a good place to enjoy night life as the lounge is open till 12 midnight. We chose to begin with cocktails; those guys undoubtedly have a good hand with cocktails. Our cocktail was coupled with the duo of starters – white sauce pasta and some fries that were later accompanied by a bottle of wine. The best things about the lounge include full of life ambience, good music played at standard sound levels, and comfortable sitting arrangement. However, it sounds sad that despite having everything up to the mark these people are a bit slow when it comes to service. You may have to wait for little more time than you thought.

 

We of course wanted to carry liquor for our friends, for which we were given the reference of PAPSCO, a government organization that supplies liquor and food products. The PAPSCO wholesale store at Pondy provides authenticated liquor at cheaper prices. We also bought the world class Amrut Fusion Single Malt whisky for just Rs. 2200. It was another moment to express gratitude to the great Pondy. Make sure you don’t get trapped by any unauthenticated and fraudulent liquor supplier. They will give you lower quality products at higher prices. In the next slot of hours, we went back to hotel room, did some chit-chat, and celebrated our last giggles at Pondy till the moment we were ready to drop. Another thing that may be pesky for some and interesting for others is wearing lungi which is the traditional bottom wear in South India. Lungi will act as a saviour while you cross the border with liquor by private vehicle. Cops usually do not restrict people wearing lungi at the border, holding an opinion that lungi people are locals. In case of carrying different attire, chances are higher that you may be nabbed by cops and it will take hours for you to deal with the situation with no guarantee if you will be allowed to take the liquor with you.

Adieu Pondy

Next morning, while buckling up for a journey back to Chennai, we realized that the charm and serenity was short-lived. To outsiders, it may be a barren town, but it is a home to amazing people, scenic beauty, rich culture, and cheap pegs we have ever encountered. Hope to come back again with an ample time and date Pondicherry for long.

 

While reminiscing about the beautiful moments, we finally reached Chennai, headed to zoomcar centre, left the car in good condition and got back the deposited security. We then proceeded to the airport and caught flight that was scheduled to depart at 8:00 PM.

 

Helpful Tips:

 

Try the mushroom buns (tastes like an omelette)

Taste the Masala Bread at Adyar Bhawan (Spicy)

Raw mango on streets

Buy perfumes & lungis as souvenirs

Hire a Scooty or Bike to commute withing Pondy

Experience the stay at a French Guest House

Buy tax free alcohol

 

Guest Houses Links:

 

www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d1055323-Reviews-...

 

patriciaguesthouse.wordpress.com/

 

www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d1908811-Reviews-...

 

www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d1600492-Reviews-...

 

www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d2374480-Reviews-...

 

www.yatra.com/hotels/hotels-in-pondicherry/la-maison-blan...

 

www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g659792-d1603369-Reviews-...

 

www.cleartrip.com/hotels/info/dumas-guest-house-740254

Vastitude explores concepts of ‘vastness’. Its simple architectural form hosts multidimensional displays that respond in real time to web-based interactions by users.

 

The exterior of Vastitude is a simple rectangular structure that hosts a complex three-dimensional grid of LED lights suspended inside parallel mirrors, creating the illusion of a deep, vast ‘field of lights’.

 

Users interact with the installation in real-time through a dedicated social media portal. When users direct their posts to the installation system, it will translate the user’s post into values that control the colour, speed and type of animation that will be displayed.

 

Artists: Cox Richardson Architects and Planners (Andrew Butler (Australia) / Danny Nguyen (Australia) / Rob Asher (South Africa / Mitchell Page (USA) / Adrian Taylor (USA)

 

Collaborator: Rebekah Collins (Australian)

  

www.vividsydney.com/event/light/vastitude

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

farm dam

 

Check out my Profile Page for more information on my images and my website and contact detailsCopyright © 2012 Neal Pritchard PhotographyThis photo may not be used in any form without prior permission. All rights reserved. All images may NOT be used on websites, blogs or in any other form of media print or web based without explicit written permission by Spool Photography

Late 2015 and early 2016, there was a free web-based service that could be used to compile a 3 x 3 collage of 9 Instagram images. The images were selected from the posts made during 2015 by the nominated Instagram user. The posts were ranked according to the number of "likes".

 

As we start 2017 and reflect upon 2016, a modified service has been created to produce the equivalent collage for Instagram posts made during 2016. The URL for the 2016 service is ihttps://2016bestnine.com

 

At the same time, the service for 2015 has been resurrected and can be accessed at the URL ihttps://2016bestnine.com

 

----------

To add value to this exercise, I have provided below the titles for the images, together with links to the relevant posts on Flickr.

 

[ N.B., You might be asking yourself - Why have I included links to posts on Flickr rather than Instagram? I post the same images on Flickr and Instagram, but the posts on Flickr have a longer description with background information for the image. Also, the posts on Flickr have higher quality images and better viewing options than Instagram. ]

 

All in all, the results are an interesting (!?!) take on my "best" images. There are many other metrics by which "best" could be defined. I intend to compile my own "best" nine images for 2015 and 2016. After a cursory scan of my Instagram posts for 2015 and 2016, I expect that there will be very limited overlap between the results presented here and with my own selection of favorites. I shall be judging my "best" images on a combination of technical photographic criteria and the circumstances that are portrayed. I would make the point that these metrics are qualitative, and as such, couldn't be amenable to implementation as an automated service.

 

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Top row (L to R) ...

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Blue Hour Tranquility - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151206 @ 05:18

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/23394067990/in/datepo...

 

Feijoa (Guavasteen) Flower - Acca sellowiana - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151126 @ 07:18

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/23279491621/in/datepo...

 

Celestial Bodies Galore - Jupiter, The Moon, Venus, Mars - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151105 @ 05:02

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/22494743407/in/datepo...

 

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Middle row (L to R) ...

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Kangaroo Paw Flowers - Anigozanthos species - Forrest - ACT - Australia - 20151121 @ 06:24

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/23196944435/in/datepo...

 

A Majestic Pre-dawn Blue Hour View Across Lake Burley Griffin - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151117 @ 05:12

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/22768953399/in/datepo...

 

A Faded Daffodil - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20150829 @ 11:05

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/20587072764/in/datepo...

 

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Bottom row (L to R) ...

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Inside a Daffodil - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20150829 @ 11:18

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/21026766046/in/datepo...

 

Exposing a Bearded Iris Flower - Forrest - ACT - Australia - 20151010 @ 06:11

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/21459624953/in/datepo...

 

Summer Blue Hour Morning Magic - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20151205 @ 05:13

www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/23448049391/in/datepo...

 

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#MomentsForZen #MFZ #2015bestnine

Parked trailer full of crushed cars ready for their final journey to the recycling plant.

A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish and British English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.

 

Other terms include wreck yard, wrecker's yard, salvage yard, breakers yard, dismantler and scrapheap. In the United Kingdom, car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers. In Australia, they are often referred to as 'Wreckers'.

 

The most common type of wreck yards are automobile wreck yards, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small airplanes and boats exist too.

 

Many salvage yards operate on a local level—when an automobile is severely damaged, has malfunctioned beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard; in some cases—as when the car has become disabled in a place where derelict cars are not allowed to be left—the car owner will pay the wrecker to haul the car away.

 

Salvage yards also buy most of the wrecked, derelict and abandoned vehicles that are sold at auction from police impound storage lots,and often buy vehicles from insurance tow yards as well.

 

The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from the location of its purchase to the yard, but occasionally vehicles are driven in. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another.

 

Some yards keep inventories in their offices, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Many yards have computerized inventory systems. About 75% of any given vehicle can be recycled and used for other goods.

 

In recent years it is becoming increasingly common to use satellite part finder services to contact multiple salvage yards from a single source.

 

In the 20th century these were call centres that charged a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now Web-based with requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.

. . . flight to Bangkok

________________________

 

The Airbus A340 is a long-range, four-engine, wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed and produced by the European aerospace company Airbus. The A340 was assembled at Toulouse, France. It seats up to 375 passengers in the standard variants and 440 in the stretched -600 series. Depending on the model, it has a range of between 6,700 to 9,000 nautical miles (12,400 to 16,700 km; 7,700 to 10,400 mi). Its distinguishing features are four high-bypass turbofan engines and three-bogie main landing gears.

 

The A340 was manufactured in four fuselage lengths. The initial variant, A340-300, which entered service in 1993, measured 63.69. The shorter -200 was developed next, and the A340-600 was a 15.96 metres stretch of the -200. The -600 was developed alongside the shorter A340-500, which would become the longest-range commercial airliner until the arrival of the Boeing 777-200LR. The -200 and -300 models were powered by the 151 kilonewtons (34,000 lbf) CFM56-5C, while the 267-kilonewton (60,000 lbf) Rolls-Royce Trent 500 was the exclusive powerplant for the extended-range -500 and -600 models. The initial A340-200 and -300 variants share the fuselage and wing of the twin-engine Airbus A330 with which it was concurrently designed. The heavier A340-500 and -600 are longer and have larger wings.

 

Launch customers Lufthansa and Air France placed the A340 into service in March 1993. In September 2011, 379 orders had been placed (not including private operators), of which 375 were delivered. The most common type were the A340-300 model, with 218 aircraft delivered. Lufthansa is the biggest operator of the A340, having acquired 59 aircraft. The A340 is used on long-haul, trans-oceanic routes due to its immunity from ETOPS restrictions; however, with reliability and fuel efficiency in engines improving, airlines have gradually phased out the type in favour of the more economical Boeing 777 twinjet, while Airbus has positioned the larger variants of the Airbus A350 as a successor. Airbus announced on 10 November 2011 that A340 production had been concluded.

 

DEVELOPMENT

BACKGROND

When Airbus designed the Airbus A300 during the 1970s, it envisioned a broad family of airliners to compete against Boeing and Douglas, two established US aerospace manufacturers. From the moment of formation, Airbus had begun studies into derivatives of the Airbus A300B in support of this long-term goal. Prior to the service introduction of the first Airbus airliners, Airbus had identified nine possible variations of the A300 known as A300B1 to B9. A 10th variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was designated the A300B10. It was a smaller aircraft that would be developed into the long-range Airbus A310. Airbus then focused its efforts on the single-aisle market, which resulted in the Airbus A320 family, which was the first digital fly-by-wire commercial aircraft. The decision to work on the A320, instead of a four-engine aircraft proposed by the Germans, created divisions within Airbus. As the SA or "single aisle" studies (which later became the successful Airbus A320) underwent development to challenge the successful Boeing 737 and Douglas DC-9 in the single-aisle, narrow-body airliner market, Airbus turned its focus back to the wide-body aircraft market.

 

The A300B11, a derivative of the A310, was designed upon the availability of "ten ton" engines. It would seat between 180 and 200 passengers, and have a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km). It was deemed the replacement for the less-efficient Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s still in service. The A300B11 was joined by another design, the A300B9, which was a larger derivative of the A300. The B9 was developed by Airbus from the early 1970s at a slow pace until the early 1980s. It was essentially a stretched A300 with the same wing, coupled with the most powerful turbofan engine at the time. It was targeted at the growing demand for high-capacity, medium-range, transcontinental trunk routes. The B9 would offer the same range and payload as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, but would use between 25% to 38% less fuel. The B9 was therefore considered the replacement for the DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.

 

To differentiate the programme from the SA studies, the B9 and B11 were redesignated the TA9 and TA11 (TA standing for "twin aisle"), respectively. In an effort to save development costs, it was decided that the two would share the same wing and airframe; the projected savings were estimated at US$500 million (about £490 million or €495 million). The adoption of a common wing structure also had one technical advantage: the TA11's outboard engines could counteract the weight of the longer-range model by providing bending relief. Another factor was the split preference of those within Airbus and, more importantly, prospective airliner customers. Airbus vice president for strategic planning, Adam Brown, recalled,

 

North American operators were clearly in favour of a twin[jet], while Asians wanted a quad[jet]. In Europe, opinion was split between the two. The majority of potential customers were in favour of a quad despite the fact, in certain conditions, it is more costly to operate than a twin. They liked that it could be ferried with one engine out, and could fly 'anywhere' - ETOPS (extend-range twin-engine operations) hadn't begun then.

 

DESIGN EFFORT

The first specifications of the TA9 and TA11 were released in 1982. While the TA9 had a range of 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km), the TA11 range was up to 6,830 nautical miles (12,650 km). At the same time, Airbus also sketched the TA12, a twin-engine derivative of the TA11, which was optimised for flights of a 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) lesser range. By the time of the Paris Air Show in June 1985, more refinements had been made to the TA9 and TA11, including the adoption of the A320 flight deck, fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system and side-stick control. Adopting a common cockpit across the new Airbus series allowed operators to make significant cost savings; flight crews would be able to transition from one to another after one week of training. The TA11 and TA12 would use the front and rear fuselage sections of the A310. Components were modular and also interchangeable with other Airbus aircraft where possible to reduce production, maintenance and operating costs.Airbus briefly considered a variable camber wing; the concept was that the wing could change its profile to produce the optimum shape for a given phase of flight. Studies were carried out by British Aerospace (BAe) at Hatfield and Bristol. Airbus estimated this would yield a 2% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency. However, the plan was later abandoned on grounds of cost and difficulty of development.

 

Airbus had held discussions with McDonnell Douglas to jointly produce the aircraft, which would have been designated as the AM 300. This aeroplane would have combined the wing of the A330 with the fuselage of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11. However, talks were terminated as McDonnell Douglas insisted on the continuation of its trijet heritage. Although from the start it was intended for the A340 would be powered by four CFM56-5 turbofan engines, each capable of 25,000 pounds-force (110 kN), Airbus had also considered developing the aircraft as a trijet due to the limited power of engines available at the time, namely the Rolls-Royce RB211-535 and Pratt & Whitney JT10D-232.

 

On 27 January 1986, the Airbus Industrie Supervisory Board held a meeting in Munich, West Germany, after which board-chairman Franz Josef Strauß released a statement, "Airbus Industrie is now in a position to finalise the detailed technical definition of the TA9, which is now officially designated the A330, and the TA11, now called the A340, with potential launch customer airlines, and to discuss with them the terms and conditions for launch commitments". The designations were originally reversed because the airlines believed it illogical for a two-engine jet airliner to have a "4" in its name, whilst a quad-jet would not. On 12 May 1986, Airbus dispatched fresh sale proposals to five prospective airlines including Lufthansa and Swissair.

 

PRODUCTION AND TESTING

In preparations for production of the A330/A340, Airbus's partners invested heavily in new facilities. Filton was the site of BAE's £7 million investment in a three-storey technical centre with an extra 15,000 square metres of floor area. BAe also spent £5 million expanding the Chester wing production plant by 14,000 m2 to accommodate a new production line. However, France saw the biggest changes with Aérospatiale starting construction of a new Fr.2.5 billion ($411 million) assembly plant, adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, in Colomiers. By November 1988, the first 21 m pillars were erected for the new Clément Ader assembly hall. The assembly process, meanwhile, would feature increased automation with holes for the wing-fuselage mating process drilled by eight robots. The use of automation for this particular process saved Airbus 20% on labour costs and 5% on time.

 

British Aerospace accepted £450 million funding from the UK government, short of the £750 million originally requested. Funds from the French and German governments followed thereafter. Airbus also issued subcontracts to companies in Austria, Australia, Canada, China, Greece, Italy, India, Japan, South Korea, Portugal, the United States of America, and the former Yugoslavia. The A330 and A340 programmes were jointly launched on 5 June 1987, just prior to the Paris Air Show. The order book then stood at 130 aircraft from 10 customers, apart from the above-mentioned Lufthansa and International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). Eighty-nine of the total orders were A340 models. Over at McDonnell Douglas, ongoing tests of the MD-11 revealed a significant shortfall in the aircraft's performance. An important carrier, Singapore Airlines (SIA), required a fully laden aircraft that could fly from Singapore to Paris, against strong headwinds during mid-winter in the northern hemisphere. The MD-11, according to test results, would experience fuel starvation over the Balkans. Due to the less-than-expected performance figures, SIA cancelled its 20-aircraft MD-11 order on 2 August 1991, and ordered 20 A340-300s instead. The MD-11 failed commercially and unsuccessfully competed with the A340.

 

The first flight of the A340 occurred on 21 October 1991, marking the start of a 2,000-hour test flight programme involving six aircraft. From the start, engineers noticed that the wings were not strong enough to carry the outboard engines at cruising speed without warping and fluttering. To alleviate this, an underwing bulge called a plastron was developed to correct airflow problems around the engine pylons and to add stiffness. European JAA certification was obtained on 22 December 1992; FAA followed on 27 May 1993.

 

ENTRY INTO SERVICE AND DEMONSTRATION

Airbus delivered the first A340, a -200, to Lufthansa on 2 February 1993. The 228-seat A340-200, named Nürnberg, entered service on 15 March. The A340s were intended to replace aging DC-10s on the airline's Frankfurt–New York services. Meanwhile, Air France took its first A340-300 on 26 February, the first of nine it planned to operate by the end of the year. The A340 replaced the Boeing 747s on Paris–Washington D.C., flying four times weekly. Coincidentally, the first Air France A340 was the 1000th Airbus aircraft to leave the Toulouse facility since the consortium's beginning.

 

During the Paris Air Show, on 16 June 1993 an A340-200 named The World Ranger took off for a round-the-world demonstration and publicity-stunt flight. The aircraft, carrying 22 persons, had been modified for the flight, including the addition of five center tanks. Taking off at 11:58 local time, The World Ranger made only one stop en route – in Auckland, New Zealand – and arrived back in Paris 48 hours and 22 minutes later, at 12:20. The flight broke six world records at the time. Among the six was the longest non-stop flight by an airliner, when the aircraft flew 19,277 kilometres (10,409 nmi) from Paris, arriving in Auckland in record time. The A340 would hold this record for a total of 12 years; in 2005, a Boeing 777-200LR flew from Hong Kong eastward toward London, successfully completing a 21,602 kilometres (11,664 nmi) journey.

 

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS AND END OF PRODUCTION

During the 1990s, the A340-300 was challenged by the more fuel-efficient Boeing 777-200ER twinjet. In addition, airlines were looking for replacement aircraft for their 1970s-era Boeing 747-100s and -200s, so Airbus investigated a stretched airframe in the form of the A340-400X. This proved unpopular, as the CFM56 engines were at the limits of their growth capability and the range would have decreased to around 10,000 km (5,400 nmi). A new plan to develop an A340 variant with a larger wing and engine combination was decided upon. Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and General Electric competed to be selected as the supplier of the new engine to power the type; talks between General Electric and Airbus over an exclusive engine arrangement collapsed in 1997 following disagreement over cost and risk-sharing. Airbus ultimately decided to adopt a variant of the Rolls-Royce Trent engine series, which was viewed as cost-effective as it did not involve developing an independent power plant. In April 1996, Airbus announced that it would offer a stretched variant of the aircraft, designated as the A340-600. The A340-500/600 would be developed as ultra-long range (ULR) aircraft.

 

During the 2000s, sales slowed despite the introduction of the A340-500 and A340-600 and their high gross weight variants, the A340-500IGW and A340-600HGW, respectively as the Boeing 777-200LR and -300ER began to dominate the long-range, 300-400 seating sector. Airbus confirmed in January 2006 that it had conducted studies into developing an A340-600E (Enhanced). Airbus projected that it would be more fuel-efficient than earlier A340s, closing the 8–9% disparity with the Boeing 777 via the use of the new Trent 1500 engine as well as technologies derived from the A350 programme. In 2007, Airbus predicted that another 127 A340 aircraft would likely be produced through 2016, the projected end of production.

 

On 10 November 2011, Airbus announced the end of the A340 program. At that time, the company indicated that all firm orders had been delivered. The decision to terminate the program came as A340-500/600 orders came to a halt, with analyst Nick Cunningham pointing out that the A340 "was too heavy and there was a big fuel burn gap between the A340 and Boeing’s 777". Bertrand Grabowski, managing director of aircraft financier DVB Bank SE, noted "in an environment where the fuel price is high, the A340 has had no chance to compete against similar twin engines, and the current lease rates and values of this aircraft reflect the deep resistance of any airlines to continue operating it”. Airbus has positioned the larger versions of the A350, specifically the A350-900 and A350-1000, as the successors to the A340-500 and A340-600.

 

As a sales incentive amid low customer demand during the Great Recession, Airbus had offered buy-back guarantees to airlines that chose to procure the A340. By 2013, the resale value of an A340 declined by 30% over ten years, and both Airbus and Rolls-Royce were incurring related charges amounting to hundreds of millions of euros. Some analysts have expected the price of a flight-worthy, CFM56-powered A340 to drop below $10 million by 2023. As an effort to support the A340's resale value, Airbus has proposed reconfiguring the aircraft's interior for a single class of 475 seats. As the Trent 500 engines are half the maintenance cost of the A340, Rolls-Royce proposed a cost-reducing maintenance plan similar to the company's existing program that reduced the cost of maintaining the RB211 engine powering Iberia's Boeing 757 freighters. Key to these programs is the salvaging, repair and reuse of serviceable parts from retired older engines. Airbus could offer used A340s to airlines wishing to retire older aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400, claiming that the cost of purchasing and maintaining a second-hand A340 with increased seating and improved engine performance reportedly compared favourably to the procurement costs of a new Boeing 777.

 

DESIGN

The Airbus A340 is a widebody twin-aisle passenger airliner which, along with its sibling the A330, has the distinction of being the first truly long-range aircraft to be produced by Airbus. It is powered by four FADEC turbofan jet engines, optimized to perform long distance routes. The A340 had built upon developments made in the production of earlier Airbus aircraft and as such shares many features with those aircraft, such as a common cockpit design with the Airbus A320 and A330; as the aircraft was developed at the same time as the A330 the two aircraft employ many similar components and sections, such as identical fly-by-wire control systems and similar wings. Both before and after the A340 entered revenue service, the features and improvements that were developed for the type were usually shared with the A330, a significant beneficial factor in performing such programs.

 

The A340 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane, the wing itself is virtually identical to that of the A330. The wings were designed and manufactured by BAe, which developed a long slender wing with a very high aspect ratio to provide high aerodynamic efficiency.[Nb 1] The wing is swept back at 30 degrees and, along with other design features, allows a maximum operating Mach number of 0.86. The wing has a very high thickness-to-chord ratio of 12.8 per cent, which means that a long span and high aspect ratio can be attained without a severe weight penalty. For comparison, the rival MD-11 has a thickness-to-chord ratio of 8–9 per cent. Each wing also has a 2.74 m tall winglet instead of the wingtip fences found on earlier Airbus aircraft. The failure of International Aero Engines' radical ultra-high-bypass V2500 "SuperFan", which had promised around 15 per cent fuel burn reduction for the A340, led to multiple enhancements including wing upgrades to compensate. Originally designed with a 56 m span, the wing was later extended to 58.6 m and finally to 60.3 m. At 60.3 m, the wingspan is similar to that of the larger Boeing 747-200, but with 35 percent less wing area.

 

The flight deck of the A340 is a glass cockpit, based upon the control systems first used on the smaller A320. Instead of a conventional control yoke, the flight deck features side-stick controls. The main instrument panel is dominated by a total of six cathode ray tube monitors which display information to the flight crew; on later aircraft these monitors have been replaced by liquid crystal displays. Flight information is directed via the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) and systems information through the Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM). The aircraft monitoring system is connected to various sensors throughout the aircraft and automatically alerts the crew to any parameters detected outside of their normal range; pilots can also manually inspect systems of their choosing at any time. The information display system is designed to be easily interpreted and give a clear picture of the aircraft's operational status. Instead of paper manuals, electronic CD-ROM-based manuals are used; Airbus offers web-based updates to electronic documentation as an option.

 

Many measures were taken from the start of the A340's design process to reduce the difficulty and cost of maintenance, which was reportedly half of that of the earlier Airbus A310 despite the increase in size. The aircraft's four engines featured improved controls and monitoring systems that enabled engine parameters to be more readily checked and avoid unnecessary early removals; the four-engine approach also avoided the stringent ETOPS requirements such as more frequent inspections. The A340 also has a centralised maintenance computer which provides comprehensive easily understandable systems information, which can be transmitted in real-time to ground facilities via the onboard satellite-based ACARS datalink. Some aspects of the maintenance, such as structural changes, remained unchanged, while increased sophistication of technology in the passenger cabin, like the in-flight entertainment systems, were increased over preceding airliners.

 

OPERATIONAL HISTORY

The first variant of the A340 to be introduced, the A340-200, entered service with the launch customer, Lufthansa, in 1993. It was followed shortly thereafter by the A340-300 with its operator, Air France. Lufthansa's first A340, which had been dubbed Nürnberg (D-AIBA), began revenue service on 15 March 1993. Air Lanka (later renamed Sri Lankan Airlines) became the Asian launch customer of the Airbus A340; the airline received its first A340-300, registered (4R-ADA), in September 1994. British airline Virgin Atlantic was an early adopter of the A340; in addition to operating several A340-300 aircraft, Virgin Atlantic announced in August 1997 that it was to be the worldwide launch customer for the new A340-600. The first commercial flight of the A340-600 was performed by Virgin in July 2002.

 

Singapore Airlines ordered 17 A340-300s and operated them until October 2013. The A340-300s were purchased by Boeing as part of an order for Boeing 777s in 1999.[75] The airline then purchased five long-range A340-500s, which joined the fleet in December 2003. In February 2004, the airline's A340-500 performed the longest non-stop commercial air service in the world, conducting a non-stop flight between Singapore and Los Angeles In 2007, Singapore Airlines launched an even longer non-stop route using the A340-500 between Newark and Singapore, SQ 21, a 15,344 kilometres (8,285 nmi) journey that was the longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight in the world. The airline continued to operate this route regularly until the airline decided to retire the type in favour of new A380 and A350 aircraft; its last A340 flight was performed in late 2013.

The A340 was typically used by airlines as a medium-sized long-haul aircraft, and was often a replacement for older Boeing 747s as it was more likely profitable. Airbus produced a number of A340s as large private jets for VIP customers, often to replace aging Boeing 747s in this same role. In 2008, Airbus launched a dedicated corporate jetliner version of the A340-200: one key selling point of this aircraft was a range of up to 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km). Airbus had built up to nine different customized versions of the A340 to private customer's specific demands prior to 2008.

 

The A340 has frequently been operated as a dedicated transport for heads of state. A pair of A340-300s were acquired from Lufthansa by the Flugbereitschaft of the German Air Force; they serve as VIP transports for the German Chancellor and other key members of the German government. The A340 is also operated by the air transport division of the French Air Force, where it is used as a strategic transport for troop deployments and supply missions, as well as to transport government officials. A one-of-a-kind aircraft, the A340-8000, was originally built for Prince Jefri Bolkiah, brother of the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah. The aircraft was unused and stored in Hamburg until it was procured by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal of the House of Saud, and later sold to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, then-President of Libya; the aircraft was operated by Afriqiyah Airways and was often referred to as Afriqiyah One.

 

In 2008, jet fuel prices doubled compared to the year before; consequently, the A340's fuel consumption led airlines to reduce flight stages exceeding 15 hours. Thai Airways International cancelled its 17-hour, nonstop Bangkok–New York/JFK route on 1 July 2008, and placed its four A340-500s for sale. While short flights stress aircraft more than long flights and result in more frequent fuel-thirsty take-offs and landings, ultra-long flights require completely full fuel tanks. The higher weights in turn require a greater proportion of an aircraft's fuel fraction just to take off and to stay airborne. In 2008, Air France-KLM SA's chief executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon disparagingly referred to the A340 as a "flying tanker with a few people on board". While Thai Airways consistently filled 80% of the seats on its New York City–Bangkok flights, it estimated that, at 2008 fuel prices, it would need an impossible 120% of seats filled just to break even. Other airlines also re-examined long-haul flights. In August 2008 Cathay Pacific stated that rising fuel costs were hurting its trans-Pacific long-haul routes disproportionately, and that it would cut the number of such flights and redeploy its aircraft to shorter routes such as between Hong Kong and Australia. "We will ... reshap[e] our network where necessary to ensure we fly aircraft to where we can cover our costs and also make some money." Aviation Week noted that rapid performance increases of twin-engine aircraft has led to the detriment of four-engine types of comparable capacity such as the A340 and 747.

 

By 2014, Singapore Airlines had phased out the type, while Emirates Airlines decided to accelerate the retirement of its A340 fleet. International Airlines Group, the parent of Iberia Airlines (which is also the operator of the last production A340 built), is overhauling its A340-600s for continued service for the foreseeable future, while it is retiring its A340-300s. The IAG overhaul featured improved conditions and furnishings in the business and economy classes; the business-class capacity was raised slightly while not changing the type's overall operating cost. Lufthansa, which operates both Airbus A340-300s and -600s, concluded that, while it is not possible to make the A340 more fuel efficient, it can respond to increased interest in business-class services by replacing first-class seats with more business-class seats to increase revenue.

 

In 2013, Snecma announced that they planned to use the A340 as a flying testbed for the development of a new open rotor engine. This test aircraft is forecast to conduct its first flight in 2019. Open rotor engines are typically more fuel-efficient but noisier than conventional turbofan engines; introducing such an engine commercially has been reported as requiring significant legislative changes within engine approval authorities due to its differences from contemporary jet engines. The engine, partly based on the Snecma M88 turbofan engine used on the Dassault Rafale, is being developed under the European Clean Sky research initiative.

 

VARIANTS

There are four variants of the A340. The A340-200 and A340-300 were launched in 1987 with introduction into service in March 1993 for the -200. The A340-500 and A340-600 were launched in 1997 with introduction into service in 2002. All variants were available in a corporate version.

 

A340-200

The -200 is one of two initial versions of the A340; it has seating for 261 passengers in a three-class cabin layout with a range of 13,800 kilometres (7,500 nmi) or seating for 240 passengers also in a three-class cabin layout for a range of 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi). This is the shortest version of the family and the only version with a wingspan measuring greater than its fuselage length. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C4 engines and uses the Honeywell 331–350[A] auxiliary power unit (APU). It initially entered service with Air France in May 1993. Due to its large wingspan, four engines, low capacity and improvements to the larger A340-300, the -200 proved heavy and unpopular with mainstream airlines. Only 28 A340-200s were produced. The closest Boeing competitor is the Boeing 767-400ER.

 

One version of this type (referred to by Airbus as the A340-8000) was ordered by the prince Jefri Bolkiah requesting a non-stop range of 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi). This A340-8000, in the Royal Brunei Airlines livery had an increased fuel capacity, an MTOW of 275 tonnes (606,000 lb), similar to the A340-300, and minor reinforcements to the undercarriage. It is powered by the 150 kilonewtons (34,000 lbf) thrust CFM56-5C4s similar to the -300E. Only one A340-8000 was produced. Besides the -8000, some A340-200s are used for VIP or military use; users include Royal Brunei Airlines, Qatar Amiri Flight, Arab Republic of Egypt Government, Royal Saudi Air Force, Jordan and the French Air Force. Following the -8000, other A340-200s were later given performance improvement packages (PIPs) that helped them achieve similar gains in capability as to the A340-8000. Those aircraft are labeled A340-213X. The range for this version is 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi).

 

As of April 2016, there are 11 Airbus A340-200s in service, of which 6 are used in government fleets.

 

A340-300

The A340-300 flies 295 passengers in a typical three-class cabin layout over 6,700 nautical miles (12,400 km). This is the initial version, having flown on 25 October 1991, and entered service with Lufthansa and Air France in March 1993. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C engines and uses the Honeywell 331–350[A] APU, similar to the -200. Its closest competitor is the Boeing 777-200ER. The A340-300 will be superseded by the A350-900. 218 -300s were delivered in total.

 

The A340-300E, often mislabelled as A340-300X, has an increased MTOW of up to 275 tonnes (606,000 lb) and is powered by the more powerful 34,000 lbf (150 kN) thrust CFMI CFM56-5C4 engines. Typical range with 295 passengers is between 7,200 to 7,400 nautical miles (13,300 to 13,700 km). The largest operator of this type is Lufthansa, who has operated a fleet of 30 aircraft. The A340-300 Enhanced is the latest version of this model and was first delivered to South African Airways in 2003, with Air Mauritius receiving the A340-300 Enhanced into its fleet in 2006. It received newer CFM56-5C4/P engines and improved avionics and fly-by-wire systems developed for the A340-500 and -600.

 

As of April 2016, there were 135 Airbus A340-300s in service.

 

A340-500

The A340-500 was introduced as the world's longest-range commercial airliner. It first flew on 11 February 2002, and was certified on 3 December 2002. Air Canada was supposed to be the launch customer, but filed for bankruptcy in January 2003, delaying delivery to March. This allowed early deliveries to the new launch customer, Emirates, allowing the carrier to launch nonstop service from Dubai to New York—its first route in the Americas. The A340-500 can fly 313 passengers in a three-class cabin layout over 16020 km (8650 nm). Compared with the A340-300, the -500 features a 4.3-metre fuselage stretch, an enlarged wing, significant increase in fuel capacity (around 50% over the -300), slightly higher cruising speed, a larger horizontal stabilizer and a larger vertical tailplane. The centerline main landing gear was changed to a four-wheel bogie to support additional weight. The A340-500 is powered by four 240 kN (54,000 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 553 turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331–600[A] APU. It was the world's longest-range commercial airliner until the introduction of its direct rival, Boeing 777-200LR, in February 2006.

 

Due to its range, the -500 is capable of travelling non-stop from London to Perth, Western Australia, though a return flight requires a fuel stop due to headwinds. Singapore Airlines used this model (initially in a two-class, 181-passenger layout, later in a 100-passenger business-only layout) for its Newark–Singapore nonstop route, SQ 21: an 18-hour, 45-minute "westbound" (really northbound to 130 km (70 nm) abeam the North Pole; then south from there across Russia, Mongolia and People's Republic of China), 18-hour, 30-minute eastbound, 15,344 kilometres (8,285 nmi) journey that was the longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight in the world, this flight route ceased operation in 2013. The Singapore Airlines -500 is the first aircraft to include a corpse cupboard, used for storing the body of a passenger who dies during a flight.

 

The A340-500IGW (Increased Gross Weight) version has a range of 17,000 km (9,200 nmi) and a MTOW of 380 t (840,000 lb) and first flew on 13 October 2006. It uses the strengthened structure and enlarged fuel capacity of the A340-600. The certification aircraft, a de-rated A340-541 model, became the first delivery, to Thai Airways International, on 11 April 2007. Nigerian airline Arik Air received a pair of A340-542s in November 2008, using the type to immediately launch two new routes, Lagos–London Heathrow and Lagos–Johannesburg; a non-stop Lagos–New York route began in January 2010. The A340-500IGW is powered by four 250 kN (56,000 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans.

 

In April 2016, there were 8 A340-500s in service.

 

A340-600

Designed to replace early-generation Boeing 747 airliners, the A340-600 is capable of carrying 379 passengers in a three-class cabin layout 13,900 km (7,500 nmi). It provides similar passenger capacity to a 747 but with 25 percent more cargo volume, and at lower trip and seat costs. First flight of the A340-600 was made on 23 April

 

2001. Virgin Atlantic began commercial services in August 2002. The variant's main competitor is the 777-300ER. The A340-600 will eventually be replaced by the A350-1000.

 

The A340-600 is 12 m longer than a -300, more than 4 m longer than the Boeing 747-400 and 2.3 m longer than the A380. It held the record as the world's longest commercial aircraft until February 2010 with the first flight of the Boeing 747-8. The A340-600 is powered by four 250 kN (56,000 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331–600[A] APU. As with the -500, it has a four-wheel undercarriage bogie on the fuselage centre-line to cope with the increased MTOW along with the enlarged wing and rear empennage. Upper deck main cabin space can be optionally increased by locating facilities such as crew rest areas, galleys, and lavatories upon the aircraft's lower deck. In early 2007, Airbus reportedly advised carriers to reduce cargo in the forward section by 5.0 t to compensate for overweight first and business class sections; the additional weight caused the aircraft's centre of gravity to move forward thus reducing cruise efficiency. Affected airlines considered filing compensation claims with Airbus.

 

The A340-600HGW (High Gross Weight) version first flew on 18 November 2005 and was certified on 14 April 2006. It has an MTOW of 380 t and a range of up to 14,630 km (7,900 nmi), made possible by strengthened structure, increased fuel capacity, more powerful engines and new manufacturing techniques like laser beam welding. The A340-600HGW is powered by four 61,900 lbf (275 kN) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 560 turbofans. Emirates became the launch customer for the -600HGW when it ordered 18 at the 2003 Paris Air Show; but postponed its order indefinitely and later cancelled. Rival Qatar Airways, which placed its order at the same airshow, took delivery of only four aircraft with the first aircraft on 11 September 2006. The airline has since let its purchase options expire in favour of orders for the Boeing 777-300ER.

 

In July 2015, seven airlines worldwide operated A340-600s. In April 2016, there were 77 A340-600s in service

 

OPERATORS

A total of 227 aircraft (all A340 variants) were in airline service in July 2015 with operators Lufthansa (41), Iberia (24), South African Airways (17), Swiss International Air Lines (15), Air France (13), Virgin Atlantic (11), Etihad Airways (11), Cathay Pacific (8), Scandinavian Airlines (8), and other airlines with fewer aircraft of the type.

  

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS

As of September 2015, the A340 has never been involved in a fatal incident, although there have been five hull losses:

 

20 January 1994 – an Air France A340-200 registered F-GNIA was burnt out after a fire started during servicing at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

24 July 2001 – an A340-300 of SriLankan Airlines was destroyed on the ground at Bandaranaike International Airport; being one of 26 aircraft which were damaged or destroyed during a major attack upon the airport by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militants.

2 August 2005 – Air France Flight 358, a crash and fire after A340-300 F-GLZQ overran runway 24L at Toronto Pearson International Airport while landing in a thunderstorm. The aircraft slid into Etobicoke Creek and caught fire. All 297 passengers and 12 crew survived; 43 people were injured, 12 serious.

9 November 2007 – an Iberia Airlines A340-600 was badly damaged after sliding off the runway at Ecuador's Mariscal Sucre International Airport. The landing gear collapsed and two engines broke off. All 333 passengers and crew were evacuated via inflatable slides, and there were no serious injuries. The aircraft was scrapped.

15 November 2007 – an A340-600 was damaged beyond repair during ground testing at Airbus' facilities at Toulouse Blagnac International Airport. During a pre-delivery engine test, multiple safety checks had been disabled, leading to the non-chocked aircraft accelerating to 57 km/h and colliding with a concrete blast deflection wall. The right wing, tail, and left engines made contact with the ground or wall, leaving the forward section elevated several meters and the cockpit broken off; nine people on board were injured, four of them seriously. The aircraft was written off and was later used at Virgin Atlantic's cabin crew training facility in Crawley. It was due to be delivered to Etihad Airways.

20 March 2009 – Emirates Flight 407 was an Emirates flight flying from Melbourne to Dubai-International using an A340-500. The flight failed to take off properly from Melbourne Airport, hitting several structures at the end of the runway before eventually climbing enough to return to the airport for a safe landing. The occurrence was severe enough to be classified an accident by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Hei friend, our new web based magazine is out:

issuu.com/rulakesetlinna/docs/kataloog_kevad2012

 

 

October 1998: Open Diary begins and pioneers reader commenting

March 1999: LiveJournal started

July 1999: Pitas launches the first free build your own blog web tool.

August 1999: Pyra releases Blogger which becomes the most popular web based blogging tool to date, and popularizes blogging with mainstream internet users

June 2001: b2\Cafelog starts being built by a few unemployed hackers

October 2001: Movable Type released

August 2003: TypePad launches for the non-technical masses

May 2003: www.wordpress.org begins as a branch of the b2\Cafelog code, and quickly becomes the most popular self-hosted blogging engine

December 2005: www.wordpress.com launches

July 2006: Microblogging tool Twitter launched

October 2006: Vox Released by Six Apart

March 2007: Tumblr microblogging tool launches

 

ANOREXIA TABLEAU

 

Damselfly Chair

Reassembled, carved and wood-burned chair bones; mirror platform

 

Spill

Beaded bracelets created by college students and family members in Kansas, Minnesota, and Illinois

 

Haunted

Headphones; audio recordings and sound compositions: No One Could Make Me Eat, Frightened to Death, Ana Wants

 

A skeletal, distressed, cut up wooden chair personifies the painful emptiness experienced by victims of eating disorders.

 

Spilled on the floor are hundreds of intestine-like, blood red, white and blue beaded bracelets, like those sometimes worn by “Pro-Ana” or “Pro-Mia” members. Fueled by the Internet and social media, this disturbing ‘secret society’ trend presents eating disorders as desirable behavior and simply a “lifestyle choice.” Along with virtual communities, these web-based groups provide effective starvation technique tips and post ‘thinspiration’ images of anorexic celebrities and models. They encourage those battling eating disorders to ‘stick with it,’ and can trigger relapse for those in recovery.

 

Anorexia is the most deadly mental illness. A person with the disease has a dangerously low body weight and thinks about food constantly, but limits the amount eaten to gain a sense of control over their lives. 12% of people who develop anorexia will die from complications. The mortality rate for eating disorders is 12 times higher than that of all other illnesses for females 15-24 years old. 85% of anorexics and bulimics are female, but the incidence in males is growing. Only one in ten people with an eating disorder receives treatment.