I managed to sign up recently to the beta test of the Asterley Bros. new amaro, Dispense. The brothers have used a family recipe from Sicily, coupled with a C17th English book on tonics and cure-alls, to produce a distinctly English take on a classic Italian variety of the bitter drink, made famous by the likes of Campari, Aperol & Cynar. I tried the tester bottle neat, and the brothers have really jammed in the flavours to their amaro, giving it a distinctly sweet finish (I wonder if he underlying spirit is, in a nod to our sea-faring heritage, a rum, giving that distinctive sweetness). The more I tried it, the more I wanted to try mixing it with other drinks to see how it would work in a cocktail. There is an elusive quality to the flavour which is really quite mysterious, and the warmth suggested that Dispense would mix well with a richer spirit like rye or bourbon. The Italian heritage of the amaro suggested a cocktail like a Negroni would be a good place to start, and that led me to think about the Boulevardier: a bourbon-based Negroni.
Stir leisurely over ice, and add a good dash of Orinoco bitters. Serve in a chilled Martini glass with a good-sized piece of orange zest and toast the success of a new English drink producer.


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text:
package sage;

public class CaptureDeviceInput
{
  private static final String CABLE_BASED_RF = "cable_based_rf";
  private static final String ATSC_TUNING = "atsc_tuning";
  private static final String TUNING_MODE = "tuning_mode";
  public static final String AVAILABLE_CHANNELS = "available_channels";
  public static final String CABLE = "Cable";
  public static final String AIR = "Air";
  public static final String ATSC = "ATSC";
  public static final String FM_RADIO = "FM Radio";
  private static final String LAST_CHANNEL = "last_channel";
  private static final String PROVIDER_ID = "provider_id";
  private static final String VIDEO_CROSSBAR_TYPE = "video_crossbar_type";
  private static final String VIDEO_CROSSBAR_INDEX = "video_crossbar_index";
  private static final String DEVICE_NAME = "device_name";
  static final String BROADCAST_STANDARD = "broadcast_standard";
  public static final String BRIGHTNESS = "brightness";
  public static final String CONTRAST = "contrast";
  public static final String HUE = "hue";
  public static final String SATURATION = "saturation";
  public static final String SHARPNESS = "sharpness";
  public static final String TUNING_PLUGIN = "tuning_plugin";
  public static final String TUNING_PLUGIN_PORT = "tuning_plugin_port";
  private static final String SFIR_DEV_NAME = "sfir_dev_name";
  private static final String IR_XMT_PORT = "ir_xmt_port";
  public static final int YPBPR_SPDIF_CROSSBAR_INDEX = 90;
  public static final int FM_RADIO_CROSSBAR_INDEX = 99;
  public static final int DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX = 100;
  public static final int TV_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX = 1;
  public static final int COMPOSITE_CROSSBAR_INDEX = 2;
  public static final int S_VIDEO_CROSSBAR_INDEX = 3;
  public static final int COMPONENT_CROSSBAR_INDEX = 5;
  public static String getCrossbarNameForType(int x)
  {
    if (x == TV_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
      return Sage.rez("TV_Tuner");
    else if (x == COMPOSITE_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
      return Sage.rez("Composite");
    else if (x == S_VIDEO_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
      return Sage.rez("S_Video");
    else if (x == 4)
      return "RGB";
    else if (x == COMPONENT_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
      return Sage.rez("Component");
    else if (x == 6)
      return "HDMI"; // DShow says 'SerialDigital', but I've only ever seen this with the Hauppauge HD PVR PCIe card and on that it's HDMI
    else if (x == 7)
      return "ParallelDigital";
    else if (x == 8)
      return "SCSI";
    else if (x == 9)
      return "AUX";
    else if (x == 10)
      return "1394";
    else if (x == 11)
      return "USB";
    else if (x == 12)
      return "VideoDecoder";
    else if (x == 13)
      return "VideoEncoder";
    else if (x == 14)
      return "SCART";
    else if (x == 15)
      return "Black";
    else if (x == FM_RADIO_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
      return Sage.rez("FM_Radio");
    else if (x == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
      return Sage.rez("Digital_TV_Tuner");
    else if (x == YPBPR_SPDIF_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
      return Sage.rez("Component") + "+SPDIF";
    else
      return Sage.rez("Unknown");
  }

  public CaptureDeviceInput(CaptureDevice inEncoder, String basePrefs, int inCrossType, int inCrossIdx)
  {
    capDev = inEncoder;
    crossbarType = inCrossType;
    crossbarIndex = inCrossIdx;
    prefs = basePrefs + crossbarType + '/' + crossbarIndex + '/';
    availChanMap = new java.util.HashMap(); // String->String, keys are avail chans, values are alternate names
  }
  public String getCrossName()
  {
    if (weirdRF())
      return getCrossbarNameForType(crossbarType) + " " + Sage.rez("Channel") + " " + crossbarIndex;
    else if (crossbarType == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX && capDev.usesFixedBroadcastStd() &&
        broadcastStd != null && broadcastStd.startsWith("DVB"))
      return getCrossbarNameForType(crossbarType) + " " + broadcastStd;
    else
      return getCrossbarNameForType(crossbarType) + (crossbarIndex > 0 ? ("_" + (crossbarIndex + 1)) : "");
  }
  private String cachedName;
  public String toString()
  {
    if (cachedName == null)
      cachedName = capDev.getName() + " " + getCrossName();
    return cachedName;
  }

  public void tuneToChannel(String chanString)
  {
    try
    {
      capDev.activateInput(this);
      capDev.tuneToChannel(chanString);
    }
    catch (EncodingException e)
    {
      System.out.println("ERROR performing channel tune for " + this + " of " + e);
    }
  }

  public boolean autoTuneChannel(String chanString)
  {
    try
    {
      capDev.activateInput(this);
      return capDev.autoTuneChannel(chanString);
    }
    catch (EncodingException e)
    {
      System.out.println("ERROR performing channel tune for " + this + " of " + e);
      return false;
    }
  }

  public boolean autoScanChannel(String chanString)
  {
    try
    {
      capDev.activateInput(this);
      if (crossbarType == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
        return capDev.ScanChannel(chanString);
      else
        return capDev.autoTuneChannel(chanString);
    }
    catch (EncodingException e)
    {
      System.out.println("ERROR performing channel tune for " + this + " of " + e);
      return false;
    }
  }

  public String ScanChannelInfo(String chanString)
  {
    try
    {
      capDev.activateInput(this);
      if (crossbarType == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
        return capDev.ScanChannelInfo(chanString);
      else
        return capDev.autoTuneChannel(chanString) ? "1" : "";
    }
    catch (EncodingException e)
    {
      System.out.println("ERROR performing channel tune for " + this + " of " + e);
      return "";
    }
  }

  public int getSignalStrength()
  {
    try
    {
      capDev.activateInput(this);
      return capDev.getSignalStrength();
    }
    catch (EncodingException e)
    {
      System.out.println("ERROR performing signal strength query for " + this + " of " + e);
      return 0;
    }
  }

  public boolean equals(Object o)
  {
    return (o instanceof CaptureDeviceInput) && ((CaptureDeviceInput)o).crossbarType == crossbarType &&
        ((CaptureDeviceInput)o).crossbarIndex == crossbarIndex &&
        ((CaptureDeviceInput)o).capDev.equals(capDev);
  }

  public void loadPrefs()
  {
    availChanMap.clear();
    java.util.StringTokenizer toker = new java.util.StringTokenizer(Sage.get(prefs + AVAILABLE_CHANNELS, ""), ";");
    while (toker.hasMoreTokens())
    {
      String currChan = toker.nextToken();
      int commaIdx = currChan.indexOf(',');
      if (commaIdx != -1)
        availChanMap.put(currChan.substring(0, commaIdx), currChan.substring(commaIdx+1));
      else
        availChanMap.put(currChan, currChan);
    }

    crossbarIndex = Sage.getInt(prefs + VIDEO_CROSSBAR_INDEX, 0);
    crossbarType = Sage.getInt(prefs + VIDEO_CROSSBAR_TYPE, 1);
    lastChannel = Sage.get(prefs + LAST_CHANNEL, "");
    // Check for the older version of tuning mode where we do boolean for cable & atsc
    boolean cableTV = "true".equals(Sage.get(prefs + CABLE_BASED_RF, null));
    /* boolean atscTuning = "true".equals(Sage.get(prefs + ATSC_TUNING, null)); ZQ.*/
    boolean antenna =  "false".equals(Sage.get(prefs + CABLE_BASED_RF, null)) /* && !atscTuning ZQ.*/;
    if (cableTV)
      tuningMode = CABLE;
    /*else if (atscTuning)
			tuningMode = ATSC;
     *ZQ.*/
    else if (antenna)
      tuningMode = AIR;
    else
      tuningMode = Sage.get(prefs + TUNING_MODE, CABLE);
    Sage.remove(prefs + CABLE_BASED_RF);
    Sage.remove(prefs + ATSC_TUNING);
    deviceName = Sage.get(prefs + DEVICE_NAME, "");
    providerID = Sage.getLong(prefs + PROVIDER_ID, 0);
    brightness = Sage.getInt(prefs + BRIGHTNESS, -1);
    contrast = Sage.getInt(prefs + CONTRAST, -1);
    sharpness = Sage.getInt(prefs + SHARPNESS, -1);
    hue = Sage.getInt(prefs + HUE, -1);
    saturation = Sage.getInt(prefs + SATURATION, -1);

    tuningPlugin = Sage.get(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN, "");
    tuningPluginPort = Sage.getInt(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN_PORT, 0);
    if (deviceName.length() > 0 && tuningPlugin.length() == 0)
    {
      if (DirecTVSerialControl.isSerialDevice(deviceName))
      {
        tuningPlugin = DirecTVSerialControl.DIRECTV_SERIAL_CONTROL;
        tuningPluginPort = Integer.parseInt(deviceName.substring(3));
      }
      else
      {
        tuningPlugin = Sage.get(MMC.MMC_KEY + '/' + SFIR_DEV_NAME, "");
        tuningPluginPort = Sage.getInt(MMC.MMC_KEY + '/' + IR_XMT_PORT, 0);
      }
    }
    broadcastStd = Sage.get(prefs + BROADCAST_STANDARD, "");
  }
  void writePrefs()
  {
    StringBuffer availChanStr = new StringBuffer();
    java.util.Iterator walker = availChanMap.entrySet().iterator();
    while (walker.hasNext())
    {
      java.util.Map.Entry currEnt = (java.util.Map.Entry) walker.next();
      availChanStr.append(currEnt.getKey());
      availChanStr.append(',');
      availChanStr.append(currEnt.getValue());
      availChanStr.append(';');
    }
    Sage.put(prefs + AVAILABLE_CHANNELS, availChanStr.toString());
    Sage.putInt(prefs + VIDEO_CROSSBAR_INDEX, crossbarIndex);
    Sage.putInt(prefs + VIDEO_CROSSBAR_TYPE, crossbarType);
    Sage.put(prefs + LAST_CHANNEL, lastChannel);
    Sage.put(prefs + TUNING_MODE, tuningMode);
    Sage.put(prefs + DEVICE_NAME, deviceName);
    Sage.put(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN, tuningPlugin);
    Sage.putInt(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN_PORT, tuningPluginPort);
    Sage.putLong(prefs + PROVIDER_ID, providerID);
    Sage.putInt(prefs + BRIGHTNESS, brightness);
    Sage.putInt(prefs + CONTRAST, contrast);
    Sage.putInt(prefs + HUE, hue);
    Sage.putInt(prefs + SATURATION, saturation);
    Sage.putInt(prefs + SHARPNESS, sharpness);
    Sage.put(prefs + BROADCAST_STANDARD, broadcastStd);
  }

  /*
   * SAGETV RECORDER API - BEGIN
   */
  // this is also add
  public void autoTunedChannelSet(java.util.Collection allChans)
  {
    availChanMap.keySet().retainAll(allChans);
    java.util.Iterator walker = allChans.iterator();
    while (walker.hasNext())
    {
      String c = (String) walker.next();
      if (availChanMap.get(c) == null)
        availChanMap.put(c, c);
    }
    writePrefs();
  }
  public void setChannelName(String chanNum, String chanName)
  {
    availChanMap.put(chanNum, chanName);
    writePrefs();
  }
  public void removeChannel(String chanNum)
  {
    availChanMap.remove(chanNum);
    writePrefs();
  }
  public boolean canViewChannelOnSource(String x)
  {
    return availChanMap.containsKey(x);
  }
  public java.util.Map getAvailChanMap()
  {
    return (java.util.Map)availChanMap.clone();
  }
  public String getChannelName(String chanNum) { return "".equals(chanNum) ? "" : (String) availChanMap.get(chanNum); }
  public String getChannelNumForName(String chanName)
  {
    java.util.Iterator walker = availChanMap.entrySet().iterator();
    while (walker.hasNext())
    {
      java.util.Map.Entry ent = (java.util.Map.Entry) walker.next();
      if (chanName.equals(ent.getValue()))
        return (String) ent.getKey();
    }
    return chanName;
  }
  public String[] getAvailChans()
  {
    String[] rv = (String[]) availChanMap.keySet().toArray(Pooler.EMPTY_STRING_ARRAY);
    java.util.Arrays.sort(rv, MMC.stringNumComparator);
    return rv;
  }
  /*
   * SAGETV RECORDER API - END
   */
  public CaptureDeviceInput getWeirdRFCompanion(int chanNum)
  {
    capDev.ensureInputExists(1, chanNum);
    return capDev.getInput(1, chanNum);
  }

  private String getFRQFilename()
  {
    return capDev.getCaptureDeviceName() + "-" + capDev.getCaptureDeviceNum() + "-" + getBroadcastStandard() + ".frq";
  }

  public void setProvider(long inProvID)
  {
    if (providerID == inProvID) return;
    // NOTE: For digital TV sources; if we're re-using a provider that was already scanned on another
    // device we want to copy over the .frq file which defines all the specific channel carriers.
    if (crossbarType == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
    {
      CaptureDevice[] capDevs = MMC.getInstance().getCaptureDevices();
      for (int i = 0; i < capDevs.length; i++)
      {
        if (capDevs[i] == capDev) continue;
        CaptureDeviceInput configInput = capDevs[i].getInputForProvider(inProvID);
        if (configInput != null && configInput.crossbarType == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
        {
          java.io.File oldFrqFile = new java.io.File(configInput.getFRQFilename());
          if (oldFrqFile.isFile())
          {
            // Use the same broadcast standard as the input we're cloning since the FRQ info is dependent on that. Also; inherit
            // their broadcast standard since its a good default for ours in case ours hasn't been set yet.
            java.io.File newFrqFile = new java.io.File(capDev.getCaptureDeviceName() + "-" + capDev.getCaptureDeviceNum() + "-" + configInput.getBroadcastStandard() + ".frq");
            if (!capDev.usesFixedBroadcastStd())
              setBroadcastStd(configInput.getBroadcastStandard());
            if (Sage.DBG) System.out.println("Copying FRQ file for lineup re-use from " + oldFrqFile.getAbsolutePath() +
                " to " + newFrqFile.getAbsolutePath());
            newFrqFile.delete();
            try
            {
              IOUtils.copyFile(oldFrqFile, newFrqFile);
              break;
            }
            catch (java.io.IOException e)
            {
              System.out.println("ERROR copying FRQ file of:" + e);
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }

    CaptureDeviceInput oldInput = capDev.getInputForProvider(inProvID);
    if (inProvID != 0 && oldInput != null && oldInput != this)
    {
      oldInput.providerID = 0;
      oldInput.writePrefs();
      NetworkClient.distributeRecursivePropertyChange(oldInput.prefs);
      if (SageConstants.LITE)
      {
        // Find any other devices configured and unconfigure them
        CaptureDeviceInput[] theInputs = MMC.getInstance().getConfiguredInputs();
        for (int i = 0; i < theInputs.length; i++)
        {
          if (theInputs[i].capDev != capDev)
          {
            theInputs[i].providerID = 0;
            theInputs[i].writePrefs();
            NetworkClient.distributeRecursivePropertyChange(theInputs[i].prefs);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    providerID = inProvID;
    writePrefs();
    NetworkClient.distributeRecursivePropertyChange(prefs);
    // We need to reset the EPG station cache so trigger a data source reload as well
    // This fixes a bug where removing a provider in a client doesn't remove the channels from the
    // EPG until the full EPG update completes.
    NetworkClient.distributeRecursivePropertyChange(EPG.EPG_DATA_SOURCES_KEY);
    EPG.getInstance().resetViewableStationsCache();
  }

  public long getDefaultProviderID()
  {
    int top32 = capDev.toString().hashCode();
    int bottom32 = crossbarType << 16; // connector num of the type
    bottom32 |= crossbarIndex;
    long rv = 0;
    rv |= top32;
    rv = rv << 32;
    rv |= bottom32;
    if (rv > 0)
      rv *= -1;
    return rv;
  }

  public String getDevice() { return deviceName; }
  public void setDevice(String x)
  {
    Sage.put(prefs + DEVICE_NAME, deviceName = x);
    if (DirecTVSerialControl.isSerialDevice(deviceName))
    {
      Sage.put(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN, tuningPlugin = DirecTVSerialControl.DIRECTV_SERIAL_CONTROL);
      Sage.putInt(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN_PORT, tuningPluginPort = Integer.parseInt(deviceName.substring(3)));
      NetworkClient.distributeRecursivePropertyChange(prefs);
    }
    else
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + DEVICE_NAME);
  }
  public boolean weirdRF() { return crossbarType == 1 && crossbarIndex > 1; }
  public boolean normalRF() { return crossbarType == 1 && crossbarIndex <= 1; }
  public int getType() { return crossbarType; }
  public int getIndex() { return crossbarIndex; }
  public long getProviderID() { return providerID; }
  public String getTuningMode() { return tuningMode; }
  public void setTuningMode(String x)
  {
    Sage.put(prefs + TUNING_MODE, tuningMode = x);
    NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + TUNING_MODE);
  }
  public boolean isCableTV() { return CABLE.equals(tuningMode); }
  public void setCableTV(boolean x)
  {
    setTuningMode(x ? CABLE : AIR);
  }

  public int getBrightness() { return brightness; }
  public int getContrast() { return contrast; }
  public int getHue() { return hue; }
  public int getSaturation() { return saturation; }
  public int getSharpness() { return sharpness; }
  public void setBrightness(int x)
  {
    x = Math.min(255, x); // allow -1 for default
    Sage.putInt(prefs + BRIGHTNESS, brightness = x);
    if (isActive())
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + BRIGHTNESS, brightness = capDev.updateColors()[0]);
    }
    NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + BRIGHTNESS);
  }
  public void setContrast(int x)
  {
    x = Math.min(255, x); // allow -1 for default
    Sage.putInt(prefs + CONTRAST, contrast = x);
    if (isActive())
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + CONTRAST, contrast = capDev.updateColors()[1]);
    }
    NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + CONTRAST);
  }
  public void setHue(int x)
  {
    x = Math.min(255, x); // allow -1 for default
    Sage.putInt(prefs + HUE, hue = x);
    if (isActive())
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + HUE, hue = capDev.updateColors()[2]);
    }
    NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + HUE);
  }
  public void setSaturation(int x)
  {
    x = Math.min(255, x); // allow -1 for default
    Sage.putInt(prefs + SATURATION, saturation = x);
    if (isActive())
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + SATURATION, saturation = capDev.updateColors()[3]);
    }
    NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + SATURATION);
  }
  public void setSharpness(int x)
  {
    x = Math.min(255, x); // allow -1 for default
    Sage.putInt(prefs + SHARPNESS, sharpness = x);
    if (isActive())
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + SHARPNESS, sharpness = capDev.updateColors()[4]);
    }
    NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + SHARPNESS);
  }
  public void setDefaultColors(int brightness, int contrast, int hue, int saturation, int sharpness)
  {
    if (this.brightness < 0)
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + BRIGHTNESS, this.brightness = brightness);
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + BRIGHTNESS);
    }
    if (this.contrast < 0)
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + CONTRAST, this.contrast = contrast);
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + CONTRAST);
    }
    if (this.hue < 0)
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + HUE, this.hue = hue);
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + HUE);
    }
    if (this.saturation < 0)
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + SATURATION, this.saturation = saturation);
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + SATURATION);
    }
    if (this.sharpness < 0)
    {
      Sage.putInt(prefs + SHARPNESS, this.sharpness = sharpness);
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + SHARPNESS);
    }
  }

  // This is used so that clients can force a channel change when doing a preview before the preview is actually started
  public void syncLastChannel()
  {
    if (Sage.client) return;
    if (lastChannel != null && lastChannel.equals(Sage.get(prefs + LAST_CHANNEL, ""))) return;
    lastChannel = Sage.get(prefs + LAST_CHANNEL, "");
    if (Sage.DBG) System.out.println("Detected lastChannel forced by properties of " + lastChannel + " for " + this);
    setLastChannel(lastChannel);
  }

  // If a client calls this then we need to set the property on the server so it picks it up on the next channel preview
  public void setLastChannel(String tuneString)
  {
    if (Sage.client)
    {
      try
      {
        SageTV.api("SetServerProperty", new Object[] { prefs + LAST_CHANNEL, tuneString } );
      }
      catch (Throwable t)
      {
        System.out.println("ERROR setting lastChannel property on server of:" + t);
      }
    }
    else
    {
      lastChannel = tuneString;
      Sage.put(prefs + LAST_CHANNEL, lastChannel);
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + LAST_CHANNEL);
    }
  }

  public String getBroadcastStandard()
  {
    return broadcastStd;
  }

  protected void setBroadcastStd(String s)
  {
    if (s != null && s.startsWith("ATSC") && isCableTV())
      s = "QAM";
    Sage.put(prefs + BROADCAST_STANDARD, broadcastStd = s);
  }

  public CaptureDevice getCaptureDevice() { return capDev; }

  public int getMaxChannel()
  {
    return capDev.getMaxChannel(this);
  }

  public int getMinChannel()
  {
    return capDev.getMinChannel(this);
  }

  public boolean isActive() { return capDev.getActiveInput() == this; }

  public int getTuningPluginPort()
  {
    return tuningPluginPort;
  }
  public String getTuningPlugin()
  {
    return tuningPlugin;
  }
  public boolean usesTuningPlugin() { return tuningPlugin != null && tuningPlugin.length() > 0; }

  public sage.media.format.ContainerFormat getEncoderMediaFormat()
  {
    if (crossbarType == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
    {
      sage.media.format.ContainerFormat cf;
      // We don't know what it is in this case aside from container, so it'll get set through a message callback
      cf = new sage.media.format.ContainerFormat();
      if (Sage.getBoolean(prefs + "encode_digital_tv_as_program_stream", !Sage.EMBEDDED))
        cf.setFormatName(sage.media.format.MediaFormat.MPEG2_PS);
      else
        cf.setFormatName(sage.media.format.MediaFormat.MPEG2_TS);
      return cf;
    }
    return capDev.getEncoderMediaFormat();
  }

  /*	public boolean supportsFastMuxSwitch()
	{
		if (crossbarType == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX)
			return false;
		return true;
	}
   */
  public boolean setTuningPluginAndPort(String name, int port)
  {
    if (name.length() > 0)
    {
      if (!DirecTVSerialControl.DIRECTV_SERIAL_CONTROL.equals(name))
      {
        SFIRTuner tuney = ExternalTuningManager.getIRTunerPlugin(name, port);
        if (tuney == null)
          return false;
      }
      Sage.put(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN, tuningPlugin = name);
      Sage.putInt(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN_PORT, tuningPluginPort = port);
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChanges(new String[] { prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN, prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN_PORT } );
      return true;
    }
    else
    {
      Sage.put(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN, "");
      NetworkClient.distributePropertyChange(prefs + TUNING_PLUGIN);
      return true;
    }
  }

  public String getChannel() { return lastChannel; }

  public boolean doesDataScanning()
  {
    return crossbarType == DIGITAL_TUNER_CROSSBAR_INDEX && capDev.doesDataScanning() &&
        (!Sage.getBoolean("mmc/disable_qam_epg_data_scanning", true) || !"QAM".equals(getBroadcastStandard())) &&
        (!Sage.getBoolean("mmc/disable_dvbs_epg_data_scanning", true) || !"DVB-S".equals(getBroadcastStandard()));
  }

  private java.util.HashMap availChanMap;
  private int crossbarIndex = -1; // this is the RF channel if its a tuner and this is > 1
  private int crossbarType; // tuner1, comp2, s3
  private String lastChannel = "";
  private long providerID; // 0 means this source is inactive for SageTV
  private String tuningMode = "";
  private String deviceName = "";
  private String prefs;
  private final CaptureDevice capDev;
  private String tuningPlugin = "";
  private int tuningPluginPort;

  private int brightness = -1;
  private int contrast = -1;
  private int hue = -1;
  private int sharpness = -1;
  private int saturation = -1;

  private String broadcastStd = "";
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Electron-behaving nanoparticles rock current understanding of matter
06-24-2019 • http://www.spacedaily.com
It's not an electron. But it sure does act like one. Northwestern University researchers have made a strange and startling discovery that nanoparticles engineered with DNA in colloidal crystals - when extremely small - behave just like electrons. Not only has this finding upended the current, accepted notion of matter, it also opens the door for new possibilities in materials design.
"We have never seen anything like this before," said Northwestern's Monica Olvera de la Cruz, who made the initial observation through computational work. "In our simulations, the particles look just like orbiting electrons."
With this discovery, the researchers introduced a new term called "metallicity," which refers to the mobility of electrons in a metal. In colloidal crystals, tiny nanoparticles roam similarly to electrons and act as a glue that holds the material together.
"This is going to get people to think about matter in a new way," said Northwestern's Chad Mirkin, who led the experimental work. "It's going to lead to all sorts of materials that have potentially spectacular properties that have never been observed before. Properties that could lead to a variety of new technologies in the fields of optics, electronics and even catalysis."
Olvera de la Cruz is the Lawyer Taylor Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering. Mirkin is the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
Mirkin's group previously invented the chemistry for engineering colloidal crystals with DNA, which has forged new possibilities for materials design. In these structures, DNA strands act as a sort of smart glue to link together nanoparticles in a lattice pattern.
"Over the past two decades, we have figured out how to make all sorts of crystalline structures where the DNA effectively takes the particles and places them exactly where they are supposed to go in a lattice," said Mirkin, founding director of the International Institute of Nanotechnology.
In these previous studies, the particles' diameters are on the tens of nanometers length scale. Particles in these structures are static, fixed in place by DNA. In the current study, however, Mirkin and Olvera de la Cruz shrunk the particles down to 1.4 nanometers in diameter in computational simulations. This is where the magic happened.
"The bigger particles have hundreds of DNA strands linking them together," said Olvera de la Cruz. "The small ones only have four to eight linkers. When those links break, the particles roll and migrate through the lattice holding together the crystal of bigger particles."
News Link • Technology: Software
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Ernest Hancock
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News Link • Future Predictions
Bacterial Invasion? People All Over The East Coast Are Being Attacked By Flesh-Eating Disease
Gina Kynast
News Link • Space Travel and Exploration
Rocket Leak Delays India's Moon Mission to End of July or Into September
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News Link • California
Bitcoin Cash Update: Multi-Party Escrow, Vitalik Suggests BCH as Data Layer for ETH
Complaining Can Literally Shrink Your Brain, Says Stanford Study. Here are 5 Ways to Stay Positive
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News Link • World News
All Hail Elon's Martian Technocracy!
News Link • Free Trade
How 5G got tied up in a trade war between Trump and China
Video: Humanity is Creating Its Own AI Overlords

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Posts Tagged 'Mossack Fonseca'
Panama Papers – Mossack Fonseca founders arrested
Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 8:09 am, February 13th, 2017 - 30 comments
In the story that keeps rolling on, Mossack Fonseca founders arrested for money laundering.
Bloomberg warns world of New Zealand's toxic trusts
Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:56 am, February 12th, 2017 - 21 comments
Bloomberg magazine has highlighted how foreign trusts are damaging New Zealand's reputation and are being used for criminal activity.
Sprung again – Key's "lawyer" has close links to Mossack Fonseca
Written By: Simon Louisson - Date published: 8:01 am, May 10th, 2016 - 170 comments
Contrary to Prime Minister John Key's categorical assertion, his "lawyer", Ken Whitney, has been found to have links to Mossack Fonseca, the Panama law firm at the centre of a global scandal on tax evasion and avoidance, TVNZ reported today.
Key's Lawyer is a Mossack Man
Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 6:44 am, May 10th, 2016 - 50 comments
Despite the PM's assurances, it turns out the his lawyer had direct links to Mossack Fonseca. And so did everyone else in the room when Todd McClay was successfully convinced to drop the IRD review into foreign trust. Someone's been telling porkies …
The link between tax havens, criminals and the amoral rich
Written By: Simon Louisson - Date published: 2:23 pm, May 9th, 2016 - 162 comments
"The Panama Papers issue is either illegal, or verging on illegal, it's tax evasion, rather than tax avoidance," Brash said.
NZ exporting poverty
Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:23 am, May 9th, 2016 - 15 comments
By enabling tax evasion for the rich in other (notably South American) countries NZ is exporting poverty. It's all perfectly legal. And that's exactly the problem.
Sprung! New Panama Papers dump confirm NZ is a tax haven
Written By: Simon Louisson - Date published: 7:33 am, May 9th, 2016 - 277 comments
A new release of Panama papers absolutely confirms New Zealand is a tax haven says Nicky Hager. And ironically, it is because of New Zealand's squeaky clean reputation that tens of thousands of foreigners have come flooding here.
Rather than actually dealing with the issue, John Key is using his old classics "nothing to see here" coupled with "Labour did it too", "nicky hager is a conspiracy nut", and "wait for the (Shewan) whitewash enquiry" defenses.
Panama Papers whistleblower cites Pacific isles, NZ, for good reasons
Written By: Simon Louisson - Date published: 6:37 pm, May 8th, 2016 - 23 comments
Jurgen Mossack told Field his business involved people "trying to avoid paying taxes in their home countries" – crucially "avoidance", "unlike evasion", is within the law.
Why was John Key singled out by Panama Papers hacker?
Why, out of all the rotten, corrupt and unprincipled nations of the earth, did the Panama Papers hacker single out New Zealand's John Key for special mention?
A week is a long time in politics
Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:36 am, May 5th, 2016 - 17 comments
Over the past week the Government has gone from "there is no problem with the Overseas Investment Office" to announcing an urgent review and a staffing boost to make sure that approvals of foreign purchases of land are being properly processed.
The unfortunate case of the Overseas Investment Office handling of the purchase of a Taranaki Farm
Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:15 am, May 4th, 2016 - 39 comments
They say in politics that a news story is good for the opposition/bad for the Government if it hits the media cycle two days in a row. If it appears for a third or a fourth day then it is a crisis and urgent action is required. Louise Upston's handling of the OIO is clearly a crisis.
Labour's strong week – National and land sales to foreigners
Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:05 am, April 30th, 2016 - 63 comments
Labour had a strong week this week with the disclosure of individuals behind a Mossack Fonseca related entity had criminal convictions for environmental damage forcing the OIO to review its original decision. Grant Robertson has correctly called for a full inquiry into the circumstances relating to the Government stopping a review of the Foreign Trust regime. And Phil Twyford has persuaded the OAG to rule that Housing New Zealand's handling of parts of the housing sale process were sub standard.
Grant Robertson: Full independent inquiry needed to save New Zealand's reputation
Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:17 am, April 29th, 2016 - 35 comments
Grant Robertson is calling for a full inquiry into circumstances surrounding the Government's 2015 decision not to review the country's foreign tax rules.


text:
Swansea City Ladies
Swansea City News 24/7
Premier League trio could create the teams spine – Transfer window latest
By Phil Sumbler
Sunday, 5 December 2021, 8:56
The Swans links with players from Arsenal, Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion may or may not all come off in the January transfer window but if they did the spine of the team would look very different come the closure of that window with the players concerned.
Over the past week we have reported of interest in Arsenal's Folarin Balogun, City's James McAtee and defender Haydon Roberts – all of them on loan moves but the likelihood is we will not get all three although if we did the strength of the Swans side would look considerably different.
Yesterday's defeat at Middlesbrough highlighted the weaknesses in the overall Swans squad with Russell Martin regretting missed chances up front and, for the second game running, the midfield did not control the game as he likes to see happen and this exploits the weaknesses in our defence.
In depth, the squad is definitely lacking and when you look at our options on the bench you realise that they are few and far between which will tell you the exact reason that when Plan A doesn't work, Plan B is very difficult to execute.
People can point the finger at the lack of game time for the likes of Fulton and Whittaker but the reality is these players fall into a similar category to those we are selecting and we need better. That, of course, does not take away the argument that they have not been given their chances but are they the long term solution? No, and hand on heart we all know that.
Balogun, McAtee and Roberts are all Premier League players in waiting. Their clubs are keen for all to experience first team football and Swansea is as good a place as any for them to experience that. It will not have gone unnoticed the performances of Ethan Laird this season nor those of Marc Guehi, Rhian Brewster and others before him. Of course it doesn't always work but clubs will be aware of the Swans ability to progress players careers and that will stand us in good stead should the opportunity to seal these loans arse.
The players may be young but for the second half of the season they could be the spine of our team. Balogun is a natural goalscorer – for all of Paterson and Piroe's heroics this season both look like they need some level of a rest and it's not right to put the pressure continuously on their shoulders. Obafemi looks like a transfer decision that doesn't work and Whittaker we know is off in January. We need cover, Balogun would do that and – there is little doubt – would score goals at this level.
McAtee is a class act. Destined for great things in his career. Highly rated by Manchester City he would add the creative spark to our midfield. Our midfield has been packed with players of similar style for too long. Ntcham adds creativity that is often missing but we need more and McAtee would be that – and probably more. Put him in the middle and allow him to dictate the play around him, goal chances would go up, I am certain of that.
And finally there is Roberts. As Graham Potter said "He is very strong, very quick, very mobile. Powerful. Good with the ball, brings it out well," – if that isn't a Russell Martin player then I don't know what is. Put Roberts and Cabango at the back and add in the experience of Naughton and you have a much more solid looking back 3.
It is unlikely that we will sign all three of these players but if this is the kind of level we are looking at – no disrespect to any of the players linked from MK Dons – we move up a level both in terms of squad depth but also, for me, in terms of play.
The sheer fact that all three players are so highly rated by their clubs mean that there will be not shortage of willing parties should they be made available on loan. McAtee we know has interest from at least a dozen clubs already – home and abroad whilst Balogun is linked with at least three more Championship clubs as is Roberts.
We know as well though we have close links with both Brighton and Manchester City and will be looking to utilise those links to try and bring us into pole position.
As ever, the discussion and potentials regards the January transfer window start here, there will be many more over the next 8 weeks, keep your eyes peeled.
Why not contribute to our January transfer window thread with your own thoughts here
Folarin Balogun
Haydon Roberts
The 2021/22 Season
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment using the boxes below or pop over to our forums by clicking here and post them there. If you are enjoying our content then please consider a like and a share using the buttons below.
Badlands Sunday, 5 December 2021, 11:08	At	11:08
A consistent back three with CBs in the middle and Full backs wide – job done.
Phil Sumblerhttp://www.planetswans.co.uk
Been watching the Swans since the very late 1970s and running the Planet Swans website (in all its current and previous guises since the summer of 2001 As it stood JackArmy.net was right at the forefront of some of the activity against Tony Petty back in 2001, breaking many of the stories of the day as fans stood against the actions where the local media failed. Was involved with the Swans Supporters Trust from 2005, for the large part as Chairman before standing down in the summer of 2020.
As Swans move for Wolf, O'Riley closes in on Celtic move
Phil Sumbler - Wednesday, 19 January 2022, 11:27 0
It was suggested there would be one final twist in the tale and that appears to have come today with news that Celtic are closing in on MK Dons highly rated midfielder Matt O'Riley...
QPR, Huddersfield and Blackburn hover as Pato trains with the Under-23s
Phil Sumbler - Wednesday, 19 January 2022, 9:49 0
It looks pretty fair to say that Jamie Paterson has played his last game for Swansea City as the fall out of the contract row continues this week with the Swans second highest goal...
An unrecognisable side from Brentford defeat
29 May 2021. The day that Swansea City and Brentford lined up at Wembley for a place in the Premier League. We know the score, Brentford won (with ease) and we faced another season...
Were we right to send Jake to Coventry?
Jake Bidwell's departure from Swansea on Monday was one of what is reported as a number of departures needed this window to fund some incomings into the club as the Swans look to reduce...
Move over Darling – Swans set to move on from final MK Dons target
It is seemingly increasingly likely that the Swans are set to move on elsewhere and abandon their pursuit of Harry Darling with a loan deal for a new centre half the most likely assuming...
Swans pounce for Austria's Wolf
Rob Davies - Wednesday, 19 January 2022, 10:18 0
Swansea City are on the verge of signing highly rated attacking midfielder Hannes Wolf from Borussia Monchengladbach, according to Stuart James of The Athletic Wolf, who had been linked with a move to Celtic for...
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text:
Business As Missions Developing a Kingdom Centered Startup
Developing a Kingdom Centered Startup: An Interview with Lexi Grisanti
by Catherine Gibson 8 months ago 4 min read
In the current global landscape, young people are stepping up to create businesses that impact the world in massive ways.
Lexi Grisanti is the founder of a sustainably driven startup company Sol&Co, which ethically produces clothing to provide support and jobs for women in impoverished nations. She has begun the process of creating a startup and learning how Christ leads his Kingdom within business and entrepreneurship.
A startup is a newly developed company where entrepreneurs work to create a good or service that has the ability to transform a market. Entrepreneurs who begin startups have little to no income and all of their hours, resources, and finances are poured into the vision of a company that they are passionate about. One of the most important aspects of missional entrepreneurship is possessing a Kingdom centered mindset and integrating God into motivation and action for your endeavors. Startups rely heavily on change, and having adaptability and confidence in the face of challenge grows you in immeasurable ways.
Before pursuing Sol&Co, Lexi was an art and business major at the University of Memphis. The idea for her startup came from prayer and trust in the Lord. The idea that sparked Lexi's entrepreneurial career came to her on the World Race, where she witnessed firsthand the multitude of economic barriers that harmed the quality of life for the people around her. Financial and social turmoil caused a negative impact on the spread of the Gospel. Morally convicted about living alongside these people then returning home to America and forgetting their struggle, Lexi vowed to start a company that could combat poverty and bring God's kingdom to Earth.
Lexi explains that while God has totally changed her heart toward her mission, she holds her entrepreneurial endeavors loosely, saying, "If God calls me somewhere else, my identity is not attached to my business or the success I am able to have through it. Even if all of my endeavors fail, I am still a Child of God and I am still loved wholeheartedly."
Because of this, Lexi has the strength to run forcefully toward anything she feels is from God. After being led to develop her company and keeping this message at the center of her heart, she knew that Sol&Co would be the answered step in her journey. Christ's strength is the propelling force behind facing any and all challenges she may face and He guides every move she makes both personally and professionally.
Through her love for people and the environment, Grisanti has been able to minister to a small team of women employees based in Nicaragua. She has partnered with a local seamstress to develop a sewing school that employs students in a nearby village. Many of the women in the village do not have enough money to buy feminine care products. This greatly impacts their ability to attend school and grow in their educational pursuits. By inviting them into the clothing production process, Lexi's company has provided a way for her employees to support themselves, hear the Gospel, and use their skills to teach others to do the same!
Textile production is one of the most troubling industries in today's society. Sweat shops are breeding grounds for human trafficking and international coorporations value financial gain over human life. Over hours spent attempting to source a manufacturer, Lexi realized that the world simply does not prioritize moral ethics or the quality of the environment. Thousands of these shops claim to be fair trade and ethically sourced, but the reality is a stark contrast. Digging deeper into a manufacturer's motivations and finding the truth about their production can be one of the most challenging facets of entrepreneurship through Sol&Co.
Sol&Co strives to stand above the mass corruption by putting their employees first, paying fair wages, and reducing the environmental damage caused by traditional fast fashion.
As Grisanti writes, "I wanted to be a company who cared about people and the earth above all."
Since the emergence of the Coronavirus, Lexi's business has taken on more innate challenges. Along with all entrepreneurs, the unexpected nature of this virus has been the largest obstacle to continually work around. Lexi has pivoted her business model as COVID-19 shutdown her production in China, re-pivoted as COVID-19 affected Central America, and continues to deal with the effects of the virus on her company stateside. Through it all, she has found strength in Christ being the ultimate provider and protector for both her employees, her company, and herself.
As for the future of Sol&Co, Lexi aims toward utilizing her company to distribute microloans, small amounts of money you can give to a person in which they pay back over time, to people who otherwise would never have the opportunity. Microloans can be a huge benefit for people in developing nations by filling in the gap created by a lack of access to capital resources, banks, or strong infrastructures.
Although Lexi is currently able to provide for the needs of her own employees, her desire is to one day expand her vision farther beyond the walls of her own company. Lexi aims to provide a path for other people to live out their entrepreneurial desires regardless of financial status by creating jobs that allow people the freedom to connect to their personal passions and divine calling.
No matter the challenges entrepreneurship may bring, Lexi continues to spread the love of Christ in beautifully impactful ways.
To learn more about the ministry behind Sol&Co, visit https://thesolandco.com
Catherine Gibson
These Journals are Providing Economic Relief in Nicaragua
Coronavirus (Covid-19) update - 04/28/2020


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text:
Sony Makes Push for Its PlayStation Now Streaming Service
Sony Interactive Entertainment cut the monthly fee of its subscription service PlayStation Now in half, from $20 per month to just under $10. It's also added four new games: "God of War," "Infamous Second Son," "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" and "Grand Theft Auto V." Because three of those come from Sony-owned studios, PS Now will be the only way to stream them live. PS Now, which debuted in 2014, has enjoyed a compounded annual growth rate of 40 percent. Its 700,000 subscribers pay for access to 800 games. Continue reading Sony Makes Push for Its PlayStation Now Streaming Service
Streaming Options Impact Bandwidth Consumption Rankings
With the dramatic increase in the amount of video streaming from Internet-based apps, Netflix has ceded its position as the No. 1 consumer of bandwidth. That's according to Sandvine's 2019 Global Internet Phenomena Report, which added that HTTP media streaming accounted for 12.8 percent of downstream Internet traffic globally in the first six months of 2019, whereas Netflix accounted for 12.6 percent. In the Americas, Netflix's downstream traffic in the same period dropped to 12.9 percent from last year's 19.1 percent. Continue reading Streaming Options Impact Bandwidth Consumption Rankings
Microsoft's Next-Gen 8K Xbox Will Significantly Boost Power
Just ahead of this week's E3 conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft announced that its next-gen Xbox console, dubbed Project Scarlett and slated for release Christmas 2020, will feature an AMD Ryzen processor that will make the console four times more powerful than today's Xbox One X. The AMD processor features 120 fps operation, which means that latency for loading games will be greatly reduced. Project Scarlett will also feature 8K capability and will ship with a new version of "Halo." Additionally, Microsoft's xCloud streaming platform will debut in October, enabling users to stream games from their Xbox One to numerous devices. Continue reading Microsoft's Next-Gen 8K Xbox Will Significantly Boost Power
Details Continue to Emerge on Disney+ Subscription Service
Disney is continuing to invest in its ESPN+ streaming service and expenses are mounting for the company's upcoming Disney+ subscription offering as it finances productions such as the "High School Musical" series and exclusive "Star Wars" spinoff "The Mandalorian." Shareholders learned yesterday that the company posted a quarterly loss for its direct-to-consumer division as a result, but that revenue increased 15 percent, beating Wall Street projections. Disney also announced yesterday that its blockbuster, record-breaking hit "Avengers: Endgame" will debut exclusively on Disney+ this December. Continue reading Details Continue to Emerge on Disney+ Subscription Service
Sony Adds 200 Local Channels to its PlayStation Vue Service
Sony's OTT service PlayStation Vue is expanding its lineup by adding 200 local stations across the U.S., including ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC affiliates and ESPN College Extra. With the expanded lineup, Playstation Vue now features more than 450 local stations. The service is available via Sony's game console; across Android, iOS and web platforms; and media players such as Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon's Fire TV, Google's Chromecast and Roku devices. The additions could help the service compete with new players, including Hulu and YouTube TV. Continue reading Sony Adds 200 Local Channels to its PlayStation Vue Service
Electronic Arts to Launch Subscription Service for PC Games
Electronic Arts has embraced a subscription model for its latest PC games, following similar moves by Sony and Microsoft to offer older games via subscription. EA's Origin Access Premier, to debut this summer, will give full access to more than 100 of its games and some other publishers' titles, for $15 per month or $100 annually. Ordinarily, games such as "Battlefield V" and "FIFA 19" cost $60 each. Electronic Arts comes in second after Activision Blizzard, the biggest U.S. video game publisher. Continue reading Electronic Arts to Launch Subscription Service for PC Games
Multiplayer Games Led by 'Fortnite' Are Driving Headset Sales
According to NPD Group, Epic Games' survival shooter game "Fortnite" and other PlayStation, Xbox and PC multiplayer games are driving sales of headsets to gamers who like to talk to other gamers while they play. NPD, which tracks the $36 billion U.S. videogame industry, added that sales of game accessories and gift cards have now risen to $372 million. This record-breaking sales number is due to the popularity of multiplayer games, said NPD analyst Mat Piscatella, who pointed to "Fortnite," which has become a smash hit. Continue reading Multiplayer Games Led by 'Fortnite' Are Driving Headset Sales
Sony Products Focus on Artist Intent and Customer Experience
By Don Levy
Sony Corporation president and CEO Kaz Hirai began his solo CES media briefing with the Alpha 9, a mirrorless and completely silent camera ideally suited to shoot at the top of a golf swing or on a quiet soundstage, and continued to celebrate accomplishments across every division, including Sony Pictures, Sony Music, and PlayStation. "If you see the name Sony on any product, content, or service, it symbolizes our promise to move you emotionally," he said. "Our products are designed to have a personal and individualized place in all of your lives." Continue reading Sony Products Focus on Artist Intent and Customer Experience
PlayStation Now Service to Support Streaming of PS4 Games
Sony's cloud-based PlayStation Now service currently offers subscribers access to 483 PS3 titles for streaming via PS4 consoles and Windows PCs. The service is about to expand its offerings with support for a new platform. In the next few weeks, the company will launch a private test of PlayStation 4 games on PS Now (select subscribers will receive emailed invitations). This means that gamers will no longer need a PlayStation 4 to experience the platform's games. According to Sony, additional details will be shared "as we get closer to launch." Continue reading PlayStation Now Service to Support Streaming of PS4 Games
Record-Breaking Launch Weekend for New Nintendo Console
By Meghan Coyle
The new Nintendo Switch hybrid video game console had the highest first weekend sales in the U.S. of any system in Nintendo's history, beating a record previously held by the Nintendo Wii. "Zelda: Breath of the Wild," the first major title for Switch, is also the best-selling launch title in the first two days of sales. The initial numbers are promising for Nintendo, but the challenge is to keep the momentum to reach its goal of selling more than 100 million Switch consoles. That kind of success hasn't been seen since Nintendo's Wii console, but so far, the Switch is off to a solid start. Continue reading Record-Breaking Launch Weekend for New Nintendo Console
Hulu Launches Ultra HD, YouTube Supports 4K Live Streaming
Hulu has joined Netflix and Amazon in offering select titles in 4K. Subscribers with a Microsoft Xbox One S or Sony PlayStation 4 Pro console (and a minimum connection speed of 13 megabits per second) can now enjoy James Bond films and original Hulu series in the Ultra HD format. Netflix and Amazon also offer select high dynamic range content. Meanwhile, YouTube — which first introduced 4K support to its video-sharing site in 2010 — is now bringing the same capability to live streaming of 4K and 360 videos. The feature should help the site compete with Facebook and Twitter in the live streaming space. Continue reading Hulu Launches Ultra HD, YouTube Supports 4K Live Streaming
Reviews: With Touch Controller, Oculus Rift Is Now Complete
After months of anticipation, Oculus finally rolled out its Touch controller — years after PlayStation unveiled its Move controllers in 2010, and even after Vive began shipping two motion controllers. But reviewers who've gotten their hands on the Touch are giving it a thumbs-up, saying that its addition now "completes" the promise of the Rift VR headset for a sophisticated and satisfying VR experience. Among Touch's features is that it tracks the positions of the user's hand in 3D space. Continue reading Reviews: With Touch Controller, Oculus Rift Is Now Complete
CBS Brings 360-Degree Video to Android TV, Amazon Fire TV
CBS is launching apps for Android TV and Amazon Fire TV that will add 360-degree videos to CBSN's news coverage. The apps will debut with a show documenting production of a "60 Minutes" episode on searching for gorillas in Africa. The apps, which will also feature a new playlist for 360-degree videos, will offer curated video playlists, a personalized playlist of favorite videos and features for finding related videos. Viewers will be able to use their remote control to navigate the videos. Continue reading CBS Brings 360-Degree Video to Android TV, Amazon Fire TV
Nintendo Rolls Out Switch, its New Hybrid Videogame System
Nintendo just debuted Switch, a console/handheld hybrid that is the company's next videogame platform. The system, which has been in development since March 2015 and will be available for sale March 2017, can be used for TV gaming or as a portable gaming system, depending on the configuration of its tablet-like device and dock. Minus the tablet, the system becomes portable, with mini joysticks that can be wireless or attached to the sides. Nintendo also says it will soon reveal titles, game demos, and prices. Continue reading Nintendo Rolls Out Switch, its New Hybrid Videogame System
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This pic was taken last week, not yesterday!
Yesterday, I got to mix with a wide range of writers from all stages of their career, and hear some fantastic speakers talking about the publishing industry, and how to get published. It was hosted by the Writer's & Artist's Yearbook in conjunction with Literature Works.
What made this even better was it was on my dootstep. I didn't have to venture up to London or Birmingham or Manchester... or even Bristol, which is still two hours away and difficult to organise. No, this event was a 30 minute bus ride into the town I spend a lot of time in anyway.
It was a long day, but the speakers were so engaging, and the questions from the audience so interesting, I didn't really notice. The glass of wine at the end was very welcome.
Some publishers watch the pre-orders of self-published books on Amazon, and if you hit a certain number, you may get a call!
Agents/editors know the synopsis is hard, they don't expect perfection, they want a hook, they want the story. The agent speaking today, Gill McLay (Bath Literacy Agency), told us not to put in the twist at the end, make them want to read the book. However, other agents might require it - it's personal preference on their part, and just means you have to research them.
On that point, you should be doing research on the agents - who they represent, what they like, what they're looking for, how they want the submission to be presented. This is all basic stuff, and these days it's all on their websites anyway.
Thank you to everyone who made How to Get Published happen. It was really great that you chose Plymouth as the venue for your first outside-London. If you come back, or indeed if you find other venues around the country, I can guarantee they'll be very much appreciated.


The Hairdressing Apprenticeship framework consists of the NVQ Diploma in Ladies Hairdressing, Employment Rights & Responsibilities and Functional Skills in Maths and English. This course gives those employed in the Hairdressing industry the ability to achieve a recognised national qualification in Level 2 Hairdressing. The content and criteria of the course consists of theory, practical, functional skills, tutorials and opportunities for assessments in the workplace and in college, in a timely framework to ensure learners achieve with regular reviews from the work-based development team.
To apply for the programme you will need a keen interest in the Industry. You will be invited to attend an interview and to attain a good level on the Initial assessment. To be an apprentice you need to be working a minimium of 30 hours per week in the related occupation of your chosen apprenticeship. Our Skills & Business team can support you with this and we often have a good selection of employers looking to recruit an apprentice.
If you want to apply for this course, you will need to contact Blackpool and The Fylde College directly.


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A sign on State Highway 1 in Wellington during lockdown in April 2020 (Photo: Mark Tantrum/Getty Images)
Siouxsie Wiles: About those cries of 'over-reaction' on NZ's Covid-19 response
Siouxsie Wiles | Contributing writer
According to a group of academics, the New Zealand response doesn't match the threat posed by Covid-19 and should be substantially loosened. Siouxsie Wiles unpicks their claims.
A group of six New Zealand academics yesterday announced their "vision for a balanced response" to the Covid-19 pandemic. They are calling that vision "Plan B". They even have a website and a PR firm attached. They are clearly serious.
Their plan is for New Zealand to return "to normality as soon as possible" by moving to something like alert level two. They want most people to be able to get back to work, for schools and universities to open, and for people to be able to travel around the country again.
And the reason they are advocating this plan? Because, they say, "international health data and experience is showing that New Zealand's lockdown may now be unnecessary, and even more harmful than the problem we're trying to solve."
The academics' call was the front-page lead in yesterday's Dominion Post
That's a big statement. It's an important statement. So let's look at how their evidence stacks up.
Claim 1: the risks of the virus have been overstated
They present several stats and statements to back up this claim, so we'll take each one in turn.
"With over 1,300 confirmed and probable cases and four deaths, the overall CFR in New Zealand is approximately 0.30%. … This overall CFR rate is similar to that seen for seasonal flu epidemics and indicates that the virus poses a low risk of fatality to the vast majority of people."
CFR stands for case fatality rate and it's a pretty unreliable number in the middle of an outbreak. Saying that, it's still being widely used, and current estimates put it somewhere between 1% and 5% for China, Canada, Germany and Switzerland, rising to around 10% for Italy, Spain, UK, France, and the Netherlands. On the one hand the CFR depends on how cases and deaths are classified, and this is being done differently in different countries. Some countries are only testing people with severe disease in hospital. Others are testing as many people as possible, including those without symptoms. And some countries are only counting deaths that happen in hospital in people who have tested positive for Covid-19. This likely means that many deaths are being missed. Evidence for this is coming to light by looking at the number of overall deaths different countries are experiencing compared to the same time over the last few years when they weren't in the midst of a pandemic.
Other things that can influence the CFR are the age and health of the people getting ill – we know that older people and those with underlying health issues are more likely to die. So if most of the cases are in young and more healthy people then the CFR will be lower. The other thing that will be impacting on the CFR is whether health systems are overwhelmed and unable to provide the care that very ill people need.
And lastly, as Spinoff cartoonist Toby Morris and I pointed out recently, it can also take some weeks for people to die from Covid-19. Here in New Zealand that means we need to prepare ourselves for more deaths. Yesterday, just hours after the Plan B academics released their new commentary, four new deaths were announced. It brings our total to date to nine. And almost doubled our CFR.
"An analysis by Professor David Spiegelhalter at Cambridge University shows that the CFR from the disease is conservatively estimated to be about the same as an individual's average annual fatality rate … If you catch Covid-19 your likelihood of dying is the same as your average likelihood of dying that year anyway."
They are using this to argue that the people who have died would probably have died regardless. They say it is "likely that some of these deaths were with the virus rather than a direct result of infection". Note how they emphasise the word with. No less than Professor Spiegelhalter himself has declared that this is a complete misunderstanding of the point he was trying to make.
obviously it could be made clearer, because you have completely misunderstood the point https://t.co/OYA7zUseis
— David Spiegelhalter (@d_spiegel) April 11, 2020
"No deaths have yet occurred in people under the age of 70."
Because of the lag in how long it can take some people to die, this statement is basically meaningless at the moment. It is important, too, to point out that plenty of young, healthy people have died from Covid-19 around the world, including many healthcare workers. There is nothing about New Zealand that makes us magically different.
Claim 2: Clearly, up to now, the virus has not had the devastating effect on hospital services as it was thought to
This is completely misleading. The reason Covid-19 hasn't had a devastating effect is because we went into lockdown. If we hadn't gone into lockdown, cases would have continued to grow exponentially and the same thing that has happened to hospitals in other countries would have happened to ours. I'm reminded of a quote from Peter De Jager about the Millennium Bug: "We're damned if we do and damned if we don't here. If there are no problems, then people say, well, there was never an issue." In other words, we are a victim of our own success. But the difference with this pandemic is that we just need to look around at what is happening overseas to see just how profoundly, painfully worse things could have played out for us. Look at Italy. Look at Spain. Look at Britain. Look at New York City, where there has been an upsurge in mass burials.
Claim 3: Evidence from Australia indicates it is safe to move to a situation similar to alert level two at the end of the four-week lockdown period
Interestingly this group has moved to using Australia as an exemplar of how to deal with Covid-19, instead of Sweden, which a fortnight ago was hailed as "steering a more sensible course through this turbulent time". Presumably because cases and deaths there are now increasing at an alarming rate, Sweden is not mentioned at all on the new Plan B website.
As for Australia, it's not quite clear to me what evidence they are using to support the move to level two, given the Plan B website simply points to the Australian government's emergency response plan.
It's probably worth noting that different states have been making their own decisions about how to deal with the virus, and usually ahead of government announcements. New South Wales, the state with the highest numbers of cases (2,870) and deaths (26) went into a version of level three lockdown on March 22 and what we could probably call level four lite on March 29. Many businesses are closed, though there hasn't been a formal closure of schools or universities. Saying that, many schools have shut as parents decide to keep their children at home and universities have shifted to online learning.
It all comes down to what we value
According to Plan B, so that the rest of us can get back to some kind of normal life "people at high risk of severe complications … should continue to self-isolate and maintain social distance". The idea that this is feasible, never mind desirable, does perhaps depend on whether you fall into the "high risk" category.
It's worth pointing out, too, that this is the strategy the British government started out with: lockdowns for the vulnerable, while everyone else carries on as normal. They were hoping to maintain this until they could reach herd immunity – which is the strategy implicit in the Plan B argument, though they don't refer to it as such. Boris Johnson introduced the strategy by telling the British public that everyone should "expect to lose loved ones before their time".
The UK has since changed course, and is now on a lockdown that looks very similar to ours. Only with thousands of people dead, including plenty who wouldn't have been classed as vulnerable. In other words, "allowing the population to develop immunity, which is a natural defense for the virus after infection could occur, and manage the spread of the virus while protecting those most vulnerable from the disease" [sic] hasn't worked in the UK. So why would it work here? Plan B and the herd immunity strategy reminds me of a line by Lord Farquaad from the movie Shrek: "Some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make."
This type of argument plays into a "health versus economy" fallacy, too. Of course the public health experts advocating the lockdown strategy understand that it brings serious and real harm to the economy, and that doing so has an impact on the health and wellbeing of people. Those considerations are baked into the thinking. But this is a matter of the least-worst. Again, you just need to look abroad to see how very much worse off we could be.
The level four lockdown has been stressful and difficult for so many people. What's important now is that we don't lose the advantage we've gained from doing it. If we exit too early and too quickly, any cases of the virus will begin to grow exponentially again. We can't let that happen. Instead we need to be confident that we can stop the virus using the tools we currently have – testing, contact tracing, and isolation. Because everyone living in New Zealand has the right to a meaningful quality of life, not just those who are young and healthy.
Siouxsie Wiles
Hannah Gibson
Alex Braae


CELORON — The Chautauqua County Society of Artists will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, at the Celoron Community Building in Lucille Ball Park. The featured program will be bracelets with Anne Jackson from the Beaded Forest.
At the last meeting, members painted with their feet and toes outside on the lawn. Jerry Paduano led the group in an unusual use of acrylic paints and canvas. A new guest, an art student from college, joined the group. Scarves decorated at a previous meeting were ironed and taken to Lily's Hope.
Meetings are open to area artists who want to socialize and learn new art styles and projects. A small fee is charged for supplies but can be applied towards membership. For more information, call Elaine Caflisch at 763-3156.


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Race Day and Other Thoughts
by Mlissa | Feb 23, 2014 | Daytona 500, self publishing
It's here… The 2014 Nascar season. Speedweeks have been going on and there's been racing on Daytona International Speedway since the end of January, but this is different. It's always different. Today matters. Points matters. The engines firing matters. Pit stops matter. Where you end up when the checkered flag waves matters.
I'm a fan and if you know me at all, this is no surprise. I don't like my driver's teammates and I don't like a lot of other drivers out on the track either. What I do like is good hard racing. Single file and falling in line don't do it for me. I want to see squirrly cars and bumping and banging and rubbin' is racin' excitement. Yes it's 43 cars going left around a track, but what people who don't watch, who don't pay attention miss, is the strategy, the radio communications, the teamwork or lack of. If you understand that's what the race really is, then it's more than just 43 cars turning left in turns 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Writing a book and pushing the Publish button is about strategy, communication, understanding of the market, teammwork or lack of, understanding of your own strengths, where the high line is and when it's time to pull out and try another line… I sought some help the other night on this very thing and while I don't like some of the changes I need to make, in the end, I'll find myself and what I'm good at. I could do it the publisher way that I was taught for several years and see only mediocre results… Or, I could allow myself to be pushed and shoved and kicked out of my comfort zone and try things a new way. Being that I'm self-publishing more, I'm going to have to let go of what I was taught. This is scary shit, y'all.
Yesterday was my birthday. I'm 43. I'm no closer now to be where I want to be as an author than I was last year at this time when I turned 42. It's time to shake things up. The books will be the same. Hot, naughty, sexy as sin men. Feisty, strong, curvaceous women. But the branding will be stronger, tighter. We're going to have fun, even though there will bumps from behind, slams into the walls, maybe even a few tumbles through the air and landing on our heads as we try to figure out this new world. I was comfortable dipping my toe in, but I wasn't making it anywhere near the new finish line. I wasn't fighting for it or taking that bow at the end.
It's time to change and change freaks me out.
I'm re-writing blurbs, changing keywords, looking differently at categories, and re-covering some books to match this new world to look sharper and hotter. We'll be experimenting a lot, too.
Let's go get that checkered flag!


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Sprzęg – najogólniej – urządzenie łączące, pośredniczące, dopasowujące czy też spinające. Zwykle nazwą tą określa się urządzenie łączące pojazdy szynowe. Sprzęg łączący pojazdy drogowe najczęściej określa się mianem "dyszla", natomiast nie powiodło się zastąpienie "sprzęgiem" angielskiego słowa "interface" ("interfejs") , oznaczającego rodzaj połączenia elektrycznego.

Sprzęgi kolejowe

Sprzegi elektryczne
 sprzęg sterowania ukrotnionego – składa się z gniazd w pojazdach łączonych kablami lub jest zabudowany w sprzęg samoczynny; dawniej stosowano przewody łączące poszczególne obwody pojazdów, obecnie istnieje tendencja do stosowania jednego kabla transmisji danych łączącego jednostki sterujące
 sprzęg ogrzewania elektrycznego – jest to zasadniczo specjalnej konstrukcji jednoprzewodowy wysokonapięciowy kabel z wtykiem i współpracujące gniazdo, przez które przepływa prąd z sieci trakcyjnej lub specjalnej prądnicy grzewczej (lokomotywy spalinowe) do zasilania grzejników wagonowych
 cyfrowy sprzęg samoczynny (DAC) – planowany do wprowadzenia na kolejach europejskich rodzaj szyny danych łączącej pojazdy; zapewnia m.in. automatyczne łączenie i rozłączanie wagonów (po wprowadzeniu sprzęgu automatycznego), przeprowadzanie próby hamulca, monitorowanie stanu różnych czujników, śledzenie pociągu z pomocą systemu nawigacji satelitarnej i in..

Sprzęgi mechaniczne
Sprzęg mechaniczny to urządzenie bezpośrednio łączące dwa pojazdy szynowe. Każdy pojazd szynowy wyposażony jest w dwa komplety sprzęgów umieszczonych na obu końcach. Istotnym parametrem umieszczania sprzęgu w pojazdach kolejowych jest oś sprzęgania, co wymaga odpowiedniego umieszczenia komory sprzęgowej w ostojnicy. Na potrzeby ruchu międzynarodowego musiała być ona znormalizowana (1040 mm). Sprzęgi samoczynne były umieszczane na wysokości mniejszej. Obecnie standard 1040 mm obowiązuje także nowe i modernizowane pojazdy ze sprzęgami samoczynnymi, co jest związane z planowanym zastosowaniem europejskiego sprzęgu samoczynnego UIC do wszystkich pojazdów.

Sprzęgi niesamoczyne
sprzęg śrubowy – najbardziej rozpowszechniony na normalnotorowych kolejach europejskich, przenosi tylko siły rozciągające, dlatego też wymagane jest stosowanie zderzaków
typu link and pin – dominujący w Stanach Zjednoczonych przed wprowadzeniem sprzęgów samoczynnych; składał się z głowic z pionowym otworem zabudowanych na pojazdach, pełniących rolę zderzaków, i łącznika mocowanego za pomocą trzpieni przetykanych przez otwory w głowicach; łącznik przenosił siły ściskające i rozciągające; ze względu na bardzo dużą liczbę wypadków podczas łączenia pojazdów za pomocą sprzęgu tego typu, jego stosowanie zostało zabronione w USA pod koniec XIX w.; obecnie spotyka się go jeszcze do łączenia transporterów na liniach wąskotorowych
sprzęg "trąbkowy" – konstrukcja pośrednia między link and pin a sprzęgiem Alberta (i teoretycznie łącząca się z nimi), wykorzystywana historycznie do łączenia wagonów tramwajowych – dwie głowice o kształcie przypominającym trąbkę łączone były za pomocą niewielkiego łącznika i trzpieni
sprzęg orczykowy – składa się z centralnie umieszczonego pojedynczego zderzaka, u podstawy którego zamontowana jest wahliwie poprzeczna belka, wyposażona na jednym końcu w hak, a na drugim w ucho ze śrubą ściągającą, które łączą się z analogicznymi elementami w sprzęgu współpracującym; stosowany na kolejach wąskotorowych
sprzęg łańcuchowy – podobny do sprzęgu śrubowego, jednak zamiast śruby jest kilkuogniwowy fragment łańcucha; stosowany na kolejach wąskotorowych o większej szerokości toru
sprzęg Alberta – typowy tramwajowy, przenosi siły ściskające i rozciągające; zamocowana na "dyszlu" niewielka głowica jest łączona sztywno z identyczną w drugim pojeździe za pomocą dwóch trzpieni, które zabezpieczone są przed wysunięciem wygiętym metalowym elementem (ta czynność, a także naprowadzanie głowic na siebie nie są wykonywane automatycznie, więc nie jest to sprzęg automatyczny); obecnie "dyszel" w nieużywanym sprzęgu na czołach pojazdu najczęściej jest składany (łamany) i chowany w pojeździe dla zwiększenia bezpieczeństwa innych użytkowników jezdni; głowica sprzęgu w nowszych rozwiązaniach doposażona jest w elementy ułatwiające naprowadzanie (np. czeskie rozwiązania)

Sprzęgi samoczynne

Historia
Pierwsze konstrukcje sprzęgów samoczynnych powstały w poł. XIX w. w USA, gdy dotychczasowe metody spinania wagonów, a w szczególności używany powszechnie sprzęg typu link-and-pin, wyczerpały możliwości – coraz cięższe pojazdy wymagały niezawodnego i bezpiecznego dla obsługi łączenia. Pierwszą konstrukcją aspirującą do miana sprzęgu samoczynnego był hak cięgłowy Millera. Następnie nastąpił burzliwy rozwój różnych konstrukcji, co z jednej strony spowodowało w roku 1895 nakaz stosowania sprzęgów samoczynnych, a z drugiej – ze 119 różnych wariantów wybrano 3 i zakazano stosowania innych modeli. W Europie, ze względu na rozdrobnienie zarządów kolejowych, do dnia dzisiejszego (2022) nie udało się wprowadzić jednolitego systemu sprzęgu samoczynnego, jednakże wg planów Komisji Europejskiej do roku 2025 ma zostać ograniczone stosowanie sprzęgów śrubowych w nowych pojazdach, a od roku 2030 także w dotychczas użytkowanym taborze.

Budowa
Niezależnie od konstrukcji, sprzęg samoczynny składa się z kilku zasadniczych części:
głowica z zamkiem – przenosi siły ściskające i rozciągające, łączy się z bezpośrednio z głowicą sąsiedniego pojazdu
podpora – element przymocowany do ostoi pojazdu służący do zamocowania urządzenia podparcia i centrowania głowicy
urządzenie podparcia i centrowania – służy do ustawienia i utrzymania głowicy w osi pojazdu; luźne głowice zawsze powinny zajmować pozycję centralną w gotowości do sprzęgnięcia
amortyzator – przenosi i łagodzi wszelkie siły przenoszone z głowicy na pojazd
łącze przewodów pneumatycznych i elektrycznych – o ile jest zabudowane w sprzęg – łączy przewody hamulcowe i elektryczne; przewody ogrzewania są zazwyczaj łączone ręcznie
zespół sterujący – urządzenie nastawcze do sterowania pracą sprzęgu – rodzaj dźwigni lub korby dostępnej bez wchodzenia między pojazdy
Sprzęg samoczynny może być wyposażony w urządzenia pomocnicze:
sprzęg mieszany – służący do połączenia z innym rodzajem sprzęgu, np. z klasycznym sprzęgiem śrubowym
wkładka na małe łuki – jest wstawiana między głowice i umożliwia pokonywanie ostrych zakrętów, np. na torach fabrycznych
wkładka promowa – zapobiega rozłączaniu przy przejeździe przez progi
Sprzęgi samoczynne zazwyczaj przenoszą obciążenia rozciągające i ściskające, więc nie wymagają zderzaków, jednak przy sprzęgach niesztywnych czasami pozostawia się zderzaki w wagonach pasażerskich dla poprawienia spokojności biegu i zapobieżeniu szarpnięciom.

Podział sprzęgów
Zasadniczo sprzęgi samoczynne dzielą się na niesztywne i sztywne:
sprzęg niesztywny – głowice takiego sprzęgu po połączeniu mają możliwość względnego ruchu; wadą tego rozwiązania jest szybsze zużywanie się powierzchni głowic, hałaśliwość oraz brak lub utrudniona możliwość łączenia przewodów hamulcowych, elektrycznych itp., zaletą jest prostota, wytrzymałość i duża tolerancja na ustawienie głowic na różnych wysokościach nad torem przy sprzęganiu
 sprzęg Janney'a, obecnie AAR, jedna z odmian sprzęgu tightlock coupling (titelok) – skonstruowany w roku 1876 a już rok później wdrożony do eksploatacji na kolejach amerykańskich; przez lata był rozwijany i przystosowywany do przenoszenia coraz większych sił; rozpowszechnił się na sieciach kolejowych w całej Ameryce, a także na kolejach japońskich, filipińskich i innych w Azji
 sprzęg Willisona – powstał w Stanach Zjednoczonych w roku 1916, jednak ze względu na niekompatybilność z rozpowszechnionym już sprzęgiem Janney'a nie znalazł tam zastosowania; pochodną konstrukcji Willisona jest sprzęg używany od roku 1935 na kolejach na terytorium byłego Związku Radzieckiego – sprzęg SA-3
 sprzęg sztywny – głowice takiego sprzęgu połączone są sztywno, bez możliwości wzajemnych przemieszczeń; wadą takiego rozwiązania jest skomplikowany układ centrowania i podtrzymania głowicy, zaletą – spokojna praca sprzęgu, łatwość wykonania współpracującego sprzęgu elektryczno-pneumatycznego, mniejsze zużycie powierzchni styku głowic
 sprzęg Scharfenberga – z powodu stosunkowo niewielkiej wytrzymałości (do 1500 kN – siła ściskająca) stosowany najczęściej do łączenia lekkich pojazdów pasażerskich – autobusów szynowych, zespołów trakcyjnych, wagonów metra lub tramwajów, różnych kolei miejskich itp.Głowica sprzęgu ma kształt płaskiej płyty z wystającym elementem o kształcie zbliżonym do naciętego stożka (rzadziej – do piramidy) zawierającym zaczep (ucho) i otworem o analogicznym kształcie na przyjęcie sprzęgu dołączanego. Taki kształt ma na celu wzajemne naprowadzenie głowic. Przy łączeniu po dociśnięciu głowic zaczepy obu sprzęgów powodują zahaczenie i zaryglowanie mechanizmu zamka. Do odryglowania i odczepienia używane jest sprężone powietrze. W głowicę sprzęgu zabudowane jest pneumatyczne łącze hamulca zespolonego, natomiast łącza elektryczne mogą mieć różną konstrukcje – listwa łączeniowa nad lub pod sprzęgiem, czy też dwie krótkie listwy po bokach sprzęgu.
sprzęg "Shibata" – popularny typ sprzęgu stosowany w Japonii, opracowany przez inżyniera Japońskich Kolei Rządowych (JGR) Mamoru Shibatę w latach trzydziestych XX w. dla elektrycznych jednostek trakcyjnych; stosowany też w pociągach podmiejskich i metra w Korei Południowej
 BSI – sprzęg wprowadzony przez firmę «Bergische Stahl Industrie» (obecnie «Faiveley Transport») – zastosowanie zbliżone do sprzęgu Scharfenberga; używany do łączenia lekkich jednostek pasażerskich (np. duńskie Y) czy tramwajów (np. w Bielefeld, Niemcy)
 APTA, jedna z odmian sprzęgu tightlock coupling (titelok), typ H – używany w przez niektórych przewoźników w USA w taborze pasażerskim; może być wyposażony w automatyczne łączenie przewodów hamulcowych lub elektrycznych; przejściowo był też używany na Wyspach Brytyjskich
 Wedgelock – używany przez londyńskie metro
 Unicoupler – przejściowa konstrukcja europejskiego sprzęgu uniwersalnego; nie wyszła nigdy ze stadium prób
 Eurocoupler, UIC (także Intermat, AK69) – planowany do wprowadzenia na kolejach europejskich sprzęg samoczynny, mający zapewniać także samoczynne łączenie przewodu hamulcowego i przewodów elektrycznych (w przyszłości m.in. do hamulca elektropneumatycznego).Eurocoupler ma możliwość łączenia się bezpośrednio ze sprzęgiem SA-3 (po odpowiednim przygotowaniu sprzęgu, które jednak nie trwa długo) – w takiej sytuacji przewody elektryczne i hamulcowy wychodzące z wagonu ze sprzęgiem SA-3 muszą być ręcznie podłączone do odpowiednich złącz w Eurocouplerze. Większość nowoczesnych lokomotyw i wagonów jest już przystosowana do jego zabudowy. Pierwotnie Eurocoupler nie miał możliwości łączenia się ze sprzęgiem śrubowym, co spowodowało, że planowane wprowadzenie sprzęgów samoczynnych w Europie ciągle nie jest realizowane. Przyczyną był ogrom problemów przy ewentualnej równoczesnej wymianie sprzęgów we wszystkich zarządach kolejowych Europy, a szczególnie związane z tym koszty (konieczność wymiany w krótkim czasie milionów sprzęgów ze śrubowych na samoczynne).Dla zredukowania kosztów firma «Knorr-Bremse» opracowała wersję uproszczoną Eurocouplera bez możliwości łączenia obwodów hamulca i elektrycznych, która jest tańsza (planowano przy masowej wymianie sprzęgów stosować prowizorycznie tę wersję, a pełną wersję w nowych wagonach; równocześnie przy planowych naprawach wagonów z wersją tańszą miano ją zastępować pełną). Obecnie jednak istnieje możliwość rozwiązania tego problemu, ponieważ nieco przekonstruowano Eurocouplery zabudowując w nich hak pozwalający na łączenie ze sprzęgiem śrubowym (Eurocoupler de facto stał się sprzęgiem hybrydowym) – należy w tej sytuacji ręcznie połączyć ten hak ze sprzęgiem śrubowym, a przewody elektryczne i hamulcowy wychodzące z wagonu ze sprzęgiem śrubowym muszą też być ręcznie podłączone do odpowiednich złącz w Eurocouplerze. Dlatego też obecnie planowane jest stopniowe wymienianie sprzęgów śrubowych na tę wersję Eurocouplera (w nowo budowanych wagonach i lokomotywach, oraz podczas planowych napraw już użytkowanych wagonów i lokomotyw) – jedynym utrudnieniem będzie to, że wagony i lokomotywy z zabudowanym Eurocouplerem muszą nadal mieć zderzaki, aby móc łączyć się z pojazdami ze sprzęgiem śrubowym (przy łączeniu się za pomocą Eurocouplerów są one zbyteczne, ponieważ sprzęg samoczynny pełni ich funkcję). W przyszłości po całkowitym wycofaniu sprzęgów śrubowych zderzaki i haki mają zostać zdemontowane. Jedyna sytuacja sporna dotyczy ruchu międzynarodowego – czy do takiego ruchu mają być dopuszczone wyłącznie wagony i lokomotywy wyposażone w Eurocouplery (a te ze sprzęgami śrubowymi tylko w ruchu w poszczególnych krajach), czy także pojazdy ze sprzęgami śrubowymi.
 Z-AK – opracowany w roku 1994 przez firmę «Knorr Bremse» samoczynny sprzęg cięgłowy (wymaga bocznych zderzaków) dostosowany do sprzęgania z tradycyjnym hakiem cięgłowym; łączy automatycznie przewód hamulcowy i przewody elektryczne; nie łączy się z SA-3; charakterystyczne jest wyposażenie w automatyczne urządzenie nastawiające położenie pracy sprzęgu "krótkie / długie"
 C-AKv Transpact – opracowany i wdrożony w latach 90. XX w. przez «SAB Wabco BSI Verkehrstechnik Products GmbH» (dziś «Faiveley Transport Witten GmbH»).Jest to rozwinięcie sprawdzonego sprzęgu SA-3 – modyfikacja polegała na dodaniu elementów stabilizujących sprzęg w pionie (i tym samym sprzęg stał się sztywny) oraz automatycznego łączenia przewodów hamulcowych i elektrycznych. Osiągnięto wytrzymałość 2500 kN na rozciąganie i 3000 kN na ściskanie. Dodatkowo sprzęg ten łączy się z klasycznym sprzęgiem śrubowym (wtedy należy zachować zderzaki), sprzęgiem SA-3 i sprzęgiem AK69.
 Schwab – opracowany przez szwajcarską firmę «Schwab Verkehrstechnik AG» (która obecnie jest częścią «Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation» – «Wabtec Corporation») sprzęg automatyczny wdrożony do użytkowania na kolejach szwajcarskich (SBB/CFF/FFS, BLS). Jest w stanie przenieść siły rozciągające do 850 kN i ściskające do 1500 kN; ponadto możliwe jest rozsprzęganie przy sile rozciągającej do 300 kN. Sprzęg umożliwia automatyczne łączenie dwu złączy pneumatycznych i – opcjonalnie – elektrycznych. Za pomocą specjalnej nakładki sprzęg można łatwo dostosować do sprzęgania ze sprzęgiem śrubowym.

Do łączenia pojazdów wyposażonych w różne rodzaje sprzęgów stosuje się:
 pojazd pośredni – najczęściej wagon wyposażony na końcach w sprzęgi różnych typów
 sprzęg pośredni – urządzenie montowane między pojazdami umożliwiające połączenie z dwoma typami sprzęgów; z reguły połączenie takie nie ma pełnej wytrzymałości nawet słabszego sprzęgu i stosowane jest awaryjnie
 sprzęg hybrydowy – rozwiązanie stosowane rzadko; obecnie najnowsza wersja sprzęgu Eurocoupler jest takim sprzęgiem, ponieważ został w nim zabudowany hak pozwalający na łączenie ze sprzęgiem śrubowym

Inne sprzęgi

Sprzęg pneumatyczny
Łączy obwody hamulcowe pojazdów. W zależności od stosowanego rodzaju hamulca może być to przewód rurowy ciśnieniowy albo próżniowy. Może być zabudowany w sprzęg samoczynny. Zazwyczaj wykonany jest w ten sposób, by podczas prac manewrowych rozpinał się bez uszkodzenia.

Sprzęg ogrzewania parowego
Był używany w czasach lokomotyw parowych, obecnie w zaniku. Była to rura odpowiednio izolowana, przystosowana do przesyłu gorącej pary do ogrzewania wagonów. W ostatnim wagonie działał w specjalnym trybie umożliwiającym odwadnianie instalacji.

Przypisy

Bibliografia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Larisa Andreea Iordache (, Bucareste, 19 de junho de 1996) é uma ginasta artística romena que faz parte da equipe nacional romena. Dupla campeã e medalhista de prata do Campeonato Europeu de Ginástica Artística de 2012. Medalhista de bronze olímpica em Londres 2012.

Na Roménia a chamam "a nova Nadia Comăneci".

Pouco antes da Olimpíada de Londres 2012, Larisa Iordache desenvolveu uma inflamação dolorosa chamada fascite plantar em sua perna esquerda. Mais precisamente, a perna doía e antes, a dor persistia apesar de tratamento e Larissa em Londres passou por uma ressonância magnética que revelou a fascite plantar. Isso reduziu as chances de sucesso da equipa romena que em maio venceu o Campeonato Europeu. Também não ficou claro se no final da equipe Larisa seria capaz de participar em todas as 4 modalidades para se qualificar para a final do all around.

Principais resultados

Ver também
 Federação Internacional de Ginástica
 Outras biografias

Ligações externas

Ginastas artísticos da Romênia
Ginastas nos Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2012
Naturais de Bucareste
Medalhistas nos Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2012


This morning we were talking about these two videos and the cool thing that happened the other night at Comerica Park during the Detroit Tigers game. If you missed the story or just want to watch the video again, here is 10-year-old Travis Blackwell, who clearly has a huge heart. And, after, you watch the video of what happened at the game, be sure to watch the follow up interview also posted below that aired earlier this week on CBS. In that video, we learned that Blackwell is a Lansing Lugnuts fan! Awesome stuff all the way around!


text:
Q: setTimeout in Javascript / Jquery I am trying to test a fadein and fadeout function that is looping arround, with different content
    var next = null;
    var outer = $('.twitter');
    var current = outer.find('.twitterinner:first');
    current.fadeIn();
    function fade() {
        if (current.next('div.twitterinner').length > 0) {
            next = current.next('div.twitterinner');
        } else {
            next = outer.find('div.twitterinner:first');
        }

        current.fadeOut(500);
        setTimeout(function(){
            next.FadeIn(500);
        },1000);
//      next.fadeIn(500);
        current = next;
        setTimeout(fade, 2000);
    }
    fade();

and the html

Jellyfish Webdesign was afgelopen weekend aanwezig bij #YoutopiaArtsFestifal in het #Lloydhotel in A'dam! De website hebben we gesponsord.

Laat uw email adres achter via http://t.co/MHUXpcY1NE om op de hoogte te blijven van onze nieuwe website release. #Jellyfishux

Jellyfish Webdesign is vandaag officieel live gegaan! Voor meer informatie bezoek onze website, http://t.co/MHUXpcY1NE #jellyfishux

If i remove the setTimeout after the startup, it runs just fine (and i include again the fadeIn) but once I add the setTimeout with the fadein function in it, it stops working. I cant seem to find where I go wrong. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

A: If you want to execute something after an animation, you can do it like this (chaining)
current.fadeOut(500, function () {
    next.FadeIn(500);
    current = next;
});

To loop i suggest you to use interval instead of setTimeout.
setInterval(fade, 2000);

A: I think you have to use setInterval() instead of setTimeout() as your function is getting call repeatidly. See below code
NOTE - please correct spelling for fadeIn(500), it starts with small f.
var next = null;
    var outer = $('.twitter');
    var current = outer.find('.twitterinner:first');
    current.fadeIn();
    function fade() {
        if (current.next('div.twitterinner').length > 0) {
            next = current.next('div.twitterinner');
        } else {
            next = outer.find('div.twitterinner:first');
        }

        current.fadeOut(500, function(){
           next.fadeIn(500);
            current = next;
        });
    }
   setInterval(fade,2000);

DEMO

A: In "FadeIn", "f" should be small
Your Code :
setTimeout(function(){
        next.FadeIn(500);
    },1000);

Actual Code :
setTimeout(function(){
        next.fadeIn(500);
    },1000);

A: Try with setInterval
var i = 0;

setInterval(function() {
    $(".twitterinner").fadeOut("fast");
           $(".twitterinner").eq(i).fadeIn("slow");

     i++;
    if(i == $(".twitterinner").length){
       i = 0;
    }

} ,1000);

DEMO

A: You can use setInterval, but if you prefer to control it with a setTimeout, the better is to set just one timeout in the same time and chain your calls using callbacks.
Something like that :
function fade() {
    if (current.next('div.twitterinner').length > 0) {
        next = current.next('div.twitterinner');
    }
    else {
        next = outer.find('div.twitterinner:first');
    }

    current.fadeOut(500, function() {
        // executed after 500ms
        next.delay(500).fadeIn(500, function() {
            // executed after 500 + 500 +500 = 1500 ms;
            current = next;
            setTimeout(fade, 500); // executed after 1500 + 500 = 2000 ms.
        });
    });
}

or if you want to have a more clearer script to execute all of this, you can define a function for each step (this is useful if your animation become more complex) :
function fade() {
    if (current.next('div.twitterinner').length > 0) {
        next = current.next('div.twitterinner');
    }
    else {
        next = outer.find('div.twitterinner:first');
    }

    current.fadeOut(500, step2);

    function step2() {
        // executed after 500ms
        next.delay(500).fadeIn(500, step3);
    }

    function step3() {
        // executed after 500 + 500 +500 = 1500 ms;
        current = next;
        setTimeout(fade, 500); // executed after 1500 + 500 = 2000 ms.
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange