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Self-Starting Can Be Hard to Do - Understanding Power-on-Reset Requirements in Regulators and Bandgaps
Self-starting is a necessary but sometimes difficult task, whether it is motivating humans, starting cold automobiles, or providing power-on-reset (POR) for ICs. PORs ensure systems start in known and safe states. We will discuss several misapplications of this technology and how designers can avoid startup problems.
A similar version of this article appeared in the November 30, 2011 issue of How2Power Today magazine.
Self-starting or self-motivation is a good quality to look for when hiring sales and field application engineers. Another kind of a self-starter was invented by Charles Kettering for automobiles. Originally, automobiles required a hand crank to start the gasoline (petrol) engine. If the engine "backfired," it could run backward for a moment, breaking bones in a person's hand, wrist, and arm.
Similarly, many integrated circuits (IC) require special handling at power-up. Analog and digital circuits may need to be placed in predictable conditions at startup. To do that, we use circuits that are commonly called power-on-reset (POR) circuits.
POR makes sure that there is an orderly and predictable sequence of events during power-up. For example, circuits that supply bias currents in the circuit need to be available and stable to assure proper control of the circuit. One case that consumers notice this is in a stereo system. The audio can be delayed by 10 seconds or so after the power is applied, to protect the amplifier and speakers from big pops (transients). An amplifier feeding a speaker typically is biased at half the power-supply level. That silence out of the speaker is a quiescent DC voltage. While the quiescent bias level is being established during power-up, there can be sudden jumps that would cause ugly pops and destroy the speakers. That is why savvy audiophiles would never risk damage by plugging and unplugging equipment with power on.
Why Power-Supply Sequencing as a Part of POR?
Power-supply sequencing is a subject that takes volumes to explain. Years ago when three-terminal linear voltage regulators came on the market, a defect was discovered in systems with both positive and negative power rails. If the opposite voltage rail came up first, the regulator output would be pulled toward that opposite rail. At best, the regulator would not start, at worst it would burn up in a glorious plume of smoke.
Application notes flourished as manufacturers recommended adding diodes to prevent this occurrence. Soon the manufacturers added this requirement to the design definition, and the issue ceased to exist. That is, except where it was difficult or impossible to solve—some negative voltage regulators still needed diodes.
The Startup Surprise Party
With a Positive Voltage Regulator
A few years ago, a precision positive-voltage regulator was found to not start under all conditions if the output is pulled below ground. In this regulator family, there were parts available in three temperature ranges: 0 to +70°C, -40°C to +85°C, and -55°C to +125°C. Some engineers decided to use the 0 to +70°C range for cost reasons. In their application, they understood that the part could exceed 100°C under unusual circumstances. Since this was unlikely when the part was not operating, they proceeded.
Being diligent engineers, they checked their concept by testing 100 parts while heating them to 135°C. They all passed. After the product was in the field, they saw a small number of soft failures, in which a unit would fail but then recover.
With a "problem" unit in the lab, engineers looked carefully to find that the output of the voltage reference was being pulled below ground in the off state. They discovered that 2% to 3% of the references would fail to start, if they were heated above 105°C and had a negative voltage on the output. This was obviously an off-data-sheet use, both for negative voltage and temperature. When the designer contacted the manufacturer for advice, manufacturers were surprised that the parts did not start only when they were hot.
With a Voltage Reference
A voltage reference is a precision, low-current, low-temperature-coefficient voltage regulator. In Figure 1, the voltage reference op amp's negative input (feedback node) is connected to the output pin. The top of the resistor over the buried zener or bandgap can be connected to the input power, an internal power regulator, or to the output. A resistor can also be represented as a current source. Now, imagine that the positive supply is off and a negative voltage is applied to the output node. As power is applied, the circuit may not be able to establish proper bias voltages in the op amp, and some internal parasitic capacitances may stay charged, thus keeping the circuit off.
Figure 1. A simplified diagram of a typical voltage reference.
With an Op Amp
The op amp input structure in Figure 2 shows a lower-current source. Some components inside the IC are isolated from both ground and each other with back-biased diodes. Some parts have parasitic (unused) diodes and transistors that are part of their structure. The parasitic components are biased off in normal use and have no effect on the operation. If that current source is pulled negative, a parasitic component can become forward-biased, clamping the device in a nonoperating condition. Sometimes the parasitic device acts like a triac, staying on until the power is removed. In a worst-case scenario, this can destroy the device.
Figure 2. Inside the op amp.
With Capacitors
Inside the IC, there are capacitors added for frequency compensation, as well as unwanted stray capacitance. Those nodes, if charged below ground, may not have a current source available to give them a positive charge and allow the circuit to function.
The output circuit must be biased to turn on the top transistor to charge the external capacitance. Because the negative op-amp feedback node is connected to the output, the output must rise into linear operation for the circuit to function. Most ICs have electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. This usually consists of diodes and zener diodes, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Typical ESD structures protect the rest of the integrated circuit.
With ESD Problems
ESD protection is necessary, since high voltages can destroy an IC. If the voltage goes above the absolute maximum rating of the IC-fabrication process, the active components will go into a zener mode. They will then eventually break down, as currents increase and the elements go into avalanche mode, drawing huge currents and fusing the silicon. Voltage in the negative direction that is greater than the absolute maximum will also draw excessive current and destroy the IC.
With Bandgap References
Bandgap references, as shown in Figure 4, also have startup issues. A bandgap consists of two forward-biased semiconductors with different currents. An inversion in one path causes the two currents to balance at a design point. One path produces a voltage with a negative temperature coefficient (tempco), the other a positive tempco.
Figure 4. A common bandgap configuration.
The operating point is chosen so that the difference will create a signal that is proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT). A perfect design would have no voltage change with temperature. Unfortunately, the op amp will balance and be stable at two points: the design current and at zero current. However, at zero current, there is nothing that tells the circuit which way to servo or correct.
A Bandgap Reference Calculator aids in the design and analysis of a Brokaw bandgap reference circuit. It calculates all circuit parameters and the output voltage as a function of junction temperature. The first-order effects of trimming and second-order curvature correction are simulated. This free calculator is available at https://www.maximintegrated.com/design/design-tools/calculators/general-engineering/hp50g.html. It will run on an HP® 50g calculator or on a PC with a free emulator.
Solving the POR Problems
The voltage reference of Figure 1 works because there is a separate startup circuit that unbalances the currents in the two bandgap paths when there is zero current. The fact that it operates at room temperature and fails at hotter temperatures proves that the startup circuit is "weak" when hot, where there are higher leakage currents. The designer must, therefore, create a middle ground between building a startup circuit that is too weak (that can fail to start) and is too strong (that it affects normal operation). Making a bandgap start is a difficult issue and there are dozens of patents on the subject.
The fix in this case may be very simple. Assuming that the circuit leaking the negative voltage cannot be fixed, we will clamp the reference's output. The existing ESD diodes inside the IC are silicon (Figure 3), so they naturally clamp the negative voltage at 0.6V to 0.7V (or there could be two diodes in series that clamp at 1.2V). Add a small Schottky diode to the reference output. In normal operation, the diode will be back-biased and out of the circuit. The reverse leakage current shown in Figure 5 is negligible, but because Schottky diodes do leak, it must be considered. The forward voltage is approximately 240mV at room temperature, and as the temperature rises (with the same current), the forward voltage drops, as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Typical Schottky diode data-sheet parameters.
This will probably fix the hot-start issue. To test it, find a voltage reference that fails at a given temperature. Bring the output of the voltage reference out of the oven. A short piece of coax works well if there is an RF pickup. The 20pF of a foot of coax is not an issue at DC. Measure the voltage-reference output with the voltage reference off. Note the negative voltage (sometimes there are two ESD diodes in series inside the IC). Let's say it is -1V. Next, connect a silicon diode (like the 1N4747) to clamp the voltage at 0.6V. Does the reference start? Put two Schottky diodes in series (0.52V at room temperature). Does the reference start? Put one Schottky diode in the circuit (0.24V at room temperature). Now does the reference start? Heat the Schottky or put it in the oven—does the reference start? By progressively trying the startup limits is a good way to understand the starting margin.
The result of adding the Schottky diode reduces the amount that the reference output can be pulled below ground. As the temperature rises, the Schottky diode's forward voltage drops, alleviating the issue. The tests proved that adding the Schottky diode protects the voltage reference from the negative voltage, and allows it to start at high temperature.
POR is used in several ways to ensure proper operation. For example, the Maxim MAX6029 voltage reference is based on a bandgap-reference cell. Here, the reference stabilizes only at the proper operating voltage. As we discussed in the With Bandgap References section, the bandgap will balance and be stable at two points: the design current and the zero current. This is absolutely necessary to make sure the part starts and avoids the zero-current condition, so designers spend significant time simulating the circuits with voltage, temperature, and process variations. In the MAX5134 quad 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC), the POR function initializes the part to a known condition. The MAX5134 can reset to zero or midscale. Depending on the application, this is an important system-safety factor. If a motor is being controlled, someone could be in danger if random movement was allowed during power-up. This hardware POR is independent of any software control and allows safe operation, until the system software can take over accurate control. Furthermore, POR operates in a MAX5482 nonvolatile digital potentiometer. Systems such as fiber communication and power supplies require calibration during final production test. The MAX5482 allows the memorizing of one of 1024 different tap or voltage points. POR automatically recalls the calibration setting as the power supply turns on.
Self-starting can be hard to do, whether it is self-starting humans, cold automobiles, or ICs. PORs ensure that systems start in known and safe states. At times, the IC manufacturer's engineers can help a customer when they use a part in a way that was never intended by the design engineers. For best results, manufacturers recommend adhering to the data-sheet parameters for the obvious reason: those were the parameters that the IC designer used to create the device.
用于工业控制的模拟电流/电压输出调理器
引脚/软件兼容的16/12位、电压输出DAC
低功耗、单通道、16/12位、缓冲电压输出DAC
10位、非易失、线性变化数字电位器
超低功耗、高精度串联型电压基准
数模转换器 (DAC) (1)
数字电位器(DigiPOT)
线性产品 (1)
基准电压源
RF和微波
处理器和微控制器
电源监视器,控制器和保护 (1)
监控电路
传感器与MEMS


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Cape Town Marathon launches virtual race
Cape Town Marathon
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon race organisers are adding a virtual version of the iconic city marathon to its existing bouquet of events.
The Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon will offer an interactive and immersive race experience for athletes across the globe by superimposing the race route on top of streets, open spaces and gardens, complete with live tracking, distance markers, and push messages with information about key landmarks as they are passed.
The creation of this virtual race will allow athletes to compete in the Cape Town Marathon on 18 October from anywhere in the world, starting at 06:30 local time, wherever they are.
The race will be available through the Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon app, an integrated digital platform that will launch in the coming weeks.
"We are excited to introduce this digital offering. The app will track participants as if they are running the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon route - whether they find themselves in New York, Naples or Knysna - making this a virtual race like no other. I am certain that having a race on the horizon will give athletes a tangible goal to work towards, and the extra motivation needed to maintain their training within the parameters of the lockdown levels they may find themselves in," said Cape Town Marathon chairperson, Francois Pienaar, in a Zoom meeting on Wednesday.
As it is still too early to predict whether the Cape Town Marathon will be staged in its original format on 18 October, the race organisers remain in close contact with Athletics South Africa and all relevant roleplayers as the months progress.
"While this is a significant challenge, it's also the perfect time to be innovative, which is why we have reached out to and gained the support from our sponsors, partners and stakeholders to bring the Cape Town Marathon to our global marathon family, no matter where they are," added Pienaar.
Western Province Athletics President, Jakes Jacobs, has called the introduction of the Cape Town Virtual Marathon an example of how race organisers can find creative solutions to the challenges they may face.
"In this uncertain time, we believe the way forward is to be responsible and prioritise the safety of all participants and stakeholders. This is a great example of how races can step up to the next level."
Headline sponsor Sanlam, now in its sixth year of sponsorship, is delighted at the prospect of taking the race into a digital space.
Sydney Mbhele, Chief Executive of Brand at Sanlam, commended the race organisers for their ingenuity in creating a virtual race so rapidly.
"Offering people the opportunity to continue to achieve their personal goals - even as normal life has been so greatly altered – is a big focus for us at Sanlam. Whether it is running a personal best in this marathon or achieving any other 2020 financial goal, it is vital that all of us - as South Africans, Africans and the world - work together to find new ways of making our dreams come true.
"The race has grown exponentially, not only in terms of race status, participant numbers and the calibre of elite athletes, but also in terms of the impact it has on the lives of so many Capetonians, South Africans and Africans. It has generated in the past year more than R230m in economic investment and raised R3m for 56 charities in this time."
Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), Sanlam's chosen beneficiary of funds from the race, will continue to benefit from the race in 2020, irrespective of the form it takes.
The City of Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, has hailed the race organisers for their responsiveness to change in the face of adversity.
"Cape Town is a year-round favourite tourism and sporting destination, and we are keenly aware of the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has on these industries in 2020. I therefore commend the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon organisers for thinking outside the box. The world may not be able to come to the Mother City this year, but this Virtual Race has a unique opportunity to take Cape Town to the world!"
While the 5km and 10km Peace Runs will also be presented in Virtual Race format on 17 and 18 October, respectively, there will not be a Virtual Race option for the 2020 Trail Runs.
Entries for the Virtual Race have opened via Webtickets. Athletes who have already entered the 2020 race will be able to transfer to the Virtual Race from June. Entrants will receive an official race number, and all finishers will receive a digital medal and certificate.
The Cape Town Marathon was recently awarded the prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Status for the fourth consecutive year - the only marathon on the African continent and one of only a select group of marathons in the world to have this status. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to sweep across the globe, and the postponement of the Olympic Games, all Gold Label Status races will retain their status for 2020 and 2021.
Covid-19 gives Semenya more time to fight case against IAAF - Jobodwana
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Comrades Marathon donates R250 000 to fight coronavirus
cape town marathonathletics

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The deafening silence of veteran service organizations on Black Lives Matter
"This is not a partisan political issue. This is a human issue"
By Kayla Williams and Lindsay Church | Published Jun 9, 2020 1:08 PM
Editor's Note: This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.
There is a myth in the U.S. military that once you put on the uniform, "We all bleed green." That is to say, no matter where you're from or what your background is, as long as you work hard, you will make it to the top. But now, data and statistics are starting to capture what many of us have always known: military service looks different for minority communities, and simply 'working hard' won't undo the systemic racism, homophobia, sexism, and xenophobia at the core of the U.S. military experience.
The recent death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis has once again thrust issues of systemic racism into the national spotlight, leading to widespread justifiable demonstrations in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. A huge number of corporations and nonprofits have made vigorous statements affirming their stances on this issue, including many who have made concrete commitments to examine and improve internal practices through action as opposed to just words.
But noticeably lagging in leadership in this profoundly important moment have been the 'big six' veteran service organizations (VSOs) that have mostly chosen not to address the issue of racism in America and in the veteran community.
Some, including Vietnam Veterans of America, have not as of yet issued statements. The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and AMVETS all released initial statements that focused as much on vandalized memorials, civil unrest, and property damage as much as the existing systemic inequalities that led to the protests. AMVETS later followed with a more direct call for justice on Twitter, and VFW posted a general call for equality, inclusivity, and diversity — without mentioning Black lives — on Facebook.
Not all abdicated the responsibility to speak plainly; for example, Paralyzed Veterans of America and Wounded Warrior Project (though not one of the "big six," WWP has the highest revenue of any veteran-serving non-profit) both made explicit statements in support of Black Americans. And many smaller and newer organizations have spoken out more publicly and boldly in support of their Black constituents and members.
The sad reality is that none of the largest and oldest organizations in this country for serving veterans have made statements as informed, clear, and direct as that of ice-cream makers. None have made concrete commitments to elevate Black voices or donate to Black-led community groups like a community-supported fishery. None have acknowledged how they may have contributed to systemic injustice and committed to specific actions toward becoming an anti-racist organization as did an athletic app.
It is frankly embarrassing to see an abdication of moral leadership on this issue in the veteran community, and the silence becomes more glaring as multiple military leaders have made direct and compelling statements addressing the presence of racism and calling on their own organizations to do better. This is not a partisan political issue. This is a human issue.
For years, organizations like the National Association for Black Veterans alongside activists, and individuals have sought to talk about how race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion impact veterans, only to be met with defensive and fragile responses. Many who advocate for the unique needs of minority veterans are no strangers to the phrase, "those issues don't belong here," when interfacing with traditional Veteran Service Organizations.
It's unfortunate, since research shows that minority veterans experience disparities in terms of unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and more as significantly higher rates compared to their non-minority peers. The data indicates that these issues actually do belong here and that they deserve to be elevated and supported across the entire military-connected community.
Issues such as #BlackLivesMatter and the movement for justice in the case of George Floyd are incredibly relevant to our community as police violence claims the lives of Black veterans every year. Since 2018, at least six Black veterans have been murdered by police. Just last month, Air Force veteran Dreasjon Reed live streamed the final moments of his life as police chased and fatally shot him. These issues are our issues.
Organizations that serve veterans should learn from the thoughtful, well-reasoned, but powerful statements issued by other organizations and directly acknowledge the existence of racism in our community. Leadership in this moment must acknowledge that racism has been and continues to be a persistent problem in the military and has become pervasive in the veteran community. There cannot be a question in this moment as to whether or not any of us as leaders proclaim that Black lives matter. Now is the moment for us to shout unequivocally that Black lives do matter.
Words alone will not be enough to undo racism in our community. Words must be followed with an organizational commitment to change through taking steps to eliminate discrimination within the ranks and serve as an example in broader society.
Actions must include:
Diversification of Boards of Directors to reflect the diversity of the populations served.
A commitment to eradicate white supremacy from their organizations, including at the post level.
Overhauling print and online materials to include diverse images and inclusive language.
Mandating all veteran service officers attend diversity, inclusion, and equity training before serving veterans.
Raising awareness among members about challenges minority veterans face and how to support them.
Supporting legislative, policy, and programmatic efforts to support marginalized groups.
Black Americans fought in World War I, only to be lynched for wearing their uniforms home. In World War II, Black Americans fought Nazis abroad, only to be met with white supremacy when they came home, a "two-front battle" that was repeated as they continued "fighting on two fronts" during Vietnam. Rather than stand up for their Black brothers and sisters, some VSOs perpetuated discriminatory practices. Young veterans are more diverse than ever, and many are abandoning these organizations. Now is the time for action — it is an opportunity to fight for change both inside and outside their organization that veteran leaders cannot squander again.
The wild story of Marine legend Smedley Butler that you won't hear at boot camp
He was known nationally by his many nicknames: "The Fighting Hell-Devil Marine," "Old Gimlet Eye," "The Leatherneck's Friend," and "The Fighting Quaker."
The military is not a substitute for prison time
It's time to retire an old myth.
A few good women: Why the Marine Corps must do more to keep its best female Marines in uniform
The Corps cannot afford to continue to lose highly-qualified Marines.


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Home/australia/Search in Japan as Carlos Ghosn Nissan is held in a financial investigation
Search in Japan as Carlos Ghosn Nissan is held in a financial investigation
australia navva November 20, 2018 australia, Business
Mari Yamaguchi
Tokyo | The chairman of Nissan Motor Carlos Ghosn arrested the payments that reported his income and misused company funds caused the company's shares to turn and leave many of them in Japan's shock by its reduction.
Prosecutors on Tuesday said they were sorry for claiming joint working to falsify securities statements and Gosn income under the report. It is also suspected that the second executive of Nissan, Greg Kelly, work with him to underline $ US44.6 million ($ 61.3 million) in Ghosn income from 2011-2015.
Cabinet's First Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said on Tuesday that the government is watching for a scarcity of economic scandal as one of the world's largest makers. "It's very distressed," said Suga of the arrest. "We will watch the development closely."
Gosn was arrested on Monday and Nissan CEO, Hiroto Saikawa, said the company board would meet on Thursday to approve its dismissal. Prosecutors refused to say where it was being held in Tokyo.
According to the report, Carlos Ghosn was questioned and arrested shortly after arriving Monday from abroad on a private jet board.
Christophe Ena
Ghosn did not speak the word about the situation. According to the report, he was questioned and arrested soon after arriving Monday from a private jet board on board.
The executive named in Brazil became one of the most powerful operators of the car industry through engineering in Nissan and leading the company for almost decades.
Following the scandal, he questioned the future of Gosn as the leader of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi league, who sold last year's 10.6 million cars, more than any other manufacturer.
Saikawa said at a late 90 minute news conference on Monday that the company was late for some change and that power had been overweight in one person.
Having asked again about how the company could have left financial misconduct for a long time, systems inside Nissan have been transparent.
The scandal was a "negative result of Mr Ghosn's long regime," he said.
Ghosn is still leading the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi league as CEO and chair. But experts said it was unlikely that he could stay there or at Renault, where he is also CEO. Renault said that his board would be holding an emergency meeting soon.
The league companies are each other's parts and share investments in new technologies, among other things. Renault owns 43 per cent of Nissan, who owns 15 per cent of Renault and 34 percent of Mitsubishi.
The accusations are a serious blow at the time when Nissan still erases a scandal where he admitted to change the results of emission testing and fuel production on vehicles sold in Japan.
A press release from the office of prosecutor in Tokyo said that Gosn and Kelly have worked together to surrender the Gosn income report as a 4.99 billion ¥ ($ 60.5 million) although it is actually almost 10 billion yen ($ 121 million), submitting fake guarantees statements to the regional budget Bureau.
The compensation from Nissan was only part of the overall income because it also pays salaries from the key components of the Renault automaker and Mitsubishi Motor.
Nissan's 5 percent shares in Tokyo dropped trading on Tuesday. Classes joined Renault 8.4 per cent in Paris on Monday.
A next step is expected by prosecutors soon. The police can hold suspects free of charge for days, but only 48 hours for prosecutors decide to push on charges. If they decide they need more time, they can suspect for a further 20 days.
Gosn signed a contract this year that would have run until 2022. From a French, Brazil and Lebanese background, he lives in Japan and France, where Renault has turned around, making it a global player.
Nissan said he had notified the authorities for suspicions of fake financial and misuse financial reports and company assets from Ghosn after a monthly investigation caused by whistleblower.
Saikawa gave only limited details about the case, saying that he had been restricted due to the ongoing criminal investigation.
Apologizing repeatedly, he promised to improve the governance of the company.
"Sorry, I'm feeling disappointed, frustrated, desperate, depressing and depressing," Saikawa said.
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OK, I'll fund you — if it's in bitcoin
February 28, 2017 September 26, 2017
Raising capital in cryptocurrencies poses big risks for companies and investors alike
If simple ideas are often the best, the concept behind Dublin-based tech start-up Cloudwith.me is an absolute stinker. According to its website, the company offers a "managed hosting solution for hyper-scale cloud services". Confused? Try this catchy slogan: Cloudwith.me is "building the blockchain decentralised crowd cloud".
Such tech-speak has not stopped the two-year-old data services business raising $10m (£7.5m) from amateur investors through a so-called initial coin offering (ICO), the latest obsession sweeping the world of start-up financing.
The offerings, which see companies issue tokens to investors who pay in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, have alerted financial watchdogs. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) called ICOs "very high-risk, speculative investments". China has banned them outright.
For small tech businesses, the lure is understandable. Millions can be raised in seconds without having to jump through the regulatory hoops of securing venture capital backing, selling shares to individuals or taking out a bank loan. But companies using ICOs will be subject to the wild fluctuations in digital currencies. Over two weeks, the value of bitcoin is down more than 30%. And investors use the tokens they buy in a future exchange for the company's goods or services; they receive no ownership rights and have no protection if things go wrong.
"Whenever someone makes up a new way of raising capital, it often means that someone else is being taken for a ride," said a leading venture capital investor.
More to the point, why raise funds through an ultra-risky ICO when there are many other options for start-ups?
Since the financial crisis, funding has started to drip through to smaller companies. Total investment by UK-based venture capital and private equity firms plunged to £12.6bn in 2009, according to the BVCA, an industry body. Last year, it hit £21.4bn. There were nine consecutive quarters of net bank lending to small businesses up to the end of last year, the government-backed British Business Bank (BBB) said. The BBB-run Start Up Loans Company has supplied a total of £300m to 46,000 companies since it was founded five years ago.
"There's a lot more capital around now than a decade ago," said Alex Kayyal, who runs a London-based $100m early-stage investment fund for Salesforce Ventures, the investment arm of the American cloud computing giant.
"Entrepreneurs can now have more than two conversations with potential investors. It's like night and day," he said.
But the positivity over funding masks an alarming gap between backing for companies in the earliest stages of development and those with a proven track record. BVCA data shows that venture capital investment at the earliest stage fell last year, with many funds choosing to wait before parting with any cash.
A government scheme set up to refer companies that have been turned down for bank loans to providers of alternative finance helped just 230 companies in its first nine months, with a paltry £3.8m of funding.
"The good news is that the ecosystem is vibrant and good businesses are being funded," said Simon Devonshire, who advises the Department of Business on ways to encourage entrepreneurs. "The concern is that whether funds come from companies, investment vehicles or individuals, the common theme is that in times of uncertainty, they put their chequebooks away."
That uncertainty has fed into the explosion of ICOs, which have been promoted by "financial experts" such as Paris Hilton and boxer Floyd Mayweather. The investment bank Goldman Sachs said the amount raised through the offerings in June and July surpassed early-stage funding for internet companies by venture capital firms. According to some reports, more than $1.2bn was raised in the first half of the year.
The FCA has said it is worried that ICOs will see many investors lose all their money. One way to avoid this would be to improve early-stage financing for small businesses. If there was no need to look beyond the local bank manager for help, young businesses would not resort to the Wild West of cryptocurrencies.


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Georg Simon Hirschland (* 16. Juli 1885 in Essen; † 14. März 1942 in Scarsdale, New York) war ein deutscher Bankier, Vorsitzender der jüdischen Gemeinde in Essen, Kunstmäzen und Aufsichtsratsmitglied in mehreren Unternehmern.

Leben und Wirken
Als Sohn des Bankiers, Kommerzienrates und Stadtverordneten Isaac Hirschland und seiner Ehefrau Henriette Simon (1851–1935) geboren, begann Georg Hirschland nach dem Besuch des Essener Burggymnasiums ein Jurastudium in Bonn und promovierte 1907 in Münster. Im Anschluss absolvierte er umfangreiche Ausbildungen im Bankfach beim Barmer Bankverein sowie in London und New York.

Georg Hirschland heiratete Elsbeth Panofsky (1893–1973) aus Berlin, die Leiterin eines jüdischen Kindergartens in Essen.

Als Prokurist trat er 1909 in die von seinem Großvater Simon Hirschland gegründete Simon Hirschland Bank in Essen ein. Drei Jahre später wurde er mit seinem Bruder Kurt Hirschland Inhaber der Bank. Zudem war er Aufsichtsratsmitglied in unterschiedlichen Unternehmen, Hütten, Zechen und Banken. In den 1920er Jahren gründete er in Hamburg eine Filiale der Hirschlandbank.

Als Vorsitzender der jüdischen Gemeinde in Essen trug er zur Entstehung des jüdischen Jugendheims bei, das in der Pogromnacht 1938 zerstört wurde, und an dessen Stelle sich seit 1959 die Neue Synagoge befindet. Zusammen mit dem Essener Rabbiner Hugo Hahn und anderen gründete Hirschland am  17. September 1933 die Reichsvertretung der deutschen Juden.

Der Kunstsammler Georg Hirschland gehörte zum Kreis der Kunstförderer und war Mitglied im Essener Museumsverein (ab 1924 Kunstverein Folkwang) sowie 1922 Gründungsmitglied des Folkwang-Museumsvereins. Mit diesem setzte er sich mit für den Ankauf der Sammlung von Karl Ernst Osthaus ein, woran sich das Bankhaus Simon Hirschland mit einer erheblichen Summe beteiligte. 1938, als die Zwangsliquidation der Firma folgte und die Geschäfte vom Bankhaus Burkhardt & Co. (heute Teil von HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt) übernommen werden mussten, sah sich Georg Hirschland aufgrund der Verfolgung durch die Nationalsozialisten genötigt, über Amsterdam in die USA zu emigrieren. Dabei kam es zu Auseinandersetzungen bezüglich der Ausfuhr seiner Kunstsammlung. Der Museumsverein kaufte die Bilder, die als wertvolles Kulturgut auf der Sperrliste standen, an. Allerdings mussten die Bilder weit unter Wert verkauft werden, da die Vorgaben des NS-Regimes die Abwanderung jüdischen Vermögens ins Ausland verhinderten. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg erhielt die Familie Hirschland einen Teil ihres Vermögens zurück.

Literatur

Weblinks
 Hermann Schröter: Geschichte und Schicksal der Essener Juden. (online, in englischer Übersetzung, PDF; 3,6 MB)

Einzelnachweise

Bankier
Mäzen
Unternehmer (Essen)
Unternehmer (20. Jahrhundert)
NS-Opfer
Emigrant aus dem Deutschen Reich zur Zeit des Nationalsozialismus
Deutscher
Geboren 1885
Gestorben 1942
Mann
Person des Judentums (Essen)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The most common treatment for sleep apnea is a CPAP machine, which forces air through the airways by means of positive pressure. However, it also includes a mask to seal the air pressure, which results very uncomfortable for many patients. There is an alternative, consisting of a mouthguard that pushes the lower jaw forward, preventing the tongue from obstructing the air passage. Additional info click here.


text:
Do like the locals do (aka The Bucket List)
Human remains unearthed in first-ever excavations of Waterloo...
Turkey commemorates traumatic coup attempt amid tensions with...
Parades, fireworks and a ball dance for Belgium's...
Belgium sends microbe experiment to International Space Station...
Human remains unearthed in first-ever excavations of Waterloo battlegrounds
Turkey commemorates traumatic coup attempt amid tensions with EU
Parades, fireworks and a ball dance for Belgium's national holiday weekend
Belgium sends microbe experiment to International Space Station
THE STORY OF AN EXPAT-JOURNALIST ON A MISSION TO TICK OFF ALL BUCKET LIST CHALLENGES OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR
The move to Brussels is a big step, but big steps are what expats are all about. We're a pretty fearless bunch, always itching to get out there and experience. That sense of wanderlust is what took me off the beaten path and into Flemish Brabant.
Thankfully, as you may have guessed already, 'there's an app for that': the 'Become a Local' Bucket List (www.bucketlistflemishbrabant.be)! The bucket list takes interactive tourism to a whole new level. There's no, 'Here's a city, or a nice monument to stop by.' No – there's a bucket list, full of fun, sometimes quirky, things to do away from the hustle and bustle of Brussels. It's your one-stop ticket to discovering Flemish Brabant's hidden gems, those secrets only locals know.
So how does it work? The bucket list contains pastimes that locals enjoy on a regular basis. Click a bucket-list tile for additional info (Time for the next trip… What strikes your fancy?) or to tick them off your list (I'm one step closer to becoming a local!). It's perfect for tracking your progress and testing your skill and expertise as a true (g)local. Afterwards, you can post your progress on Facebook or Tweet about it to share tips with friends and family, other expats and locals you meet along the way.
Naturally this can't be done in a single day. Over the course of a year, I'll be putting my best foot forward to explore as much of Flemish Brabant's highlights as I can, using the bucket list as my guide. After all, locals don't become locals overnight.
Challenge 1: Enjoy a custom bike trip thanks to the node-to-node cycling network
If you want to do like the locals do, you'll have to hop on a bike or pull on your walking shoes. Enjoying what their province has on offer by bike (or on foot!) is a favourite pastime. What's more, if you're like me, you spend a fair amount of time cooped up indoors behind your computer, so getting out and exploring outdoors is a genuinely relaxing change of pace.
If you're apprehensive about biking into the unknown, there's no need. For the map-averse among us, there's a user-friendly node-to-node network that lets you plan your route without the usual jumble of paper maps or flaky GPS. You can create your own route, select one of the suggested routes, or even select the 'surprise me' option. Just pick a node on the online map, select how far you want to go, and the system creates a route for you. It's basically connect-the-dots, just for cycling and walking enthusiasts.
I chose the Wine Cycle Route, because… Belgium has wine?
Challenge 2: Visit a regional vineyard
Belgium is beer country. But what most people don't know is that Belgium also has wine. Flemish Brabant's first vineyards date back to the 3rd century and the Romans. After all, no conquest feels right without a little wine once you're done…
I stopped at the picturesque Chartreuzenberg Vineyard in the Hageland's Holsbeek, 2 km away from node 82. This small vineyard is family-owned and started out with a miniscule 50 vines but has since then expanded to 1,200. Tourism Flemish Brabant arranged a tour for me with Els, a Leuven-based local and a gem herself based on her knowledge of Flemish Brabant wine.
The Hageland is ideal for grape cultivation because of its ironstone-rich soil. Ironstone retains heat, keeping the soil temperature stable, even on Belgium's chilly off days. Chartreuzenberg grows Johannitter and Regent grapes, perfect for Holsbeek's microclimate.
After being shown around the vineyard and finding out how the different wines are produced, I was given the opportunity to taste a lovely, crisp sparkling rosé, a perfect retreat from the heat of the day. As far as vineyard tours go, this one is perfect for a more personalised experience.
And if you are interested, Tourism Flemish Brabant has started a new project involving special guided tours for internationals this year, including, among others a visit to a local vineyard. That means you can meet Els yourself! (Stay tuned: www.tourismflemishbrabant.be/guidedtours)
Challenge 3: Climb the Vlooyberg Tower!
Another curious item on the bucket list is the Vlooyberg Tower in Tielt-Winge, a stone's throw away from node 27. The tower was initially constructed in 2013 and is an impressive 11.28 m high and 20 m long. What's most striking, however, is viewing the tower from a distance. It's quite literally a staircase to nowhere – a nowhere that's awfully high up.
The tower is encased in COR-TEN steel which gives it a rusty look, which is another hat tip to the Hageland's famous ironstone. From afar the tower looks like a sentinel, the lone survivor of a long-forgotten industrial past.
The climb to the top goes quicker than you might think. Don't mind the slight bounce on your way up – the tower is perfectly stable – because the view from the top of the nearby Kabouterbos Forest is to die for.
Interestingly, I discovered that the tower had been blown up in 2018 by vandals and a few explosive 'haybale cocktails'. However, just a few months later the tower was standing tall and back to its old self again.
Challenge 4: Visit a castle
Horst Castle is both the start and finish of the Wine Cycle Route. Sadly, the castle itself is closed for renovations. Nonetheless, it remains a sight to behold, if not just for the views of the moated castle, the castle's magnificent grounds and the fairy tale-feeling you get walking along the banks of the moat – especially on an overcast day.
No one knows when Horst Castle was initially built, its first recorded mention was in 1263 when the castle was home to the Lords of Horst. The noble Maria-Anna van den Tympel expanded the modest building with two wings enclosing the courtyard. She also added several ornamental touches and had the coach house built.
Thankfully the coach house, now a brasserie, is still open. Wagenhuis Horst has a seasonal menu, is vegetarian friendly, and is also a great place to sit out on the terrace and drink a local Horst beer.
Challenge 5: Turn up the volume and enjoy a music festival
Flemish Brabant is home to brilliant musicians (think K's Choice and The Scabs) and several music festivals. The best known and biggest of the bunch is Rock Werchter, which takes place every summer in the fields of Werchter, just outside Leuven's city limits. Throngs of people show up from all over the world to see bands from Radiohead, to the Whispering Sons and The Cure and more perform mind-blowing shows. It's a blast, just don't forget your earplugs.
Flemish Brabant is into music all year round. If you're into folk, Diest's Merode Festival is perfect. In late spring, folk artists and groups plays to crowds in the Warande Park's open-air theatre every night. It's intimate, laid back, and the fairy lights strung between the branches make for an enchanting experience.
At the start of the spring, Leuven breaks out the brass, upright basses, pianos and harmonicas for Leuven Jazz. International jazz greats perform here, but so does local Belgian jazz talent, like the LUCA school's Big Band, for instance. With several interactive shows to introduce children to jazz, it's also a great event for kids.
Flemish Brabant, a definite to-do on your own bucket list
If it's not on your list, it should be. Flemish Brabant is full of treasures good for the soul. If you interested in hearing more bucket-list adventures, stay tuned to The Brussels Times.
However, if you just can't wait, check out the 'Become a Local' bucket list (www.bucketlistflemishbrabant.be) and sign up for the newsletter. You can stay up-to-date on what's happening in Flemish Brabant and get tips from genuine local 'heroes and heroines' of Flemish Brabant.
© Lander Loeckx (photos 1,2, 3, 4)
© Harrie Spelmans/Erfgoedsite Tienen (photo 5)


Home. Course Listing. Classroom. Municipal. Alberta. Course Details.
A municipal construction inspector is the representative of the municipality. The job requires a fair amount of technical knowledge and tactfulness in dealing with contractors and engineers as well as with residents affected by the construction.
This workshop will enable you to understand the key competencies, roles and responsibilities of an inspector on a municipal linear construction project. Using a practical approach, learn how to carry out your job to satisfy all parties to the best interest of the owner/municipality.
Frank has 35 years experience in engineering and construction as a project manager with the City of Toronto and 3 years as a geotechnical consultant. Over the past 15 years, he has delivered numerous courses on watermain design and sewer and watermain inspection. As a project manager, he has managed numerous projects, including watermain installation, sewer installation, road construction, lead water service replacement, storm water management and sewer and watermain rehabilitation.


The scalb() function computes x * rn, where r is the radix of the machine's floating point arithmetic. When r is 2, scalb() is equivalent to ldexp().
An application wishing to check for error situations should set errno to 0 before calling scalb(). If errno is non-zero on return, or the return value is NaN, an error has occurred.
If the correct value would overflow, scalb() returns ±HUGE_VAL (according to the sign of x) and sets errno to [ERANGE].
If the correct value would underflow, scalb() returns 0 and sets errno to [ERANGE].
The scalb() function returns x when x is ±Inf.
If x or n is NaN, then scalb() returns NaN and may set errno to [EDOM].
The correct value would overflow or underflow.
The x or n argument is NaN.


Drs. Rosanne Welch and Sarah Clark are back for Zilch Monkees 101. Join them for a fun, thoughtful romp through S1 E2 "Monkee VS Machine" the 3rd episode of The Monkees to air. We also have a live version of "Saturday's Child" from 2016 and Monkees News!. Originally aired 11/29/18.
Next Next post: A Happy Birthday, Dinner And A Show! Just an average day!


What i meant is You have ChatrouletteApp and JabberCamApp for Red5 server. Do you have these application also for Adobe Flash media server that i can upload to the application folder and connect RVC to it to make it work?
Do you have application for Adobe Flash Media Server 4.0?.


text:
The Run In: Assessing Guanyu Zhou's chances
Finishing as the highest placed rookie of 2019, big things were expected of Guanyu Zhou this season, but frustratingly for him, it hasn't quite played out as the UNI-Virtuosi driver would have liked.
Watching on as his teammate Callum Ilott battles with Mick Schumacher for the title, the Renault junior can still mathematically fight for the crown, but would have expected to be in a stronger position at this point of the season, given the promise he showed last year.
Sitting eighth in the standings, directly ahead of his 2020 teammate Luca Ghiotto, we assess Zhou's chances of a late charge towards the crown.
A MAIDEN VICTORY
For all of his success in 2019, Zhou remained without a win, despite scoring five podium finishes and a pole position. The UNI-Virtuosi man was desperate to break his duct in 2020 and finally managed it last time out in Sochi, albeit in unusual circumstances.
Starting from reverse grid pole in the Sprint Race, Zhou looked calm and controlled off the line, retaining first place in the opening laps. However, a collision between Ghiotto and Jack Aitken on Lap 7 ended the race early. Both men walked away safely, but the scale of repairs needed meant that the decision was taken not to restart the race.
With more than 25% of the 21 laps left to run, Zhou may have only walked away with half points, but the Chinese driver was a worthy race winner, and it was clearly an important moment for him.
Follow that up with solid performances in the final two rounds, and he could be in with a shout of the top five, at least.
POINTLESS FINISHES
2020 hasn't been an awful campaign for Zhou, given he is technically still in title contention and has the same number of podiums at this stage of the season, as he did last year. It's just that he hasn't hit the lofty heights that were expected of him.
His strength in 2019 was arguably his consistency, scoring points in all bar four races. That tally has already been eclipsed in 2020, with six pointless finishes to his name.
If he is to stand any chance of breaking into the top five, or even making a late assault on the title, then he has to ensure that number doesn't increase. Sitting just over 20 points off fifth place, and less than 30 off third, it's most definitely doable.
FROM THE GRID
"I had my first win in the last race in Sochi and this is definitely some good motivation for me ahead of the final two rounds," said Zhou. "It was a boost for me to finally achieve that goal.
"The last two rounds, because of where I am in the Championship, will just be maximum attack. I will not think too much about where I am in the standings, I want to enjoy the last two races because it has been a pretty tough season. Hopefully, I can finish the season on a high.
"Testing the R.S.18 for Renault on the Bahrain International Circuit during the break definitely helped me to get used to the circuit and I am very excited to get back racing again.
"Me and Callum (Ilott) have been two of the quickest guys on track and we have put in a lot of effort and gotten some good results. The team have helped us a lot and it has been a tight season. We finished P2 with Luca (Ghiotto) last season and this year, as a team, we want to win the teams' title. I think that me and Callum have been clean and fair this year and I think we can put a good show on in Bahrain to fight it out with PREMA."


This sweetheart property was a sheep barn in about 1914, when the hills surrounding Woodstock Village were devoid of trees and large flocks of sheep grazed the hillsides. It is now one of those rare Vermont gems: a great 2 bedroom house w/expansion possibility on 4.1 acres. There is a privacy fence screening the side and back yards. The lawn has a stone wall border with professionally landscaped perennials, a vegetable garden, a magnificent spring fed pond, and a brook side meditation garden. One may access the abutting conserved land of the Mt. Peg area through the wooded area of the grounds. The property is .3 miles from the village center. There is woodstove that may heat the house and an efficient oil fired boiler. This is a work from home site to consider with a work station alcove that may double for an extra bedroom for guests. 1 1/2 baths, a walk out basement, and a mudroom w/ wood storage entrance. Convenient, yet so private there is an outdoor shower !


text:
Cape Cobras
First Class Provincial
First Class Provincial Women's
Proteas Fixtures
Newlands Stadium
Engelbrecht set for recall as Cape Cobras off-spinners target Dolphins left-handers
The off-spinners of the Cape Cobras could play a pivotal role in the Momentum One Day Cup match against the Sunfoil Dolphins at Kingsmead on Friday. Sybrand Engelbrecht is set for a recall and could slot in at number six while being given the task of challenging the left-handers of the Dolphins.
Engelbrecht said the injured middle finger of his bowling hand has responded well to treatment and is almost 100 %.
In the Momentum One Day Cup match between the Dolphins and The Unlimited Titans, the occasional off-spinner Henry Davids ripped through the middle-order of the Dolphins by taking three wickets in the space of eight deliveries at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.
Justin Ontong, the Cape Cobras skipper, and Engelbrecht, are both more than useful as off-spinners and could be even more devastating than Davids when operating at the peak of their powers.
Engelbrecht treasures the role of number-six batsman, saying it requires him to rotate the strike or accelerate according to the situation. "In that position, you have to assess conditions and the match situation," he adds.
One of the best athletes in the Cape Cobras team, Engelbrecht is quick between the wickets and can also be swashbuckling at the end.
In the 2014/2015-season, he averaged 37.50 with the bat.
Andrew Puttick will open the innings and will also be required to take the gloves in the absence of Dane Vilas.
Rory Kleinveldt, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson and Tshepo Moreki are set to continue as fast bowlers.
Vaughn van Jaarsveld will be firmly in their sights, as the left-hander has scored 226 runs at an average of 56.50 with three half-centuries in four Momentum One Day Cup matches this season.
His superb contribution at PPC Newlands last season put the Dolphins in a winning position, and the Cobras will be keen to remove the hard-hitting Van Jaarsveld early. Parnell, who has taken 7 wickets this season, has operated with pace and intensity and his partnership with Kleinveldt is keenly anticipated.
The seam bowler Mthokozisi Shezi had a slight lower back strain prior to the double-header last week against the Titans and the VKB Knights, but has recovered fully.
The Cape Cobras will rely heavily on their top-five batsmen, with the in-form Richard Levi particularly important to get the innings off to a flyer.
The Cobras squad is: Justin Ontong (capt), Andrew Puttick, Dane Paterson, Keegan Petersen, Lesiba Ngoepe, Mtokozisi Shezi, Omphile Ramela, Richard Levi, Robin Peterson, Rory Kleinveldt, SA Engelbrecht, Tshepo Moreki, Wayne Parnell.
Cape Cobras News Blog
Stay up to date with the latest news from the Cape Cobras right here!
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Beauty expert and YouTube sensation Carli Bybel designed this versatile 14 Color Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette to dial up the drama and add excitement to your look. Carli's taste for chic refinement and modern elegance inspired her to select a collection of earthy neutrals and plummy brown shadows with four face highlighters that complement every skin tone.
well this product is pigmented but there is just something about the palette that i don't like. I'm not WOWed by it. the highlight were okay. but some of the eyeshadow colours are just the same colour as the highlight. they shimmer eyeshadow are very pigmented.


text:
Q: How to compare pointer to strings in C how to compare two strings in C? Help me, I am beginner@@
char *str1 = "hello";
char *str2 = "world";
//compare str1 and str2 ?

A: if ( strcmp( str1, str2 ) == 0 )
  same

A: You may want to use strcmp:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
    int v;
    const char *str1 = "hello";
    const char *str2 = "world";

    v = strcmp(str1, str2);

    if (v < 0)
        printf("'%s' is less than '%s'.\n", str1, str2);
    else if (v == 0)
        printf("'%s' equals '%s'.\n", str1, str2);
    else if (v > 0)
        printf("'%s' is greater than '%s'.\n", str1, str2);

    return 0;
}

Result:
'hello' is less than 'world'.

A: You can compare two char*s using the strcmp function.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The latest beta has been published. This can be used by both 20-series and 21-series gateway owners.
NOTE: Upgrading to this version of the firmware will reset your device system settings, Including Device ID #'s, and perform a "Reset Totals to Zero", (this will reset Monthly Totals but not affect History). We recommend disabling password protection and making a backup of your system settings before upgrading. After upgrading, please find your TED5000 on the network (you can use the installation utility to do this, http://www.theenergydetective.com/install-program ) and then Restore your system settings via the "Write to Device" tab of the system settings wizard.
- Fixed bug where the HTTP port was stuck on 80 even though it was changed in the Settings Wizard.
After upgrading, I wanted to restore the configuration but it asks for the password. For some reason my password no longer works?
The upgrade itself would have cleared out any password you have (and disabled password protection to begin with). You may need to reset to factory defaults to clear that out (note: the side reset button no longer clears history, just your system and utility settings).
Thanks. Unfortunately, I am currently traveling and don't have access to the unit.
I guess I should have saved the configuration file without password before upgrading. Is there a default password perhaps?
The default username/password is admin/admin.
Thanks, that worked! I can now administer again.
Still, all probes read zero now since the upgrade. It seems no data is acquired.
(IDs etc. look right after restoring the configuration files and the settings have been applied and rebooted).
To get non-zero readings, I needed to "Restart TED5000" after restoring the system/utility settings that were cleared by the firmware update (I see you say "rebooted" but I thought it worth mentioning for others). In the past I would sometimes get a message about settings change needing a restart; I got no such message this time but when I saw no readings I decided to restart manually. After the restart, readings came through normally. 20-series hardware updating from non-Beta firmware (gateway update, then wait a minute, then footprints update), if that matters. P.S. Good time to update may be few minutes after midnight, otherwise the Day History can end up low.
I restarted several times, but my solar still reads zero 100% of the time. The net reading seems correct.
Once I have access to the device, I will try a reset.
Since the R452/R240 thread is closed, I am posting it here.
At last I found what the issue is with the R452/R240 firmware.
When using DHCP address, it expires within 60 secs even though the router has 24 hour lease. Though I assign the static IP per MAC on the router, the gateway keeps requesting new ip every minute which is causing connectivity issues.
This makes it mandatory to configure static IP on the gateway itself vs statically assigning the IP on the router.
I did not have this issue with the earlier versions. Due to this issue, I lost more than 6 months of data and had to get a replacement gateway.
Not sure if this was an intentional change. But I would keep Static IP on the gateway optional and to use dhcp address with the lease offered by the router.
There has not been a change to the DHCP code or settings since the initial release of this device so the recent firmware wouldn't have caused a change. I will check with support to see why a the gateway as replaced (even if it were a firmware issue the firmware could be downgraded). My guess is that the device itself was resetting every 60 seconds or so which would be indicative of a hardware issue. In this case, it would request a new DHCP every 60 seconds as it does it automatically upon reset/power-up.
We still use DHCP as a default and a static IP is not required (although we do recommend it).
The old gateway (already returned and received by TED) was completely inaccessible. Could not hard reset, couldn't access FP, nothing whatsoever. I found it defaulted to factory set ip 192.168.7.2 which I could ping but not browse. (I provided the screenshots to support).
Anyway, in the above post I was referring to the brand new gateway which came with the old firmware (think it was R406). Before I loaded the R452/R240 firmware, it was working as expected with the dhcp settings. After I loaded the R452/R240 firmware, I found that I couldn't access the gateway via browser.
When I checked the router's dhcp clients list, I found that this one keeps requesting a new IP every 60 secs when all the other devices have 24 hrs lease time. Nothing has been changed on the router between using the old and new firmware on the gateway.
I don't think the device was resetting every 60 secs, because I did check this graph for an hour there were no indications of resetting every minute other the two while configuring.
Once I configured the static IP on the gateway itself, everything is back to normal.
TEDdev I looked at the down load page for this upgrade (http://www.theenergydetective.com/ted-5000/firmware-upgrade) and it says not to use R454/R245 but to use R406/R223 on a 20XXXX gateway. Will this one work or not?
Sticking it to the power company one watt at a time!
Strike that. The web page refers to .452 firmware, while this thread is the .454 variant - which should work across the 20XXXX and 21XXXX devices. Got it.
Separately, the notes say that the DeviceIDs, etc will get wiped. Sounds like this should NOT be done remotely, correct?
Ditto. Web page says don't use this on 20XXXX gateway, but the Forum says to use it.
OK, I physically reset the unit and hopefully things will clear up... I also cleared the browser cache.
The "minute live view" does not display any data at all. Ever!


Leishmanicidal activity of a supercritical fluid fraction obtained from Tabernaemontana catharinensis.
Inhibition of the myotoxic activity of Bothrops jararacussu venom and its two major myotoxins, BthTX-I and BthTX-II, by the aqueous extract of Tabernaemontana catharinensis A. DC. (Apocynaceae).
Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and antinociceptive activities of Tabernaemontana pandacaqui Poir.
Transcriptional and post-translational regulation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine: salicylic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (SAMT) during Stephanotis floribunda flower development.
Neuropharmacological activities of the crude alkaloidal fraction from stems of Tabernaemontana pandacaqui Poir.
Antimicrobially active alkaloids from Tabernaemontana chippii.


text:
Q: Binary $Y$ but normal residuals? In regression, it is abundantly clear that $Y$ can be non-normal while the residuals $\epsilon = Y - \beta_0 - \beta_1 X$ are normal. But can $Y$ be binary when the $\epsilon$ are normally distributed?  This question is motivated by students' regression projects where their $Y$ was quite discrete, and obviously non-normal for that reason, yet their residual histogram and q-q plots "looked normal." Here is a simulation to illustrate:
par(mfrow=c(1,2)); set.seed(12345)
X = rnorm(1000,3,1); Y = round(X + rnorm(1000,0,1))
table(Y) # Y is highly discrete and obviously non-normal
model = lm(Y ~ X) ## But the diagnostic plots and tests suggest normality is reasonable

qqnorm(model$residuals, main= "Residual q-q Plot"); qqline(model$residuals)
shapiro.test(model$residuals); plot(X,Y, main = "Raw Scatterplot")

Despite the large sample size ($n=1000$), the Shapiro test "accepts" normality ($p = 0.1228$), and the normal q-q plot looks fine. However, the raw scatterplot shows obviousness discreteness, and hence, obvious nonnormality that is not discernable from the analysis of the residual distribution.

I am pretty sure that the actual distribution of $\epsilon$ is not precisely normal in my example, but could it be normal?
How bad can this problem be? In the most extreme case, suppose $Y$ is binary (0 or 1), and a linear predictor is $\beta_0 + \beta_1 X$. Is it possible that $\epsilon = Y - \beta_0 - \beta_1 X$ has precisely a normal distribution in this case?


Any other comments? If not, let me move on using a somewhat different approach to recent developments, and I hope that we will come out with some agreement on how to handle a number of issues.
There is no question that the financial data have improved quite dramatically very much across the board. I have in mind not only the narrowing of credit spreads and the dramatic decline in the premiums for credit derivative default swaps but the very significant drop in the level of interest rates on BBB and even higher-yield obligations. The fall in those rates has reduced the cost of capital to a substantial part of the business community, which for a considerable period of time had been blocked out of the lending market by rates that were close to prohibitive for lower-rated borrowers. To be sure, a decline in the cost of capital does not necessarily mean that capital investment will pick up. Such investment depends on the extent to which business executives see real investment opportunities. And in line with what Jack Guynn was mentioning, I suspect that people who are beginning to say in private that they feel a bit optimistic nonetheless are not inclined to voice their convictions in public because optimism is not at this point the conventional wisdom.
It is clear that we are getting some fairly substantial improvement in the financial numbers—those for the stock market obviously and, indeed, for all the credit markets. While it is true that the markets are being driven in part by improved profit figures, to date they have not been supported by evidence that economic activity is experiencing accelerating growth. The question one has to raise in this context relates to history, which tells us that more often than not, perhaps much more often than not, financial data of the type we have been looking at in recent weeks point to an eventual strengthening in economic activity. That does not happen all the time. There have been occasions when for one reason or another it didn't happen. But the recent financial indicators suggest that the burden of proof is on those who argue that the economy will not pick up. Those who make that argument must presume that there are no significant investment opportunities. I find that most unlikely. Indeed, the expansion of the communications network that was going on prior to the huge decline in capital investment as risk premiums rose in 2000 was by any measure that we know not completed, and the longer-term outlook for such investment still looks reasonably solid. We also know that considerable advances in productivity continue to be made, and that is telling us that the underlying profit opportunities for new investments have to be there in one way or another.
There's a very interesting question as to whether the most recent anecdotal reports that we heard around the table, which do not indicate any new momentum in the economy since the end of the Iraqi war, are in fact accurate. The Federal Advisory Council met with the Board on Friday, and I came away with the impression—in fact the FAC members said this—that they suddenly are getting a sense of optimism among their business contacts. The reason I find that important is that the banking community has a special window on what their customers are doing well before actual data on their activities become available. I was struck by these comments and by the fact that they came from all twelve Federal Reserve Districts.
This morning Don Kohn got a note from our good friend, Bill Dunkelberg, at the National Federation of Independent Business. They have just run their survey—the data are not yet published, and I don't know when they will be published—and it shows that their index of confidence, which is the overall index they employ, rose 5 points in April. I believe that is a monthly record. It is a huge increase. The report also indicated that the index rose to a level of 100 or not far from where it was in 1999 and in earlier years. In other words, if anything it's close to normal based on longer-term patterns, after being at its lowest level in March since 1993. According to the report, hiring plans jumped substantially. Capital expenditure plans also were up, and plans to add to inventories remained strong. There are 1,400 firms in this sample. Those results don't quite square with those from the Institute of Supply Management, but it is possible in one sense to reconcile them. All of the surveys of the Institute of Supply Management are taken in the first half of the month, even though the institute waits two weeks to publish the data. So the National Federation results could be an indication that something different has been happening more recently. We don't know yet. These surveys are useful. They're all diffusion indexes. They're not hard data. But they are the first indication that something may be changing.
The data that we have been getting on production and employment have been, just to state it as simply as I know how, awful. We can ascribe the weakness in the employment data in part to the fact that business firms have displayed an extraordinary capability in recent quarters to meet a tepid but still rising real demand for goods and services with ever lower employment. This is another way of saying that the ability to increase productivity is there, but it can't be the result of large capital expenditures because we're not getting such capital investment. My hypothesis—and I frankly don't know whether it is true, but it would explain what is going on— relates to the fact that in the 1995 to 2000 period we had very substantial capital expansion. We had growing markets and very high perceived rates of return on new production facilities as distinct from investments made for cost-cutting reasons. As a consequence, there was an inordinately large emphasis in the business community on investing to expand facilities. A result was that business firms paid little attention to the inefficiencies that invariably arise as they are building new plants, adding new equipment, and revising the structure of doing business. Those inefficiencies build up over time, but if the costs of those inefficiencies are relatively modest compared with the rates of return on new facilities, businesses essentially forget the inefficiencies. What I think has happened is that, when the spending boom ended in the year 2000, there was a cumulative level of inefficiencies sitting there that were available for exploitation with a relatively modest amount of additional investment. That exploitation has gone on for several quarters. The implication, of course, is that the underlying structural productivity gains from 1995 to 2000 were in a sense actually greater than the published numbers because there were negatives associated with those gains that were not part of the actual evaluations.
This means essentially that going back and cleaning up the barn so to speak is turning out to be a highly profitable activity. The first-quarter earnings numbers are nothing short of spectacular in the sense that, after they were revised up very late in the quarter, they surprised everybody. Now, I don't know whether the gains are being sustained in the second quarter. They still seem to be holding up, but it's too soon to be sure. We do know that there has been a tendency for analysts to revise their forecasts down repeatedly for a quarter as they go through the quarter. They are doing that now but at a much slower pace than is typical, implying that the productivity spillover is still significantly there.
I don't know what the short-term behavior of the economy will turn out to be in terms of the GDP numbers. I do know that, if we look at outside forecasts that are done in very considerable detail on the bases of both working down from the macro data and building up from individual company data, we find that JP Morgan Chase and Salomon Brothers/Smith Barney both have 4.0 percent rates of increase in GDP for the third quarter. So does Goldman Sachs, which has, of course, been on the bearish side of these forecasts. I myself find it difficult to believe that such growth is in prospect because, if it is, that has to mean that by a few weeks from today growth of real GDP estimated on a monthly basis has to move up appreciably or else 4 percent growth cannot realistically be achieved in the third quarter. That forecasters at these three organizations believe that it can be achieved I find somewhat startling. It may be that they are beginning to pick up what the Dunkelberg data are picking up, namely evidence that suggests to them that something significant is happening that will boost GDP growth. To be sure, the Goldman Sachs numbers tail off after the third quarter, but they're still higher than the second- quarter numbers that we are now looking at, which are not all that good.
In any event, we did get a report this morning of a sharp increase in chain store sales. I don't know how much of the increase may reflect a poor seasonal adjustment for Easter, but it is a very big increase. In fact, in the last four weeks the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi seasonally adjusted weekly index on chain store sales went up 3¾ percent, and that rise is not at an annual rate. It's the increase over the four weeks.
The evidence bearing on the economic outlook is a mixed bag at this stage. The difficulty in all of this is that a deflation process may be sneaking up on us. It is not doing so in a way that I anticipated in that, no matter which set of price indexes one uses, the rate of inflation has fallen fairly dramatically during the last six months. Incidentally, the issue I was raising with respect to the owners' equivalent rent was not that the other smaller components of the index are not falling. Indeed, some are falling more, but I'm seriously questioning whether in fact the owners' equivalent rent in the current environment of very rapidly changing homeownership is best proxied by the way the BLS does it. This involves taking a sample of rents on rental properties that have the same physical characteristics as single-family homes. I'm not arguing about the data as such but in terms of whether in fact we are looking at true deflationary processes. Indeed, remember that the 35 percent probability of deflation in the staff baseline forecast includes falling inflation as a consequence of improving productivity. The real issue that we have to get at when we're looking at the notion of deflation is not only what prices are doing but also why they are doing it. An economy in which prices are falling at, say, a 5 or 10 or 15 percent annual rate but where rising productivity is matching the decline such that the nominal rate of return on capital is stable or rising tells us that we do not have a destabilized economic system. So price declines per se don't tell us very much without advertence to the concurrent rate of return on capital and whether in fact we have a stable environment. Indeed, I would argue that a necessary condition for the type of deflationary problems experienced in the Great Depression is not only a decline in product prices but of necessity a decline in asset prices. If product prices are declining but asset prices are not, the likelihood I would submit is that individual companies may be having pricing problems but they're not having productivity problems. The rates of return are there, and that's the reason that asset prices are high.
I do think we have a concern here. In my view we cannot avoid the fact, as Governor Bernanke pointed out, that we face an asymmetry. We know what to do with inflation when it rises. The Committee has taken action to counter it many times and has succeeded in doing so many times. We haven't confronted the problem of potential deflation in a very long time, and I find that possibility to be something on which this Committee must have an ever-increasing focus. We have to be careful, however, about how we think about this process and make sure that we've got it right and that we're not merely looking at the zero bound issue. This is a far larger issue that involves the mechanism by which the economy functions rather than just how pricing affects products as distinct from assets.
My general view with regard to the policy implications is that we probably would be wise to move the funds rate lower unless we see a fairly substantial pickup in economic activity. I would suggest, however, that it would be a mistake to ease policy today. The reason relates to the issue that several of you have mentioned. I did try, incidentally, during my congressional testimony last Wednesday to open up the possibility that we might ease today. I raised for the first time the notion that falling inflation would be unwelcome, and I did emphasize a couple of times during the testimony that we, the Federal Open Market Committee, do have further room to move lower. I think reactions to my remarks did briefly lower somewhat the May federal funds rate futures, but the stock market then rallied and pulled back down the probability of an easing action.
The reason I think we have to proceed cautiously is that the recent strengthening of the stock market and financial markets generally, including the narrowing in yield spreads, is a potentially fragile situation because it is not as yet being supported by positive developments in the real economy. So if we were to come out today with an easing move that the market does not expect, the question would arise as to what we in the Federal Reserve know that those in the market do not. Because we are in such an unsettled period, we have the capacity of completely reversing the nascent rise in financial market values. If that rise continues, it will lift the economy with it. As a consequence, I think we need to be careful. I subscribe to Bill Poole's general edict about not trying to fool the market. It doesn't serve our purposes. The ideal monetary policy is to have nothing happen in the market every time we move because market participants have fully discounted our action. That creates the best general environment except for those rare occasions when we want to change the state of psychology. That is what we did in very early 2001, when we went out of our way to move rates sharply lower at a time the market did not expect us to do that. We did it because we wanted to alter general attitudes, but at this point I think we're far better off not to surprise the market. That's largely because, even though a number of us may think that we know how the markets will respond, things happen that we don't expect. I submit to you that we currently are dealing with a very chancy situation, but we are reasonably sure that if we do what the market expects, then nothing will happen. We do not know with any degree of accuracy how the market is going to behave in the event that we do something one way or the other. Frankly, I don't know how the market will respond if we move the funds rate lower today. But as a commentator in the Wall Street Journal said today, if the Fed were to do something the market would respond wildly. The reporter did not specify in which direction. [Laughter] I suspect the reason is that he didn't have a clue, and I can understand that.
In any event, I think we have a tricky policy issue in front of us today. Ordinarily, as you know, our procedure is for the members to express their views in the policy go-around, vote, and then look at a draft press statement. I'd like to do something different today. We've drafted a statement that tries to capture some of these issues. I'd like to circulate it around the table and have it as a point of discussion as members comment on policy. I would appreciate it if my colleagues would distribute the statement. Vice Chair.


Perfeclty rare meat + buttered crusty bread dunked in jus = comfort and joy.
My brother introduced me to the french dip au jus (with juice) sandwich in LA around 10 years ago. I thought it was ridiculous he'd pay nearly $20 for a meat sandwich. But oh my, was it so worth it! Every GOOD french dip I've had has been that pricey, presumably because of the pile of thin slices of quality roasted beef, so that became my goal for making my own. While I saw different seasoning recipes all over the webs, it was on an episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives that I saw someone use Montreal steak seasoning before roasting. That's one of the few spice blends I use regularly because it's well balanced. That plus some extra thyme, garlic, and salt made for an exceptionally crusted and flavored meat that I roasted rare - we could eat the meat all by itself...and we did!
But it is a sandwich after all, so it was better on a fresh, buttered, toasted crisp french roll. Want to kick up the flavor and some extra texture? Add a slice of provolone, too, and broil until melted. Soak each bite in that jus and try not to dribble all over yourself while eating it!
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat a dutch oven (large enough to fit roast) over medium high heat.
Season all sides of roast with an even layer of steak seasoning, thyme, and an extra dusting of garlic powder and salt. Pat down so the herbs stick.
Make sure the oil is really hot and add the roast. Sear - about 2 minutes each side - until browned. Insert a probe thermometer about halfway into roast. Put roast, uncovered, into oven and cook until it reaches 130 degrees for rare (around 2 hours).
Take off the heat and allow to rest. When ready to eat, slice into thin slices -- thinner than these in this pic. Mmm look how perfectly rare and juicy!
Put the dutch oven with all the beef drippings on the stove over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer about 15 minutes, or until it reaches the flavor you like. Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the chunky parts. Serve hot with the sandwiches.
And now I can knock off the first item on my 2012 Hit List, hooray!


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