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Advantage Majority to Leonard Green & Partners Affiliates, CVC
Advantage is an exceptional company with an incredible track record, strong brand equity and tremendous opportunities for growth."
NEW YORK — Funds advised by Apax Partners have agreed to sell their majority ownership stake in Advantage Sales & Marketing LLC to affiliates of the private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners LP and funds advised by CVC Capital Partners. Members of Advantage's senior management will continue to maintain a significant equity interest in the company, which is expected to achieve 2014 revenue of approximately $1.6 billion.
With offices strategically located throughout North America and a dynamic team of more than 38,000 associates, the world's leading consumer goods suppliers and retailers rely on Advantage as their solution for outsourced sales and marketing services in the retail and foodservice industries. The company's service portfolio includes headquarter sales and support, retail merchandising and marketing services.
Apax Funds purchased a controlling stake in Advantage in 2010. During Apax Funds' ownership period, Advantage achieved substantial growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions by enhancing its core service offerings in existing channels, expanding into new channels and enhancing the technology platforms used to collect, analyze and deliver actionable insights to clients.
"Apax Partners have added tremendous value to Advantage over the past three-and-a-half years," said Advantage CEO Tanya Domier. "This partnership has been a textbook example of how a private equity firm and a management team can create value together through collaborating on strategy, growth and vision and being willing to work hard to take a good company to great! We set out with a clear vision, worked hard together and focused on accelerating growth, and that is exactly what we accomplished.
"We now enter the next chapter of Advantage's history, ready to work closely with our new partners at LGP and CVC to build upon our successes. As leading private equity investors in the business services, retail and consumer sectors, I am certain they will assist in creating new and exciting paths to growth as we seek the position of an undisputed global leader of business services solutions. We could not be more excited about our future."
Christopher Stadler, managing partner at CVC, remarked, "Advantage has earned an exceptionally loyal and growing base of clients by continually finding new ways to help them win in the marketplace. We are delighted to have the rare opportunity to back a team that has accomplished so much yet has many pathways to sustain significant future growth."
Alex Pellegrini, partner in the consumer group at Apax Partners, commented: "It has been a tremendous honor to partner with Tanya Domier and Sonny King. Through Tanya's leadership, Advantage has built the best team in the business and we are proud of the successes we've achieved together during Apax's investment period. We wish Tanya and her new partners the best during the next phase of the company's evolution and are confident they will achieve great things given ASM's long-term prospects."
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2014. BofA Merrill Lynch (lead advisor) and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are serving as financial advisors to Advantage and Apax and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is acting as legal advisor. Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal counsel to LGP in connection with the transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal counsel and Morgan Stanley served as financial advisor to CVC in the transaction.
The debt financing for the transaction has been committed by BofA Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
About: Apax Partners
Apax Partners is one of the world's leading private equity investment groups. It operates globally and has more than 30 years of investing experience. Apax Partners has advised funds that total over $40 billion around the world in aggregate.
About: Leonard Green & Partners, L.P.
Leonard Green & Partners L.P. is one of the nation's preeminent private equity firms with over $15 billion of private equity capital raised since inception. Founded in 1989, the firm has invested in 70 companies with aggregate value of $74 billion in the form of traditional buyouts, going-private transactions, recapitalizations, growth capital investments, corporate carve-outs and selective public equity and debt positions.
About: CVC Capital Partners
CVC is a leading international private equity firm. Founded in 1981, CVC today has a network of 20 offices and some 250 employees throughout Europe, Asia and the US. CVC manages funds on behalf of over 300 investors including pension funds, financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds and other investors. To date, CVC has secured commitments of over US $56 billion in funds and has completed over 300 investments in a wide range of industries and countries across the globe, with an aggregate transaction value of US $172 billion. CVC funds own over 55 companies worldwide, which generate over US$120 billion in revenues and employ around 400,000 people.
Advantage Acquires Atlas Technology Group
Advantage Solutions Named to Forbes Canada's Best Employers List


Iryna Lutsenko, the president's representative in the Verkhovna Rada, has said that a draft law on diplomatic service will be submitted for parliament's consideration in the near future.
She stated said this at a meeting of the Agenda-Setting Council on November 13, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"The law on diplomatic service will soon be submitted to the parliament, as the Ukrainian diplomatic service marks the100the anniversary on December 22," Lutsenko said.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy, in turn, noted that the consideration of the relevant bill by the parliament is scheduled for November 15.


Konica Minolta offers On Demand Print (ODP) to meet the outsourcing needs of corporate customers. The service ranges from printing on paper of various sizes and types, and applying the final finish and processing, to design and layout, catering to a variety of uses for the printouts.We also cater to the need for the printing of confidential materials and large-volume jobs.
In addition, we can station our coordinators at our corporate customers who have in house print centers to support the operation and management of those centers.
For advertising agencies, the ability to create attention grabbing materials for their clients is vital. They need to be able to produce eye-catching high-resolution color prints and use interesting bindings for their printed materials so that their clients can easy grasp the advertising concepts. For projects that require a variety of small-batch materials, the printing process alone can be complex and time-consuming. Making time for reprinting is often impossible when last minute modifications or changes of scenario have to be made.
To cater to the needs of advertising agencies, Konica Minolta's group company, Kinko's Japan Co., Ltd. offers On Demand Print (ODP), a service for producing prints in the most appropriate ways for post processing and binding, in required quantities as necessary — any time, any place.
Kinko's is ready to provide printing services finely-tuned to individual customer needs with their nationwide network of stores, online ordering system, and teams of dedicated sales personnel. Customers just need to send their data to Kinko's and describe the finishing formats they want. Then they receive the highest quality prints without no extra time and effort. For example, by sending the data to Kinko's at midnight, the customer can receive printed copies at one of the Kinko's stores the next morning. All Kinko's stores are equipped with high-speed color printers capable of producing beautiful prints from photographs and computer graphics on papers of various thicknesses and textures.
Therefore, Kinko's can meet customer needs for printed materials with various specifications in any quantity starting with a single print.
Through ODP, we bring attention-grabbing presentation material to our customers on time with no extra time and effort.


Join Us & Be Part of the Success!
Sign up today to receive additional information on how you can have your business represented as a member of giveback2schools.
Join the journey to make a difference today!
The giveback opportunity is unique for businesses. Communities (students, parents, family, friends, and educators) promote partnered businesses at hundreds of school events and across social platforms.
Have your business represented as a giveback member.
Card-Linking provides transaction details making it easy to identify and quantify new and increased frequency of visits.
Select the giveback percentage. You have the ability to increase during promotions or specific days, or lower during peak hours.
Parents, students, family, friends and educators are more likely to frequently use businesses that support school academics, activities and athletics. Place your business top of mind with this important segment of the community!
Have a question? Want to share a thought. Drop us a line any time and we'll get right back to you.
We love partnering with companies who want to make a difference. We would love to hear from you.


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Sara and Sayantani's stint to end in Sasural Simar Ka
Two lovely and talented actresses Sara Khan and Sayantani Ghosh, who impressed us with their respective roles of Maya and Rajkumari Rajeshwari in Colors' daily Sasural Simar Ka (Colors), is all set to bid farewell to the show.
A source shared that Sara and Sayantani's characters were supposed to come to an end after the completion of their respective tracks. While Sara's character ended as per previously decided track, Sayantani's position seems to be in an uncertain state. Her role was supposed to be there for some time, but now with the TRP rates not doing much well in the show, the makers have planned to introduce some new tracks, bidding goodbye to her story.
Armed with the info, we buzzed Sara Khan and lady confirmed the development by stating, "Yes, my character was supposed to come to an end, and now I am no more a part of the show. It's been around a week now, that I am not shooting for the series. Having said that I would like to add that I enjoyed working for this role and had an amazing time with my co-stars".
On the other hand, when we called up Sayantani, she said, "I am not aware of any such developments. I have not heard of anything about the same from the production's side till now, so cannot comment much".
Well we simply hope that we can enjoy Sayantani's performance some more on screen before the show moves to some new big drama.
Previous Actor Rishi Dev 'excited' about his company's first ever Award show
Next Suhani to fight hard to free Yuvraj from false 'murder' charges in Suhani Si Ek Ladki

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Canadian soldier in captured German trench during the Battle of Hill 70 in August 1917.
Frank Raithby was one of five men named on the Bottesford War Memorial who served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during WW1 – Charles Bend, Arthur Gilding, Frank Raithby, Charles Pacey and Robert Turlington Noble Page. All five emigrated to Canada in the early 1900s. None survived.
The second son of Charles, and Ellen Raithby, Frank was born on the 17th January 1884 at Hogsthorpe in Lincolnshire. Charles and Ellen Raithby were married at Spilsby in 1880. Charles's mother had died when he was three and he was raised by his father Thomas Raithby who worked as a farm labourer. Charles grew up to work as a farm labourer and then as a miller. The Raithbys had a family of six children by the time Charles and Ellen moved to Scrimshaw's Mill adjacent to the Grantham Canal south of Bottesford, They plied the trade of milling and baking. In 1896 Frank left school to become an apprentice at the family mill. By 1901 the family had grown to nine children including Thomas (18) who is not recorded as living at home. The other eight children lived with their parents at the Mill – Nellie (19), Frank (17), Ernest (14) Bertha (12), Mabel (10), Elsie (7), Edgar (6) and Evelyn (4). By 1910 Frank had made the decision to emigrate to Canada. He sailed on the S.S. Corsican out of Liverpool on the 24th March and disembarked at Halifax, Nova Scotia. By that time Edgar was now apprenticed as a miller with his father.
Sadly two of Charles and Ellen Raithby's sons were killed in the 1st World War. Edgar, their youngest son, served as a machine gunner and was killed in action in October 1917 in East Africa aged 23 years. One year later, close to the anniversary of his death, Frank died of wounds whilst serving with the Canadian Infantry in the final weeks of the conflict. His emigration, settler life and subsequent military service reveal a man of enterprise, resilience and courage.
There is no trace of exactly where Frank first settled in Canada. He was clearly determined to pursue the life of a homesteader in Western Canada. By January 1912 he had applied for a homestead in south-east Saskatchewan at Parkbeg near Moose Jaw. To encourage settlement in Western Canada, the Federal Government granted free homesteads of 160 acres (also known as a quarter section) for a $10 registration fee to those individuals and families who were prepared to live on and cultivate the land during a qualifying period of time. Within six weeks Frank declared the land at Parkbeg as unfit for farming and applied to relinquish it 'at once, please'. By early May he had moved north west some 200 miles to the small community of McGee. On the 9th May 1912 he applied for another quarter section near the recently established community of Belvoir. Thomas Calcraft from Muston near Bottesford, with two of his brothers Arthur and Frank, had settled as homesteaders close to Rosetown. Thomas named the newly established school district 'Belvoir' after Belvoir Castle. Frank was now part of a group of homesteaders from the Vale of Belvoir. They would no doubt work together to fulfill the conditions required of homesteaders in order to apply for full ownership of their farmland. The virgin prairie grassland required dedicated work to put it under the plough and to crop the minimum of forty acres within the first three years of residence. In addition, it was necessary to build a habitable house and reside on the homestead for no less than three months. Frank had achieved all of this by the spring of 1915. By which time Canada had 'mobilised' and the young men who had pressed west in search of a new life responded enthusiastically to enlist before the opportunity was lost to see active service 'back home' in Europe. However, on the 2nd January 1915 it had been necessary for Frank to take out a 'relief loan' of $25.00 to cover provisions, fuel and seed grain. It is unlikely that Frank ever sowed that seed grain before enlisting, aged 31 years, in Regina on the 6th April 1915. Doubtless he would have been able to call on the Calcraft brothers to look after his homestead in his absence. The general opinion of the time was that the war would be short. He would have fully expected to return in time to meet the loan repayment deadline of the 1st January 1916. Prior to his departure he also applied for full ownership of his quarter section. This was approved on the 23rd July 1915 by which time he was in training in Manitoba at Camp Hughes with the 46th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
The 46th Canadian Infantry Battalion (South Saskatchewan) was established on 1st February 1915, in Moose Jaw. The Battalion moved to Camp Sewell, Manitoba (also known as Camp Hughes) on the 28th May 1915 where Frank Raithby joined them for his initial training. Frank Gilding also from Bottesford, enlisted at Camp Hughes in early May 1915 and would have been at the camp for his first three months up to September 1915. They may well have met and shared news from Bottesford. Notwithstanding Frank's experience of hard manual labour as a homesteader the rigours of training took their toll. He was hospitalised for five days in mid August with tonsilitis. He embarked from Halifax, Nova Scotia on the S.S. Lapland with the 46th Battalion on the 21st October 1915 arriving ten days later at Devonport, England, on the 30th October. He would have then completed his training at Shorncliffe near Folkestone before proceeding on active service in France on the 16th June 1916. Frank was one of a number of men who were deployed from the 46th to other units. He was posted on to the 3rd Battalion, CEF as a signaller joining them 'in the field' the the 17th June 1916. Whether he would have survived the war with the 46th is questionable. It became known as the 'Suicide Battalion' with a 91.5 percent casualty rate. As it was he arrived in the field just as the 3rd Battalion was taken out of the front line action at Battle of Mount Sorrel East Ypres in Flanders. For the rest of June they supplied working parties and underwent further training until reassignment for front line action on the 7th July, again at Mount Sorrel where they remained until 11th July. Another two weeks of training followed in support trenches before relieving the 8th Battalion, CEF in the front line. Charles Pacey and Arthur Gilding served with the 8th Battalion. Both were fatal casualties by the end of the year. The pattern of front line duty and further training continued and Frank moved on 11th August with the Battalion to Tournehem near St Omer.
On the 27th August 1916 Frank was admitted to Hospital at St Omer. His record states that he was 'not yet diagnosed' (NYD). However, his condition worsened and he was transferred to Boulogne with a diagnosis of 'myalgia' and then 'influenza'. He remained in hospital until 28th September 1916. After discharge he was posted to a 'base detail' (holding camp), to await redeployment. The reason for the extensive periods of training became apparent to those who remained with the 3rd Battalion. They were transferred to the Somme where they engaged in actions at Pozière, Flers-Courcelette, and Ancre Heights. Frank Raithby eventually rejoined the 3rd Battalion on the 10th November 1916 just as they were transferred from Picardy to Camblain L'Abbe east of Arras. It would not have been easy rejoining a battle hardened unit that had taken severe losses. For example, at the Battle of Ancre Heights on the 8th October of the 14 officers and 481 Other Ranks who went into the assault only 1 officer and about 85 Other Ranks returned. However, Frank Raithby would have more than proved himself to his comrades as someone 'ever willing to help any of us, no matter at what risk or cost to himself', in addition to demonstrating 'bravery and devotion to duty' resulting in the award of a posthumous Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM). On his return he was involved in three major assaults with the 3rd Battalion. First in April 1917 in the Battle for Vimy Ridge, the taking of Fresnoy near Arras in May and then in August 1917 at the Battle of Hill 70. All these engagements were at considerable cost to Canadian Forces including the 3rd Battalion.
The Battle for Hill 70 was a diversionary attack designed to draw German forces away from the 3rd Battle of Ypres to the north in Flanders. The Canadians attacked on the 15th August 1917 capturing many of their objectives. They then held their positions against German counterattacks over the next four days. Initially in a support role the 3rd Battalion completed their move up to the front line by 2.35 am under heavy shell fire. It is likely that this was when Frank Raithby sustained multiple shrapnel wounds to the left ankle, right forearm and left thigh. He was one of 9,000 Canadian soldiers killed or injured during the assaults on Hill 70. It was estimated that the German forces lost 25,000 men.
Frank Raithby's recovery was not straightforward. He developed septicemia in his right arm. This required extended treatment in the 5th Southern General Hospital Portsmouth and the Military Convalescent Hospital Epsom. He was eventually discharged two months later on the 29th October 1917. Meanwhile the 3rd Battalion continued its front line action leading up to their deployment in the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917. There, as part of the 1st Brigade, they led the final assault in early November. Frank Raithby was spared from the heavy Battalion losses for a second time. Many experienced men were lost from the Canadian Corp at Passchendaele. For example, Charles Bend from Bottesford who had also emigrated to Canada. Charles Bend was a very experienced Sergeant with the 1st Battalion. He had survived much front line action and was killed during the 1st Brigade's assault on the Paschendaele Ridge. Frank was now the last survivor of the five Bottesford men who had settled in Canada before the 1st World War.
Aged 34 years with front line experience such men as Frank were needed to train new recruits to reinforce the much depleted Canadian battalions who had fought in the 3rd Battle of Ypres. As a seasoned soldier he was sent on base duties to Shorncliffe near Folkestone at the East Sandling Training Camp.
After Frank Rejoined us, at Amiens he took part in three very sharp actions, and on each occasion distinguished himself as a good signaller and courageous soldier.
Before his commission in 1917 George Fraser Kerr had served as a Private with the 3rd Battalion from 1914. He may have served in the ranks alongside Frank Raithby. It is clear that Captain Kerr knew Frank had 'rejoined' the battalion after an absence. Not the sort of knowledge a commanding officer would necessarily know when writing one of the many letters they sent to grieving families. There is also further evidence of a special link between the two soldiers in Frank Raithby's own gallantry award and the circumstances of his injury, medical care and death to be described later.
On the 8th August, the Canadians advanced nearly 7.5 miles through the German defences, the most successful day of combat for the Allies on the Western Front. However, German reinforcements prevented an Allied breakthrough, and fighting became more difficult and costly. Throughout the rest of August and early September the Battalion was involved in extensive fighting in moves take the well defend German Drocourt-Queant line east of Arras as precursor to crossing the Canal du Nord and an advance on Cambrai. Before the advance on Cambrai could be achieved it was also necessary to take the heavily defended German stronghold of Bourlon Wood. This would then open up access to the Arras – Cambrai Road. By the end of September the Canadian Forces had crossed the Canal du Nord. On the 27th September the 3rd Battalion played a critical roll in the taking of Bourlon Wood. Of particular note were the actions of George Fraser Kerr. Whilst commanding 'B' Company he rushed single handed a well defended German position near the Arras-Cambrai road and played an important part in the advance of the 1st Brigade. He was awarded a VC for his action on that day.
[London Gazette, 6 January 1919 ]. Bourlon Wood, France, 27 September 1918, Lieutenant George Fraser Kerr, MC, MM, 3rd Bn, 1st Central Ontario Regiment, Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Frank Raithby also received a gallantry award. The London Gazette citation for his DCM reads along similar lines.
426512 Pte. F. Raithby, 3rd Bn., Can. Infy.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during the Bourlon Wood operation on 27th September, 1918. As a signaller he pushed forward with his company commander, and under heavy fire kept communication with the battalion headquarters, enabling them to keep in close touch throughout the operation. On one occasion, when fired on by a 5.4 howitzer, he single-handed captured the gun and then killed the crew. His courage and conspicuous gallantry were a fine example to his comrades.
The 3rd Battalion sustained over five hundred casualties in the Bourlon Wood action. By the 29th September 1918 they had moved on to the village of Haynecourt where they were the target of high explosive shells. Frank Raithby was wounded on the 1st October by fragments of shrapnel whilst repairing telephone lines. He was initially listed as wounded. Sadly as the entry in his burial register records he succumbed to his wounds five days later and died on the 6th October 1918.
While attached to 'B' Company as a signaller and when assisting with the repair of telephone lines at Haynecourt on the morning of October 1st 1918, he was hit in the shoulder by a piece of shrapnel from an enemy shell which exploded near him. He walked to the nearest Dressing Station and received immediate attention, and was evacuated to No. 22 Casualty Clearing Station, where he succumbed to the effect of his wounds five days later.
There is something about the succinct eloquence of this report that indicates that the author had personal knowledge of Frank Raithby. His particular Company is identified. 'B' Company was commanded by George Fraser Kerr. There are vivid details concerning what Frank Raithby was doing in assisting with the repair of telephone lines. The location is also precisely identified, as is the time of day – 'on the morning'. The injury is not a perfunctory 'died of wounds'. It is described as an injury to his shoulder resulting from a piece of shrapnel from an enemy shell. This is no mishap of war. This is person who is identified precisely as someone wounded in action attending to his line of duty. Furthermore, his specific conduct and the outcome of his wounding is recorded as in eye-witness testimony – he walks to the nearest dressing station. His treatment is immediate. This a person who in the face of a life threatening wound takes care of himself. Equally the field medical facilities are readily to hand. His treatment is therefore the best there is under the circumstance. In addition, we see that notwithstanding this care and his evacuation to Casualty Clearing Station No 22 he 'succumbed to the effect of his wounds.' Although initially listed as a 'wounded in action' the Battalion War Diary was then amended to record his death. Somebody cared about Frank Raithby beyond the routine recording of one more casualty. They took care to mark the specific details of his wounding and death.
The wording of the letter home to his parents after his death also bears a remarkable resemblance to the burial register entry. The letter reported in the Grantham Journal adds further graphic details about the circumstances of Frank Raithby's injury and again refers to him by his first name.
The day Frank was wounded our Battalion was in action on the Cambrai sector, and we encountered very strong opposition as we were advancing. Machine-gun and shell fire was very heavy, and the telephone lines were being frequently broken, so that the signalers were hard pressed to keep up communication. It was while he was assisting with this work that a heavy shell fell close to a party of signallers, of whom your brother (sic) was one, and he was wounded in the arm and side. He was immediately given all possible medical treatment and he was able to walk without assistance to the ambulance station, which was a little distance behind the rear of the line.
Both the the burial register entry and the letter to his parents (and or brother) look to be written by the same person. Perhaps the same person who cited him for the posthumous DCM. Surely his Commanding Officer George Fraser Kerr.
George Fraser Kerr survived the war but sadly died in December 1929 in Toronto of carbon monoxide fumes whilst warming up his car.
As for Frank Raithby's twenty five dollar Federal Relief Loan granted in January 1915. That became a charge against his homestead. The land passed into new 'ownership'. However, the loan was never discharged and the homestead was subject to forfeiture by the Canadian Government in 1930. Numerous documents in the Saskatchewan Homestead Archives diligently record the accrual of compound interest at 5% per annum until 1953 by which time $72.25 was owed to Federal Government of Canada. On the 2nd April 1953 his homestead was deemed as not having 'any value or subject to taxation. As such the land no longer offers any security of value'. Cancellation of 'indebtedness' resulting from the loan in 1915 to Frank Raithby was recommended. In those documents there is no mention of Frank Raithby's death in the service of his adopted country and its indebtedness.
The land he worked has now reverted to community pasture. Once more a rolling landscape of seemingly untouched prairie grassland affording the same views Frank would have seen on arrival.
Our sincere thanks to Bob White and Ken Sinclair for guiding us to the site of Frank Raithby's homestead.


Pursued By The Rogue is the first of a four book multi-author series, based around four women who went to boarding school together, and an old Irish pub in Brooklyn called Sully's. Each story riffs loosely off a fairy tale. The stories are tightly connected and it's best to read the series consecutively.
There's so much story and emotion in this novella, that is heartfelt, and beautiful.
Dawn has felt rejected and an outsider most of her life. She felt she was abandoned by her parents when they send her to the States to go to school. She had a moment in her teenage years, that she felt beautiful, adored, and wanted, with a dreadful consequences, that broke her heart.
Now, with a second change to feel cherished, she started a hot fling with Finn, no strings, no future, just here and now, for a moment.
But there's so much sorrow, pain, and fear Dawn carries in her. The solid, caring, good man that Finn is, will pull the strings of her heart and soul, and make her open up for the first time with her loved ones. And makes Dawn to understand that she does not need to go through life alone anymore.
There are many beautiful, captivating scenes in the story, that goes deep into the soul, sorrow and depth of the Irish mindset. Its allure and charm in the endless love, commitment, and support of the inner circle of friends and family, the delicate way Finn processes his feelings through exquisite music, and the growth and healing Dawn has to deal with.
The new series, fairy tales from New York, sets off in a noteworthy way in this emotional, poignant, and engaging story.


This document provides guidance to advisors, national authorities, professionals, practitioners and others on the nature of anticoagulant resistance in rodents, the identification of anticoagulant resistance, strategies for rodenticide application that will avoid the development of resistance and the management of resistance where it occurs.
The Rodenticide Resistance Action Committee (RRAC) is a working group within the framework of CropLife International. Participating companies include: Bayer AG, BASF, Liphatech S. A., PelGar, Rentokil Initial, Syngenta and Zapi. Senior technical specialists, with specific expertise in rodenticides, represent their companies on this committee.
The RRAC is grateful to the following contributors: Kristof Baert, Philippe Berny, Alan Buckle, Charlie Eason, Stefan Endepols, Nicole Klemann, Alexandra Esther, Adrian Meyer, Hans-Joachim Pelz, Colin Prescott.
Photos provided by Stefan Endepols.


text:
package com.core.pageobjects;
import com.codeborne.selenide.Configuration;
/**
 * Created by artem on 12.03.17.
 */
public class BaseConfig {

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Yerevan, 0051, 21/98 Nairi Zaryan St.
Construction Company with European modern equipment and professional staff.
Architectural & interior design department.
Groups of professionals for interior renovation and decoration.
Multifunctional doors and furniture manufacturing.
Import of the construction equipment.
Exclusive development of outline decisions.
Geological research and geodetic adjustment of district.
Drawing up of the building passport.
Ventilation, heat supplies, water supply, gas supply, an electrical supply, sewer systems and TV connections.
Equipment design creation (projects of engineering communications).
Organization of the construction, beginning from ground works and finishing with final cleaning.
Measurement and developing of exclusive design (free of charge).
Production and installation of multipurpose furniture and doors in public and private premises.
Equipment calculation under the project.
Sale and rent of the equipment.
Currently we are exclusive Dealer of the Italian company as "Geoplast" which is specialized in manufacturing of new age equipments and building materials , and present their latest achievements in our region.


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« Acting AG Whitaker makes the case that "law enforcement works" | Main | Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán found guilty on all 10 federal counts now facing LWOP sentence ... but surely could still provide substantial assistance »
A year after tragedy, taking stock of the agony (and wondering about the costs) already surrounding the capital prosecution of Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz
CNN has this notable new article headlined "This is where Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz's death penalty case stands a year later," and here are excerpts:
A year after Nikolas Cruz massacred 17 people and injured 17 others at his former high school in Florida, the question is not whether he's guilty -- he's confessed on video. It's does he live or die? His defense team has offered a guilty plea in exchange for life in prison without the possibility of parole -- but only if prosecutors take the death penalty off the table. Prosecutors have rejected the plea, meaning a lengthy trial is all but inevitable.
If the case goes to trial, Cruz will join a short list of mass shooters who've faced their victims in court. Of the 10 deadliest shootings in recent US history, Cruz is the only one who was captured alive.
The case is on what's described as the "pretrial discovery" stage, says Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein, whose office is representing Cruz. He says the case is a long way from trial. In this stage, Cruz's attorneys have been deposing dozens of witnesses to give oral statements under oath.
Such sessions happen behind closed doors and are only attended by attorneys, the court reporter and the victims' advocate, says Richard Hornsby, a criminal defense lawyer in Florida who is not involved in the case. Depositions are conducted in person by prosecutors and defense attorneys, and the defendant is not allowed to be present, he adds.
"It is common for victims/accusers to be deposed. However, from a strategic standpoint, I could not imagine the defense attorneys deposing the survivors in this case without a good reason," Hornsby says. The Broward County Clerk of Court's website lists deposition notices for mostly law enforcement witnesses.
It's the beginning of a long, arduous process. A death penalty case can take years to go to trial.... The process involves painstakingly combing through graphic details of the shooting in court. No detail is too small, including the gunshots, autopsies and the killer's words. "However, with the judge pushing the case hard and the passage of Marsy's Law last fall, I would not be surprised if this case makes it to trial early next fall," Hornsby says. Marsy's Law expanded the rights of victims of crimes, including giving them the right to have a voice in prosecution issues.
Broward state prosecutors have not revealed much in recent months. But in the past, they've rejected the defense's offer of a guilty plea in exchange for a life sentence, paving the way for a lengthy trial. While the prosecution did not respond to CNN's request for comments for this article, Michael Satz, Broward County's prosecutor, has previously said this is "certainly the type of case the death penalty was designed for." Assistant State Attorney Shari Tate has said Florida will not allow Cruz to "choose his own punishment for the murder of 17 people."
Cruz's defense team has made it clear it's not looking forward to a death penalty trial. That's why Finkelstein is offering his client's guilty plea in exchange for 34 life sentences without parole. That would take the death penalty trial off the table and spare the victims from reliving the nightmare during testimony, he says.
That would end the extensive legal process he says could last decades if there's an appeal. In some cases, death penalty trials are followed by lengthy appeals in which survivors return to court to face the killer all over again. "A plea to 34 consecutive life sentences ends not only the above immediately but means no appeals," Finkelstein says. "We still stand ready to plead guilty to 34 consecutive life sentences."
Some Marjory Stoneman Douglas students are conflicted on the possibility of a death penalty trial. Student leader Emma Gonzalez describes Cruz's potential death penalty trial as a "good" thing. Another student, Cameron Kasky, has said he wants him to "rot forever" in prison instead.
Andrew Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, was one of the people killed, has said he does not plan to attend any death trial hearings. "I don't want to go through some lengthy trial that's going to be brutal. I want him to sit in a cell and rot for the rest of his life," Pollack says.
In high-profile cases such as the Parkland shooting, there are no shortages of challenges for everyone involved. Even finding a jury will be an ordeal, Hornsby says.... "You will have to find people who say they could be fair and impartial to the defendant given what they know about the Parkland murders," he says. "Good luck."
Florida's death penalty law requires the jury's decision to be unanimous. If one of the 12 jurors dissents, the defendant must be sentenced to life without parole.
There are so many interesting and sad elements to this story. For starters, the possibility of the death penalty has, in one sense, already done a lot of work in this case, as it is surely driving the defense to offer to plead guilty to 34 consecutive life sentences. But because prosecutors, likely influenced in part by the wishes of some victims, are eager to secure a death sentence, there will be lots and lots of process (and expense) in the months and years ahead. I hope that the victims of the shooting and victims' families can find some comfort in the long capital trial process, but even if they do they also have to be prepared for years (likely decades) of an appeals process. (Recall, as noted in this recent post, that we are approaching the six-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing and the capital case still is not close to being fully briefed in the First Circuit.)
With a focus on the victims, I find it especially interesting that activist Emma Gonzalez is apparently supportive of the decision to pursue capital charges against Cruz. My general perception is that many progressives and many young people tend to be strong opponents of the death penalty, and so I would be inclined to guess that most of the Parkland students will be disinclined to support efforts to send Cruz to death row. But, as is often the case, victims are a diverse and sometimes unpredictable bunch. And with Marsy's Law newly on the books in Florida, their roles will be one to watch closely in the months and years ahead as well.
Finally, at the risk of seeming crass, I hope someone is keeping track of what this prosecution is costing the taxpayers of the state of Florida. As regular readers know, I think the extraordinary expense of many capital cases can often serves as one of the strongest arguments against the death penalty as it rarely seems the penalty's (debatable) benefits measure up to its (reasonably clear) economic costs.
Contemplating the capital prosecution of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz
Will Florida school shooting mass murderer thwart efforts to raise age for limit on application of the death penalty?
In shadow of Parkland, a notable discussion with victim families about capital prosecutions in Florida
"Nikolas Cruz's birth mom had a violent, criminal past. Could it help keep him off Death Row?"


text:
Self-Driving Tech
Will Humans Still Drive in an Autonomous Future?
It's a good time to be a car guy. The future? Not so much.
byAlex Roy| UPDATED Feb 11, 2019 2:33 AM
Alex RoyView alex roy's Articles
alexroy144
Will humans still drive in the future? I was recently asked to join the debate over at 2025AD, a blog focused on the year many have claimed will be the watershed for the arrival of self-driving cars. I'm pessimistic, but convinced there is a silver lining. My opponent? Journalist John McElroy, with whom I disagree bigly. Watch his video, then read this:
Will Humans Still Drive?
I'm of two minds on whether people will still drive.
The answer, of course, depends on one's timeline. According to Fight Club, on a long enough timeline the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. Apply this to driving: Once technological barriers to self-driving cars fall, the end of human driving seems inevitable. On a moral level, people shouldn't be driving at all, if only for 1.) on a personal level, the unacceptably high chance of a fatal or injurious accident; 2.) on a societal level, the shared cost of emergency services dedicated to such events; and 3.) on an economic level, the inefficiencies of entire industries and government organs required to service even the minor accidents that plague our roadways.
As a result, I am absolutely convinced that human driving as we know it will be outlawed, beginning in major urban centers in the first world before spidering out across major arteries to form regional and national autonomous transportation networks linked with multi-modal nodes.
The tipping points won't be for global, national, or even regional ubiquity, but for local, with interlocking threads slowly strengthening between nodes, intermixed with human-driven and semi-autonomous vehicles.
Whether I like this future is another story.
The Dichotomy of Driving
The moral argument for mandating autonomy is in direct conflict with a fundamental truth underlying human nature. For many, acquiring a driver's license is a rite of passage that leads to an ownership dream more accessible than home-ownership, and makes real a concept of freedom inextricably linked to a machine that doubles as a figurative expression of self.
There are only two messages in car ads: Have More Sex (one could argue Be More Successful is in there, but that one is pretty much just a subliminal springboard to Have More Sex) and Do You Love Your Family?
This dichotomy tells the entire story of whether people will still drive, because we all know exactly which message will be used to compel people to stop.
On a cultural level, cars are not merely transportation, but transformation. How we drive and what we drive are two axes on the chart of self-expression. However more efficient or safe an autonomous vehicle, it may prove impossible to convince people to relinquish this channel of self-expression without a massive generational shift, if ever, unless forced.
If cars were merely transportation, sports cars wouldn't exist. Nor would the majority of highly profitable cosmetic and performance options, or the entire aftermarket sector.
Driverless Cars: An Urban-Rural Gap?
Fortunes have been lost betting against human nature, and anyone who believes driving should be mandated out of existence before culture demands it is in for a bitter fight. It's easy to believe human driving could be banned in Manhattan, Paris, or London on a ten- or fifteen-year timeline. Inspect a map of the United States, however, and overlay voting patterns in the most recent Presidential election, and a picture emerges of the timeline for cultural acceptance of full autonomy.
Texas? Good luck with that.
There are over 274,000,000 cars in the United States, with approximately a 17M car/year turnover. Even if 100 percent of cars sold today were self-driving, it would take 16 years to get to ubiquity. Chris Gerdes, Chief Innovation Officer for the DOT, has said he thinks 35 percent of the cars on the road in the United States will be self-driving in ten years. To get there, 100 percent of the cars sold would have to be self-driving by 2021.
Aggressive, and unlikely.
The fifty-year scenario—the only one that matters to anyone making investments today—is vastly different than the clickbait-hungry media would have us believe. The automotive industry's focus on reaching full autonomy, and apparent fear and resentment of semi-autonomous technologies like Tesla's, has poisoned any honest discussion over what's likely to happen before full autonomy becomes ubiquitous.
The biggest opportunity in the near- and mid-term isn't full autonomy, it's the universe of products and services that will orbit semi-autonomy, occasionally overlapping with the onset of full autonomy, based on geography.
Acceptance Will Not Pop Up Overnight
Over time, a patchwork quilt of autonomy-mandated, autonomy-optional, and autonomy-banned zones will emerge. An equilibrium between technologies will be reached, followed by a long plateau upon which people will slowly come to accept increasing levels of automation. Parallel forms of transportation will evolve and interlock with semi and fully autonomous driving, finally giving meaning to the word "mobility", which has so far been no more than a catchphrase concealing a lack of clear vision for transportation's future.
Pure autonomy brands will prosper, if they accept the limited scope of near and mid-term acceptance, and fill demand rather than try to create it. Pure driving brands will also prosper, as generations raised on human driving cling more closely to concepts of agency and identity rooted in control and ownership.
Brands that hedge and dilute a century of association with one of the two overarching messages behind automotive marketing will suffer. Porsche has wisely distanced themselves from full autonomy, and will reap the rewards on the long plateau, even once they offer it. BMW? The Ultimate Driving Machine must offer it once available, but it should never be front and center to their marketing. Toyota? Protected, for obvious reasons.
Create Technologies That Enhance Driving
Despite my past as one of the most
infamous speeders of our time, I couldn't be more optimistic about our semi- and fully- autonomous future. The key to cultural acceptance—the only barrier that matters—is developing technologies that help human drivers while letting them retain control, if not a sense of control.
Imagine a Porsche 911 that replicated every 911 ever made. A BMW M5 with a heads-up display that indicated the correct line through Stelvio Pass. A Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT with real-time traffic and condition data for scheduling a Sunday drive, linked to stability control and hi-res maps which would prevent loss of control before entering a turn.
These are all as-yet undeveloped technologies which will enhance rather than detract from driving in a mixed autonomy environment. I wish I could use them now.
At the end of the plateau, some 50-75 years from now, human driving will likely go the way of horseback riding, but only once other forms of visceral self-expression have supplanted the transformative appeal (and, yes, danger) of driving itself. Virtual reality, augmented reality, video games, and cybernetics will all evolve on parallel and increasingly overlapping tracks, converging with concepts of mobility, yielding inconceivable forms of entertainment and leisure.
Eventually, the professional wasteland of racing/driving schools will meet Disneyland in the middle. Racetracks will become mechanical petting zoos and amusement parks, with attendees signing waivers before they risk their lives in quaint machines under semi-controlled circumstances. Imagine Ferrari World was the only place you could drive a Ferrari.
I hope I live long enough to see that. I doubt it. They're still using pack mules in Mongolia, the Land Cruisers I've seen in Africa are pretty much indestructible, and there will always be someone with enough money to buy a human-driving exemption. Actually, that would never work; once autonomy is ubiquitous, no human driver would be fast enough to keep up with the flow of self-driving traffic.
Right now is a good time to be a car guy. The future? Not so much.
Alex Roy, entrepreneur, President of Europe By Car, Editor-at-Large for The Drive, and author of
The Driver, set the
2007 Transcontinental "Cannonball Run" Record in a BMW M5 in 31 hours & 4 minutes, and has set multiple "Cannonball" endurance driving records in Europe & the United States in the
EV,
3-wheeler
Semi-Autonomous Classes. You can follow him on
Car TechSelf-Driving Tech


When you think of Vegas, it's probably a safe bet that the first things that spring to mind are casinos, luxury hotels and shows full of divas and drag queens. Sin City, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the United States, has become known for its bright lights, glitz and glamour, but there are some hidden attractions that you may not have known even existed, and they can be the cherry on the top of your indulgent Las Vegas holiday.
With both New York and London Fashion Week coming to an end, and Milan soon to follow, you might be wondering where your next fashion fix is going to come from. The major fashion capitals of the world have had their say on next season's trends, so for a serious injection of style, consider a holiday to a world-famous shopping resort to pick up the gorgeous new designer looks and update your wardrobe.


> > > > > driver?
> > > > No, It cannot be integrated. The div cannot be removed.
> > > speed, no matter how you accomplish it.
> > This is not change hardware clock frequency.
> compared to having an input clock that is 1/64 the speed.
> > The mpic timer hardware clock is not be changed after initialization.
> > This is just conversion ticks.
> > These calculated ticks will be set to the hardware.
> > Each ticks are based on the mpic timer hardware clock frequency.
> > accurate, more close to real time.
> > difference is obvious.
> early wakeup as measured by its own timers.
Let's go back patch, do you think the code is repeated?
I will remove "if (!(priv->flags & FSL_GLOBAL_TIMER))" branch, there will be no redundant code.


text:
"use strict";
(function (DayOfTheWeek) {
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Sunday"] = 0] = "Sunday";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Monday"] = 1] = "Monday";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Tuesday"] = 2] = "Tuesday";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Wednesday"] = 3] = "Wednesday";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Thursday"] = 4] = "Thursday";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Friday"] = 5] = "Friday";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Saturday"] = 6] = "Saturday";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Day"] = 7] = "Day";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["Weekday"] = 8] = "Weekday";
    DayOfTheWeek[DayOfTheWeek["WeekendDay"] = 9] = "WeekendDay";
})(exports.DayOfTheWeek || (exports.DayOfTheWeek = {}));
var DayOfTheWeek = exports.DayOfTheWeek;


text:
Q: What is a "write to read-only page" fault called? OK, when a program tries to access a page which is not there in the physical memory, we say a page fault has occurred. But say, program tries to write to a page which is read-only and is there in the physical memory. What is that fault called?

A: According to Intel terminology, it's memory access violation, aka #AV exception.
(I know, there is [linux] tag, but also there is [x86] tag.)

A: This will usually raise a segmentation fault (SIGSEGV).

A: segmentation fault
But in the circumstance of COW(copy on write), it is just an exception which is to be handled by the kernel.
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy-on-write for details.

A: It depends upon the architecture, but SIGSEGV or SIGBUS are common signals sent when a process violates the permissions on its memory mappings.

A: In some architectures, it will be a SEGMENTATION FAULT.

A: It's called segmentation fault, in linux SIGSEGV, or signal 11.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
On January 31, 2020, following a 6 month- long operation within the city of Fort Myers, aptly named "Operation Crack down", the Fort Myers Police Department Special Enforcement Division's Vice/Narcotics unit secured arrest warrants for 30 individuals with 82 felony charges.
The operation started in August with Vice/Narcotics Detectives conducting undercover drug purchases aimed at reducing street level narcotics sales within the city. The operation targeted locations with prior drug involvement. Of the 30 arrests issued 20 suspects have been taken into custody with 10 arrests outstanding.
Henry P. Edwards (DOB 04/12/1964) - Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Public Housing Complex and Possession of Cocaine
William Ward (DOB 06/13/1968) – Two Counts of Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a School and Two Counts of Possession of Cocaine X2
Irey Morrison (DOB 07/17/1973) – Three counts of Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park and Three counts of Possession of Cocaine X 3
Jarel Bowman (DOB 09/11/1995) – Two counts of Sale of Cocaine and Two counts of Possession of Cocaine
Brad Moreland (DOB 01/19/1983) - Sale of Cocaine and Possession of Cocaine
Bernell Foust (DOB 07/16/1952) - Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park and Possession of Cocaine; Additionally charged, upon arrest, with Possession of drug paraphernalia and Possession of a controlled substance w/o a prescription
Katuri McCoy (DOB 11/20/1984) -Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park and Possession of Cocaine
Javaris Broomfield (DOB 11/23/1996) - Sale of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, and Sale in Lieu of a Controlled substance
Tyrone Robinson (DOB 03/21/1993) - Sale of a Synthetic Narcotic and Possession of a Synthetic Narcotic
Tony Robinson (DOB 12/30/1979) - Sale of a Synthetic Narcotic and Possession of a Synthetic Narcotic
Ronald Edwards (DOB 07/23/1956) - Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a School and Possession of Cocaine
Clifford Henderson (DOB 10/24/1945) - To counts of Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park and Two Counts of Possession of Cocaine
Samuel Maybin (DOB 11/06/1960) – Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park and Possession of Cocaine
Rhonda Allen (DOB 09/18/1974) – Sale of Cocaine and Possession of Cocaine
Rodney Wimbush (DOB 05/22/1976) -Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park
Reginald Smith (DOB 01/19/1967) – Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park and Possession of Cocaine
Rosco Jordan (06/11/1973) – Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park and Possession of Cocaine
Otis Blanks (DOB 01/03/1960) – Two Counts of Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park and Possession of Cocaine.
Angel Sanchez (DOB 03/02/1972) – One Count of Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a School and Possession of Cocaine.
Darel Williams (DOB 01/07/1988) – One Count of Sale of Synthetic Narcotic and Possession of Synthetic Narcotic
⇐Previous Arrest Made in Stabbing IncidentNext⇒ Officer Involved Shooting


A Concord District Court jury today took about an hour to acquit Attorney Chris Spring's client of operating under the influence of alcohol following her arrest in Lincoln several months ago.
A Lincoln police officer testified at trial that he witnessed the defendant driving her car on Route 2 when she swerved back and forth over the fog line several times. The officer activated his emergency lights and signaled the defendant's car to pull to the side of the road. Instead, the defendant stopped in the middle of the road and the officer had to again request that she pull next to the curb and park her vehicle. When the officer approached the defendant's car, she smelled like alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and spoke with slurred speech. After initially denying she had consumed any alcohol, the defendant admitted that she drank one beer before being pulled over. The defendant agreed to perform a series of field sobriety tests so the officer could evaluate her sobriety.
The defendant was first asked to recite the alphabet, stopping at a certain letter. According to the officer, she missed some of the letters and failed to stop at the designated letter. The officer then asked the defendant to perform the nine-step walk and turn test, which requires the driver to walk in a straight line, while touching heel to toe, for nine steps and then return in the same manner. The officer testified that the defendant was unable to keep her balance or properly turn midway through the test. The officer then asked the defendant to touch the tip of her nose with her finger tips and to count backwards. According to the officer's testimony, the defendant was unable to pass either test and was placed under arrest. At the scene, the defendant blew a .16 on the portable Breathalyzer.
Back at the station, the officer told the defendant she had the statutory right to be immediately examined by a doctor. However, when the defendant asserted her right to see a doctor, the officer ignored her. The defendant asked five times during the course of five minutes to see a doctor and the officer refused to honor her right to do so. This turned out to be a crucial mistake for the Commonwealth. Later during the booking process, the defendant appeared to the officer to be drunk, and at one point she fell down. However, because the officer violated the defendant's right to see a doctor, Attorney Spring filed a motion to suppress all of the officer's observations of the defendant during the booking process. A judge allowed the motion to suppress, and the most damaging evidence against the defendant (which was captured on the booking video) was not admitted at the trial. Attorney Spring argued the failed field sobriety tests could have been the result of the defendant wearing uncomfortable high heels and attempting to perform the tests near a busy highway with cars speeding by at high rates of speed. Bloodshot eyes can be caused by any number of factors and the defendant was not a native English speaker, which could have caused the officer to incorrectly conclude she was slurring her words.
Ultimately, the jury agreed that the Commonwealth had not proven the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and she was acquitted. If you have been charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, you should immediately contact an experienced criminal defense attorney.


Clearview provide a number of methods of engagement with our customers. These include events such as online webinars, live show cases at regional or central venues, exhibitions, user groups and others such as conference speakers.
Please review events of interest and register via the links provided. If you would like a more personalised engagement, then please get in touch outlining your requirement.
We're really happy with how it cuts down admin time.


Abeokuta South is a local government area in Ogun State, with headquarters in the city of Abeokuta which also functions as the capital of Ogun State. Abeokuta South local government area is in Ogun Central Senatorial District alongside Abeokuta North, Odeda, Ifo, Ewekoro and Obafemi Owode local government areas. Abeokuta South local government area also forms a federal constituency, and thus sends a representative to the House of Representatives in Abuja.
Abeokuta South local government area covers an area of 71.0 km². Abeokuta South local government area is bounded to the north and west by Abeokuta North local government area, to the east by Odeda local government area, and to the south by Obafemi Owode local government area.
The Abeokuta South local government council is in charge of public administration in Abeokuta South. The council is led by a chairman who is the executive head of the local government.
The Abeokuta South legislative council make laws governing Abeokuta South local government area. It consists of 15 Councillors representing the 15 wards of the local government area.
The widely disputed result of the 2006 national population census put the population of Abeokuta South local government area at 250,295, with 119,977 males and 130,318 females.


text:
AmazeVR Secures $15M to Bring Immersive Concerts to VR
Image courtesy Oculus
VR games are difficult to market, especially when they don't fit obviously into existing genres. Here's 12 gems you may have overlooked but are well worth your consideration.
Updated – August 21st, 2020
The Paradox of VR Game Development
There exists a paradox of sorts in the VR game development landscape: many of VR's most interesting games just don't look like the sort of non-VR games we're all familiar with. By not obviously fitting into existing genres—the 'shooter', 'RPG', 'racer', 'puzzler', etc—it's very difficult to actually market such titles, no matter how excellent they may be.
The result, as I've found over the years, is a surprising number of 'indie VR gems': VR titles which are much better than their lack of noteirty would suggest. Oftentimes these games are rated exceptionally well by those who give them a chance, but getting people to decide to try them in the first place is the real challenge.
This is a double bummer because it's these very developers—who are thinking outside the box and discovering what native VR games actually look like—which we should supporot if we want to accelerate the maturation of VR game design. Indies are usually working with small teams and shoestring budgets; if they don't at least break-even with each VR project, it's unlikely that they will be able to justify a followup and continue to help push VR game design forward.
So, if you want to help VR succeed, and have some fun in the process, take a careful look at these 12 indie VR gems and consider giving them a shot. I would be blown away if everyone doesn't find at least one title they think is worth owning in this list. And you have little to lose here if you're using Oculus or Steam; both have very reasonable refund policies: if you find out the game isn't for you and you've played it for less than two hours, you're entitled to a full refund within 14 days of your purchase.
Indie VR Gems
Real quick: this list isn't intended to be comprehensive, nor is it scientific. In the VR space most developers fit the definition of 'indie' (those which aren't working with a publisher). For the purposes of this article, I'm loosely defining an 'indie gem' to mean 'a VR game which deserves more attention than it receives', whether or not it is from a recognizable VR studio. Without further ado, and in no specific order:
Platform & User Reviews: Steam (94%) | Rift (4.8/5) | Quest (4.5/5) | PlayStation VR (4.5/5)
Fujii is part walking simulator, part puzzler, and part meditation. The game presents a serene world which somehow manages to offer a feeling of exploration without traversing huge distances. As you explore and solve light puzzles, you'll discover new plants and bring their seeds back to your garden. The garden acts as a persistent 'home' space which you can cultivate and customize to your liking by planting and watering your plants. Fujii does so much right in design and aesthetics. Nearly everything you do feels good, thanks to intuitive interactions and expert use of sound, animation, and haptics. This is a game which delivers a sense of delight just by being in its world.
COMPOUND [Early Access]
Platform & User Reviews: Steam (97%)
Compound is a randomly generated rogue-lite shooter with a style all its own. Something about its 8-bit artwork manages to feel totally authentic and while still somehow completely at home even in the medium of VR which is so far removed from the 8-bit era. This is a challenging game; lethal and unforgiving enemies bring a heightened sense of immersion as you'll need to be on high alert to prioritize and eliminate threats to succeed. Luckily you've got an array of interesting and fun weapons, each with its own sense of character.
VTOL VR [recently out of Early Access]
While a handful of better known flight simulators exist with optional VR support, the vast majority are made for keyboard and mouse input or peripherals like flight sticks. VTOL VR sets itself apart by being made from the ground-up for VR and motion controllers. So set your HOTAS aside and bask in the feeling of interacting directly with the controls in your cockpit as you operate critical aircraft functions, identify targets, and engage enemies without needing to buy niche peripherals to make it all feel great.
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (AKA H3VR) [Early Access]
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, also known as H3VR, is a VR sandbox for the gun aficionado. With more than 300 unique weapons in the game, you could spend hours just exploring the detailed custom sounds and interactions of each gun, right down to individually chambered rounds, folding stocks, fire modes, and adjustable iron sights. With heaps of modular accessories, you can do everything from the realistic—like adding sights, grips, and lasers to your favorite assault rifle—to the unholy—like turning a pistol into a kitbashed sniper rifle. Once you've got your arsenal sorted out, you can hit the shooting range, play a heap of mini-games and activities, or make up your own. Though H3VR launched in early access in 2016, its developer has been actively updating the game ever since, regularly bringing major new content additions and improvements over time, like the Team Fortress 2 weapon set.
Sprint Vector
Platform & User Reviews: Steam (86%) | Rift (4.2/5) | PlayStation VR (4.5/5)
Sprint Vector is a racing game that offers a sense of speed and mobility that's hard to find anywhere else in the VR gaming landscape. Channeling elements of arcade racing games like Mario Kart with a Mirror's Edge sense of flow, Sprint Vector's unique take on 'arm swinger' locomotion is a revolution in its ability to maintain comfort even while you're cruising at breakneck speeds—and it can be a good workout to boot. Alongside a competitive racing mode, the game also offers time trials which challenge you not just to be fast, but also to be creative as you look for new routes to shave precious seconds off your record. This game's strong visual presentation is topped off by an excellent soundtrack.
Panoptic [Early Access]
Panoptic is a stellar asymmetric VR game where one player wearing a headset takes on the role of a giant and menacing 'overseer' while another player outside of VR plays as a tiny saboteur who attempts to blend in with roaming NPCs and destroy key objectives without being discovered. Thanks to VR, the overseer's embodied presence and giant scale feel exceptionally imposing to the tiny non-VR player, creating tense moments where a single slip-up could lead to a suspenseful cat-and-mouse chase. The overseer may be powerful, but they can't watch everything all at once; with a blend of strategy and cunning, the saboteur can prevail. The need for only one VR headset makes Panoptic a great game for sharing some of VR's unique fun with friends who don't have VR headsets themselves. While the game currently only supports local multiplayer, we found that Steam's Remote Play Together feature makes it pretty easy to play Panoptic together online.
FREEDIVER: Triton Down
Platform & User Reviews: Steam (86%) | Rift (4.2/5) | Quest (4.2/5)
FREEDIVER: Triton Down is a short but worthwhile narrative adventure about an oceanographer who gets caught in a capsized research vessel after discovering something unexpected in a cave in the ocean depths. The game is built entirely around a unique 'swimming' locomotion system which is more than just a way to get the player from A to B; not only does it allow you to seamlessly navigate in 3D space underwater, it creates a built-in tension between movement and survival as the player has to surface for air or risk drowning. This effectively puts a time limit on puzzle solving which is always in the back of your mind, especially as the oxygen indicator on your arm beeps as it gets closer to 0%. Thanks to engaging interactive elements and thoughtful VR design, this is an adventure worth taking.
Virtual Virtual Reality
Platform & User Reviews: Steam (93%) | Rift (4.6/5) | Quest (4.7/5) | Go (4.7/5) | PlayStation VR (4/5) | Daydream (4.8/5)
Virtual Virtual Reality is a narrative-driven VR game with an intriguing concept that's worth seeing through to the end. As the name implies, you'll find yourself popping in and out of various levels of virtual reality to navigate the game's light puzzle elements while experiencing its strong art direction, writing, and interaction design. The developers include "an artichoke screams at you" among the game's 'key features', which ought to give you an idea of the comedic flavor within.
Electronauts
Electronauts is half game, half tool, and wholly unique. It's a VR music mixing game which lets you tap into your inner musical creativity even if you don't have any idea how to play an instrument or make music from scratch. Each song in the game is effectively a 'kit' which includes various backing tracks, vocals, and unique instruments. Even though the game does much of the heavy lifting behind the scenes to keep everything in the right key and on beat, you'll be surprised at how much freedom you have to make each song your own. While there's no 'objectives', there's much satisfaction to be had at managing seamless transitions between song segments, creating instrument loops that add a new flavor, and one of my favorite challenges: bringing each song to a smooth conclusion. Electronauts is an incredible way to experience the magic of music, and with multiplayer (on the Steam and Oculus Rift versions of the game only) you can even jam with a friend.
Racket: Nx
Racket: Nx is a polished and high energy game which feels like a futuristic mashup of racquetball fused with elements of Breakout. Players stand at the center of a 360 degree arena with neon targets that pulsate to the game's excellent soundtrack. With racket in hand, players smack the glowing orb to destroy some targets while avoiding others. There's some depth to hitting the orb too: you can slice it to give it spin, or give it an especially firm smack to send it roll along the wall for bonus points before it finally bounces back. Powerups and portals add additional variety. Racket: Nx can be a good workout, and is great for playing with VR friends thanks to cross-platform multiplayer between all versions of the game.
Until You Fall [Early Access]
Platform & User Reviews: Steam (96%) | Rift (4.7/5)
Until You Fall is a procedurally generated rogue-lite that's all about melee combat. You'll battle your way through a string of rooms populated with enemies of increasing difficulty. Eventually, inevitably, you'll die. At the end of each round, you'll respawn in a hub space where you can spend money you've earned on new weapons and upgrades, making you stronger for your next bout. The game successfully fuses VR sword combat with meta-game elements in a way that no other VR title has yet managed. Combat is underscored with a sense of deliberate strategy that can change from one encounter to the next, especially depending upon which weapons you choose to bring into battle.
Vox Machinae
Platforms & User Reviews: Steam (91%) | Rift (4.6/5)
As a VR mech game, Vox Machinae strikes and impressive balance between playability and immersion. It feels like a simulator, but manages to be almost as easy as an arcade game to pick up while remaining challenging to master. It's controls and systems are intuitive enough that you can grasp the basics in a match or two, but that doesn't stop the game from delivering a incredible sense of immersion thanks to its interactive cockpit and unique mech control model. Even now, two years after its early access launch, Vox Machinae remains arguably unmatched in immersion by any other VR mech game.
Surely this list only covers a fraction of VR's indie gems—let us know your own picks in the comments below!
Indie VR Gem 'COMPOUND' Gets Fresh Demo Following a Year of Content Updates
'FREEDIVER: Triton Down' Arrives on PSVR & Quest Today in New 'Extended Cut'
Also look at Neos VR.
I've avoided FREEDIVER: Triton Down until now because it does not list Index support. Does it still work?
IIRC I played through the whole game with Index without issue.
From Other Suns?
From Other Suns wouldn't be indie (published by Oculus); I also don't think it exhibits the quality of VR game design seen by the others in this list.
StygianAgenda
I wish that one wasn't exclusive… I really want to play that.
Richard Matey
We are labeling Survios as independent …. :/
Real quick: this list isn't intended to be comprehensive, nor is it scientific. In the VR space most developers fit the definition of 'indie' (those which aren't working with a publisher). For the purposes of this article, I'm loosely defining a 'gem' to mean 'a VR game which deserves more attention than it receives', whether or not it is from a recognizable studio.
Sure but sentences before you wrote "Indies are usually working with small teams and on shoestring budgets; if they don't at least break-even with each VR project, it's unlikely that they will be able to justify a followup" Survios is bank rolled by MGM. They do not work with small teams nor does their future hinder on games sales with very high VC backing. Just suggesting you should consider using the word independent for creators that actually own and gamble on their own creations instead of a label on the steam page.
I definitely understand your point because I considered it myself before adding two of Survios' titles to the list. Let me explain my thought-process a bit:
I was hesitant to include any Survios titles for the reason you mentioned (as far as VR studios go, they have a lot of resources and are well known, even if they are technically independent). But the goal of the piece (as explained in the preamble) was to point out the titles which have especially thoughtful VR design but haven't seen the level of attention they probably deserve, largely because it's difficult to market VR games which don't clearly confirm to existing non-VR genres. To that end, I think Sprint Vector and Electronauts are truly worthy of a careful look by anyone who had previously passed them over (or maybe never heard of them in the first place).
I would also add: to say that their future doesn't hinder on the success of their product (game sales) I would argue is incorrect. Yes, they have raised money which gives them a length of runway which others don't have, but they still need to make a good product and return a profit if they don't want to see that funding dry up.
Kay Becker
NO worries, I got your vibe. Great stuff man :)
ForceKin Gaming
Heads up, the link to the H3VR page actually goes to VTOL.
Ah thank you for spotting this, will fix!
CyborgOne
Great article – very happy to see indie dev's getting more attention and promotion.
But, I have no idea how to parse the first statement about Compound:
> randomly generated rouge-lite shooter
It's a game about applying makeup? If it's "rouge LITE", does that mean it's pink?
Unless perhaps the intent was to draw a comparison to the classic dungeon-crawling adventure from the 1980's – in which case, this should perhaps be corrected to:
> randomly–generated Rogue-like shooter
(Yeah, I'm being that guy :-)
Ah thanks for pointing out this error, I'll get it fixed.
Beyond the spelling error, my understanding is that there's a difference between 'rogue-like' and rogue-lite'. I don't think it's particularly well defined, but it seems that rogue-lites tend to be the more simple/randomly generated try-try-try again type games (like Enter the Gungeon), where' rogue-like have similar mechanics but are more full featured (like Hyper Light Drifter).
Happy to hear if anyone has another notion of the difference?
CazCore
i'd say it's less specific than that.
fans of the original RLs find it heretical for the modern games to use the term, because the games are so different, in so many ways. and want people to call anything else Rogue-lites instead. meaning they aren't much LIKE Rogue, because they are LITE on sharing the qualities of the original Rogue.
Good context, thanks : )
Ah – thanks for the typo correction, and for initiating the discussion of "Roguelite". Seems that CazCore is exactly correct, and this fits in that category, more directly.
Bret McGrath
https://www.vendetta-online.com/
Uhm, they are very famous titles, not little gems. Cool list of games, but IMHO you should have looked for more unknown experiences. One little gem for me is "The price of Freedom"
GlacierFrostclaw
I know this is 5 months later but I can't help but laugh because if you don't know about that game, that last sentence sounds like a random political statement.
BlacksheepAries
I will agree that VTOL is a cool flight combat game for VR but without question, in my opinion there is a game/sim that is leaps and bounds above and beyond all other VR games in play today. This game (to me) is so f'ing good that I literally spend 4 to 6 hours per day on it. It is however a title that has been around for near 20 years so be informed that the community of players in this game are a.) great human beings and b.) loyal players with 15+ years tearing it up so the competition is insanely good.
For me, this developer has done what no one else has been able to do and he has IMO, hit a home run. This game is now the standard of immersive awesomeness to which I gage all others. It's got me so hooked that I play nothing else, wake up an extra hour early so I can get in some play before i start the day and its the last thing I do to end my day. In this epic creation it is possible to:
1.) Play cross platform, VR & Non-VR HTC, Oculus, PC in a persistent environment 24/7 and with up to 1,000 players in epic multiplayer unlike any Ive played before.
2.) you can fly just about any plane from wwii. Fighters, bombers, paratroopers, attackers.
3.) you can command AND control a naval fleet AND all the boats from a PT to Aircraft carrier to destroyer and battleship AND man every gun on every boat from twin 40's to 16″ monsters.
4.) you can drive every vehicle, amphibious track and tank from wwii AND shoot every gun on every vehicle
5.) you can man and fire all field guns and anti aircraft guns like the 88 ack ack guns
The best part, you can do all of those things simultaneously !! In real time, in multiplayer, in vr!!! Fly the P51D, drive the Panzer Tank, join me in my B17 flying fortress and be my bombadier or man the guns while I fly!!
6.) edit terrain, edit missions, set up matches,
7.) Voice channels like a dang cb radio, have your own vox channel or join a crews vox or the global vox..
How this game is so unknown blows my mind literally..
use touch motion controllers or HOTAS or xbox controller or mouse keyboard.. (I use the touch controllers). This game is light years ahead of the rest. The graphics are fantastic and the playability and user interface is great. This game deserves vr game of the decade going into 2020. Im just a 3 month noob and do get my arse kicked daily as i square up against 10+yr vets but the game is so friggen awesome, who cares!!
My dad finally got to fly the P38Lightning and cried. Then went and bought a rift just to keep playing. Ok, ok, ok, enough monologging.
This epic title is AcesHigh III made by Hitech Creations. It is free to play but has a $14.95 per month subscription for full access and Ill tell you what, I would pay $59.99 a month its that good.
SO SAETH SAAM I AM
Though somewhat well known, I'd also put Jet Island, Blade & Sorcery, Vox Machinae, and Windlands 2 in this category. Downward Spiral Horus Station and Organ Quarter are also gems (not doing anything extraordinary with interaction but still very good in terms of pure atmosphere). Boneworks and Pistol Whip will almost certainly go here as well once they're released. And of course there are plenty of well known indies e.g. Pavlov, Onward, Climbey, Beat Saber, etc etc.
Everyone constantly shits on indies but to be honest VR would be a very boring medium if we didn't have them. Without anyone doing interesting stuff like this VR would likely be considered a complete gimmick (even more of a gimmick than the gaming communities outside the VR bubble already think it is). These are the games that I spend 90% of my time with in VR. And to be honest after that initial wonder of VR wore off and I was forced to compare VR vs flat in a more level headed way, much of that other 10% from the "AAA" devs has often left me wondering why I'm even using a VR headset to play them.
Not saying they're bad games (they're often excellent games) but when I judge a VR game I'm not just asking whether or not it's a good game. Rather, it needs to be a good *VR* game. Let's face it: after your first 6 to 12 months of VR you realize that many aspects of the current tech result in an experience that's often worse than the flat counterpart (well beyond just pixel density constraints). So at this point I need a good reason to wear a VR headset and that's what indies deliver on. The fact that a game is in VR doesn't automatically make it better (it can often make it worse)
realtrisk
I couldn't disagree more. VR is far better than pancake games in every situation I've tried it in. No Man's Sky? VR ROCKS. Fallout 4? VR is amazing. Skyrim? VR is excellent. Subnautica is one of my favorite VR experiences to date. Assetto Corsa or any other racing sim? How could you even play a racing game without VR? The list goes on and on and on.
No "aspect" of the current tech turns me off to playing them for hours and hours straight and loving every minute. The resolution is plenty high enough with Index or Vive Pro that I can see text from a greater distance within the headset than someone who is watching me play on the TV can see it. Even classic games like Doom are given amazing new life when played in VR, making the games look stunning and fresh all over again.
If you find after 6 to 12 months of VR that the flat counterpart is better, I find your judgement and motivations highly suspect.
I agree with you in so many ways on so many points. I find that it's an amazing experience no matter what I try. It's very immersive. I'm awed in so many ways. The more I am in these worlds, the more I want to stay in. I really want better headsets so that we can play for hours at time just like we can on PC. I cannot wait for the next generation of VR hardware. I am beyond excited. I am so glad finally someone is mentioning No Man's Sky. That game is beyond cool in VR. It's like it was made for it.
Indies and mods are where the experimentation is for sure. It's more rare than we would expect for a game with a big budget to show how things should work better than anyone else. Exceptions would be Alyx's gloves, Boneworks physics and some interactions, Lone Echo's zero G, and some of Stormland's interactions.
RickityRick
Those games are all great. Can confirm!
VR Party Club! (Disclaimer, it's my game. It's a mario-party-like designed to introduce your friends to their first time in VR in the most accessible, all-encompassing way possible)
iNCEPTIONAL
Good stuff. I'll check some of those out. :)
Rosten
Some more :
Overload (Descent-like, 6 dof space shooter)
Red Matter (puzzle, well known on Quest, not on PC)
XING: The Land Beyond (puzzle)
Mini Motor Racing X (mini racer)
Moto Racer is probably the best racing game that doesn't use physical peripherals that I have seen. The only issue is that the tracks are way too small and tight. But it has a Rocket League mode which I'm surprised they don't advertise more.
Red Matter kind of got drowned out in all the puzzle games on PC, I remember somewhat mixed reviews over the length. I should try Pinball FX2, I think I avoided it because of the DLC implementation.
Itzik Goldman
I'm an indie too, working on Operation Serpens
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4cbc84c923f569917fabee41d75ef60a99fe19394ed6449d9c360cdc895cba61.gif https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f480d8f7306d5046c071ab2cb16cea6b15b7701de59a03657a724410a0b1ada0.gif
If you've played Defector, the opening level where you leap off a plane into another collapsing plane is cheesy but effective. And cover in level design might be a good idea, fewer games in this genre make good use of it.
Thank you, good idea!
Things That Caught My Eye
A new game to Steam Early Access is BattlegroupVR. It is a RTS where you command your fleet of starships from the bridge (where you can look out the window and see the battle as it rages.
This game is built by a single person developer and includes using voice commands and quality production values. It still has some work that needs to be done but is well worth checking out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcOiSp1RZ_s&feature=youtu.be
DanDei
Sounds right up my alley, but single person developer is always a huge turnoff for me. Usually means slow updates
Enthusiasm has been pretty high so updates have been coming out regularly. One person teams also mean it's less effected by the crisis and there are no other projects taking their attention.
This one is pretty nice. Cute little stacking game with a campaign and extra modes. The stacking feels really good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwDpFb3QKx0
Wrench is a racecar mechanic game that just got a big update. It's very realistic and gives me hope that we can gamify vocational/skill based things in VR and people can learn things like how to fix their cars or do woodworking.
http://www.wrenchgame.com/
Vrkshop is a woodworking game in VR and the dev is chugging along with updates. Ir's pretty realistic and the hands are full physics now. I'm hoping it will become a really realistic way to practice and learn woodworking, and be creative in a craftsman way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCryYNjKsLA
ComfyWolf
A hidden gem if you like interarcting with cute anime girls, even has support for custom models https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjzmRALi3w
Also check out a township tale, a free vr mmo rpg. It gets bi weekly updates and there's so much to explore and soon they may add house building do you will need to build a house from the ground up it's supposed to take a long time which gives a good goal for the long run.
Walter Sharrow
QuestORama is pretty cool… https://sidequestvr.com/app/338
1st person tennis: don't hear many speak of this title but it's a great implementation of tennis to vr.
Jet island: Awesome game
Polybius: Amazing arcade shooter, just picked up their latest title as well.
Drone hero: very much under the radar of most people but its very addictive & fun game.
Chirpes
Fujii, Racket: Nx, and Vox Machinae are all on the Viveport Ininfity VR game subscription. Thought I'd mention it just in case someone has the service.
Amazing list of games. I have probably spent more time in Compound than any other VR game.
'Beat Saber' & 'Job Simulator' Are PSVR's Most Downloaded Games of...


text:
class LedDeviceSk6812SPI : public ProviderSpi
{
public:
	///
	/// Constructs specific LedDevice
	///
	/// @param deviceConfig json device config
	///
	LedDeviceSk6812SPI(const QJsonObject &deviceConfig);

	/// constructs leddevice
	static LedDevice* construct(const QJsonObject &deviceConfig);

	///
	/// Sets configuration
	///
	/// @param deviceConfig the json device config
	/// @return true if success
	bool init(const QJsonObject &deviceConfig);

private:
	///
	/// Writes the led color values to the led-device
	///
	/// @param ledValues The color-value per led
	/// @return Zero on succes else negative
	///
	virtual int write(const std::vector<ColorRgb> &ledValues);

	RGBW::WhiteAlgorithm _whiteAlgorithm;

        const int SPI_BYTES_PER_COLOUR;

	uint8_t bitpair_to_byte[4];

	ColorRgbw _temp_rgbw;
};


text:
require "spec_helper"

describe Whois::Server do

  describe ".definitions" do
    it "returns the definitions hash when type argument is nil" do
      with_definitions do
        d = klass.definitions
        d.should be_a(Hash)
        d.keys.should =~ [:tld, :ipv4, :ipv6]
      end

      with_definitions do
        d = klass.definitions(nil)
        d.should be_a(Hash)
        d.keys.should =~ [:tld, :ipv4, :ipv6]
      end
    end

    it "returns the definitions array for given type when type argument is not nil and given type exists" do
      with_definitions do
        Whois::Server.define(:foo, ".foo", "whois.foo")
        d = klass.definitions(:foo)
        d.should be_a(Array)
        d.should == [[".foo", "whois.foo", {}]]
      end
    end

    it "returns nil when type argument is not nil and given type doesn't exist" do
      with_definitions do
        d = klass.definitions(:foo)
        d.should be_nil
      end
    end
  end

  describe ".define" do
    it "adds a new definition with given arguments" do
      with_definitions do
        Whois::Server.define(:foo, ".foo", "whois.foo")
        klass.definitions(:foo).should == [[".foo", "whois.foo", {}]]
      end
    end

    it "accepts a hash of options" do
      with_definitions do
        Whois::Server.define(:foo, ".foo", "whois.foo", :foo => "bar")
        klass.definitions(:foo).should == [[".foo", "whois.foo", { :foo => "bar" }]]
      end
    end

    it "accepts any kind of definition type" do
      with_definitions do
        Whois::Server.define(:ipv4, ".foo", "whois.foo", :foo => "bar")
        klass.definitions(:ipv4).should == [[".foo", "whois.foo", { :foo => "bar" }]]
      end
    end
  end

  describe ".factory" do
    it "returns an adapter initialized with given arguments" do
      s = Whois::Server.factory(:tld, ".test", "whois.test")
      s.type.should == :tld
      s.allocation.should == ".test"
      s.host.should == "whois.test"
      s.options.should == Hash.new
    end

    it "returns a standard adapter by default" do
      s = Whois::Server.factory(:tld, ".test", "whois.test")
      s.should be_a(Whois::Server::Adapters::Standard)
    end

    it "accepts an :adapter option and returns an instance of given adapter" do
      s = Whois::Server.factory(:tld, ".test", "whois.test", :adapter => Whois::Server::Adapters::None)
      s.should be_a(Whois::Server::Adapters::None)
    end

    it "deletes the adapter option" do
      s = Whois::Server.factory(:tld, ".test", "whois.test", :adapter => Whois::Server::Adapters::None, :foo => "bar")
      s.options.should == { :foo => "bar" }
    end
  end

  describe ".guess" do
    it "recognizes tld" do
      s = Whois::Server.guess(".com")
      s.should be_a(Whois::Server::Adapters::Base)
      s.type.should == :tld
    end

    it "recognizes domain" do
      s = Whois::Server.guess("example.com")
      s.should be_a(Whois::Server::Adapters::Base)
      s.type.should == :tld
    end

    it "recognizes ipv4" do
      s = Whois::Server.guess("127.0.0.1")
      s.should be_a(Whois::Server::Adapters::Base)
      s.type.should == :ipv4
    end

    it "recognizes ipv6" do
      s = Whois::Server.guess("2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334")
      s.should be_a(Whois::Server::Adapters::Base)
      s.type.should == :ipv6
    end

    it "recognizes ipv6 when zero groups" do
      s = Whois::Server.guess("2002::1")
      s.should be_a(Whois::Server::Adapters::Base)
      s.type.should == :ipv6
    end

    it "recognizes email" do
      lambda do
        s = Whois::Server.guess("email@example.org")
      end.should raise_error(Whois::ServerNotSupported, /email/)
    end

    it "raises when unrecognized value" do
      lambda do
        s = Whois::Server.guess("invalid")
      end.should raise_error(Whois::ServerNotFound)
    end

    context "when the input is a tld" do
      it "returns a IANA adapter" do
        Whois::Server.guess(".com").should == Whois::Server.factory(:tld, ".", "whois.iana.org")
      end

      it "returns a IANA adapter when the input is an idn" do
        Whois::Server.guess(".xn--fiqs8s").should == Whois::Server.factory(:tld, ".", "whois.iana.org")
      end
    end

    context "when the input is a domain" do
      it "lookups definitions and returns the adapter" do
        with_definitions do
          Whois::Server.define(:tld, ".test", "whois.test")
          Whois::Server.guess("example.test").should == Whois::Server.factory(:tld, ".test", "whois.test")
        end
      end

      it "doesn't consider the dot as a regexp pattern", :regression => true do
        with_definitions do
          Whois::Server.define(:tld, ".no.com", "whois.no.com")
          Whois::Server.define(:tld, ".com", "whois.com")
          Whois::Server.guess("antoniocangiano.com").should == Whois::Server.factory(:tld, ".com", "whois.com")
        end
      end
    end

    context "when the input is a ipv4" do
      it "lookups definitions and returns the adapter" do
        with_definitions do
          Whois::Server.define(:ipv4, "192.168.1.0/10", "whois.test")
          Whois::Server.guess("192.168.1.1").should == Whois::Server.factory(:ipv4, "192.168.1.0/10", "whois.test")
        end
      end

      it "raises if definition is not found" do
        with_definitions do
          Whois::Server.define(:ipv4, "192.168.1.0/10", "whois.test")
          lambda do
            Whois::Server.guess("192.192.0.1")
          end.should raise_error(Whois::AllocationUnknown)
        end
      end
    end

    context "when the input is a ipv6" do
      it "lookups definitions and returns the adapter" do
        with_definitions do
          Whois::Server.define(:ipv6, "2001:0200::/23", "whois.test")
          Whois::Server.guess("2001:0200::1") == Whois::Server.factory(:ipv6, "2001:0200::/23", "whois.test")
        end
      end

      it "raises if definition is not found" do
        with_definitions do
          Whois::Server.define(:ipv6, "::1", "whois.test")
          lambda do
            Whois::Server.guess("2002:0300::1")
          end.should raise_error(Whois::AllocationUnknown)
        end
      end

      it "recognizes ipv4 compatibility mode" do
        with_definitions do
          Whois::Server.define(:ipv6, "::192.168.1.1", "whois.test")
          Whois::Server.guess("::192.168.1.1") == Whois::Server.factory(:ipv6, "::192.168.1.1", "whois.test")
        end
      end
    end

  end

end


"Grandeur": Beautiful red in colorful scarves at Dolce & Gabbana in Milano.
"Well Traveled": Green is everywhere especially at Merci in Paris.
"Noir Et Blanc": Black and white showing up at the Louis Vuitton Foundation by Frank Gehry.
Call in to schedule an appointment and get insp-EYE-red!


text:
Q: One PHP code file to upload images from all 10,000,000 users is enough or more PHP files should be there I have a php code on Apache server and the PHP code is there to upload images to the server
the users can upload images via an Android application which communicates with the mentioned PHP code (http post)
Now there are 2 options available for me:
1 - I apply all users with just one address for the mentioned PHP code (In the android application)
2 - I categorized the users to 10 groups for example and have 10 PHP files which are exactly the same as the mentioned PHP code for uploading the images and then apply every group of the users with their own address for the mentioned PHP code
The question is if there is any difference?
If so which option is better?
In other words, I mean if all users which may be 10,000,000 users work with just one PHP file on the server to upload their images on the server, isn't there any performance issue?

A: When we upload, processor is merely a contributor here, most of the work would be done by disks or memory, so no, 2nd option would not improve performance, it might only decrease the performance..


We developed Bogard Food Hub to help small farmers grow their businesses. Bogard Food Hub is a Small Enterprise USDA exempt poultry provider.
Our poultry producers have over 100 years of combined experience growing the best poultry in Alaska. These rangers were grown on a proprietary blend with no corn, soy, or antibiotics and finished with spent grain. No cages for these rangers. Processed using the highest standards of health and safety at our facility, air chilled, and frozen/stored at -15 degrees.
Our producers are held to high standards for quality and bird care from farm to table.
These rangers are lean and you can taste the difference. The stock is phenomenal!! Check our label for a delicious recipe and please send us your favorite!


The Stream is Edgewood College's visual and theater arts center. The dramatic 44,000-square-foot industrial structure houses the Art and Theater Arts Departments and is home to the Edgewood College Gallery and Diane Ballweg Theater. The Stream is uniquely designed to blend into the College's beautiful woodland area and surrounding neighborhood.


text:
package influxdb

import (
	"errors"
	"fmt"
	"strings"
)

// ErrFieldTypeConflict is returned when a new field already exists with a
// different type.
var ErrFieldTypeConflict = errors.New("field type conflict")

// ErrDatabaseNotFound indicates that a database operation failed on the
// specified database because the specified database does not exist.
func ErrDatabaseNotFound(name string) error { return fmt.Errorf("database not found: %s", name) }

// ErrRetentionPolicyNotFound indicates that the named retention policy could
// not be found in the database.
func ErrRetentionPolicyNotFound(name string) error {
	return fmt.Errorf("retention policy not found: %s", name)
}

// IsClientError indicates whether an error is a known client error.
func IsClientError(err error) bool {
	if err == nil {
		return false
	}

	if strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), ErrFieldTypeConflict.Error()) {
		return true
	}

	return false
}

const upgradeMessage = `*******************************************************************
                 UNSUPPORTED SHARD FORMAT DETECTED

As of version 0.11, only tsm shards are supported. Please use the
influx_tsm tool to convert non-tsm shards.

More information can be found at the documentation site:
https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v0.10/administration/upgrading
*******************************************************************`


text:
Q: How to print out what function was executed by which worker in ray instead of looking it up on the dashboard? I am able to see which functions got assigned to which worker on the ray dashboard. Is it possible to print out which function got executed by which worker instead of looking it up on the dashboard?
Code example:
@ray.remote
def mul1(x):
    return x*x

@ray.remote
def mul2(y):
    return y*y

@ray.remote
def add(x,y):
    return x+y

futures = add.remote(mul1.remote(2), mul2.remote(3))
ray.get(futures)

desired output
PID: 2838 - mul2()
PID: 2848 - black()
PID: 2838 - add()

A: I have absolutely no experience with ray, but from pure python side you could write a simple decorator:
def print_name(func):
    @wraps(func)
    def deco(*args, **kwargs):
        print(func.__name__)
        return func(*args, **kwargs)
    return deco

Place it under @ray.remote
Use example:
@ray.remote
@print_name
def my_func():
    pass