text:
Tag Archives: Chris Wraight
Interview with Chris Wraight
Posted on September 24, 2013 by James Fadeley
He's written about the Iron Hands, the Space Wolves and the White Scars. Is it because he's a nice guy that he writes about the meanest bastards in Warhammer 40k so well? Who knows! But Chris Wraight has spared some time to speak to the Bolthole.
Not pictured: The pile of slain foes that are Chris Wraight's seat. Or the happy, not-a-seat fan he just met.
He2etic: What is the writing process like for you? If you were to describe the process in what word, what would it be?
Chris: One word: difficult. More words: It varies tremendously. I tried to make a commitment not to write weekends and evenings, which sometimes works but tends to fall over when a book is due in. On good days it's a fantastic way to make a living: creative, exciting and challenging. On bad days it's just very hard work.
The internet is both a blessing and a curse, of course. I'm always very touched when people get in touch to say they've enjoyed something; equally, it's very easy to find people who hated it. My favourite part of the writer-thing is probably the live events, particularly the Weekenders. Real people is what it's all about. To chat to someone who enjoyed a book is both a buzz and a privilege.
He2etic: What kind of music and musicians do you think best exemplify the Warhammer and Warhammer 40k universes?
Chris: When I'm writing I normally listen to film scores, partly because I've always liked them (ever since Danny Elfman's music for Burton-era Batman), and partly because I think a good BL book ought to be fairly cinematic: the job of the books in some ways as giving Warhammer the big-screen treatment on the page, and a score gets me into the head-space for that. Hans Zimmer would definitely be the composer for a 40K movie, and that strikes me as no bad thing.
"Real people is what it's all about. To chat to someone who enjoyed a book is both a buzz and a privilege."
He2etic: How do you approach character development? Do you prefer to see how the character evolves as you go, or do you put more planning into it beforehand?
Scars (episode 1), by Chris Wraight.
Chris: Most of the characters are fairly well planned out in advance, especially so when taking on established canon creatures like Bjorn or Schwarzhelm.
People have (rightly) high expectations that BL versions of the Codex characters will stay faithful, and while you can't please everyone it's important to at least try to produce something recognisable.
Secondary characters, in my experience, tend to change more during the writing process. The Blood Claws in Battle of the Fang weren't even in the synopsis, so their stories evolved along with the fighting.
In my most recent book, Master of Dragons, there's a minor character whose role changed several times as I was writing, ultimately in a way that I ended up liking very much. You're constantly making decisions as things go along, which is one of the pleasures of story-telling.
He2etic: Were there any particular pieces of fiction that inspired you when writing of the Iron Hands?
Chris: Fiction? Not that I can think of. The imagery for the Hands came more from films, I think. Terminator was in my head quite a lot, and I had James Horner's score for Aliens on loop when writing the hive-scenes.
Wrath of Iron, by Chris Wraight.
He2etic: You've written books set in both Warhammer universes. Do you find yourself preferring one universe more than the other in anyway?
Chris: I find writing Fantasy comes a little easier, if I'm honest. I think that's partly due to the fictional world being rooted in a historical real one, at least to some extent. In books like Iron Company, for example, it was fun to think about how real blackpowder weapons functioned, and then translate that to the fantasy environment.
The human characters in Fantasy are also recognisably placed in a pseudo-historical setting – early modern Germany (or Medieval France, etc.). They have similar, albeit altered, concerns to people in real-world settings, so there's something to latch on to there.
40K is different. It's such a vast and extreme backdrop that the leap of imagination needs to be bigger. I find Space Marines very difficult to characterise, as well as the general sense of colossal, mind-bending carnage that's taking place all the time.
I don't think I've ever got it quite right, though it's always fun having a try. One day I'd love to try something non-Space Marine-centric in the 40K field, like an Inquisitor novel or an Imperial Navy saga, though the audience for such a thing might be… small.
"Stepping up to doing it professionally makes things a bit different – it's no longer an indulgent business of doing it when you fancy it or when inspiration strikes – it's a day job, and you need to get words on the page at a pretty consistent rate."
He2etic: If you could cast anyone to play the roles of main characters in your work, who would you pick?
Sword of Vengeance, by Chris Wraight.
Chris: The best suggestion I ever had was for Sean Connery to play the Khan. To see the full majesty of this idea, just Google 'Zardoz'.
He2etic: Do you have any long term projects for writing? For example, do you intend to someday spin your own franchise or complete a long novel series?
Chris: Right now I'm concentrating wholly on BL stuff and have lots of ideas for stuff in that setting. Despite writing a handful of novels in both worlds, there's so much to learn and it's still very much work in progress. I'm lucky enough to have been given the chance to write some Heresy material recently, and that's a whole new landscape to get immersed in and try to understand.
Both Warhammer franchises are such huge worlds that there's still loads I'd love to have a crack at. My ultimate wishlist would be (for 40K) a trilogy on the fall of Iyanden, and (for Fantasy) the Great War against Chaos. I can dream, I guess 🙂
He2etic: Who are your favourite characters amongst both those you've written, and by other authors?
Chris: In terms of stuff I've done, I'm probably fondest of the Fantasy characters: Magnus Ironblood, Pieter Verstohlen, more recently Imladrik in the War of Vengeance series. In 40K/Heresy stuff, I loved writing for the White Scars and like Shiban very much, as well as Targutai Yesugei (who's really Graham's character, but he very nicely let me continue his story).
As regards other BL authors, the primarchs are the most compelling for me, Russ in Prospero Burns and Magnus in A Thousand Sons being particularly memorable and nicely drawn.
"You can't write about the world, even in a fantasy sense, without having lived in it. Get out of the house, meet people, travel, experience new things – you can only tell stories if you have them."
He2etic: Are there any books, movies, television series or even games that you think are mandatory viewing for struggling writers?
I liked Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip for that, and of course there's The Shining (all work and no play, and all that). In terms of sheer story-telling perfection, you can't go wrong with a good Pixar film. The Incredibles was wonderful – funny and clever, Up was heartbreaking. Jim Swallow told me once that every up and coming writer should watch and study the original Die Hard to see how to construct a tight, smart three-act action story. I did, and he's right.
Blood of Asaheim, by Chris Wraight.
He2etic: Any advice for new authors?
Chris: I get asked this from time to time, and never really know what to say. That's not because of being precious or protective, just because, like a lot of authors, I'm not entirely sure how I stumbled into this thing, have very little idea how I'm still here, and no clue at all how long it will last.
Neil Gaiman talks about the Imposter Syndrome, and he's quite right. However, in the interests of saying something rather than nothing, I have two thoughts:
1. Read your favourite books again and find out how they do what they do. Good writing, to an extent, can be learned.
2. You can't write about the world, even in a fantasy sense, without having lived in it. Get out of the house, meet people, travel, experience new things – you can only tell stories if you have them.
He2etic: Have you always written? Was it something that came with time?
Chris: I've always wanted to write, and have done so on and off since being at school. Stepping up to doing it professionally makes things a bit different – it's no longer an indulgent business of doing it when you fancy it or when inspiration strikes – it's a day job, and you need to get words on the page at a pretty consistent rate. Like all writers, I've been learning on the way – making mistakes, screwing up, occasionally getting the odd thing right.
Sword of Justice, by Chris Wraight.
Writing in a shared world brings its own challenges. You'd like to think that you can being original ideas into the setting, things that strike you as being cool or interesting, but you've always got to be careful not to step outside the mythos or mangle it into something else. We get a lot of help from the editors with this, of course, but in the final analysis it's our name on the cover. All fun, though frequently terrifying.
He2etic: What does a typical writing day look like for you?
Chris: I try to keep something like normal working hours. That means starting the morning around 8 or 9, breaking for lunch, writing a bit more in the afternoon and then stopping around 6 or 7pm.
The rules are designed to prevent insanity setting in and total desocialisation, but they tend to get waived when a book's due in or there's too much on.
This year's been very busy, as it turns out. That's great for a freelancer, but I reckon I'll need a break once the current book (Stormcaller) is delivered. There are only so many seven-day weeks you can pull before everything starts to look a little hazy…
He2etic: When it comes to reading, do you have any guilty pleasures? Stuff you know is trash but read anyway?
Chris: No, not really. My reading's been pretty good over the last few months, and I've been enjoying the things I've picked out. Movies and TV, on the other hand, are a different matter. I have a strange liking for Columbo. And Bullseye. Go figure.
Thanks again to Chris Wraight for his time! Tune in next week for another interview on The Bolthole.
Posted in Authors, Interviews, Writing Tips	| Tagged Black Library, Blood of Asaheim, Chris Wraight, Iron Hands, Scars, Schwarzhelm, Space Wolves, Sword of Vengeance, White Scars, Wrath of Iron, writing advice	| Leave a reply
Author Interview – Chris Wraight
Monday, monday, monday. Another monday, another interview. Today it is Chris Wraight, long-time freelance writer for Black Library, who takes a stroll through these parts and talks about how he got started and his works: past, present and future.
As most of you know, and for those who don't, Chris wrote the phenomenal Battle of The Fang novel for the Space Marine Battles series, and has also had great success in Warhammer Fantasy with his Warhammer Heroes novels and his Empire Army novels. Chris has also taken tentative steps into the Horus Heresy series with his short story Rebirth, featuring the Thousand Sons and by all accounts, 2012 looks like it is going to be a great year for him.
So here's Chris himself!
Shadowhawk: How did you get started with writing for Black Library and what attracted you to the two Warhammer settings?
Chris: A long time ago, almost out of the blue, I submitted a short story for an open competition BL was running. I was invited to work it up for publication, with the result that it appeared in the Invasion! anthology. A couple of novels followed, about which it's probably kindest to say that they, er, showed some potential. Thankfully the editors at Black Library persevered, and since Iron Company I've begun to feel quite a bit more at home in the Old World.
Shadowhawk: You are a veteran for Warhammer Fantasy with quite a few novels and short stories under your belt. Which format do you prefer over the other?
Chris: Novels are what it's all about, really. Shorter fiction is less stressful to write and offers opportunities to do cool things, but in terms of author satisfaction there's nothing quite like looking at the spine of a finished book sitting on your bookshelf. They're tough to plot out and infuriatingly hard to finish, but absolutely worth it in the end.
Shadowhawk: Battle of the Fang, your Space Marine Battles novel featuring the Space Wolves and Thousand Sons is lauded as one of the best in the series. How did you approach the material and what inspired you to take on this particular event?
Chris: I was asked by Nick Kyme to draw up a proposal for Battle of the Fang. I believe the story was slated to be part of the Space Marine Battles series right from the start, but scheduling issues meant that it went without an author for quite a while. Since starting out with Black Library I'd always been keen to try writing 40K, and I'd previously been given a try-out with the short story Runes in one of the Space Marine anthologies, so when the chance came to work on the project I leapt at it.
In some ways, doing a Space Marine Battles book was an ideal first outing for a novel-length project, as the basic plot for it already existed. In most other respects, though, it was a hard story to write. The Space Wolves are about as popular a faction as any, and at the time of writing the book they hadn't had a novel featuring them for a while. I knew that Prospero Burns would be out beforehand, which was bound to be a massive event. There were also elements of the story – such as the starting premise and Magnus turning up – that were very difficult to know how to handle. I spent a lot of time thinking about how to draw everything together (which made the book quite late), so it's nice that many readers seem to have enjoyed the end result. You're never going to satisfy everyone about every aspect of your take on something, particularly when some fans have a very clear idea about how certain events should pan out before even picking up the book, but the majority of the feedback has been encouraging.
Shadowhawk: How much inspiration did you draw from Dan's Prospero Burns and Bill's Ragnar novels? Did you communicate with either of them for this project?
Chris: I spoke to Dan a number of times while writing, and he was enormously helpful. Prospero Burns was finished off while I was about halfway through Battle of the Fang, and I made quite a few changes to the drafts to try to reflect his (incredible) reimagining of the Wolves. I also read, and re-read, the first four Space Wolf books, which were similarly useful in getting a feel for the Chapter. I'd like to think that while my Space Wolves incorporate concepts from both Bill's and Dan's treatment of them, they have a few features of their own too. One of the nice things about working in a shared universe, after all, is the chance you get to leave some ideas of your own out there.
Shadowhawk: Your next novel for Warhammer 40,000 is another Space Marine Battles novel, this time featuring the Iron Hands. You have previously written a short story for them in Hammer & Bolter. Why the Iron Hands?
Chris: No one else was doing them. J
Shadowhawk: Both the Iron Hands and the Space Wolves are non-traditional chapters who diverge quite a bit from the Codex Astartes and have some very strong ideologies of their own carried over from the days of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. What has it been like to delve into their unique culture and their psyche?
Chris: The Space Wolves are a very popular and a very likeable Chapter: they're dynamic, individual, and occupy a unique space in the 40K mythos. The Iron Hands are the opposite: they're grim, agonised and gloomy. That makes the Wolves far easier to write about, since you have some of the material for creating characters to identify with. The Iron Hands are more difficult. In some ways, that's a more satisfying challenge – making the unlikeable interesting. In Wrath of Iron, the Iron Hands don't pull any punches – they're not nice, they're not nuanced and they're not misunderstood. Just as some Traitor Legions embody a lot of admirable features, some Loyalists really are pretty screwed up, and the Iron Hands are about as badly damaged as they come. There are, however, stories to be told about how and why they came to be the way they are, and how they relate to the rest of the Imperium.
Shadowhawk: Ludwig Schwarzhelm and Kurt Helborg are getting their second outing in the upcoming novel Swords of the Emperor. These two are also among the first heroes of the Old World to be featured in the Warhammer Heroes novels. How did you get started with both of them?
Chris: Writing for Schwarzhelm and Helborg was great, as neither character had a huge amount of worked-out background already in print. I took the text in the Empire Army Book as the starting point, together with the fantastic artwork, and tried to give each of them proper personalities. They're very different men: Schwarzhelm's dour, reserved and only really good at a certain kind of fighting, whereas Helborg's accomplished, brash and a more natural leader of men. Of all the projects I've written for Black Library, I probably enjoyed the two Swords books the most, mostly due to the freedom I felt I had with the story and characters.
Shadowhawk: What can you tell us about Swords of the Emperor itself?
Chris: Swords of the Emperor is an anthology containing the novels Sword of Justice and Sword of Vengeance. It will also contain the short stories 'Feast of Horrors' (featuring Schwarzhelm) and 'Duty and Honour' (starring Helborg). The second of those is new for the anthology, and sees Kurt in action in Bretonnia.
Shadowhawk: You have written extensively for the Empire before so how was the experience writing for the High Elves in your novella Dragonmage? Will there be any possible sequels to the story contained therein?
Chris: Writing Dragonmage was actually quite hard, as it turned out, and the novella ended up going through a couple of drafts. Nick Kyme, my editor for that one, had a lot of input into the finished result and improved it hugely. I guess the issue was largely down to switching between the Empire, which is a low fantasy setting, and the world of the High Elves, which is a bit more epic and mythical. It's been good to read the feedback to the final product, though, which squeezed quite a lot of story into a relatively short package and seems to have gone down well. I don't expect we'll see a sequel, although I'll be writing High Elves again as part of the War of Vengeance series. The first book in that sequence will be Nick's The Great Betrayal. My follow-up has the provisional title Master of Dragons, and, as you'd expect, has a whole lot of fire-breathing, stuntie-crushing action planned for it.
Shadowhawk: Any plans to tackle the Horus Heresy? And what faction, event, character would you like to explore next?
Chris: Nothing that's ready to talk about, I'm afraid. In terms of future projects in general, I've got High Elves, Space Wolves and White Scars all on the horizon.
Shadowhawk: With the Games Day 2011 Anthology, we got the first peak into Luthor Huss in your short story The March of Doom. The novel itself is coming out next month. Warrior Priests are not like the other soldiers of the Empire, so what was it like to get into the psyche of one?
Chris: I took the view that if Fantasy had Space Marines in it, then Huss would be one. Warrior Priests share the same asceticism, devotion and martial prowess – they even look a bit the same. Huss isn't quite your average Warrior Priest, though; he's a bit more extreme than most, and more interesting too. The tone set in The March of Doom is very much the same as that in Luthor Huss, so anyone who enjoyed the anthology story will hopefully like the novel too. Huss is a bit like Schwarzhelm, but with an added dose of religious fervour. He's another one of those uncompromising, brutal characters that Warhammer seems to generate. As ever, the interest in such a character come from why someone would end up like that, and there's a good deal too on the nature and limitations of faith.
Shadowhawk: Who and/or what has been the biggest influence on your writing?
Chris: Some of the influences you end up with aren't that helpful. I think I've inherited a strong dose of Tolkienese from being obsessed with The Lord of the Rings as a child. I love Tolkien, but I don't really want to write like him. I still do from time to time, unfortunately, but it's something I'm working on. Otherwise, I admire a lot of different writers, most of whom have little in common with one another. Right now I'm reading a very good book by Margaret Atwood on science fiction, which is already giving me ideas.
Shadowhawk: Have any of your characters ever challenged you straight up or otherwise while writing them?
Chris: Lots do. I found writing Space Wolves very hard. Space Marines in general are hard. Elves are quite hard, too. Actually it's all quite difficult, now I come to think about it.
Shadowhawk: What helps you get into the writing mindset?
Chris: Ah, that depends. Some days it all seems to work well, and I get up from the desk having typed several thousand words of stuff I'm quite pleased with; others, it's a challenge getting anything on the page. I listen to a lot of film scores when I'm writing, partly to try to get into the right frame of mind. A good Black Library book should be a bit filmic, I think. For Wrath of Iron, that ended up being the OST from Christopher Nolan's two Batman films. Suitably dour.
Shadowhawk: What are you looking forward to the most in terms of your own work for 2012?
Chris: Getting back to writing about dragons, and writing an encounter between two gentlemen, one of whom may or may not be Horus, the other of whom may or may not be the Khan.
Shadowhawk: Anything else happening this year you are absolutely stoked for?
Chris: Um. The Olympics?
Shadowhawk: If all your leading characters got into a cross-universe deathmatch, who would you root for and why?
Chris: A secondary character called Pieter Verstohlen, who first popped up in Sword of Justice. He wouldn't last five minutes of course, but I'd hope he'd find a way to hang in there a bit longer than anyone expected. One day, if the stars align, he'll get another novel. In fact, I'd love him to have a whole series (though don't hold your breath for that).
I hope you all enjoyed that interview folks. Coming later this week is the January (Black Library) Artwork Round-up and a blogpost on ePublishing, so stay tuned through the week!
Posted in Authors, Interviews	| Tagged 40K, Author Interview, Black Library, Chris Wraight, Empire Army, Feast of Horrors, Hammer & Bolter, Horus Heresy, Interview, Iron Hands, Kurt Helborg, Runes, Space Marines Battles, Space Wolves, Swords of the Emperor, The Great Betrayal, Time of Legends, Warhammer, Warhammer Heroes	| 2 Replies
December Artwork Roundup
December was a spectacular month for Black Library artwork. We have had some truly amazing art being shown for future novels as well as the Advent Calendar "quiz" which saw speculation in the fandom ramping all the way to 11 and beyond.
So let's take a peek into just what got released for December and what we can expect in the future.
Posted in Artwork, BL Announcements	| Tagged 40K, Advent Calendar, Artwork Roundup, Baudros, Ben Counter, Black Fire Pass, Black Library, Catechism of Hate, Chaplain Cassius, Cheoljoo Lee, Chris Wraight, Darius Hinks, Dwarfs, Gav Thorpe, Graham McNeill, High Elves, Horus Heresy, Imperial Fists, Iron Warriors, Jon Sullivan, Legend of Sigmar, Neil Roberts, Orion, Priests of Mars, Space Marine Battles, Stef Kopinski, The Great Betrayal, Time of Legends, Tyranids, Van Horstmann, Warhammer Heroes, Wrath of Iron	| Leave a reply
November Artwork Roundup
November has come and gone, and with it we have been treated to a host of wonderful artwork from Black Library, whether it is for the novels or the audio dramas. All of Black Library's artists, everyone from Neil Roberts and Jon Sullivan to Cheoljoo Lee and Winona and many others have done some great work this year and they seem set to deliver even better for next year.
So withour further ado, here is some of the Black Library artwork for the month of November for some of 2012's most anticipated releases.
Posted in Artwork, BL Announcements	| Tagged 40K, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Artwork Roundup, Black Library, Bloodsworn, Cheoljoo Lee, Chris Wraight, Christian Dunn, Cypher, Darius Hinks, Dark Angels, Eldar, Fear To Tread, Fulgrim, Gav Thorpe, Grey Knight Interceptor, Grey Knights, Horus, Horus Heresy, Hyperion, Iron Hands, James Swallow, Jon Sullivan, Malediction, Nathan Long, Neil Roberts, Nick Kyme, November, Orion, Path of the Outcast, Sanguinius, Sarah Cawkwell, Slawomir Maniak, Space Marines Battles, The Primarchs, Time of Legends, Tome of Fire, Ulrika, Valkia The Bloody, Vaults of Winter, Warhammer, Winona Nelson, Wrath of Iron	| 10 Replies


No connections shall be made to the Town's water mains, services, or hydrants without the permission of the Water Department.
All new homes require an occupancy permit signed by various departments of theTown. No occupancy permit shall be issued without the approval of the Water Superintendent to insure that all Water Department rules and regulations have been complied with.
All fittings for copper pipe shall be of the compression or flared type. All fittings for plastic pipe shall be of the compression type only. All valves shall open left (counterclockwise). All fittings and valves shall be approved by the Water Superintendent prior to their installation.
The following instructions as to methods and materials for the furnishing and installation of service lines from water mains to house connections are hereby issued as a guide to and a requirement for all individuals and private contractors engaged in this type of work and shall be followed unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent.
Before proceeding with the work, a Connection Permit shall be applied for and obtained at the office of the Water Department at the Town Hall and the required fee shall be paid.
A Road Opening Permit shall be obtained from the Board of Selectmen to excavate in any public way in the Town for purposes of constructing a water service line. Any decision relative to the exact location for such service line shall be approved by the Superintendent of the Water Department.
Insurance certificates shall be furnished by the petitioner as may be required by the Board of Water Commissioners, in order to save the Town and its employees harmless from all claims, demands, suits, and actions for or on account of any injuries or damages occasioned by acts or neglects in doing work.
excavations, in the opinion of the Chief of Police, the Owner shall, at his own expense, obtain the services of police officers at such times as may be designated.
Superintendent, and shall be approved by him before leaving the site. No backfilling shall be started until the pipe installation has been approved by the Superintendent of the Water Department.
The Superintendent of the Water Department shall be notified at least two working days before the work is to commence, Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays excluded.
The water shall not be turned on until the installation has been approved by the Superintendent of the Water Department, who shall be properly notified that the work is complete and ready for inspection.
Special Conditions encountered at the site which may be at variance with the requirements as set forth herein, shall be referred to the Superintendent who shall decide on the methods and operations to be followed. In general, water service lines will not be approved if installed on private property under paved areas such as sidewalks, driveways, or in exposed locations subject to freezing or possible disturbance.
A sketch of a typical water service installation is available at the Water Department Office.
Saddle Clamp: Direct pressure taps for service connections are permitted for Ductile Iron Class 52 water pipe only. Saddle clamps for Asbestos-Cement, Cast Iron, and Ductile Iron pipe shall be "Ford" #F202 double strap service saddles or approved equal. For Filament Wound Reinforced Thermosetting Resin pipe saddle clamps shall be as recommended in the manufacturers installation guide (stainless steel wrap around type).
Curb Stop shall be "Ford" #B44-444SW or approved equal and shall be of size directed by the Superintendent.
Curb Box shall be extra heavy duty, sliding type with a three and one half inch inside diameter shaft, length for specified trench depths, and as manufactured by Buffalo Pipe Foundry or approved equal.
Couplings between the curb stop and the cellar shut-off valve are not permitted unless approved in advance by the Superintendent. Couplings shall be equal to "Ford" #C-44.
Sleeves shall be furnished and installed through foundation walls wherever possible, to receive piping for water service; said sleeves shall be of a size sufficient to allow the pipe to pass easily through without forcing or binding. Sleeves may be of clay pipe, plastic pipe, or other non-metallic material. The inside and outside orifices around the water service line shall be sealed with a noncorrosive material as approved.
Cellar Valve shall be a ball valve and approved in advance by the Superintendent. Valves shall be equal to "Ford", lever handle cellar stop #B11-444.
The Water Meter will be furnished and installed by the Water Department in a location as selected by the Superintendent. No meter shall be installed in a location subject to freezing or damage. Cellar Valves and Meters are not to be boxed in by the Homeowner and should be accessible at all times.
Pipe for Water Service Line shall be Type "K" soft temper copper tubing or Class 200 Polyethylene pipe. If plastic pipe is used then it shall be marked with traceable early warning tape for its entire length and stainless steel insert stiffeners shall be used at all connections. All pipes shall be marked to show type and character. Minimum size shall be not less than one-inch nominal diameter. Details for connections larger than one inch shall be approved by the Superintendent.
Depth of cover for all service water lines and connections shall be a minimum of five feet. Water service lines must be run in a separate trench at least five feet away from storm drain lines, electric lines, telephone lines, gas lines, and ten feet away from septic lines.
The installer shall use copper service pipe to connect the corporation to the curb stop. There shall not be any couplings installed between the corporation and the curb stop. All service lines shall come off the water main and come into the curb box at a ninety degree angle.
Either copper or plastic service pipe may be used to connect the curb stop to the house. If plastic pipe is used then it shall be bedded in clean sand, from two inches below the pipe to one foot above, and marked for the entire length by traceable warning tape buried above the service line no more than two feet below grade.
Backfilling of trenches over water service lines shall be by hand for a depth of at least one foot using clean, sharp, fine material free from large stones, frozen earth, etc. Materials used for bedding pipe shall receive the approval of the Superintendent or Inspector. Backfilling from at least one foot above the pipe to the surface shall be done in layers of not more than eight inches in depth and thoroughly compacted. No large stones or boulders greater than twelve inches in diameter shall be used in backfilling the trenches.
All curb boxes shall be set to the finished ground level and shall be backfilled by hand and tamped as set forth above. It is the responsibility of the Owner to insure that the top of the box easily accessible and at the surface of the ground at all times.
Water Department will supply one 5/8"x ¾" meter per service connection. The Water Department will determine the size and number of meters required. If additional meters or a larger meter is required, they are to be supplied at the owner's expense.
Services longer than one hundred fifty feet (150') or greater than 1 ½" in diameter may require the installation of a meter pit. The size and location of the pit shall be as directed by the Superintendent.
Voted and accepted by the Board of Water Commissioners, July 19, 2000.


text:
Bernhard Kotynski (* 13. April 1990 in Wien) ist ein österreichischer Fußballspieler.

Karriere
Kotynski begann 1996 mit sechs Jahren seine Fußballerkarriere bei den Jugendmannschaften von SV Neulengbach. 2004 kam er in die AKA St. Pölten, eine Fußballakademie in St. Pölten, in der er bis 2009 spielte. 2009 spielte er erstmals für die Amateure des SKN St. Pölten, mit denen er im selben Jahr in die Landesliga aufstieg. Sein Debüt in dieser gab er im September 2009 gegen den 1. SC Sollenau.

Im März 2010 stand er gegen den FC Gratkorn erstmals im Kader der Profis von St. Pölten. Im selben Monat debütierte er in der zweiten Liga, als er am 21. Spieltag der Saison 2009/10 gegen den FC Admira Wacker Mödling in der 21. Minute für Georg Gravogl eingewechselt wurde. Seinen ersten Treffer in der zweithöchsten Spielklasse erzielte er im November 2011 bei einem 3:2-Sieg gegen den WAC/St. Andrä. In seinen vier Saisonen bei den Profis des SKN absolvierte er 39 Zweitligaspiele, in denen er einen Treffer erzielte.

Zur Saison 2013/14 wechselte Kotynski zum Regionalligisten ATSV Ober-Grafendorf. Für Ober-Grafendorf absolvierte er in jener Saison alle 30 Spiele in der Regionalliga und erzielte dabei fünf Treffer. Mit seinem Verein musste er zu Saisonende jedoch aus der Regionalliga absteigen.

Daraufhin schloss er sich im Sommer 2014 dem Regionalligisten FC Blau-Weiß Linz an. Mit BW Linz stieg er 2016 in die zweithöchste Spielklasse auf. Nach dem Aufstieg rückte er 2016 in den Kader der Amateure des Vereins.

Im Jänner 2018 wechselte er zum sechstklassigen SC Kronstorf, wo er eineinhalb Jahre blieb. Mit Juli 2019 ging Kotynski zum Landesligisten SV Langenrohr, nach einem Jahr wechselte Kotynski weiter zum Ligakonkurrenten SCU Kilb. Aufgrund von privaten Veränderungen verließ Kotynski nach einem halben Jahr das Pielachtal.

Erfolge
 Meister Regionalliga Mitte: 2015/16
 Meister Jugendliga U19: 2008/09

Weblinks

 Bernhard Kotynski in der Datenbank von fussballoesterreich.at

Einzelnachweise

Fußballspieler (SKN St. Pölten)
Fußballspieler (ATSV Ober-Grafendorf)
Fußballspieler (FC Blau-Weiß Linz)
Fußballspieler (SV Langenrohr)
Österreicher
Geboren 1990
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This page is the entry point to Oracle Security articles written on specific areas or features of the database. Are they tips or not; well yes, as I want to explore in details specific security features and tell you more about them and how they work or seem to work or indeed don't work as they seem. Some tips are detailed explorations of a feature or area. Some tips do not relate to a security feature but instead have security issues that should be watched when the feature is used.


text:
Next Mining Boom
Next Oil Rush
Next Tech Stock
Next Small Cap
Next Biotech
Receive Latest Updates
ASX FinTech's Blockchain Technology Opens $600BN Remittance Market
The global remittance market, i.e. the value of payments being sent across international borders, is currently worth nearly $600BN.
However the options available for international money transfers currently range from painful to impossible, especially if you're after a cheap, instantaneous, uncomplicated, and secure transfer experience, more aligned with the 21 st century way of life.
As the amount of cross border money transfers grow, so too do mobile phone transactions – forecast to hit $1.5 trillion by 2017...
All it takes is for one nimble tech company with the right product to knock existing global money transfer players out of the water.
Today's revenue generating, ASX listed, tech company wants to do to the sluggish incumbent remittance industry what Skype and Whatsapp did for international phone calls.
This ASX stock has developed an SMS enabled, international payments platform and mobile money transfer product, built on a foundation of blockchain technology.
It's called Airpocket, and it allows anyone to convert physical cash to digital money, which can be redeemed abroad for local currency. It can also be used to pay bills, top up phone credit, and purchase goods and services.
Blockchain technology speeds up the money transfer process, and does it at a more affordable price than traditional players.
If this ASX company can find traction with its product, the opportunity here is a chance to "own" the $600BN international money transfer space...
This company has already launched AirPocket in Latin America, and is set to launch into the Caribbean and Asian markets in the near future. These markets alone represent an opportunity of about $384M, in a global remittance market worth over $601BN in 2015 . To put this market in further perspective, $436BN was received by developing countries.
With the proliferation of smartphones in developing nations, Airpocket can also provide basic banking services to those in remote areas, beyond the commercial reach of the infrastructure of big banks.
And that includes servicing the 2.5 billion people who are unbanked – a vast, as yet untapped market for this company...
It's common practice for migrants to send money home to relatives living in less prosperous areas and today's company is looking to make it easier for them to do so. In fact, in the US over half of foreign born Hispanics send money back home to their families.
The company has set up in the United States and Latin America and has been delivering on its partnership strategy.
While Airpocket has only just hit the App stores, the company has already signed up several large commercial partners in the region, including AT&T Mexico, Telefonica, and UniTeller.
This company offers a lower cost to transfer money abroad than existing providers via superior blockchain technology; faster processing time; simplicity of use; and its own proprietary digital customer onboarding and transaction monitoring system.
Importantly, the company has delivered before: their first Blockchain-base product has already produced revenues of over US$38.7M.
And this ASX stock's market cap? Just AU$12M...
What we have here is an emerging digital payments disruptor, with its foot well and truly in the door of a major opportunity with the US-LatAm migration corridor, having already secured four advantageous partnerships on the road to commercialisation.
Introducing what could be the future of secure digital remittance...
DigitalX Limited
ASX:DCC
Be alerted as soon as an article is released - Join our mailing list
Interested in more investment opportunities? Check the box to receive ALL our alerts
DigitalX Limited (ASX:DCC) is a tech company offering simple, accessible remittance solutions and global digital payments from your phone.
Having made its name (and a solid foundation of technology) in the world of Bitcoin , DCC's primary purpose now is to build on its Bitcoin experience and create fintech products using blockchain technology – starting with AirPocket, but also with a B2B product, DigitalX Direct, which we will get to shortly.
DCC has signed an agreement with AT&T Mexico to use its AirPocket transfer mobile top up app and has just finalised integration of the two platforms. AT&T has approximately 15% of the Mexican mobile market or 12.4 million users – quite a decent first market entry point for this company.
A partnership with TransferTo for international mobile top-ups also represents a big deal for DCC. TransferTo is the world's leading B2B mobile payments network and links to 4.5 billion mobile users through partnerships with over 400 mobile operators with reach into over 100 countries.
DCC has also secured a strategic alliance with telecommunications giant Telefónica, completed commercial integration and testing of the AirPocket app on its network, and is marketing the app to its customer base across Latin America. This partnership gives DCC access to Telefónica's nearly 100 million customers.
The most recent deal struck by DCC was with leading international remittance company UniTeller, and it gives the company access to over 40,000 cash out locations across Latin America and Asia.
As DCC continues to build up its partnerships, the potential for Airpocket to be successful continues to grow.
In order to expand the reach of the Airpocket app and its development, DCC has just completed an oversubscribed capital raising with institutional and sophisticated investors, raising a total of $1.6 million at a price of $0.05 per share.
The new look management team personally contributed approximately $350,000 – which means they can see serious potential here, and have serious skin in the game.
A Share Purchase Plan is happening soon, giving existing shareholders the opportunity to participate in a company capital raise at the same share price as the institutions, which includes a 1:2 attaching option at 8c.
All of the capital raised will go towards marketing through partner channels, the integration of software with various money transfer companies and general working capital, vital to a small cap of this size.
And all of that work only encompasses DCC's current scope, not taking into consideration future opportunities for expanding or diversifying into other areas.
Being in the buzz-word world of 'Blockchain', the possibilities for this company are not only virtual, but virtually endless and include white labelling their product for mobile payments (mobile payments market is expected to reach $2.8 trillion by 2020 ), use of their software for peer to peer lending, and maybe even merchant transactions in underbanked countries.
AirPocket is currently available to top up mobile phones in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.
Here is a short explainer video on Airpocket, and how it works:
AirPocket is designed to provide consumers the ability to securely and cost-effectively make cross border payments and send remittances in any currency, from anywhere, anytime, regardless of transaction size.
The technology has already caught the attention of global giants AT&T and Telefonica, whose customers can use AirPocket (which we'll take an in-depth look at shortly) to reach its many millions of customers, but as DCC look to branch out further, its addressable market could grow substantially as it potentially leverages its deals with these telco giants to move into regions beyond Latin America.
Before we have a look at how they might do this, let's take a step back and establish an oft-heard but rarely understood term: blockchain.
Blockchain is revolutionising online transactions
The basic problem DCC is trying to solve is how to make it as easy, cheap and secure as possible to send money internationally.
Blockchain technology is so called because it is literally a chain of digital records, recorded on a register in blocks. Blockchains are distributed across a database of computers which maintains the growing list of blocks in a decentralised way. As each block contains a timestamp and a link to a previous block, the data cannot be altered retrospectively.
Here is a simple explanation of what blockchain is and how it works.
The technology was first used to create cryptocurrency Bitcoin , where it serves as the public ledger for all transactions with a total current market cap around US$12B. But its use is now broadening to other digital or online applications due to its insusceptibility to fraud and hackers.
A transaction between two parties – let's say person A pays person B – generates a unique code. That code is then authenticated as genuine by a vast network of computers. Once the code is authenticated, the trade is made and placed on a ledger.
The system is secure because the codes must be deemed authentic by so many different third parties, who all have a complete ledger of every transaction ever completed. This means it's very difficult, if not impossible, to corrupt.
That's blockchain in a nutshell, and it's said that global investment in blockchain-based technology will surpass US$1 billion for 2016 .
Forbes predict it will revolutionise business transactions ; Santander believes it will save banks $20B a year by 2022 , while Australian banks, ASX-listed travel firm Webjet, Microsoft and other companies are at various stages of integrating blockchain technology to make everyday transactions more secure .
Basically, if you conduct online transactions with any kind of tech-savviness, you should probably have a blockchain plan in the works – and DCC is well on top of this.
A little bit of this and a little Bitcoin of that...
DCC made its start in the Bitcoin world through their DigitalX Direct product .
The simple description of the product is it enables developers to integrate Bitcoin sales and purchases into their apps, providing greater liquidity of the cryptocurrency.
The company also made money mining Bitcoins – which is the process of adding transaction records to Bitcoin's public ledger (or blockchain) of past transactions. The company's Chief of Technology, Mike Segal, a renowned expert in cryptography and machine learning, even co-founded the first weekly Bitcoin discussion group in the world.
So with a first mover background in blockchain technology, DCC is currently transitioning into the world of international remittances via Airpocket.
Whether the company can do this profitably or not still remains to be seen and investors should take a cautious approach when considering this stock for their portfolio.
Total remittances in 2014 – $583 billion
The total value of remittance payments in 2014 – from migrants across the globe to their friends or family back home – was more than three times the official development assistance funds (aka world aid). And according to projections, about $436 billion of these remittances went to developing countries .
That same year, the average cost of sending a $200 remittance internationally was 8 per cent of the value of the transaction – a significant chunk for each time money was sent.
The ability to offer lower costs for this customer base has been stymied by a few factors – a monopoly on the market from a small group of big players (Western Union, Moneygram and Xoom), as well as legal burdens relating to money laundering and terrorism funding.
DCC has completed its due diligence and spent the dollars on legal and compliance to make sure it's in line with regulations and to keep everything as secure and legally airtight as possible. Now it's time to open the floodgates and provide this technology to users.
On the topic of costs and money spent – DCC has been able to drastically cut down their running costs, as legal fees have diminished (AirPocket is now set up and at commercialisation stage so most of the necessary legal costs have been spent), whilst board cost cutting has saved the company nearly AU$1M per year.
Considering those factors, plus commercial deals quickly accumulating, DCC is hoping to have more revenue than spend in the very near future and is banking on Airpocket to help it achieve this aim.
AirPocket mobile payment app
AirPocket is a mobile app for international remittance payments that provides irrefutable proof of transaction through blockchain technology.
The development team has also built a platform which streamlines customer on-boarding (while meeting Know Your Customer regulations), provides a useful user credit history and transaction history (and the foundations for a credit rating); and utilises the newest technology in anti-money laundering.
Customers that complete their details, scan their documents and pass all checks and sanctions including 'Politically Exposed Person' checks, are assigned an AirID on a blockchain, allowing the owner of the ID access irrefutable historic data.
Being based on blockchain technology, AirID offers the full spectrum of security including cryptographic signatures, immutability, and decentralisation.
Only with an AirID can users make international payments from the US using AirPocket.
This functionality could unlock the potential for DCC to move into the provision of basic financial services for underbanked regions by allowing users to selectively share these transaction records with financial institutions.
Once set up with an AirID, users can transfer money internationally through AirPocket.
While the person sending the money requires the App, the receiver just needs the ability to receive an SMS. AirPocket has been made with their customer in mind and acts as a secure conduit for the money transfer. The receiver has the choice of having the funds sent straight to their bank account, or picking up the cash at a convenient location.
There are over 40,000 locations currently offering AirPocket cash pick-ups, including at retail giants like Walmart.
As we mentioned earlier the Airpocket app can also be used to pay bills, top up phone credit and purchase goods and services on behalf of someone else in another country (things that are already being done worldwide at a high frequency, but at a high premium).
Being a cloud-based platform, AirPocket is run at low operating costs too, and it means that the tech is infinitely scalable.
Latin America – a strategic target market for DCC
The US-Mexico corridor is the biggest migration corridor in the world and Latin American born migrants in the US represent the largest international remittance market – so it's a great place for DCC to launch AirPocket.
Here's a few stats to put this in perspective:
The average cost of sending $200 to Latin American countries from the US was over 6.14% in Q1 2015 .
That year, 54% of foreign-born Hispanic migrants sent money from the US to their home country. Studies show that the majority of these transactions are cash-based, as most Latin American countries operate predominantly in cash.
So we've got the problem, the tech solution and the wide open market... but what about further commercial opportunities?
A major way DCC is getting its ducks in a row early is by striking strategic partnerships on the way to commercialisation. As we briefly touched on earlier, in its (air)pocket, the company has: Telefónica, TransferTo, AT&T Mexico – and the most recent addition to the list, UniTeller.
Let's take a peek at each of these partnerships individually in more detail.
Telefónica – one of the top 5 largest telecoms in the world
The first major partnership announced by DCC was with telecom giant Telefónica, giving them access to 100 million users completing mobile recharge transactions between the US and a selection of LatAm countries.
It's an early sign of the impressive commercialisation potential in this space... which is obviously the point of DCC setting themselves up in the US-LatAm corridor.
AirPocket testing and technical integration was completed in May this year, and Telefónica marketed the product to their user base through an SMS campaign.
The agreement allows for consumers in the US and Canada to use AirPocket to transfer funds into mobile phone accounts of users on the Telefónica network in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.
The announcement of the Telefónica deal coincided with AirPocket's launch on Google Play and Apple's App store in the US during the same month.
Of course, DCC will be taking a clip of these transactions, so the profit margin could prove highly lucrative.
TransferTo deal on international mobile top-ups
An agreement between AirPocket and TransferTo was announced by the company in September – while you may not have heard of this company, it's actually the leading global provider of Airtime coverage.
Airtime is the most economical way to send small amounts of money internationally, in real time to recharge mobile phone data, calls and text. This agreement provides AirPocket access for all major telecom carrier coverage across Latin America.
This access spans over 100 countries, allowing access to 4.5 billion prepaid mobile phone users – in a market (the international airtime market) which in emerging countries is estimated to reach US$4 billion in 2017.
The integration of the AirPocket app into TransferTo's network is a huge opportunity not just for profits but for marketing the product to as wide an audience as possible.
AT&T Mexico – a key to the Mexico-US migration market
The most recent top tier telco to sign up with AirPocket is AT&T Mexico – a subsidiary of AT&T Inc., the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue.
As we touched on earlier, the Mexico-US migration corridor is the biggest in the world. Penetrating this market will no doubt be a vital component of DCC's plan to leverage AirPocket's remittance capability in future.
The agreement allows US consumers to use the app to transfer mobile top-ups into mobile phone accounts on AT&T's Mexican network (which is currently around 12.4 million users).
As with the other two deals, DCC will earn commission on the value of the transactions – and concurrently use the opportunity to get AirPocket in front of new potential customers.
UniTeller – a leading international remittance company
Recently, DCC announced their new agreement with UniTeller, a leading company in the international remittance space, which will allow AirPocket to process remittances to over 40,000 cash out locations across LatAm and Asia. It will also provide AirPocket with Money Transmitter Licenses across 44 states in the US.
The initial focus of the partnership will be on the US to Mexico corridor; in Mexico alone, UniTeller have 17,000 cash out locations.
UniTeller is a subsidiary of Grupo Financiero Banorte, one of the four largest commercial banks in Mexico, as well as the country's largest retirement fund administrator.
Addressing the unbanked and underbanked markets
Regions with large populations of unbanked or underbanked citizens, such as Latin America, offer an enormous opportunity for fintechs.
Companies like DCC are creating products that may only represent the tip of the iceberg of what's to come – but that's exactly the place to be for a company wanting to be well placed for future growth.
According to a report titled ' Half the world is unbanked ' (by the Financial Access Initiative and Innovations for Poverty Action) 2.5 billion adults worldwide – or just over half of the world's adult population – do not use formal financial services to save or borrow money.
Of those living in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, about 62% of adults (close to 2.2 billion) find themselves in this 'unbanked' boat. That statistic is shocking for those of us in the western world who take access to financial services for granted.
Another statistic to bring some perspective to this problem – the report found that a little over 800 million adults who did have access to formal or semi-formal financial services were living on less than $5 a day.
For these regions, gaining access to money (through international remittances) and to financial services (such as online bank accounts, ETFs and credit ratings) in general will go a long way towards improving quality of life.
Honing in on Latin America specifically, some 65% of adults currently have no access to financial services – that's around 250 million potential new users for companies like DCC.
This combination of need plus innovative tech solution could see a nimble, cost-effective app solution like DCC's AirPocket really take off – which in the process could make the company and its investors a solid return.
Costs per install
But to see Airpocket really succeed, a mass uptake of users is required – and that needs some clever marketing.
AirPocket is out there and ready for uptake by consumers already, so DCC has some stats on how the CPI – or costs per app install – are going.
Since inception, total marketing spend has resulted in an average CPI of $6.81 USD.
In the last few months, however, AirPocket's CPI has been trending lower and currently hovers at around US$3.50 per install.
At the same time, downloads have gone up:
These stats speak for themselves in terms of the prospects for future possibility in the near and long term.
As digital marketing spends reduce, we would also expect word of mouth, organic referrals to start boosting download rates.
Future steps and diversification prospects
DCC has hinted at branching its AirPocket and AirAgent technologies into peer-to-peer lending in underbanked regions, which could include a secure and simplified invoicing and payment system.
While building on the advancements of blockchain technology, the company is also borrowing from the burgeoning p2p (peer-to-peer) sharing economy that the likes of Uber and AirBnB are likewise profiting from.
Having the flexibility of a fintech play, DCC has made sure there are plenty of areas it can expand into once it has established its core AirPocket product and once all key partnerships with organisations such as telcos, banks and remittance companies are in place.
DCC has also hinted at white labelling prospects for its AirID blockchain identification platform – which could see it branch into personal banking, auditing, data transmission, information hashing, accounts settlement and more... for residents of underbanked countries, AirPocket can be used to build an official credit history, opening the way for financial inclusion.
Another potential use for this technology is for merchants in Latin America who want to offer cashless transactions – something which would go some way to spring boarding these regions into the 21 st century with little set-up costs.
Will DCC gain ground in the global fintech field?
To put it simply – the technologies DCC is building are versatile, and open the way for opportunities we can't yet imagine.
Blockchain in general certainly seems to be the system of choice for a new era of online financing, and with a quick re-visit of the benefits outlined earlier in this article, it's not hard to see why that's the case.
With a growing pile of big ticket partnerships, an excellent product tailored to a currently unserved customer base numbering in the millions, and a solid tech background in Blockchain and Bitcoin to bolster its collective wisdom, DCC certainly sounds like it may be on its way to big things...
Whether its current key offering, AirPocket, will become the app of choice for international remittance or mobile top-up payments remains to be seen, so investors should seek professional financial advice before making an investment decision with regard to this stock.
The question is: could DCC become the 'best of breed' in this multi-billion dollar global market?
At Next Tech Stock , we intend to keep one eye firmly on this dynamic tech play, especially as DCC roll out their product and forge real world results of their three commercialisation agreements.
cryptocurrency blockchain
Have you heard about Raisebook?
Joining Raisebook will give you free access to opportunities not normally available to general retail investors – however you must qualify as a sophisticated investor under Section 708 of the Corporations Act.
These opportunities are as diverse as stock placements, seed capital raisings, IPOs, options underwritings. Plus a whole host of other high risk, high reward investment opportunities not available to the general public (careful – this stuff is high risk!).
Are you a sophisticated investor?
Please note: Raisebook is a related entity of S3 Consortium Pty Ltd as defined in Section 9 of the Corporations Act 2001.
S3 Consortium Pty Ltd (CAR No.433913) is a corporate authorised representative of LeMessurier Securities Pty Ltd (AFSL No. 296877). The information contained in this article is general information only. Any advice is general advice only. Neither your personal objectives, financial situation nor needs have been taken into consideration. Accordingly you should consider how appropriate the advice (if any) is to those objectives, financial situation and needs, before acting on the advice.
Conflict of Interest Notice
S3 Consortium Pty Ltd does and seeks to do business with companies featured in its articles. As a result, investors should be aware that the Firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this article. Investors should consider this article as only a single factor in making any investment decision. The publishers of this article also wish to disclose that they may hold this stock in their portfolios and that any decision to purchase this stock should be done so after the purchaser has made their own inquires as to the validity of any information in this article.
Publishers Notice
The information contained in this article is current at the finalised date. The information contained in this article is based on sources reasonably considered to be reliable by S3 Consortium Pty Ltd, and available in the public domain. No "insider information" is ever sourced, disclosed or used by S3 Consortium.
DigitalX Limited (ASX:DCC)
STAY INFORMED WITH THE LATEST ARTICLES
WRM Receives Further Backing: Sandfire Pours More Millions into Red Mountain Project
DCC Moves Into Crypto Education and Investment to Capture Part of US$7B Industry
DCC Emerges as Leader in Crypto Space: Clinches More High-Profile ICO Deals
New Kid on the Blockchain Takes on $150BN Crypto Market
DCC Now Days Away from Launch of the World's First Blockchain Money Transfer App
social media influencer policy
Follow Next Tech Stock
Interested in more investment opportunities?
To receive ALL our alerts fill out your details below
The information in this website is general information only. Any advice is general advice only. Your personal objectives, financial situation or needs have not been taken into consideration. Accordingly you should consider how appropriate the advice (if any) is to those objectives, financial situation and needs, before acting on the advice. S3 Consortium Pty Ltd (CAR No.433913) is a corporate authorised representative of LeMessurier Securities Pty Ltd (AFSL No. 296877).
Get email alerts as soon as new articles are released.
beat the herd

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Riding London to Cape Town and Discovering the Power of Bicycles
Emily Conrad-Pickles shares her journey and reminds us of the role a bicycle can play in a person's life. All images James Davis.
by Emily Conrad-Pickles
TWC contributor Emily Conrad-Pickles is riding from London to Cape Town to raise money for World Bicycle Relief. She outlined the start of the journey here, and gave us an update as she rode through Jordan here. She's now almost reached the destination, here's the story as she and her riding partner close down on the Cape, and a little more detail about the pivotal role bicycles can play in improving quality of life.
We've been on the road for nearly 9 months since we set off from London to cycle from London to Cape Town. We are now entering the final chapter of our journey and beginning to set our sights on Cape Town.
You could say it's been a hell of a cycling adventure!
We've experienced many highs and lows since we last updated the TWC team on our progress 3 months ago. We've travelled through deserts, over mountains, into tropical rainforest and across dry African savannah. We've had temperatures souring up to 50 degrees Celsius and rain so heavy that it's filled a tea mug in 20 minutes. We've also had a trip to a hospital, a cracked rib and yet more stomach upsets. You could say it's been a hell of a cycling adventure! We are now back to full fitness and making great progress crossing Botswana in the company of wild animals and occasionally allowing ourselves to dream of that celebratory glass of wine in Cape Town!
Read: Emily meets and interviews Rwanda's female pro cyclist
Despite the ever-changing environments that we've travelled through, one thing has struck me about our journey so far: the power of bicycles. It's actually the strapline of the charity World Bicycle Relief (Qubeka) that we are raising funds for, and these words have never felt more relevant. Since we entered East Africa, the bicycle has replaced the donkey as the chosen form of transport for many millions of Africans. Bicycles are used to get to school or work, as taxis and to carry an incredible variety and quantity of goods to and from the fields and markets.
We've seen sugar cane, firewood, charcoal, bricks, sofas, hay, rice, maize, chicken, people and even a motorbike being carried on bicycles, most of which don't even have brakes. Without a bicycle, many millions of people across Africa would be trapped within their villages unable to get an education, have access to healthcare or expand their markets.
I've not seen any women on bicycles; just men. It is commonly believed… that riding a bike will result in a girl loosing their virginity.
What I've found even more striking, which I mentioned in a previous article about Team Rwanda, is that in many countries I've not seen any women on bicycles; just men. When I went in search of an answer as to why, I was flabbergasted at the response. I was told, quite plainly, that women work in the fields and men ride bicycles. Girls can't ride a bike but when they reach puberty, it is commonly believed across many parts of Africa, and the world I believe, that riding a bike will result in a girl loosing their virginity. And, since many women focus their lives around having children, they stop riding bicycles. It's a sad reality.
In fact, since we reached Zambia the women will cheer me along as I cycle whilst beaming the most wonderful smiles at me
When we reached Tanzania however, things seemed to change and throughout Tanzania and Zambia, we've enjoyed seeing many women and girls on bicycles. They are not carrying the vast loads that many of the men are but they are using their two wheeled companions to get to school, work or to travel to the market. In fact, since we reached Zambia the women will cheer me along as I cycle whilst beaming the most wonderful smiles at me. It's been a very welcome change in attitude I cannot help but smile back and feel happy.
World Bicycle Relief (also known as Qhubeka in South Africa) was set up in 2005 by the founder of SRAM, F.K Day. Now well established across Africa, the charity uses bicycles to help mobalise people across the continent. They have a vision of a world where "Distance is no longer a barrier to independence and livelihood". World Bicycle Relief has custom designed the Buffalo Bike, a bike designed for big loads on African roads. These bikes are designed to last, with parts that are compatible with what is available to buy on local markets so that they are easily repaired and maintained.
Studies that have been done in Uganda and Tanzania show that a bicycle can increase household income by up to 35 per cent and on a micro level, a bicycle can be seen as one of the best means of eradicating rural poverty within developing countries.
A bicycle can increase household income by 35 per cent
As well as supporting businesses, the programme funds bikes for students – 70 per cent of whom are female
In schools where children had Buffalo bikes, attendance improved by 27 per cent
In those same schools, performance was up 59 per cent
There are a few different ways in which people can get a WBR bicycle. There is the charitable arm where bicycles are donated to people in need of a machine – these people are usually students, teachers and healthcare workers. Then there are bikes that are bought by NGOs (e.g. Unicef) or Governments to give to people in need within their project areas – such as healthcare workers. Then there are bikes that local businesspeople can purchase via microfinance to travel to and from work, carry goods to market etc. In many instances (such as on large farms) employers will buy the bikes for their staff and take small repayments from their salary over time.
The UK arm of the charity, which we are supporting, funds the Bicycles for Education and Empowerment Program. This program funds bikes for students (70 per cent of which are female), teachers and education workers in rural Africa.
Unprompted, a local shop keeper told us how [having the bikes] had changed the lives of the entire village
In many rural areas children have to travel up to 10km each way to get to school, especially those wanting to continue onto secondary school. Students with bicycles will arrive at school safely and on time and, importantly, not exhausted from walking for two hours to get there. They will also be more likely to remain in education and WBR has found that grades and attendance rates improve after a student is given a bicycle. When students are given a Buffalo Bike, their family will also benefit, as they are able to use the bike outside of school hours. In a study that World Bicycle Relief conducted on a catchment area of 12 schools in Zambia who had benefited from Buffalo Bikes, it was discovered attendance improved by 27 per cent and performance by 59 per cent.
We stopped in one village which had been donated 200 Buffalo Bikes for children to get to school on. Unprompted, a local shop keeper told us how it had changed the lives of the entire village – he told us how the kids were now going to school but also how much the village had benefited from having access to bikes. To see the direct benefit that the charity is having was heartwarming.
It's easy to forget how important a bicycle is when we use them for convenience and recreation but, having seen first hand just how powerful a bicycle is in rural Africa, it's made me more passionate than ever to continue mobilizing women across Africa through the simple yet life changing gift of bicycle.
For now, it's time to complete the final chapter of our journey which will take us across Botswana to the Namibian coast from where we will head directly south through the Namib desert to Cape Town. There is still 4,000km ahead of us and two months left to ride and we look forward to sharing our experiences when we've reached South Africa.
If you'd like to read about our past three months riding through Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia, please visit our London to Cape Town blog.
Emily and James have already raised enough funds to provide over 200 Buffalo Bicycles to women in Africa. If you feel inspired to support them please visit their World Bicycle Relief fundraising page.
Health Hits: Cherry Chocolate Recovery Drink
We've teamed up with the cherry experts, CMI, to bring you tasty recipe ideas
History in the Making with First Ever Junior Women's Road Race
Until now, UK girls have gone from racing as youths to being flung into senior road races. Times are changing.
Women Worldwide Share Commuting Experiences & Advice
From the UK to Amsterdam to Budapest, here are some tips and tricks from commuting women worldwide
Road Cycling Events
Round Up of the First WWT Stage Race the Tour of Chongming Island
An event that allows the sprinters to shine, all images from Velofocus
What Does a Nutritionist Eat in a Day?
We asked a professional food planner what she knocks down the hatch each day...


Song lyrics by Silvia Navarro. Check-out these awesome song lyrics by the artist, learn every word of your favourite song and sing it like Silvia Navarro. Get one of the 1 lyrics and watch the video by artist Silvia Navarro.


I just found out about this, and I think I might want to make plans to go next year. The trip is leaning more toward St. Louis now. Denver was decided to be a bit too far, as was Memphis, and Brian has never really spent any time in STL, either. I managed to find the websites of several STL-based breweries here, here, here, and here. So, we will have plenty to do once we get there, I think.


We may collect and store personal or other information that you voluntarily supply to us online while using the Site (e.g., while on the Site or in responding via email to a feature provided on the Site). This site only contacts individuals who specifically request that we do so or in the event that they have opted to receive messages from us, signed up to receive our free newsletters and/or information; replied to a survey, signed a digital petition voted in an online poll; or, have purchased one of our products. This site collects personally identifying information from our users during online registration and online purchasing. Generally, this information includes name and e-mail address for registration to receive content from us or our affiliates and name, postal address, and credit card information when purchasing our products. All of this information is provided to us by you.
Your information is stored at the list server that delivers our emails and data. We have established certain reasonable electronic and administrative safeguards to protect personally identifiable information in our possession from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Nevertheless, due to the inherent nature of the internet as an open global communication vehicle, we cannot guarantee that information, during transmission throughout the internet or while stored in our system or otherwise in our care, will be absolutely safe from unauthorized intrusion by third parties, such as hackers.
All of the emails that are sent to you by us or our marketing partners include an unsubscribe link in them. You can remove yourself at any time from our mailing list by clicking on the unsubscribe link that can be found in every communication that we send you.


text:
The river at the heart of development, compared experiences (2nd December 2010)
Published on 22 December 2010 - Updated 07 January 2011
Cet article date d'il y a plus de 9 ans
Landscape and development,	International cooperation,	Training and research,	Mission Val de Loire
Organised by the Mission Val de Loire for the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO listing of the Loire Valley World Heritage, this international seminar was an opportunity to capitalise on experiences gained in terms of management, development and preservation of river corridors and remarkable sites, through decentralised cooperation projects developed "river-to-river" between France and Mali (Niger River).
Hosted by the Université François Rabelais in Tours, the seminar brought together partners from the Loire Valley and abroad: institutions (UNESCO, the Centre Region, Mission Val de Loire, Mopti Regional Assembly and Municipality of Mopti), universities (Université de Tours, UCO Angers) and associations (Maison de Loire in Anjou). Representatives of the Indre-et-Loire County Council, the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park, the Maison de la Loire of Indre-et-Loire, Centraider and towns and villages in the Loire Valley also assisted.
The town in the river corridor
The presentation of the cases of the towns of Mopti (river port) and Djenné (listed as a World Heritage) broached the challenges specific to towns on riverbanks: remarkable places due to their location, architecture and heritage, but a layout and urban development restricted by their very location – where the environmental questions remain worrying and improving drainage is a daily challenge.
Located at a crossroads, the portside town of Mopti is a driving force for the region's economy and also boasts proven tourist potential (quality of life, local activities, heritage) well worth enhancing while being mindful of the specific progressive contexts of this economic sector: volatile and versatile, tourism is subject to the ups and downs of the region's sociopolitical contexts and regional competition.
The projects of the town of Djenné, in partnership with the initiatives taken through international projects – in which the Mission Val de Loire is involved ("Niger-Loire governance and culture") – have put forward solutions for evacuating water and treating waste. However, sustaining such initiatives over the long-term depends on local resources (human and financial): a major constraint highlighted by the stakeholders.
One of the aspects for the social consideration of the environment – especially in a river corridor – involves raising awareness and disseminating knowledge among all stakeholders in the region. Structures have been erected in both France and Mali, bearing these dimensions specific to the assimilation of environmental values and heritage by the populations living in the region.
From the Maison de Loire to the Maison du Delta
The Maison de Loire, an association, seeks to make the river accessible to everyone through training and awareness-raising schemes for the general public focusing on knowledge and transmission of knowledge and know-how concerning the natural and cultural heritage of the Loire: organisation of conferences, heritage education (for youngsters), exhibitions and the Great Rivers Biennials.
The Maison du Delta (project sponsored by the cooperation of the Centre Region with the Mopti Regional Assembly) also aspires to be an interpretation centre for the river and its change over time like the Maison de Loire, but it is also an actual operator – initiating projects to preserve the environment and protect heritage at the level of the Inner Niger Delta.
Their missions are therefore markedly different and, in parallel, reflect the differences between uses made of the Loire and those made of the Niger. Although the Loire is no longer used, it is still a changing landscape, a living cultural one, while the Niger continues to be a resource in its own right for all the populations living on its banks and is still used intensively (fishing, communication means, water resource, etc.).
Continuing education and research
Taking the example of the Pantanal in Brazil, emphasis was placed on research on the bio-indicators of services provided by the ecosystems of wetlands and the correlation between the degradation of biodiversity and that of living conditions for humans.
The specific aspects of training abroad were described through two options of the DIDL Master developed by the University of Bamako with the support of the "Niger-Loire: governance and culture" project: environmental management of aquatic and river environments, and management of heritage and development. The close attention paid when these options were implemented meant they could be adapted to the frameworks of local authorities in Mali.
A key technical and geographical correlation was described between the endangering of biodiversity and cultural diversity.
Retour : All news
8th Rendezvous of the Loire Valley (3rd December 2010)
The future is in our hands...


text:
Q: (java)should/how I refactor this code? I am working on a old application with n-tier architecture. I have a domain service like this:
public Class DomainServiceA{

     //inject
     private ObjectADao adao;
     private ParamDao pdao;
     //others dao needed

     public List<DomainObjectA> getListDomainA(){
          List<DtoA> listDto = adao.getListaDto();
          Param someparam = pdao.getParamA();
          //some code to change listDto to listDomainObject
          return listDomainObject;
     }

     //some ohters services methodes

}

for testing this methode, I need to mock the DAO and the methode used in this methode. I want to refactor this code
public Class DomainServiceA{

     public List<DomainObjectA> getListDomainA(Supplier<List<DtoA>> listDto, Param someparam){
          //some code to change listDto to listDomainObject
          return listDomainObject;
     }

     //some ohters services methodes

}

So I dont need mock the daos anymore, and I think it increase testablity and readability. but for calling this method/service, the presentation layer must call the persistence layer to build the supplier. This is bad, right? Should I not refactor the code, and test with mock?

A: If your refactor in this way, it means that the DomainServiceA  is not a service any longer but a mapper that map a List of DTO to a List of domain objects because you pass  DTOs in the method and you return domain objects in.
It changes the overall intention of the method.
It is not getListDomainA() but toListDomain().

So I dont need mock the daos anymore, and I think it increase
  testablity and readability. but for calling this method/service

The logic of the invoked DAO is still present but it is on the above layer and you should also test it. So it just moves the issue somewhere else and makes your design unclear : presentation layer should not communicate with repository layer as a service layer exists but it does.
Mocking DAO/repositories is a normal thing and you want to mock them to test the core logic of the service calling it and also to make sure that the method is invoked as it should be.
If you want to focus unit tests on the DTO-domain mapping you could  introduce a Mapper class that accepts the DTO List and make the service call it. In this way no mock is required to test the Mapper class.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
by Institute of Public Administration AustraliaJan 11, 2021News
YOUR IPAA QLD NSW ACT VIC TAS SA WA NT
Professor Shaun Goldfinch, ANZSOG WA Government Chair in Public Administration and Policy, Curtin University.
This article was originally published by Curtin University on Friday 8 January 2021.
Published in the Australian Journal of Public Administration, the team surveyed people in Australia and New Zealand in July 2020 and found confidence in public health scientists to also be high and for this trust to be manifested in higher usage of government COVID phone apps.
Lead researcher Professor Shaun Goldfinch, ANZSOG WA Government Chair in Public Administration and Policy based at the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy at Curtin said the management of the pandemic by authorities led to a dramatic increase in trust in government.
"Using an online panel, we surveyed a representative sample of 500 people each in Australia and New Zealand, several months into the COVID pandemic and found a high level of confidence, with around 80 per cent of respondents agreeing government was generally trustworthy," Professor Goldfinch said.
"Around three quarters of those surveyed agreed management of the pandemic had increased their trust in government and more than 85 per cent of respondents had confidence that public health scientists worked in the public interest.
"We also found this trust and confidence strongly predicted COVID phone app use, largely through convincing people that the app was beneficial."
Professor Goldfinch said confidence in government had increased in Australia and New Zealand from a similar study in 2009, with 80 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively, agreeing government is generally trustworthy, compared to 49 per cent and 53 per cent in the earlier study.
"This rise is due in part to positive perceptions of the management of the pandemic, with around three quarters of respondents agreeing the way the crisis was handled had increased their trust in government," Professor Goldfinch said.
"Because the research was conducted during a global pandemic, the findings may not signal a long‐term change in trust in government, which may return to previous levels when, and if, the crisis passes.
"Regardless, trust in government could be viewed as a 'reservoir' that can be drawn upon when needed so that citizens are willing to take what might be unusual and unprecedented actions when their trust is high, including the use of government apps. As such, trust remains key to effective government, particularly during crises."
The research paper, 'Trust in government increased during the Covid‐19 pandemic in Australia and New Zealand', can be found online here.
The Australian Journal of Public Administration is the journal of record on public administration, public management and public policy in Australia and has been in continuous publication since 1937.
← In a year like no other trust means traction


Operations are converted using a fonction named %<opcode>2sci with opcode the Scilab code for this operator. See help page for overloading to have these codes. All these functions are already written and are in directory SCI/modules/m2sci/macros/percent/.


You�ve heard of Christmas in July, well Disney is celebrating Christmas all summer.
The �Disney�s A Christmas Carol� train tour departed May 22 from Los Angeles, on an interactive, 40-city train tour, which is scheduled to make a stop Aug. 7-9 at the Riverview, 6500 Magazine St., in New Orleans� Audubon Park.
The tour is in support of Walt Disney Studio�s new film, �Disney�s A Christmas Carol� starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth, and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis. The film opens in theaters Nov. 6 in Disney Digital 3D and in IMAX 3D.
The tour will cover more than 16,000 miles by the time it reaches its destination Oct. 30 in New York. Attractions include all the sights and sounds of Christmas, including carolers, decorations, giveaways and snow.
The Train Tour, consisting of four custom-designed vintage rail cars, is driven by Amtrak. Among the highlights of the tour are authentic artifacts on loan from the Charles Dickens Museum of London; artwork, costumes and props from the film; demonstrations of performance technology; and a chance to morph your face into one of the film�s characters.
You can receive an e-mail with links to download your morphed facial images for free from Walmart.com Photo. You also will have the chance to win a computer and a wireless printer.
During the tour�s three-day stop in New Orleans, you can get a sneak peek of �Disney�s A Christmas Carol� and see other behind-the-scenes materials from the movie on a Disney Digital 3D theater.
The family-centered event is free and open to the public. For information, visit www.christmascaroltraintour.com.


There are so many stethoscope brands out there. Because of that, you might find yourself overwhelmed with your vast number of choices. It's so confusing to pick just one brand, especially when all your choices seem amazing.
This is why it is recommended to read reviews to know what people are saying about stethoscopes. Narrow down your options to the brand that suits your aesthetic requirements, the features you really need and your budget range. Make sure it's also a brand that has been approved by other nurses and doctors.
One of the things you should consider when buying is the type of stethoscope to invest on. The simplest and the most popular is the acoustic type. This stethoscope follows the original functions and design of this medical tool. It makes use of hollow tubes to carry sound from the chest piece to the ear piece.
The second type is the electronic stethoscope. It's different from the acoustic in such a way that it converts the sounds depicted from the body into electronic signals. It's easier to make accurate measurements with this tool because the sounds are more amplified. On the other hand, they're generally pricier compared to the average acoustic.
There are also electronic stethoscopes capable of recording sounds. This can be used if the doctor needs to secure a second opinion from other physicians using the recorded sound as a reference. This is also great for nurses who want to review the recordings, later on, to check for accuracy.
Last is the fetal type of stethoscope. Like the name suggests, this medical equipment is used to check the sounds from a pregnant woman's womb. It is used to check the heart rate of the fetus inside the womb.
1. 3M Littmann Lightweight II S.E.
Key Features: This is an entry-level stethoscope with the simplest and the most straightforward of features. It boasts of loud and clear acoustic. The tunable, non-chill diaphragm is shaped like a tear drop to make it easier to fit under blood pressure cuffs. The headset is angled for optimum comfort. This tool weighs only 9.1 ounces.
Pros: This is one of the cheapest stethoscopes out there that still has very reliable features. This is great not just for nurses but also for nursing students who don't have a budget for pricier stethoscopes. The diaphragm can be easily tuned to get the best acoustics. The earpiece sits comfortably around the neck or the ears so you can wear it all day and not feel constricted.
Cons: It might not be the best stethoscope to use on overweight patients or those people who have thick adipose breast tissue.
Key Features: Here's another entry-level stethoscope featuring split, dual-type tubing and a circular chest piece. The tubes are made from latex, which should be great in preventing skin allergies, if the user has one. This thing weighs 9.6 pounds – very lightweight and easy to lug around all day.
Pros: This is a great buy for nurses on a very tight budget. It's cheap, does its job well and has a lightweight feature that you would appreciate every time you use it. Despite its cheap price point, it doesn't lack in performance. The acoustic sound it emits is loud and audible even when you're working in a noisy environment. This can also double as a fetal stethoscope.
Cons: It has double tubing, which can be an issue to some nurses because of the "rubbing" effect. Some people have remedied this problem by using a duct tape to secure the tubes together and prevent the tubes from bumping together and causing noise.
Key Features: This stethoscope comes in a variety of fun colors. Like many Littmann products, it delivers well in acoustic performance. The diaphragm is completely tunable. Just a change in pressure will allow you to switch from low to high frequency. The diaphragm also has a non-chill feature which will optimize the comfort of patients. The tubes are devoid of latex to avoid allergic reactions.
Pros: This stethoscope lasts for a long time! Its durable functions can be used for years without seeing any signs of wear and tear. The earpiece is very comfortable, even after hours of use. The acoustics are loud, clear and audible, even when using it in noisy settings. And for a mid-range stethoscope, this is an inexpensive choice.
Cons: While the whole stethoscope is ergonomic, it doesn't please much when it comes to weight. Some complained about it being slightly heavy, especially after hours of use.
Key Features: This has one of the widest color range in stethoscopes. The circular, non-chill diaphragm is completely tunable. Change the pressure to switch from low to high frequency. The ear piece is ergonomically angled to achieve the best comfort. The rubber tubing is latex-free as well. The whole product weighs 11.2 ounces.
Pros: This has a great price for a mid-range stethoscope – even nurses on a budget will find the price accessible. It is worth investing on because of its sturdy design that will last you for years (some even claim they have this for over a decade already). The acoustic can actually rival more expensive Cardiology stethoscopes.
Cons: The rubber tubing can easily get dirty. Clothes can also stain it. Also, if you're planning to use this as a fetal stethoscope, it is probably not the best option.
Key Features: This is a kit that comes complete with a blood pressure unit and a stethoscope. These can all be neatly stored in the bag included. The stethoscope is a Sprague Rappaport type that features 22-inch long double tubing.
Pros: This should be one of the best deals for nurses or nursing students on a tight budget. It's very cheap for a product that offers two gadgets but it actually has very reliable features. The stethoscope has clear and audible acoustics. They don't look and feel cheap at all and they're even comparable in quality to their more expensive counterparts. The purple color would probably appeal to a lot of female nurses – very vibrant so you can easily tell it's your stethoscope.
Cons: It's probably not the most ergonomic choice out there. If you have sensitive ears, the earpiece can turn uncomfortable easily. It's also a tad heavier than the previous models.
Key Features: A wide range of colors is available for this stethoscope. It has a classic design that features a two-sided, completely tunable chest piece diaphragm. There is a pediatric diaphragm included. The rubber tubing is made from oil-resistant materials. It's very lightweight at only 5.3 ounces.
Pros: Very good price with reliable acoustic sensitivity. It's also very versatile so you can easily switch it from an adult stethoscope to a pediatric one depending on your needs. The diaphragm is easy to clean and maintain and doesn't get damaged easily even with regular use. The tubes are also resistant to stains. There are so many colors to choose from.
Cons: The tubes are slightly shorter than the typical Littmann stethoscope. This might be a tad uncomfortable for the user who would have to inch closer to the patient to get better access. Also, some nurses might find the price a little too expensive for their budget.
Key Features: This stethoscope comes complete with a versatile chest piece system that allows the easy switching from adult to pediatric stethoscope use. It responds easily to pressure change so the user can switch from low frequency to high frequency with ease. There is a non-chill bell sleeve included for optimum user comfort. It also features a dual lumen designs to eliminate background noise completely.
Pros: This model sure delivers the most excellent acoustic quality. It's a perfect fit for those with a slight hearing problem. Even the softest of murmurs can be heard through this model. Everything is built to last – this can withstand every day use and can last for years. It also has adequate length, perfect for maintaining a nice space between the user and the patient. It has a secure feeling around the neck and doesn't weigh down too much.
Cons: Definitely more on the pricey side of the spectrum.
Key Features: It is a stethoscope for adult use only. It is lightweight and offers a larger bell for better usage. It also features a non-chill bell for your patient's comfort and a nice angled binaurals for your comfort. The rubber tubing features 22 inches of PVC custom molded to the stethoscope to get more longevity.
Pros: This is one of the longest stethoscopes you can find in the market with its 31 inches of length. The features made sure the user and the patient will have the best comfort. It also comes with a limited warranty so you can get the most out of your money. Many people would compare its acoustics to Littmann products, which are arguably the best out there.
Cons: Its functions are quite limited to adult use only. It's also not the best for veterinary or cardiology use.
Key Features: With its 4 ounces of weight, this stethoscope is one of the lightest out there. Crafted from anodized aluminium, this tool is guaranteed to make the stethoscope last for a long time. The hot pink color attracts attention and preserves the uniqueness of the medical tool.
Pros: First of all, this stethoscope is really cheap. It's a nice starter stethoscope to buy for beginners or nursing students. The color gives it more distinction so you're not always worried about someone mistaking this as theirs. Construction-wise, you can't go wrong with it – it's really durable and lightweight so it's comfortable to wear all day. Acoustic quality is up to par.
Cons: If you're looking for cardiology-level acoustics, this isn't the stethoscope for you. The sound waves are competent as an entry-level stethoscope, great for simple usage but probably not great for cardiology use.
Key Features: This stethoscope features a diaphragm encased in a gasket – a feature meant to deliver better frequency response with just a change in hand pressure. The diaphragm also boasts of a non-chill feature for the comfort of the patient. The eartips have been designed to maximize user comfort so this can be worn all day minus ear fatigue.
Pros: This stethoscope is definitely user-friendly. The acoustics are loud and very easy to hear even to aging users with slight hearing problems. The chest piece's oval shape makes this easier to use with a blood pressure kit. It doesn't feel and look inexpensive – quite the opposite in fact. Some would even compare this to the pricier Littmann stethoscopes.
Cons: It's probably not the most lightweight of stethoscopes out there. There may be some discomforts due to its weight after a whole day of using this.
At the end of the day, the stethoscope you should pick still depends on your needs. They all have similar features but they differ in performance. If you're not really looking for a high-end model and you just want an entry-level stethoscope that does the job well, a nice beginner or mid-range stethoscope is right for you.
If budget is not an issue and you really want top-notch quality and performance in your stethoscope, you should consider investing on the more expensive models that will guarantee clearer acoustics. They're perfect to use for busier and noisier settings and they can last for a long time in terms of durability.
Also look for warranty. Just in case you have problems with the stethoscope you got, you still have something to back you up. A good company will always have a warranty for their products. It's a tell-tale sign that you're getting a good brand.


Perfect choice for bride who wants a clean simple look. The comb is available in gold and silver colour, decorated with off round freshwater pearls. Each pearl are in natural shape with a bit of character.
Also a perfect gift for your bridesmaids!
Designed and handmade by HVBC. Free shipping worldwide.


Helfertool is a software that allows to manage the volunteers or staff for an event, they can register online for jobs and the admin interface allows to manage the registered persons. For each job different shifts with a start and end time and a limited number of helpers can be created.
Decide if the registration for a job is internal or publicly visible.
Generate badges for identification and access control.
Manage gifts for volunteers: they may receive a gift for each done shift, the organisers can note if a volunteer got the gift for each single shift.
Helpers may receive some items like flashlights during their shift, manage the loan using barcodes on the badges and items.