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Ontario Expands Career Growth Opportunities for PSWs and Nurses in Long-Term Care
Protecting our progress by supporting over 2,000 additional nursing graduates by 2024-25
TORONTO — The Ontario government is investing up to $100 million to add an additional 2,000 nurses to the long-term care sector by 2024-25. The government will do this by supporting the training of thousands of personal support workers (PSWs) and nurses who want to advance their careers in long-term care.
"Our government will soon be releasing its plan to protect the progress we have made against COVID and ensuring we have enough staff to deliver high quality care to residents is a key part of this plan," said Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care. "That is why we are committed to fixing long-term care, and supporting personal support workers and nurses who want to take the next step in their careers in the long-term care sector."
Today's investment supports the government's Long-Term Care Staffing Plan, which was launched last year and sets out actions that will educate, train and help recruit tens of thousands of new health care staff through partnerships with sector partners, long-term care homes, and education and training providers, so that homes can provide an average of four hours of direct care per resident per day.
The two innovative programs created through this funding are:
The BEGIN initiative: Bridging Educational Grant In Nursing, jointly offered by the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Ministry of Health and the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario, will provide tuition support to personal support workers and registered practical nurses so they can pursue further education to become registered practical nurses and registered nurses respectively. Eligible personal support workers will receive up to $6,000 a year and eligible registered practical nurses will receive up to $10,000 a year, in financial support. Candidates with additional needs may also be eligible for further supports that include a maximum of $5,000 per year to cover subsidies for course materials, tutoring, childcare, and travel costs.
Applicants will be expected to commit to working in the long-term care sector through a Return of Service Agreement for a period equivalent to the time they receive these funding supports for their education.
The Nursing Program Transformation in Ontario's Colleges, jointly offered by the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and Colleges Ontario, will increase access to nursing programs at publicly-assisted colleges through:
Introduction of hybrid online and in-person learning models in practical nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, to provide students the flexibility to learn as per individual schedules.
Creating an additional 500 enrolments in bridging programs for the 2022-23 academic year, that are designed to give applicants the skills and credentials they need to move to the next stage of their career. Hybrid options will also be available for bridging programs.
Providing up to $6,000 a year in financial support to internationally trained nurses to gain the credentials required to work in Ontario.
"Ontario's personal support workers and nurses have continued to demonstrate their excellence by providing exceptional care throughout the pandemic," said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. "Today, we're reinforcing our commitment to support their success with these two innovative programs that will help them advance their careers and increase the supply of front-line health care staff, trained through Ontario's world-renowned postsecondary education system."
The government has a plan to fix long-term care and to ensure Ontario's seniors get the quality of care they need and deserve both now and in the future. The plan is built on three pillars: staffing and care; accountability, enforcement, and transparency; and building modern, safe, comfortable homes for seniors.
The government will release its plan to protect Ontario's progress against COVID-19 and for building the foundation for the province's recovery and prosperity in the 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review on Thursday, November 4.
The province launched A Better Place to Live, A Better Place to Work: Ontario's Long-Term Care Staffing Plan, in December of last year. At the centre of this plan, the hours of direct care for residents will be increasing to an average of four hours per day over four years. To implement this initiative, the government will be making overall investments of $4.9 billion by 2024-2025.
The long-term care staffing plan responds to recommendations from Justice Gillese's Public Inquiry Report on the Safety and Security of Residents in the Long-Term Care Homes System, the Long-Term Care Staffing Study released this past July, interim recommendations from the Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission, and submissions and reports from long-term care organizations and other partners.
Earlier this year, the province also launched training support for personal support workers through private career colleges and district school boards, and the Accelerated Personal Support Workers Program across all 24 public colleges.
Since 2020, Ontario has invested $61 million to support the recruitment and retention of nurses through initiatives designed to expand enrollment in nursing education programs and support nurses in their transition from training to practice.
"WeRPN is thrilled to collaborate with government to create the BEGIN initiative that will give PSWs and RPNs new opportunities to grow their careers while expanding Ontario's nursing workforce. Over the coming decade, Ontario will need thousands of nurses to meet the health care needs of our long-term care residents – initiatives like this are key to building a much-needed steady supply of nurses and retaining more of these dedicated professionals in our health system."
– Dianne Martin
CEO, Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN)
"This tremendous announcement will create many exciting new opportunities for health care professionals to advance in their careers. It ensures more nurses and PSWs will have opportunities to strengthen their qualifications and helps address the need for more nurses across the province."
– Linda Franklin
President and CEO, Colleges Ontario
Read A Better Place to Live, A Better Place to Work: Ontario's Long-Term Care Staffing Plan
Ontario Investing $52.5 Million to Recruit, Retain and Support More Health Care Workers
Ontario Invests in Innovative Training for Health Care Professionals
Get help navigating Ontario's health care system and connecting with the programs or services you're looking for. Learn more


WITH every business year come new highlights and lowlights in key career trends.
The movement of roles in and out of Singapore will be vital to industries across the board, in particular, banking, information technology (IT) and telecommunications.
In 2012, large numbers of back office banking staff moved to lower-cost locations like India, Manila and Poland.
This was seen mainly in operations and junior production roles. Specialist professional recruitment consultancy Robert Walters expects this trend to continue this year.
Hence, the global banks will also be moving senior management into Singapore to establish a regional hub and work closer with the business in Asia.
A similar trend is likely to be observed in IT and telecommunications. With large data centres, application development and support functions shifted to countries such as India and Malaysia, technical roles such as developers and engineers will also be offshored.
Talent is the core of every organisation and there will be tougher competition for top candidates in the coming year.
After all, making a bad hire is more costly than paying premium for a high performer.
For example, last year, financial services firms invested in highly competent corporate and transaction bankers who were experienced enough to bring in more revenue and maintain good relationships with corporate clients.
This trend of plowing more money and time into the perfect employee will see employers conducting more rounds of stringent interviews and hiring only when all the prerequisite skill sets are met.
After recruiting the industry's choice cuts, the next challenge is in keeping them.
Employers recognise that job seekers today are not just after monetary gratification.
The prospect of better skills training, regional opportunities, work-life balance and the company's reputation weigh in almost equally.
With this in mind, we can expect more employers to offer better employment packages.
This can include a charted career path, external work-life balance benefits such as gym memberships and upskilling programmes.
The option to work flexible hours from home will also be available for professionals with family, in particular, those in the IT space.
With holistic employment terms becoming increasingly important, there will be increased demand for more human resource specialists — in particular, practitioners with a combined portfolio of skill sets such as strategic and operational capabilities, talent development and compensation and benefits.
They will be essential in designing internal company incentives that are attractive enough for new talent.
Participating in additional courses and training sessions has become so important that professionals are making lateral moves or accepting marginal salary increases when switching jobs in the pursuit of skill development. This trend is expected to continue in 2013.
With more multinational corporations (MNCs) setting up their shared services hubs in Singapore, this will fuel an increased demand for accounting and finance candidates skilled in commercial decision support, financial planning and analysis (FP&A) and financial control.
To support the growing number of new offices, human resource professionals with start-up and South-east Asian experience will be required.
With Asia hosting the fastest growing number of millionaires globally, private bankers with an active list of ultra-high net worth clientele from emerging markets such as China, Indonesia and Indonesia will be highly sought-after.
In this thriving market, private banking will continue to grow and give rise to more boutique players entering the market.
The top performers within this sector are expected to receive salary increments of up to 50 per cent when moving jobs.
Foreign law firms will benefit the most, as those awarded the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licences will be allowed by the Singapore Government to practise corporate law from this year.
There will be a likely increase in demand for lawyers in niche areas such as arbitration, insurance, private wealth and shipping.
This will subsequently drive the need for legal secretaries with at least three to five years' professional experience.
Requirements will be stringent — including audio typing and shorthand skills coupled with business partnering skills — in order to work closely with the business.
Due to the shortage of such high-performing talent, law firms will be willing to pay 10 per cent higher salaries to attract the qualified.
Article by Mark Ellwood, managing director, South-east Asia, Robert Walters. It is one of the world's largest specialist professional recruitment consultancies with 52 offices spanning 24 countries.


Debuting today at the MV Agusta HQ in Varese, Italy, the MV Agusta Corse ParkinGO supersport team has unveiled its MV Agusta F3 race bike. The Italian company's formal return to the World Superbike paddock, MV Agusta Corse will begin its racing project in supersport, though a return to WSBK racing with the MV Agusta F4RR is featured on the team's road map.
To do the riding duty, the the MV Agusta Corse ParkinGO team has tapped Roberto Rolfo and Christian Iddon to do the honors. The two riders will have their work cutout for them in the World Supersport Championship, having to develop a brand new race bike, but at least its a very good looking one.


I keep finding these little things in my stones, what are they?
Please include a scale in Your pictures.We also need to know a location or age of the find.
Looks like a couple of different bryozoan in the rock.
Oh sorry! I found this in southwest Michigan (vicksburg) just a few weeks ago, it's around the size of a baseball. You can't tell in the picture but the white chunk (grouping of multiple pieces?) on the bottom shimmers like it may be crystallized.
Yeah, bryozoans for sure, and maybe some branching corals.
Yeah, branching tabulate coral for sure, and maybe some bryozoan.
It is an odd situation. The most identifiable ones seem to be tabulates, but the most visible one could well be a bryozoan. It looks like an axial core of an incomplete colony to me though, which in the tabulate would look similar to a bryozoan.
They are often very hard to tell apart without detailed thin sections.
As several have said, looks mostly like bryozoan. Even can see a fenestrate version in the upper center of the picture. In southern Michigan, Devonian aged would be very likely if found in place (unlikely except in a quarry) but way more likely to be out of the glacial till that covers the area and therefore the age possibilities go way up. Always entertaining to paw through a pile of glacial material and see what you can find.
Even can see a fenestrate version in the upper center of the picture.
To me it looks too thick (not flat enough). The right side of it is what I call the most recognizable tabulate.


I re-read this today as it came up in "Other stories in STORIES" at the bottom of the WorldRider post and if you haven't read it again, Ming, it's worth a read. My whole trip around the world was focused on making the "dream" that you mentioned and JH hinted at. I wasn't getting paid. I had a few sponsors and a tentative publishing deal. Really want to write that book. So maybe there's hope in getting a few shillings for traveling, eh?


Purchase Kravet Basics Kravet Inc. offers the highest level of customer service, quality products and web technology for today�s design professional. Samples always available online. 1st Quality guarantee. Mahone's family owned since 1971.


Intriguing, but I don't have an IPhone and really don't need any more electronic gadgets while sailing.
I go sailing to get away from all that stuff and get down to reality.
Navimatics with ActiveCaptain is much better. I have the EarthNC product (and MarinaLife - same thing). I wish I could get my money back for EarthNC.
You should do a comparison review. You'll see for yourself.
Thanks for the comment ActiveCaptain employee!
We have free EarthNC charts embedded on several pages of Firstboat.com. While not a mobile app, we have had nothing but positive feedback on EarthNC and the content they provide.


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SAP denies backdoors, defends its software used in government - ZDNet
Summary:SAP says its government customers around the world can do with its software as they see fit, but that the company doesn't place backdoors in any of its products.
SAP has denied claims in recent media reports that could raise questions over the security of the company's products.
SAP said on Friday that recent reporting about the company regarding its in-memory platform HANA and its work with the National Security Agency are "misleading and flawed".
Several recent reports in German media drew attention to SAP subsidiaries' roles as key suppliers of software that supports US security agencies' mass surveillance capabilities. These included SAP's US subsidiary, SAP NS2, which serves US government customers, as well as Inxight, a company that Business Objects acquired in 2007 just before SAP acquired it.
SAP vs. Oracle: Let's play dueling BS banjos
The reports claimed US agencies would be interested in SAP's HANA software because it could process large volumes of data - exactly the type that would be collected in mass surveillance systems. Meanwhile, SAP's acquisition of Sybase in 2010 made it a key supplier to the NSA.
Responding to the reports, SAP's CEO Bill McDermott said in a statement that the company releases standard software and that customers decide how to use it.
"The subsidiaries we have created to work with governmental organizations in the US and elsewhere are independently managed and are reviewed by independent external auditors. Claims that this setup allows access to customer data are false," he said.
The CEO added that the company does not include backdoors in its products.
"In addition, there are no so-called 'backdoors' built into SAP software and customer data cannot be retrieved externally. No company is more committed to data privacy and security than SAP," he said.
The CEO also made no apologies for supplying software to government agencies.
"When we talk about business challenges, few are as significant as public service and public safety. It is unquestionably within our interest to offer software to public agencies as they look to improve outcomes through innovation. Technology is one of the means to ensure our safety and to protect people's lives," said McDermott.
Read more on SAP
SAP to axe thousands of staff in company refocus
SAP pitches HANA as a 'very open platform'
SAP inks partnerships to extend Internet of Things services

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Located near the Eiffel Tower, Carmine Cafe restaurant grill pizzeria and bar welcomes you for a gourmet break in a cozy atmosphere. Enjoy between visits of the most beautiful places of Paris, a delicious break in a warm and careful for the senses and eye decoration. With its wood paneling and chairs with warm and muted colors, the place makes you want to install. For a quick meal after a tour, Carmine The coffee is a must address.


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For more info & discounts, please contact rebecca. Rebecca is always at your service!
Our factory has a full range of automotive lighting product. With high quality & competitive price, our lighting product are sold throughout the country and more than 100 countries in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia etc.We have established a close strategic partnership relations with world famous lighting company. So there is no wonder our products can meet the international standard level and demands.
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UK FASHIoN: feasibility study of a randomised controlled trial of arthroscopic surgery for hip impingement compared with best conservative care.
Griffin D., Wall P., Realpe A., Adams A., Parsons N., Hobson R., Achten J., Fry J., Costa M., Petrou S., Foster N., Donovan J.
BACKGROUND: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a syndrome of hip or groin pain associated with shape abnormalities of the hip joint. Treatments include arthroscopic surgery and conservative care. This study explored the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial to compare these treatments. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to estimate the number of patients available for a full randomised controlled trial (RCT); to explore clinician and patient willingness to participate in such a RCT; to develop consensus on eligibility criteria, surgical and best conservative care protocols; to examine possible outcome measures and estimate the sample size for a full RCT; and to develop trial procedures and estimate recruitment and follow-up rates. METHODS: Pre-pilot work: we surveyed all UK NHS hospital trusts (n = 197) to identify all FAI surgeons and to estimate how much arthroscopic FAI surgery they performed. We interviewed a purposive sample of 18 patients, 36 physiotherapists, 18 surgeons and two sports physicians to explore attitudes towards a RCT and used consensus-building methods among them to develop treatment protocols and patient information. Pilot RCT: we performed a pilot RCT in 10 hospital trusts. Patients were randomised to receive either hip arthroscopy or best conservative care and then followed up at 3, 6 and 12 months using patient-reported questionnaires for hip pain and function, activity level, quality of life, and a resource-use questionnaire. Qualitative recruitment intervention: we performed semistructured interviews with all researchers and clinicians involved in the pilot RCT in eight hospital trusts and recorded and analysed diagnostic and recruitment consultations with eligible patients. RESULTS: We identified 120 surgeons who reported treating at least 1908 patients with FAI by hip arthroscopy in the NHS in the financial year 2011/12. There were 34 hospital trusts that performed ≥ 20 arthroscopic FAI operations in the year. We found that clinicians were positive about a RCT: only half reported equipoise, but most said that they would be prepared to randomise patients. Patients strongly supported a RCT, but expressed concerns about its design; these were used to develop patient information for the pilot RCT. We developed a surgical protocol and showed that this could be used in a RCT. We developed a physiotherapy-led exercise-based package of best conservative care called 'personalised hip therapy' and showed that this was practicable. In the pilot RCT, we recruited 42 out of 60 eligible patients (70%) across nine sites. The mean duration and recruitment rate across all sites were 4.5 months and one patient per site per month, respectively. The lead site recruited for the longest period (9.3 months) and accrued the largest number of patients (2.1 patients per month). We recorded and analysed 84 diagnostic and recruitment consultations in 60 patients and used these to develop a model for an optimal recruitment consultation. We identified the International Hip Outcome Tool at 12 months as an appropriate outcome measure and estimated the sample size for a full trial as 344 participants: a number that could be recruited in 25 centres over 18 months. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that it is feasible to perform a RCT to establish the clinical effectiveness of hip arthroscopy compared with best conservative care for FAI. We have designed a full trial and developed and tested procedures for it, including an innovative approach to recruitment. We propose that a full trial be implemented. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
10.3310/hta20320
Health technol assess
Adult, Arthroscopy, Clinical Protocols, Exercise Therapy, Feasibility Studies, Female, Femoracetabular Impingement, Hip Joint, Humans, Male, State Medicine, Surveys and Questionnaires, Technology Assessment, Biomedical, Treatment Outcome


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Norwegian VHS/DVD releases, DVDs, Danish VHS/DVD releases,
Swedish VHS/DVD releases
Finnish VHS/DVD releases
Thomas Gets Wind in the Sails (Norwegian DVD)
This article is about 'the Norwegian DVD'. You may be looking for 'the episode or the DVD'.
Thomas Gets Wind in the Sails
Full Sail
Thomas at Sea
Steve Asquith
Simon Spencer
Kalle Øby (Norway)
Povl Dissing (Denmark)
Barnas Favoritter
7 January 2012 (Norway)
11 January 2012 (Sweden)
3 February 2012 (Finland)
7 February 2012 (Denmark)
Thomas Gets Wind in the Sails is a Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Danish DVD featuring six eleventh series. The DVD was released in Sweden under the name of Thomas Sets Sail, in Finland under the name Full Sail, and in Denmark under the name Thomas at Sea.
2.1 Norway
It is a day with much wind on Sodor. Thomas must take the Mayor's new sailboat to the quay for a special ceremony. Thomas is asked to wait for an engineer to take down the mast, but Thomas is so proud that he is delivering the boat, that he cannot wait. When the mast gets stuck in some trees, the sails fold out and open up into the wind. The sails give Thomas such a big speed, that he cannot stop.
Thomas and the Spaceship
The Magic Show
Henry's Lucky Day
Silly-Billy
Toby's Victory
Thomas Sets Sail
You're Crazy, Billy
Toby's Triumph
Don't be Silly, Billy
On the Norwegian DVD, Thomas Sets Sail is renamed "Thomas Gets Wind in the Sails", Smoke and Mirrors is renamed "The Magic Show", Don't be Silly, Billy is renamed "Silly-Billy", and Toby's Triumph is renamed "Toby's Victory".
The original release date for the Norwegian DVD was 11 January 2012, but it was pushed forward to 7 January for unknown reasons.
On the Norwegian and Finnish DVD, the title cards are removed from the episodes, but the narrator says the episode title.
Michael Angelis is credited in the opening of the Norwegian DVD.
Retrieved from "https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Thomas_Gets_Wind_in_the_Sails_(Norwegian_DVD)?oldid=1877404"
Norwegian VHS/DVD releases
Danish VHS/DVD releases


HENNIKER, N.H. – Director of Athletics Lori Runksmeier is pleased to announce the hiring of Kristi Kehoe as head women's ice hockey coach at New England College. She replaces Sis Paulsen who recently took over as Girl's/Women's hockey director for the New Jersey Colonials youth travel hockey organization. In three seasons behind the Pilgrims' bench, Paulsen posted a 31-33-15 mark.
Kehoe tallied 45 goals and 23 assists during her four year collegiate career at Northeastern.
"Kristie is going to be a great addition to New England College. She is passionate and ready to make a statement about how she can impact the future of the women's ice hockey program," said Runksmeier. "Her knowledge of our program and her fit with our student-athletes was impressive during the interview process, and I look forward to working with her."
Kehoe joins New England College after serving two seasons as assistant women's ice hockey coach at SUNY Cortland. While at Cortland Kehoe's responsibilities included recruiting, budgeting, game and practice planning and working closely with the Red Dragon alumni.
In addition to her college coaching experience Kehoe has worked several camps including, USA Hockey District Camps, Key Shooting Camp and the Bobby Hull Jr. Shooting Camp. Kehoe also served as coach of the USA Hockey Girls Select Player Development Camp (16/17).
"I feel very honored and blessed to have this opportunity. NEC is a very supportive and close family that I am really looking forward to being a part of," says Kehoe. "I believe that the New England College women's hockey program holds a lot of great potential, and I am excited to start working with the student-athletes."
Kehoe earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology from Northeastern University, where she was a four-year member of the women's ice hockey team totaling 135 games played and netted 45 goals while dishing out 23 assists.
Kehoe will inherit a program that finished last season with an overall record of 8-12-6 and an ECAC East record of 5-9-4. The Pilgrims made their eleventh consecutive trip to the ECAC East post season falling to Manhattanville College in the opening round.


As you may know, I don't do horror. I find it too scary. Keeps me awake at night revisiting it. There was a short story in a collection of Amazing Stories* once, called "You'll wonder where the yellow went…" which was the first half of a slogan for a brand of toothpaste. I still remember the story and it still gives me the creeps, 40 years on!
Then I thought of my worst nightmares….
She finished planting the lettuce, ruby chard and radicchio seedlings, and spread a nice thick slug bait barrier around them. Pleased with her afternoon's work, she turned, checked the rat trap, and caught her foot, falling headlong onto the rain-parched grass.
As dusk fell and the dew collected, she lay, body paralysed, watching the slugs avoid the bait and head instead towards her nice, warm, moist orifices.
*days later, I think this was in a Harlan Ellison collection called "I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream". But it's association rather than memory.


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MR140915 - 2015 New Colombo Plan to further strengthen Australia-Philippines Education links
2015 New Colombo Plan to further strengthen Australia-Philippines Education links
Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell was joined by representatives from leading Philippine universities and the Commission on Higher Education at an information session at the Australian Embassy on 10 September to discuss the New Colombo Plan, a flagship initiative of the Australian Government.
Following the recent announcement by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop that the New Colombo Plan will be rolled out to over 35 countries in the region in 2015, including the Philippines, Australia's best and brightest undergraduate students are being encouraged to study and undertake internships right across the Indo-Pacific region.
Ambassador Tweddell said 'I am looking forward to seeing more Australian students studying in the Philippines.'
The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government aimed at fostering closer ties between Australia and its Indo-Pacific neighbours. It aims to enhance knowledge of the region in Australia, and strengthen people-to-people and institutional relationships through study and internships undertaken by Australian undergraduate students.
Ambassador Tweddell said that 'Australia and the Philippines are long- term partners in education and the 2015 New Colombo Plan is set to mark another milestone in our vibrant and enduring partnership with the Philippines.'
The Philippines and Australia were both beneficiaries of the historic scholarship scheme administered by the Australian Government's original Colombo Plan, which saw over 20,000 talented young students from around the region study in Australia from the 1950s to the mid-1980s.
Many of these students have since gone on to become leaders in their field, including scholars from the Philippines. Accomplished Filipino Colombo Plan scholars include former Department of Education Secretary Fe Hidalgo; Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Rafael Seguis; University of the Philippines-Visayas' first Chancellor Dionisia Rola; and University of the Philippines-School of Urban and Regional Planning pioneer Roque Magno.


UPDATE: WE ARE NOT SELLING SPURIA IRIS IN 2018.
What is a spuria iris? Spuria are beardless iris, originating from the Mediterranean area of Europe. Spuria iris are one of the tallest of iris, often reaching a height of 5 feet or more. Experience has shown that spuria iris perform better in areas of the country where the summer months are dry. Spuria thrive in full sun best, but will do well on half a day's sun throughout the year. They will tolerate partial shade, especially in areas that have extremely high temperatures in the summer. Spuria are very heavy feeders. Incorporating plenty of barnyard manure and/or commercial fertilizer into the soil is advisable. Ordinary lawn fertilizer (10-10-10) works well to feed the spuria in the spring and again in the fall. Spuria Iris bloom in late June and into July, often after our iris garden is closed. If you are interested in Spuria Iris, please contact us by email (iris@povn.com) or call 509.671.1540.
Below are some of our favorite spuria iris.


BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty believes Tottenham beating Liverpool to the signing of Clint Dempsey was the surprise of transfer deadline day.
Liverpool's bid for Dempsey was rejected by Liverpool, allowing Spurs to sign the United States striker.
McNulty says Liverpool's lack of signings, coupled with the departures of striker Andy Carroll and midfielder Charlie Adam, will have left their fans disappointed.


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Acer Swift 3 (SF314-57-57BN) review: Thin, light, affordable, and Ice Lake, with Thunderbolt 3 to boot
Highlights includes a 10th-gen Intel Ice Lake CPU and a sub-three-pound weight.
Senior Writer, PCWorld	 Feb 13, 2020 3:00 am PST
Ben Patterson/IDG
Slim and light
Cool, efficient performance
Thunderbolt 3 port
Dim display
Weighing less than three pounds and boasting a 10th-gen Intel Ice Lake CPU, the Acer Swift 3 packs in plenty of functionality and power given its $700 sticker price.
With its slim profile and featherweight form factor, the Acer Swift 3 deftly balances size, power, functionality and price. Retailing for $700 and weighing in at about two and a half pounds, the Swift 3 is an enticingly affordable quad-core laptop. While its Ice Lake performance is decidedly middle of the road, it stands toe-to-toe with its competitors without the usual roar of cooling fans. The inclusion of a Thunderbolt 3 port is a nice bonus given the Swift 3's price range, although the IPS display is on the dim side.
Acer offers a wide variety of Swift 3 laptops in 15.6-inch, 14-inch, and 13.3-inch configurations, along with Core i3, i5, and i7 models ranging from 8th-gen Kaby Lake all the way to 10th-gen Ice Lake (not to mention a single AMD Ryzen 5 version). At the lower end of the Swift 3 spectrum you'll find a 14-inch Core i3 Kaby Lake configuration with a stingy 4GB of RAM and 128GB of solid-state storage for $480. On the upper end sits a 14-inch Core i7 Whiskey Lake system with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics for $1,000.
The $700 (or $650 at your local MicroCenterRemove non-product link) Ice Lake model we're reviewing sits in the upper third of the Swift 3 range:
CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i5-1035G1U Ice Lake processor
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4 RAM
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics G1
Display: 14-inch 1920×1080 full-HP IPS non-touch
Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Networking: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MU-MIMO
Weight: 2.51 pounds (without power brick), 3.46 pounds (with power brick)
This looks like a solid configuration at first glance, with that bright and shiny 10th-gen Ice Lake CPU certainly getting our attention. We're also enticed by the roomy solid-state drive, while the Wi-Fi 6 radio means that this Swift 3 will be ready the moment you upgrade to a speedier, cutting-edge wireless router. The 8GB of low-power DDR4 RAM is fairly standard for a laptop in this price range (although 16GB would have been a nice bonus). The integrated UHD Graphics G1 core represents (as we'll soon see) a substantial step up from Whiskey Lake's integrated UHD 620 graphics, while still falling short of full-on discrete graphics performance.
As far as the Swift 3's Ice Lake processor goes, you'll have to temper your expectations. In our initial Ice Lake tests, we saw the CPU scoring high marks when it came to video encoding and other CPU-intensive tasks, but that'll only happen if the manufacturer gives the chip free rein. A relatively thin, light, and inexpensive laptop like the Swift 3 won't have the same cooling prowess as, say, a $1,500 or $2,000 laptop, so we'd expect Acer to dial down the performance of the Swift's Ice Lake chip somewhat as a heat-management measure.
As far as looks go, our steel-gray Swift 3 review unit is, well, a bit on the dull side, with a perfectly flat and featureless aluminum lid (save for the Acer logo in the middle), a sturdy hinge with the "Swift" brand engraved in the middle (subtle but stylish), and a pair of rear vents that are only exposed when the lid is open. In other words, nothing about the Swift 3 would particularly stand out on the shelf of your favorite big-box store.
The Acer Swift 3's design might be on the pedestrian side, but there's no arguing with its pleasingly slim and light design.
That said, you'll probably forgive the Swift 3's pedestrian design once you pick it up and feel how light it is. Weighing just a hair over two and a half pounds (or nearly three and a half pounds if you count the power brick) and measuring a svelte 0.63 inches thick, the Swift 3 felt great in my hands. Toting it around in my pack for the day didn't throw my back out of joint.
Beyond that, the only other design element of the Swift 3 worth mentioning (besides its display bezels, which we'll cover momentarily) is the wide notch on the front edge of the laptop, which makes the lid a little easier to pry open.
The Acer Swift 3's full-HD 14-inch display gets off on the right foot thanks to its pleasingly thin 0.17-mm side bezels, with a bottom bezel that's somewhat thicker (about three-quarters of an inch). The screen itself boasts solid viewing angles thanks to its IPS (in-plane switching) display technology, which means the screen brightness doesn't seem to fade until you're looking from the side at an angle greater than 45 degrees.
The Swift 3's slim top and side display bezels make the most of its 14-inch display.
As with many budget laptops, however, the screen on the Acer Swift 3 is a bit on the dim side, measuring just 235 nits (or candelas) according to our readings. That's a little less than our usual low-water mark of 250 nits, but it's still pretty much in the standard brightness range that we've seen from laptops in the Swift 3's sub-$1,000 price range. During my testing, I found the Swift 3's display reasonably easy on my eyes while indoors, although you might find yourself squinting at the screen if it's in direct sunlight.
The Acer Swift 3's backlit keyboard felt pretty solid as far as bargain laptops go. Travel (or the distance that a given key moves when it's struck) was a bit on the shallow side, but I liked the solid, tactile bump in the middle of the keystrokes as well as the refreshingly springy rebound. The keyboard is also relatively quiet given the Swift 3's price range. (I've typed on quieter keyboards, but they generally come in laptops costing hundreds more than this one.)
The Acer Swift 3's keyboard makes for comfortable typing, and note the fingerprint reader that's sitting near the bottom-right corner.
I didn't have any issues with the Acer Swift 3's trackpad, which is centered more or less directly beneath the space bar. Generally speaking, my palms didn't brush against the trackpad as I typed, but even when I dragged my palms on the trackpad deliberately, I had a hard time getting the cursor to jitter around.
The Acer Swift 3's built-in stereo speakers actually aren't horrible, and that's saying something when it comes to the generally dull, tinny world of laptop speakers. Paired with Acer's TrueHarmony sound processing, the two down-firing drivers deliver reasonably detailed sound, though occasionally thin and with hardly any bass response. (Hey, I didn't say these speakers sounded great.) Needless to say, you'll get much better sound if you plug in a pair of headphones or external speakers, but the Swift 3's integrated speakers will do in a pinch.
Sitting just below the keyboard in the right corner is a Windows Hello-enabled fingerprint reader, handy for unlocking Windows and logging into compatible apps with a swipe of your finger. I used the fingerprint reader to log into my Windows account during most of my testing. The reader almost always recognized my fingerprint on the first try, then proceeded to unlock Windows in a few fractions of a second.
Let's cut to the chase here: Thunderbolt 3, baby. It's not often we see a Thunderbolt 3 port—perfect for power delivery, connecting a 4K or 5K display, or transferring data at up to 40Gbps—on a laptop in this price range, so we're definitely jazzed about that.
Yes, that's a Thunderbolt 3 port, along with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port and a full HDMI port.
Next to the Thunderbolt 3 port, which sits on the left edge of the Acer Swift 3, is a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port, as well as a full-size HDMI port and a barrel-shaped charging port.
On the right side, you get a USB 2.0 Type-A port, a combo audio jack, and a laptop security slot.
The right side of the Acer Swift 3 features a USB 2.0 port and a combo audio jack; no media card reader, however.
Missing from the port party: a media card reader. We're seeing that less and less often on laptops, and you may not care if you've ditched your digital camera. On the other hand, we still use SD and microSD cards for phone and dash cam storage. It may be time to get a USB hub to fill out your connectivity needs.
Looks can be deceiving, and that's particularly true when it comes to the Acer Swift 3's benchmark results. True, the Swift 3's scores tend to sit in the middle of the pack or lower, but the Swift is achieving these numbers without running up the high temperatures that many of its similarly priced competitors do. And yes, you'll find better performing laptops with the Swift 3's form factor, but not in its $700-ish price range.
PCMark 8
Our first benchmark, PCMark 8, measures how a laptop's CPU handles such day-to-day tasks as web browsing, spreadsheet crunching, online shopping, and video chat. Given that most of the chores simulated by PCMark 8 work just fine on a single processor core, laptops with four CPU cores or more won't necessarily get a leg up compared to cheaper, dual-core systems. Even the latest Ice Lake laptops may find themselves neck-and-neck with a dual-core Whiskey-Lake-powered system.
The Acer Swift 3 should deliver smooth Office performance, as its PCMark 8 score suggests.
A PCMark 8 result of greater than 2,000 generally points to buttery-smooth Office performance, and the quad-core Acer Swift 3 easily crushes that score, along with all of the other laptops in our comparison chart. It's worth noting that the cheaper, dual-core Acer Aspire 5, while coming in second-to-last in our PCMark 8 chart, pretty much sits with its pricier competitors in the 3,000-plus club.
Our processor-intensive HandBrake benchmark involves encoding a 30GB MKV video into a file format suitable for Android tablets. It's a test that pushes laptop CPUs to the limit, as well as one in which the system with the most processor cores generally wins.
The Acer Swift 3's HandBrake score essentially comes in second in a four-way tie.
Looking at our results, the quad-core Acer Swift 3 turned in a satisfactory, if not exactly set-your-hair-on-fire performance. Its place near the bottom of the list is a bit deceiving, given how close it came to the four quad-core i5 laptops that finished the test (slightly) sooner. Indeed, instead of saying that the Swift 3 landed in fifth place, I'd call it more of a four-way tie for second. Up top is a Lenovo IdeaPad that's thicker and heavier, and thus easier to cool, while lagging way behind is the dual-core Acer Aspire 5.
It's worth noting that as opposed to what we usually see—and hear—during our HandBrake benchmark, the Swift's cooling fans never roared to life during the test, namely because they didn't have to. Indeed, the Swift's processor clock speed never rose above 2.87GHz, which is well below the Core i5-1035G1's maximum 3.6GHz boost clock. For the majority of the test (which can take up to an hour or more), the Swift's CPU downshifted to about 2.0 GHz.
Of course, there's a glass-half-full way of looking at the Swift 3's OK-but-not-amazing HandBrake score, which is that the Swift managed to match the performance of several other quad-core laptops in our chart closely without breaking a sweat—and trust me, the cooling fans on the those competing laptops sounded like jet engines while they were running HandBrake. In other words, the Ice Lake-powered Swift 3 may not have been faster than its quad-core Whiskey Lake counterparts, but it's probably way more efficient in terms of handling thermals.
Another CPU-intensive test, our Cinebench benchmark measures a laptop's performance as it renders a 3D image in real time. Given that it only takes a few minutes to complete, versus an hour or so for HandBrake, Cinebench does a nice job of showing us how a laptop handles short bursts of activity under a heavy load.
The Acer Swift 3 holds its own in our Cinebench test without having the break a sweat.
Again, the Acer Swift 3 turns in a so-so performance, essentially tied with other quad-core Core i5 laptops (although that quad-core Whiskey Lake Lenovo Ideapad is looking pretty sharp up there in second place), while the quad-core Core i7 HP Envy 13 sits at the top of the chart. Coming in dead last is (unsurprisingly) the dual-core Acer Aspire 5.
As with the HandBrake benchmark, the Acer Swift 3 kept its cool with Cinebench, with its processor clock hovering around 2.3GHz and its cooling fans keeping quiet. Checking out its single-thread Cinebench performance, the Swift 3 actually steps up to third place, which speaks to the laptop's single-core efficiency. So again, not the fastest, but quite possibly the coolest.
3DMark Sky Diver 1.0
While its integrated Intel UHD Graphics G1 core is a step up from Intel's earlier-gen UHD Graphics 620 GPU, the Acer Swift 3 is no gaming laptop. That said, we still wanted to take it for a spin with our 3DMark Sky Diver benchmark, which measures a laptop's gaming and graphics prowess.
The Acer Swift 3's 10th-gen Intel UHD Graphics G1 core helps it best the 3DMark scores of its integrated-graphics competitors.
To our surprise, the Swift 3 managed to notch a fairly impressive Sky Diver score. It falls somewhat short of the Envy 13's score, with its discrete GPU, but it's still a significant jump over what we normally see from laptops with Intel's integrated UHD Graphics 620 core. Mind you, don't expect to see smooth visuals from Fortnite even at its lowest graphics preset (I tried, and the frame rate regularly dipped into the teens), but the Swift's impressive Sky Diver score bodes well for pro video users needing to do a little work in Adobe Premiere.
We test battery life by looping a 4K video using the stock Windows Movies & TV player, with screen brightness set to about 250 nits (which meant dialing the brightness all the way up in the case of the Swift 3) and volume set to 50 percent, with earbuds connected.
Despite its last-place position in our chart, the Acer Swift 3's battery performance isn't bad considering its capacity.
The Acer Swift 3's last-place standing in our battery drain chart looks worse than it is. With its 47 watt-hour battery, the Swift 3 has one of the smallest capacities of the laptops in our roundup, which is one way it manages to achieves its light weight for such a low price. The other laptops in our chart either have larger batteries but heavier shells (like the chart-topping Acer Aspire 5), or much larger price tags (like the HP Envy 13). A notable exception is the HP Pavilion x360, a 2-in-1 system that beats the Swift 3 by about 20 minutes with a smaller 40 watt-hour battery. That said, the Pavilion weights about a pound more than the Swift 3.
With its slim and light design, efficient (if not barn-burning) quad-core performance, and such extras as a Thunderbolt 3 port and support for the speedy new Wi-Fi 6 standard, the affordably priced Acer Swift 3 is a smart choice for budget-minded productivity mavens who don't want to be weighed down. We have our quibbles, such as the dim display and middling battery life, but those seem like reasonable compromises given this laptop's svelte form factor and $700 price tag.