It's almost like watching the Twilight Zone with each new episode of The Walking Dead. Now that Rick and the gang are setting up shop in Alexandria, there's a new test to memorize in order to survive: Maintain your sharpness while keeping up appearances, but don't go soft. Sasha takes a stranger's family photos out into the woods for target practice. As her eyes dart around after each shot, she anxiously awaits the sound of walkers. Out in the woods—that's where our group gets their kicks nowadays, while back inside women like Olivia who we just met are jonesing to cure some meat and hope Sasha will return with pickles. Outside this community, our group became accustomed to not only killing walkers at every new turn, but to being on guard for anything to happen at literally any moment. Now, there's talk of a welcoming party at Deanna's. Has anyone seen Tara? And yes, Carol is still sporting a killer cardigan set.
In last week's episode, it seemed almost too wild—the idea that Carol has somehow reverted back to being "the good wife" with that proud smile across her face. Something tells me Carol has way more tricks up her sleeve now that she's been plopped into this role again than we realize. In the woods, Carol, Rick and Daryl have a private meeting at the abandoned house where Rick ditched his gun in a blender and it disappeared. They decide they'll raid the gun pantry where they stow away loads of weaponry that Carol says they'll hardly notice is missing. Suddenly, a pack of walkers approaches and they notice one of them has a carving on his head, it reads: W. Now what could that stand for? Winner? Walt? Wimp? Walker? Back in the neighborhood, Michonne is cooling at a perfect 74 degrees as she tries on her newly appointed cop uniform. Of course, in true Michonne fashion, she's added her own flair to the windbreaker—a braid of material up the back. She and Rick briefly discuss how surreal this new undertaking is—baffled that a town would hire a pair of strangers to be their authority.
Look out Law & Order. Michonne's the new Mariska.
Deanna tells the group that she sees this place turning into a civilized, governmental, sustainable community, with industries and commerce. Rick calls them "lucky"—maybe the luckiest people there ever were in this new world. It's true. It's like this is the Pleasantville of the zombie apocalypse. All of this after Rick and co. just nearly lost their lives in that barn, during that terrible storm when he proposed heroically that they are (pause) the walking dead. While Carol chats lady talk on the porch with a few other townspeople—you know, just swap talk about cooking methods for the big party, Carol rejoins Rick and offers to him she's just getting into the swing of things—it's particularly easy for her to blend in (I just knew that blender held some irony!), which means they'll surely be able to sneak away at the party without going unnoticed to fetch some of those hidden guns. Hey, that's what happens when you put on your best smile, and the color salmon.
Daryl runs into Aaron out in the woods. We didn't see much of Aaron or his boyfriend Eric in the last episode—they were probably recovering and getting Eric back on his feet. Or cuddling in bed. Aaron is surprised when Daryl pulls him out of his hiding area. He asks if Daryl can hear the difference between a walker and a human. Daryl just continues chewing on his cheek, per usual, and tells Aaron to keep up. They spot a horse—Aaron says its name is Buttons. These people and their naming. Right as Daryl is about to lasso this horse back with them to Alexandria, a hoard of walkers spook the horse away. Meanwhile, Carol is talking with Olivia—who apparently works record keeping in the pantry and the gun locker. She just can't believe Carol's little secret—substituting applesauce for eggs in cookie batter? Oh, what a hootenanny. Carol's like, "Yeah, I got a whole recipe book full of secrets." Just as she's fishing a chocolate bar out of the "hall freezer" a couple of guys enter to the gun locker to fetch some weapons. One guy introduces himself as Tobin. He asks if Carol is afraid of guns. Rick is right. We're in a play. And that play is called "Carol Has Y'all Fooled." She bats her eyes and tells Tobin she had a handgun out there, but the big ones—yeah, those are mighty scary! He offers his assistance in teaching her the proper ways to use a gun. What no one standing nearby can see is that Carol's simply unlocked the window that leads into the gun locker, and also, that she was once an Ewok-looking woodland creature who bombed a warehouse of cannibals and killed a child.
You should've seen my face ten minutes ago. Smile!
As Deanna's party begins, Rick, Carl, Baby Judith, Abraham and Rosita walk in. Rick meets Deanna's husband who has nothing but nice things to say about Rick's heroism. Sasha really wants to get involved—someone needs to be in that watchtower every day and she's willing. Why has Deanna been so resistant with her? She told Sasha to come to her party, what will happen when Sasha arrives? Will she arrive? While partygoers sip their booze (the only reason Abraham is sticking around), Daryl and Aaron are still on the hunt for Buttons. Unfortunately, it's too late. Buttons is taken down by a pack of walkers and Aaron must put him out of his misery.


Global Index International, the Rio de Janeiro-based advisory group, has hired two senior consultants, both of whom are returning to the company after intervals of five and a little more than one year, respectively.
Global Index International, a Rio de Janeiro-based advisory firm which looks after expatriates in 62 countries, has recruited a Brazil native, Christiano Aguiar, to head up its sales operations.
A popular truism holds that there is more money to be made selling picks and shovels to miners than there is in mining itself.


An 8-years old girl presented at the Emergency Department with a painful swelling of the left lateral neck and submandibular area. The swelling had started 15 days earlier and worsened gradually. Five days after the initial symptoms, the patient was examined by a paediatrician and was started on antibiotics for suspected lymphadenopathy. Following a 10 days course of antibiotic therapy, she presented at our hospital for persisting symptoms and a palpable neck swelling. A soft tissue neck radiograph was obtained, which was initially reported as normal. Subsequently, an ultrasound (US) examination was performed, which revealed the full spectrum of findings and established the diagnosis (Figs. 1-4).
Stone DB, Scordino DJ. Foreign Body Removal Emergency Medicine Chapter 36. https://clinicalgate.com/foreign-body-removal/. Published April 8, 2015.
Kameda T. Detection of a fish bone in the cervical esophagus using point-of-care ultrasound. Crit Ultrasound J 2015; 7(Suppl 1): A22.
Al-Shukry SM. A swallowed fishbone penetrating the oesophagus into the sternomastoid muscle. J Sci Res Med Sci 2003; 5(1-2): 51-52.
Rooks V. Esophageal Foreign Body Imaging: Karani J, Chief Editor https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/408752-overview. Updated Nov 1, 2017.
DePietro J, Devaiah A. Endoscopic removal of esophageal foreign body and drainage of thyroid abscess. Am J Otolaryngol 2013; (2): 151-153.
Bathla G, Teo LL, Dhanda S. Pictorial essay: Complications of a swallowed fish bone. Indian J Radiol Imaging 2011; 21(1): 63-68.
Wu E, Huang L, Zhou Y, et al. Migratory fish bone in the thyroid gland: case report and literature review. Case Rep Med 2018; 2018: 7345723.
Chi H, Lee YJ, Chiu NC, et al. Acute suppurative thyroiditis in children. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2002; 21(5): 384-387.
Parida PK, Gopalakrishnan S, Saxena SK. Pediatric recurrent acute suppurative thyroiditis of third branchial arch origin--our experience in 17 cases. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2014; 78(11): 1953-1957.


text:
In Defense of Selfishness
Altruism and Patriotism
By Peter Schwartz / The Tyranny of Need / February 28, 2015 September 8, 2018
You can love something even as you try to change it. You cannot, however, love something that you are trying to change into its opposite. The same applies to the question of whether President Obama genuinely loves America.
Patriotism is a rational attitude toward one's country—when it deserves to be loved. But to someone living in a nation with a long heritage of authoritarian rule, the proper attitude toward his country is hatred—a hatred of being enslaved, a hatred of being prevented from living his life and achieving his goals. If he tries to change the nature of his country by fighting for freedom, he is being motivated by a love for that which his country is not. He has evaluated it as something bad and he wants to transform it into something good.
According to the code of altruism, however, this evaluation holds true for America.
Altruism demands self-sacrifice. It demands that you surrender your money, your values, your rights for the sake of others. It declares that you have a moral duty to subordinate your interests to the needs of others, and that the state must enforce that duty by taking from the "haves" and giving to the "have-nots." It demands that the individual be sacrificed to the collective.
And since it does not stand for collectivism, America—according to this philosophy—is an object of opprobrium. After all, the rest of the industrialized world has nationalized health care, yet we still have a private, selfish system. We have severe inequality in incomes—we have an economy that is not fully regulated—we permit greedy corporations to "underpay" their workers—we allow the rich to keep too much of their money—we have an inadequate welfare state—we fail to provide free college education, free child care, free birth control. There is too much self-interest in pursuit of private profit, and not enough self-sacrifice in pursuit of the "public interest." Under the altruist-collectivist ethics, America should not be loved; it should, instead, be reshaped into something very different.
America was founded on the idea of individual rights—the idea that you have a right to your life, your liberty and the pursuit of your happiness. It was the first nation in history to be established on the principle of freedom, the freedom to live for your own sake without coercion by the state. This principle is what distinguished this country from others. It is what defined American exceptionalism. It is what made America a magnet that drew immigrants, from all over the world, who wanted to live in the land of opportunity—the opportunity to make what they could of their lives by their own efforts, not the opportunity to have the state provide for their needs.
This is what America was and, in its core spirit, still is—and it is what the collectivists seek to quash. "You didn't build that," President Obama says scornfully. This country, he believes, must forsake its foundation of independence and its heritage of individual liberty. Consequently, he embraces a foreign policy under which the citizen is ordered to sacrifice for an international collective, and a domestic policy under which the citizen is ordered to sacrifice for a national collective. He embraces an ethics incompatible with that of a free society.
President Obama may declare that he loves America—but it is an America that, by having abandoned its original principles, has been transformed into its antithesis.♦♦
Ayn Rand Institute eStore
HB Letter
The Intellectual Activist
altruism anarchism Ayn Rand foreign policy In Defense of Selfishness individual rights individualism libertarianism "non-interventionism" Objectivism paternalism Peter Schwartz rational self-interest self-sacrifice selfishness
Peter Schwartz
I am a retired Chairman of the Board of the Ayn Rand Institute—the pre-eminent organization for the dissemination of Ayn Rand's ideas. I held that position from 1994 to 2005, and am now a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute. I've written and lectured extensively. Read more.
Copyright © 2021 PeterSchwartz.com | Powered by ViaMarket

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I am photographer specialized in Fashion and Portrait.
My work has been published in Huf, Ladyygunn, Solis, Kalblut, Stick and Stones, Tocksik and Elegant Magazines. I was part of the group exhibitions The Beauty of Humanity and The People's Choice Salon, both in New York.


Creating online ads is a powerful way to get your brand's message in front of prospective customers, but what many brands fail to consider is where these ads get displayed. In certain cases, it can be detrimental to your reputation.
Earlier this year, Google faced significant blowback from various companies (including AT&T and Verizon) after their ads were served on Google Display Network and YouTube alongside extremist content.
"Until Google can ensure this won't happen again, we are removing our ads from Google's non-search platforms," said an AT&T spokesperson according to CNN.
Google has taken significant measures to ensure such missteps don't occur in the future, but this raises the question – how do consumers view brands based on the positioning of online ads with content they perceive as offensive? According to a recent survey from The CMO Council, it could be more than you think.
The survey found that approximately 37% of consumers claim that ads positioned next to objectionable online content impact the way they view the brand when making a purchase decision. Meanwhile, 11% of respondents said they would no longer do business with a brand and 9% would be vocal and raise an issue.


Bucharest is the capital of Romania, known for its history, architecture and incredible nightlife. Although I was only in the city for four short days, I made the most of my time, quizzing locals on where to find the best dessert in Bucharest.
Some say falling in love happens slowly, and others say it happens all at once. I can tell you the precise moment I fell in love with Bucharest. While having breakfast at Caru' ce Bere my first morning in Bucharest, a friend ordered apple cake. I asked to take a bite and he warned me that all desserts are sweeter in Romania because the people here like their sugar. And that was that. Love at first bite. There was no shortage of stewed apples on top and the cake absorbed the sweet apple syrup, infusing the entire cake with flavor. The ambience of Caru' ce Bere was the perfect setting for my first meal in Bucharest. The German beer hall-themed restaurant is one of the city's most popular places to eat. People wait up to two hours at night to join the festive atmosphere and traditional dancing in the evenings. The stained glass windows, carved wood and murals fooled me into thinking the venue was a former cathedral. Upon closer inspection, though, I noticed that the murals depict people drinking beer. Wholly different from a holy mural!
Papanași is one of Romania's most popular desserts, and for good reason! Papanași is a boiled or fried dumpling shaped a bit like a mini bundt cake with a hole similar to a donut. The hole is filled with sour cream and jam, and the hole of the donut is put back on top like a delicious little hat. The secret to finding a really good papanași? There should be cheese in the dough which adds flavor and depth to the dessert. You can find versions of this dessert all around Romania, but I tried La Mama's version while on tour with Delish Experiences Time Traveling Tastings tour. We started the day with coffee in a modern coffee shop on the outskirts of the old city, made our way to a restaurant where we tried dishes found on peasant tables, and ended on a sweet note at La Mama with a Romanian cheese and wine tasting and papanași. I was a little skeptical when I was told there's sour cream in this dessert… but I was surprised at how well the sourness of the cream and sweetness of the jam go together. This is a dessert I'm hoping to try again soon!
I thought Sydney, Melbourne and Perth had the lockdown on the most creative freakshakes in the world, but Bucharest's take on the freakshake is the most unique one yet! Instead of the typical ice cream-based milkshake, topped with delicious and over-the-top sweets, Coffeol in the Old City gives the option of a warm base. Will you choose the Black Forest shake with a hot chocolate base, topped with a brownie and chocolate cherry cookie? If white chocolate's more your style, go with the Belgian Choco. The warm white chocolate pudding base with rainbow sprinkles, a vanilla cupcake and marshmallows on top is unlike anything I've ever tried. Of course, ice cream-based drinks are also an option, but in a city that dips below freezing during the winter, it's nice to have a warm option! At 25-28 lei (approximately $6.39-$7.16USD) for a shake, these drinks are $4-$20 cheaper than shakes I've tried elsewhere in the world!
Don't fill up on freakshakes though, because Romania's best ice cream is right next door! I had a tough time making a decision because their variety of flavors is extensive, but I eventually settled on a Belgian chocolate and peach and mango combination in a sprinkle cone. The ice cream was smooth and creamy and perfect for the unusually warm day at the end of October. If you're not in the mood for ice cream, Emilia's is known for dessert bowls. We tasted the Tazza al Pistacchio layered with biscuits, mascarpone, pistachio cream and berries.
After spending a couple weeks in France, I was skeptical when I heard that the world's best eclairs are made in Bucharest. I mean, it's no surprise that they have the world's best papanași, but eclairs? Shouldn't the best be somewhere in Paris? One bite of the Kalamansi eclair topped with Italian meringue and I was sold, though. I tried 4 more eclairs just to make sure it wasn't a one-hit wonder. I can vouch for the deliciousness of the caramel, mango, forest fruits, and chocolate hazelnut, too. French Revolution, opened in 2013, has two locations in Bucharest and sells 2,000 eclairs every day. You're sure to get a fresh eclair because, even though they have a three-day shelf life, French Revolution only sells eclairs on the day they are made to ensure that customers get the best possible experience. After all, they're importing special butter from Normandy and making their own salted caramel… it would be a shame to ruin the experience with a stale eclair. My trip to Bucharest was a whirlwind tour with Experience Bucharest. One hundred bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers and influencers descended on the city with the aim to increase tourism in this amazing, yet often overlooked destination. I was over the moon with the exceptionally sweet, creative desserts of Bucharest and found it hard to believe just how affordable it is to eat in the city. I still have a few spots the locals have recommended left on my list to try… so I think I'm going to need to go back again soon to continue my research on the best dessert in Bucharest!
Note: Some of these desserts were provided to me free of charge during excursions with Experience Bucharest. I take dessert seriously though, so all opinions are my own, and I'll never recommend anything that isn't awesome!
Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound? Day trip or overnight? These are the questions you'll face when deciding to visit the fiordlands, one of New Zealand's three UNESCO World Heritage sites. Read on for 10 reasons to choose an overnight trip in Doubtful Sound with Real Journeys on The Fiordland Navigator.


text:
PS4Experts
» Playstation 4 Specs Guide
Playstation 4 Specs Guide
Complete PS4 Specs (Continually Updated) CPU, GPU, Memory, Storage, Ports
Check out the handy table below for the full specs on the PS4 as they currently stand.
PlayStation 4 Console Specs
Feature PS4
CPU AMD x86 Jaguar 1.6GHZ 8-Core
GPU AMD next-generation Radeon-based graphics GPU with 18 compute units - The PlayStation 4 is capable of producing up to 1.84 TFLOPS.
RAM 8GB of GDDR5 - The PlayStation 4 uses a unified 8 GB GDDR5 RAM setup, providing both the CPU and GPU with 176GB/sec of unified memory.
Physical Media Blu-ray Disk - 6x CAV Blu-ray BD-ROM + 8x CAV DVD
Storage - Hard Drive 500 GB Hard Drive - The PlayStation 4's hard drive will be upgradeable similar to how the PS3 is currently set up.
Game DVR Yes - The PlayStation 4 natively supports the option to record and upload gameplay to social media or online streaming services using the built-in "Share" button. The PS4 automatically records the last few minutes of gameplay for you so that you can easily pick what you want to upload.
It has its own compression system and uploads the content in the background while you continue playing. Video services include Twitch, Ustream, YouTube, and more. Free software entitled "SHAREfactory allows you to edit videos before uploading
Cloud Storage Yes - The PlayStation 4 uses a cloud-based storage system to collect all your account data, and saved games, making them available anywhere you're signed in.
USB Ports Three - The PlayStation 4 uses two USB 3.0 ports for different companion devices in addition to a dedicated jack for the PS Eye.
Mandatory Game Installs Yes - Game installations are mandatory on the PlayStation 4 with install times ranging from seconds to minutes. Gamers do not need to wait for the install to finish before being able to play the game. This was an optional feature on some PS3 games.
"Always Online" No - The PlayStation 4 does not require an internet connection for playing games. However, syncing to PlayStation Now and accessing the PSN will obviously require internet access.
Console Home Yes - Users can nominate one PS4 console to be their "home" device, which means all content will be available for anyone to use including PlayStation Plus access. Signing into a PSN account will not be necessary on a "home" console.
Used Game Fee No - There are currently no programs or requirements in place regarding used games. They function as if they were new.
Backwards Capability No - The PlayStation 4 uses an entirely new architecture for processing game data, which makes it completely incompatible with past PlayStation games. However, with PlayStation Now's cloud-based streaming service, gamers will have access to PS1, PS2, and PS3 games to stream directly to their device.
Second Screen PlayStation Vita, Smartphones, Tablets - Sony released a PlayStation app shortly after the release of the PS4 that allows for remote game purchases, second screen navigation, and connectivity with your account.
Users can make purchases in the PSN store, wake up their console, and install games with a secondary device.
Motion Control PS Eye 2.0 + PS Move - The PlayStation 4 uses the newly redesigned PS Eye for motion tracking and information processing. The device can track players and deliver game information like low health to their controllers. The PS3's Move devices will be supported by the PS4.
All PS4s come pre-installed with Playroom, a virtual space that utilizes the PS Eye to interact with the environment. This free tech demo is also updated constantly with additional free downloads that add mini-games to the experience.
Subscription Service Yes - The PlayStation 4 requires a PlayStation Plus membership for access to online games. Single player games, free-to-play games, and games that can be played offline will not require a monthly subscription.
Users can also sign into their account on any PS4 and access their library of games provided they download a portion of it first.
PSN Account Transferable - Sony has confirmed existing PlayStation Plus accounts will carry over to the PS4.
Operating System New - The PlayStation 4 uses a new OS and user interface called the PlayStation Dynamic Menu. Users can instantly switch from playing a game to other social media options and even suspend gameplay to continue right away at a later time. It no longer relies on the XrossMediaBar for navigation.
Internet Connection Gigabit Ethernet + WiFi
BlueTooth Bluetooth 2.1 (EDR)
Audio/Video Connections HDMI input and output (up to 4K resolution support on images and movies only) + Optical output - The PlayStation 4 comes packaged with a HDMI cable.
Region Locked No
Price $399 USD
How the PS4 came to be
Moving away from custom Cell architecture that cost Sony millions of dollars in research and development during the PS3 years, the new console instead uses a custom AMD "Jaguar" x86-64 instruction set that will make it more attuned to modern PCs. This was intentionally sought out after the poor reception from developers when they tried porting games onto the PS3 from Xbox 360 architecture.
It was also a pain for developers to always have to customize game code to fit the PS3. By unifying the way developers make games (the Xbox One will use the same CPU architecture), it will be cheaper overall to design and code the next generation software.
The PlayStation 4 uses a custom APU set from AMD. The CPU consists of eight x86-64 cores and runs concurrently with its GPU, which consists of 18 compute units and a theoretical peak performance of 1.84 teraflops. However, this performance will technically never be fully realized in games or the various utilities running on the PS4 and should be considered the maximum of what the console can handle. This is in line with midrange gaming PCs and the Xbox One hardware specs.
Both the CPU and GPU will share the same memory processing pool when it comes to dedicated RAM so that graphics processing and utility OS functions will take what they need when they need it. Instead of the CPU holding onto a chunk of the memory pool even when not in use, the shared design ensures the console is getting the most performance when processing graphics data.The PS4 will also have a secondary custom chip for handling background OS functions like downloads, uploads, and user interface options.
The PlayStation 4 will use 8 GB of GDDR5 dedicated RAM, which puts it ahead of the Xbox One in terms of raw bandwidth (176 GB/s) that can be processed at any one instance. While both consoles have 8 gigabytes of total RAM, the PS4 can process more information at once than the Xbox One. While technically meaningless considering the midrange PC specs on both consoles not really requiring more beyond 8 gigabytes, the PS4 could process more information and produce less slowdown if the user is streaming games or doing something else actually requiring the full RAM pool.
For gamers wealthy enough to afford the nice television sets, the PS4 will be able to support gaming running at 1080p with the ability to run movies and images at 4K resolution. Don't expect the PS4 to render games at 4K because the technology to consistently do so without frying the APU inside your console does not exist cheaply yet.
The PS4 has two USB 3.0 ports in addition to a special auxiliary port for the PlayStation Eye. Sony has smartly designed their companion motion control device to have its own dedicated port so that gamers don't have to sacrifice one for a device that's almost necessary for future gaming. The PS4 controller is able to charge using the ports even if the system is in standby mode, which is a major step-up from the previous console. Honestly, who made the conscious decision not to include this feature in the PS3? I hope they got kicked in the stones when they were in "standby" mode.
New Toys and Tech
Among the new and improved applications and tech features like a faster Blu-ray disc drive, the PlayStation 4 also comes with second screen capabilities through your PS Vita, smartphone, or tablet. Secondary screens can also wake up and log into your PS4 to initiate downloads or stream games onto another device. Sony released a new PlayStation app specifically for this feature so that users can access their system and chat with their friends on the go.This is of course a major step forward in social gameplay that allows PS4 owners to make game time anytime. Yes, I realize that sentence sounded dangerously cheesy. Cheetos. I should get some cheetos.
If the user chooses, a title can be purchased and downloaded in the background without interrupting the other features on the PSN. For users looking for an expanded entertainment experience, the new PSN allows subscription services through the PlayStation store like the Sony's Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited series.
The new home screen features a combination of the latest offers from third-party vendors you're subscribed to (e.g. your Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu) and the latest content from your friends. This includes new streamed content, their newly acquired trophies, and social media uploads. From the PS4's home screen, you can also multitask by browsing the PlayStation Store for the latest titles or DLC while browsing the worldwide web looking at pictures of grumpy cats and chatting to friends online and in-game. Game invitations, shared in-game gifts from friends, and newly acquired items for participating in different events will also show up on the PS4 home screen when you select specific games in your library to view.
Games will also have their own dedicated tab that you can view for further information similar to how Steam currently has their games sorted based on different hubs. Within these game tabs, you can view what your friends have been doing in that game, their achievements, your own achievements, a newsfeed for updates and bug fixes from developers, newly gifted items received from friends or promotions, and more.
Privacy now works on a two tier system where your close friends can view your real name, location, and other detailed information while online friends can only view your online identity. When you become friends with someone, detailed information is only provided via a "Real Name Request" that you can send them. Otherwise, only basic info is shown.
Arguably one of the best new features about the PS4 is known as PlayGo, where all titles on the console can be downloaded while you play the game. While the initial setup and install may take a while, the PS4 does not require you to install the full game in order to play. For example, if you're playing the next Uncharted game on the PS4, you only need to download the first level of the game to start playing while the rest downloads in the background. Since the PlayStation Store will have digital downloads of new titles the day physical copies are released, you could immediately start playing the next hot release right away.
The PlayStation 4 will not require a transfer fee for buying used games and while the console is not backwards capable with the PS2 or PS3, you can stream any game in the PlayStation library with the PlayStation Now cloud service. It is currently unknown whether these titles will have to be purchased again from the PlayStation store or if Sony plans on digitizing your own library somehow.
Sony PS4 Conference Video - Specs Detailed:
Eye See You
The PlayStation Eye has been completely redesigned for the eighth generation console to take advantage of 3D image capturing and inter-connectivity with the PS4 controller. Aside from the increased number of cameras (you get two!), wider range, sleeker design, four different camera options, and recognition for up to six people, the PS Eye will have voice recognition and costs $60. Previous PlayStation Move companion devices will be supported on the PS4 although there are currently no planned new features for them. For the nitty-gritty technical specs, check out this handy table below.
PlayStation Eye Hardware Specs
Feature PS Eye
External Dimensions 186mm X 27mm X 27mm
Weight Approximately 183g
Video Pixels A maximum of 1280 X 800 pixels X 2 (Two built-in cameras)
Video Frame Rate 1280 X 800 pixels @ 60fps
640 X 400 pixels @ 120fps
Video Format RAW + YUV (uncompressed)
Lens Dual lenses with a F value/F2.0 fixed focus
Capture Range Approximately 30cm
Field-of-View Approximately 85 degrees
Microphone 4-channel microphone array
Connection Type PS4 dedicated AUX port
Cable Length Approximately 2m
The DualShock 4
The PlayStation 4 controller maintains the same general shape (Sony has improved the design to be more comfortable) of previous DualShock controllers and improves upon existing features with new tech. Despite being similar in appearance, the PS3 controller will not be compatible with the eighth generation console due to all the improved or new tech features crammed into the DualShock 4. You still get two analog sticks, two analog triggers (L2 and R2), the iconic triangle, circle, square, and X face buttons, the L1 and R1 buttons, and four individual directional buttons. You also get the neat-o L3 and R3 on the analog sticks. The DualShock 4 retails for $59.99 USD.
Improvements to the controller include a brand new material over the two analog sticks that Sony has claimed to be more comfortable than previous DualShocks. They have also been redesigned to have a circular ridge along the edge of the analog sticks to increase precision when gamers play. The L3 and R3 push buttons on the analog sticks have increased responsiveness, which means something depending on how you rated the previous responsiveness on these two buttons.
The DualShock 4 will have some motion control via a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer that the PlayStation eye will recognize. There is an additional vibration feature using multiple motors to give players better immersion with the game they're playing.
Most gamers will probably notice the rather large touchpad on the center of the controller that also acts as an additional click button. Thus far we've seen this touchpad used for everything from switching weapons, to navigating maps and inventory .
For PlayStation Eye support, the DualShock 4 has a built-in light bar that will transfer information from the game to the controller via different light sequences depending on the context. For example, if a player's health is low, the DualShock 4 will begin flashing its light bar. A more creative use was seen in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition where the bar would flash orange and red while holding a torch in the game. In addition to the new light bar sensor on the DualShock 4, there are also two ports for a headset and a mini-USB cable for charging purposes. A headset is included with the purchase of a PS4 although there is also a mono speaker on the controller itself that delivers in-game sounds.
There are two new buttons featured on the PS4 controller: Share and Options. The Options button located on the right side of the DualShock 4 incorporates both the Start and Select button from the previous controller into a single button. I think Options pretty much sums up what the button offers to gamers and developers. The Share button is an entirely new feature for the console that promotes Sony's new position on social gameplay. When a player hits the Share button, holds it down, or taps it twice, various things can happen depending on the settings. You can upload recorded video to friends online or through social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. You can also do the same with screenshots from within the game, adding a caption as well if you'd like.
Post your PS4 Spec(s) comments down below.
Article by - Collin Mak
Insert Date: 6/3/2013
Article updated: 12/17/14
Top PS4 Hard Drives
Top 5 PS4 Keyboards
Top 5 PS4 headsets
Best TVs for PS4
PS4 Specs
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 11/20/2011 - 20:15
I'm with the original poster. People who mess up basic words like "to", etc., deserve to be reminded of the fact that they're idiots. :-)
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/22/2011 - 16:34
It's simple...grammar, that it. Punctuation is too. For some, the education may not have been as easily available or, for that matter, may not have been taught yet. In either case, the disturbing issue is whether there should be debate over the correction from other posters. I believe there should...partly because the art of the written word needs to continue. Otherwise we all will never get our true point across if we use improper words. Think about it.
I see the first part of your message is a little tongue-in-cheek, but the latter half? Yours is by far the worst grammar (and punctuation) exhibited on this page: nine errors in total.
I think ps4 is going to have much better GPU than nvidia560. tchnology is developing so fast
all i know is the ps4 better... play ps,1,2,3,4 games and have a 4 disk changer
nothing to do with article but.....
game companies are making way too many first person shooting games...there should be a new kind of gamestyle to play..too much cod and crap we need more life like games then it would be interesting...theres gotta be ohh and make multiplaying even more interesting.
This comment is important to note for what it is. When did WipeOut HD ever do anything more on the PS3 when it was first released. Hasn't it been updated to make use of 6xSPUs at 100% efficiency over the 4x SPUs it currently uses at a moderate 30% efficiency? Here's my guess on the situation of the effect that shooting games with real-life guns and killing people has had on the games industry and how it is really a U.S. regional problem: KillZone or MW or CoD will be a release-day title on the PS4 and not WipeOut or Gran Turismo 6. What happened to the gamers of the WipeOut and Gran Turismo era. Answer: they were educated on fun; whereas the new-age gamers are being educated to kill by game developers who get too much backing from military applications and advertising. Hi there, Electronic Arts et al.
GTX 560?
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/24/2011 - 11:06
That card costs upward of $250.
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 11/25/2011 - 07:38
Think of a GTX560 class DX11 GPU. Then think of the nVidia Kepler architecture, which they has a 3:1 per watt/per transistor TDP ratio over current existing Fermi architecture. And then fabricate it on 22nm. What you would then get is a GTX560 class DX11 GPU with a TDP footprint of - well, I don't know - a snowflake striking the ground?
HVD is fine and all for
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 11/26/2011 - 14:13
HVD is fine and all for overall space but will it play the Blu-Rays that are standard and that I've spent a small fortune on?
and also its been 4 years
and also its been 4 years since the HVD has been published so I don't see that a feasible concept soon anyways.
multi monitor support
I expect the PS4 to offer multi-monitor support. I.e output 1080p to 2 screens so an effective resolution of 3840x1080 @ 60Hz, assuming games can be developed to support higher resolutions.
My guess...
Here are my guesses on specs or what Sony will do with the PS4. CPU: They will probably use a new gen of the CELL BE and fix some of the problems developers had developing on it. 8 PPE (each quad-threaded like the Power7) with 32 SPE combined together instead of having them separated to each PPE. This gives developers freedom and an option to use or not to use the SPE, doing so gives more head room for performance as the console gets older and developers overtime will embrace and learn how to use the SPE. Also we cannot forget about ARM. Sony can hire ARM to build a CELL design, since Sony does have rights to it along with it's partners, ARM can use their fabrication labs to tweak and improve the architecture and also avoid licensing fragmentation from IBM by removing and replacing the PPE design with another. Another reason to go to ARM is due to the amount of heat the PowerPC architecture develops. Sony can go with AMD and Intel but the architecture would allow essay access for hackers and would just open up a can of worms for Sony (look at Apple's situation and people who make Hackintoshs), also Intel would charge a lot for their CPUs which would cost console cost to rise. GPU: I doubt they will go with Nvidia this time around. They will probably go to a low name GPU/Microprocessor company to design and develop the chip. My guess is the same people who makes the GPU for the PS Vita. Console maker should of realized by now, that they lack the luxury PC gamers have, to upgrade over time. If they are willing to create a specialized CPU, than they have no problems doing that on a GPU. Hardware is useless without software taking advantage of it, a reason why PC gamer hate console ports because they use so much resources due to the fact that they are not optimized for the PC. GPUs are the fastest cards to be replaced in terms of gaming, but with smart engineering to create an efficient and powerful product anyone can create a GPU that can last a very very long time without it showing it's age as time progress. The reason why GPU companies don't do it, is because they survive on quarterly sales and thrive on people wanting to upgrade. Consoles don't have the luxury/need to upgrade. Another way they can go is to place another next gen CELL in the PS4. In the PS3 the current CELL is given a lot of the work loads the GPU is suppose to do anyways and placing a second CELL on the PS3 was Sony's original plan so why wouldn't they do it on the PS4, it will bring the cost down also. RAM: For sure more ram will be added. My guess is around 2-4GB for DDR3. The true question is, What kind or ram will it be? Will they stick with XDR and place its successor the XDR2 or an early release of XDR3 or switch due to the cost of XDR or maybe use both since some operations and codes need to take slower time to complete anyways. Codes that need to be done quickly can use XDR and slow codes with DDR3. If it is XDR my guess is 1-2GB. Blu-ray: Blue-ray is staying, especially since it's new and not everyone uses it yet. Sony and it's partners are developing faster Blu-ray drives so a faster drive can go on the PS4. Also not every game developer uses the second layer on a Blu-ray disk. HDD & SDD: My guess is there will be two PS4 models at launch and I believe they are going to do what Microsoft did with the Xbox. Sony can sell a PS4 with 4GB SSD alone and another model with SSD and HDD together. Storage space will increase, that is a given! USB: USB 3.0 will be on the PS4, that is given! Other: I'm also guessing that Sony will bring back the move (with upgrades and tweaks, especially by removing that orb on the controllers and a complete redesign) and pair it with something like the Xbox has with Kinect but with improvements. They will probably make the move controller (which will be redesigned) as the main controller for the PS4 with the ability to add attachments on it like a screen, touch pad and some other add-on. Game developers can use Move and Kinect tech to follow player movements with amazing accuracy and Kinect like microphone to operate in game options and game AI. What I want Sony to do is add keyboard and mouse support and try bring in most of the MMO franchises to the PS4. Not all genre of games work well with a console controller or with tech like Kinect, sometimes the good old keyboard and mouse is needed to make a fun game. This is why hardcore FPS, RPG & MMO fans play on PC because its more accurate and has more control and freedom when it comes to the controls. Remember Sony's goal is to make a powerful and innovative product that is low cost to build and affordable to buyers, yet powerful enough to last a long period of time and caters to the developers need for a powerful system to make amazing games. By the end of the day no matter how great games look and feel, the people that make them, make them to gain money. Money and profit it the real goal of these companies and no matter how passionate these developers are, money is the thing that keeps them in developing games everyone loves to play.
PS4 hardware features idea.
I am hoping Sony will impliment blu ray 3D into the PS4 as it is the successor to blu ray. Blu ray 3D is already out in stores and by the time PS4 will be announced around next christmas it should be even cheaper to use in there PS3 successor which is thought to be released in spring 2013.
if you didn't know already
a bluray 3d is just a bluray player with hdmi 1.4 so it can send full hd 3d signals at 60fps PS3 can do 3D 1080p @24fps in certain blurays.
ssd's not likely for quite a while
i say this because you still have a choke point-the optical drive.come on,8x?thats still nowhere near the speeds of a good 7200 rpm hdd.and most games require the use of the disc,so even if you do install to your drive,load times arent going to go down that much. if you dont believe me,there was an article,i believe on engadget,or maybe ign,about the very same thing.its great in theory,but just not viable until we find a better medium,or just ditch disc media all together,and maybe shoot for hotswappable drives when we fill up that first one.here's hoping
Bad choice in GPU
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/26/2011 - 20:05
I'd say a Radeon HD 6950 is the better option. It has better specs far better performance and it's only a few more dollars than the top Getz 560's out there.
Did I say HD 6950? I'll correct myself HD 5970.
there is a bunch of nerds on this website
Including yourself? :)
Im not a super nurd, but herrs my guess :)
CPU: something a lot greater than the 2nd generation intel i7 processor. GPU: The next gen NVIDIA Kepler cards (GTX 690?) and like 5 of them supporting direct x 11.1 and 4k resolution RAM: 32 GB Disk: HVD! :D
That impossible
The PS4 Spec is : CPU: The Processor of PS4 is Better Than 2nd generation intel Core i7 Extreme Processor. GPU: DirectX 12 and 7k resolution Mean 4320p Quad HD RAM: 32 GB Disk: Holographic Disc it about 6000GB!
but the cost of holographic discs!
yes but would you pay $1200 for a ps4 with holo. discs? or just stick to blu ray and pay a reasonable amount for a game console?
NEVER! Only Microsoft can use Directx every other company in this world uses OpenGL, Nintendo Sony apple.
^Lol
Not Expensive System
CPU : still using cell proc, with 16 core, since ps3 using 8 core CMIIW @4Ghz GPU : Nvidia exclusive card for ps3 with 1 GB memory, 384 bit Memory : 4 GB of RAM The 16 core cell @ 4ghz proc is beast, so i think ps4 dont need a lot of memory Acc : USB 3.0, still using blu ray, same hard disk as PS3. 1080p native resolution, 60fps Sony wont make a system that cost to expensive, my guess it will be around 700$ at launch day
This more likely
$700???
Are you crazy that's extremely expensive this is one of the reasons Xbox 360 sold more than the ps3 decent prices. The highest Sony should go is $500 if they want dominance due to affordability and performance. I got mine at around $510 + tax which bundled 2 games madden 10 & MGS4, an additional controller, a 6ft hdmi, a 6ft optical audio cable and a 2yr warranty. The most I would pay for a console alone would be $450-500 so if they over price it like they did originally with the ps3 I might go with the next Xbox.
$700 is good
For me, personaly, if it WAS 700 dollars it would be worth every cent. I'd pay for it gladfuly, I would rather have an expensive KICKASS console than a cheap mediocre console that i'll discard after a while. @)|0|_{o-o}_|0|(@ Asian face contest?
$700 is about right
i think $700 launch price is the more likely, and after two years there will be price cut to $499. i remember when ps3 first come out it cost $599 CMIIW
ps3 install base passed xbox smart 1
don't u feel dumb launch prices are never good no matter what the price after a year or two you will be looking back at ureself laughing
I would rather pay more for a ps4 than buy the "cheaper" 720. As long as Sony doesn't charge for online services, Sony's the way to go. So, you go right ahead and buy a Fanboy system. In the long run, you'll pay more. (and more. and more, and more!) I'll stick with the PS4.
HD Remasteries
OK, why can't Sony make HD remasteries? I mean the graphics would be CRAP if we just put a PS1 disk into a PS4... yeah. It happens with X360... And if anyone says i'm wrong... I DON'T GIVE A RATS >=(
CPU: Cell based proc, 32
CPU: Cell based proc, 32 cores GPU: imagination technologies rogue GPU specific designed for ps4 RAM: 8 gb SSD: 480gb -> optical drive: Multi layer BR USB 3.0, thunderbolt, wifi ac output: Ultra HD
4 Cell No GPU?
The PS3 was never meant to have a GPU, the Nvidia GPU was allegedly put there for it's robust and well understood tool chain. Without this the 3rd party developers wouldn't have invested the time taken to develop games on a purely cell based architecture. It seems that as the cell ecosystem develops more and more GPU tasks are moved onto cell, ultimately this makes the GPU redundant, although the current implementation of cell is too compromised to compete with Xbox without the GPU, the next implementation in PS4, without the split memory and with more CELL's should create a far more efficient, elegant more versatile and much faster system.
XDR-DRAM
The real reason was XDR-DRAM. And then realising Microsoft were going with a mind-blowing 512Mb (at the time). If it was a Cell-only design, and they had - for the sake of argument - 4 of those Cells in place to do CPU/GPU compute, then they would need a lot more than 512Mb XDR-DRAM. A minimum of 512Mb of XDR-DRAM, back in 2005, must have been the most unthinkable solution with the inclusion of a Blu-ray device that has ever occurred in Sony's history that didn't notify their Shareholders that that would have probably doubled the cost of the console, whilst selling it at an even more mind-numbing loss. So that event never happened. Then nVidia stepped in and probably saved Sony's gaming division just by that intervention alone. It was either that or game developers spending 7 years getting to grips with 4 Cells instead of 1 Cell over 5 years of painstaking SPE/SPU coding efficiencies. Multiple small-dsp-like processor code and tiny-CPU-store programming was so "new" back then that the only people who talked about the Cell were these Ph.D Professor MATHEMATICIANS figuring out how to produce code to utlize it - and this went on for 3-4 years, and then all of a sudden, a game developer announced they had 4-5 SPE/SPUs running at very high efficiency (like 70-90%). Then it got to 5-6 SPE/SPU at 99% efficiency, which is what you see in Uncharted 2 and 3. There is no animosity between nVidia and Sony, and with that knowledge, nVidia is likely to step back in for Sony for the PS4. The Cell "as is" is extremely powerful; and the Cell was designed to do one thing, and one thing far better than anything that has ever occurred in Silicon technology-unique history - "many Cells functioning as one entity"; capable of producing mind-blowing mathematical computation on any scale of "many CPUs" that can throw any Intel/AMD x86 CPU back into the stone-age. The only problem is, is that Sony is nervous about taking back what reached for the stars from the PS2 days. Not many will understand this, but the PS2's architecture is as fundamentally "great" as the Cell could have been if only Sony put 2x Cell CPUs in the PS3 with nVidia's RSX GPU. If that had happened, the PC gamer would not exist today. They would be playing on the PS3 Dual-Cell having abandoned their PCs as gaming systems when certain key developers managed to achieve 99% efficiency out of 12 SPE/SPUs whilst the nVidia RSX had only to do any fraction of the work a GPU would normally have to do in an x86 architecture.
The PC gamer would not exist? You're making the ridiculous assumption that hardware power is the only factor. That's never been true. The control interface is far more important, and no one has licked that completely, as yet. (The Move is a pretty good attempt, but far from ideal.) And next, the quality of the games - which in turn depend far more on the control interface, and how it's exploited, than on raw compute power. Actually, Sony's biggest achievement with the PS line has been in making its terms attractive to developers. But its whole direction is wrong. There's no way I'm paying $700+ for a tricked-out Blu-ray player just to run stupidity like Modern Warfare. Or a minimally-interactive movie like Uncharted, no matter how well it's done. I don't really care how good these games look; we passed the point of "good enough" quite a ways back. Boost the graphics on the PS (and Xbox) by an order of magnitude, and what will you get? Even more emphasis on visuals, even less attention paid to gameplay. Because that's the way the market works, and that's the way Sony (and its competitors) are encouraging it to work. ("Ooohhh... bright. Shiny. Violent. Must... buy!") The Cell architecture works perfectly in this, being too complex and esoteric for smaller developers. (Getting just two cores to work well together is a fiendishly difficult task.) So what you end up with is a machine specifically optimized for blockbuster titles, rather than ones that innovate in the less-obvious terms of gameplay. Bear in mind also that many of the things Sony did right with the PS3 were accidents, because the company had over-extended itself so foolishly in pushing the expensive and unnecessary Blu-ray drive. (Which has never paid off - much - for gaming. And which crippled Sony financially, despite it having theoretically 'won' over the far more consumer-friendly HD DVD format.) Note how the ability to install your own OS vanished as soon as Sony could manage. Features like the user-replaceable hard drive will be the first to be engineered out of the PS4. Still worse, you need to realize that both Sony and Microsoft are now competing for a far bigger prize than us game dweebs. They each want to be the gatekeepers of video and music content, which they see as a truly limitless revenue stream. That means that a lot of the money you spend on the next generation of 'game' systems will be invested in things that don't improve your games in any way. Like insanely complex DRM schemes, embedded into the hardware, ready to shred whatever is still left of your personal privacy. I keep hoping someone will jump in with a 'third-party candidate' that would counterbalance the totalitarian offerings we will unquestionably see from both M$ and $ony. Imagine a console with 'good enough' performance, based on on GNU/Linux (which is inside every Blu-ray player anyway), with an optimized package of game services (based on OpenGL, but extended to include a lot of other stuff, like control interfaces and networking). Imagine it with a really open development policy, that will encourage wide-open innovation. Imagine it with a real choice of control hardware (first- and third-party), and a strong tie-in to Android (and iOS, if you insist). I'd pay big for that. Not for the nerfed-out supertoy you're going to see from the big media conglomerates. I look forward to your flames. Just bear in mind, they won't change the marketplace, which over-rules technology every time.
Brain Warfare
I don't want to jump into some kind of "brain warfare" here, but you're trying to convince me that this sentence - "You're making the ridiculous assumption that hardware power is the only factor. That's never been true." - is a ridiculous assumption? You're a PC gamer alright. Probably a Car owner with aspirations of driving on 3 wheels. So what you're saying is a 1000Watt PC is not required. Just 250Watts and other factors are just as important. So the world not wanting bigger and better Supercomputers to solve the mysteries of the universe is baseed on the ridiculous assumption it can be done on an Abacus. The PC uses antiquated technology - it just gets away with it with high frequencies and huge amounts of Watt per Transistor, and brute force. That's a PC gamer right there with thinking Power is not the only factor. "The control interface is far more important" You mean Mouse versus Joypad The difference between the two is that one is static and the other moves. That's it. Some gamers play better with a Joypad, and some play better with a Mouse, but the ratio of who is better at games is a matter of debate. I suppose I could use the word "prefer", but that's just getting complicated. Mouse gamers destroy Joypad gamers because the Mouse has been integrally ingrained into the human condition of moving a cursor on the screen by moving your hand - whereas a Joypad is a tilt system where your hand remains virtually motionless. The Mouse needs a surface. The Joypad does not. It's the anywhere gaming device the Mouse currently can't be. There's an interesting thing going on with the Mouse is that gamers are beginning to realise that the least movement you make with the Mouse, the better player you are. So pro gamers are likening the mouse to the least amount of movement. The best players in the world do this. It's either Actions Per Second on a keyboard (tiny, fast, finger movement), or it's tiny movements of the Mouse with Actions per Second thought applied to it. "Sony's biggest achievement with the PS line has been in making its terms attractive to developers. But its whole direction is wrong." I completely agree with you. Although the "terms attractive" is just Sony's expansive direction of media and the whole picture industry facet. What games developers really see is that Sony have the "channels" to make them globally aware to their investors and shareholders. "I don't really care how good these games look; we passed the point of "good enough" quite a ways back." Spoken like someone comfortable in their Time. What you're experiencing is the "corporate monopoly; the capitalist convention of stopping time" convincing you that we're reached a limit; the reason they do this is they're all in debt - they're not even in the Black, and they're still losing billions - so they maintain technology and the future in our realm "has been reached" - so please buy more of this "there's still life left in it". It all comes about from greed. It can't be avoided and it tends to happen every few decades. You won't understand this because you've made it clear to me - in less than 20 years, you may as well stand on your head for all the good it will do to try and understand how far technology will go from this point at 2012 to somewhere at the 2027 point. Comparing 8bit game consoles to IBM's Bladerunner Supercomputer is the best analogy I could give you. 2001 Space Odyssey was reaching too far with HAL9000 using Light replacing Electrons and Band Gaps, but the reason a "Light-based Computer" doesn't exist is because Capitalism is more interested in using and keeping x86 technology afloat from the early 1970s because it's so incredibly difficult to change. "Boost the graphics on the PS (and Xbox) by an order of magnitude, and what will you get? Even more emphasis on visuals, even less attention paid to gameplay." The best thing to do here is ask the question of what is Gameplay. Well 50 years ago, Gameplay was interacting in the Real World. Whereas 50 years later, it's interacting with Pixels trying to look like the Real World. Which is what we're trying to do and it's going to happen within 15 years. So what is Gameplay? Gameplay is playing with the intention of believing what you're doing isn't an illusion. Why do professional game players do what they do; well technically, they do it because they're young and naive, but what they're really experiencing is a caveat that what they see is real - it's how and why Multiplayer is so popular. Why competing with a real human player over a remote connection gets close to that reality; at least from the perception of it. And achievement within its spectrum could get you rich and popular (which it does). In the Real World, the same rules apply. "Bear in mind also that many of the things Sony did right with the PS3 were accidents, because the company had over-extended itself so foolishly in pushing the expensive and unnecessary Blu-ray drive." A mistake the end-consumer will always make is thinking a company - like Sony, like any other company - is stupid, or they do things by accident. I'm sorry to tell you that the people that run these companies, their top engineers, their thinkers, the doers, are probably the most intelligent people on the planet. They are responsible for the massive changes you see every decade or so. This is the same view of the question asked of "What is it like to be Rich?" I can tell you; I feel "Relaxed". The context of the one is not the same as the other, so the end-consumer will never understand it. You're labelled end-consumer because all you can do is consume - very rarely can you create change that affects the World. "... both Sony and Microsoft are now competing for a far bigger prize than us game dweebs. They each want to be the gatekeepers of video and music content, which they see as a truly limitless revenue stream. That means that a lot of the money you spend on the next generation of 'game' systems will be invested in things that don't improve your games in any way. Like insanely complex DRM schemes, embedded into the hardware, ready to shred whatever is still left of your personal privacy..." It's not like that at all. If could explain it to you if you want, but to cut a long story short - "it's not like that at all". Capitalist companies really do want to do "Good for the World", but you won't believe how hard it is to sustain a Capitalist World of Billions of Individuals and keep it going in a perfectly straight line. Sony will always remain Sony, because if they don't, in time, they will be forgotten. From your persepctive it might never be, but the very wise cannot see all ends so this tends to remain a statement of fact than just fancy.
Next Gen Systems
It doesn't matter what Sony does. Due to the economy I believe it will be expensive but comparing it to xbox 360 is quite wasteful. Xbox 360 may be cheaper but your paying 65 bucks a year for live so technically your paying 149.99+59.99+ accessories plus 59.99 for each game. You xbox fans calculate buying a new system plus your online mp needs plus the games you invest in and it adds up way more than what you'll invest in Sony's product.
I totally agree. If you add the cost of xbox live you can buy a new console with the money you give Microsoft.
xbox720 vs ps4?
Idiotic PS4 Specs
So far the only feasible specs I have read on this page were the ones Henry wrote in the article. As for the specs I have read in the comments, I have had to face palm a handful of times before I just decided most of you are too stupid to take seriously. 32GB of RAM? Yeah right! Keep wishing, kid. Anyone old enough to buy a beer knows that Sony loves to add as little RAM to their consoles as they possibly can. The PS2 had 32MB of RAM, whereas PCs from the time of the PS2's launch were already passing 1GB. The PS3 has about 512MB of RAM, whereas PCs from the time of the PS3's launch had anywhere from 2GB to 12GB of RAM. 32GB of RAM is what you will get with a PC/Mac that will probably cost a couple thousand dollars at least. For a $500-$700 console you are looking at maybe 1GB of RAM total. So stop smoking that PCP, kids! It is making you friggin' RETARDED!
Quad Future
No one is an idiot trying to see into the future. Amazing things can happen; at any time. But it's easier if everyone understands that Memory is tied to Resolution. 4Gb should be absolute minimum for 1080P (1920x1080) because when you have decent texture detail (a step higher than the best texture detail we see currently on consoles), 2Gb struggles with 1080P; it would probably be ok at 720P (1280x720); or 1080i, which is 1366x768. Since Microsoft doesn't have any sort of a cash flow problem their target will be 1080P, and therefore, 4Gb; if they're intending to put pressure on Sony by arriving first to the scene, this is the way to do it. Sony's only leverage is that the Cell sits alone in the PS3 and supports a graphics chip known as the RSX that is far below the capabilities of the Xbox360's AMD GPU. Put 4 "next gen Cell" processors together and the only problem Microsoft has is hoping that Sony Developers don't start off the mark utilizing 75% of the potential of a quad-Cell array for their launch titles, even if the nVidia RSX2 GPU is far weaker than Microsoft's Xbox Next.
ps3 and xbox owner
I own both consoles and to tell you the truth I am only going to buy a sony console next gen. I am done with Microsoft. They over charge and itemize everything on a xbox to make you pay for crap. I am sure Sony will keep on-line play for free. Microsoft is gong to true to undercut Sony on price but sony makes the better product. I have had problems with my xbox like scratching disk and i am not going to trust Microsoft anymore. If you actually do the research on severs Sony actually has better servers for PSN that MS does for xbox live. I am not trying to make this a console flame war by all means just stating in the long run you get a higher quality for your money and pay less in the long run. I like Sony's direction and the next console i will be buying will be a ps4.
ps3 hdd too slow
Denver. Hdd are slow. And. Ssd. Are. Expecive. Why. Not use the. New. Hybriide. Hdd/ssd. Combos. Or voloci-raptors at 10,000. Romantic
if it is slow then why is
if it is slow then why is mine realy fast?!?!
lol?
Period. Period. Fail spelling. Period. You. Are. Retarded. Period.
Does PS4 Have Same Network With Ps3 I Need Answers
SO IFTHE DO I WOULD BE SO HAPPY BUT ANSWER THIS PLEASE.
Does PS4 Have Same Network
Does PS4 Have Same Network With Ps3 I Need Answers Wed, 01/11/2012 - 04:57 — Anonymous SO IFTHE DO I WOULD BE SO HAPPY BUT ANSWER THIS PLEASE. Does PS4 Have Same Network With Ps3 I Need Answers Wed, 01/11/2012 - 04:57 — Anonymous SO IFTHE DO I WOULD BE SO HAPPY BUT ANSWER THIS PLEASE.
All PS4 Games
Games by Category
Top 10 PS4 Games
Top 100 PS4 Games
Top 5 PS4 Hard Drives
Top PS4 Headsets
Top PS4 Keyboards
Top PS4 Gaming TVs
Take Apart Your PS4!
PS4 Media Remote
PS4 & PS4 Pro Concepts
Top PS4 Tips!
Playstation Network Status
Cool Skins / Mods
PS4 & PS5 Release Dates
Playstation 4 Videos
PS4 Online
Backward Compatible
Buy The PS4
PS4 Launch Trailer
Playstation Articles
PS4 Polls - Vote!
GTA V 7 months 2 weeks ago
Hell Yes 8 months 1 week ago
Sony paypal and ps4 1 year 9 months ago
vr gloves 1 year 10 months ago
Troubleshooting Tip 1 year 11 months ago
Is the story over when I 1 year 11 months ago
PS4 Social
Follow @PS4Experts
Cast Your Vote!
Will you pre-order the PS5?
Maybe - Depending on Price
Maybe - Depends on other factors
PS4 Experts - Dedicated to all the hardcore fans out there.
© PS4PlayStation4.com - All graphics of The Sony Playstation are copyright of Sony. We as a PS4 fan site are NOT affiliated with SCEI (Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.) nor endorsed by SCEI.
We love Sony and their products! We will work day and night to bring you the very latest news and updates! View our Privacy Policy & Disclaimer. Long live the PS4, it is an epic gaming console.


text:
Queen Mary 2 review: what's it really like on board
Queen Mary 2 review: what's it really like on board
BY Elisabeth Knowles
Elisabeth Knowles settled in for six days on board – and found herself wishing it were sixteen…
About the Queen Mary 2
It's almost twice as big as the original Queen Mary and over twice the size of Queen Victoria. QM2 weighs 151,400 tonnes and is 345m long, 41m wide and 65m above water level (about the height of a 23-storey building). It can accommodate 2620 guests and 1253 crew.
There are 14 bars and clubs, 10 cafés and restaurants, eight luxury shops, four outdoor swimming pools, a spa with hydrotherapy pool, and many outdoor sporting areas including a putting green, half-size basketball court and a jogging/power-walking deck that goes right the way round the ship.
Note to future passengers: do not dawdle on this deck or you'll get mowed down by energetic elders.
On a style note, the QM2 reflects the Art Deco heritage of the golden age of sea travel, typified by the transatlantic passage from Southampton in the UK to New York.
Its exterior is painted stately black and white with a red pinstripe, making it one classically elegant ocean liner. Inside, the decor features walnut panelling, patterned carpets and massive chandeliers.
Both the live theatre and the cinema are beautiful grand rooms deserving of your best formal gown. The fact you don't have to wear one every night
is a plus.
Staterooms or cabins on Queen Mary 2
My suite was described as a "Premium Balcony (Sheltered)". It was suite 6052 on the port (left) side of deck six towards the bow, which I thought would give me land views as we cruised from Darwin. After about an hour watching a blurry stripe of orange coastline, we headed out to sea and didn't see land again until we reached Bali.
However, ocean cruising is what this ship was built to do.
My cabin was compact but nicely laid out with a king-size bed, a "proper" bathroom including a shower and full-size toilet, and a small lounge area with a coffee table to rest your plates on when indulging in room service.
The TV was small and had limited program options (mostly '80s movies, international news channels and onboard promos – including a cute morning TV program, hosted by the ship's entertainment director, called Wake Up With Keith, which featured the cocktail of the day and live interviews with entertainers and crew).
But I spent most of the time "in" my room out on my enclosed balcony, leaning against the rail and watching the sea and sky change colour.
One disappointment was that for a five-star ship, my cabin was still fitted with one of those tiny, ineffectual motel hairdryers on a two-foot cord that is no more effective than standing next to an air-conditioner vent. Come on! This is the QM2. Get some decent hairdryers! (And before you assume it's because you're at sea and electricity is at a premium, the upper-class cabins don't appear to be fitted with the godawful things.)
On the plus side, the beds and pillows were comfy, the sheets were nice, there were welcome flowers and a bowl of fruit left in the room (including, surprisingly, a banana, something most seagoing vessels are superstitious about). There was also a turn-down service complete with chocolate on the pillow, and every deck had a personal steward who looked after any special requirements.
My tip for anyone thinking about a trip on QM2 would be to book a room on deck eight or above if you can afford it, as the balconies in these suites have clear partitions allowing views out to sea even while you're indoors.
Decks four, five and six have enclosed balconies. While they may protect you from the wind, you can only get a good view if you are standing up near the rail. But if you're on a budget you can always spend less time in your room and more out on deck.
Life on board Queen Mary 2
It was exciting to arrive at Darwin's Fort Hill Wharf to see this imposing ship towering above me from dock level.
In Sydney, the QM2 still seems huge, but it's in scale with the surrounding high-rise buildings and Harbour Bridge; here, in Darwin's port, where the relatively low-rise CBD isn't visible from the wharf, the liner looked simply humongous. It was really quite intimidating – and exhilarating – wheeling my suitcase up the gangplank.
Inside, QM2 was very much like a five-star hotel, complete with check-in desk. The only difference was that you had to hand over your passport as if you were boarding a plane. The handover was required not only because ships are international territory but because we'd be docking in Bali on day three of my journey.
But back to Darwin: a sense of fanfare was evident in port as representatives from the local newspaper, NT News, handed out commemorative newspaper front pages with "Welcome to Darwin" along with an image of the ship. This convivial reception continued as the ship pulled out of port, with tugboats escorting us out of the harbour, spraying celebratory jets of water as we went.
People on their own private boats also came out to see us off. I stood on my suite's balcony, watching it all. There's nothing like the thrill of setting off on an adventure, and on a cruise ship that sensation is amplified.
To experience a grand ship like this, I was told you really need as many days at sea as possible, because it's the only way you'll get to explore it properly and try out all the activities. After experiencing four full sea days, I know that's true. There really is no shortage of things to do (see "On-ship Activities", next page).
I know a lot of people below retirement age worry that they'd feel "stuck" on board a cruise ship and don't like the idea of being inactive, but I didn't feel that way. Admittedly, the average age of oceangoers seemed to be over 60 and I probably wouldn't pay to go back before retirement age, but it was truly a lot of fun. And I do like the idea of cruising post-retirement – if my generation can afford to be that leisurely!
I was worried about seasickness, but because the QM2 is a huge ocean liner, it is incredibly stable in calm waters. Indoors, you don't really notice the motion at all.
However, as we neared Fremantle the afternoon and night before port, even the QM2 got the wobbles. From a deckchair, I watched a cargo ship following a parallel course to ours. The ship felt a little rocky, but the other ship was really struggling. Every time it hit a wave the entire front half of the ship was submerged, then it seemed to lift up out of the water like a rearing horse.
Docking in Fremantle was great, because the bridge crew had to navigate an extremely narrow channel, and little tiny tugs had to push the great big ship close to the dock.
Three favourite things on board Queen Mary 2
The library:
It has more than 8000 books and an extensive selection of magazines (including Australian Traveller!).
For this circumnavigation cruise the State Library of NSW had loaned original logbooks from Matthew Flinders' explorations, and librarian Paul Brunton was on board to give fascinating talks on Flinders' trips on Tom Thumb. The library has club chairs pointed toward the bow, so you can sit, read and look up to meditate on where you're going.
There's also a pretty cool bookshop with great general interest fiction and nonfiction, as well as specialist books on cruising – such as all the info you could need on the Cunard line, and a surprising number of publications about the Titanic, for the masochists on board.
The pool decks:
People staying in the superior suites have the privilege of a pool deck of their own, so they don't have to mix with the masses.
There is a little kids' pool, a splash pool for the elderly and those who can't swim and a main pool where you can enjoy the sun at the stern, watching the massive wake recede behind you.
It's such a contrast to go from indoors, where you inevitably spend most of your time, out into the open air and sunshine. Bliss.
The luxury experiences:
While most things are included in the tariff, it's worth opening your wallet for a few exceptional exclusive experiences.
Fine-dining restaurant Todd English is simply superb, as is the Commodore Club, a relaxed and chic cocktail bar with a humidified cigar lounge off to one side.
It's one of the places on the ship that feels as luxurious as you'd expect of the QM2. The Veuve Cliquot bar is pretty good too, for obvious reasons; you can do champagne tastings here. Canyon Ranch Spa Club is also worth a splurge for its lovely hydrotherapy pool and relaxing lounge areas for sea views away from the crowds.
The cinema
Actually, I had four favourite things. Illuminations Cinema is Art Deco in style with big comfy seats. It screens two movies a day free of charge – usually a classic and a new release. I am a cinefile so I saw a film every day, including Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 3D. Happily, I could walk out of Terence Malick's Tree of Life without feeling like I'd wasted my money. At certain times, part of the cinema converts into a planetarium, a domed ceiling onto which 3D movies about astronomy are projected. All of them seemed to be narrated by honey-voiced stars such as Morgan Freeman and Harrison Ford. Worth watching with your eyes shut, really.
Three downsides on board Queen Mary 2
These points are trivial in relation to the rest of my QM2 experience, but:
The minibar:
A little bar fridge houses a couple of soft drink options and mineral water; no food. But there is round-the-clock in-room dining, and loads of food at every turn, so it's unlikely you'd feel like a between-meals snack.
There were also no in-room tea- and coffee-making facilities. Sure, room service is included in the tariff but the freedom to have tea when you feel like it is dampened by having to wait for it. Every other luxury hotel seems to have one of those mini coffee machines these days, too. But not the QM2.
Buffet dining:
There was a lot of food, and an excellent selection of cooked meals, salads and desserts, but I do not really enjoy self-serve meals in large quantities.
Even on a top-end ship with lots of staff, there were spillages, crowds of people to manoeuvre around and a general feeling that you're in a queue and have to rush to find a free table at peak times.
Luckily, there were alternatives. You could dine à la carte for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Britannia Restaurant (for the lower-level suites) or the Queens Grill or Princess Grill for the more expensive staterooms.
Cruise malaise:
I think this would be true of me on any ship, but I felt jet-lagged onboard – slow, sluggish. Probably because we were so well fed!
Activities on board Queen Mary 2
Every evening on turn-down, you receive a daily programme for the next day.
Shortly after I boarded I wrote a list of things I wanted to do before I got off: see a live show in the theatre; do a lesson, such as flower-arranging or Photoshop; attend a lecture; visit the planetarium; browse the shops; have a high tea; swim; read on a deckchair; visit the art gallery (where there was a Rolf Harris exhibition); have an espresso martini at Sir Samuel coffee shop; and go to the observation deck at night. The only thing I didn't do was get outside at night. I was just too busy!
The lecture program is sensational. As well as the Flinders lecture, talks were conducted by maritime historian Chris Frame (who spoke about QE2's role in conflicts, such as being in service during the Falklands War), oceanographer Dr Denny Whiford (who spoke about different types of ocean waves) and social entrepreneur David Bassau (who talked on microfinance and foreign aid). I'm just upset I didn't get to play deck quoits.
Queen Mary 2 shore excursions
We pulled into port at Padang Bay, Bali, first thing in the morning and were transferred to shore on tenders (which double as lifeboats – argh!).
I put my name down for a Bali Highlights tour that took us to active volcano Kintamani and Batur Bay. We also did a whirlwind tour of Bali's cultural sites – a wood-carving shop, a rice paddy, a temple and a dancing demonstration.
It was wonderful, and I do love Bali, having visited many times – but I wondered whether it is due to the size of the ship that guests couldn't have experienced Western Australia's coast instead, such as Broome and the Kimberley.
I can understand if there are environmental concerns and a lack of infrastructure, but it would have been nice if the circumnavigation of Australia had allowed overseas guests to experience our coastal "outback", because it is so unlike anywhere else. Maybe Broome's wharf is too shallow for such a large ship, I'm not sure.
Food on board Queen Mary 2
Each category of suite gets its own restaurant to dine in at night – I ate in the main dining room, Britannia Restaurant, which seats 1347 guests over two sittings. There are also two exclusive restaurants for the highest-grade staterooms – the Queens Grill (200 seats) and Princess Grill (178 seats). There are 10 restaurants and cafés.
Kings Court Buffet has casual dining for breakfast and lunch, but trickily converts into yummy speciality dining at night – La Piazza for Italian, Lotus for Asian fusion, The Carvery for British staples and the Chef's Gallery (a demonstration kitchen).
Fine-dining restaurant Todd English is designed by the eponymous Boston-based celebrity chef. It's Mediterranean cuisine with a twist, in a lovely setting.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Boardwalk Café is outdoors and serves quick bites.
Recommended: high tea is served silver-service-style in the Queens Room, a large ballroom.
Queen Mary 2 Review Details
I was lucky enough to be onboard the ship's first Royal Circumnavigation tour of Australia – a 28-day trip that took in the following ports: Sydney, Brisbane, Whitsundays, Yorkeys Knob (Cairns), Darwin, Bali, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne and back to Sydney. It was a bit of a shame that the tour skipped Tasmania – even Commodore Christopher Rynd seemed disappointed by this in a Q&A with his passengers.
Leg:
Darwin to Fremantle via Padang Bay, Bali. Duration: Six nights.
Number of cabins: 1310 staterooms.
Number of rooms and suites:
1017 outside doubles; 293 inside doubles; 955 balcony rooms (equalling 73% of cabins). 30 rooms are available for disabled guests, with wheelchair access, wider doors and adapted toilets. There are also facilities for blind guests, including braille and tactile signs.
There are 10 different styles of state room: top of the line are the Grand Duplexes – the most luxurious suites at sea, comprising 208m2 of living space with a large, clear-sided balcony offering sea views, fully stocked bar included in the tariff, dining area seating eight, dressing room, plasma TV, home office, exercise equipment, two marble dressing rooms and a whirlpool bath. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Standard Inside cabins are 18m2 and have king or twin beds.
On this voyage, fares for the full 28-day circumnavigation were priced from $6149 per person twin share. At time of printing, bookings on the QM2's next voyage to Oz (18 nights, Hong Kong to Sydney, early 2013) were priced from $3209 per person twin share.\
The best things to do around Australia this September
There's no shortage of things to do in Australia. There are countless unique experiences to be had throughout Australia this month. Here's what�...
The best non-flying last-minute family holidays
Every school holidays, the same problem emerges... where do we take the kids? With flights skyrocketing, and your busy life getting in the way of pro...
What to do in Bright, Victoria
Three-and-a-half hours' drive north-east of Melbourne lives Bright: here we share some secrets on how to have the perfect day in this Victorian town...
Five of Australia's best old pubs
There are days when nothing beats a no-frills Aussie pub, but sometimes we want the best of both worlds. (more…)...
Ultimate AUS itinerary for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
With Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex heading to Australia this month for Sydney's Invictus Games, we thought the couple migh...
A run down of the Hilton Hotels, Australia
Everything you need to know about the Hilton in Australia, from the staff at Australian Traveller Magazine. There are 7 Hilton hotels located in Au...


text:
Government Return to Work Safely Protocol a farce as only 67 HSA inspectors to cover 271,000 businesses - Louise O'Reilly TD
23 July, 2020 - by Louise O'Reilly TD
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment Louise O'Reilly TD has called the government's Covid-19 Return to Work Safely Protocol a farce.
Data Deputy O'Reilly received via a Parliamentary Question showed that there are only 67 Health and Safety Authority inspectors available to carry out protocol-related inspections.
Teachta O'Reilly said: "The Return to Work Safely Protocol was designed to support employers and protect workers as they returned to work as we moved through the roadmap to reopening society and the economy.
"The protocol was developed following high level dialogue between government, trade union and employer representatives on the best way to ensure the spread of Covid-19 was prevented and workers kept safe as the economy opens up.
"The protocol has excellent information and safety recommendations, and the HSA was tasked with carrying out Return to Work Safely Protocol inspections.
"The role of the HSA, the body responsible for enforcing health and safety law, promoting accident prevention, and providing information and advice, is essential to ensure workers are kept safe and the protocol is adhered to.
"Frustratingly, the HSA have not been given sufficient resources to increase the number of dedicated inspectors they have to carry out protocol related inspections.
"Parliamentary Question data I have received from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has revealed that the HSA have only 67 inspectors to cover almost 271,000 businesses across the state.
"The situation is a farce and makes a mockery of the protocol, putting workers and public health at risk.
"Tens of thousands of people responded to the 'Be on Call for Ireland' campaign, yet only a handful were given jobs.
"I am sure within those thousands of applications there were a number of people who have health and safety qualifications who could be employed to carry out inspections."


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no" />
    <meta name="renderer" content="webkit">
    <title>后台管理中心</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="__ADSTATIC__/css/pintuer.css">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="__ADSTATIC__/css/admin.css">

后台管理中心

             前台首页

             清除缓存

             退出登录
            管理员:{:session('user')}

菜单列表

基本设置

站点信息

友情链接

修改密码

添加管理员

首页轮播

评论管理

商品管理

商品版块

添加版块

商品列表

添加商品

商品回收站

寄卖的商品

寄卖商品信息

用户管理

编辑用户

认证会员

用户黑名单

用户充值

充值记录

禁止IP

订单管理

用户订单

订单回收站

 首页

网站信息

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Well it's been an exciting week this week as the school skiing season feels like it's truly up and running now with our first 8 groups ski tour over with we are now Counting down the days until our first two Easter Ski groups head over to the slopes in Fiesch end of March.
Currently the weather is Fiesch is perfect for Skiing we can even expect sunny weather. Morning temperatures will be around 3 °C. During the day they will reach a maximum of 18 °C. Low temperatures at night will be around 4°C. We have weak southwesterly winds.
Davos Skies are clear with only a with few clouds and plenty of sunshine The next few early mornings will drop to 4 degrees, Maximum temperature 12 degrees with Moderate easterly wind. The next few weeks will dip from sunny to cloudy.


A drunk driver who made a U-turn on a motorway and drove the wrong way in the fast lane causing a horror crash which killed a dad-of-four is facing jail.
Romanian national Adrian Radu, 28, performed the dangerous manoeuvre in the middle lane of the M1 resulting in a collision with a van and a lorry.
Shocking CCTV and dash-cam footage shows Radus recklessly speeding along the carriageway just moments before the fatal smash at 5.40am on March 24.
Van driver, Neil Rowe, who was travelling behind in lane two was unable to avoid smashing into the back of the Astra and an Eddie Stobart lorry he was overtaking.
Mark Downham, 48, was sleeping on the backseat of the van after being picked up from his home in Chorley, Lancashire.
The steel erecter was rushed to hospital after the crash but died two days later as a result of catastrophic head injuries.
Following the crash Radu continued to drive the wrong way down in the fast lane for approximately 550 metres before eventually coming to a stop.
Radu was twice the drink drive limit two-and-a-half hours after the crash providing a reading of 71 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath- the legal limit is 35.
Radu, of Nottingham, previously admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving while over the prescribed limit and driving without insurance.
On Tuesday (11/8) he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving at Nottingham Crown Court and will be sentenced tomorrow (Thurs).
Judge Gregory Dickinson QC warned Radu he faced the "inevitable outcome" of a lengthy prison sentence.


text:
Related provisions for PERG 4.4.7
1 - 20 of 26 items.
Mortgages and home finance (20)
Mortgages and home financing activities (12)
European Economic Area (11)
Authorised persons (10)
Financial Services Register - Regulatory processes (7)
Non United Kingdom (7)
Agreeing to carry on a regulated activity (6)
MCOB 1.2.5G 26/04/2014 RP
(1) In order for a loan to fall within the definition of a regulated mortgage contract, at least 40% of the total of the land to be given as security must be used as or in connection with a dwelling. Therefore, the variation in approach provided for in MCOB 1.2.3 R(2) can only apply where the loan being used for a business purpose is secured against a property at least 40 per cent of which is used as a dwelling. It cannot apply to a loan secured on property that is used solely
PERG 4.6.2G 21/03/2016 RP
In the FCA's view, the circumstances in which a person is giving advice on the borrower varying the terms of a regulated mortgage contract so as to vary his obligations under the contract include (but are not limited to) where the advice is about:(1) the borrower obtaining a further advance secured on the same land as the original loan; or(2) a rate switch or a product switch (that is, where the borrower does not change lender but changes the terms for repayment from, say, a variable
FEES 4.4.9D 01/04/2013 RP
3To the extent that a firm4 has provided the information required by FEES 4.4.7 D to the FCA as part of its compliance with another provision of the Handbook, it is deemed to have complied with the provisions of that direction.444
(1) MCOB 1.6.4 R(2) means, for example, that if a firm discovered immediately after completion that a loan was a regulated mortgage contract, the firm would be required to comply with MCOB 7.4 (Disclosure at the start of the contract).(2) Although MCOB 1.6.4 R recognises that firms may become aware that a mortgage is a regulated mortgage contract at a late stage, the FCA expects this to be an extremely rare occurrence. It could arise, for example, if a firm has acted on the understanding,


A judge extended Beanie Sigel's supervised release after the rapper was questioned in federal court about a positive drug test and association with convicted felons.
A judge extended Beanie Sigel's supervised release after the rapper was questioned in federal court about a positive drug test and association with convicted felons. Sigel was sentenced in October 2004 to 12 months and a day, plus two years of supervised release, on gun and drug charges.
The U.S. Probation Office asked for a hearing yesterday (Feb. 21) to change his supervised release status, saying he failed to notify his probation officer that he had been stopped and questioned by police on Aug. 20. He was with several people, at least one of them a convicted felon, at the time, police said.
Sigel also tested positive for codeine and morphine in a drug test in December.
The 32-year-old rapper, whose real name is Dwight Grant, told U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick that he had been given a prescription by his doctor three days before a scheduled drug test.
Sigel's attorney, Fortunato Perri Jr., provided Surrick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Curtis Douglas with a copy of a prescription and a letter signed by a doctor.
Surrick sentenced Sigel to an additional six months of supervised release. He told Sigel he would have to get the situation "under control or otherwise I'm going to have to take action you're not going to appreciate."


Outside my window... cloudy and windy.
I am thinking... that children grow up too fast!
I am thankful that... Matthias was born on this day 6 years ago!
From the learning rooms... we switch to a new Latin program from here this week.
From the kitchen... Chipotle for dinner. Yum!
I am creating... scrapbook pages this weekend! Yahoo!
I am going... to try to not eat too much of this tonight.
I am reading... "In Defense of Food"... again. Quicker this time.
I am hoping... to get rid of the ants in the house. Yuck!
I am hearing... fans b/c littles are resting. Ah, it is such a good time of the day!
Around the house... the craft room needs organizing.
A few plans for the rest of the week: celebrate Matthias' birthday tonight; scrapbook this weekend with my sister-in-law.


text:
American Youth Football
American Youth Football (AYF)
"I'm super excited to be on board with OPRO. First and foremost when I'm playing hockey, safety and comfort are so key - both of which OPRO always deliver on. I've played with OPRO for over 15 years and never had any issues. I feel 100% protected by their mouthguards!"
BIANCA WALKDEN
Double World Champion, Double European Champion & Olympic Medalist
"OPRO for me is the best of the best, and I want to be the best of the best in what I do, that's why I joined a family which has the same motto. It is the most comfortable mouth guard I've ever used, it's made personalised for me which I love so I can have my own style... in my sport protection is key, and OPRO provides that me."
Shona McCallin MBE
OPRO Brand Ambassador - GB Hockey and England Hockey. Gold medal winner at Rio 2016
Great Britain Karate, World Champion
"In whatever I do I strive to be the best I can be. I wear OPRO because they do the same. I know when I'm competing that I'm wearing the best in the business."
DANNY "HOT CHOCOLATE" ROBERTS
Welterweight UFC Fighter
"As a UFC fighter, having a mouthguard that protects my teeth and allows me to breathe easily in the octagon is vital. I wear OPRO because they, like me, are the best in the business."
Anastasija Zolotic
USA Taekwondo, World Junior Champion, AAU National Champion, Junior/Senior National Champion
"Protection in sport is essential in order to feel confident while competing at the highest level – my OPRO Mouthguard is the very best, wearing one allows me to focus on my Taekwondo knowing I'm fully protected."
Alex Volkov
Heavyweight UFC fighter
I wear my OPRO for sparring and fights. I'm very happy with the comfort and the level of protection. I can recommend it to athletes of all levels.
Former UFC Bantamweight Fighter
"I never put my feet up and I continue to do what I love in MMA. It helps a lot to have an OPRO mouthguard, the best in the business."
Taulupe Faletau
British and Irish Lions, Bath Rugby and Wales
"Playing at the highest level of the game, it's really important to have a mouthguard that offers the best in protection, comfort and fit. OPRO mouthguards do exactly that and are perfect for my needs. I wouldn't take to the field without my OPRO mouthguard!"
Football Basketball Boxing Gaelic Football Hockey Lacrosse Mixed Martial Arts Rugby Traditional Martial Arts Other


The University Research Program for Google Search is designed to give university faculty and their research teams high-volume programmatic access to Google Search, whose huge repository of data constitutes a valuable resource for understanding the structure and contents of the web.
Our aim is to help bootstrap web research by offering basic information about specific search queries. Since the program builds on top of Google's search technology, you'll no longer have to operate your own crawl and indexing systems.
As noted, the API is available only to members of the academic community.
The University Research Program for Google Translate provides researchers, in the field of automatic machine translation, tools to help compare and contrast with, and build on top of, Google's statistical machine translation system.
These options can support research into n-best reranking (machine learning), additional translation components, system combinations, and who knows what else researchers may come up with.
Maybe they could also provide an API for Google Scholar instead of forcing people to use ninja skills on the normal search API in order to obtain the data they are after.


The other day I went to one of my friend's tea party, birthday parties. I realized that it would be the perfect opportunity to wear this new dress that I got from Nashville. I made a floral crown to match. The necklace that I am wearing is a teapot and tea cup, by Lauren Conrad. I am also wearing a tea time ring that I bought from Etsy (you can't see it though). Everything was super adorable and pretty. I am a huge fan of pretty tea cups, and there were plenty of them. I can't wait for another tea party to roll around so I can dress fancy.
Thanks! I love tea parties.


text:
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using System;
using Sensus.Anonymization;
using Sensus.Anonymization.Anonymizers;
using Sensus.Probes.User.Scripts.ProbeTriggerProperties;

namespace Sensus.Probes.Network
{
    public class CellTowerDatum : Datum, ICellTowerDatum
    {
        private string _cellTower;

        [StringProbeTriggerProperty("Cellular Tower")]
        [Anonymizable("Cellular Tower:", typeof(StringHashAnonymizer), false)]
        public string CellTower
        {
            get { return _cellTower; }
            set { _cellTower = value; }
        }

        public override string DisplayDetail
        {
            get { return _cellTower; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Gets the string placeholder value, which is the cell tower ID.
        /// </summary>
        /// <value>The string placeholder value.</value>
        public override object StringPlaceholderValue
        {
            get
            {
                return _cellTower;
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// For JSON deserialization.
        /// </summary>
        private CellTowerDatum() { }

        public CellTowerDatum(DateTimeOffset timestamp, string cellTower)
            : base(timestamp)
        {
            _cellTower = cellTower == null ? "" : cellTower;
        }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            return base.ToString() + Environment.NewLine +
                   "Cell Tower:  " + _cellTower;
        }
    }
}