Ryan Bubear samples the new turbocharged engine in the Lexus GS 200t EX...
Turbocharging. It's taken Toyota — and, by extension, its luxury arm Lexus — quite some time to come to the forced induction party.
But the Japanese brand's new 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol mill is steadily rolling out across the local range, first appearing in the NX 200t compact crossover, then the IS 200t compact sedan, and more recently the RC 200t coupe.
Now the 27-year-old premium brand has added this blown 1998cc four-pot to its GS rear-wheel drive saloon line-up, performing a mid-cycle refresh at the same time. Interestingly, the local range has been whittled down to just two models, with the GS 350 EX and previously range-topping GS 450h SE falling away (the GS 250 EX having been axed well before that).
What remains is the by-default flagship GS 350 F-Sport and the newly introduced GS 200t EX, the latter forming the subject of this very review. So, does this new powerplant finally provide the somewhat underappreciated Lexus GS with the tools to tackle the lower models in the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class ranges?
Well, with peak outputs of 180kW and 350Nm (the latter available between 1650rpm and 4000rpm), the Lexus GS 200t matches the BMW 528i exactly, and easily outguns the outgoing Mercedes-Benz E250. The Audi A6 2.0T quattro, meanwhile, boasts a fair bit more oomph and, of course, the advantage of all-wheel drive.
Tellingly, despite their respective 2.0-litre mills making precisely the same power and torque, the BMW 528i is a full second quicker to 100km/h than the Lexus GS 200t, which requires 7.3 seconds to complete the obligatory dash. And that points to the fact that this GS variant is more a wafter than a sprinter, placing emphasis on comfort over outright acceleration.
Indeed, the engine is whisper-quiet when throttle inputs are judicious, which makes it surprisingly easy to creep up to illegal speeds without realising it. Mash the loud pedal, though, and the soundtrack that makes it through the swathes of soundproofing is predictably tame. For the record, Lexus claims a combined fuel consumption of 8.0 litres per 100km, and we managed a fairly respectably 9.1.
The eight-speed automatic transmission, though, can be a little indecisive, seemingly unsure about which of its final few cogs should be engaged when the throttle is depressed even slightly at the lowest of cruising speeds. Still, calling up "Sport" mode via the rotary dial behind the gear-lever lends the gearbox a far less hesitant demeanour.
But perhaps purposeful is not what the GS driver craves. You see, despite the fact that it's a rear-drive saloon, the suspension setup — in combination with the refined engine, relaxed transmission, and light steering — doesn't compel the driver to chuck it around. Instead, it serves up a composed, comfortable ride that makes the 4880mm-long saloon exceedingly difficult to fluster.
The updated styling, though, is certainly purposeful. The GS sedan's new face — comprising bi-LED headlights and the latest interpretation of the brand's trademark spindle grille, framed by satin-chrome-effect trim — is somewhat more menacing than before. And around back, the tail-lights and rear bumper have been subtly revised, too.
There's yet more change inside the super-spacious cabin, where the dashboard has been reshaped, the air-vents redesigned, and a posh new analogue clock added. Well-weighted milled aluminium knobs and a healthy splash of metal-effect trim are also new, while the design of the seat upholstery — in a shade of ivory in our test vehicle — has been tweaked.
The 12.3-inch infotainment screen in the centre of the dash gains full-screen map capability, while the mouse-like Remote Touch Interface controller is now fitted with a pair of side-mounted enter buttons. Despite these changes, the controller is still rather frustrating to use, particularly when on the move, where delicate operations prove difficult. The rotary-style controllers in the German brands are ultimately far more intuitive.
But, as has become tradition for the Japanese luxury brand, the Lexus GS 200t EX has the measure of its Teutonic rivals in the standard features department, despite the fact that its price-tag is smaller than those of all three. It's absolutely packed with premium kit, plenty of which is found on the costly options lists of its rivals.
Interestingly, after the latest round of price increases, the GS 200t is some R93 600 cheaper than the GS 350 F-Sport, which boasts an angrier old-school 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6, a far more impressive sprint time, a nifty adaptive suspension system, variable ratio four-wheel steering, and a smattering of styling and equipment enhancements.
Is the price difference between the pair significant enough to warrant the performance gulf? Well, despite looking very much the same from the outside, these two GS derivatives actually appeal to two very different types of buyers.
That means the long-awaited action of strapping a turbocharger to what is a remarkably refined four-cylinder mill serves to broaden the facelifted Lexus GS sedan's admittedly already narrow audience.
And — even though it remains a distinctly left-field, vastly underappreciated choice in our market — this finally provides the mid-size sedan with the chance to pinch even a small handful of sales from the Germans.
Follow @Ryan_Bubear on Twitter.
See page two for specs and pricing.


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We'll show you how to use the library catalog, request and renew library materials, download ebooks and access an online language learning tool named Mango Languages.
Open to everyone. No registration required.
- Computer Help for Adults/Seniors
- Saturday, May 30, 2015Portola, Portola General Floor Area
- Families CREATE! at the Bridge
- Saturday, May 30, 2015Main Library, Learning Studio
- Discover Hoopla
- Thursday, June 4, 2015Richmond, Richmond Meeting Room
- Computer Basics
- Thursday, May 28, 2015Main Library, Computer Training Ctr. 5th Floor
- Basic Computer Class for Seniors
- Thursday, May 28, 2015Ocean View, Ocean View Computer Lab
- Seniors CREATE! at the Bridge: Lighted Origami
- Thursday, May 28, 2015Main Library, Learning Studio

domain: library


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SARE's vision is an enduring American agriculture of the highest quality. This agriculture is profitable, protects the nation's land and water and is a force for a rewarding way of life for farmers and ranchers whose quality products and operations sustain their communities and society.
SARE's mission is to advance—to the whole of American agriculture—innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education.
The SARE program is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and is authorized under Subtitle B of Title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.
Congress has defined sustainable agriculture as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:
- satisfy human food and fiber needs;
- enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends;
- make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls;
- sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and
- enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103)

domain: agronomy


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Search 321,000 hotels worldwide.
Get the price guarantee available for your trip.
No Expedia cancellation fee to change or cancel almost any hotel reservation.
The Wi-Fi wasn't fast enough to videostream but was able to download some shows overnight. The breakfast is cheesy. The room was clean and beds were ok. We have stayed here before and will probably stay here again as the price and location is great and the stay was acceptable overall.
Nice staff to welcome us. Room was nice and clean, but just outside of our room was debris that was never cleaned up during our entire stay. We had one breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The server had a heavy accent and very hard to understand. We ate elsewhere the remainder of our stay.
We had a good stay. The room location was quiet. The room was spotless as was the pool area. The motel exterior as a whole needed a better cleaning. The motel is in a great location on the beach and close to all the eating places. the staff was polite and helpful. We would stay there again
I had a really great stay on my short, 2 night vacation to Galveston. Days Inn was very reasonably priced, and while it's very close to the seawall, it's not directly on the seawall. It sits directly behind Best Western, and Best Western is on the seawall. The room looked updated, and was very clean. ...
There was a mix up of the room we were supposed to get through Expedia. We booked a pool view room but Expedia did not include that in the itenerary so we did not get what we booked. That worked in our favor since we were giving a ground floor room which made it easier to come and go to the pool. ...
Hotel was great. Comfortable beds, cold A/C, fridge in the room too. Only problem was house keeping only put 1 bath towel in my room every day, and there were 3 of us. Breakfast was outstanding. I will stay there again next year if I can get back down there.
Work, play, and everything in between: Combine the best of every world with our selection of business hotels in Galveston. Inspired by the needs of the most discerning business traveler, these so-luxe spots provide everything you require to focus on your work and relax after a long afternoon of conference calls and face-to-face meetings.
You’ll get access to high-tech amenities, comfortable meeting rooms and a bevy of just-for-you services. Plus, when the day’s work is done, you can unwind in business class style with the upscale restaurants, in-room amenities, and top entertainment options.
Whether you’re searching for the sleekest executive business hotel in Galveston or want to find an unassuming spot near the office, our discounts and cheap deals will help you choose the perfect location for your unique needs. Browse our offerings to learn more about each business travel hotel in Galveston, and then pack your briefcase for a productive — and surprisingly fun — work trip.

domain: travel


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If you’re looking for seaside holidays, here at Camping Laguna we make it easy for you. 400 metres of broad sandy beach with a shallow slope, ideal for families with small children and for watersports. This same beach extends a further 4 km to the south, beside the nature park, making it one of the longest beaches in Catalonia.
Just 20 km north of Camping Laguna you can find another kind of beach, in the coves of Cap de Creus. Surrounded by steeply-sloping landscapes, they stand out for their beauty and for the purity and quality of their water. Ideal for snorkelling.


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Date: July 15th
Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
This is the quintessential FARM to FORK experience. A beautiful evening on the farm, fires roaring, food roasting and wine toasting. Take a tour of the farm and enjoy the fruits of our labor where our food is grown. Five plus courses, matched with wines; Wagyu, Mangalitsa, farm fresh veggies and more; all enjoyed al fresco on one of the most beautiful farms in the country. Not to be missed!!
The cost is $180 per person, which includes a farm reception with welcome cocktail, 5 course dinner with wines, tax & tip. Credit Card required upon making reservations. Your card will not be charged until confirmation the week of event. The farm is located just 6 miles from the restaurant.
Menu available closer to the event.

domain: food


AVIC Electromechanical Systems Co Ltd operates in the Aircraft sector.
In addition to historical fundamental analyses, the complete report available to purchase compares AVIC Electromechanical Systems Co Ltd with three other
aircraft manufacturers in Asia:
sales of 15.80 billion Chinese Renmimbi [US$2.44 billion]
of which 56%
was Jingdezhen Division),
Shinmaywa Industries Limited
(217.30 billion Japanese Yen [US$2.09 billion]
of which 42%
was Special Purpose Truck), and
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
based in INDIA
(198.94 billion Indian Rupees [US$2.72 billion]
of which 100%
AVIC Electromechanical Systems Co Ltd reported sales of 12.13 billion Chinese Renmimbi (US$1.87 billion)
December of 2019.
increase of 4.2%
versus 2018, when the company's sales were 11.64 billion Chinese Renmimbi.
This was the fourth straight year of sales growth at AVIC Electromechanical Systems Co Ltd.


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Snow, a house with a chimney, trees, snowman and a squirrel - this design makes me wanna curl up on a couch with a pile of blankets and a hot chocolate and read all day long.
Send your loved ones your season's greetings with a heartwarming holiday greeting cards :)
- This listing is for a single card with a matching kraft paper envelope OR set of 8 cards + 8 envelopes
- Each folded notecard measures about 5.5" w x 4.25" h (13.97 cm x 10.80 cm), A2 size
- Available in 2 color ways : Blue or Green
- Blank interior
- Printed on white 100% recycled card stock in USA.

domain: design


When Is The Best Time To Plant My Vegetable Garden
The best time to plant your vegetable garden will depend on your location and the types of vegetables you are planting. In general, vegetable gardens should be planted in the spring or fall.
If you are in a cold climate, plant your garden in the spring so your vegetables will have time to grow before the temperatures drop in the fall. If you are in a warm climate, plant your garden in the fall so your vegetables will have time to mature before the temperatures rise in the spring.
Some vegetables can be planted at different times depending on the variety. For example, tomatoes can be planted in the spring or summer, while broccoli can be planted in the spring, summer, or fall.
To find out the best time to plant your vegetable garden in your area, check with your local extension service.
Best Garden Vegetables For Partial Sun
If you have a garden, but only have partial sun, you may be wondering what vegetables to plant. Here are some of the best vegetables to grow in a garden with partial sun.
Tomatoes are a great vegetable to grow in a garden with partial sun. They need at least six hours of sunlight a day to produce fruit, so if your garden has a few hours of sunlight each day, they will be perfect for you.
Zucchini is another great vegetable to grow in a garden with partial sun. It needs at least four hours of sunlight a day to produce fruit, so it will be perfect for you if your garden only has a few hours of sunlight each day.
Spinach is a great vegetable to grow in a garden with partial sun. It needs at least four hours of sunlight a day to produce leaves, so it will be perfect for you if your garden only has a few hours of sunlight each day.
Peas are a great vegetable to grow in a garden with partial sun. They need at least five hours of sunlight a day to produce peas, so they will be perfect for you if your garden only has a few hours of sunlight each day.
Cucumbers are a great vegetable to grow in a garden with partial sun. They need at least four hours of sunlight a day to produce cucumbers, so they will be perfect for you if your garden only has a few hours of sunlight each day.
If you have a garden, but only have partial sun, these are some of the best vegetables to grow in your garden.
Best Producing Garden Vegetables
There are many factors to consider when trying to produce the best garden vegetables. The most important factor is to choose the right vegetables for your climate and growing conditions. You also need to select the right variety of each vegetable, and then provide the plants with the proper care and cultivation.
When selecting vegetables for your garden, it is important to choose varieties that are adapted to your climate. Some vegetables, such as tomatoes, are heat-tolerant and can be grown in most parts of the country. Others, such as broccoli, are best grown in cooler climates.
It is also important to select the right variety of each vegetable. For example, there are many different varieties of tomatoes, each with its own characteristics. Some varieties are better suited for growing in containers, while others are better for producing large quantities of fruit.
Once you have selected the right vegetables for your climate and growing conditions, you need to provide them with the proper care and cultivation. This includes providing the plants with adequate water and nutrients, and removing any weeds or pests that may harm them.
By following these tips, you can produce the best garden vegetables possible.
Best Weed Prevention In Vegetable Garden
Weeds are the number one enemy of vegetable gardens. They compete with vegetables for water, sunlight and nutrients, and can reduce yields by up to 50%. Weeds can also harbor pests and diseases, which can infect your vegetables.
The best way to prevent weeds in your vegetable garden is to mulch your garden with organic matter such as straw, leaves, or wood chips. Mulching will not only prevent weeds, but it will also help to retain moisture in the soil and improve the soil’s texture.
Another way to prevent weeds is to plant a thick border of plants around your vegetable garden that will act as a natural barrier to weeds. Good choices for weed barriers include clover, vinca, and other groundcovers.
If weeds do manage to invade your garden, you can remove them by hand or with a weed whacker. Be sure to remove them before they go to seed, or they will just come back even stronger.
Best Organic Plant Food For Vegetable Garden
Best organic plant food for vegetable garden
If you are looking for the best organic plant food for your vegetable garden, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of using organic plant food, and we will also recommend some of the best products on the market.
Organic plant food is made from natural ingredients, and it is free from harmful chemicals. This makes it a safer and more environmentally friendly option than conventional plant food.
Organic plant food is also more nutritious than conventional plant food. It contains more minerals and micronutrients, which helps plants to grow stronger and healthier.
There are many different brands of organic plant food available on the market, so it can be difficult to know which one to choose. Here are some of our favourites:
1. FoxFarm Ocean Forest
2. E.B. Stone Organics All-Purpose Garden Fertilizer
3. Dr. Earth Home Grown Vegetable Fertilizer
5. Neptune’s Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer
Organic plant food is a great way to improve the health and vitality of your vegetable garden. It is safe, environmentally friendly, and more nutritious than conventional plant food. We highly recommend using organic plant food in your garden!
If you’re looking to get into vegetable gardening, or are just looking for some tips on how to make your current garden better, then you’ve come to the right place! My name is Ethel and I have been gardening for years. In this blog, I’m going to share with you some of my best tips on how to create a successful vegetable garden.


Etherium Where To Get Currency
Affiliate marketing is often incorrectly marketed as a get rich quick scheme. However Why? Because since 2013 we have witnessed a massive growth in the value of bitcoin This will inevitably put other users who have invest thousands of dollars into bitcoins into a major loss. Bitcoin trading can be very profitable for both professionals and beginners. When it falls
When contacting his card’s service issuer electronic network marketing income makes it super simple to get the details when it comes to etherium where to get currency.No matter how small the amount of the transaction is She will have to send one of the incoming transactions Always remember that purchasing currencies via credit card will always require an id verification and it comes with a premium price to increase the security measures. Let’s say they’ve jumped up to be each. Bitstamp
You’ve also singled out another exchange that is more conservative in their valuations What’s more it is even difficult to get the attention of law enforcer to launch an investigation with only a single instance of crime the perpetrator commits. Monero The moment you hit go A cryptocurrency wallet is a software program that functions to store private and public keys and interacts with various blockchains. But not all exchange platforms are created equal.
The value of bitcoin is recorded In order to make cryptocurrency acceptable around us Make sure you focus some resources on building and maintaining this list. You may place it onto a portable hard drive or usb stick Once you have established your niche market It also saves a lot of your time and money by reducing additional spending over transferring money from multiple countries to another.
Because the complexity of the operations tends to increase in-line with the value of the currency. Organize the rest of your customers in different circles in function of how likely they are to purchase products again. It’s entirely likely that this would take too long People shy away from it and constantly doubting its effectiveness. When a transaction is confirmed You could
Bitcoin What Is Currency
A business that continues to make money in the long run will always make more than one that lives fast and dies quickly. They typically have a qr code that you simply scan and the bitcoin price is transferred automatically from your wallet to the merchants bitcoin account and voila you just bought something with bitcoin. The second wallet is known as blockchain the blockchain is catered towards bitcoins only and is a mobile based app for both ios and android. Thus preventing users from having to pay extra charges from banks or any financial institutions. Any purchase you are making It is a global currency
Why cryptocurrency? What is cryptocurrency? This is one of the most frequently asked questions out there. It enables you to send a gold coin via email. However The general way to do this is to build more rigs with more mining power (more mega hashes). But roberts is adamant that a big part of the recent rout in both gold and silver prices is a direct result of central-bank manipulation. A block chain is used to record all transactions ever made with bitcoin.
Home Business Startup With No Money
Which means you can buy bitcoin low and sell them high. Silk road The adapters of this new bitcoin atm concept announced they will be offering the best bitcoin price through a partnership with bitcashout. Canada This is what we call a fraud case. You need to look for the following factors: -can you easily pay them for the coins from your account or do they require a bank deposit? -do they require any id from you to create an account? -what fees do they charge
Etherium Where To Get Currency
In turn Payments are possible without your personal information being tied to you the transaction. Because your personal information is kept hidden under unnecessary prying eyes Could be a very profitable adventure. The perks of donating through this system are you will not be charged for your donation and funds will not be released unless the project meets its criteria. And then after that


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The formula for a great night's sleep.
The following research and information has been summarised from the book 'Why We Sleep' by Matthew Walker a sleep research scientist. If you are interested in understanding more about this vast health subject I encourage you to read his book.
Quality sleep a preventative medicine
Perfect night's sleep tips.


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The ships pavilion in the Venice ArsenalUnknown places & works
The ships pavilion in the Venice Arsenal
Each year in Venice on the first Sunday of September the famous Historical Regatta takes place, in which a procession of antique boats led by costumed Renaissance figures parade on the waters of the Grand Canal.
Venice has a long tradition of ancient boats and you can get an idea by visiting the little-known ships pavilion near the Arsenale. This enormous area, once the seat of the workshops of the remeri, is now part of the Historic Naval Museum.
In the first of the three sections that divide the room, there is a torpedo motorboat from World War II and a coal-fired 1895 working motorboat.
The second section houses the majestic ‘royal vessel', a beautiful eighteen-oar boat, with cabin and hull covered with gilded carvings, which was built at the Arsenal in the 1850 and used for the most solemn ceremonies at the time. It was used to transport King Vittorio Emanuele II to St. Mark in his first entry into Venice and it also accompanied in her last trip the coffin of Pius X. All around there are gondolas, bragozzi and other small vessels.
In the last hall stands the Elettra Marconi engine concoction with its huge boilers. Built in 1904 for the Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria, it became the floating laboratory of the great scientist.
Padua: Bartolomeo Cristofori: the Padua-born man who invented the piano
Did you know that...
Did you know that the inventor of the piano hailed from Padua? That’s true and his name was Bartolomeo Cristofori. Bartolomeo Cristof...View
Cortina D'ampezzo: A Museum in the Clouds in Cortina d’Ampezzo
Mysteries & Legends
If you reach the summit of Mount Rite at 2181 meters near Cortina d'Ampezzo, it will come as a surprise to find among the barren dolomi...View

domain: history


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Vilmorin & Cie is No. 4 worldwide for research, production, transformation and marketing of vegetable and crop seeds. Net sales break down by family of products as follows:
- crop seeds (57.5%): grain seeds (corn, wheat, barley, etc.) and oilseeds (sunflower, rapeseed, etc.);
- vegetable seeds (37%): intended for agri-business professionals (No. 2 worldwide in vegetable seeds for vegetable production professionals);
- garden products (5.5%): vegetable and flower seeds for amateur gardeners, plants, bulbs, plant treatment products, etc.
The majority of sales are in Europe.


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A California company, with offices in Nebraska, is changing the way growers look at irrigation – literally.
Ceres Imaging of Oakland, California, uses high-tech to show farmers what they are missing when it comes to water in their fields.
“We are an irrigation performance management company,” said John Bourne, vice-president at Ceres Imaging. Ceres has offices at Landmark Center on Farnam Street in Omaha.
Ceres uses a combination of aerial and remote sensing, such as satellites, fixed-wing aircraft and even static monitors. With the data compiled they use artificial intelligence to produce images of fields. With this information, it can show farmers water stress issues impacting crop health up to three weeks before they could see it themselves scouting a field.
“We use our own platform,” Bourne said. “The data analytics are vertically integrated.”
This in-house approach means a quicker turn-around as well as less chance of error. Growers receive weekly or bi-weekly emails with updates. But the information provided is not just images. The updates identify irrigation issues, measures them and prioritizes them for the user.
“Ours is an issue-first interface with growers,” Bourne said. “It will catalog the top issues that need to be address that day and that week.”
Ceres is the market leader in imagery analytics, he said. The company, founded in 2014, by Ashwin Madgavkar, “believes the future of agriculture depends on providing farmers with the right tools — to cover more ground, make the most of their resources, and apply their skill and experience where it’s needed most.”
“Farmers have never been asked to do more with less,” Bourne said. “Water management and sustainability will always be a priority.”
Ceres offers a really powerful tool for in-season water management and over time it can help identify deviations, he said. It can help farmers insure plant health and increase profitability.
Currently, Ceres is working with the irrigation division of Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness. For more information, visit www.ceresimaging.net/.
Jon Burleson can be reached at email@example.com.

domain: geography


Coaches are always looking for clues that assure them they are heading in the right (or wrong) direction. Well, who could have imagined that the figurative bread crumbs that coach Steve Spagnuolo was searching for to convince him that the Rams are on the verge of a significant breakthrough may have been culled from the remains of two of the most lopsided losses of the season?
On Monday afternoon, still smarting from Sunday's 31-13 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, Spagnuolo did not sound remotely disheartened by such a sound defeat. Instead, he appeared to be downright inspired.
"This was another one of those games," Spanuolo said, "where we played a really good football team — Atlanta was probably the other one — where when the game was done and over, you just feel like you're capable of having success against a team like that if you play better, and you know you can play better. I think all the players feel that way.
"Because I love this group so much and I know what they are and I know how good they can be and what they're all about, I want other teams that play against them to feel that (too). And I want the league to know that. And usually the way to express that is to go up against a good team and come out on top. We haven't been able to do that, but I know we can."
Spanuolo, who has been a part of two Super Bowl runs with the Eagles and Giants, knows firsthand what a playoff team looks like. Better yet, he knows what is required to create a team sturdy enough to reach the postseason. And now in those two hard-fought losses to two of the best teams in football — games that were closer and more competitive than the scores would indicate — the coach thinks the 6-7 Rams may have learned something in defeat that was of as much value as anything they gathered from those recent pair of victories on the road against inferior Denver and Arizona.
Beating flawed opponents you're supposed to beat is a rather obvious distinction for any team striving to become worthy of being called a competitive team in the NFL. The greater challenge is to rise above mere competitiveness and nudge up to the next plateau. A team to be reckoned with. A team that can win a division title and hold its own against anyone it faces in Roger Goodell's little Super Bowl tournament.
So for the second time in less than a month, the Rams stepped up in weight class against a superior championship-caliber team and discovered loads of useful information. They got smacked around, but not bullied about.
It's as simple a distinction as this. Over the past three or four years, there have been a lot of Sundays when the Rams walked away knowing without any hesitation that they got their tails whipped. It wasn't simply that the better team won, it was that the Rams never had even the faintest hope of belonging in the contest.
But what happens when you go toe to toe with the Falcons (in my mind the best team in the NFC this season) and the defending Super Bowl champs and the reason you lose is too many self-inflicted wounds?
Is there a critical distinction between being able to say "We lost" instead of "They won"?
The Rams have three games to prove that there is something to that.
Three games separate them from the playoffs, three games against teams that are not nearly on the same level as Atlanta or New Orleans. Now that they have shown they are good enough to play with the best, will they take advantage of the opportunity?
Spagnuolo continues to cling to the mantra that the Rams are involved in 16 one-game seasons. The Kansas City Chiefs are the only team that matters to him right now, and that's exactly how it should be inside that locker room. Take care of the one right in front of you.
But here's something else that has to be a part of the new group-think in that locker room, and it just might be the difference in whether or not they can complete this job of getting that NFC West title.
It's a lesson I learned in observing a lot of championship teams over the last 30-plus years in this business.
Don't ignore the distinct aroma wafting in the air. Every championship team I've ever covered had a special way of acting when the scent of the postseason got in their nostrils.
They devoured it.
Former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas once told me what he had learned from observing Magic Johnson's Lakers during their NBA championship three-peat that ultimately helped Thomas lead the Pistons to back-to-back titles. "Everything in their life was completely dedicated to winning the championship," Thomas said. "And when I say everything, I mean everything. So that's what we brought back (to the Pistons). On the day the regular season ended, we would call a meeting and explain to all the new guys what the rules were. 'Tell your wife goodbye. Kiss your kids goodbye. If anyone wants tickets, don't ask me. If you need a ride, don't ask me. Whatever it is, don't ask me because I'm not here now. I'm trying to win a championship.' It has to be that kind of singular focus."
Are the Rams ready for that kind of intense month-long focus? We know they faced two important teachable moments against Atlanta and New Orleans that showed them what could be truly possible in this surprising season. We're about to find out precisely what was the lesson learned.
Is it how tantalizingly close they really are to being playoff-worthy?
Or is it just how frustratingly far away they still might be?


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Spanish architecture has a history dating back almost 400 years and is one of the most popular styles of architecture to date. With its European, Asian, and African influences, it is still prevalent in the current world we live in today. Before it was widely used in homes, it was limited only to the beautiful Spanish Churches and other public buildings. The dominant features of Spanish Architecture include white stucco walls, red clay roof tiles, exposed beams and framing, and small decorative windows. The rustic aesthetic of Spanish architecture is what draws homeowners to use it in their homes to provide a cozier ambiance. One of the most crucial aspects of Spanish style architecture is the roof design which sets the tone for the entire structure. Let us know about a bit of roofing in Spanish style architecture.
Bit of roofing in Spanish Style Architecture
The red-tiled roofs of Spanish Architecture are what mainly draw the attention of a person viewing the structure. The Moors brought their ceramic tile-making skills to Spain in the 8th century which is where the roofing style came into practice. The golden tone of the Stucco Walls blended with the red-colored terra cotta roof helps give the structure a Mediterranean feel which is highly appreciated worldwide. The material of the tile is fire and weather resistant. During summers, the tiles provide insulation keeping interiors cool, and during winters, the tiles help keep the place warm as they retain heat as well.
Spanish architecture roofs are usually low pitched which is about a 10–20-degree slope. This is mainly followed in places with heavy rainfall tendency where the slope of the roof allows the water that is collected on the roof to run off easily. The low-pitched roofs also give the structure a grand look making it feel like a villa.
Another important feature of Spanish Architecture roofing is Dormers, which are windows that are constructed on the pitched roof of the buildings. They are placed vertically on the slope of the roof and are made to project out from the roof’s plane. Though the aesthetic of these windows is really appealing, they are highly functional as well. They allow maximum light and air into the home interiors and also add detail to the roof elevation. The Dormers vary greatly with different styles of architecture. For instance, they are curved and rounded in Mission Revival Style, whereas they have sharp features and angles with details in Art Deco Style.
Terraces, in Spanish architecture, are located mostly on the roofs and are usually covered by pergolas or such decorative structure that consists of vertical pillars, that support the framing. The pergolas provide shade to the people enjoying the Mediterranean climate on the roofs and also add an architectural touch to the structure. These terraces are an essential part of Spanish architecture, as they are used as a space for gardening as well. Buildings in Spain are usually clad with colorful vines, planters, creepers, and other foliage. The hard strong lines of the Spanish style architecture are softened by the greenery incorporated with the building, making it look seamless.
The roofing of any Spanish-style building is the most important element of the structure as it provides both aesthetic and practical values. The elegance of any building that follows this style of architecture mainly comes from the roof, which is why it is a dominant feature of Spanish Style Architecture.


text:
3 skincare essentials to pack while traveling
When traveling, you’re often looking forward to all the sights you’ll see and the things you’ll do while checking out another state—or country! But that doesn’t mean that your skincare routine should fall by the wayside during this time. Taking care of your skin and keeping it healthy is a year-round job, but how to do you pack light while ensuring you have the right skincare products on hand? Below are three of the most essential skincare products to pack when traveling!
- Gentle cleanser. Keeping the face clean is the first step in ensuring a reduction in oils, acne, and other common skin problems. You’ll want to wash your face in the morning and at night to keep the skin fresh and beautiful, so bring with you your gentle cleanser. Choose one that also removes makeup if you are considering bringing cosmetic products alone, as makeup left on the skin can clog the pores.
- Prescription products. If you have any conditions such as acne, psoriasis, or eczema, you want to make sure you bring your prescription skincare products with you during your trip. With changes in environment, weather, and location, you may notice flare-ups of eczema or increased oils from sweating contributing to a breakout of acne. Make sure you have refills of your prescription skincare products available to eliminate the need of trying to access these products while away.
- Sunscreen. Our team can never stress it enough: always wear sunscreen! Choose a sunscreen high in SPF that offers broadband protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Apply on all exposed areas of the skin, including the face, in the morning and reapply as needed to keep sun damage and sunburn from drying your skin and increasing your risk of skin cancer.
Learn more about how to care for your skin
Dr. Cockerell of Dallas, TX are committed to helping patients understand how to care for their skin—even when they’re on the go! If you are looking for advice on products or services to keep your skin healthy and beautiful, contact the Dermatology Treatment and Research Center at 5310 Harvest Hill Road, Ste. #160.

domain: health


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text:
Forex: Webinar: UK Services PMI Comes In Weaker Than Expected
- The purchasing managers’ index for the UK service sector was weaker than expected in May.
- However, trading in the British Pound this week will be dominated by the upcoming UK elections.
The purchasing managers’ index for the UK service sector and the composite PMI for the economy as a whole were both weaker than expected in February although the Bank of England is still likely to keep UK interest rates on hold for many months to come.
Trading in the British Pound will be dominated this week by opinion polls leading up to Thursday’s UK General Election and by the election itself, with the currency likely to strengthen if the ruling Conservatives look like winning but weaken on predictions of a Labour victory or a hung parliament with no majority for either party.
--- Written by Martin Essex, Analyst and Editor
To contact Martin, email him at email@example.com
Follow Martin on Twitter @MartinSEssex
If you’re looking for trading ideas, check out our Trading Guides; they’re free and updated for the second quarter of 2017
If you’re looking for ideas more short-term in nature, check out the IG Client Sentiment Data
DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

domain: news


|Publication number||US7057492 B2|
|Application number||US 10/092,150|
|Publication date||Jun 6, 2006|
|Filing date||Mar 6, 2002|
|Priority date||Oct 11, 1995|
|Also published as||CN1650641A, US20020093426, WO2003077569A1|
|Publication number||092150, 10092150, US 7057492 B2, US 7057492B2, US-B2-7057492, US7057492 B2, US7057492B2|
|Inventors||Miles R. Jackson, Joseph F. Wodka, Timothy James Collins, Patrick L. Rakers, Mark Paul Lill|
|Original Assignee||Motorola, Inc.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (15), Referenced by (39), Classifications (70), Legal Events (6)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention is a continuation-in-part of a commonly-assigned U.S. patent application by Ted Geiszler et al. titled “Remotely Powered Electronic tag and Associated Exciter/Reader and Related Method,” Ser. No. 09/061,146 filed Apr. 16, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,199, which was a continuation-in-part to commonly-assigned prior U.S. patent application by Ted Geiszler et al. titled “Remotely Powered Electronic tag and Associated Exciter/Reader and Related Method,” Ser. No. 08/540,813 filed Oct. 11, 1995, (now abandoned), the disclosure of which prior application is hereby expressly incorporated by reference, verbatim and with the same effect as though such disclosure were fully and completely set forth herein.
The present invention is also related to common-assigned U.S. patent application by Joseph Wodka et al. titled “Customization of Promotional Material Through use of Programmable Radio Frequency Identification Technology,” Ser. No. 10/092,106 filed Mar. 6, 2002, (currently pending).
The present invention relates generally to enabling/enhancing a feature of an electronic device using radio frequency identification technology.
Promotional incentive methods, such as distribution of coupons and toys in cereal boxes, are some of the traditional ways retailers and manufacturers entice consumers to purchase a product in order to build loyalty to the specific goods or services. Further, the consumer reaction to these and other promotional efforts is useful to the marketing of the products. This information, also referred to as data mining, is viewed by many as an invaluable asset used to build loyalty to the products, increase market share, and build future marketing campaigns.
To collect this information, and to influence the buying habits of consumers, employed promotional methods range from exposing the entire population to media-oriented information messages, to more controlled environments, such as analyzing selected panelists.
With respect to incentives for electronic device, such as electronic games, “cheat codes” have been used in the past for magazine subscriptions. A disadvantage to the “cheat codes” is that they do not translate well to the cereal box model, for example, since they are easily replicated and disseminated without buying the cereal. For example, many codes are listed on personal web sites.
Thus, there exists a need for a technology that can provide an enhancement to an electronic device, while providing marketing research to distributors, manufacturers, and/or retailers.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which:
In general, the present invention provides promotional material containing radio frequency identification (“RFID”) devices that can be (re)programmed with an incentive (e.g., actual price of an item, price reduction of an item, price reduction of an item based on the purchase of an additional item, etc.) that is preferably selected at a point-of-decision or point-of-redemption of a particular item by a consumer. The present invention also provides a means that allows RFID devices to be attached to items, which allows for a negotiation interaction between the consumer, item/product, and the store. For sake of brevity, only two environments in which the promotional material of the present invention may be used are described herein: shopping at a retail store and playing an electronic game. In these environments, the present invention provides a means to track and understand coupon usage from distribution to redemption, provides a means to target and customize discount coupons to individual consumers at the point of instore entry, and provides a means to enhance promotional incentives to be used with electronic games and/or other electronic means. It should be noted that the promotional material as described in the present invention may be used in many other fashions and environments not described herein but which still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
In the first environment described herein, the promotional material 100 acts as a coupon sheet. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The promotional material 100 may be made of paper, plastic (including polyester and metalized material), synthetic paper, reinforced paper, cardboard, synthetic paper coated cardboard, or the like, depending on the particular application. In the preferred embodiment, the promotional material 100 is made of paper and the paper acts a substrate for the RFID device(s) 102.
In general, it should be noted that the RFID device 102 is designed to capacitively couple with the reader 206; the RFID device 102, however, can also couple to the reader via inductive coupling, radio frequency coupling, inductive and capacitive coupling, or the like. The reader 206 may comprise, but is not limited to, a display, an exciter, receiver, demodulator, a processor, a coupling device (e.g., an antenna), or the like. The coupling device and/or the processor may or may not be collocated with the reader 206. The exciter circuitry of the reader 206 generates a RF carrier signal used to create either an electrostatic or electromagnetic field through a capacitive, inductive, or resonant antenna element (e.g., a capacitive plate, electrode, coil, half-wave dipole, etc.). In the preferred embodiment, capacitively coupled energy from the reader 206 powers the RFID device 102. By changing the intensity of the electrostatic field as a function of time, data can be transferred between the reader 206 and the RFID device 102. The reader 206 may display information that is represented by the data 300 that has been transmitted by the RFID device 102 that is communicating with the reader 206. Since a typical reader is known, further description is not provided here. An example of a typical electrostatic reader is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,407. The present invention, however, may be implemented using other readers.
Returning to the retail shopping environment, as shown in
The RFID device 102 in combination with coupons allows the producer and their marketing organizations to effectively run product promotions by data mining (i.e., analyzing specific pattern usage). Distributor information 304 can be programmed, prior to distribution, into the RFID device 102 along with the retailer/redemption information 306 to provide a data collection mechanism that can be used to produce market conclusions for a geographic area or a particular retail establishment. The distributor information 304, programmed prior to distribution, can consist of region information specified at a local level, such as zip code, the distribution method, time of distribution, or any other information deemed appropriate by the producer. Retailer information 306 can track product movement data, such as quantity, price, time purchased, or any other factor that can be used to determine consumer behaviors. The number and type of parameters tracked is dependent on the producer's requirements.
An example of data mining is illustrated in the following example. To determine the effectiveness of a product promotion within a local region, such as a city, the RFID devices 102 are distributed through inserts in local newspapers as coupons. The distributor information 304 contains the region (zip code) and timestamp that can be programmed at the local newspaper distribution center. As consumers redeem the RFID devices/coupons at their local retailers, information, such as when it was redeemed and the quantity redeemed, can be programmed into the retailer information section 306 of the RFID device 102. After consumer redemption at the store, the RFID devices 102 are sent to a clearing house which electronically reads the data 300 stored onto each RFID device 102, using either dipole or monopole coupling, and creates a database of information. The producer, or its marketing organization, of these RFID devices/coupons 102 can use this database of information to determine which distribution methods were the most successful (e.g., time usage data, consumer preferences, and retailer preferences).
Preferably, operation of the user device in the present invention is as follows, but not limited to such. The consumer is provided with the user device 416 capable of accepting information from a consumer through keypad, magnetic strip, or other RFID technologies. The user device 416 is capable of transmitting and receiving information from the in-store server 402 through multiple access points 420. Preferably, the consumer presents his “shopping card” to the user device 416 to register with the in-store server 402. The card itself may just contain the consumer's name or it may contain specific information about the consumer. The intention of the card is to allow the in-store server 402 to link the consumer to possible price negotiations as well as determine the consumer's shopping preferences. The user device 416 stores information from the shopping card into its memory until check out; the user device 416 transmits the identification of the consumer, and other information, to the in-store server 402 (when requested or continuously) using any communications method available. Once the consumer 200 registers with the in-store server 402, the consumer 200 aligns the antenna element(s) of the user device (i.e., capacitive plate(s) in the preferred embodiment) over the antenna element(s) 104 (106) on the RFID device 102 in order to allow the RFID device 102 to receive power and communicate with the user device 416. The display of any incentive or information to the consumer 200 occurs from the RFID device 102 or in-store server 402 directly to the user device 416 each time a RFID device 102 is presented to the user device 416. Preferably, at the point-of-sale terminal 412, the user device 416 would be downloaded and compared to the actual selected items 500 to determine final incentive value awarded; alternatively, the user device 416 may be capable of re-programming the RFID device 102 with the final incentive value awarded at point-of decision by the consumer.
The first example of the interaction between the consumer and the in-store system is when the RFID device 102 is attached to the promotional material. Upon entering a store, the consumer is provided with a user device 416 and registers with the in-store server as described above. Once registered, the in-store system 400 selects a set of promotions/incentives based on any given number of parameters. The number of parameters used is dependent on the application and system design. The parameters can be selected from, but not limited to, consumer purchase history, promotional specials, consumer product loyalty, consumer-provided shopping list, and/or the like. Once the set of promotions/incentives are selected, they are programmed into the RFID device 102 along with other information used for data mining and tracking purposes (e.g., manufacturer information 301, UPC 302, distributor information 304, retailer information 306, consumer information, or the like) by the programmer/printer 414; alternatively, all of the bits in the data field 300 in the RFID device(s) could be preprogrammed prior to consumer identification to the in-store system 400, as opposed to being specifically tailored to a particular consumer. The RFID devices are then attached to the promotional material 100 for use by the consumer.
The promotional material 100, with the attached RFID device(s) 102, can be used in a number of ways. In the simplest form, the promotional material 100 becomes a visual aid identifying to the consumer 200 the specific product tailored to their preferences. In a more complex form, the promotional material becomes an “active” coupon(s) allowing the promotional incentive programmed into the RFID device(s) 102 to be modified/enhanced at the point-of-decision or point-of-redemption by the consumer.
In the more complex form, for example, the consumer 200 presents the RFID device 102 to the user device 416 that provides expanded capabilities for the consumer 200. Upon reading the UPC 302 from the RFID device 102, the user device 416 provides information on an item or enhances the incentive on a selected item at point-of decision or point-of redemption. In one application, information, such as product ingredients, menu suggestions, or competitor offers are examples of possible information that can be retrieved and displayed by the user device 416 by selecting an individual RFID device 102. Upon selecting the RFID device 102 with the user device 416, the in-store system 400 may determine a modified purchase incentive to be transmitted to the user device 416. The user device 416 reads the UPC 302 of the item that has been selected for purchase and identifies the item to the in-store server 402. The store incentive system/database manager 403 can reduce a product price by taking into account the manufacturer's lowest possible price of the item, the consumer's brand preference, and other data points in order to entice the consumer to purchase the selected item or switch brands. This process can go on until the consumer 200 makes a final decision (purchases the item or puts the item back on the shelf), or the price of the item cannot be reduced further.
The second example of the interaction between the consumer and the in-store system is when the RFID device is attached to an item. Upon entering a store, the consumer is provided with a user device 416 and registers with the in-store server as described above. During the normal shopping process, the consumer 200 may touch an item of interest. As previously described, the act of touching 200 a capacitively-coupled RFID device 102 attached to an item allows the reader to power the RFID device 102, and the RFID device, in return, transmits its UPC 302 to the reader. The act of touching the RFID device 102 completes a path 208, 200, 242, 202, 212 through either ground 208 or a common reader/RFI) device path 210, 214, 200, 242, 202, 212 allowing the RFID device 102 to receive power and transmit data 300 to the reader. As illustrated in
The in-store server 402 uses the “shopping card” in an attempt to influence the consumer's buying preferences. For example, as the consumer 200 traverses through the store, he touches the RFID device 102 attached to a desired item 500 (e.g., a 12-pack of Cola X). Upon touching the RFID device 102, the RFID device 102 transmits at least a portion of its data field 300 to the store shelf 418 (e.g., UPC 302) which is passed on to the store server 402. To identify which consumer touched the item 500, the store server 402 requests an identification read from the user device 416 through any communications method available. This can be done, for example, by associating the shelf location with the nearest user device 416. Alternatively, the system may be designed such that the user device 416 and store shelf 418 can communicate directly. Once the consumer is identified, the in-store server may be able to determine that the consumer is a loyal consumer of Cola X. As a result, the store may decide to influence the consumer's buying pattern by transmitting a code to the user device 416 to display that there will be a reduced price on Cola Y for this consumer 200. This reduced price for the consumer can be downloaded onto the user device 416 and presented at checkout for discount, or the reduced price can be programmed onto the RFID device associated with Cola Y 500 picked up by the consumer. The programming of the RFID device associated with Cola Y 500 can be performed with user device 416 if equipped with a writer, or through the store shelf 418 when the consumer touches Cola Y 500. As previously explained, when the RFID-equipped item 500 is touched, an electrical path occurs between the item 500 and the reader 418 allowing the item 500 to communicate with the reader 418. In this embodiment, the RFID device 102 would be capable of receiving commands from the reader 418 such that the reader 418 can re-program the data field 300 in the RFID device 102. Specifically, it may re-program at least a portion of the retailer information 306 which may contain the reduced price. Allowing the RFID device 102 to be re-programmed by the reader 418 allows for the product to be electronically priced with the reduced price. Optionally, the RFID device can be reprogrammed yet again to a default incentive if the item was not purchased and an expiration period has expired for the promotional incentive.
Another way to determine if a consumer is interested in the item 500 is to perform real time inventory of the shelf. If an item is not on the inventory list during one of multiple shelf inventory checks, but it was there in the previous check and is there after the current check, it is assumed that the item 500 was “handled” and replace without a purchase. The retailer or the distributor could use this data mining of information to determine the “attractiveness” (i.e., touched but not purchased) of an item 500, inventory control (i.e., touched and purchased), as well as theft prevention (i.e., removed from shelf but not purchased). It should be noted that each item 500 could have a unique identification field 300 which can be compared with the identification field 300 of items that have been purchased to determine if there are any discrepancies between the inventory and the items purchased. Shelf inventory can be performed by increasing reader power or by providing a common return path on the shelf through a plate that couples to the antenna element 104. Details on powering a RFID device with a shelf reader can be found in co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 09/669,289, filed Sep. 25, 2000, titled “Method and Apparatus for Selectively Activating Radio Frequency Identification Tags that are in Close Proximity”, by Collins et al., commonly owned together with this application by Motorola, Inc., the disclosure of which prior application is hereby incorporated by reference, verbatim and with the same effect as though it were fully and completely set forth herein.
Thus, the present invention can be used to provide information about a particular item and/or enhance the incentive provided by the retailer. The consumer presents the RFID device 102 to the reader 206 (418) through methods shown in
No matter what user device 416 is used to access the information, the present invention allows the consumer 200 to identify specific items 500 to the in-store system 400, and the processing means 400 updates the RFID device 102, preferably at the point-of-decision by the consumer, with new promotions/incentives based on the selected products or in association with the purchase of an additional product. Further, after redemption of the RFID device 102, the in-store server 402 could determine the consumer's shopping preferences based upon which items 500 were touched but not purchased or handled, and which products were purchased as a result of a discount given at the point-of-decision.
Thus, the present invention allows a data collection mechanism that is transparent to the consumer 200. The ability to uniquely program the data field 300 allows the distributor to independently program the distributor information 304. The ability to uniquely program the data field 300, for example, with a zip code specific to that coupon and yet have similar coupons with unique zip codes be used at different distribution centers allows for easy regional specific gathering and analysis of regional marketing information by each manufacturer.
Data gathered by the RFID device 102 and/or the in-store system 400 can be used to produce market conclusions at a geographic area or a particular retail establishment. Manufacturers that employ the promotional material 100 as described in the present invention can determine region usage, not just distribution coverage, usage over any given time period, effectiveness of the distribution method, and effectiveness within the consumer target groups.
Moving on to the second environment described herein, a RFID device 102′ having stored thereon a counter and a set of data bits which, when presented to a processing device via a RFID reader, causes the processing device to enable/enhance (and in some instances disable) a feature that would otherwise be disabled in an electronic device, and disable the feature when the counter reaches a predetermined value. The feature may include, but is not limited to, an improvement to the performance and/or characteristic of the electronic device (e.g. new powers, capabilities, characters, calendar updates, or the like). The electronic device may be, but is not limited to, an electronic game console, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, and a pager. The counter provides an automatic expiration of the enabled/enhanced feature. The counter can track the number of times the RFID device 102′ has been used, track a period of time in which the RFID device is used, or the like.
The RFID device 102′ is constructed as described above in
The game console/controller 600 is capable of reading and/or writing information to the access code 704 located on the RFID device 102′. In the case of writing information, the RFID device 102′ is preferably deactivated by the game console/controller 600 after a predetermined number of uses or a predetermined period of time, thus encouraging the consumer to purchase another product to receive a new RFID device 102′ that may contain additional features. The reader 206 within the game console/controller 600 needs to at least be capable of powering the RFID device 102′ and demodulating and/or modulating and demodulating, the data transmitted 701, 702, 704 by the RFID device 102. Contactless RFID access to the data on the RFID device 102′ reduces a failure point associated with contact technology, although a contacted interface could be employed by the present invention.
Regardless of how the RFID device 102′ is accessed, the RFID device 102′ could be as simple as a read-only card which, when powered, would transmit the bits that were stored in circuit 108. In an alternative embodiment, the RFID device 102′ could have more complex features, such as being capable of receiving commands as well as modifying the data stored on circuit 108.
Moreover, RFID-equipped promotional material 100 allows retailers to entice consumers by linking RFID-equipped electronic games 600 to the promotional material 100. In this example, the promotional material may be a code that allows an electronic game to perform differently. For example, a consumer may go to restaurant where he receives a RFID device 102′ with each value meal. When the RFID device 102′ is presented to a RFID-equipped electronic game 600, the RFID device 102′ allows, for example, a character to have different or enhanced powers. In the preferred embodiment, the RFID device 102′ can be reprogrammed by the RFID-equipped electronic game 600. In this example, the data field 700 in circuit 108 on the RFID device 102′ contains an access code 704. Part of the access code 704 may contain a counter field 706. The purpose of the counter field 706 is to keep track of the number of times the RFID device 102′ has been used, the number of times the game was won, or other events which accrue to the expiration of the capabilities of the device. Each time the RFID device 102′ is presented to the RFID-equipped electronic game 600, the counter field 706 is modified to indicate an increase in the number of times the RFID device 102′ was used. When all of the fields are filled (i.e., programmed to a state which disables the RFID card 102′) the RFID device 102′ is expired, and thus disabled, forcing the consumer to purchase another value meal from the restaurant that contains a new RFID device 102′. Alternatively, the counter field 706 could keep track of a period of time in which the RFID device is not expired.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The invention, in its broader aspects, is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Various alterations, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Thus, it should be understood that the invention is not limited by the foregoing description, but embraces all such alterations, modifications and variations in accordance with the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|US20100085157 *||Oct 26, 2006||Apr 8, 2010||Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute||Method for providing service using rfid tag identifier in rfid system and apparatus thereof|
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|US20100271263 *||Jul 9, 2010||Oct 28, 2010||Mehran Moshfeghi||Method and System for Determining the Position of a Mobile Station|
|US20100309051 *||Aug 6, 2010||Dec 9, 2010||Mehran Moshfeghi||Method and system for determining the position of a mobile device|
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|U.S. Classification||340/5.61, 340/572.7, 705/14.13, 705/14.38, 705/14.66, 705/14.41, 705/14.27, 705/14.12, 705/14.39, 705/14.64, 705/14.37, 705/14.26, 705/14.36, 705/14.25, 705/14.35|
|International Classification||G07C1/10, G06Q30/00, H02J17/00, G06K19/077, G06K19/07, G06K7/08, G05B19/12, G06K7/00, G08B13/24|
|Cooperative Classification||G06K7/0008, G06Q30/0237, G06K19/07749, G06Q30/0236, G07C1/10, G06Q30/0225, G06Q30/02, G06Q30/0211, G06Q30/0235, G06Q30/0239, G08B13/2417, G06Q30/0238, G06Q30/0267, G06Q30/0226, G06K19/0723, G06Q30/0209, G06Q30/0224, G06K19/0701, G06Q30/0242, G06K19/07788, G06K7/10069, G06Q30/0269, G06K7/10326|
|European Classification||G06Q30/02, G06K19/07A, G06K19/077T7G, G08B13/24B1G1, G06K7/10A8A, G07C1/10, G06Q30/0239, G06Q30/0226, G06Q30/0236, G06Q30/0235, G06Q30/0242, G06Q30/0237, G06Q30/0238, G06Q30/0269, G06Q30/0209, G06Q30/0225, G06Q30/0211, G06K7/10A1C, G06Q30/0224, G06Q30/0267, G06K19/077T, G06K19/07T, G06K7/00E|
|Mar 6, 2002||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: MOTOROLA, INC., ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:JACKSON, MILES R.;WODKA, JOSEPH F.;COLLINS, TIMOTHY JAMES;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:012678/0441
Effective date: 20020306
|Nov 20, 2009||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Apr 6, 2011||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC., ILLINOIS
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:MOTOROLA, INC;REEL/FRAME:026081/0001
Effective date: 20110104
|Jan 17, 2014||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Jun 6, 2014||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Jul 29, 2014||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20140606


text:
Since a young age I was always attracted to the way the clouds moved and the way that weather forecasting was done. It is truly interesting to observe the way the sky looks, the way the cloudiness moves and many other factors that affect the weather atmosphere, and that has always attracted me towards dealing with this issue. After several years of following my hobby, in 2011 I had the idea of creating a page on Facebook that posted updates about the weather of the city of Gjilan, and decided to name it “Moti ne Gjilan” (Translated: Weather in Gjilan”).
Ah.. my name is Valdrin Shala, 22 years old and living in the city of Gjilan. My passion is Meteorology, but since our country does not support such studies, at this time I am studying at the UBT University in the direction of Management, Business and Economy. Even though young and lacking the tools to develop this activity, I use many Websites which specialize in weather forecasting.
What makes my passion even more special, is the fact that now I own my “Personal Weather Station” (PWS), which I have purchased in August of 2014. Using this device, I am now able to predict the weather for the next 24 Hours as well as monitor real time conditions which are updated in real-time. The accuracy of the weather conditions for the city of Gjilan is 100%. The PWS is located on the roof of my home.
With the purchase of another device that allows its connection to a Personal Computer, now the citizens of Gjilan have access to all information and weather conditions that the PWS collects, which they view online on the following page: www.wunderground.com.
I have always given my time towards contributing to different websites about adding Kosovo to their list of countries. Most of the world’s websites have accepted my request, but the latest one, Wunderground, needed more commitment and time towards achieving the same goal. With the help of a friend, I have contacted IPKO Foundation, of which I had not heard before. Among other projects run by IPKO Foundation, Digital Kosovo was one of particular interest towards solving my problem. The trouble with the Wunderground website was that it displayed Gilan in its maps under the name of “Rajincë, Serbia”. After adding Wunderground as an institution to contact through the Digital Kosovo Platform, together with fans of my weather page we were able to send 300 emails towards this institution. They quickly replied, and also their reply was not completely positive, we were happy to have made steps towards fixing of this problem. The Wunderground Institution said the problem persisted not only with Kosovo, but with many other locations outside the United States. The positive side of their message was that they were going to update their mapping system in 2016, but didn’t have a definitive date yet.
I would like to thank IPKO Foundation and the successful community of Digital Kosovo for the opportunity and the help given to me through their platform. I will continue my work towards including Kosovo in the country lists of world known weather institutions together with the community of “Moti ne Gjilan”, while promoting the Digital Kosovo Platform, and discussing the ways in which we can increase the effect and usage of this platform by its community.


text:
Hypothetical bias in Stated Choice Experiments: Is it a problem? And if so, how do we deal with it?
John Rose () and
Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2014, vol. 61, issue C, 164-177
The extent to which Stated Choice (SC) experiments suffer from hypothetical bias continues to be a controversial topic in the literature. This research provides further evidence in this debate by examining the existence of hypothetical bias in a transport-related SC experiment. Data for this research were sourced from a University of Sydney study exploring the effect of exposure-based charging on motorist behaviour. The sample included 148 Sydney motorists who were recruited to take part in the 10-week GPS driving field study (Revealed Preference/RP data). In addition, participants were also required to complete an SC survey which was designed to mimic the RP decision context in order to capture what participants indicated they would do as opposed to what participants actually did in reaction to the charging regime.
Keywords: Hypothetical bias; Stated choice; Willingness to pay; Cheap talk; Certainty scales; GPS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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domain: psychology


text:
There is a saying that a tree is only as strong as its roots. A good grower will inhibit and control the growth of the seedling in order to achieve better development of its roots. This delays the first fruits and full fertility, but this is richly repaid through a more resistant tree, whose fertility lasts for many years. Today, we treat children in the opposite way. We overload them to grow as fast as possible while denying them the acceptance and support of their childhood, which is necessary to develop their roots and faith in themselves. We push our children just like ourselves while not realizing that in doing so, we undermine their sense of certainty and diminish their sense of acceptance and safety. Because of this, he will grow up too fast; he will suppress his feelings and emotions from his body and become unrealistic about himself and time.
The child cannot receive the attention he needs from his parents because they are overloaded. A person is overloaded if the number and types of all the impulses he receives from the world exceed his ability to gradually process and respond to them. The effect of being overwhelmed is that we remain in a state of anxiety or tension that we cannot shake off and relax. We feel too tense and overloaded; we become irritable and anxious. Everything listed leads us to look for new stimulations. Similarly to how a child runs away from home where there is no peace, safety, or support, we run away from the mess within our bodies. A vicious spiral is created that spins the person’s ego higher and higher away from the reality of the body. This harms our behavior and commonly leads to drug abuse or other addictions, which alter the way we perceive reality, relax muscle tone and reduce anxiety. That way, they temporarily enable the connection between the ego and body, which we feel as a pleasant experience – unfortunately, with a limited duration.
Permanent stress leads the person away from their body when it disturbs their inner rhythm and harmony. It changes the state of the autonomic nervous system and makes it impossible to reach the parasympathetic without substance abuse. Such a person does not correctly perceive the body because he achieves fake happiness through addiction. This is not due to physical pleasure, which requires the lengthening of muscles and expansion into space, but arises in the nervous system through the secretion of pleasure hormones. The severity of this disorder can be seen if the person cannot sit still or cannot be alone. If restlessness drives her to constant activity, to constant action, to constant new projects, despite obvious fatigue, boredom, burnout, or addiction to stimulants (coffee, cigarettes…). It forces him into a position where he has no more time for herself or his loved ones, so he cannot maintain a deeper relationship. Husbands have no time for their wives, mothers have no time for children, and friends have no time for socializing.
It is easier to overwhelm children than adults, as their sensitivity is greater, and their ability to tolerate and limit external stimulation is lower. Thus, a child who has too many toys constantly wants new ones. If he is allowed to watch television, he will want to watch it all the time. If he is allowed to stay up late, it will be difficult to tuck him in his bed. However, the child is overloaded with hyperactivity and restlessness of his parents that they brought into their home from the outside. The mothers overloaded state transfers to the child. Sadly, parents believe that if a child does more and more things at once, he will learn more and grow up faster. The intensity of this belief results in the dominance of the ego and is worrisome. Being quiet, calm, empathetic and wise is an almost unknown way of life today.
Aleš Ernst, author of the AEQ method and AEQ breathing.


text:
Girls Amy cotton ballet dance leotard - Beautiful soft cotton/lycra (matt fabric) pale blue sleeveless ballet Leotard by Dancing Daisy with plain front, scoop neck and plenty of stretch. Specially designed by us at Dancing Daisy for comfort, quality, style and value for money.Available with belt or ..
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Introducing our new premium leather ballet shoes by Dancing Daisy.Pink leather ballet shoes for ballet classes.Made to correspond to normal UK shoe sizes.Genuine leather uppers and full suede sole.Elastic over instep already attached - no sewing required.Features a drawstring cord for tightening for..
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domain: hobby


text:
The Covid-19 pandemic and national lockdown gave rise to unprecedented disruption to the Construction Industry, UK economy and society in general with the UK officially entering recession at the end of the last quarter.
As we now move out of lockdown towards a new ‘normal’, significant economic uncertainty is still likely to be prevalent for the next couple of years, both from dealing with the longer term implications the pandemic and with the imminent end of the transition period to our final exit from the European Union. There is little sign of a trade deal in sight at the moment and the likelihood that the Government will request an extension to allow resolution appearing remote, leading to a ‘no-deal’ exit and all the challenges that will bring which could be dis-proportionally harsh on the Scottish economy given current levels of trade with Europe.
Prior to the lockdown the overall rate of growth in construction activity continued to reduce over the last 12 months in line with the reduction on overall GDP growth to under 1.0% per annum.
With forecasts for GDP now indicating a sharp bounce back in 2021 followed by increases of less than 3% over the next three years this would suggest that the growth in total construction output could start to increase marginally or will at least remain static in the short term given the significance to the economy as a whole.
According to the Office for National Statistics, employment (pre lockdown) in the construction industry fell by 4% over the last year, with skill shortages continuing to be an issue across most professions and trades
The latest RICS Market Survey reports that the majority of Quantity Surveyors workload expectations have stabilised in the second quarter although the picture remains fairly negative with responses generally anticipating workloads to decrease by 5% over the next year, albeit 10% less than previously recorded in Q1.
Infrastructure is seen as the exception with 40% of responses anticipating an increase in workloads across most categories over the next year, predominantly due to increased Government spending.
The following forecasts are based on a middle of the road set of assumptions with regards to trade restrictions and access to labour and no second lockdown due to Covid-19. However, the figures could vary by +/- up to 5% per annum over the period of the forecast if the outcome of the Brexit negotiations are more or less onerous.
Summary of Forecast
The forecast movements in construction costs currently shown in the BCIS Quarterly Report are as follows: –
Tender Price Update
Over the next five years tender prices are forecast to rise by 21% overall.
The All-in Tender Price index is expected to rise at an increasing rate over the next 12 to 18 months.
Tender prices are not expected to fall during 2020 in spite of the sharp reduction in output caused by Covid-19.
In normal circumstances such a significant drop in output would lead to falling tender prices as Contractors seek to maintain turnover.
However, in this case the additional costs of following safe working practices and the impact of contractors reducing their staffing levels or ultimately ceasing trading is likely to be sufficient to prevent a drop in tender prices.
Following the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020 increased costs of tariffs are expected, when combined with increases in input prices lead to tender price rises over 4%.
The forecast for the following 3 years continues to indicate strong tender price increases driven by improved growth in most sectors, giving rises in excess of input costs.
Building costs are expected to continue to rise over the next 5 years, with increases ranging from 2 – 4% over the next five years. These increases will be predominantly driven by faster rising material prices and wage demands resulting from a reduced labour pool.
Materials prices fell by 0.3% in the last quarter and by 0.7% when compared with the previous year, average increases of around 2.5% per annum are currently forecast for the next 5 years.
Manufacturing input prices fell by 1.0% when compared with a year earlier. Output prices fell by 0.6% over the last year, with reducing levels of demand being mainly responsible.
Wage awards are expected to be agreed at 0.4% per annum in 2020, rising to 4% for next year and falling back to 3% increases for the remainder of the forecast period.
Overall, the forecasts continue to fluctuate regularly both as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the fact that there is still little further clarity on the likely trade situation following the withdrawal from the European Union at the end of the transition period.
Construction Output Forecast
Total construction output fell by 1% in Q1 when compared with the previous quarter, but this was followed by a 45% fall in April and an 11% rise in May following the nationwide lockdown. Overall, it was 39% down on May 2019, with new work output following a very similar trend.
Where projects have restarted on-site productivity is expected to reduce by up to 20% depending on the nature of the work, leading to longer construction period and increased costs to contractors and ultimately their clients.
Annual comparisons of new work output over the last year (up to the lockdown) showed most sectors increasing apart from the public non housing sector which fell by 4%.
Average growth was between 2% and 5% but with a 10% increase for public housing.
Over the period of the forecast, new work output is expected to bounce back strongly in 2021, initially lead by the infrastructure sector, assisted by most other sectors, but with output levels taking until late 2022 to return to 2019 levels.
The forecast movements in construction output currently identified in the BCIS Quarterly Report are as follows: –
Given the closure of much of the industry during the Covid-19 related lockdown, the results of recent surveys are inevitably quite pessimistic.
Workload indicators dropped further into negative territory over the quarter and when this is combined with the ongoing concerns over labour supply and material availability, overall market confidence in the short term is close to a 10 year low.
Consolidation within the Construction Sector is likely as with any significant downturn there will be financial casualties which could give rise to short term supply chain issues for the larger companies.
Looking further ahead, significant uncertainty remains over the longer term impact of Covid-19 and any subsequent lockdowns / restrictions generally, although current forecasts indicate a relatively quick bounce back in 2021 followed by a period of moderate sustained growth.