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Britain’s Chris Froome says his move to Israel Start-Up Nation (ISN) has given him renewed stimulation and says his goals remain the same: to win more Grand Tours in the 2021 season.
The four-time Tour de France champion’s ended 11 years at Team Sky/Team Ineos for a fresh challenge at ISN, where he’ll be looking to continue his comeback from a serious crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2019, which left him with multiple fractures, including his ribs, elbow and femur.
Froome felt he needed to make the move, revealing things had gone stale at Ineos.
Froome 'doored' on way home by driver on training ride, suffers injury
“Year after year with the same team, it’s almost been copy and pasting”, he said.
Changing teams at this point in my career is going to give me so much more mental stimulation and motivation - it’s a whole new change, it’s a new project, it’s a new chapter, it does feel quite rejuvenating to me.
Froome will be hoping to go for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France, joining greats Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacque Anquetil and Miguel Indurain. At 35, Froome is showing no sign of slowing down, and believes he’s ironed out issues which hampered his return from injury last year.
- The 'old Chris Froome' is coming back - Israel Start-Up Nation DS
- Israel Start-Up Nation hoping to deliver Froome's fifth Tour
“I’ve been focusing a lot this winter on really addressing some of those imbalances and weaknesses from the injury - I’m feeling really optimistic about the upcoming season”, he said.
My goals haven’t changed, I want to get back to that top level, I want to be fighting for victories at the Tour de France and other Grand Tours.
“I’m really looking forward to getting the 2021 season underway now - hopefully this is going to be the start of a long, exciting, successful partnership going forward.”
Froome ready to 'fight for victories in Tour and beyond'
Froome has a good feeling about his move to ISN and believes it could be the start of a long-term relationship, possibly lasting into his retirement.
“After the discussions with (team owner) Sylvan (Adams), we came to the conclusion that changing at this point of my career, especially after being with one team for 11 years, we agreed that joining ISN is a commitment I’m not going to make for a year or two” Froome said.
“This is a commitment until the end of my career and potentially even beyond that.”
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown potential plans up in the air for most cycling teams, but it’s reported Froome could begin his season at Volta ao Algarve on February 17, having originally targeted this month's Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina.
Vuelta a España
'A tough race for me' - Froome reflects on his performance at La Vuelta
Vuelta a España
Froome backs Roglic to return 'with more motivation' from horror Vuelta crash
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domain: sports


Good news for science writers with the launch of a new imprint from Penguin called Current which will publish science books for a general audience. Adrian Zackheim, president and publisher of Penguin's Portfolio and Sentinel imprints, will oversee Current.
Current will publish books in "every subcategory from quantum physics to neuroscience." The not so good news is that the imprint will release only five to eight titles a year, as part of a boutique model, so getting your book accepted could be very difficult!
Penguin Launches Science Imprint:


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Most insurance plans typically cover varicose vein treatments, including Medicare and Medicaid.
A published study in the National Library of Medicine stated that approximately 24% of adults in the United States suffer from varicose veins, with an estimated 6% exhibiting symptoms of advanced chronic venous disease.
With Camden having a population of 71.773, there is a possibility that 17.226 of them have visible varicose veins and 4.306 have underlying chronic venous disease.
If you live in this area, you may be one of those who suffer from venous disease.
So give our clinic a call and let our vein doctors serving the Camden area help you.
And may more…
Time to show off those varicose vein-free legs! Visit our clinic and check out our vein treatments in Camden.
Camden is home to some of the best vein specialists in the country. Our staff and doctors are not only hardworking but are also highly skilled and well-experienced in the field of vein health. They understand each patient’s unique problems and know the most suitable treatment.
We offer various treatments, from traditional surgery to minimally invasive procedures. We also provide various financing options to make treatment affordable for everyone.
The varicose vein treatment we provide to the Camden area is always effective and top quality. Besides having a deep understanding of vein health, our team always ensures that each patient’s problems are heard and resolved after every treatment.
Give us a call and book an appointment with one of our doctors now!
Give Our Camden Vein Treatment Center a Call Today!
Varicose Veins Vineland | Varicose Veins Voorhees | Varicose Veins Cherry Hill |
Varicose Veins Mt Laurel | Varicose Veins Washington Township | Varicose Veins Camden |
Gloucester County | Varicose Veins Winslow Township | Varicose Veins Deptford | Varicose Veins Cinnaminson | Varicose Veins Philadelphia

domain: medical


text:
We are checking availability.
Thank you for your patience...
This property is annually closed. Reopening on 27/03/2024
Every two days, our pop-up bar opens at the end of the day on the edge of the 200-foot cliff overlooking the sea, where you can order an aperitif while admiring the boundless beauty of the setting sun.

domain: travel


text:
Cream Cheese Pound Cake. I have been making this pound cake for years, with only small changes. Start with ROOM TEMPERATURE butter,(REAL butter) cream cheese and eggs which makes for easier mixing and a more creamy outcome, and using cake flour. Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the difference between dry pound cake and moist pound cake.
This Cream Cheese Pound Cake is no exception. It has a lovely golden brown crust that is sweet and so wonderfully crisp on the day it's made. It is important when making this pound cake to have the cream cheese, butter and eggs at room temperature as this enables the maximum amount of air to. You can cook Cream Cheese Pound Cake using 8 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you cook that.
Ingredients of Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- You need 3 sticks of unsalted butter ( room temperature.
- Prepare 8 oz of Cream Cheese ( room temperature.
- You need 3 cups of Plain Flour.
- It’s 3 cups of Sugar.
- It’s 1/2 Tsp of Baking Powder.
- You need 6 of Brown Eggs ( room temperature.
- It’s 1/2 tsp of salt.
- It’s 1 tsp of Vanilla extract.
Tips for Making Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe. With any pound cake, texture is key to creating the perfect taste. To create the best texture, begin by making sure that your cake batter is mixed well. You must beat your fat to incorporate air into your cake because it doesn't have a leavening.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Mix cream cheese and butter in a bowl until fluffy.
- Add sugar.
- Mix in eggs one at a time.
- In a separate bowl whisk flour, salt and baking powder. Once done combine mixtures..Mix well.
- Grease and flour Bundt cake pan or you can use baking spray.
- Pour cake batter into pan. Allow to cook 1 hr & 25-30 min depending bon your oven..
Cream Cheese Pound Cake makes a delicious, family favorite pound cake recipe. How to Make Cream Cheese Poundcake. To bake this cake, you will need these ingredients. This Cream Cheese Pound Cake is a tender, moist, and flavorful dessert that's a new spin on traditional pound cake! This recipe is simple to make!

domain: food


Analysis: Debbie Purdy a dignified example of why suicide law must evolve
Many people who heard Debbie Purdy’s dignified plea for clarity on whether her husband would be prosecuted if he assisted her suicide have been moved by the reasonableness of her request. Lord Justice Scott Baker said the court could not leave the case without expressing “great sympathy”.
Yet the judges said that they will not change the law. Standing in the way of Ms Purdy’s request is the Suicide Act 1961, which states that any person who “aids, abets, counsels or procures the suicide of another” could be liable for a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Lord Justice Scott Baker said that only Parliament could change the law.
That is not strictly true. The common law as expounded by judges can be used


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text:
Jennifer Lawrence will don the black turtleneck in a newly announced movie about medical company Theranos and its 32-year-old founder Elizabeth Holmes, the one-time darling of Silicon Valley.
Deadline learned in an exclusive that the drama (oh, there will be drama) will star Lawrence and be directed by Adam McKay, who won an Oscar for "The Big Short."
Theranos is a Silicon Valley startup that hoped to revolutionize the medical industry with a less invasive, finger-prick-only blood test and easier access to your results. The company came under fire in 2015 when a Wall Street Journal investigation called the company's much-touted secret blood-testing technologies into question.
Holmes, the very public face of the company, went from a net worth of $4.5 billion to zero, Forbes reports.
It's the kind of stuff you just can't make up. Lawrence and McKay seem like the perfect pair to bring the story to life.
Lawrence can't help but charm the pants off of audiences. Her cool girl-next-door demeanor will bring some much-needed likeability to Holmes' character.
McKay's credits include "Anchorman," "Step Brothers," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," and most movies starring Will Ferrell. Last year's "The Big Short" marked a departure from his typical slapstick. The movie followed four denizens admidst the 2007 and 2008 financial crisis.
If McKay could turn the housing bubble into a digestible and hilarious movie, we have no doubt he will perform the same magic on the meltdown of Theranos.
Deadline did not report a potential release date for the movie.

domain: entertainment


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This letter is in regard to the news that Steve Mnuchin is cutting the investments for civil service and postal retirees because the federal budget is too big. These employees paid into this system just like you are paying into Social Security. Will Social Security be the next place Mnuchin looks for money?
I am sure that there are many people of you will think this article doesn't affect them because they are not a federal or postal retiree.
Here are the reasons it will affect every community in this state. If the retirement money is cut, we will no longer eat out, we will limit our grocery purchases, we will not be buying a vehicle, we will not be going on vacation, we will not be buying new clothes or crafting supplies. Basically, any purchase that we don't have to make, we will put off. If you are a business owner, can you afford this loss of income? If not, then please write to Senators Enzi and Barasso and Representative Cheney.

domain: economics


text:
January 4, 2013 |
NEW DELHI: Even in this numbing chill, many in the capital have to brave the chill out in the open wrapped in blankets, around bonfires under flyovers, crouched in their rickshaws and huddled in groups along pavements, temples and market places. And the Delhi government has again woken up late. After the cold has struck, it declared on Thursday that additional temporary night shelters would be added to supplement the existing shelters. Still there is no widespread mechanism to provide rescue services for around 1 lakh homeless people out in the cold and report deaths on the streets.
August 12, 2011 |
UDUPI: Karnataka Prantha Krishi Koolikarara Sangha, a CPM outfit has organized a huge rally from service bus station to taluk office demanding houses for homeless people in the taluk here on Tuesday. Forwarding the memorandum to chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda through tahsildar Prasanna, Sangha's state president Nithyananda Swami said development of the country is largely dependent on the living condition of laymen. "When a country has a large number of homeless people living on the streets, it is not possible for the country to walk towards progress.
December 15, 2012 |
KANPUR: When fatigue takes over and his body gives in, 67-year-old Sanjay lies down anywhere on Kanpur Central Railway station's freezing platforms and passes the painful nights under the open sky. Every morning, covered in dew, he begins his day with bouts of wheezing and coughing. Sanjay is among the hundreds of homeless people in the city who do not even have a shed to protect them from the weather which continues to grow chillier by the day. This, despite the High Court guidelines which have instructed civic authorities to maintain shelter homes for the destitute, especially during winters.
March 12, 2013 |
MYSORE: Come March , like any other autonomous government body MUDA also comes out with a budget and promises hundred things for the citizens. But seldom the promises are met . MUDA has a failed history especially as far as the distribution of sites to homeless people is concerned . Though in 2012 the MUDA distributed about 3000 sites to site less people in it's two newly formed extensions, this did not bring smiles on the faces of the hapless people...
January 5, 2013 |
RANCHI: In a chilling winter night when everyone is cuddling under woollen blankets, hundreds of homeless people in the city choose their 'best friends' to survive the cold. And their 'friends' never disappoint them in time of need. If one dreads to go out for a stroll in a winter night, one will find the many homeless people at railway stations or on the city streets wrapping their hands around stray dogs and sleeping like best buddies. This is their way of beating the cold as most of them either have inadequate winter wears or do not have at all. Data available with the district administration says there are around 5,000 homeless people in Ranchi.
January 27, 2004 |
NEW DELHI: As cold wave has already taken a toll of 700 people without a roof to cover themselves, the Supreme Court on Tuesday admitted for hearing two significant public interest petitions raising the fundamental issue of right to shelter. The petitions have sought a direction to the Centre and 13 states to take immediate steps to provide, shelter, food and warm clothes to lakhs of poor and homeless people across the country. One E R Kumar along with Rohit Mammen Alex and one Deepan Bora and six others have said that the governments must draw up immediate and time-bound plans for construction of adequate shelter houses along with basic and essential amenities as well as their efficient management.
March 5, 2011 |
NEW DELHI: The census of the homeless, which officially concluded on March 1, has resulted in a face-off between a group of voluntary organizations and the office of the Director of Census Operations , Delhi. While a group of NGOs on Saturday pointed out that many homeless were left out of the counting process, the census director maintained that the exercise was brought to a close only after counting was completed. Some of the NGOs involved in the census count of the homeless - Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan (AAA)
January 28, 2012 |
PATNA: Social activist Medha Patkar has said the urban poor and homeless would be forced to launch a larger movement if the Bihar government does not pay heed to their pleas. Addressing a gathering of the city's urban poor and homeless people at Kargil Chowk on Friday, Patkar said these people came to cities after they faced problems in villages. "But if they continue to face problems in the city, where will they go?" she asked. The meeting was organized under the aegis of National Alliance for People's Movement.
February 1, 2008 |
An indication of the neglect of the homeless in our cities is that the government has not even bothered to collect reliable data about them. As the destitute do not have an address and can only be counted on pavements, open spaces and night shelters, many of them are missed by the census staff. Therefore, one has to turn to data collected by voluntary organisations. In the year 2000, Ashray Adhikar Abhiyan, an organisation working for the homeless, made an effort to count the number of people sleeping out in the open in Delhi.
July 7, 2012 |
HUBLI: Homeless people sleeping on footpaths and at railway station premises is a common sight in Hubli. This despite the Supreme Court order that the city municipal corporations should provide shelter to vagrants. According to sources in the corporation, temporary arrangements have been made to provide shelter to the homeless at eight places in the twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad. However, the corporation has not made enough efforts to create awareness among people about these facilities.

domain: sociology


text:
Punta Cana Travel Tips
Best Hidden Beach: Playa Limon
Playa Limon is a 2-mile isolated and hidden beach lined with coconut trees on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. Completely off the beaten path, this beauty is untouched by resorts and restaurants so you'll have to bring your own food, towels and so on if you want to hang out there.
Best Lunch on Bávaro Beach: Jellyfish Restaurant
You'll find delicious lobster and seafood meals on the menu at the Jellyfish Restaurant on Bávaro Beach. It's really close if you're staying at the Melia Caribe Tropical -- just a short walk south. And it's beachfront too, so you'll have a gorgeous view of the beach and ocean while you eat.
Best Off-Resort Restaurant
Noah's is in a strip mall just down the street from the entrance to the Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe. It's got everything: superb American/continental cuisine featuring fresh fish, steak, pasta, pizza and sushi. Make sure to try the fried camber and the Italian eggplant dip for appetizers. And don’t miss the flaming Crème brûlée either. Delicious!
Start Planning Your Punta Cana Vacation


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The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton)
Fri Jun 14 2013
Byline: CHRIS MORRIS Legislature Bureau
A charitable organization trying to raise money for a seniors’ home in Saint John is asking federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to please send back the $20,000 it paid him for a fundraising event that flopped.
The Grace Foundation paid Trudeau $20,000 in speaking fees last year as it launched a campaign to raise badly needed funds for the elderly residents of the Church of St. John and St. Stephen Home Inc. in the Port City.
Foundation treasurer Neil Hossack said in an interview Thursday the organization felt it had to try something bold to kick off the campaign to raise $300,000 for new furniture for the home.
“We went down an avenue that wasn’t typical for us, but we thought, ‘We can’t do this through bake sales,’?” Hossack said in an interview.
“We have to raise big money. So we decided to try a speaker event. To be honest, we made a mistake. We don’t hold him (Trudeau) responsible. The event was not successful. We lost money.”
The organization lost $21,000 on the Trudeau speech last June.
However, since the event, Hossack said Trudeau has been criticized for billing charitable foundations like the Grace for speaking engagements.
In the name of transparency, Trudeau acknowledged several months ago that he collected about $277,000 in speaking fees as an MP, much of it coming from publicly funded institutions like school boards and charities.
He was immediately condemned by politicians in other political parties who said that while Trudeau was not breaking any Parliamentary rules, the practice was ethically questionable.
For instance, NDP MP Charlie Angus said that while he would accept sandwiches and a pint of beer from a group that invited him to speak, he wouldn’t charge fees.
“I speak at numerous events,” Angus said. “I believe it’s part of my job as an MP.”
Given the criticism of the speaking fees, the Grace Foundation wrote Trudeau in March, asking him to send back the $20,000.
“A refund of the fees charged for your speaking engagement to the Grace Foundation would meet our needs and would provide a positive public impression,” states the March 6 letter, obtained by the Telegraph-Journal.
Hossak said Trudeau has yet to reply to the letter. Trudeau’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
In an email response to the Grace Foundation dated April 9, the Speaker’s Spotlight organization, which helped arrange Trudeau’s appearance, said it was “confused” by the request for a refund because there was no complaint at the time of the speech.
It said it was sorry the event was not a success and wished the Grace Foundation “all the best in the future.”
Rodney Weston, the Conservative MP for Saint John, said Trudeau should do the right thing, help the seniors in the home and send the money back to the foundation.
“His speaking fees were $20,000, and the organization lost $21,000,” Weston said in an interview.
“I just think we should look at the simple fact that this is an organization trying to do good things for people in need. They went out on the edge to try to raise some funds. Obviously, from a contractual standpoint, I’m sure Mr. Trudeau is in a very good position. But from the standpoint of compassion, he is in a tough spot.”
The issue of Trudeau’s speaking fees prompted the national polling firm, Forum Research, to survey Canadians on the subject. More than half of the 1,755 Canadians surveyed, 57 per cent, thought Trudeau should return the speaking fees he earned from non-profit organizations.
© 2013 The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton) h/t dm
Jason Kenney Rags On Trudeau;)


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Great View-Quiet Location
We had a peaceful and relaxing stay at this apartment in October. The view from the balcony to the fields below and the distant mountains was wonderful. It is located only a few minutes from Franklin and with easy access for day trips to nearby towns. Unloading/loading vehicle from the garage was easy with no stairs to climb. It has all equipment you need for cooking meals, with enough area for preparation. Owners were great to work with and allowed us to bring our well behaved small dog.
Special place in the mountains for the nature lover

domain: geography


Patent application title: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING REMINDER VOLUME ON A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE
Paul Andrew Erb (Ottawa, CA)
Dieter Schulz (Dunrobin, CA)
IPC8 Class: AH04B140FI
Class name: Telecommunications transmitter and receiver at same station (e.g., transceiver) with tuning
Publication date: 2008-09-18
Patent application number: 20080227407
A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting volume of an audio
signal on a mobile device, comprising playing the audio signal at an
initial volume, sampling the audio signal, estimating a transfer function
based on an echo path characteristic between the played audio signal and
sampled audio signal, selecting a volume policy based on the estimated
transfer function, and adjusting the volume of the audio signal in
accordance with the selected volume policy.
1. A method of automatically adjusting volume of an audio signal generated
by an electronic device, comprising:playing said audio signal at an
initial volume;sampling said audio signal;estimating a transfer function
based on an echo path characteristic between the played audio signal and
sampled audio signal;selecting a volume policy based on said transfer
function; andadjusting the volume of said audio signal in accordance with
said volume policy.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selecting further includes comparing the estimated transfer function with a plurality of stored transfer functions representing respective acoustic environments, each of said stored transfer functions having an associated volume policy, and selecting the associated volume policy of a most similar one of said stored transfer functions to the estimated transfer function.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said audio signal is an audible reminder signal.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said audio signal is a predefined sound played in addition to an audible reminder signal.
5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said audio signal is a predefined sound that periodically interrupts playing of said audible reminder signal.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said volume is one of either increased in the event said transfer function indicates that said electronic device is in a closed acoustic space or decreased in the event said transfer function indicates that said electronic device is in an open acoustic space.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said estimating further includes comparing said played audio signal to the sampled audio signal.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said playing, sampling, estimating, selecting and adjusting are repeated at predetermined intervals.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including restoring said initial volume after said adjusting.
10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selecting further includes comparing successive estimated transfer functions and selecting said volume policy associated with a detected trend in differences between said successive estimated transfer functions.
11. An electronic device with automatically adjustable volume, comprising:a speaker for playing said audio signal at an initial volume;a microphone for sampling said audio signal;a processor for estimating a transfer function based on an echo path characteristic between the played audio signal and sampled audio signal, selecting a volume policy based on said transfer function, and adjusting the volume of said audio signal in accordance with said volume policy.
12. An electronic device as claimed in claim 11, further including memory containing a plurality of stored transfer functions representing respective acoustic environments, each of said stored transfer functions having an associated volume policy, and wherein said processor compares the estimated transfer function with said plurality of stored transfer functions and selects the associated volume policy of a most similar one of said stored transfer functions to the estimated transfer function.
13. An electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said audio signal is an audible reminder signal.
14. An electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said audio signal is a predefined sound played in addition to an audible reminder signal.
15. An electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said audio signal is a predefined sound that periodically interrupts playing of said audible reminder signal.
16. An electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said processor increases the volume of said audio signal in the event said transfer function indicates that said electronic device is in a closed acoustic space and decreases the volume of said audio signal in the event said transfer function indicates that said electronic device is in an open acoustic space.
17. An electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said processor performs said estimating by comparing said played audio signal to the sampled audio signal.
18. An electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said processor repeats said playing sampling estimating, selecting and adjusting at predetermined intervals.
19. An electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said processor restores said initial volume after said adjusting.
20. An electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said processor compares successive estimated transfer functions and selects said volume policy associated with a detected trend in differences between said successive estimated transfer functions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to mobile devices, and more particularly to automatically adjusting the initial reminder volume in a mobile device based on acoustic environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
A well known function of mobile devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) or Pocket PCs is the provision of a reminder for the user to perform a task, attend to a calendar event, etc. When a reminder is presented on a mobile device, the volume may be either too quiet to hear, such that the reminder passes unnoticed (particularly when in a pocket, purse, etc.) or too loud such that the reminder becomes an annoyance to other people in the vicinity of the user.
The problem has also been addressed somewhat in wireless telephony by the provision of a vibrate mode and/or downloadable ring tones.
Some users choose to play a wave file (.wav), rather than the default reminder sound. However, the selected wave file may also be either too loud or too soft depending on circumstance. Another approach is to periodically manually adjust the volume of the mobile device when changing its' location.
All of the foregoing approaches to solving this problem require the user to selectively adjust how the reminder or notification is presented. As a result, these solutions depend on forethought of where the device will be when a reminder occurs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for automatically setting the initial volume of a reminder/notification based on the "size" of the space occupied by the mobile device. Large spaces, such as within a room (e.g. when the mobile device is resting on a desk, docked in a phone appliance such as a 5230 IP phone manufactured by Mitel Networks Corporation, or held in a user's hand), require only a relatively quiet initial volume whereas small areas, such as inside a pocket or a purse, require a louder initial volume.
Therefore, according to an aspect of the invention the reminder/notification volume is periodically automatically adjusted while the alarm is playing, such that the alarm volume becomes quieter when the device is removed from a pocket or purse, without requiring any user action. Preferably, the default reminder/notification volume is restored after the reminder/notification has been acknowledged or otherwise ceases playing.
According to one embodiment, a play alarm "applet" is executed within the device for playing the alarm, sampling the sound via the device microphone, estimating the "size" of the space and adjusting the volume. This sequence is repeated until the alarm is acknowledged or ceases.
The above aspects can be attained by a method and apparatus for automatically adjusting volume of an audio signal on a mobile device, comprising playing the audio signal at an initial volume, sampling the audio signal, estimating a transfer function based on an echo path characteristic between the played audio signal and sampled audio signal, selecting a volume policy based on the estimated transfer function, and adjusting the volume of the audio signal in accordance with the selected volume policy.
These together with other aspects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile device in connection with which the invention may be implemented; and
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a method for automatically adjusting the initial reminder volume in a mobile device, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning to FIG. 1, a mobile device 100 is shown in the form of a two-way communication device having at least voice and advanced data communication capabilities, including the capability to communicate with other computer systems. Depending on the functionality provided by mobile device 100, it may be referred to as a data messaging device, a two-way pager, a cellular telephone with data messaging capabilities, a wireless Internet appliance, or a data communication device such as a PDA or Pocket PC (with or without telephony capabilities).
Mobile device 100 may incorporate a transceiver 1001, which includes a receiver, a transmitter, and associated components, such as an antenna 1002. As will be apparent to those skilled in the field of communications, particular design of transceiver 1001 depends on the communication network in which the mobile device 100 is intended to operate.
Mobile device 100 may send and receive communication signals over the network after required network registration or activation procedures have been completed. Signals received by antenna 1002 through the network are input to transceiver 1001, which may perform such common receiver functions as signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, channel selection, analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion, and the like. A/D conversion of a received signal allows more complex communication functions such as demodulation and decoding to be performed. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted are processed, including modulation and encoding, for example via a Digital Signal Processor (not shown). These DSP-processed signals are input to transceiver 1001 for digital to analog (D/A) conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission over communication network via antenna 1002.
Network access is associated with a subscriber or user of a mobile device 100, and therefore mobile device 100 requires a Subscriber Identity Module or "SIM" card 1004 to be inserted in a SIM interface (not shown) in order to operate in the network. Mobile device 100 is a battery-powered device so it also includes a battery interface for receiving one or more rechargeable batteries 1006. Such a battery 1006 provides electrical power to most if not all electrical circuitry in mobile device 100, and the battery interface (not shown) provides for a mechanical and electrical connection.
Mobile device 100 includes a microprocessor 1008 which controls overall operation. Communication functions, including at least data and voice communications, are performed through transceiver 1001. Microprocessor 1008 also interacts with additional device subsystems such as a display 1110, a flash memory 1112, a random access memory (RAM) 1114, a keyboard 1116, a speaker 1118, a microphone 1120, and any other device subsystems that may be desirable such as auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystems, serial port, and/or short-range communications.
Operating system software 1122 used by microprocessor 1008 is preferably stored in a persistent store such as flash memory 1112, which may alternatively be a read-only memory (ROM) or similar storage element. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the operating system, specific device applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into a volatile store such as RAM 1114.
Microprocessor 1008, in addition to its operating system functions, preferably enables execution of software applications on mobile communication device 100. A predetermined set of applications which control basic device operations, including for example data and voice communication applications, will normally be installed on mobile device 100 during its manufacture. A preferred application that may be loaded onto mobile device 100 may be a personal information manager (PIM) application having the ability to organize and manage data items relating to the user such as, but not limited to, e-mail, calendar events, voice mails, appointments, and task items. Naturally, one or more memory stores are available on mobile device 100 and SIM 1004 to facilitate storage of PIM data items and other information.
As discussed above, memory 1112 includes a plurality of applications or routines (associated with visually displayed icons) for the processing of data. These applications may be in any of a variety of forms such as, without limitation, software, firmware, and the like, including, for example, an e-mail application 1115, a calendar application 1124, an address book application 1111, a tasks application 1128, a memo application 1130, and a search application 1127. An operating system (OS) program 1122 also resides in memory 1112.
One or more of the software applications, such as calendar application 1124 and tasks application 1128, may be programmed by the user to generate an audible reminder of, for example, a calendar event or task to be performed. FIG. 2 shows method steps, according to an exemplary application 1000 of the present invention, for automatically adjusting the volume of such reminders to ensure audibility of the reminder while minimizing disruptions to others in the vicinity of the user. Preferably, application 1000 is implemented as a software applet that is spawned in response to activation of a reminder or notification by another application (e.g. calendar application 1124, tasks application 1128, etc.)
Thus, when a reminder/notification is activated (e.g. due to a calendar or tasks event), the volume adjust application 1000 is invoked (applet spawned). First, microphone and speaker resources are acquired (step 205), the current "voice" volume is saved (step 210), the initial "alarm" volume for speaker 1118 is set based on the saved "voice" volume (step 215) and a wave file or the default reminder sound is played (step 220). The sound starts playing at a relatively quiet volume and is sampled via microphone 1120 (step 230). As discussed in greater detail below, by using DSP resources available in the application 1000, an approximation of echo is evaluated based on the speaker output and microphone input signals.
To improve the estimate of "size" of the space, application 1000 may play a predefined sound file on the speaker 1118 in addition to or instead of using the reminder sound (white sampling the microphone input 1120), as indicated by stippled lines (step 225). When used in combination, the specialized sound interrupts the normal sound for brief intervals, optionally at a lower volume, to minimize noticeable disruption of the desired reminder sound.
The "size" of the space is estimated from the echo path characteristic between the speaker 1118 and microphone 1120. When the device is in a pocket, for example, the transfer function between the speaker and microphone differs from the transfer function between the speaker and microphone when the device is held or sitting on a desk for a particular implementation (e.g. dependent on such criteria as relative placement of the microphone and speaker, plastics, enclosure design, etc.) By characterizing the device in different situations, a profile can be determined when the device is in "free space" (low volume required) or in "closed space" (high volume required). Templates of the transfer function for the different situations may be captured and pre-stored in the device. Each such template has a volume policy associated with it. During operation, when the alarm is played, the transfer function is estimated by comparing the played-out reference signal to the measured echo signal (step 235). The measured transfer function is compared with the internal stored templates, the closest matching template is selected, and an increase or decrease in volume is applied to the sound through the speaker based on the volume policy associated with the selected template (step 240).
This sampling of acoustics and adjustment of volume is repeated at intervals (step 245) until the sound completes playing (step 250). The intervals may be short (e.g. tenths of seconds) or longer (e.g. seconds) depending on the capability of the device or the preference of the user.
Upon completion of the sound playing, the application 1000 restores the original volume setting on the device (step 255) based on the voice volume saved at step 210, releases microphone and speaker resources (step 260), and terminates (step 265).
An alternative approach to estimating the "size" of the space and selecting a corresponding volume policy may be based on the differences in the transfer function (such as differences in received echo signal power, differences in correlation between the reference signal and echo signal and other statistical parameters). For example, the alarm signal may be compared with the microphone signal to generate a transfer function. Based on knowledge of the behavior when tested In the different scenarios, certain trends in the transfer function may be noted.
In addition to the PDA application set forth herein, the principles of the present invention can be applied to cellular/wireless phones, laptop PCs, and any other suitable electronic device that has a speaker, a microphone and computing capability. Also, the principles of the invention can be applied to other features where automatic adjustment of playback volume is desirable (in changing acoustic conditions). For example, the method and apparatus of the invention can be applied to setting the audio volume of any audio signal on a mobile device, such as increasing or decreasing the ringer volume of a cellular phone to compensate for background noise (e.g. in a restaurant or on a busy street). Similarly, the method and apparatus of the invention may be applied to automatic adjustment of playback volume on an mp3 player.
The application 1000 may be implemented as an applet or other alternative mechanism for initiating automatic adjustment of volume.
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention that fall within the true sphere and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
Patent applications by Dieter Schulz, Dunrobin CA
Patent applications by Paul Andrew Erb, Ottawa CA
Patent applications in class With tuning
Patent applications in all subclasses With tuning


text:
just the tonic
THE long term future of hospital radio is extremely bright following a networking day in Clonmel.
The purpose of the event was to reaffirm the purpose behind hospital radio and to inform volunteers about the network and allow them to meet and to get to know each other and to acknowledge their commitment and service.
The meeting was chaired by Tom Noctor, of St Ita’s hospital radio in Dublin. He outlined the IHRN’s plans for the future, including training sessions for presenters, and a further conference on an annual basis.
Cork University Hospital radio station CUH FM which celebrate its 20th anniversary in January, was well represented by fourteen of the station’s volunteers, including its founder member Noel Welch, who is also a member of the Irish Hospital Radio Network and Tom Browne, of radio management at CUH.
Also present was Kieran Kissane, head of broadcasting at the BCI (Broadcasting Commission of Ireland) who was delighted with the representation at the networking day which was held in the Hotel Minella, in Clonmel Co. Tipperary. The event was hosted by South Tipperary General Hospital Radio and its founder John Savage.
Members were presented with bronze, silver and gold lapel pins signifying one to five years, five to ten years and fifteen and over years voluntary service to hospital radio.
The Irish Hospital Radio Network was founded in 2004 in conjunction with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland as a representative body for existing hospital stations and to promote and support the development of new stations.
The founder members were Beaumont Hospital Broadcasting Dublin, Cork University Hospital CUH FM, Mater Hospital Radio Dublin, Regional Hospital Radio Limerick, South Tipperary General Hospital Radio and St Ita’s Hospital Radio Dublin.
Check out the website at www.ihrn.ie


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For our nationally touring Jerry Garcia Band tribute, we wanted to recreate the “sounds” that were heard when one would go to see The Jerry Garcia Band. To do this we have invested time, sweat, money, patience and love into recreating the identical instrumentation and electronics that The Jerry Garcia Band performed with.
Kat Walkerson has performed with Melvin Seals (the keyboardist from The Jerry Garcia Band) many times. She has a soulful voice that captures the essence of the Jerry Garcia Band singers through all of the years. She sings all of the eras and feels the music like no one else. Her signing, enthusiasm and smile brings joy to all who come to listen!
Tribute to the Jerry Garcia Band. Mik’s guitars are identical to Jerry Garcia’s custom Tiger and Rosebud guitars, built by Doug Irwin. From the pickups to the unity gain buffer and on-board effects loop – not one thing has been skimped on to recreate that wonderful Jerry Garcia Tone.
The guitars are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to Jerry Garcia’s unique tone. The amps and effects are also a very important aspect of achieving the right sound. Mik had acquired a 1967 Fender Twin (blackface) from a friend about 15 years ago. Using some inside information on components and wiring that needed to be modified, Mik took the twin and made it as close to Jerry’s specifications as known. The twin is just used as a preamp, though. The real raw power (and additional tone) comes from the Mcintosh 2100 solid state power amp. Why use a 30+ year old power amp? Because nothing else on earth sounds like it. The Macintosh has been heavily modded as well.
Combine the preamp and power amp sections with a rectreation of the Wall of Sound speaker cabinets and authentic JBL e-120 speakers, and thats where the magic starts to happen! Mik plays the guitar in his own style, not copying Jerry note for note. This gives a new energy to the music and helps create a new magical journey for each song.
Mik’s main guitar is a custom made guitar made from a WARMOTH body and neck, Dimarzio Super II pickups, a WALDO preamp unity gain buffer, and an on board effects loop. He also plays a 1978 Ibanez Musician 300 series bought off the showroom floor at NAMM. It has been “Jerrified ” as well. Recently, Mik has been playing a PHRED INSTRUMENTS “Liger” guitar. Mik uses a custom set of DR TIGHT FIT strings, a new set every show.
Mik performed on October 11, 2014 at the Oneonta Theater with Tom Lieber’s (apprentice to Doug Irwin) 50th Anniversary Garcia Guitar! [Read more here]
Depending on the era, you will see and hear either a hammond b3 with leslie or electric pianos. So many variations in The Jerry Garcia band over the years make the keyboard slot in The Garcia Project a fun and exciting position.
The bass guitar, played by the late John Kahn, was just as important to the special sauce that was the sound of the Jerry Garcia Band. John Kahns bass playing style is a key part of recreating the Jerry Garcia Band experience. John Kahn played in every version of the original Jerry Garcia Band – both acoustic and electric. All of the bass players that perform with The Garcia Project appreciate John Kahn and have Kahn’s stlye down.
Dan uses custom modified Fender/Warmoth Precision basses to replicate the look and feel and tone of John Kahn’s stock and modified Fender Precisions from 1974 through 1981. Both also have bypassable modern electronics to replicate his Steinberger tone from 1986-1994 when the setlist calls for it, and they do a pretty good job of Phil’s various 80’s/90’s Modulus tones in a pinch as well.
His main black and white P-bass is “007”, a 2010 American Special Precision neck on an Alder Warmoth body with an extra-thin nitrocellulouse lacquer finish, a Gotoh 201 bridge, and EMG PAX and EMG35PCS bridge pickup, with EMG BTS system, finished black to hide the extra electronics.
The backup bass and for gigs where a little more warmth is needed is the “Disco Bass”, a 2012 Fender American Special Precision neck on a Swamp Ash Warmoth body with a tinted Tru Oil finish, a vintage Leo Quan Badass II bridge, with EMG PX and LJCSX pickups and an ACG EQ-02 preamp with high and low selectable-frequency shelving filters, with a custom bypass switch that enables the pure non-filtered tone when desired. The overall design is meant to look like a bass from the 70’s that was modified in the typical fashion of that era. Dan uses LaBella .45-.105 Deep Talkin’ flatwound strings on both Precision basses.
For late 80’s / early 90’s shows he uses a Steinberger Spirit all-maple headless bass modified with EMG SS pickups and EMG BTS system, Steinberger flatwound strings and a custom strap-hanger for the upper horn.
For early 80’s shows Dan is experimenting with a G&L L2000 Tribute series bass.
For upright bass work he uses a Palatino VE-550 Electric Upright bass.
Dan’s main stage amp is a vintage 70’s San-Francisco-made Alembic F2B preamp similar to the Dual Showman heads that Kahn used for his whole career, into a Crown XLS1000 power amp, Genz Benz NEOX 2×12” speaker cabs with a Radial JDI to feed the PA. For smaller gigs he uses a Genz-Benz Shuttle 9.0 head with just one of the NEOX cabs.
From jazz to jam and rock to roll, having a solid drummer that can keep one foot on the brakes and one foot on the gas is a very important part of creating the Jerry Garcia Band experience. Our drummers do just that – Keep time like a swiss watch and can turn any jam on a dime!


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A new law puts an end to threatening emails and text messages, targeting the younger population. The School cyber bullying law takes effect January 1, 2009.
Experts say cyber bullies prey on a teen's emotions, focusing on ways to harm them with words or pictures.
"I see a lot of people get threatening text messages all the time," student Lacey Lowry.
It's called cyber bullying and as the name implies, it's an update of the same kind of bullying that kids have dealt with on schoolyard for years, but with a high tech and dangerous twist.
Thanks to email, text messaging and social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook, almost anyone can say anything to almost anybody without ever having to confront them face-to-face.
"Many of my friends have experienced boyfriends sending threatening emails or posting pictures they don't like on their MySpace. It can be really offensive and hurt a lot of people," said student Brianna Murray.
Experts say that unlike the schoolyard version, cyber bulling prey harms the victim with harm them with words or pictures, before a high-tech audience.
"Worse case scenarios, we have folks attempting suicide, things like that and so what we find is that the wider range makes it much, much, worse. There's no way to get away from it. You can't walk away from the bully taunting you on the playground. You go home and it's on their Myspace or they've created a fake website or they're sending text messages around the school," said Marriage and Family Therapist Paul Mavrogeorge.
It's a problem that is growing. Over 40% of all teenagers with Internet access have been bullied on-line in the past year, and only ten percent told a parent.
And girls are much more likely to be the victims than boys, according to the National Crime Prevention Center.
The new law will allow schools to suspend or, in some cases, even expel those found guilty of cyber bullying.
"I think that's good idea. I really do because I know when it happens to me, I feel really bad. It doesn't make me feel good at all," said student Lacey Lowry.
According to the National Crime Prevention Center, 15% of parents really know what their kid's social networking habits are.
Cal Trans is closing roads and highways on May 19th. The closures are in effect from 8am- 4pm.Westbound State Route (SR) 168 connector ramp to westbound SR 180 Westbound (SR) 180 connector ramp to northboundMore >>
Cal Trans is closing roads and highways on May 19th. The closures are in effect from 8am- 4pm.More >>
A lottery official says 1 winning ticket has been sold in Florida for a record Powerball jackpot of more than $590 million. Terry Rich, a lottery official in Iowa, confirmed the ticket matching all sixMore >>
A lottery official says 1 winning ticket has been sold in Florida for a record Powerball jackpot of more than $590 million.More >>
Reedley High School teachers and students are in shock after a pack of five stray dogs mauled more than 70 animals. The attack took place at Reedley High's Farm, on the campus, around six Friday morning. ReedleyMore >>
Reedley high school teachers and students are in shock after a pack of five stray dogs mauled more than 70 animals.
The attack took place at Reedley High's Farm, on the campus, around six Friday morning.More >>
Fresno police are searching for a man who robbed a local fast-food restaurant over the weekend and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. The robbery took place at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday at the JackMore >>
Fresno police are searching for a man who robbed a local fast-food restaurant over the weekend and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.More >>

domain: news


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I can’t find any docs on how to author music in FMOD Studio. Where are they? Or how do I find out how to take my chopped up music tracks into FMOD Studio and arrange them into an adaptive music system?
You want the Authoring Events chapter of the FMOD Studio User Guide. FMOD Studio draws no distinction between music and sound effects. All the tools you’d use to design adaptive sound effects can be brought to bear when designing adaptive music, and vice versa.
The “examples.fspro” project that comes with FMOD Studio demonstrates a few popular ways of building adaptive music: The “music/Level 01” and “music/Level 03” events both use logic markers in order to control which parts of synchronous instruments are overlapped by the timeline playback position, the “music/Level 02” event uses automation to adjust the audibility of multiple simultaneous synchronous stems, and the “music/Radio Station” event uses a parameter to control which of several different asynchronous instruments plays. These are many other ways to create adaptive music, however; it’s possible, for example, to create a multi instrument containing other nested multi instruments that plays through a sequence of other multi instruments, selecting and playing one random file from each nested multi instrument’s playlist in the sequence.
Thank you! I also found Sally’s video tutorials on adaptive music.


text:
Scott Pilgrim is a film adaptation of the critically acclaimed, award-winning series of graphic novels of the same name by Canadian cartoonist Bryan Lee O’Malley. Scott Pilgrim is a 23 year old Canadian slacker and wannabe rockstar who falls in love with an American delivery girl, Ramona V. Flowers, and must defeat her seven “evil exes” to be able to date her.
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Battle-scarred and disillusioned by the war, Corporal Chris Merrimette is put in charge of a unit whose next mission is to resupply a remote outpost on the edge of Taliban-controlled territory. While driving through the hostile Helmand province, a Navy SEAL flags down their convoy and enlists the unit on an operation of international importance: they must help an Afghan woman famous for her defiance of the Taliban escape the country. Without tanks or air support, Merrimette and his team will need all the courage and firepower they can muster to fight their way across the war-torn country and shepherd the woman to safety.
Intrepid teenage private eye Nancy Drew heads to Tinseltown with her father to investigate the unsolved murder of a movie star in this old-fashioned whodunit based on Carolyn Keene’s popular series of books for young adults. But can the small-town girl cut through the Hollywood hype to solve the case?
When time travel allows a past wrong to be righted for The Flash and his family, the ripples of the event prove disastrous as a fractured, alternate reality now exists where a Justice League never formed, and even Superman is nowhere to be found. Teaming with a grittier, more violent Dark Knight and Cyborg, Flash races to restore the continuity of his original timeline while this new world is ravaged by a fierce war between Wonder Woman’s Amazons and Aquaman’s Atlanteans.

domain: artistic


text:
In Encore’s case it was the extreme sport of wingsuit flying…can you spot the influences?
Encore, whose goal is to provide innovative seating and table options for today’s work environments, has recently expanded their product offerings with the introduction of the Faction collection.
The Faction collection is a full family of seating products comprised of executive, conference and task chairs along with a complete offering of guest and multi-use chairs that provide stack, nesting and mobile capabilities. This comprehensive program allows Faction to address nearly every seating need in the office environment. A singular design language can be deployed throughout multiple spaces – from the executive level all the way to multi-purpose rooms. Not only does this facilitate specifying for these areas, it also creates a common visual thread, unifying the surroundings.
There was a strong desire to minimize the complexity of each model, not only in the simple self-weighing mechanism on the swivel chairs, but also with the thinly sculpted suspension back and tailored upholstery details. The guest/multi-use chairs also reflect this design intent with a beautifully sculpted poly back or upholstered back version.
Where do you think our readers would be most interested in specifying this product line in their upcoming workplace projects?
There are some design innovations that are particularly well suited for today’s more modern workspaces. Given the push to provide better ergonomic seating and to minimize the complexity of making individual adjustments, especially as more workspace is shared among people of all sizes and shapes, we think these features would be of key interest.
The self-weighing tilt mechanism featured on the executive and conference swivel chairs automatically regulates tension based on individual body-type, eliminating the need for manual adjustments. Imagine going to a chair in a conferencing environment and the tension is always perfectly set for you. . .no adjustment needed! Multi-use nesting chairs were also created with ease of use in mind, allowing for quick reconfigurability based on the needs of a space at any given time. On casters, it’s light and mobile and offers the ability to nest or stack for space-saving convenience.
Tell us a little about the design team.
Faction was designed by David Ritch and Mark Saffell of 5d Studio. They bring years of award-winning furniture design expertise to Encore with this product introduction.
David Ritch and Mark Saffell have worked together for many years and have garnered multiple product design awards, including multiple Best of NeoCon awards and the coveted IDSA Design of the Decade award, and most recently achieving Gold in the 2018 International Design Excellence (IDEA) awards. Their work has also been exhibited at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Pasadena Museum of California Design.
What was the inspiration for the line?
The design was inspired by the full body suits employed in the extreme sport of wingsuit flying. The designers took their cues from how the continuous form of the body suit envelops the body and arms and is paralleled in the chair’s design elements – where the arm and back are seamlessly presented as one dynamic shape.
What do you think our readers will love about the product?
In addition to the cohesive look across all models and the multipurpose capabilities, the design is what really makes Faction a standout. The back and arms are united in a simple curvilinear form that blends the two together seamlessly, creating a sinuous line that gives the chair its visual signature. This form also creates ergonomic comfort via the arm’s integration into the back, creating a perfect cradle for the elbow and arm. All models are also offered with a lifetime warranty, speaking to the quality and durability for which Encore is recognized.
What is the price range of the Faction collection?
There is a fairly large range due to the scope of the product collection, but guest chairs start at between $450 and $500 and executive/conference seating begins at just over $1,000. Executive, conference, and task models are available now and guest models are slated to be available in early Spring 2020. Our expansive textile program can be accessed here.
Where can our readers see the Faction collection?
We currently have the line on display at our permanent showroom at theMart (space 336) in Chicago. We will be featuring it at this year’s NeoCon and presenting it at other regional shows (TBD) later this year.
Interested in finding out more details about Faction? Find a rep here.
Follow Encore on social media:
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

domain: design


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Michelle Bachelet has been on the job as the new head of the United Nations composite gender entity, U.N. Women, for less than a week. But, already, some things have been made abundantly clear to the former president of Chile, who used to hold an 80 percent approval rating in her leadership position.
“Women are almost invisible in some places,” Bachelet said during a press briefing at the U.N. headquarters Sept. 21. “They are second-class citizens. They are seen as people without rights. It is a shame for humanity.”
Bachelet said she is now working out how U.N. Women, which will officially commence operations on Jan. 1, 2011, can best tackle the problems of gender-based violence, climate change, pay inequality, education, political participation and health that affect girls and women globally.
It’s a huge goal that, Bachelet recognized, will take some time to reach – not in the next four or five years.
U.N. Women, with a starting annual budget of USD500 million that is estimated to increase to USD1 billion within the next five years, will merge the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women, and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women.
In Bachelet’s first moments as leader of the much-anticipated agency, she appeared confident and at ease but also “very realistic” and “completely aware of the challenges for U.N. Women,” she said.
She touched on the issue of impunity against U.N. peacekeepers who commit rape and sexual assault as well as the recent incident in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 500 women were gang-raped by rebel groups within miles of a U.N. peacekeeper base.
But U.N. Women’s agenda will be broader than gender-based violence, expanding to health and employment disparities, which Bachelet labelled as one of the biggest problems in the world today.
U.N. Women will help assuage traditional problems of inadequate funding for and fragmentation of women’s issues, Bachelet said. She explained that civil society organizations will have a crucial role in the organization’s implementation, but she declined to specify how that would materialize.
The next few months will focus on hammering out the minutiae of U.N. Women’s strategy and developing its programming to ensure the strongest possible impact.
“It sends a huge signal to countries that women are at the center of the agenda,” Bachelet said. “We are not anywhere near where we need to be, and if we stay on the track we are on, we will not meet the goals.”


Ongoing conflicts and terrorism have increased the focus on defense systems for low-intensity conflicts, homeland security and cyber warfare – areas in which Elbit Systems is firmly established. Continue reading
Toward the end of April, French President Emmanuel Macron made a three-day state visit to the United States to meet with his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, to discuss in particular the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal. The French president, who enjoys a productive relationship with President Trump, sought to urge his American counterpart to remain in the deal. Continue reading
With the original group of Dolphin-class submarines designed to have a hull life of 30 years and a design initiation-to-commissioning cycle of at least 10-15 years, attention turned to designing replacements for the first three submarines in 2015. At first, Israeli ambitions seemed somewhat excessive, with references to “an entirely different submarine from the Dolphin or the Dolphin AIP.” Reality appears to have set in, however, with attention now focused on an upgraded version of the Flight II Dolphin class that includes “some room for growth, with new materials, better sonar … but pretty much the same design.” Continue reading
Featuring Forecast International analysts Doug Royce, Derek Bisaccio and Daniel Darling. Edited by Matthew Beres.
Welcome to the third episode of the Forecast Roundtable podcast. Each podcast features several analysts discussing various aerospace and defense-related issues.
This week Doug Royce continues the interviews of Derek Bisaccio and Daniel Darling regarding Middle East defense cooperation and military acquisition. Matthew Beres edited.
Click the button below to download the podcast.
02:25 – How does Israel feel about the defense buildup that’s happening in the GCC?
04:27 – F-35 comments
04:32 – Israel and Turkey’s Relationship
10:22 – Defense trade between the Arab world and China. Will China be a future competitor for the U.S. and European companies?
12:05 – Will the future see greater reliance on China as an arms supplier to GCC countries?
The announcement that Germany would pursue the lease of Heron TP (Eitan) unmanned air vehicles for an interim medium-altitude, long-endurance requirement could mean good things for Israeli sensor manufacturers. On January 12, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen announced that the country would pursue Israel Aerospace Industries’ UAV over the rival MQ-9 Reaper offered by General Atomics. So, Germany not only selected an Israeli aircraft over an American one; it is also likely to go with an Israeli electro-optical/infrared system and radar. Continue reading
By Derek Bisaccio, Forecast International.
Ever since coming to office, United States President Barack Obama has maintained a “dual track policy of engagement and pressure”[i] toward Iran in the hopes of pressuring Iran through sanctions to come to the negotiating table over its nuclear ambitions. On July 14, the P5+1 – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus Germany – reached a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran over the latter’s nuclear program. In the weeks since the July 14 announcement, President Obama has worked to reassure skeptics that the deal the negotiators reached is sufficient to stop Iran from having the ability to develop a bomb. Continue reading
Despite all the talk about commercial unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) market remains dominated by military customers. Although overall production is falling, the value of this market continues to grow.
The UAS market has seen a remarkable transformation over the last 12 years. This radical change occurred in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent global war on terror launched by the United States and its allies.


Plan to Attend Job Fair and Veterans’ Stand Down in Bladen County
By Charlotte Smith
Leon Grimes, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist and Local Veterans Employment Representative with the North Carolina Department of Commerce/Division of Workforce Solutions, announced an upcoming Job Fair and Veterans’ Stand Down in Bladen County.
Grimes said, “I am a member of a planning committee that includes the Town of Elizabethtown, the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bladen County Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Post, the Bladen County Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post, the Bladen County American Legion Post, and others. We would like to invite the public to attend an extensive Job Fair/Veterans’ Stand Down.”
The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, 2023, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at the Elizabethtown Baptist Church’s gymnasium.
Folding tables with two chairs will be provided in the gymnasium for each employer, organization, agency, and vendor to enable interaction with the public and hand out applications, brochures, flyers, business cards, and swag.
Grimes explained, “Because of the impact of COVID, it is difficult to gauge exactly how large the crowd will be, but four or five years ago (pre-COVID), a similar event was held at the same location, and over 400 people attended. We are hoping for 400 members of the public to filter through between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.”
Anyone interested in participating as a vendor at the event, please call Leon Grimes at (919) 621-8053 or email him at Grimes at email@example.com with contact information. There is no cost to be a vendor at the event, and there will be no cost to the public for attending the occasion.
Elizabethtown Baptist Church is located at 1800 W Broad Street in Elizabethtown, NC.


As published in The Kerryman 09-11-16
As I write this I don’t know who has won the US presidency. At one point Hillary Clinton was heading for a landslide. But the FBI revealing further investigations into her email history has brought Donald Trump back into the race. I’d thought a Trump victory as unlikely as the UK voting to leave the EU.
I’m amazed to find myself in a reality where Donald Trump is within a few points of becoming the most powerful man on Earth. The Americans are inclined towards hyperbole. Land of free, land of hope and all that jazz. But the President of the United States is both leader of this world’s richest nation and Commander in Chief of the most powerful military to have ever existed.
Even in Kerry, three thousand miles away, who leads America matters. Fortunately, for most of the time, the choice between candidates isn’t all that dramatic. Their ideologies, policies and aims tend to be at least mutually intelligible. Often the contest can come down to personality, incumbency or which party is due a win. Even when America chose to elect a black man, they didn’t elect a radical pledged to right the historical wrongs done to black people by America. Obama’s main concern was to tend to an ailing economy and find some way to make health care more available.
If either of his opponents had won, America would be little different from what it is now. It might’ve been a little richer or poorer, might be a lot less fair to the poor and might have a slightly different foreign policy. But it would be recognisably America. But Obama’s greatest achievement was to be so charismatic that the American presidency seems to demand a gravitas and a seriousness that few can emulate.
Fortunately, Hillary Clinton doesn’t try to be Obama. She tries to be serious in her own way. A seriousness based on a lifetime of public service. She has become incredibly wealthy, has a trail of scandals following her that would’ve ended most political careers and is generally disliked and mistrusted by Americans. Against almost any other opponent she’d be facing annihilation at the polls. I dislike her immensely but I would vote for her and I would dedicate my every waking hour to ensuring she won.
I would do all I could to help her because she faces not just another Republican politician. She faces a billionaire buffoon who delights in speaking and pandering to the worst elements of the American psyche.
The greatest con played on the American people, by the American people, was that they assumed the election of Obama healed the wounds of slavery and marginalisation. Worse, it allowed many white people, afflicted by unemployment and loss of privilege, to believe they’ve lost out to people of colour. The white poor have genuine grievances about their economic insecurity but in Trump they have an advocate who seeks to exploit their plight, not heal it.
Even if he could produce some rational policies and a cohesive vision, I’d vote for Hillary. In America, there are only two choices. Even if Hillary was discovered to have robbed a bank at gunpoint I would vote for her. If she was to spout wings, grow a tail and spew fire from her nostrils it’s still difficult to imagine her presidency being anything but straightforward and boring. It’s impossible to anticipate a Trump presidency being anything other than a calamity.


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From now until the end of September I am giving away FIVE free underwater photography prints (a $100 value) with every purchase of an art print, original or photography print from my online store. Each print will come with its own mat and will be ready for framing.
We are running this special to help fund my next marine research and reference photography trip to the Florida Keys. The photographs taken during this trip will feed ideas for future paintings that will be available right here on my art blog!
Thanks for your support!


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I mentioned the new issue of Quarterly Conversation a couple weeks back in relation to the long piece I have in there about Antonio Lobo Antunes, but never got around to making a post about all the other great stuff in this issue . . . So, here’s a list of excellent articles that are definitely worth checking out:
Petterson is one of those special international authors who has “broken through” over the past few years, thanks in large part to Graywolf and their success with Out Stealing Horses.
I love B. S. Johnson, and have put off reading The Unfortunates for a while, just so I have one final Johnson book to read on some day when I’m snowed in my apartment . . . which, this being Rochester and all, might happen next Monday.
Edward is a great translator (check out his Chateaureynaud collection), excellent (and wide) reader, great “guest blogger,” and all around fantastic person. Edward also has a translation From D’Outre-Belgique by Yves Wellens in this issue.
Here’s what QC has to say about this (a description that totally sold me):
Providence (2009) is Juan Francisco Ferré’s most ambitious novel, his longest and more complex fictional work to date. Written during one of his stays at Brown University, Providence, as much as Ferré’s previous books, is a deeply erotic, abrasively satirical, gargantuan fiction dealing with both contemporary American culture and Spanish literary tradition. But rather than focusing on cultural differences, Ferré investigates the common literary roots of the new global culture, producing a true “transatlantic” fiction—in some sense. Providence could be considered as much a Spanish novel about America as an American novel written in Spanish.
As always, there are a ton of great reviews in this issue, including Dan Green on Harold Bloom’s The Anatomy of Influence; Christiane Craig on Laszlo Krasznahorkai and Max Neumann’s AnimalInside; Hugo Browne-Anderson on Cesar Aira’s The Seamstress and the Wind; and David Auerbach on Mihail Sebastian’s The Accident; among others.
Definitely worth spending some time with this issue . . .
A man’s country may be cramped or vast according to the size of
his heart. I’ve never found my country too small, though that isn’t
to say my heart is great. And if I could choose it’s here. . .
The recent reissuing of several of Stig Dagerman’s novels by University of Minnesota Press has rekindled interest in his works, which have until now been little-known outside Sweden. Just twenty-four when he wrote A Burnt Child (here newly translated by. . .
Paul Klee’s Boat, Anzhelina Polonskaya’s newest bilingual collection of poems available in English, is an emotional journey through the bleakest seasons of the human soul, translated with great nuance by Andrew Wachtel. A former professional ice dancer(!), Polonskaya left the. . .
In Seiobo There Below, Lázló Krasznahorkai is able to succeed at a task at which many writers fail: to dedicate an entire novel to a single message, to express an idea over and over again without falling into repetition or. . .
There are curious similarities in three Italian mystery series, written by Maurizio de Giovanni, Andrea Camilleri, and Donna Leon.1
They’re all police procedurals, and all set in Italy: Naples, Sicily, Venice.
The three protagonists are Commissarios: Luigi Ricciardi, Salvo. . .
Poetry always has the feel of mysticism and mystery, or maybe this feeling is a stereotype left over from high school literature class. It is generally the result of confusion, lack of time committed to consuming the poetry, and the. . .
Our Lady of the Flowers, Echoic is not only a translation, but a transformation. It is a translation of Jean Genet’s novel Notre Dame des Fleurs, transmuted from prose to poetry. Originally written in prison as a masturbatory aid (Sartre. . .
Equal parts stoner pulp thriller and psycho-physiological horror story, a pervasive sense of dread mixes with a cloud of weed smoke to seep into every line of the disturbing, complex Under This Terrible Sun. Originally published by illustrious Spanish publishers. . .
From the start, Daniel Canty’s Wigrum, published by Canadian press Talonbooks, is obviously a novel of form. Known also as a graphic designer in Quebec, Canty takes those skills and puts them towards this “novel of inventory” and creates a. . .
Throughout his career—in fact from his very first book, Where the Jackals Howl (1965)—the renowned Israeli writer Amos Oz has set much of his fiction on the kibbutz, collective communities he portrays as bastions of social cohesion and stultifying conformity. . .


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Reprinted from Paul Craig Roberts Website
Most people who are aware and capable of thought have given up on what is called the "mainstream media." The presstitutes have destroyed their credibility by helping Washington to lie -- "Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction," "Iranian nukes," "Assad's use of chemical weapons," "Russian invasion of Ukraine," and so forth.
The "mainstream media" has also destroyed its credibility by its complete acceptance of whatever government authorities say about alleged "terrorist events," such as 9/11 and Boston Marathon Bombing, or alleged mass shootings such as Sandy Hook and San Bernardino. Despite glaring inconsistencies, contradictions, and security failures that seem too unlikely to be believable, the "mainstream media" never asks questions or investigates. It merely reports as fact whatever authorities say.
The sign of a totalitarian or authoritarian state is a media that feels no responsibility to investigate and to find the truth, accepting the role of propagandist instead. The entire Western media has been in the propaganda mode for a long time. In the US the transformation of journalists into propagandists was completed with the concentration of a diverse and independent media in six mega-corporations that are no longer run by journalists.
As a consequence, thoughtful and aware people increasingly rely on alternative media that does question, marshall facts, and offers analysis in place of an unbelievable official story line.
The prime example is 9/11. Large numbers of experts have destroyed the official story that has no factual evidence in its behalf. However, even without the hard evidence that 9/11 truthers have provided, the official story gives itself away. We are supposed to believe that a few Saudi Arabians with no technology beyond box cutters and no support from any government's intelligence service were able to outwit the massive surveillance technology created by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and NSA (National Security Agency) and deal the most humiliating blow to a superpower ever delivered in human history. Moreover, they were able to do this without the President of the United States, the US Congress, and the "mainstream media" demanding accountability for such a total failure of the high-tech national security state. Instead of a White House-led investigation of such a massive security failure, the White House resisted for more than one year any investigation whatsoever until finally giving in to demands from 9/11 families that could not be bought off and agreeing to a 9/11 Commission.
The Commission did not investigate but merely sat and wrote down the story told to it by the government. Afterwards, the Commission's chairman, co-chairman, and legal counsel wrote books in which they said that information was withheld from the Commission, that the Commission was lied to by officials of the government, and that the Commission "was set up to fail." Despite all of this, the presstitutes still repeat the official propaganda, and there remain enough gullible Americans to prevent accountability.
Competent historians know that false flag events are used to bring to fruition agendas that cannot otherwise be achieved. 9/11 gave the neoconservatives, who controlled the George W. Bush administration, the New Pearl Harbor that they said was necessary in order to launch their hegemonic military invasions of Muslim countries. The Boston Marathon Bombing permitted a trial run of the American Police State, complete with shutting down a large American city, putting 10,000 armed troops and SWAT teams on the streets where the troops conducted house-to-house searches forcing the residents out of their homes at gunpoint. This unprecedented operation was justified as necessary in order to locate one wounded 19-year-old man, who clearly was a patsy.
There are so many anomalies in the Sandy Hook story that it has generated a cottage industry of skeptics. I agree that there are anomalies, but I don't have the time to study the issue and come to my own conclusion. What I have noticed is that we are not given many good explanations of the anomalies. For example, in this video made from the TV news coverage, the video's creator makes a case that the person who is the grieving father who lost his son is the same person outfitted in SWAT clothes at Sandy Hook following the shooting. The person is identified as a known actor.
Now, it seems to me that this is easy to test. The grieving father is known, the actor is known, and the authorities have to know who the SWAT team member is. If these three people, who can pass for one another, can be assembled in one room at the same time, we can dismiss the expose claimed in this one video. However, if three separate people cannot be produced together, then we must ask why this deception, which raises questions about the entire story. You can watch the entire video or just skip to the 9:30 mark and observe what appears to be the same person in two different roles.
The "mainstream media" has the ability to make these simple investigations, but does not. Instead, the "mainstream media" calls skeptics "conspiracy theorists."
There is a book by Professor Jim Fetzer and Mike Palecek that says Sandy Hook was a FEMA drill to promote gun control and that no one died at Sandy Hook. The book was available on amazon.com but was suddenly banned. Why ban a book?
Here is a free download of the book. I have not read the book and have no opinion. I do know, however, that the police state that America is becoming certainly has a powerful interest in disarming the public. I also heard today a news report that people said to be parents of the dead children are bringing a lawsuit against the gun manufacturer, which is consistent with Fetzer's claim.
Here is a Buzzsaw interview with Jim Fetzer. If the information Fetzer provides is correct, clearly the US government has an authoritarian agenda and is using orchestrated events to create a false reality for Americans in order to achieve the agenda.
It seems to me that Fetzer's facts can be easily checked. If his facts check out, then a real investigation is required. If his facts do not check out, the official story gains credibility as Fetzer is one of the most energetic skeptics. Watch his exhaustive investigation below...
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).


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The Ramazzini Study confirmed the results of the NTP Study, using a larger number of test animals, and testing far field (cell tower) rather than near field (cell phone) EMF radiation exposure.
Ramazzini Study on Radiofrequency Cell Phone Radiation: The World’s Largest Animal Study on Cell Tower Radiation Confirms Cancer Link
The Ramazzini study exposed 2448 Sprague-Dawley rats from prenatal life until their natural death to “environmental” cell tower radiation for 19 hours per day (1.8 GHz GSM radiofrequency radiation (RFR) of 5, 25 and 50 V/m). RI exposures mimicked base station emissions like those from cell tower antennas, and exposure levels were far less than those used in the NTP studies of cell phone radiation.
“All of the exposures used in the Ramazzini study were below the US FCC limits. These are permissible exposures according the FCC. In other words, a person can legally be exposed to this level of radiation. Yet cancers occurred in these animals at these legally permitted levels. The Ramazzini findings are consistent with the NTP study demonstrating these effects are a reproducible finding,” explained Ronald Melnick PhD, formerly the Senior NIH toxicologist who led the design of the NTP study on cell phone radiation now a Senior Science Advisor to Environmental Health Trust (EHT). “Governments need to strengthen regulations to protect the public from these harmful non-thermal exposures.”
“This study raises concerns that simply living close to a cell tower will pose threats to human health. Governments need to take measures to reduce exposures from cell tower emissions. Cell towers should not be near schools, hospitals or people’s homes. Public health agencies need to educate the public on how to reduce exposure from all sources of wireless radiofrequency radiation—be it from cell towers or cell phones or Wi-Fi in schools,” stated David O. Carpenter MD, former Dean of the School of Public Health at the University at Albany. “This is particularly urgent because of current plans to place small 5G cell towers about every 300 meters in every street across the country. These 5G ‘small cell’ antennas will result in continuous exposure to everyone living nearby and everyone walking down the street. The increased exposures will increase risk of cancer and other diseases such as electro-hypersensitivity.”
One page Comparison of the Ramazzini Institute Study and the US National Toxicology Program Study


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EXHIBITION | E-WORLD ESSEN
THEMES | "Energize your City“ & "Let's create a better tomorrow"
Concept development, design and construction of the exhibition stand
The new E.ON sees itself as a service provider with a focus on people. In a dynamic market undergoing massive structural change, E.ON considers itself a “connecting element” and a pioneer of the localized energy world in Europe.
First came the idea: “PLAZA” – the central square and meeting place. Squares like this have classically been the place for town business – interpreted here with a modern twist. The aim was for this to function as a “landmark” and central point, and to link up the various market participants in relation to E.ON with its “LED roots”.
The “treetop” made reference to the fast charging stations currently in planning and soon to be distributed across the country. The innovative use of graphic architecture, atmospheric and informative media technology and “feel-good” materials created the feeling of being “at home”.
Particularly sustainable was the use of modular elements that can be reused. Recycled or certified materials were favoured throughout. With “Arktik”, the digital footprint was calculated and offset with a donation to a Gold Standard Project.
This gave rise to a harmonious, grounded and yet pioneering ambiance in keeping with the two guiding principles: “Energize your City” and “Let’s create a better tomorrow”.
Do you want to learn more about the project?


text: Hi guys and gals. I'm attempting to make some plum wine. It seems to be doing quite well so far but after sitting back and reading a lot of posts, I have learned that once you have racked to secondary then you need very little head room. I only have about 2 1/2 gallons in a 6 1/2 gallon carboy. It has been like this for about 1 1/2 months. Have I ruined the wine from oxidation? I have some one gallon jugs now but am unsure if I need to proceed or start over. If I need to continue what do I add after transferring to one gallon jugs? K-meta? Sorbate? Do I degas before or after moving to gallon jugs? I hope I haven't messed it up.

domain: hobby


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Govt approves 2% cap on rent hikes in rent pressure zones
The Government has approved a 2% cap on rent increases in rent pressure zones (RPZs).
A RPZ is a designated area where rents cannot be increased by more than general inflation and applies to new and existing tenancies unless an exemption is being applied.
The Residential Tenancies Board said RPZs are located in parts of the country where rents are highest and rising, and where households have the greatest difficulty finding affordable accommodation.
The new annual cap will only operate when general inflation is higher than 2%.
The Government said the measure will “result in far lower rent increases for tenants”.
The previous cap of 4% on annual rent increases was replaced on 16 July 2021, with rent increases in RPZs currently prohibited from exceeding general inflation as recorded in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP).
The Government said this was to bring about far lower rent increases for the estimated 74% of all tenancies which are in RPZs.
The HICP averaged 0.73% over the three years to July 2021, but the Government said there has been an “unexpected rise” in HICP inflation.
The new rent increase cap of 2% per annum will apply under this Bill when the HICP inflation rate is higher.
The Minister for Housing said the measure “respects the constitutionally protected property rights of landlords” and aims to safeguard “continued investment in the sector by existing and new landlords to deliver the requisite supply of high-quality rental accommodation”.
“In addition to significantly reducing the level of rent increases in RPZs, the Bill will also address long-term security of tenure by introducing tenancies of indefinite duration. This was a key commitment in Housing for All, our new housing Plan for Ireland,” Darragh O’Brien said.
“This Government is fully committed to improving the situation for renters in Ireland and we are making strides in this regard,” he added.
Key provisions of the measure are to form part of the Residential Tenancies Bill to be published this month, with the cap to apply immediately from enactment.
Earlier, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson said the party will not oppose plans to cap rent at 2% or to inflation if it is lower.
However, Eoin Ó Broin warned that the plan will not work and said it is another example of a minister who is out of touch and ideas.
He said there are many loopholes in the legislation and it is too hard to police.
Mr Ó Broin called for the entire State to be subject to rent regulations.
He said Sinn Féin wants to create a refundable tax credit that would “put a full months rent back into the pocket of every renter for three years”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said the Government has failed to significantly increase direct State investment in the delivery of good quality rental accommodation in the budget.
He said there was a need to dramatically increase the supply of affordable rental stock.
Mr Ó Broin said around 23,000 rental properties in the market have been lost since 2017 and a plan needs to be put in place to stop this.