Our Waterproof Sports Bluetooth Speaker is perfect for placing near the field or court. Also great to use in your shower or in the locker rooms. Keep your phone dry and still listen to all your favorite songs. Silicone construction makes our speaker durable and drop resistant. Colours: Customised. Materials: Silicone.
A portable Bluetooth speaker that includes 3 inch AAA batteries. The compact size makes the Whammo Bluetooth speaker the perfect portable speaker. Bluetooth working range is 10 meters (33 feet). Media device not included. No small text or small taglines, only bold and solid large font logos. Colours: Black,Blue,Red,White. Sizes: 70mm(w) x 70mm(h) x 44mm(d). Packaging: Individually gift boxed. Materials: ABS Plastic. Decoration Area: On Speaker Grill - Max Dec Area: 38 (Dia) / On Front Panel opposite power switch 25mm (H) x 38mm (W)
Earbud set in round pocket sized plastic carry case. Fits most phones and media players. 1.2m lead with 3.5mm audio jack. Case and earbud housing are matching colours. Colours Available: White, Red, Blue, Black, Green. Materials: ABS buds, PP case. Item Size: Case - 55mmDia x 20mmH, Cable Length - 1200mmL.
Hyper immersive sound designed to enhance the audible experience. Bluetooth over ear headphones with luxury, adjustable cushioning head band and ear pieces. Foldable for easy portability. Hands free phone call function with built in microphone. Listen to music wirelessly for up to 10metres. Supplied in zippered EVA case. Battery Type: Rechargeable 400mAh Lithium-ion. Frequency Response: 20Hz 20kHz. Charge Time: 1-2 hours. Standby Time: 5-6 hours. Colours Available: White, Black. Materials: ABS outer shell. Item Size: Headphones: 195 x 175 x 80mm (LxHxD), Earpiece - 80mmDia, EVA Case: 195 x 90 x 135mm (LxHxD).
Smart set of headphones with a standard 3.5mm stereo jack and a drawstring carry bag. They deliver crisp, clear sound and are very comfortable to wear with fully padded ear pieces. The head band is fully adjustable so one size fits all. Colours: White, Yellow, Orange, Red, Bright Green, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Black. Dimensions: H 170mm x W 143mm x 32mm (flat packed excluding audio cables). Branding Options: Pad Print -Ear piece - 40mm circle (one colour). Packaging: Carry bag.
Fully padded Bluetooth headphones which produce crystal-clear sound and are compatible with mobile devices that support Bluetooth. They have a continuous playing time of six to eight hours and have a built-in microphone which allows the user to answer incoming phone calls. The volume and track are able to be changed directly from the headphones and they can be recharged from any USB port or a mains adapter. Opus is nicely presented in an elegant carry case with a Micro-B USB cable and an instruction leaflet. Colours: Black. Dimensions: Headphones: H 165mm x W 135mm x 30mm. Branding Options: Pad Print -Both Earpieces - 45mm circle. Packaging: Individual Carry Case.
92mm Hi-Fi aluminium Bluetooth / cable connect speaker and hands free function. Clear sound. A2DP Bluetooth. Wireless connection to your smartphone, tablet or Bluetooth device with the option to plug in included 3.5 audio jack into the speaker. Easy charging with included USB cable. Enjoy music up to 8 hours and wirelessly up to 10 metres. Instructions printed on box. Features Micro SD card reader. Colours Available: Silver, Black. Materials: Aluminium body and steel grill. Item Size: Speaker: 92mmDia x 48mmH. Box: 94mmL x 94mmH x 66mmD.
Description: Collapsible Pod speaker with surprisingly big sound. Features: Collapsibleexpanable pod speaker with surprisingly big sound. Perfect for use with your laptop, iPod, iPhone or other audio device. Built-in USB rechargeable battery. Cable included. Materials: Plastic. Size: 55 x 60mm.
Use with any standard audio device. Includes three interchangeable soft rubber earbud covers. Plastic case with cable storage. Standard 3.5mm audio jack, 38-inch earbud cable. Media device not included. Colours: Black,Lime Green,Red,Royal Blue,White,Yellow. Sizes: 70mm(w) x 70mm(h) x 19mm(d). Packaging: Bulk Packed. Materials: Plastic. Max Dec Area: 38mm (H) x 38mm (W)
Premium set of earbuds which are presented in a smart carry case with a choice of three different bud sizes to ensure a comfortable fit. Branding is on the carry case. Colours: White, Black. Dimensions: Gift box: L 68mm x W 68mm x 18mm. Branding Options: Pad Print-Gift Box - 45mm x 45mm. Packaging: Gift box.
Spring-loaded retractable earbuds that roll up into one tidy unit when not in use. Colours: White, Black. Dimensions: L 120mm x W 30mm x 13mm. Branding Options: Pad Print-25mm circle. Packaging: Loose packed.
Stylish Bluetooth speaker which offers high definition stereo sound and is compatible with all mobile devices that support Bluetooth. It has a wireless connectivity range of over 10 metres and can also be used with an audio cable. Playing time is 3-4 hours and it is easily recharged from a laptop, a power bank or a USB mains adapter. It has a microphone for phone calls and music playback can be controlled directly from the speaker. Polaris is presented in a gift box with a Micro-B USB cable, an audio cable and an instruction leaflet. The blue and black speakers engrave to a shiny steel finish and the silver speaker engraves to a natural etch. Colours: Matt Silver, Matt Blue, Matt Black. Dimensions: Speaker: Dia 57mm x H 57mm. Branding Options: Pad Print-Speaker - 35mm x 25mm. Packaging: Individual Gift Box.
Smart Bluetooth speaker with a compelling futuristic design which produces dynamic stereo sound and is compatible with all mobile devices that support Bluetooth. It has a wireless connectivity range of over 10 metres and can also be used with an audio cable. Playing time is 4-5 hours and it is easily recharged from a laptop, a power bank or a USB mains adapter. Halo is presented in a magnetic closure gift box with a Micro-B USB cable, an audio cable and the instruction leaflet. Colours: White. Dimensions: Speaker: Dia 59mm x H 84mm. Branding Options: Pad Print-Speaker - 25mm x 35mm or 20mm x 60mm (vertical). Packaging: Gift box.
Compact Bluetooth speaker which produces crystal-clear sound reproduction and really packs a punch for its size. It has a mini sub-woofer to enhance base reproduction and a metal front screen that can be branded in spot colour or stunning full colour. Genisys is compatible with all mobile devices that support Bluetooth and has a wireless connectivity range of approximately 10 metres. It can also be used with an audio cable and has a playing time of 4-5 hours with easy recharging from a laptop, a power bank or a USB mains adapter. Music playback can be controlled directly from the speaker and it has a microphone for phone calls. It is presented in a gift box with a Micro-B USB cable, an audio cable and an instruction leaflet. Colours: Black. Dimensions: L 108mm x H 54mm x 33mm. Branding Options: Pad Print-30mm x 25mm. Packaging: Individual Gift Box.
Premium Bluetooth headphones that are designed for superior comfort and produce crystal-clear sound reproduction. They are compatible with mobile devices that support Bluetooth and have a continuous playing time of approximately 16 hours. The headphones have a built-in microphone that allows the user to receive and make phone calls. Cyberdyne supports A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth profiles which allows them to control functions on compatible devices such as changing the track, adjusting the volume, accepting incoming calls and even taking selfie photos. They can be recharged from any USB port or a mains adapter and are beautifully presented in an elegant EVA carry case with a Micro-B USB cable and an instruction leaflet. Colours: Black. Dimensions: Headphones: H 160mm x W 160mm x 68mm (open). Branding Options: Pad Print-Both Earpieces - 45mm circle. Packaging: Individual Carry Case.
Promote You is a locally owned Bunbury business, which supplies and brands corporate gifts, promotional products, business apparel, work and sportswear for businesses, clubs and groups throughout Bunbury and the South West region of Western Australia. We originally began offering embroidery services in July 2004, (under the name Bunbury Embroidery) as a side project to the local New York Drycleaners. Back then, we provided small amounts of embroidery on a small single-head embroidery machine. In November 2005, we changed our name to Promote You, established our own premises on Albert Road in Bunbury, and substantially increased our workshop facilities. Today, Promote You’s Albert Road premises boasts a full promotional product and uniform showroom and a fully equipped workshop with a team of four embroidery specialists and an experienced sales representative. Our embroiderers are highly skilled and experienced; with over 20 years’ combined experience in commercial embroidery, so you can rest assured your products are in good hands. We are proud to be the longest serving promotional products business in Bunbury, and use the latest and most highly regarded embroidery machines to guarantee precision craftsmanship and quality.


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Vietnam – one of the 20 most beautiful countries in the world – is the top destination in the travel handbook of many travelers around the world. Not only possessing a beautiful and majestic natural landscape, a magnanimous historical tradition, historical sites, temples, great delicacies. But Vietnam is also very beautiful from many angles and different perspectives. The smallest, most simple things in life. Here are 5 reasons why Vietnam is a worthwhile place.
Vietnam is a cheap travel destination
Vietnam is famous for being a beautiful country with stable politics and a much cheaper cost of living and tourism compared to other countries in the world. Therefore, this place is really an ideal destination for travelers with a limited budget. With a small amount of money, in Vietnam, you can use a system of comfortable and luxurious dining, sleeping and accommodation services, especially the prices of the dishes are very cheap and varied. Even if you travel to big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, or Da Nang, Vung Tau…The cost for a day is only about 15 to 30 dollars.
Beautiful natural scenery
Referring to Vietnam, people refer to the world’s natural wonders of the majestic Ha Long Bay, the golden terraced fields in Sapa, the colorful flower gardens in Da Lat, the windy West Lake, the Spectacular caves, rocky mountains with all sorts of strange shapes, or clear blue water beaches with endless fine white sands…
Vietnam has a diverse cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine is not only diverse in daily meals but also famous for its variety of street foods. In addition to the main dishes used in the meal, there are famous dishes such as vermicelli, pho, cakes, fruits, drinks, etc. A special thing is a dish, but different regions of Vietnam have different tastes… At any time of the day, and anywhere, you can also find these dishes. eat delicious – nutritious – cheap food to satisfy your hunger, and at the same time enjoy and experience the daily culinary life in Vietnam.
Vietnamese people are beautiful and friendly
One thing that cannot be denied and has been recognized by many international tourists is that Vietnamese girls are very beautiful. The first time you come to Vietnam, you may be surprised to see small Vietnamese girls wearing long dresses, loose black hair, and very sweet voices. Besides, Vietnamese people are very generous with tourists, enthusiastically helping foreigners, visitors can have friendly conversations with locals…
Unique cultural festivals
As a country with a long tradition of cultural history, Vietnam has many festivals taking place throughout the year. In which, the Lunar New Year is the most important holiday. The time when family members gather together, express their affection for grandparents, parents, ancestors. In addition, there are special festivals to celebrate the great anniversaries of the country such as Fireworks Festival, Parade…
Are these reasons enough to convince you that Vietnam is a worthwhile place? What are you waiting for? Just pack your bags and explore Vietnam.

domain: geography


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Safran celebrates the completion of 500th landing gear for Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Safran Landing Systems announces the completion of the 500th landing gear set (nose and main landing gear) for Boeing 787 Dreamliner in its Canadian facility located in Ajax, Ontario.
Since being awarded with the contract in 2006, Safran Landing Systems has been responsible for the design, development, qualification, testing, manufacture and support of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner main and nose landing gear.
“This milestone is a testament to our commitment to technology and research,” said Deane Weatherby, VP, North American Programs at Safran Landing Systems. “Our Boeing 787 landinggear features a number of innovations in material technology aimed at reducing landing gear weight, corrosion and providing higher resistance to fatigue.”
Production activities for the 787 program are shared across Safran Landing Systems facilities in Canada, USA, China, France, Mexico and the UK. Final integration takes place at the company's Everett, Wash. and Ajax facilities as well as its sister company Safran Electrical and Power site in Charleston, S.C., where the system components are integrated with the landing gear structure prior to delivery to Boeing's final assembly lines in Seattle and Charleston. The 500th landing gear set is scheduled to be shipped to Boeing’s final assembly line in Seattle.
“This is a significant landmark for Safran Landing Systems,” said Deane Weatherby. “Since the launch of this program, more than 113 million passengers have flown on the 787 Dreamliner equipped with our landing gear. We are pleased to be a part of the Boeing 787 family and we look forward to our continued partnership.”
- © Safran

domain: news


Hi all. This is reporter Juliana Keeping. I started a new blog called The Beat with a focus on crime. Look for it here: http://blog.newsok.com/thebeat/
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management has sent the following update on the wildfires currently impacting our state from spokeswoman Keli Cain:
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
Situation Update 3
August 4, 2012 – 5:10 p.m.
WILDFIRES IMPACTING STATE
Due to ongoing fires, the State Emergency Operations Center remains activated. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is in contact with emergency managers in the affected areas. Additionally, OEM is working with the Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Forestry Division, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, Oklahoma State Department of Health, American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
STATEWIDE BURN BAN
A statewide Burn Ban is in effect. This ban, issued by Gov. Mary Fallin on Friday, supersedes all county burn bans currently in place and remains in place until conditions improve and it is removed by the Governor. For a copy of the current burn ban resolution or for the most up-to-date information go to: www.forestry.ok.gov/ burn-ban-information
STATE OF EMERGENCY
A State of Emergency remains in place for all 77 Oklahoma counties as declared Monday by Gov. Mary Fallin due to extreme or exceptional drought conditions. The Executive Order allows state agencies to make emergency purchases related to disaster relief and preparedness. It is also a first step toward seeking federal assistance should it be necessary. Under the executive order, the state of emergency lasts for 30 days.
Creek County Emergency Management reports the fire is ongoing. Two National Guard helicopters are assisting on the fire. Delaware, Mayes and Washington county task forces are responding. Evacuations are underway west, southwest of Mannford.
Kiowa County Emergency Management reports a fire near the Tom Steel Reservoir. The fire has cut off water to Altus and other communities in the area.
Lincoln County Emergency Management reports a fire between County Road 750 and County Road 3520 near Drumright. Evacuations are underway in this area.
Noble Emergency Management reports the Noble/Slaughterville fire in Cleveland County is ongoing. A National Guard helicopter is on scene assisting. Johnston and McClain county task forces are responding.
Oklahoma County Emergency Management reports the fire at Luther is ongoing. Early reports indicate approximately 56 structures have been destroyed since yesterday.
Pittsburg County Emergency Management reports a fire 10 miles west, southwest of Quinton at Lick Creek Road near Lake Eufaula. Homes have been evacuated. A National Guard helicopter is on scene to assist.
Pittsburg County Emergency Management reports an additional fire near 31 Landing off Highway 31. Seven fire departments are responding.
Pottawatomie County Emergency Management reports a fire on I-40 at mile marker 181 through 183.
Stillwater Emergency Management reports a fire between Stillwater and Glencoe. A National Guard helicopter is en route to assist and a second one is en route. Glencoe and Ingles fire departments are on the scene as well as OSU Fire Service Training. Evacuations in Glencoe and the surrounding area are underway.
Woods County Emergency Management reports a fire at Highway 14 and Avard Road. Four fire departments are responding.
More than 52,000 acres have burned in fires across the state since yesterday.
Oklahoma Forestry Services reports:
Noble/Slaughterville Fire – 7,900 acres
Creek County Fire – 32,000 acres
Luther Fire – 2,600 acres
Grady County Emergency Management reports 9,600 acres have burned in the Ninnekah fire.
OEM has been working in conjunction with State Forestry officials to deploy Oklahoma National Guard helicopters for aerial fire support. Oklahoma Forestry Division is providing ground firefighting support. Water drops are being provided today on fires in Cleveland, Creek, Oklahoma, Payne and Pittsburg counties.
The following American Red Cross Shelters remain open:
Harmony Christian Church – 7100 S. Choctaw Road in Choctaw, OK
Noble City Hall – 304 S. Main Street in Noble, OK
Sand Springs United Methodist Church – 101 W. 38th Street, Sand Springs, OK
American Red Cross Reports 38 people stayed overnight at the Mannford shelter that is now closed, 48 people stayed at the Noble Shelter and 8 people stayed at the Choctaw Shelter.
Additionally, American Red Cross and The Salvation Army are providing canteens and volunteers to support firefighters in the affected areas.
Hot and dry weather over the past few months has lead to drought conditions statewide. Strong winds, extremely high temperatures and low relative humidity has created critical fire weather conditions across much of the state. An area along and 100 miles either side of I-44 is under a Red Flag Fire Warning. A cold front is moving into northern Oklahoma this afternoon which will help lower temperatures across the state by Sunday. Even with this cold front, temperatures will remain in the upper 90s to 104 degrees. The cold front is expected to create further challenges for firefighters as wind shifts occur.
WORKING WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY
The Oklahoma Insurance Department recommends taking the following steps after your property has been damaged by a fire:
· When the fire has moved on or been extinguished, call your insurance agent or company claim line as soon as possible.
· Make a list of your damaged property and make necessary repairs to protect your home and property from further damage.
· Read your homeowner’s insurance policy carefully to fully understand your coverage and your rights. If you don’t have the policy in hand, ask the agent for a copy.
· Know if you have replacement cost or actual cash value coverage.
· Ask your agent about additional living expenses (ALE) or loss of use.
· Refer to your policy to know what deductible you’ll be required you’ll be required to pay.
For questions about insurance claims or to report insurance fraud, please call the Oklahoma Insurance Department consumer assistance number at 1-800-522-0071 or online at http://oid.ok.gov
For Oklahoma residents seeking non-emergency disaster or health and human service information, please contact your local 2-1-1. Services are available 24 hours a day by dialing 2-1-1 from your home or cellular telephone. Please only call 911 for emergencies.
Visits to the “cop shop,” ie, the Oklahoma City Police Department, are a part of my weekly duties. There, reporters from the OKC media gather in a small third-floor room and peruse the freshest list of arrests from Oklahoma County jail as well as police reports. It’s the place police news items like this, this and this tend to surface. We mutter and curse when “the stack,” our nickname for the pile of reports, looks impossibly large. We perk up when a big crime item surfaces, and chat and joke and cast glances over a competitors’ shoulders if it is sensed one is acting particularly stealthy.
I’d like to blog a little more, so I thought I’d start a regular chronicle of cop shop happenings to share some quirky or noteworthy items that come up at cop shop but don’t quite make the news.
Read the rest of this entry »
NewsOK Editor Yvette Walker has been blogging from the International Press Institute in Trinidad. Follow tweets from the convention below.
|My host group arranged for a tour of Trinidad today, and while I can’t post photos now (the wi-fi has been difficult) trust me when I say the island is incredibly beautiful, diverse and unusual.The beautiful: We went up into the mountains, very high, with an elevation of more than 2,000 feet. My ears popped on the way up. The winding streets that climb higher and higher are trusted mostly to old Toyota trucks (you see them everywhere). Farmers live up here, and plant chives, tomatoes, cabbages, banana and plantain trees and other fruits and vegetable on steep, verticle plots of land — terraced plots cut into the mountainside. So steep, it’s amazing they can cultivate this land, and they do it without ropes our climbing apparatus, we were told.
We went to the fourth highest peak, where on a clear day you can see Venezuela, only seven miles away.
The diverse: The city of Port-of-Spain is populated with people of African descent, but the city is a port city and brings lots of different people here. Also the natural gas industry here is one of the major industries, bringing people from around the world.
The unusual: Native people love Kentucky Fried Chicken. There are 42 KFCs on this island alone, and I’m told sales are highest here than in anywhere else in the world. I can’t confirm that now, but it’s a fun factoid.
– Yvette Walker
I arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Wednesday night after 13 hours of travel, I was happy to arrive at the Hyatt Regency, check in and go to bed.
The hotel is American-style Caribbean luxury, with American outlets, American channels on the television and English spoken everywhere. Still there is very much a Caribbean flavor to the decor and to the hotel. At the breakfast buffet, nestled beside the scramble eggs and the bacon was an unfamiliar breadlike concoction and also spicy sauces.
International Press Institute Executive Director Alison Bethel and her group arrived here days ahead of the World Congress to make sure everything is ready. It’s the first year the IPI has held the World Congress in the Caribbean.
Bethel said the group’s membership has been calling for this location, and she said it makes sense to shine a light on this part of the world.
The most dangerous places for journalists to do their job is in Latin America, led by Mexico and Honduras. This is a perfect time to have it here, have a chance to engage the Caribbean, which is often ignored when you talk about press freedom and journalism ethics.”
- Yvette Walker
While connecting in Miami to my final destination of Trinidad, I figured I would make some Thunder connections. I was stuck in the airport and couldn’t get outside, however. I didn’t see anybody in Thunder blue, but on the jetway I announced to a friendly runway worker that I was from Oklahoma City.
He groaned. A true Heat fan. And then he said, smiling, “Are you going to watch them lose?”
“That last game was tough,” I answered. “But they are young, they could come back.”
“I know, they are so young and so talented!” he said, referring to player Kevin Durant. “I wish I was 23 again!”
Another woman on her way to St. Croix said she, too, was from OKC and quickly headed for her gate.
Thunder Up!” she said down the terminal.
- Yvette Walker
Photo by Bryan Terry: Oklahoma City’s Lazar Hayward, left, Royal Ivey, Cole Aldrich, and Reggie Jackson wait for the start of a practice before Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena, Monday, June 18, 2012.
Telling people you are going to Port of Spain can be confusing. No, I’m not headed to Spain, I’m going to Trinidad. The International Press Institute is holding its World Congress there beginning Sunday and I’ll be on a panel about Ethics and Social Media.
So, off to Port of Spain, Trinidad. I’m leaving a few days early to take advantage of a little sun and fun, and who wouldn’t? Over the next few days I’ll be blogging about the country and the conference.
I wrote a story yesterday about a Facebook rumor that the Noble animal shelter was closing, and that they planned to euthanize all the dogs.
The rumor was only partially true — the animal shelter wasn’t closing, but the plan was to euthanize some of the dogs if they weren’t adopted by today.
In a way, the Facebook rumor might have done more good than harm. Several people posted throughout the past few days about the urgent need to adopt the dogs at the shelter. And the Noble animal control officer reported today (via Facebook) that all of the dogs were either adopted or rescued:
A lot of animal lovers banded together via social media to get the word out about the dogs that needed homes. It’s great to see that their efforts were successful.
If you would like to help future animals of the Noble shelter, you can donate dry dog food and cat litter at the Noble Police Department at 115 N Second St. They cannot accept cash donations.


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Last minute flights to Cancun from Calgary
When you're on the lookout for last minute flights to Cancun from Calgary, rest assured that you can get there with WestJet. We fly to more than 150 destinations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe — including flights into Cancun International Airport, so you can trust us to get you where you want to be. But we don't simply get you from Point A to Point B; at WestJet, we make it our mission to provide caring, courteous service and the safest flight possible — all at an incredible value. So look no further than WestJet when you want to put service and value first.
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Your journey to The Glistening City starts with us
Airport Details: To CUN, Cancun International Airport From YYC, Calgary International Airport
Cancun is rightly renowned for its abundant sunshine and immaculate sandy beaches. Visitors in "The Hotel City" enjoy many opportunities to relax and unwind – and just as many opportunities to cut loose, whether it's snorkelling in crystal-clear waters or sampling the area's famous nightlife. This tourist-friendly destination is filled with a ton of culture and history to be discovered, including the great Mayan ruins and a tour of the spectacular Mayan archeological site that features a stop at the famous Nohoch Muul temple.
Itching to travel? Book last minute flights today through WestJet and your dream trip to sparkling, humming Cancun will quickly become a reality. Whether you're excited to visit such coveted attractions as Coba Maya Encounter, Xcaret and scuba diving, or you're simply travelling for business, you can be sure that you can get there with WestJet. WestJet can help you get more and pay less: fly to Cancun from Calgary with us to find out how.


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Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (JP) (also known as Donkey Kong Country 2, DKC2, or Super Donkey Kong 2 in Japan) is a platform game made for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second game in the Donkey Kong Country series and the second game in the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy, overall. This game was released in 1995 as a sequel and direct follow-up to Donkey Kong Country and later followed by Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! in 1996.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest was developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo. The game has been re-released for both the Game Boy Advance and the Wii's Virtual Console in 2004 and 2007, respectively. On November 25, 2012, for reasons unknown, Donkey Kong Country 2 and the other two original Donkey Kong Country games were delisted from the Wii's Virtual Console worldwide except in South Korea, but on October 30, 2014, the games were relisted only in Europe and Australia. Around the same time, the games were released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in Europe and Australia, in Japan on November 26, 2014, and in the United States and Canada on February 26, 2015. For handhelds, Donkey Kong Country 2 was ported exclusively over to the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in March/April 2016. It was made available on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online for the Nintendo Switch on September 23, 2020.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is the sixth best-selling Super Nintendo Entertainment System game, with its predecessor being the third. A similar Game Boy title was released a year later, in 1996, titled Donkey Kong Land 2.
Like many games in the platform genre, the plot is not necessarily an integral part of the game, and therefore, much of it isn't discussed throughout the game itself. However, there is a fairly long and comical prologue in the instruction manual, covering the events leading up to the beginning of the game. A summarized version of this story can be read below.
"Donkey Kong had been relaxing quietly on the beach when he suddenly and mysteriously disappears over the night. Diddy and Dixie find hundreds of Kremling footprints surrounding Donkey's smashed chair, so they begin to investigate. They quickly find a note left by Kaptain K. Rool demanding the Banana Hoard in exchange for Donkey Kong's safety. While Cranky was willing to give the banana hoard away, Diddy refused to do this after all he and Donkey had previously done to reclaim them (in the events of the original Donkey Kong Country). As Diddy was about to eagerly take off on a quest to defeat K. Rool by himself, Dixie tells him that she was coming along to help and there was no way of persuading her otherwise. Diddy, although displeased, sighed and allowed her to come, knowing that arguing was hopeless. Diddy and Dixie set out the morning after, hoping to prove themselves as "real video game heroes" and save their friend Donkey Kong."
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest starts where the first game left off, in an area known as Gangplank Galleon. After this first world, the player reaches K. Rool's island, called Crocodile Isle, where the rest of the game takes place.
In order to progress through the game, players must beat stages by reaching the finish without losing both characters. The stages are divided into worlds, each one normally containing a boss fight at the end which must be beaten in order to move onto the next world.
In comparison with the original Donkey Kong Country, the game contains many new features. These include a plethora of hidden bonus stages with collectible tokens rewarded for completing, more diversity in level design and level settings, an unlockable "Lost World" with extra levels, and the ability to transform into various animals (the first game included some of these animals, but the characters normally rode them, being able to transform into them only in bonus stages). A portion of the game's theme now involves sailing and pirates, as exemplified in many enemies sporting a pirate fashion and the seaside locations in some levels. While Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest introduced new features such as these, it also abandoned a few from the original. For example, the steel barrel was removed, eliminating the ability to roll on barrels, and the ability to find hidden items in the ground was removed. However, some of these removed features were brought back in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
- Kaptain K. Rool - K. Rool is the main antagonist of the Donkey Kong Country and the Donkey Kong Land spin-off series, and he is the leader of the Kremlings. Holding the title of "Kaptain" instead of "King" as in the original Donkey Kong Country, K. Rool now appears suited in pirate clothing with a rather large handheld blunderbuss. K. Rool has captured Donkey Kong and retreated to the top of his island where he awaits the player. He has sent his various minions, the majority being that of the Kremling Krew, to many areas of the island, in hopes of capturing Diddy and Dixie.
- Donkey Kong - Donkey Kong is the main protagonist in the Donkey Kong series (not to be confused with Cranky Kong, the main enemy in the original Donkey Kong game who is believed to be his grandfather). While not playable, Donkey Kong is a main part of Donkey Kong Country 2's plot and appears twice throughout the game. The first time the player sees him is in the level titled Stronghold Showdown, the final level in the sixth world, K. Rool's Keep. A boss fight normally takes place in the last level of a world, however, Donkey Kong appears tied in ropes, hanging from the ceiling. He begins screaming loudly in frustration, attempting to break free, but K. Rool pulls him back up into his plane and flies off to the very top of the island (in the Game Boy Advance version, though, a boss fight is actually present). Donkey Kong later appears at the end of the K. Rool fight, where he breaks free from the same tied ropes he was previously seen in and proceeds to uppercut K. Rool through the roof of his airship.
- Animal Buddies - Throughout the Donkey Kong Country series, players are able to find and ride animals to help them get through levels, defeat enemies, and find bonus stages. There are a total of seven animal buddies in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, as opposed to five in the original. Only five of these animals are actually rideable and able to be transformed into by the player, while the other two help in other ways. The animals can now charge their ability, as well as execute it normally. Using this may reveal a secret passage to a bonus stage, or this can possibly be used as a powerful attack. There is a slight bit more concentration on the animals than in the previous Donkey Kong Country, as they can be found more often and are usually required for accessing bonus stages. The seven animal buddies are as follows:
- - Rambi the Rhinoceros
- - Enguarde the Swordfish
- - Squitter the Spider
- - Rattly the Rattlesnake
- - Squawks the Parrot
- - Clapper the Seal (not rideable)
- - Glimmer the Anglerfish (not rideable)
Expresso the Ostrich and Winky the Frog from the original Donkey Kong Country have been removed, although Rattly is often considered to be Winky's replacement due to their similar abilities and slightly similar physical appearance, and Expresso appears in a mini-game in the Game Boy Advance remake.
- Cranky Kong - Cranky Kong is the aging ancestor of Donkey Kong. Although their relationship is unclear, he is believed to be his father from Shigeru Miyamoto's original 1981 Donkey Kong arcade game. Cranky is best known for his wise cracks against Donkey Kong and friends, his cranky attitude, and his blatant cockiness. As in Donkey Kong Country, he offers help about stages in whichever particular world the player is in when speaking with him, while making a variety of jokes (often talking about the game's advanced nature or criticizing the player's skill level). Cranky can be found in the Monkey Museum, a small hut containing various Nintendo and Rare items and collectibles, in nearly every world.
- Funky Kong - Funky Kong returns from the original Donkey Kong Country with a slightly altered look and a new plane. He allows the player to travel back and forth through the many different worlds in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, excluding the Lost World. In the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version, this is the only way to travel from world to world, without beating the boss of the world. In the Game Boy Advance version, he has you complete certain tasks where you have to fly from one point to another. In the first Donkey Kong Country, Funky Kong used a Jumbo Jet Barrel (a barrel with wings and a cockpit resembling a Jumbo Jet protruding), but in this game, Funky uses a biplane barrel. In the Game Boy Advance version, however, he uses a gyrocopter. A gyrocopter is also found in this game's sequel, Donkey Kong Country 3, as an unlockable from Funky when collecting all the DK Coins.
- Wrinkly Kong - Wrinkly Kong is Cranky's wife and a teacher at Kong Kollege. The Kong Kollege appears in each world of Donkey Kong Country 2, aside from the Lost World, and is the only way to save the game in the original SNES version. It also contains various information about the boss of the world, enemies that may be encountered, among other things. This was her first appearance, and she later appeared in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and Donkey Kong 64.
- Swanky Kong - Swanky Kong is a flashy game show host gives the player an opportunity to earn extra lives by correctly answering questions pertaining to the game itself. Questions are often about various enemies, levels, and worlds, usually requiring the player to identify their correct names.
- Klubba - Klubba is an extremely large, strong, and greedy Kremling who guards the entrance to the Lost World. He is green in appearance, like most other Kremlings, and carries a large, spiked club. Klubba will only let the Kongs enter the Lost World if they pay him fifteen Kremkoins, although the player may choose the option to fight him. However, this fight is not done through gameplay, but rather a quick, comical scene in which Klubba simply whips the Kongs with his club, causing them to fly off the game screen. Klubba's Kiosk is found in every world except the first and last, Gangplank Galleon and The Flying Krock. Although he is a Kremling and as such a minion of K. Rool, at one point he expresses his hope that the Kongs defeat K. Rool, as K. Rool "treats the Kremlings like dirt."
- Mini Necky
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a fairly lengthy game for a platformer, with particularly large levels filled with a plentiful amount of secrets, making it larger overall than its predecessor. It is divided into areas called Worlds, each which typically contain a set of levels revolving around a certain themed setting. There are only seven main worlds, with a special eighth world, titled the Lost World, unlocked by using bonus Coins, called Kremkoins, found hidden throughout the stages. The Lost World can be accessed from Klubba's Kiosk, found in each world except for the first and the last, and depending on the world it's accessed from, the player will travel to one of the five specific levels. The game's eight worlds, in order, are as follows:
- Gangplank Galleon - The remains of K. Rool's ship from the original Donkey Kong Country, it has beached itself on the rocky coast of Crocodile Isle. Level settings in Gangplank Galleon include decks, flooded holds, and remains of ships. The boss of the world is Krow, an enormous vulture who attacks by dropping eggs and knocking them out of his nest. The player must avoid Krow's eggs and throw them back at him four times to succeed and move on to the next world.
- Crocodile Cauldron - A heated volcanic region covered in lava, oddly the wreckage of several ships is found here. Crocodile Cauldron features mostly lava filled caverns and mine shafts throughout, as well as an area filled primarily with lava and very little land, forcing the player to ride on a hot air balloon in order to cross. The boss of the world is Kleever, a giant Kremling submerged in the lava that attacks by shaking a massive magical sword violently, stabbing forward through the air, and shooting fireballs. During the fight, cannonballs fall out of the sky at periodic intervals; Kleever can be defeated if the player accurately throws these cannonballs at his sword's bladed section six times.
- Krem Quay - Supposedly once the port of Crocodile Isle, it is now an overgrown swamp filled with the debris of ships, be they afloat, sinking, or submerged underwater. The setting of a few of Krem Quay's levels is a marsh area with heavily polluted water due to a crashed oil tanker. The boss of the world is Kudgel, a grey pallette swap of Klubba (possibly his brother), who attacks by jumping (when Kudgel lands, the resulting tremors can momentarily stun the player as well) and swinging his large club. The player must defeat Kudgel by hitting him with TNT barrels six times, being able to successfully hurt him only when a TNT Barrel appears.
- Krazy Kremland - A large and rundown amusement park, Krazy Kremland seems to be partially built on a swamp, and many regions within it are filled with Zinger hives and bramble vines. The levels in the amusement park consist mainly of roller coasters, which are not only haunted but also broken. The player actually rides these roller coasters, in a backdrop featuring ferris wheels, fireworks, and other typical carnival scenery. The boss of this world is King Zing, a huge Zinger who attacks by chasing the player, shooting out stingers, and later spawning other Zingers. This boss fight is unique due to the fact that the player must transform into Squawks directly after the level begins and fight the entire battle as him. In order to win, the player must hit King Zing seven times while he is not invulnerable, using Squawks' ability to shoot coconuts.
- Gloomy Gulch - A creepy forested area filled mainly with ghosts, Gloomy Gulch also features a small Zinger hive, a coaster in a haunted house, and a windy forest. The boss of the world is Kreepy Krow, the ghost of the first world's Krow, who must now be defeated by barrels. The battle this time is much faster and contains segments where the screen scrolls upwards, forcing the player to keep up by climbing on ropes while simultaneously dodging eggs flying in various directions on the screen. Kreepy Krow only takes three hits, however, the player must defeat a Necky (as well as dodge ghost Neckies) in order to make each barrel appear.
- K. Rool's Keep - K. Rool's Keep is K. Rool's castle area built near the very top of Crocodile Isle. This world features sections that happen to be frozen and others that are constantly battered with freezing winds. A magical floor rises inside the tower level "Castle Crush", while the climbing level "Chain Link Chamber" seems to have no floor. There is also a continually scrolling castle area and a tower that features a rising toxic liquid, forcing players to keep moving in both. No boss is fought at the end of the world in the original Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, instead, Donkey Kong is seen tied up and hanging from a rope, before being pulled up into K. Rool's airplane which then travels higher into the sky. However, the Game Boy Advance port featured a boss called Kerozene, a massive orange Kremling whose attacks include slashing with two swords (both resembling Kleever), punching, and sending a wave of fire through the ground. The player must throw a cannonball at his face in order to damage Kerozene, and repeat this seven times to defeat him.
- The Flying Krock - K. Rool's flying fortress, this area is partly in the sky. The Flying Krock has only one level, aside from the final boss level. Titled "Screech's Sprint", it is a challenging race against K. Rool's bird, Screech, through a bramble setting featuring obstacles and enemies such as Zingers impeding the player's progress. The boss of the world is Kaptain K. Rool, leader of the Kremlings and the game's main antagonist. Upon entering K. Rool's airplane, Donkey Kong is seen once again hanging by and tied to ropes before the battle begins. K. Rool has a large array of moves, mainly, he uses his cannon to fire various projectiles and, towards the end of the battle, suck the player in towards him. To hurt K. Rool, the player must throw cannonballs into his cannon when given the opportunity, which will cause it to malfunction. Doing this nine times will defeat K. Rool and trigger the game's regular ending.
- The Lost World - A secret area located inside Crocodile Isle, the entrances to the Lost World are scattered about on the island and are being guarded by Klubba. The levels in this world do not necessarily follow a specific theme, as areas include volcanic settings, vast jungles, an icy vertically declining cavern, among others. The levels in the Lost World are generally some of the hardest levels in the game, forcing the players to pass difficult obstacles and face tougher enemies rarely or never found in typical levels. The boss fight in the Lost World is a rematch with Kaptain K. Rool. K. Rool uses many of the same attacks from the previous battle in rapid succession, however, once this is over he takes only one hit to defeat. This must be beaten in order to get the true ending of the game, collect the final DK Coin, and achieve a 102% completion rating.
|World 1: Gangplank Galleon||Pirate Panic||Mainbrace Mayhem||Gangplank Galley||Lockjaw's Locker||Topsail Trouble||Krow's Nest|
|World 2: Crocodile Cauldron||Hot-Head Hop||Kannon's Klaim||Lava Lagoon||Red-Hot Ride||Squawk's Shaft||Kleever's Kiln|
|World 3: Krem Quay||Barrel Bayou||Glimmer's Galleon||Krockhead Klamber||Rattle Battle||Slime Climb||Bramble Blast||Kudgel's Kontest|
|World 4: Krazy Kremland||Hornet Hole||Target Terror||Bramble Scramble||Rickety Race||Mudhole Marsh||Rambi Rumble||King Zing Sting|
|World 5: Gloomy Gulch||Ghostly Grove||Haunted Hall||Gusty Glade||Parrot Chute Panic||Web Woods||Kreepy Krow|
|World 6: K. Rool's Keep||Arctic Abyss||Windy Well (SNES)||Castle Crush (SNES)||Clapper's Cavern (SNES)||Chain Link Chamber||Toxic Tower||Stronghold Showdown|
|Castle Crush (GBA)||Clapper's Cavern (GBA)||Windy Well (GBA)|
|World 7: The Flying Krock||Screech's Sprint||K. Rool Duel|
|World 8: Lost World||Jungle Jinx||Black Ice Battle||Klobber Karnage||Fiery Furnace||Animal Antics||Krocodile Kore|
Donkey Kong Country 2, like its predecessor Donkey Kong Country, features a well received score with each piece matching its designated level.
In 2010, OverClocked Remix released their Donkey Kong Country 2 album on the internet for free. The album was called Serious Monkey Business and consisted of all the songs from the game professionally remixed by fans. It can be downloaded for free here.
The game is often misspelled to Diddy Kong's Quest.
Changes from the SNES and the Game Boy Advance version
- The game now has an intro viewable by creating a new file, which is based on the prologue from the original game's manual.
- The graphics were brightened considerably.
- When fighting a boss more than once, Swanky Kong now charges ten Banana Bunch Koins and times the player.
- The player now has the ability to save for free anywhere on the map, as opposed to saving only at Kong Kollege scattered throughout the game, sometimes for a fee of two banana coins.
- The player can travel to a different world for free at any time, as long as they have seen Funky Kong at least once.
- Stronghold Showdown now has a boss named Kerozene.
- The death music and end-of-level music no longer depend on the level being played.
- In the level Rambi Rumble, when King Zing chases the player, the Screech's Sprint music is now played. The song that was originally played, Run! Rambi, Run!, is no longer heard in this level, but can still be heard in the sound test.
- The player's lives and banana bunch Koins are now saved, instead of being lost whenever the game is turned off.
- A new minigame called Bag a Bug can be found at Klubba's Kiosk.
- A new minigame called Expresso Racing can be found at Cranky's Hut. It involves racing as Expresso from a 2D viewpoint, trying to place first against other racers.
- Each level now has a Gold Feather hidden in it. Each Gold Feather collected helps the player in the aforementioned mini-game.
- Scrapbooks are now hidden throughout some levels and these are needed in order to get certain Hero Coins. Wrinkly Kong offers subtle hints pertaining to their locations.
- All the overworld maps are completely redesigned and are now much larger.
- Kong Kollege, Cranky's Hut, Funky's Flights II, and Swanky's Bonus Bonanza all have a different look.
- Cranky comes along and talks to the player after beating a boss. In the original version, Diddy would play his boom box or Dixie would play her guitar, depending on which character was being controlled at the time the boss was defeated.
- Some sprites from other Donkey Kong games were borrowed and used in this one. For instance, the frogs that appear in the swamp levels are Winky's sprites from Donkey Kong Country, and the bats in the castle levels are from Mario vs. Donkey Kong.
- The Warp Barrels hidden in certain worlds now have a new design.
- The Kackles in Haunted Hall are now all wearing the same cap. They originally had different colors to indicate their difficulty.
- The inactive Kong is no longer shaded.
- Some glitches have been removed, but a few others still exist.
- On the levels, Target Terror and Rickety Race, the background was changed from night to early morning, and the screams heard in the background music for those levels were removed.
- Dixie Kong's helicopter-spin can be heard, although it was not heard in the SNES version of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.
- A Button is Jump (formerly used for the B Button), B Button is Attack and throw partner (when Teamed-Up) (both formerly used for the Y Button), R Button is Team-Up and Split-Up Team (both formerly used for the A Button), L Button is Dismount Animal Friend (formerly used for the X Button). However, you can change partners to be in the lead by pressing the L or SELECT Button, although in the SNES original, it was only used for the SELECT Button.
- The sound effect of hitting the Check and X Barrels were changed from a good/bad sound to sound more like the gate going up or down.
Not all the changes were productive however. The changes to Funky's Flights II made it possible for players to get permanently stuck in the game. If a character fails to complete the "practice" round in Gangplank Galleon, Funky will not give the Kongs the gyrocopter. As the gyrocopter is the only way of leaving a completed world, the player will be stuck if revisiting a world they have completed (defeating the boss a second time will not advance the player to the next world, as it did in the original Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest). The sound quality is also inferior to the original, as the Game Boy Advance's sound hardware isn't as powerful as the SNES. The graphics for the Game Boy Advance's version are also inferior in quality to the original, probably because of the fact that the Game Boy Advance screen is so much smaller than a TV screen and thus the resolution for all SNES games redone for the Game Boy Advance are slightly poorer in quality in general, although there are usually many other enhancements (such as those listed above) to attempt to compensate.
Donkey Kong Country 2 was highly praised by both critics and fans alike upon release, especially in the platform gaming community. Acclaimed features such as the impressive and unique level design, well-hidden secrets and easter eggs, highly-detailed rendered graphics, a dark, mysterious atmosphere with a large sense of exploration and discovery, and a memorable orchestral soundtrack are often considered the main reasons for Donkey Kong Country 2's success and critical praise. While Donkey Kong Country 2 plays very similar to the original Donkey Kong Country, most agreed that the sequel's many improvements and added depth made it a better platform gaming experience. It has an average overall ranking of 93% at Game Rankings.
|Main article: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest/gallery|
- This game was originally named Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest.
- In the prologue found in the game's instruction manual, the writers frequently break the fourth wall, like Rare often does. For example, Cranky Kong comments that the plot of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is "even worse than Donkey Kong Country!"
- The player can find out whether or not they have collected all the bonuses for a certain level by checking the title for that level at the bottom of the screen. If there is an exclamation mark after the title, the player has collected all the Kremkoins (bonus coins) for that level; if there is a symbol of a Hero Coin next to that, the player has collected the Hero Coin for that level.
- All of Wrinkly Kong's math problems in the Kong Kollege are wrong. It is said to be done by the Kremlings, proving them unintelligent.
- The first time the player defeats K. Rool, Cranky tallies your Hero Coin total and compares that with the performance of other Nintendo characters. Mario, Yoshi and Link make an appearance as the top 3 in that respective order.
- A few more cameo appearances of non-Nintendo characters' trademark devices are that of Sonic's shoes and Earthworm Jim's gun and tights by a trash can with a sign that says "No Hopers" (these were removed in the Game Boy Advance version). Also in Cranky's cabin, there is a poster with the character Thunder from another one of Rare's SNES games, Killer Instinct.
- In all the bramble stages, each stage had a different color of the setting. For example: "Bramble Blast" was a bright green color, "Bramble Scramble" was an olive-green color (with a darker sky in the background meaning it was dark), and "Screech's Sprint" was an orange-brown color (with a sunsetting sky). Not just the brambles, other levels that have the same archetypes have different colored atmosphere. **Like the swamp levels, some were greenish, yellowish, and purple (meaning it was night time). In the lost world Lava stage "Fiery Furnace", it had a darker and purple feel to it. The ship cargo levels had different color water (like Glimmer's Galleon was green, and the one in the lava world was red, because it was hot water.) With the ship deck levels, some were a normal blue sky, an orange sunset, and a green sunrise. A lot of other level types had different colors, also. It is known that the game has been using palette swap.
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest was a Virtual Boy game for a short time in development. However, the game moved production to the Super NES, to the Virtual Boy's failure.
- In the first level of the first world, the first screen you get is almost exactly the same as Donkey Kong Country's King K. Rool boss battle.
- The music in the level Rattle Battle starts with a melody of the final boss's music from the original Donkey Kong Country, but instead of sounding sinister it is now up-beat and jazzy.
- The game was featured on the cover of Nintendo Power V79.
- The game won 5 awards in the 1995 Nintendo Power Awards: Best Sound, Best Graphics, Best Challenge, Best Goodie/Sidekick (Squitter the Spider), and Worst Villain (Kaptain K. Rool).
- Wikipedia article
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest at Nintendo.com
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest at Virtual Console Reviews
- The article for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest on Donkey Kong Wikia.
- Title at Moby Games
- Title at Gamefaqs
|Donkey Kong series|
|Arcade series||Donkey Kong • Donkey Kong Jr • Donkey Kong Jr. Math • Donkey Kong 3 • Donkey Kong '94|
|Donkey Kong Country series||Donkey Kong Country • Country 2 • Country 3 • Land • Land 2 • Land III • Donkey Kong 64|
Country Returns (3D) • Tropical Freeze
|Mario vs. Donkey Kong series||Mario vs. Donkey Kong • March of the Minis • Mini-Land Mayhem! • Minis March Again!|
Minis on the Move • Tipping Stars
|Bongo series||Donkey Konga • Donkey Kong Jungle Beat • Donkey Konga 2 • Donkey Konga 3: Tabe-houdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku|
|Other games||Diddy Kong Racing (DS) • King of Swing • Jungle Climber • Barrel Blast • Jungle Fever • Banana Kingdom|
|Related||Nintendo (Shigeru Miyamoto) • Mario • Mario Kart • Mario Party • Super Smash Bros.|
Rare • Retro Studios

domain: game


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I stand corrected on the share buybacks, the share count has decreased markedly. My fault for only looking back 3 years.
As for the question of what you do with the copious amounts of cash NVR generates. A company can buy back shares, directly reward shareholders with dividends or --if the housing market is so fantastic and will continue to yield the best returns--you buy up every piece of land available and expand the business.
My perception is that the major executives--that know a lot more about the RE market than I--sold a lot of their shares.
A this point it is up to the individual to make the determination as to why the upper management would rather take the cash than debtlessly expand the company.
Not the amount of shares, the percentage of shares. The price has nothing to do with that. It is the P/E ratio. yes the P/E is 10 when it use to be 8, but still, buybacks should continue at the same rate, not number of shares, but percentage of stocks outstanding. Which is has not.
That being same NVR issued a new buyback program in December.
You make the claim that if a company is buying back shares that it is somehow sinister. Buying back shares is one of the top ways to increase shareholder value especially when a stock is below P/E 20. The name of the game is earnings per share. Any way the company can accomplish that is a ok. NVR has grown like a weed even with the share buybacks. Too fast if anything. However, in the 1980s things were not as rosy, once they started the buybacks eps has exploded.
Expanding the business for sake of revenue growth is one way to cause a crash in the business. There is limited amount of revenue that can be taken out of the housing market. 30-40 percent earnings growth is fine with me.
Personnally developing raw land is rather sick and disgusting. They should be trying to get in the business of rebuilding older rundown areas.
The exact opposite, I highly value share buy backs. I was mistaken (and admitted the mistake) on my perception that a majority of the money was buying back diluting shares that were issued to cover option grants�when this happens there is no reduction in outstanding shares and therefore no benefit to the shareholders.
My point about investment is simply the strong buys on this forum inform us how homebuilding is the greatest business with great growth prospects for the next 5? Years. If this growth rate is accurate, the best return for the net positive cash flow is right back into the business.
As you know NVR carries quite a bit of debt. Generally a business carries debt due to cash flow fluctuations or simply they can make a better return than the debt costs. Why doesn�t NVR simply fund their business from cash flow and decrease the debt? I don�t know the answer, perhaps somebody out there does.
I think management is cashing out of stock options because if they don't they may lose them. Most options expire after a period of time. 5-10 years. Alot of the options cashed were issued at 10.25 back in 94. Whay do you think? Best wishes

domain: finance


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domain: artistic


Who is the manufacturer of Duralast batteries?
Duralast battery is a product of AutoZone. This company specializes in providing auto equipment and parts for many different brands. Johnson Controls International Plc manufactures the Duralast series of premium batteries.
Are Duralast batteries from AutoZone?
AutoZone carries Duralast, Duralast Gold and Duralast Platinum Batteries – each with their own design, warranties and power specifications.
Who manufactures Duralast?
Valucraft, Duralast, and Duralast Gold are AutoZone’s private label brands for lead-acid automotive batteries (manufactured primarily by Johnson Controls, but also East Penn, Exide, and other manufacturers). Duralast Platinum is an AGM line of batteries.
What brands of batteries are made by Johnson Controls?
Lead acid battery brands produced under this business unit include Continental, OPTIMA, Heliar, LTH, Delkor and VARTA automotive batteries. This part of the company also manufactures Lithium-ion cells and complete battery systems to power hybrid and electric vehicles such as the Ford Fusion and Daimler’s S-Class 400.
Who makes batteries for Napa?
East Penn Manufacturing is the company that makes NAPA batteries since 2009. East Penn has been producing lead-acid batteries for over 70 years and is best known for its Deka batteries brand. It offers a wide variety of batteries, wires and cables, and other battery accessories.
Where is duralast battery made?
East Penn owns the world’s largest single-site lead-acid battery facility, and they provide a significant portion of the batteries to AutoZone. Unlike Johnson Controls, East Penn is privately owned. East Penn has made the Duralast battery for many years.
Who makes Walmart battery?
EverStart batteries are manufactured by Johnson Controls, the sole supplier of these batteries to Walmart as of 2021. Johnson Controls is a major battery manufacturer and its EverStart batteries are low-maintenance, of high quality, and last for long. These cost between $50-$130, depending on type and size.
Who makes Interstate battery?
The actual origin of the manufacturing process for Interstate Batteries is vague. The automotive, truck, and marine batteries are made by Johnson Controls which makes 65% of the automotive, truck, and marine batteries sold in the USA. Johnson Controls also makes the batteries for Wal-Mart and AutoZone.
What company makes Super Start batteries?
If you’ve been reading so far and are thinking, “who makes super start batteries?” I’ve got the answer for you. These batteries are produced by East Penn Manufacturing, who also produced the well-known battery brand “Deka.”
Who is AutoZone owned by?
Earlier this month, Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP) reached the final stages of its acquisition of auto parts retailer General Parts International Inc. That’s big news for Memphis-based AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO).
Is duralast a bad brand?
Duralast batteries by AutoZone are a serious contender among car battery brands due to them being moderately priced and also highly robust and powerful. They have batteries raging in three series, the Standard, Gold, and Platinum.
What type of battery is a duralast car battery?
They are lead-acid batteries, not AGM batteries. Duralast Gold has a three-year warranty as well. Expect them to last between three to five years.
Are Walmart EverStart batteries good?
EverStart batteries are available at Walmart and are made by a company that also produces some of the premium brand batteries. These have excellent performance and are very affordable. The amp ratings are perfect for extreme weather and below freezing temperatures. There is no maintenance involved and very easy to use.
Who is the biggest battery manufacturer?
Asian Powerhouses of Battery Production
|Rank||Company||2021 Market Share|
|#2||LG Energy Solution||21.5%|
Who makes East Penn batteries?
For more information contact East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc., Lyon Station, PA 19536 or visit the company web site at www.dekabatteries.com. About Duracell: Part of the Procter & Gamble Company [NYSE:PG], Duracell has been powering people around the world for more than 40 years.


1st TOMOCON Workshop
24th – 25th September 2018
The 1st TOMOCON Workshop took place from 24th to 25th September 2018 in Lodz, Poland. More than 40 project members attended the event including 14 ESRs. During the workshop project meetings were held to discuss the actual project status in the individual demonstration groups and each ESR had to prepare a Pecha Kucha technical presentation of his / her research project. Furthermore, the responsible EU officer Nina Poumpalova attended the event for the required mid-term check. As an excellent opportunity to meet the consortium and address relevant project issues, the EU officer met with the individual ESRs and emphasized that the project is overall progressing well. Further highlights included the Coordinator’s presentation of the 1st TOMOCON periodic report and the visit of the Tom Dyakowski Process Tomography Laboratory at Lodz University of Technology.


Jeff II Hawks has done it again! Here is a carved steer horn handle that has antler top & guard piece. There is a single feather on one side & a morning star on the other. The blade is made from an old steel logging saw (very rustic). It is 4". With the handle it is 7 1/2" & the overall length in the rawhide shield is about 11". It has brass cones, glass beads & copper beads. Nice!
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3D Structure from Images — SMILE 2000 [electronic resource] :Second European Workshop on 3D Structure from Multiple Images of Large-Scale Environments Dublin, Irleand, July 1–2, 2000 Revised Papers /
Contributor(s): Pollefeys, Marc [editor.] | Gool, Luc Van [editor.] | Zisserman, Andrew [editor.] | Fitzgibbon, Andrew [editor.] | SpringerLink (Online service).Material type: BookSeries: Lecture Notes in Computer Science: 2018Publisher: Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2001.Description: X, 250 p. online resource.Content type: text Media type: computer Carrier type: online resourceISBN: 9783540452966.Subject(s): Computer science | Artificial intelligence | Computer graphics | Image processing | Pattern recognition | Optics | Optoelectronics | Plasmons (Physics) | Computer Science | Image Processing and Computer Vision | Optics, Optoelectronics, Plasmonics and Optical Devices | Pattern Recognition | Artificial Intelligence (incl. Robotics) | Computer GraphicsOnline resources: Click here to access online
Invited Presentation -- Pursuing Reality with Image-Based Modeling, Rendering, and Lighting -- Computations and Alghorithms -- Frame Decimation for Structure and Motion -- Stabilizing Image Mosaicing by Model Selection -- On Computing Metric Upgrades of Projective Reconstructions under the Rectangular Pixel Assumption -- A Progressive Scheme for Stereo Matching -- Panel Session on Computations and Algorithms -- Visual Scene Representations -- Rendering with Non-uniform Approximate Concentric Mosaics -- Volumetric Warping for Voxel Coloring on an Infinite Domain -- A Compact Model for Viewpoint Dependent Texture Synthesis -- Augmented Reality Using Uncalibrated Video Sequences -- Panel Session on Visual Scene Representation -- Extended Environments -- Geometry and Texture from Thousands of Images -- VideoPlus: A Method for Capturing the Structure and Appearance of Immersive Environments -- Eyes from Eyes -- Sequential Localisation and Map-Building in Computer Vision and Robotics -- Panel Session on Extended Environments.
This volume contains the ?nal version of the papers originally presented at the second SMILE workshop 3D Structure from Multiple Images of Large-scale Environments, which was held on 1-2 July 2000 in conjunction with the Sixth European Conference in Computer Vision at Trinity College Dublin. The subject of the workshop was the visual acquisition of models of the 3D world from images and their application to virtual and augmented reality. Over the last few years tremendous progress has been made in this area. On the one hand important new insightshavebeenobtainedresultinginmore exibilityandnewrepresentations.Onthe other hand a number of techniques have come to maturity, yielding robust algorithms delivering good results on real image data. Moreover supporting technologies – such as digital cameras, computers, disk storage, and visualization devices – have made things possible that were infeasible just a few years ago. Opening the workshop was Paul Debevec s invited presentation on image-based modeling,rendering,andlighting.Hepresentedanumberoftechniquesforusingdigital images of real scenes to create 3D models, virtual camera moves, and realistic computer animations.Theremainderoftheworkshopwasdividedintothreesessions:Computation and Algorithms, Visual Scene Representations, and Extended Environments. After each session there was a panel discussion that included all speakers. These panel discussions were organized by Bill Triggs, Marc Pollefeys, and Tomas Pajdla respectively, who introduced the topics and moderated the discussion. Asubstantialpartoftheseproceedingsarethetranscriptsofthediscussionsfollowing each paper and the full panel sessions. These discussions were of very high quality and were an integral part of the workshop.


Silicon Motion is an innovative technology company that designs,
develops, and markets high performance, low-power semiconductor solutions for
the multimedia consumer electronics market. We have three major product lines:
mobile storage, mobile communications, and multimedia SoCs. Our mobile storage
business is composed of microcontrollers used in NAND flash memory storage
products such as flash memory cards, USB flash drives, SSDs, embedded flash
applications, and card readers. Our mobile communications business is composed
of mobile TV tuners, CDMA RF ICs, and electronic toll collection RF ICs. Our
multimedia SoCs business is composed of products that support MP3 players, PC
cameras, and embedded graphics applications. |
Motion - editor mentions on STORAGEsearch.com,
Motion's SSD controllers page
editor's comments:- August 2013
- Silicon Motion is a supplier of
bit per cell flash / TLC and the company also offers products in the
SSD on a chip market.
Silicon Motion's recent SSD controllers have aspects of
DSP technology. It appears in their case they use LDPC with variable
strength codes in combination with other techniques.
Iin June 2008 -
announced a new family of flash
SSD controllers which
enable oems to mix and match MLC and SLC chips in the same drive.
controller can analyze the incoming files from the host and intelligently move
frequently accessed data to SLC NAND and non-frequently accessed data to MLC
NAND. With this innovative hybrid architecture, the SSD system cost is
significantly reduced to a level comparable to a pure MLC-based SSD, while
endurance is significantly enhanced and comparable to a pure SLC-based SSD.
financial report Silicon
Motion's President and CEO, Wallace Kou said - " The NAND flash
industry has been increasing the output of 3 bits per cell MLC because this type
of technology is a capital efficient way for NAND flash manufacturers to
increase capacity without significant capital expenditure. These new 3 bits per
cell MLC NAND flash are very difficult to manage well and requires significant
advanced controller technologies. Our clear leadership in 3 bits per cell
controller technology validates our strategy of investing in cutting edge R&D
in order to bring new products to market ahead of our competitors. ...Our SSD
controller shipment growth (in the past quarter) was flat sequentially, but
grew almost 300% compared to a year ago, and revenue from these products
continues to account for almost 10% of our overall corporate revenue."
|Silicon Motion's new mobile
devices TLC SSD controller|
|Editor:- February 21, 2013 -
announced imminent sampling of a new
controller - for consumer handheld products. |
The SM2703 is a
single-channel, SD 3.0 UHS-I (Ultra High Speed Phase I) card controller with
superior support for the vast majority of NAND flash, including 2y-nm, 1x-nm and
1y-nm TLC and MLC which delivers up to 95MB/s and enables full HD video
recording capability by digital cameras, smartphones and other mobile devices on
both Class 4 and Class 6 SD flash memory cards using cost-effective TLC NAND
"We've already had tremendous success in the UHS-I
market since we introduced our first UHS-I controller 2 years ago - which was
used by most of the world's leading flash card brands" said Wallace Kou,
President and CEO of Silicon Motion.
"Our solution was widely
adopted because it was high performance, cost-effective, and supported the vast
majority of available NAND components. Our new 55nm based SM2703 controller
is firmware compatible and is a cost-effective, flexible quick way to market
for customers who want to use the latest MLC and TLC NAND flash."
|Silicon Motion acquires a
leading PCIe SSD supplier in China market - Shannon Systems|
|Editor:- April 24, 2015 - Silicon Motion
it will acquire Shannon
Systems for a total purchase price of $57.5 million.|
has become the largest internet market in the world and its internet companies
have already widely adopted SSDs for their data centers and hyperscale servers.
More recently, Chinese corporates and government organizations have started
using SSDs for data virtualization. These operators of corporate and internet
infrastructure have increasingly been turning to Shannon for world-class,
locally developed and supported SSD solutions," said Wallace Kou,
President and CEO of Silicon Motion.
|Silicon Motion's FerriSSDs|
|Editor:- March 23, 2014 -
FerriSSD (pdf) from
- is a PATA
SSD on a chip (BGA)
which I learned about from Jonathan Bruce
- who suggested it for my article -
Speed and Strength Metaphors in SSD brands - because - he said - the "Ferri"
prefix means "strong or durable". |
31, 2014 - in the same product family - Silicon Motion is now sampling a
high performance 6Gb/s SATA FerriSSD - the SM659 (8GB to 64GB capacity, with
80,000 random IOPs, and 30K Program/Erase (P/E) cycles) - which fits into a
90-ball BGA package measuring just 16x20x2mm.
|Silicon Motion samples fast
low power SATA 3 SSD controller|
|Editor:- August 12, 2013 - Silicon Motion
it has begun sampling a low power consumption, fast
regular RAM cache
SSD controller which supports MLC, TLC and SLC NAND flash from all the major
NAND suppliers. |
supports 4 channels of NAND flash devices with up to 8 CEs per channel and can
enable sequential reads upto 540MB/s and writes upto 410MB/s. Random IOPS
performance is upto 80,000 read IOPS and 75,000 write IOPS. Average power
consumption is 60mW. Security
features include AES 128/256, TCG and Opal full-drive encryption compliance.
comments:- in a paper this week at the
Flash Memory Summit -
Efficient LDPC DSP System for SSD (pdf) - Jeff Yang Principle
Engineer, Silicon Motion discussed how its adaptive LPDC DSP techniques which
supports variable parity lengths provides 3x better
than traditional BCH.


text:
File(s) not publicly available
Does Fine Lime Have a Place in Tasmanian Horticulture?
reportposted on 2023-05-25, 01:51 authored by Peter JohnsonPeter Johnson, Sparrow, LA, Richard DoyleRichard Doyle, Fulton, A
No description available
Commissioning bodyFinal Report to the Horticultural Research and Development Corporation
Department/SchoolTasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA)
PublisherFinal Report to the Horticultural Research and Development Corporation

domain: agronomy


Windows 11 Laptop: Windows 11 was rolled out for everyone from last 5th October. Then the interested people almost got up to download this new operating system on their personal computer or laptop. But many could not install this new OS due to lack of suitable device (read hardware configuration). As a result, many are now planning to buy new laptops to get rid of the old operating system and get new ones. So today in this report we will look for some of the best Windows 11 supported laptops available in your market. These include Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, HP Pavilion 2021, Dell Inspiron 2021, Dell Vostro 3500 and Acer Aspire 5. Each of these laptops can be purchased from the popular e-commerce site Amazon.
Best 4 Windows 11 supported laptops (Best 4 Windows 11 supported laptops)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 (81WA00MGIN): Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 laptop has a 14 inch display. It comes with 10th generation Intel Core i3 processor. And users will get the latest Windows 11 operating system support on this laptop. It comes with 6 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD for storage. In terms of price, the Lenovo laptop is being sold at 57000 Taka.
HP Pavilion 2021 (14-dv0054TU): The HP Pavilion 2021 laptop has a 14-inch Full HD Plus display. It will work on Intel Core i5 processor. And it uses Intel XE graphics. The laptop comes with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. This HP Pavilion 2021 laptop can be purchased from Amazon for 1,00000 Taka The laptop will be available with 6GB RAM and Raizen 5 processor.
Dell Vostro 3500: The Dell Vostro 3500 laptop has a 15.6-inch full HD resolution display. It will be powered by Windows 11 as the operating system. And speaking of storage, users will get 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD on this laptop. According to e-commerce site Amazon’s listing, the Dell laptop is priced at 65,000 Taka.
Acer Aspire 5: The Acer Aspire 5 laptop comes with a 14-inch full HD display. It uses 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor. And in the case of graphics, it will have the support of Intel Irish XE. It will also be powered by Microsoft’s latest OS version Windows 11. This Acer laptop has 8 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. The current selling price of this laptop is 70,000 Taka.


text:
Systems biology provides opportunities to fully understand the genes and pathways in disease pathogenesis. We used literature knowledge and unbiased multiple data meta-analysis paradigms to analyze microarray datasets across different mouse strains and acute allergic asthma models. Our combined gene-driven and pathway-driven strategies generated a stringent signature list totaling 933 genes with 41% (440) asthma-annotated genes and 59% (493) ignorome genes, not previously associated with asthma. Within the list, we identified inflammation, circadian rhythm, lung-specific insult response, stem cell proliferation domains, hubs, peripheral genes, and super-connectors that link the biological domains (Il6, Il1ß, Cd4, Cd44, Stat1, Traf6, Rela, Cadm1, Nr3c1, Prkcd, Vwf, Erbb2). In conclusion, this novel bioinformatics approach will be a powerful strategy for clinical and across species data analysis that allows for the validation of experimental models and might lead to the discovery of novel mechanistic insights in asthma.
ASJC Scopus subject areas

domain: health


We can't wait to see how it turns out!
Imagine waking up to this news!
A certain momager may have been involved in the decision.
Here's what really went down at their wedding ceremony.
Here's what she had to say about their surprise marriage.
Here’s how their wedding went down!
They held a secret ceremony hours after the Grammys!
Tongue, tongue and more tongue.
Scott "can't stand" to be around Travis—but does Kourtney's fiancé feel the same way?


text:
We're in love with Cassper's new look!
His album recently when gold but now it seems so has Cassper Nyovest's hair!
Cassper took to Instagram and Twitter this week to unveil a new look to his friends, fans and followers. Cassper has dyed the top of his head and his facial hair blonde while keeping his trademark pony as is. The blonde is really striking and stands out!
But hold up! We've seen this look before - on Cassper's "ex" Boity!
Seems like blonde short hair may just be this summer's must-have look
While you contemplate whether to shave and dye your hair to look like Cassper, check these pics of Cassper's new 'do out.
*Picture: Instagram/ Twitter

domain: entertainment


text:
Great idea for my vision board!!! Use scraps of wood to create the board and stick pictures, notes, ideas, etc. to it. Rather than gluing stuff to a poster board, this would be a more changeable board!
mommo design. I love the idea of natural wood, teal and gray in Jude's room, and these wood box shelves would add texture.

domain: hobby


An airport terminal full of people. Queue for 1 hour for security check. Baggage claim where flights are canceled, delayed, and lost.
The summer of 2022 was the season for revenge travel. Traveling feverish travelers trying to make up for lost time were thrown into chaos by the complexities of the travel industry. But despite all the trouble and turmoil, at least one industry has benefited greatly from the recent travel boom. In other words, it is travel retail. Although overall tourist numbers did not reach pre-pandemic levels, the beauty industry reported strong sales that correlated with higher passenger numbers, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). ing.
Strong travel retail channel
“People are excited to be able to travel again. Travelers who were robbed of their opportunities during the pandemic are enjoying traveling again and are more confident in their purchases. I realized that,” said Marianna Fellmann, head of group corporate communications at L’Occitane Group. “On a global level, beauty travel retail is recovering, but realistically it will take time to reach pre-pandemic sales levels. We are witnessing a strong recovery in the second quarter[of 2023].”
L’Occitane Group’s travel retail channel experienced double-digit growth in 2022 and continues to grow in the first quarter of 2023, Felmann said. L’Occitane Group says it is bullish on the channel’s continued growth, especially as travel itself gradually resumes.
For Coty Inc., global travel retail will account for 6% of total sales in FY2022, according to Gillem Suche, senior vice president of travel retail for mainland China. Over the past year, Coty’s travel retail “has seen triple-digit growth, literally dropping birds in flight,” Suche said.
Profitable fragrances in travel retail
Fragrance is one of the most frequently purchased items in travel retail. According to a report by Research Dive, the global travel retail market is expected to generate $225.7 billion in revenue from 2022 to 2031, of which the fragrance category will generate $81.4 billion. It is said to be the most profitable with a dollar (about 12 trillion yen).
But Coty, like many companies, has had to shift and rethink its strategy based on the concerns and challenges of the pandemic. Beauty industry leader Coty’s first move is to launch a digitally operated, touchless fragrance tester device at all of its beauty retailers, including dozens of duty-free stores, to create a safer shopping experience. was to provide The tester device also allowed access to usage data to optimize product positioning and customer experience. Such innovations are expected to attract consumer engagement and enhance travel retail sales.
Meanwhile, L’Oréal-owned YSL Beauty will launch its Scent-Station technology, which uses neuroscience to provide personalized fragrance advice, at Hainan Airport at the end of October. It’s planned. L’Oréal Travel Retail also plans to leverage weather and air quality company BreezoMeter to provide customers with accurate product recommendations when traveling. be.
“During the pandemic, fragrance sales were a bright spot for Coty, and this continues today,” said Suchet, notably seeing double-digit growth return for the company, although China was hit by Covid restrictions. emphasized that it is a market that All APAC markets are experiencing strong double-digit growth. “We call it the ‘fragrance effect,’ and we are performing well in a market that has proven resilient in turbulent market conditions.”
Coty doesn’t disclose fragrance sales in its earnings results, but past quarterly earnings reports have seen prestige fragrances such as Marc Jacobs’ Daisy line and Gucci continue to perform well. Mass fragrances have been shown to be otherwise. Sales of prestige fragrances are down 8% year-on-year in 2020 before recovering with double-digit growth in 2021, according to NPD data.
Further focus on travel retail
To capitalize on the resurgence in travel combined with the success of its fragrance benefits, Coty will further invest in travel retail, launching prestige makeup and skincare across all global markets in 2021-22 and expanding its offerings. expanding. New products that reflect new trends emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, such as skincare and eco-friendly packaging, are likely to be the next merchandising trend in travel retail.
A report by Data Bridge Market Research found that the skin care segment of the beauty travel retail market is expected to achieve the “highest compound annual It is expected to reach a growth rate of 6.3%.”
“The travel industry is benefiting from the continued rise in international travel, which has given consumers more exposure to our brands. There is clearly an opportunity to expand further,” Suchet said, citing Lancaster as a prime example of a successful prestige brand. Coty has relaunched the brand in Hainan and plans to expand to duty-free stores in mainland China and South Korea after a “very strong first quarter.” “The exponential growth of the travel retail market, especially in Asia, represents a significant growth opportunity. The skincare category in particular continues to lead the beauty industry, with demand largely driven by this region.”
L’Occitane, too, has launched new products based on pandemic trends, particularly among conscious consumers, Ferman said. For example, L’Occitane has expanded its eco-friendly hair care product refills into travel retail sets and sold them in travel retail shops around the world. The company has learned that the pandemic has increased consumer interest in sustainability and mindful consumption, and has opted to add these items to its travel retail offerings. According to travel research firm Mindset (M1nd-set), 86% of travelers say sustainability efforts have a positive impact on brand awareness.[原文：How beauty brands capitalized on 2022’s travel boom]
ANDREA CHENG (Translation: Maya Kishida Editing: Yukako Yamagishi)


text:
The head of Cape Town’s disaster operations centre is drawing up a plan he hopes he never has to implement as this South African city on the frontline of climate change prepares to be the first in the world to turn off the water taps.
“We’ve identified four risks: water shortages, sanitation failures, disease outbreaks and anarchy due to competition for scarce resources,” says Greg Pillay. “We had to go back to the drawing board. We were prepared for disruption of supply, but not a no-water scenario. In my 40 years in emergency services, this is the biggest crisis.”
The plan – being drawn up with the emergency services, the military, epidemiologists and other health experts – is geared towards Day Zero, the apocalyptically named point when water in the six-dam reservoir system falls to 13.5% of capacity.
At this critical level – currently forecast for 16 April – piped supply will be deemed to have failed and the city will dispatch teams of engineers to close the valves to about a million homes – 75% of the city.
“It’s going to be terrifying for many people when they turn on the tap and nothing comes out,” says Christine Colvin, freshwater manager for WWF and a member of the mayor’s advisory board.
In place of piped water, the city will establish 200 water collection points, scattered around the city to ensure the legally guaranteed minimum of 25 litres per person per day within 200 metres of every citizen’s home.
This will be a major burden on municipal coffers. The estimated cost of installing and running the new system for three months is 200m rand (£12m). Instead of selling water, it will be given away for free, which will mean R1.4bn in lost revenue.
“The total city budget is R40bn, so this won’t destroy us, but it will cause severe discomfort,” says the deputy mayor, Ian Neilson, who adds that he has not had a bath at home for a year. “A bigger concern is to ensure the economy doesn’t collapse. We need to keep business and jobs going … Clearly, there could be a severe impact. It depends on how long it continues.”
Neilson stresses that Day Zero can be avoided. A lowering of pipe pressure and a public information campaign to conserve water have cut the city’s daily water consumption from 1,200 million litres to 540 million litres. If this can be pushed down another 25%, the taps should stay open to the start of the rainy season in May.
But this is no guarantee. Three consecutive years of drought have made a mockery of normal seasonal patterns.
“We’re in a critical transition period where the past is no longer an accurate guide to the future,” says Colvin.
She illustrates her point with two maps. One – based on historical data – shows the water risk of Cape Town is green, meaning it is among the lowest in South Africa. The other – based on future climate projections – is almost the complete opposite, with the city located in a middle of an alarming red heat zone.
“What we didn’t know was when that future would arrive,” says Colvin. “Businesses and investors have heard the long-term projections but they haven’t heard the starting gun go off. If this drought can pull the trigger then that could be a good thing. If this is seen as a pressure test for the new normal, it will help us to adapt.”
The government has struggled to keep pace. Plans to make the city more resilient to climate change by diversifying the water supply with boreholes and desalination plants were not due to kick in until after 2020. But the climate has moved faster, bringing a drought so severe it would usually be expected only once every 384 years.
What was the biggest reservoir in the system – Theewaterskloof Dam – has mostly evaporated or been sucked dry.
One side of the lake is now a desert. Devoid of life, this is a landscape of sand dunes, cracked earth and dead trees. It takes more than 30 minutes walk under a burning sun to reach the last pool of water, which is barely wide enough to skim a stone across. In what looks like a dark failure of evolution, it is ringed by the carcasses of stranded fish.
On the other side, by the dam wall, the water is nearly 10 metres deep, but the shoreline is receding at the rate of the 1.2m a week, leaving the bed exposed to the sun. The afternoon winds once attracted sail boats; now they whip up white dust storms that envelop much of the valley.
“The change is visible by the week,” said Paul Furstenburg, restaurant manager at Theewater sports club. “When I arrived here four years ago, it was like a sea,” he says, pointing to photographs on the walls of high waves crashing up to the car park during a storm and dozens of boats sailing in regattas. Now, the shoreline is more than 100m back and one of the three small vessels left in the water is stranded on a sandbank. The club – which would normally be thronged with sailors, water-skiers, swimmers, campers and fishermen – is almost empty. The revenue has dried up too, leaving the 20 staff worried about their futures. “This has gone from a holiday resort to nothing,” says Errol Nichols, the safety officer. “It has become a desolate place.”
In Cape Town itself, the population is jittery. “We’re scared,” says Amirah Armien as she queues to fill a couple of bottles at the spring beside Newlands Brewery. “Water is life. What are we going to do without water?”
After a run on bottled water last month, supermarkets introduced limits for each customer. Hardware shops have sold out of water tanks and pool covers. Borehole drillers are now so overwhelmed with requests that there is a year-long wait. Even dehumidifiers – which are being marketed as “water from air” devices – are out of stock.
“People are freaking out,” said David Gwynne-Evans, a botanist. “You go to the shops and see people buying 20 bottles of water. It’s a ridiculous increase of disposable plastic.”
He believes Cape Town’s vineyards bear a large share of blame because they are water-intensive yet they have continued to expand during the drought. “Wine is a luxury. We shouldn’t be using water for that, yet even now new vineyards are opening.”
The crisis has exacerbated prejudice and division. One homophobic pastor blames the drought on gays and lesbians. There has also been sharp criticism of the government, and feuds between the national and provincial authorities over the handling of the crisis.
Yet – among the broader populace – efforts to avert Day Zero have been successfully ramped up.
Many hotels have removed the plugs from rooms so guests must have a shower rather than a bath. Blue droplet-shaped signs above office toilet sinks remind users “Conserve H2O. Use sparingly.” There are more signs in the cubicles, which are divided into “No 1” and “No 2” toilets to ensure maximum efficiency. Some shopping malls have turned off the taps and installed hand-sanitiser dispensers.
At an individual level, the learning curve has been steep. Civic-minded Capetonians have become accustomed to showering – or just ladling hot water – in a baby bath that collects the run-off so that it can be used in first the washing machine and then the toilet.
A major topic of conversation for Capetonians is how many litres they use and how long they can go without washing their hair or flushing.
“I’ve never talked about toilets so much,” says Fiona Kinsey, a young office worker. “Last year, we were discussing whether it was OK to wee in a public toilet and not flush. Now we are way beyond that.”
Shame is used to maintain discipline. An online water consumption map allows neighbours to check on each other’s usage. Some sports clubs have installed buzzers on their showers that embarrass people who linger under the water for more than two minutes.
There is a positive aspect to this sudden shock. Many people are happy to see a greater awareness of conservation and consumption inequality. Social activists say the rich are experiencing what life has always been like in poor townships, where many residents are used to lining up at standpipes.
“Using washing water to flush the toilet is what people in townships do all the time,” says Makoma Lekalakala, director of Earthlife Africa. “So is washing with buckets and scuttles. I had my first shower when I was in my 20s.”
Dee Watson, a teacher, describes the situation as a “euphoric stage” in which most people are looking out for others in a positive way.
“What’s amazing is to mix and talk in the queue with every strata of society. We all need water so it brings people together,” says Watson. “For now at least, most people are laughing and joking. But it’s scary that some people are being greedy and panic-buying.”
There have been acts of benevolence. At the start of the drought, Newlands spring – where water flows freely from underground – was a site of mud, crowds and chaos as people jostled to get at the taps and informal labourers competed to carry water for tips.
“People were getting hurt,” remembers Riyaz Rawoot, a local resident who says he spent R25,000 from his own pocket to organise the spring with the construction of multiple access points and provision of uniforms for the water carriers.
“I’m not making any money. I just want to be of service. Until now it has been fun, but it is becoming more stressful as more people come,” he says. “I’m worried about Day Zero. People are scared and they don’t trust the government, so they might panic and try to get water any way they can.”
Neighbours are already unhappy that their previously quiet street is now a hive of activity, with people carrying water containers in squeaky shopping trolleys back and forth from the spring to cars parked along the main road. “It’s a nightmare,” says one of the residents of the Cresswell House senior citizens’ community. “They come all through the night. It’s so noisy we can’t sleep.”
It is also far from clear that drought is a social leveller. Wealthy homeowners have drilled boreholes and invested in water tanks so they have an independent supply. Joggers who go out at 5am say they can hear the “phut phut” of sprinklers being used to water lawns before most people are awake. Some residents have called environmental groups to complain their neighbours are filling swimming pools.
At the other end of the income spectrum, there are worries. The government has promised that standpipes will continue to flow in informal settlements after Day Zero, but there is scepticism in the Kanini neighbourhood of the Langa township. The one pipe that serves 20 families tailed off here last Thursday without explanation. Some locals feel they are being punished because of a public outcry about the waste at a street car-washing centre at the neighbouring settlement of Joe Slovo.
“I’m worried … everyone is worried. It will be a crisis for us,” says Nowest Nmoni, who makes a living by brewing Umqombothi beer in oil drums. “If we lose water, we lose our income.”
Maintaining social programmes will also be a challenge. City officials say hospitals and prisons will run as normal because they have access to aquifers, but questions remain about 819 schools, half of which do not have boreholes. There would be sanitation risks if their toilets were unable to flush, but the authorities insist they will remain open.
“The objective is no school closures. We don’t want kids on the street compounding issues,” says deputy mayor Neilson.
When the Brazilian city of São Paulo faced drought catastrophe in 2015 the army checked the security of reservoirs and water supplies fearing violent unrest, but officials in Cape Town play down similar fears. Though thousands of South African Defence Force and police personnel will be deployed after Day Zero to guard water distribution centres, reservoirs and other strategic areas, they say, the number of officers at each site will be determined by risk assessments of each location’s past history of protest or gang activity.
“This isn’t going to be martial law. It will be low profile,” says JP Smith, an alderman responsible for safety and security. “There might be some trouble about people cutting queues, but I don’t foresee a big increase in crime. The bigger problem will be congestion.”
For him, it is a moot point. He believes Day Zero will be avoided. The premier of Western Cape, Helen Zille, however, believes there is a 60% chance that it will occur.
While the debate rages about what will happen, who is to blame and whether the city will be drawn together or pulled apart, Pillay and his colleagues at the disaster risk management office are obliged to prepare for the worst – something other cities may soon be obliged to do.
“We don’t want to create panic. We can avert Day Zero,” he says. “We had hoped that rainfall would replenish the dams, but it hasn’t happened. What this signalled to me what that climate change is reality. If you doubted it before, you can’t now.”