text:
We’ve done several posts on the original Haunted Mansion in Disneyland and the Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris but this is the first post on the Haunted Mansion of the Magic Kingdom. The rides are all very similar where the first line queue leads to a stretching room. In Disneyland, this is used to take you under the railroad and to the actual ride but in the Magic Kingdom, the roof moves up to show you the fates of the people around the room. From there you enter another line to hope aboard the famed ‘doom buggy’ an Omnimover designed by Disney to take you through the rest of the house. From what I understand after you leave the stretching room you are no longer in the house you can see anyway.
The illusions in the house are mostly practical effects using simple mechanics to make doors knock on their own or using old effects like “Pepper’s Ghost” (first used in 1862) in the ballroom of the mansion. Each ride has you fall backwards from the house to a graveyard (I think maybe it was hell in Paris) where the ghosts take greater form and the tone turns to a happier haunted house before you leave with a hitchhiking ghost.
Each of the haunted attractions has a unique exterior matching the theme of the land it is in – Disneyland has an antebellum-era style (New Orleans Square), Paris has a victorian second-empire style (Frontierland) and Magic Kingdom has a Gothic-revival style (Liberty Square). Each experience is slightly different with Paris being darker and Disneyland having a Christmas experience and the recent return of the famed hatbox ghost.
The latest feature we noticed this trip was when the ride was ending the hitchhiking ghost held up a sign saying North Carolina here we come! Not sure how they did it but I am guessing it has something to do with the new magic bands.
A long time favorite the Haunted Mansion is definitely a ride not to be missed. With rumors of a possible themed restaurant in the future who knows where the hatbox ghost may show up next.


text:
Hello readers, can I ask you question? Have you ever fallen in love with someone with whom you feels like living in La LA Land but you failed to have him/her in your life in the end? Or you let her/him go for any reason? Well, if you have experienced any of the dreamy love that got vanished with the beautiful dawn and left a sweet smile on your face, then I am hoping my this poem will take you back in the time. Please enjoy with smile😊
A Dream I Saw her stand near the shore Where birds were singing like never before Her eyes were shining with the light of dawn Hairs were swaying with the wind blown My life, my love, my true desire No words are made for her admire Just two steps she was far away I walked thousands still left some way She Smiled and came closer to me Where golden sky meets the sea Suddenly I feel a silence around In silence I heard a low knowing sound Coming from inside deep in mine I felt for the first time the heartbeat of mine It feels like heaven, it sounds amaze In that moment there was some craze Those feelings were something can never be say Those feelings I wanted forever to stay But magic of god happens for few Soon I found that nothing was true I opened my eyes and all were clear It was A Dream nothing was real
Thank you for reading, I am assuming you smiling with heart and wish you smiling forever.

domain: literature


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|Publication number||US7028547 B2|
|Application number||US 10/468,850|
|Publication date||Apr 18, 2006|
|Filing date||Mar 5, 2002|
|Priority date||Mar 6, 2001|
|Also published as||CN1287733C, CN1457246A, EP1366712A1, EP1366712A4, US20040094613, WO2002069803A1|
|Publication number||10468850, 468850, PCT/2002/1998, PCT/JP/2/001998, PCT/JP/2/01998, PCT/JP/2002/001998, PCT/JP/2002/01998, PCT/JP2/001998, PCT/JP2/01998, PCT/JP2001998, PCT/JP2002/001998, PCT/JP2002/01998, PCT/JP2002001998, PCT/JP200201998, PCT/JP201998, US 7028547 B2, US 7028547B2, US-B2-7028547, US7028547 B2, US7028547B2|
|Inventors||Norihiko Shiratori, Kazutoyo Ichikawa, Hideki Tamura, Yuji Izawa, Masaki Terashima|
|Original Assignee||Microstone Co., Ltd.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (20), Referenced by (125), Classifications (32), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention relates to a device for detecting physical movements.
There are proposed various inventions relating to such a device. The device is worn on a body of a user to detect physical movements of the body by a sensor and the movement condition is determined based on the detected data so as to be used for health control and other objectives. For example:
The devices in the above described conventional inventions (1), (2) and (3) are not small enough and are therefore often burdens to users.
An object of the present invention is to provide a small and a lightweight device which will be less burdensome to the user when worn.
According to the present invention, there is provided a movement detecting device comprising a container, at least a first vibrator which vibrates in accordance with a physical movement in a first direction, and a second vibrator which vibrates about a second direction, the first and second vibrators being mounted in the container, a converting means for converting the vibrations of the first and second vibrators into at least one electric signal, a display for indicating a value of the converted signal.
The first vibrator comprises a pair of parallel vibrating rods, and the second vibrator comprises a tuning fork.
The converting means comprises an elastic plate made of a piezoelectric material and detector electrode films attached to the vibrators.
The container is housed in a case and the case is adapted to be worn on a wrist.
The first vibrator detects an acceleration and the second vibrator detects an angular velocity.
The first direction is a vertical direction the second direction is a direction within a vertical plane.
The present invention further provides a movement detecting device comprising a piezoelectric plate supported on a supporter, a plurality of electrode films disposed and adhered in three radial directions on the piezoelectric plate, a mass loading element attached on the underside of a center of the piezoelectric plate, and a display for indicating outputs of the electrode films.
The tuning fork comprises a pair of outer prongs and a middle prong between the outer prongs.
The tuning fork is disposed at a center and the vibrating rods are disposed at both sides of the tuning fork in parallel to the fork in longitudinal direction thereof.
Each of the vibrating rods has a base, a fixing portion thereof is secured to the container and an end portion is attached to the container by way of a fixing portion smaller in area than the fixing portion at the base.
A first embodiment of a physical movement detecting and analyzing device according to the present invention will now be described.
The movement sensor 4 is adapted to measure acceleration and angular velocity in at least one direction with respect to a certain direction of the movement measuring device 1. An acceleration Gx shown in the drawing corresponds to that of a vertical direction of the body, namely the perpendicular direction (hereinafter referred to as an X-axis) when the user standing up naturally lets his arm fall along the body. The direction of a measured angular velocity ωz corresponds to the natural rotating direction of the lower arm about the right-to-left axis (Z-axis) of the body when the arm is rotated in parallel to the side of the body.
The reason why the movement sensor 4 is disposed in parallel to the display 5 is explained hereinafter. Provided that the movement measuring device 1 is worn like a watch so that the display surface is disposed at the back side or the palm side of the wrist, when the body is upright and the upper arm is bent and stretched at the elbow or the upper arm is rotated about the shoulder, the rotating surface becomes parallel to the side of the body and hence to the display surface of the measuring device 1 worn on the wrist like a watch, that is the display 5. Thus, it is preferable to dispose the movement sensor 4 in parallel to the display 5 so that an angular velocity sensor provided within the sensor 4 has a rotation detecting surface thereof parallel to the largest surface of the device.
The angular velocity sensor portion 17 is a portion having a shape of a so-called three-pronged tuning fork comprising first outer prong 18, second outer prong 19, middle prong 20, each formed in a shape of an L, fork base 21, and a fulcrum 22. As in the ordinary two-pronged tuning fork, each of the outer prongs 18 and 19 is cantilevered so as to vibrate in symmetry with respect to the symmetry axis at a predetermined frequency dependent on a vibrating current from an oscillating circuit provided in a angular velocity measuring circuit (not shown). Although the middle prong 20 does not vibrate, a detecting electrode (not shown) is attached to each of the four surfaces of the middle prong so as to detect the deflections thereof. Additional mass elements 23, 24, 25 are formed by thick metal plating layers on the tip ends of the respective prongs so that the natural frequencies are decreased and equalized to those of other prongs. Alternatively, the natural frequency of the middle prong 20 may be adapted to differ from those of the outer prongs as appropriate.
When the movement sensor vibrator 12 is rotated at an angular velocity ωz in the direction shown in the figure, that is, about a rotational axis parallel to a Z-axis which is perpendicular to the face of the paper, a Coriolis force proportional to the angular velocity is generated at both of the outer vibrating prongs 18 and 19. The direction of the Coriolis force is in the longitudinal direction of the prongs, and if a force oriented toward the tip end is applied to the prong 18 at a certain instant, a force oriented toward the base of the prong 19 is applied. The directions of the forces change in a sine curve and are periodically inverted in synchronism with the vibrations of the prongs. Since the outer prongs are disposed apart from each other in parallel to each other, and the eccentric directions of the additional mass elements oppose each other with respect to the axis of the prongs, the two forces constitute a couple of forces, so that the fork base 21 sways, thereby generating very small rotational vibrations about the fulcrum 22. The middle prong 20, sensing the vibration of the fork base 21 caused by a moment generated by the Coriolis force, vibrates at an amplitude which is in proportion to the Coriolis force. A vibration voltage extracted from the detecting electrode provided on the middle prong 20 is a detected signal representing the angular velocity ωz which is then converted into a display signal and shown on the display 5.
The acceleration sensor potion 16 of the movement sensor vibrator 12 comprises a pair of vibrating rods 27 and 28, each of which is supported at an end thereof and which vibrates in parallel to each other, and an additional mass element 30. The mass of the additional mass element 30 is a sum of a mass of a large portion of the material forming the base and a mass of the thick plating formed on the surface thereof. The additional mass element 30 comprises a pair of supporting springs 31 and 32 disposed apart from each other, thereby forming two blank spaces. Together with the fixing portion 15, the supporting springs support the additional mass element 30 so as to allow the mass element to be slightly displaced in an X-direction shown in the drawing. The fixing portion 15 holds the additional mass element 30 to prevent the excessive displacement thereof in Y- and Z-directions, but allows a slight displacement in the X-direction. The vibrating rods 27 and 28, the ends of which are fixed, are each vibrated by an oscillating circuit in a vibrating posture which is an arch symmetric to that of the other with respect to the symmetry axis of the movement sensor vibrator 12.
Although the oscillating frequency is normally constant, when an acceleration Gx in the X-direction shown in the figure is exerted on the additional mass element 30, the vibrating rods 27 and 28 are compressed or expanded in the longitudinal direction, so that the oscillating frequency is increased or decreased and hence changed. Accordingly, a reference frequency is set so as to be compared with the changing frequency, so that the changing direction and the amount of the change is detected at the detecting electrodes provided on the vibrating rods 27 and 28, thereby enabling to detect the acceleration Gx in the direction of the X-axis. The oscillating frequencies of the outer prongs 18 and 19, which are the vibrators for the angular velocity sensor, may be used instead.
The outputs, namely the measured acceleration Gx and angular velocity ωz are processed in various manner so as to be used for determining the type of movements and calculating energy consumption. The final information is immediately shown on the display 5 on the wrist for the user to monitor. Additionally, the data before, during and after the calculation are transmitted to a stationary computer through wireless, or daily data through a cable so that the final information may be visualized or recorded based on the calculation at the computer.
One of the features of the present invention lies in the algorism for obtaining required information from the acceleration Gx and the angular velocity ωz. An outline of the algorism is described and the operation thereof is explained in detail with reference to a flowchart hereinafter.
The measured values of acceleration Gx and angular velocity ωz are data sampled at 10 to 100 Hz, for example at 20 and 50 Hz. Moreover, as the amount representing the levels of the acceleration Gx and angular velocity ωz, a sum of the absolute values or a sum of the power of the absolute values of predetermined numbers of the sampled data are used.
(1) Identifying physical action: If there is a certain degree of periodicity in the sampling data of the acceleration Gx and angular velocity ωz, it is determined that the physical movement is either walking or running. If not, the movement is other exercises. In addition, the walking and running can be discriminated from each other by the difference in the acceleration Gx. These movements can be further classified into several intensity levels by the amount representing the levels of the acceleration Gx and angular velocity ωz. Moreover, the number of steps is used when there is a periodicity in order to determine walking or running.
(2) Short-term energy consumption: Energy consumption for various types of movement per unit weight (kg) is given as shown in Table 1 as a “coefficient per movement” based on those of a male of 20 to 29 years of age (from Sports Science Committee of Japan Amateur Sports Association). Additionally, correction coefficients for other age groups and sex are given as shown in Table 2. Accordingly, when the type of the movement is determined, the energy consumption can also be calculated.
COEFFICIENT PER MOVEMENT
Having a meal
Driving a car
Rest or chat
Hobby and entertainment
Using vacuum cleaner
Using washing machine
Ping pong exercise
Level ground 10 km/hr
Uphill 10 km/hr
CORRECTING COEFFICIENT BASED ON AGE AND SEX
(3) Long-term energy consumption: A long-term energy consumption can be obtained by integrating the short-term energy consumption which changes in accordance with time. Alternatively, the movement sensor can be operated intermittently instead of constantly. In such a case, when the type and the strength of a movement is determined dependent on the data obtained while in motion, the calculated energy consumption is added up assuming that the same movement has continued during the interval between the intermittent operation, for example for several to ten odd minutes.
At a step 47, a periodicity is determined. When the ratio b/a is smaller than 7, (b/a<7), it is determined that a periodicity does not exist and the program proceeds to a junction A to calculate the consumed energy for a non-periodic movement. When the ratio b/a is larger than 7 (b/a≧7), it is determined that the user is either walking or running. A peak frequency of the angular velocity ωz is multiplied by two and then doubled for a two-second period to obtain the number of steps taken during the two-second period at a step 48. The ratio b/a of 7 used as a criterion for determining the types of the movement is selected based on experiments and is a value most deemed appropriate when the sum of absolute values is used as the data. At a step 49, the step count is displayed, and the count corresponding up to the maximum of 24 hours, for example, and the variation thereof ranging several days are stored. The program then proceeds to a starting point B of the flow for calculating the consumed energy during walking or running.
At a step 53, consumed energy is calculated in accordance with the following equation.
consumed energy [kcal]=movement coefficient [kcal/kg/min]×weight [kg]×time [minute]×correcting coefficient
At a step 54, the consumed energy is shown and stored, and in addition, the data are transferred through a wireless or a cable to the external computer as required. It is appropriate to display the consumed energy every 15 minutes, or a daily value, for example. When the data processing is completed, the program returns from an end C to the step 44 of
When the movement is walking or running, the program goes from the step 49 to a step 55 in
The usability of the present invention is hereinafter examined with reference to
The embodiment of the present invention is not confined to the one described above. For example, although the detecting directions of the acceleration and the angular velocity are both in single direction in the above described embodiment, a biaxial or triaxial acceleration and angular velocity sensors may be provided, in which case there is an advantage of increasing the information for analyzing the movements. In addition, it becomes possible to calculate the maximum and minimum absolute values of the accelerations and angular velocities without depending on the attitude and orientation of the device. If the measuring direction of the device is deflected caused by the tendency of the user as in the case of the subject R in
The movement sensor of the movement measuring device can be worn on other places such as upper arm, breast, waist, and leg, besides the wrist. The measured values from these devices are used singularly, or with the values measured at the wrist, to obtain a more accurate movement analysis. For example, when the angular velocity sensor is worn on a leg, the analysis of the exercise on a bicycle is facilitated.
In addition, instead of constructing the device worn on the wrist to have all of the functions, a device provided with minimum functions limited to those related to sensors may be provided so that the device is made small in size and light in weight to decrease the burden exerted on the user. The functions of calculation and thereafter are divided between a device worn on the waist and a mobile telephone to display the analysis results and the data are transmitted to a host computer. In this way, a certain degree of consideration may be paid to a pacemaker user.
Besides the calculation function described above, the device may be provided with a special detection function to contribute to the safety of the user. For example, in the case where the acceleration and angular velocity is hardly detected within a certain period of time, or a detected at a unthinkably low frequency, it may be that the user has fainted. If the user falls down, the movement sensor temporarily produces an output of an abnormal waveform, such as that showing a shock. There may further be a case where the user severely beats or shakes the device as a sign calling for help in emergency. The movement measuring device may be adapted to detect a pattern peculiar to such a sign movement and at the same time, transmit an emergency signal by sound or wireless. For emitting a sound, a speaker provided in the device is used, and when using a wireless, a radio wave is transmitted to an external equipment, or a rescue signal is transmitted by way of a radio transmitting device such as a mobile phone which the user has. When the device detects an abnormal value in acceleration or angular velocity, the rescue signal producing function is carried out with priority in the regular processing routine shown in
In addition, there are further provided power supply batteries 66, transmission module 67 having a transmitting and receiving IC, and a transmission substrate 68 on which the IC and an antenna of the transmission module 67 are mounted.
The case 60 is worn on a wrist with a band 70 wound around thereof. When a gesture or hand motion for a sign is made, information corresponding to the sign is shown on the display window 61, and at the same time, transmitted to an external device through a wireless. The movement sensor 63 is in a shape of a shallow box and is disposed in parallel to the display 64 and the circuit board 65.
The acceleration detecting portion of the sensor vibrator 71 comprises two pairs of vibrating rods 78A, 78B, 79A, 79B, formed in a pair of openings 76 and 77, interposing the three-pronged tuning fork, and an additional mass element 80 connected thereto. Each pair of vibration rods vibrate in symmetry in an open and close direction as shown by a vibrating posture 81. When an acceleration Gy in the Y-direction perpendicular to the arm of the user is exerted, there is generated an inertia on a loading mass which is a sum of the mass of the additional mass element 80 and that of the piezoelectric material directly underneath the mass element. The inertia applies a tension or a compression to each vibration rods, thereby affecting the natural frequencies thereof. The changes in the natural frequencies are directly or indirectly calculated by an arbitrary method, so that the acceleration Gy is obtained. The vibration rods may be provided singularly on each side of the sensor vibrator 71 as in the first embodiment so as to be vibrated symmetrically.
An underside of a base 83 of the sensor vibrator 71 is adhered to an upper surface of a pedestal 84 which is attached on a bottom of the container. The additional mass element 80 has a fixing portion 86 having a small area is mounted by way of a pair of supporting springs 85 on an upper surface of a pedestal 87 attached on the bottom of the container so that the sensor vibrator can be easily moved in the Y-direction but not in the undesirable X- and Z-directions.
The sensor vibrator 71 provided in the movement sensor 63 has an acceleration sensor portion 91 and an angular velocity sensor portion 92. The sensors and detecting circuits 93 and 94 operate so that the movement measuring device 58 produces an acceleration signal and an angular signal in time series.
When a user of the movement measuring device 58, for example, a handicapped person, presses the manipulating switch 62, a driving circuit 103 is operated. When the user makes a gesture, the acceleration signal and the angular velocity signal detected at the sensor portions 91, 92 and detecting circuits 93 and 94 are stored as waveforms at waveform storing means 96, 97, respectively, for a predetermined period of time. Characteristics and the combined conditions of the signal waveforms are checked at characteristic extracting circuits 98 and 99. The detected characteristics are compared with basic patterns of signals at a message determining circuit 100 so that it is determined which sign the user has made, and a signal corresponding to the result is generated. The circuits 98, 99 and 100 constitute the core of a movement analyzing means (circuit). The generated signal comprises a display signal and a transmission signal, and the former is applied to a display means 101 so that the signal is converted into letters, marks or sound and displayed for the user to confirm by a confirming means 104. Meanwhile, the transmission signal is externally transmitted through a transmission means 102.
The message confirming means 104 prevents a sign which is unintentional or erroneously detected from being transmitted, so that the operation of the transmission means 102 without the user's confirmation and manipulation is inhibited.
The receiving device 90 has a signal receiving means 106 for receiving the sign signal from the movement measuring device 58. The sign signal is then shown on a sign display means 107. If a receiver is not in possession of the receiving device, a communication means 108 for transmitting the signal to a mobile telephone of the receiver and a communication means 109 for transmitting the signal to a personal computer of the receiver are also driven, thereby transmitting the message. When the receiver operates the device in reply to the message, the reply signal is transmitted through a reply means 110 to a receiving means 111 provided in the measuring device 58.
The lower sensor vibrator 116L comprises a two-pronged tuning fork 118L and vibrating rods 120L formed on the either side thereof, and the upper sensor vibrator 116U comprises a two-pronged tuning fork 118U and vibrating rods 120U formed on the either side thereof. Each of the two-pronged tuning forks is an angular velocity sensor portion and differs from that of the three-pronged tuning fork of the previous example in that the angular velocity thereof is obtained by detecting vibrations in a perpendicular direction of the planer surfaces of the prongs caused by the Coriolis force generated by the rotation about a rotating axis which is in parallel to the fork.
Each of the vibrating rods 120L and 120U is an acceleration detecting portion which is not vibrated. A quantity of a piezoelectric displacement caused by a static deflection of each vibrating rod, which corresponds to the acceleration, is simply directly measured. More particularly, the sensor vibrator 116L measures elastic deflection of the vibrating rods which is represented by a displacement within a planar surface of the additional mass element thereof perpendicular to an axis of the tuning fork, thereby obtaining an acceleration GL. On the other hand, the sensor vibrator 116U measures elastic deflection perpendicular to a planar surface of the vibrating rods which is represented by a displacement perpendicular to a planar surface of the additional mass element thereof, thereby obtaining an acceleration GU. If the sensor of
Basic movements which can be easily directly detected in the case where the movements in all directions are detected by jointly using the sensors of
The piezoelectric plate 133 is made of a piezoelectric magnetic material such as lead zirconate titanate polarized in the direction of the thickness of the plate. On the upper surface of the plate, there are provided semicircular X-electrode films 135, 136, Y-electrode films 137, 138 and Z-electrode films 140, 141, 142, 143 each of which having an area approximately the half as those of other electrodes. The electrodes are formed by vapor deposition. The underside of piezoelectric plate 133 is adhered to the upper surface of the metal plate 131, the metal circular plate 131 serving as a common electrode of the piezoelectric plate 133. Each of the electrode films 135 to 143 and the metal circular plate 131 is connected to an acceleration detecting circuit.
When an acceleration Gz is applied, an inertia Fz is exerted on the center of the gravity of the mass loading element 134 as shown in
A movement analyzing circuit is provided for calculating a position vector and for determining the kind and strength of the movement.
Values of various acceleration data are integrated to obtain various position vectors within a predetermined period so as to determine the movements of a user of the movement sensing module. First of all, an average of the magnitude of the various position vectors is related to, so to speak, an amplitude of the reciprocating-movement of the arm. Thus the average can be used not only to represent the intensity of the movement but also to differentiate the movements since the level of the value thereof varies in accordance with the type of the movement. Furthermore, an average direction (azimuth angles φ and θ) of various position vectors can be deemed as inherent to a considerable degree in each type of movement. For example when comparing the movements of the arm waving in stretched state and in bent state, the direction of the movement of the sensor differs so that the direction of the position vector also differs.
A total of nine types of movements were carried out, covering both exercises of whole body and gesticulative movement involving only the arms. A bar 151 shows exercise walking, bar 152, running, bar 153, jogging, bar 154, clapping hands, bar 155, waving a hand, bar 156, slow walking, bar 157, normal walking, bar 158, rapid walking, and bar 159, walking with hands in pockets.
Regarding walking, the swing of the arm is increased as the walking speed increases, and the average angle θ is also increased, thereby increasing the Y-direction components. In exercise walking, running and jogging, the arms are bent compared to walking, so that the X-direction components are increased. The magnitude is greater in the exercise walking since the arms are consciously swayed. When hands are clapped, a large impulsive higher harmonic component is included in the acceleration information, so that in a common conventional method where movement pattern was directly extracted, the results are scattered thereby decreasing the determining accuracy. This is also true in the case of a method where the correlation between acceleration waveforms is applied. It has been found that a superior determining accuracy is achieved in the present invention.
It is obvious from
The obtained average of the position vector data is not limited to the common arithmetic mean. As far as the object lies in improving the determining accuracy of various movements, the average may be geometric average, weighted average which involves some kind of weighting, harmonic average, or may use any other method used in general for obtaining an average after converting the data to a certain function such as adopting a median and processing the data after excluding abnormal values.
The measuring device comprises a case 160 and a back 161. The case is bent about 120° when seen from the sides thereof. Thus the case having therein a bulky mounting parts can be disposed on the wrist with a relatively small thickness, thereby enabling the device to be worn closely on the wrist and improving the wearability so as not to burden the user. Bands 162 to be wound on the wrist, which are flexible, are connected to the case 160 by way of band connecting pins 163.
A display window 164 for digitally indicating time and data is formed on the front face of the case 160 and an manipulating switch panel 165 is provided on the inclined lower surface thereof. Four manipulating switches 166 are disposed on the manipulating switch panel 154. The switches are used by the user for entering data such as number of steps, calorie and weight and for transmitting data to an external device. The switches 166 can be easily faced toward the wearer and so positioned and directed as to be easily operated by the fingers of the hand on which the device is not worn. On the right side surface of the case 160, there is provided six contact pins 167 for receiving and transmitting data and for charging a secondary battery which is the power source of the device.
At the inner side of a main surface, which is a plane parallel to the larger of the areas of the L-shaped case 160, there are provided, from the upper surface of the case toward the back, an LCD panel 168, acceleration panel 173 on which the LCD panel and an acceleration sensor portion 170 are mounted, and a battery 174. At the inner side of a sub-surface, which is a plane parallel to the smaller of the areas of the L-shaped case 160, there are provided a flexible substrate extending from the LCD panel 168, LCD driver 171 mounted on the flexible substrate, CPU 172 which includes a part or the whole of the movement analyzing means, a CPU board 175 on which the CPU is mounted, switch board 176 having a switch pattern of the manipulating switches 166, and an angular sensor portion 177.
The acceleration sensor portion 170 is a single axis sensor which detects an acceleration component in a three to nine o'clock direction of the watch-shaped device, namely, the direction of the wrist to arm.
The angular velocity sensor portion 177, which has a shape of an elongated rectangular box, is a single axis sensor adapted to detect angular velocity component about a rotational axis thereof and so disposed as to render the longitudinal side thereof substantially perpendicular to the main surface. The sensor 177 is inclined about 10° instead of being completely perpendicular because there are a few users who are inclined to swing their wrist outwardly instead of parallelly to the advancing direction when the arms are swayed when walking. Thus, the detecting rotational axis of such a user may be substantially approximate to the right and left axis of the body.
The case 160 is made of a transparent resin. On the underside of the case of the portion excluding the display window 164, an underside coating 178 is provided. The coating is preferably of a light reflecting material of silver metal or pearl white. Thus, not only is the inner portion of the sensor hidden but also the appearance is improved. A part of the underside coating 178 is left uncoated so as to form an uncoated portion 180 and a plurality of LED lamps 181 are disposed opposing the portion. When the LED lamps 181 are lighted, the light enters into the case 160 through the uncoated portion 180 and utilizing the transparent case 160 as a light transmitting member, are diffused about the case so that the watch-shaped device faintly glows in the dark.
The display screen of the external device comprises a display area A, display area B and display area C. In the display area A at the top of the screen, there are disposed seven buttons for selecting various processes from the main menu or printing the screen. The left side display area B is provided for determining the user, for indicating days and months of which various calculation processes are carried out, and for recording a memorandum. The display area C is for indicating a screen on which is shown the results of various calculation processes and for setting conditions thereof as required. A calendar and operational buttons for setting the desired values, and the desired values are further shown in the area C.
Functional operations when each of the processes is selected are described hereinafter. The past data are to be read out beforehand from the watch-shaped device and stored on a hard disk for example, as a text file.
Step Count Calculating Process:
Consumed Energy and Weight Calculation Process:
Movement Pattern Calculation Process:
Print the current screen.
User Registration and Edit Process:
Other modifications besides the embodiment described above is explained hereinafter.
(1) The watch-shaped device is provided with a built-in wireless transmitter and the external device is provided with a receiver so that the user can make an arm waving gesture in emergency thereby transmitting a sign for rescue and help to a remote place.
(2) The angle of intersection between the main surface and the sub-surface is effective when in a range between 100° and 160°.
(3) Although substantive acceleration sensor and angular velocity sensors are used in the present embodiment, an integrated sensor such as that used in the first embodiment of the present invention can be used to provide a smaller movement measuring device. Furthermore, when a sensor having a detecting axis differing from those of the present embodiment is added, it will be possible to increase the number of detectable movement patterns and gesture signs.
(4) In order to render the intense light of the LED lamp which enters the case invisible from view, an outer surface of the light entering section of the case may be coated with a light-shielding material or a light-reducing material, or alternatively, the LED lamp may be disposed behind an opaque or a dark-colored member.
(5) The back may be a curved surface such as cylindrical surface in addition to the shape wherein two planes intersect.
(6) The movement measuring device may further be provided with pulse rate and blood pressure sensors so that information therefrom can be further used in combination with the detected movement information for a higher standard of health control.
A wrist watch-shaped physical movement measuring device of the fifth embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In the present embodiment, the analysis of movements as that in the first embodiment is carried out using acceleration data from a biaxial acceleration sensor without using the angular velocity sensor. Detected two data of acceleration are accelerations Gx and Gy in the X and Y directions, respectively, in
The acceleration sensor used in the fifth embodiment is the one shown in
In accordance with the present invention, with the ingenuity of using a compact movement sensor and an L-shaped case, there is provided a movement measuring device which do not burden the user even when worn for a long time, and further facilitates the movement measurement, health control, and the transmission of gesture signs, thereby increasing the usability of the device.
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|U.S. Classification||73/495, 702/189, 702/142, 702/141|
|International Classification||G01P15/18, G01C21/16, G01P13/00, G01P15/097, G01P15/00, G01P15/10, A61B5/22, G01P7/00, A61B5/11|
|Cooperative Classification||A61B5/1123, A61B5/681, G01P15/097, G01C21/16, A61B5/1118, A61B2562/0219, A61B5/222, G01P13/00, A61B5/4866, G01P15/18|
|European Classification||A61B5/68B1H, A61B5/11T, A61B5/48V, A61B5/11Q, G01P15/097, A61B5/22B2, G01C21/16, G01P15/18, G01P13/00|
|Sep 25, 2003||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: MICROSTONE CO., LTD., JAPAN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SHIRATORI, NORIHIKO;ICHIKAWA, KAZUTOYO;TAMURA, HIDEKI;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:014528/0098
Effective date: 20030909
|Sep 22, 2009||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Oct 10, 2013||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8


Constantine (2*): 3 feet
at 8.10 a.m.
A steady south westerly wind is lightly blowing ashore this morning, just putting a mild slop onto that three foot swell.
It feels a lot milder with this wind direction but it is still a bit chilly, bright enough and cheery enough but with those clouds still loitering over there.
So, the tide isn’t far off high and the surf is three feet and a little raggedy with not much chance of improving through the day. The young ‘uns are going to love the launch ramps that are bouncing up but the flow riders are going to find it all a bit bouncy out there.
Let’s have a little look over Harlyn.
In the meantime have a great Burns’ Night, ‘Lang may yer lum reek!’.
Harlyn (2*): 2 feet
There’s a couple of feet of lumpy surf occasionally washing in right now, the seven and a half metre tide still an hour or so off high. With the wind lightly blowing offshore you have to think that it is all going to improve as the tide drops out, although there will be that reducing effect of the tide as well. Even so, we would have afoot or two of quite clean little waves to play in as the day rolls on.
Yep, it is shaping up to be one of those small but okay winter Sundays at the ‘lyn.
Today’s Tide Times:
Low Tide: 15:12 (1.0m) High Tide: 08:45 (7.5m)
Surf Forecast for Monday 26th January 2015
And the wind is probably going to have shifted around to the north again today, the swell a little bigger but choppier and sloppier too.
We can expect four to five feet of onshore surf at all of our main breaks throughout the day, the burning question being; ’Is the south coast big enough?’.
Surf Conditions for the Start of the Week
Theres’ another big old storm galloping our way for the back half of this week with storm force winds and mountainous seas being predicted from Wednesday or Thursday.
Before that it looks as though we are in for a few days of strengthening onshore winds, those brisk and chilly north westerly winds gradually increasing in strength as we go through the week.
So, Monday looks likely to be in the four foot range, onshore and mushy everywhere on this coast with Tuesday getting just a little bigger and maybe seeing an afternoon twitch in the wind to the south west making Harlyn a possibility just for the last couple of hours of the day.
And then the surf should increase in size throughout Wednesday, growing in size as the wind strength increases until we get that next big blow through on Thursday. Batten those hatches down again, it is still a little way until Spring!
Have a great week, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing!


text:
Including a golden chain, featuring a circle charm decorated with a small multicolored stone horn, this necklace gives you the possibility to embellish your look.
Lead and nickel free
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domain: artistic


text:
I stayed in 1 bed-room suite on the club level at the Ritz-Carlton Financial Center Dubai. The suite was very spacious with a separate toilet in the living room area, a nice writing desk and a separate table to sit near the coffee maker which was a Nespresso machine and a choice of different coffees and tea’s and a kettle for hot water.
The bedroom was very cozy with all electric curtains and a separate TV. There was a walk-in dressing room and a oversized bathroom. It contained a big shower stall which included a rain shower as well as 6 massage outlets including a little bench to hold onto. A bathtub which was bigger than in most hotels and again a separate toilet, also xl-size.
Amenities were all top notch and I did not miss one thing in this beautiful suite.
The club lounge is a world of it’s own. A full bar service is available all day, including some bar chairs, a restaurant-area and some sofa’s to linger in. There was a constant choice of snacks and meals, serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, light dinner and sweets. Everything was top quality and replenished frequently. A wonderful oasis in busy Dubai.
The hotel is located in Dubai’s financial district, conveniently accessible to most business buildings, the Dubai metro, the Dubai Mall and many more places. Travel time to/from airport was only about 15 min.
There are several restaurants and bars at the Ritz-Carlton, including a coffee shop, Café Belge, a outdoor shisha lounge, a great steak house and a indoor and outdoor bar.
I had a very delightful stay and i would like to praise all the staff members working there. Each and everybody seemed to really care about their guests and gave me a very welcoming and comfortable feeling. I felt great being taken care of by such nice ambitious staff members and will certainly return there on my next stay.
I would recommend this hotel to all business travellers and people who like to stay in Dubai downtown.
One thought on “THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL, DUBAI, UAE”
Nice review, busy hotel!

domain: travel


text:
Hooray — Kristen Wiig is officially a Hollywood leading lady! The SNL fixture has already proven herself worthy with secondary roles in Adventureland, Whip It, and, lest we forget, her hilarious turn in Knocked Up as a jealous E! employee. Now, quite deservedly, she's getting her very own vehicle.
Wiig co-wrote and will star in the comedy, tentatively titled Bridesmaids, which centers around two friends competing to plan a friend's wedding party (sounds a bit like a sequel to Bride Wars). The best part of all: the Freaks and Geeks team of Judd Apatow and Paul Feig are reteaming for the project; Feig will direct, while Apatow is set to produce.
As a Freaks and Geeks nerd, I couldn't be happier about this reunion — and with Wiig starring, the film has serious potential to be hilarious. Thanks to her burgeoning film career, I wouldn't be surprised to see her saying sayonara to SNL. Do you think she has the chops to handle a leading role?

domain: celebrity


text:
Congressional News Conference
Members of congress speak to reporters after meeting with President George H.W. Bush.
People in this video
Pete V. Domenici U.S. Senator [R] New Mexico
Newt Gingrich U.S. Representative [R] Georgia
Bob Packwood U.S. Senator [R] Oregon
- White HouseWhite House
House Republican Conference
House Republicans held a press conference to discuss their idea of a bill they proposed which dealt with a tax bill…
A Salute to Representative Newt Gingrich
This program was a salute to Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia).
Republican House Agenda
New House Republican whip Rep. Gingrich talked about the House agenda and his own plans. After his presentation he…

domain: news


12 Years of Technology Education
Wow! What a journey it has been over the past year. We organised the IDE Series 2019 competition at F1 pit building for the first time, we got interviewed by CNA, and we moved into our brand new C4RL-WEST location at Rochester Mall. Not everything has been smooth sailing so far. The past month we had our trainings suspended because of COVID-19, and we had to quickly modify our classes into online home-based learning format. Even amidst the challenging times our team managed to learn how to do video live streams to engage parents on some free and interesting activities they can do at home!
Today, 22 April 2020, marks our 12th Anniversary since we first banded together as a group of friends to start Nullspace. It’s been a long journey but we are glad to have your support along the way. THANK YOU!
From the Nullspace Team
May School Holidays Schedule
As announced by MOE, the mid year school holidays will be brought forward to 5 May – 1 June 2020. We have also decided to bring forward our school holiday programmes to support learning at home. The following classes will be conducted in an online home-based learning format via video conferencing. It will be kept to a maximum of 3 students per instructor to allow for more personalised instruction and guidance (check out our HBL guidelines).
Pre-requisite: 9 years old and up
Instead of playing games made by others, why not code up your own game? Our Junior Game Developer using Scratch course promises a fun entryway into the world of programming and game design.
There are a total of 6 levels, each level consists of 10 hours of hands on coursework. Students get to keep all game projects that they created!
Pre-requisite: 11 years old and up
Our Junior Data Analyst programme uses the popular Python programming language. This course serves as foundation to use Python to introduce topics such as data analytics, machine learning, and computer vision.
There are a total of 6 levels, each level consists of 10 hours of hands on coursework.
Pre-requisite: Completion of RCP Beginner 1 / Basic proficiency in EV3 recommended
Our VRT Mission Pack was created to provide kids with an opportunity to practice their EV3 programming activity at home during the circuit breaker period. We have created 9 progressive missions and their associated virtual playfields using the Virtual Robotics Toolkit software. Using the same LEGO Mindstorms EV3 software, you can program your virtual robot to follow your commands! Challenge our 9 mission VRT Mission Pack this school holiday season.
Stuck on a mission? No worry! Each Mission Pack purchase comes with two 30 mins EV3 VRT Online Training consultation sessions. Our instructors will be at hand to provide guidance and troubleshooting help, Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 6.30pm!
New Course Package Pricing and Promotion
We will be introducing our new course package pricing across all C4RL courses and levels (except Junior Robotics using LEGO WeDo). This means that a single course package can be
- Used across course levels
- Used across course offerings
- Shared among siblings/friends
We hope that this can provide more flexibility in course registration and provide more cost savings for purchasing more course sessions!
For a limited time till 4 May 2020, we are offering our 8 session course package at $560 (20% off u.p. $700). This package can be used across all C4RL courses and levels (except for Junior Robotics using LEGO WeDo). The course package will be valid for 2 years. Check it out!
Upcoming Webinars and Livestreams
Running out of ideas to engage the kids at home? Do not fret! We have curated and developed a set of activities for effective home-based learning. Check out our upcoming and past Facebook livestream webinars where we show you how to get started on robotics and coding projects at home for free.


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“The King Stag” Set for Holidays at Casper College
Tickets are now on sale for the holiday offering “The King Stag” by the theatre and dance department at Casper College. “The King Stag” will run November 30 and December 1-3 and 6-9 in the Thomas H. Empey Studio Theatre.
The play continues the department’s theme of “Fables, Folklore, and Fantasy,” with a play written in the traditional “commedia dell’arte” style featuring the magic of masked characters, according to William Conte, director. “The King Stag” is a fable, with all the fantasy and fun the word implies, he said.
In the college’s production, the characters are imagined as “dolls” being manipulated by the hand of an unseen child. The characters are all masked in traditional “commedia” fashion, which has the effect of making the actors seem more like objects than people.
“What has emerged is fascinating to watch – it reminds me of some of the less-intense episodes of ‘The Twilight Zone,’ or those old Rankin-Bass Claymation Christmas specials. For this reason, there is a childlike innocence to the proceedings which we hope will make for a great theatre-going experience, especially for families …, and which we also hope will resonate with the wonder of the Christmas season now upon us,” Conte said.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students 5-18 and are available online at caspercollegearts.cc, at the box office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, by phone at 307-268-2500, or one hour before each performance, for that performance only. “The King Stag” is suitable for ages 10 and above.
The Empey Theatre is located in the Gertrude Krampert Center for Theatre and Dance on the Casper College campus.
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domain: entertainment


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It was agreed that Vučković would soon visit Albania as part of efforts by both countries to expand bilateral cooperation in agriculture, and further strengthen trade.
The two countries have excellent relations and work together to achieve their common interests through mutual political and technical support.
The Croatian Paying Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development and the Albanian Agency for Rural Development have already signed a cooperation agreement, and next week the Croatian Agency is organising a workshop on improving the quality of internal audits for a delegation from the Albanian Agency.
In 2020, the two countries’ agriculture ministries agreed veterinary conditions for exports of egg products and designed a veterinary certificate, given the considerable potential of the Albanian market for exports of animal products from Croatia.
Croatia has a surplus in trade in agricultural and food products with Albania and a high coverage of imports by exports of as much as 974%, the ministry said.
Albania is a considerable export market for small pelagic fish from Croatia, notably anchovy.
For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

domain: agronomy


A ‘Jeopardy!’ Winner Studied How Trivia Experts Recall Facts
When contestants play “Jeopardy!,” it can be amazing to see how quickly they seem to recall even the most random, obscure facts. One multi-time “Jeopardy!” contestant, Dr. Monica Thieu, noticed something interesting about the way that she and her fellow contestants were recalling tidbits of information. They weren’t just remembering the facts, but also the context of how they learned them: where they were, what they read, who they were with. Hypothesizing that for trivia superstars, information was strongly tied to the experience of learning it, she put that anecdotal evidence to the test. The results of her research were recently published in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.
SciFri producer Kathleen Davis talks with Dr. Thieu, a psychology researcher at Emory University, and Dr. Mariam Aly, assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University, and a co-author of the new study. They discuss the psychology of trivia, how to get better at it, and why some people seem to be much more adept at recalling fun trivia facts than others.
Below, we’ll ask you the final Jeopardy question that ended Amy Schneider’s historic winning streak. Once you enter your response, you’ll see the correct answer.
Invest in quality science journalism by making a donation to Science Friday.
Dr. Monica Thieu is a Jeopardy winner and a psychology researcher at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Mariam Aly is an assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University in New York, New York.
SPEAKER: I love doing trivia. Every couple of weeks, I go to my local dive bar for trivia night. I’m also an avid Jeopardy watcher. But despite all this, I’m still not very good.
But rather than give up on my dream of being a top tier trivia player, this got me thinking. Can I actually get better at trivia? And why are some people better at it than others? A new study in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin & Review looked at exactly this. And here to break down the psychology of trivia are two coauthors of that paper, Dr. Monica Thieu, psychology researcher at Emory University and a Jeopardy winner. She’s based in Atlanta, Georgia; and Dr. Mariam Ali, assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University, in New York. Welcome, both of you, to Science Friday.
MONICA THIEU: It’s amazing to be here. Thank you.
MARIAM ALI: Yeah, thanks so much for having us. I’m really excited.
SPEAKER: Yeah, so am I. So Monica, tell me a little bit about where the idea for this study came from? I mean, was it from your time on Jeopardy?
MONICA THIEU: Yeah. I mean, to be fully frank, since I first was on Jeopardy as a senior in high school, when I went to college and I majored in psychology, I was like, one day, I’m going to have a research study where we can call Ken Jennings and ask him to come in and get his brain scan.
MONICA THIEU: Which we didn’t scan anyone’s brains for this study. So still do it. But I have been curious for a long time about how trivia experts’ memory, I suppose including mine, is maybe different than other people’s. Because I’ve always known other people in my classes, in my grad programs, who are so smart. And yet they all were like, Monica, why do you know all this random stuff? And so it really wasn’t until I was in grad school, where I felt like I had enough of a science idea to actually do a research study about it.
SPEAKER: So you didn’t get to scan Ken Jennings’s brain. But did you talk to other Jeopardy contestants about this?
MONICA THIEU: Yeah. So in 2019, I was invited back to do the Jeopardy all-star games. And while I was there, I was meeting other Jeopardy champions who were so great and so smart and so knowledgeable. And as we were talking about people’s experience of knowing and remembering trivia, something that I realized that we seem to have in common was that all the experts that I talked to seemed to have a really good memory for the episodic details of when they learned trivia facts.
So like, Where were you? What textbook? What class? Where did you sit? What trip did you go on where you saw this in a museum? All of that side memory, that is about learning the facts, but not necessarily specifically the information itself.
SPEAKER: Very interesting. So how did you actually test this idea, Monica?
MONICA THIEU: So when Mariam and I were designing this research study, we knew that we had to try to teach people new facts in the lab. Because if you’re trying to recruit some trivia experts and some trivia non-experts to do a study, so the big issue is that half of your participants already know a bunch of stuff. And so then we’re not testing their memory for learning new things. We’re only testing their memory for stuff they already know.
So what I did with Lauren, our third co-author, was we basically, literally went to the library and checked out reference books and went to EncyclopediaBritannica.com and spent so much time on there collecting lots of obscure facts to put together these little, quote unquote, “science and history” museums. So what these museums really are is it’s an online task where on each exhibit page, you would see a little picture of an exhibit item, so maybe like a particular musical instrument from history. And you’d also see a little paragraph place card giving you some information about that musical instrument. And you’d be read the fact on the place card by a narrator.
So what we had people do is we had them go through these museums one exhibit at a time. Then after they went through these museums, we tested their memory for three different things. So first, we tested their memory for trivia facts that they would have learned from the place cards. Then we tested their memory for which exhibit pictures they saw.
So let’s say you saw a picture of a Hardanger fiddle, which, in this case, is like a Norwegian violin-like instrument. They used it in the Lord of the Rings– The Two Towers for the Rohan theme. It’s great. But let’s say we show you two different pictures of two Hardanger fiddles. One is the one you saw before, and one is a slightly different picture of a different fiddle. But you can’t use your memory to say one is a fiddle and one is not. You have to remember exactly which one you saw.
So after we tested people’s memory for the facts they saw and the exhibit pictures, finally we tested their memory for which museum they saw that picture in. Because we showed people these exhibits in two different, quote unquote, “museums.” One was called the Amber Archives, where everything was orange themed. And one was called the Cobalt Collections, where everything was blue themed.
So then when we analyzed the data, we looked at, A, How was people’s memory for the facts that they learned in the study? And B, does memory for the picture that you saw in the exhibit and which museum you saw it in seem to correlate with your memory for the fact itself?
SPEAKER: OK, super fascinating. So Mariam, when you took a look at all this data, what did you find?
MARIAM ALI: So what we found is that trivia experts were better at learning brand new, novel facts in our experiment. So these are facts they’d only seen before in our study, and they were better at acquiring these new facts. But they didn’t have better memory overall. So if we just ask them to indicate which of the two photographs they saw in the exhibit, they weren’t better at that than people who weren’t experts. So their memory wasn’t better across the board, but they seemed to be uniquely good at learning new facts.
And the critical thing that we found was that in trivia experts, but not non-experts, when they remembered a new fact they were also more likely to remember multiple features about how they learned it. So they remembered the details of the museum exhibit, like whether it was the Amber Archives or the Cobalt Collections, and the specific photo that was paired with that fact. So that really nicely dovetails with the anecdotal reports from experts that when they recall a fact, they remember details about how and where they learned it.
SPEAKER: Super interesting. So, Mariam, I mean, why do some people remember better than others? Do we know, is that information stored in maybe different parts of the brain?
MARIAM ALI: That’s a really good question. In this particular study, we don’t know whether trivia experts are better able to bind this unique information about the fact and the episode because of something different about how they’re paying attention, if it’s something different about how their memory systems work, or if it’s something else altogether. We do know that they don’t seem to be trying to do this intentionally, so it doesn’t seem to be a strategy that trivia experts have that non-experts don’t have.
But we don’t know yet whether it’s something related to how they pay attention during the learning experience. Do they attend more broadly, whereas non-experts might attend more narrowly? Or is it something related to how their memory systems work? So is it just that their episodic memory system and their fact memory systems are more tightly coupled than those of non-experts?
SPEAKER: So, I mean, can I take this information and apply it to my own learning? Can I train myself to become the winner of my local bars trivia, Mariam?
MARIAM ALI: I wish I could answer that. I could speculate. Based on our results, we don’t know whether this is going to be trainable. So we’d like to think that given that trivia experts have these super bound memories between what they learned and how they learned it, that maybe if we could get non-experts to try to bind those pieces of information together, maybe they’d become more like the experts. And to answer that question, we’d really have to do another study where we try to train people to show these memory signatures of experts by binding together what they learned and how they learned it.
SPEAKER: So can you walk me through. There’s this concept of the memory palace. Can you walk me through what this is and what it means?
MARIAM ALI: Yeah, so the memory palace is a related, but really relevant concept. So when we think about a memory palace, for example, if I need to memorize– and for reference, I’m way too lazy to learn how to do this stuff. But if I need to memorize, let’s say I shuffle a deck of cards, and I lay out all the shuffled cards. And I need to remember the order of each of the 52 cards only by looking at the deck for 15 or 20 seconds.
What I might do is I might prepare for each of the 52 cards. Let’s say the queen of spades, versus the 3 of diamonds. I might prepare for each of those a particular really vivid image that I then place in a memory representation of a physical location that I know really well. So let’s say my apartment building or my office.
And then if I need to remember a list of arbitrary things, like the cards in the deck, I can place each of those card-like mental images. So for example, for the 3 of clubs, maybe it’s like Jerry Seinfeld, or something. I can place each of those people, places, ideas into my memory palace, in this case, my mental image of my apartment. And as I walk around, and I go through the list, it’ll help me remember the information in that list better.
Because people’s episodic memory, their memory for places, experiences, and perceptual information– so what we can see, hear, or taste, smell, et cetera– it’s really good. And so memorizing lists is not something that people are generally as good at. So the memory palace is believed to work because it allows us to leverage the episodic memory system for remembering places and experience and especially navigating through places and seeing things, that it allows us to use that system to help us remember lists of things.
The way we think this relates to the memory that we study is that we don’t actually think that trivia experts are using a memory palace. But the memory palace shows us that when we use episodic memory, it can help us remember some non-episodic memory or fact information better and that maybe trivia experts are doing something in the other direction, where because their episodic memory and their fact memory are naturally talking to each other more, that that helps them remember the facts better.
SPEAKER: Thank you, both, so much for joining me, Dr. Monica Thieu, psychology researcher at Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dr. Mariam Ali, assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University, in New York.
MONICA THIEU: Thank you. It’s been fun.
MARIAM ALI: Thank you so much. It’s been a pleasure.


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Paper cat litter is one of the many options you will come across when looking for the best litter for your cat.
This litter type contains pellets or granules of recycled paper, so it is great for the environment as well as having a whole host of other benefits.
Note that cat litters are not one-size-fits-all as you have to get one that is appropriate for your pet. Some factors like ease of cleaning, safety, and price will help you select a pet litter. With so many brands of cat litter, it doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of information on how to select one. You first need to know what to expect from the cat litter you get.
Paper Cat Litter Benefits
These types of cat litters have several advantages, one of which is that they are dust free. When selecting a cat litter, the amount of dust it produces will matter greatly.
We have already written a post about the best types of dust free cat litter, and this is important if you or your cat suffer from respiratory conditions of allergies.
As paper cat litter are dust free, this also means that it can be used when you are litter training a kitten. Although most people will use a pellet or clay based litter, you may prefer to use paper cat litter having tried a few alternatives.
This litter type is soft on cat paws, which is ideal for animals with recent surgical wounds or for a cat with declawed paws that requires soft surfaces.
A final advantage, and perhaps one of the most important is that the use of recycled newspapers is good for the environment. This not only helps the planet, but it also leads to a lack of fragrance which is a big advantage as some cats may refuse to use a scented litter box.
Cons of Paper Cat Litter
One of the cons that cat litters have is that they don’t clump. A litter that does not clump allows urine to stay where it is and makes it hard to scoop.
Recycled paper pellets are not flushable, so you cannot dispose of the litter in the toilet as you can with other types of flushable cat litter. It is also not advisable to compost this type of cat litter.
Best Paper Cat Litters
There are a number of different brands to choose from if you would like to use a paper cat litter, so we have reviewed 3 of our favourites to allow you to compare:
Breeder Celect Cat Litter
- Leading brand of paper cat litter
- Comes in the form of compressed cylindrical pellets
- Available in 10, 20 or 30 litres
- Easy to pour spout
£11.99 (30 litres)
One of the most highly rated paper cat litters available is Breeder Celect cat litter.
This litter is made from 99% recycled paper and comes in the form of compressed cylindrical pellets.
It offers all of the above listed benefits of paper cat litter, and it is available in packs of 10, 20 or 30 litres. The packs include newly designed handles which make them easy to lift and carry, and they also include an easy to pour spout giving you more control over the amount of litter that is used.
Bio-Catolet Cat Litter
- Lightweight and dust free
- 100% ecological paper pellets
- Non clumping
£14 (25 litres)
Another leading brand of paper cat litter is Bio-Catolet. It contains absorbent granules from pressed waste paper, and that makes it 100% biodegradable.
The pellets are very hygienic, which is always a concern for cat owners. It also prevents insect infestations and bacterial growth.
Bio-Catolet is dust-free and offers a surface that is smooth for cat’s paws and ideal for finicky cats. The litter is lightweight making it easy to transport, and it also provides good value for money as you don't have to use a huge amount of the litter at once.
Yesterday's News Cat Litter
- Good quality paper cat litter
- Non-clumping and unscented
- Not readily available in the UK
£11.49 (plus £20 shipping to UK)
A final options is Purina’s Yesterday’s News which includes moisture-locking, low tracking pellets. Tracking is a common problem with cat litters; and so, reducing it offers a major advantage. Its absorbency is better than that of clay litters and it also provides excellent odour control.
Yesterday’s News Cat Litter is 99.7% dust-free, which is perfect for cats with respiratory and urinal tract infections. It also makes it safe for use for asthmatic people. The cat litter does not have added scents. Yesterday’s News is safe for cats and other small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. It is not toxic in cases of accidental ingestion.
When choosing a cat litter, practice caution and consider what your pet prefers. Reading objective reviews online will aid in making comparisons of the best brands of cat litter on the market.

domain: pet


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I could not have been happier with our vacation choice. It was a very short walk to the beach on a paved sidewalk which was nice for the kids. There were several excellent restaurants within walking distance and the place was so roomy with the...More
Rates are calculated based on the latest information provided. Please contact the manager/owner to confirm actual rates for your requested dates.


DANVILLE – The Boys & Girls Club of Danville is taking applications for its 10-week summer program.
The program runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday from June 8 through Aug. 14.
URBANA – Most moms know that putting a baby to sleep on his or her back rather than the belly can help prevent the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
But what about naps during the day when a parent is awake and watching over the baby? What about an older baby who can roll over to his stomach?
CHAMPAIGN — Six women from across East Central Illinois will receive the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois Champaign Service Center's Women of Distinction award.
The women were nominated by their communities and selected as role models exhibiting leadership and service in those communities and their professions. They will be honored at the 18th annual banquet April 16 at the Hawthorn Suites in Champaign.
CHAMPAIGN – When her hometown of Paxton was under a tornado threat in 2005, Kathleen Richards didn't go running for shelter.
She stood outside in the street and waited for a tornado to come take her away.
URBANA – The Urbana school district has almost doubled its number of mentors, and that program is asking for $20,000 for staff time to support those volunteers.
Barbara Linder, the mentoring coordinator for Urbana schools, said Friday that she'll ask for funding at the next school board meeting to expand the support for mentoring at Urbana High School and, to a lesser extent, at Urbana Middle School.
CHAMPAIGN – Area youths can learn about law enforcement during a five-day youth police academy this summer.
The Champaign Police Department will host a summer outreach program for youths between 12 and 18 years old.
DANVILLE – The current Danville school board late last year fulfilled one of its main functions – hiring Associate Superintendent Mark Denman as its next schools chief.
But the new board still has plenty of work ahead of it, including filling other key administrative and teaching positions; deciding how to address three outdated schools and pay for the work; ensuring that restructuring efforts are put into place and are working; ensuring that all students are meet higher learning standards; and approving a new teacher's contract, among other things.
CHAMPAIGN – Susan Gonzalez knew of one candidate she wanted to vote for in the Champaign school board race.
After hearing all seven candidates speak Thursday night, "I think I have a pretty good idea" of the others who might get her vote, she said.
CHAMPAIGN – Local teacher Kyle Sondgeroth has his pig costume all ready.
Now all he needs is for the staff and students at Champaign's Bottenfield Elementary School to help him raise $750 for the American Diabetes Association, and he'll come to school dressed as a pig on April 9.
GIFFORD – A ballot irregularity has come to light in connection with the Gifford school board election.
Candidates Mike Pflugmacher and Matt Lomax are at the bottom of the ballot for four-year terms instead of at the top, where they should be.


New lok dohori titled ‘Atmahattya’ features the voice of Purnakala BC and Balkumar Shrestha. The song is a part of album titled ‘Atmahattya’. The lyrics of the song is written by Kamal Aryal and the tune is composed by Kamal Sargam.
The music video is produced and distributed by Sankalan Sangeet. The models in the music video are Krishna Prashant and Sagun Shahi.


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BUY MORE, SAVE MORE: Order two or more copies and SAVE 35% OR MORE!
Order this beautifully illustrated allegorical short story that inspires action! The Opportunity is a perfect gift for loved ones—young and old—with dreams.
Often compared to Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree and Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go, it is destined to become a perennial classic the whole family will enjoy.
The Opportunity is a lyrical tale of a boy waiting for his ship to come in—a famed ship with golden sails called the Opportunity. When the ship appears, the boy rushes to meet it, his fate and fortune on his mind, but uncertainty slows him, doubt stops him, and fear turns him around.
A poignant and powerful parable, masterfully written by Joel Ackerman and beautifully illustrated by Ania Tomicka, The Opportunity will captivate and inspire dreamers of all ages, leave you pondering, and stay with you for the rest of your life.
***NOTE: Books are IN STOCK NOW and ship same or next day. (Sat & Sun orders ship Monday.)

domain: library


How many of these, Woolympians, produced by Sighthill Library’s gifted knitting group, can you identify?
And as Olympic fever grips the nation, Sighthill, along with Ratho and Wester Hailes libraries, is proud to present “The Olympicks”.
We asked authors, celebrities, library staff and even some Olympians to pick a recommended read: their “Olympick” – and we’ll be sharing their selections over the coming days.
To see who chose what, and we can reveal that we have had some AMAZING choices from some pretty special people, visit the facebook pages of Ratho, Sighthill and Wester Hailes Libraries, who’ll have a new Olympick for you every day.
You can also keep up to date, and join in, with the #olympickreads hashtag on twitter.


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Carrabba s Chicken Bryan Recipe (NOT COPYCAT!) from Food.com..Another pinner states: My hometown newspaper (The Orlando Sentinel) finally published this, my favorite chicken dish ever, in their Thought youd never ask column. There are copycats on Zaar, but this is the actual recipe, as given by Carrabbas.
Pizza Hut Style Breadsticks with Dipping Sauce ~ All Homemade. This recipe is AWESOME! Tastes just like the real thing, even better knowing it is home-made! Be warned, you may not be able to stop eating these! We are gonna eat well w/ all these recipes.

domain: food


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The NPC revealed that the percentage of female elderly stood at 44.21 per cent for the years under review.
Going by the number of persons aged 60 years and above who receive pension benefits from both the private sector and the Federal Government, about 90 per cent of the elderly in Nigeria are either not receiving monthly pension or are on the pension payroll of state governments characterised with payment irregularity.
Data compiled from the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) show that only 978,200 retirees from the private sector and the Federal Government receive monthly pension under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) or the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS).
Data from PTAD show that as at March this year, there were 244,945 pensioners on the Federal Government’s pension payroll under the DBS while data from PenCom show that as at March this year, there were 733,255 elderly persons with Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) under the CPS.
Analysis shows that 471,498 elderly RSA holders were from the public sector while 261,757 were from the private sector.
It is unclear the number of elderly persons covered under the pension arrangements of subnational governments in Nigeria, but in many states pensions are meagre and payment irregular.
Apart from elderly persons covered by the pension arrangements of the private sector under the CPS and those covered by the Federal Government under the DBS and the CPS, about 9 million elderly persons are with irregular or no pension at all.
However, even with the exclusion of retirees on the pension payroll of state governments, about 8 million elderly persons are outside the pension coverage in the country.
“Populations with high proportions of the elderly are usually vulnerable to economic challenges and face the heightened challenge of access to adequate health and social care,” a recent report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated.
There are no retirement palliatives to cater for elderly persons under retirement coverage in Nigeria.
Retirees enjoy some retirement palliatives in addition to their retirement benefits in some countries in order to ensure their happiness, good health and longevity.
In Nigeria, such retirement palliatives do not exist and retirees are left to struggle and survive on their own.
Daily Trust analysis has shown that Nigeria is one of the worst countries in the world to retire based on the NATIXIS Global Retirement Index.
This is indicative of the absence of social security for the elderly in the country despite its accommodation in the constitution.
“Security and welfare of the people” have been declared as the primary purpose of government in Chapter II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
In line with this, it is important that governments at all levels figure out how to provide social security for millions of the elderly in the country who eke a living without pension.
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