After Superstorm Sandy destroyed the boardwalk business she ran for 30 years, Patty Hershey is reopening with a bigger and better facility that will offer both some familiar fare and a unique interactive exhibit.
Hershey renovated her Big Top Arcade to unveil on Monday the Shake Shoppe Arcade on the upper level and just below it, she is on the verge of also opening a unique educational facility revolving around the storm that left a devastating footprint on the Jersey Shore in October.
Hershey is working with Rutgers University’s Institute of Marine and Coastal Science to give the public a fun, interactive way to learn about Sandy and learn from it.
“It’s a good education opportunity,” Hershey told the Asbury Park Press of Neptune. “Instead of being in the classroom hearing verbiage, they’ll have a visual, hands-on way to learn about marine life and how it relates to this area.”
The idea for an educational center surfaced shortly after the storm as Hershey was speaking with friends Carol Kane of Seaside Park and Melissa Nick, who just graduated from Rutgers as a marine biology major, about how to come back from the devastation. But first, she needed to rebuild her livelihood.
In conjunction with PrimeTime Amusements, a South Florida-based international gaming company, she created the Shake Shoppe Arcade. It includes 85 Game machines, though more are on the way next week, Martha’s Sweets candy store, Hershey’s Ice Cream Shake Shoppe and the Snack Shop, which offers burgers and fries, Hershey said.
Those features still leave an open lower level that used to hold storage, antiques, computers for an eBay business and a wood shop until Sandy destroyed it all.
Hershey, Kane and Nick were brainstorming how to make the best use of the space and derived the idea of an interactive educational facility.
“We just thought, wouldn’t it be nice if kids around here learned about what happened during the storm,” Hershey said. “We pitched it to Rutgers and they were very interested.”
Hershey also is discussing with Rutgers about using another one of her boardwalk properties to create a coastal research field station.
As a student getting to stand alongside some of her professors for the planning of both ventures, Nick, 24, said she is excited to help create opportunities for future generations to learn the importance of the ocean and environmental awareness.
“I would love to see the destruction and suffering caused from Hurricane Sandy be made into a positive venture,” Nick said.
Michael Kennish, a research professor for the Institute with expertise in estuarine and marine ecology, said the group of Rutgers and borough officials involved have been meeting to discuss the project, which is preliminary, and are seeking grants to get it moving.
Kennish said the idea is to open an educational outreach facility with science-based interactive exhibits and materials focused on subjects like Sandy, the problems it created, weather conditions at the Shore, and shore protection. Run by Rutgers, they could put on display marine robotics and image technology that the Institute — ranked fourth nationwide — uses for its research and forecasts, he said.
Eventually, the facility would run summer camps, Kennish said.
“Sandy was such a historical storm,” he said. “It put in place a context and need to have information for people and it’s good to have it at the Shore where Sandy had such an impact on people’s lives.”
2013年5月27日星期一
Maquinitas hold tantalizing clues
“No! No! No! Arrrrgh,” cried out Barbara Sciandra in a strangled tone, hands clutching the sides of her head in anguish as the numbskull newbie in front of the video slot machine — that is, me — botched yet another game, another 8 cents frittered away to rookie incomprehension.
“Sorry,” she continued a moment later, in a calmer tone. “But you had three ‘cross fever’ symbols in the corners. You should have held them and raised your bet. If you get four, a jackpot is almost inevitable.”
Actually, the jackpot would have been entirely theoretical, as were those 8 cents I lost. We were playing the machine secretly and for free, in a South Florida arcade closed last month when the Florida Legislature passed a harsh new video gambling law.
The owner opened it up, reinstalled the computer motherboards in several of the machines, and invited a few of the arcade’s regular customers back for an afternoon so I could test one of the frequent criticisms of the slots: that they’re pure games of chance in which skill plays no part.
The no-skill allegation came up again during the legislative debate this spring over a bill, which eventually passed, to ban video gambling in senior arcades, gas stations and mom-and-pop cafes. “They are not games of skill,” lobbyist Ron Book — who represents pari-mutuel racetracks, which wanted to stamp out competition for their casinos — told the Florida House. “They are clearly games of gambling and chance.”
Nobody denies the machines involve gambling; you play them for pennies in hopes of winning a much more valuable prize. And they certainly involve an element of chance, like all games, even chess. (Many statistical studies have shown that the player who gets the white pieces and the first move, which is typically decided with a coin flip or something similar, wins between 52 and 56 percent of the time.)
But if skill plays a part in the video games, even a small one, then they aren’t gambling devices under Florida law. And if my afternoon at the arcade means anything, skill matters a lot.
Three arcade regulars — including a mentally handicapped woman — beat me like a drum for hours as we tried out various machines. Regular players (some of them visited the arcade six times a week before the new law closed it) have learned strategies and physical skills that help them win on a regular basis.
“Don’t feel bad,” another regular — retired furniture saleswoman Gail May, herself a pretty fair player — consoled me as Sciandra piled up winnings while I lost and lost and lost. “I don’t think I’ve seen her leave this place once without at least a $25 gift card,” one of the prizes that the arcade used to award to big winners.
“It’s like anything else, if you practice and pay attention and work at it, you can win,” said Sciandra, 72, who retired a few years ago from her job as a cafeteria worker in the Broward school system. “Not everybody does that — some people are content to just punch the button and let the game play out, like you would a regular slot machine in a casino. But that’s not the way I do it.”
“Sorry,” she continued a moment later, in a calmer tone. “But you had three ‘cross fever’ symbols in the corners. You should have held them and raised your bet. If you get four, a jackpot is almost inevitable.”
Actually, the jackpot would have been entirely theoretical, as were those 8 cents I lost. We were playing the machine secretly and for free, in a South Florida arcade closed last month when the Florida Legislature passed a harsh new video gambling law.
The owner opened it up, reinstalled the computer motherboards in several of the machines, and invited a few of the arcade’s regular customers back for an afternoon so I could test one of the frequent criticisms of the slots: that they’re pure games of chance in which skill plays no part.
The no-skill allegation came up again during the legislative debate this spring over a bill, which eventually passed, to ban video gambling in senior arcades, gas stations and mom-and-pop cafes. “They are not games of skill,” lobbyist Ron Book — who represents pari-mutuel racetracks, which wanted to stamp out competition for their casinos — told the Florida House. “They are clearly games of gambling and chance.”
Nobody denies the machines involve gambling; you play them for pennies in hopes of winning a much more valuable prize. And they certainly involve an element of chance, like all games, even chess. (Many statistical studies have shown that the player who gets the white pieces and the first move, which is typically decided with a coin flip or something similar, wins between 52 and 56 percent of the time.)
But if skill plays a part in the video games, even a small one, then they aren’t gambling devices under Florida law. And if my afternoon at the arcade means anything, skill matters a lot.
Three arcade regulars — including a mentally handicapped woman — beat me like a drum for hours as we tried out various machines. Regular players (some of them visited the arcade six times a week before the new law closed it) have learned strategies and physical skills that help them win on a regular basis.
“Don’t feel bad,” another regular — retired furniture saleswoman Gail May, herself a pretty fair player — consoled me as Sciandra piled up winnings while I lost and lost and lost. “I don’t think I’ve seen her leave this place once without at least a $25 gift card,” one of the prizes that the arcade used to award to big winners.
“It’s like anything else, if you practice and pay attention and work at it, you can win,” said Sciandra, 72, who retired a few years ago from her job as a cafeteria worker in the Broward school system. “Not everybody does that — some people are content to just punch the button and let the game play out, like you would a regular slot machine in a casino. But that’s not the way I do it.”
2013年5月23日星期四
Maryland Live Casino keeps energy
Last November, after months of campaigning — and millions spent on advertising for and against gambling expansion — Maryland voters decided the allure of live table games at local casinos was too enticing to ignore and Question 7 was approved by a narrow margin.
On a recent Friday night, Maryland Live Casino — the state's largest and most extravagant casino, located in Hanover — appeared to be reaping the benefits of democracy.
At around 9:30 p.m., the crowded and energized floor offered enough sights and sounds to keep eyes darting in all directions. Towering women in lavish dresses and show-girl style headpieces flashed dazzling smiles as they welcomed customers. An Orioles game played on mounted flatscreen TVs. Burger grease wafted through the air around Bobby's Burger Palace. And, of course, the sounds of money mostly being lost to live dealers and slot machines alike rang loudest.
You wouldn't mistake the casino, which opened last June and introduced live table games on April 11, for Atlantic City, but Maryland Live offers an uncommon experience in the area. It's a $500 million operation that looks every bit the part, and it was refreshing to see so many people of all ages and backgrounds filling the floor.
For the most part, it was a different story last October, when I first visited. Granted, it was a Wednesday night, but the casino floor was decidedly dull. It resembled a state-of-the-art gym with only a few people on some treadmills. Unsurprisingly, the clientele was also noticeably older, which made me wonder: Could a shiny new casino, planted in a congested shopping mall area, catch on with young people without live table games? At the time, it was not a place I imagined returning to with friends.
A month later, the question no longer mattered. And seven months after my first experience, Maryland Live felt like an entirely different place — one that seemed like an attractive alternative for those needing a break from the city's nightlife scene.
One aspect of the casino was similar on both visits: The Rams Head Center Stage concert hall. Both nights offered free entertainment — two local, rock cover bands — that failed to attract a crowd. The 500-seat venue had approximately 30 people in it last October; on the recent Friday trip, there were 40. Most in attendance were seated, and many looked like they were taking a break from the casino floor. It was sad that the room with the most amplifiers felt like the quietest spot in the whole place. The band, with its constantly straining lead singer, did the stage no favors, and the excellent sound system only highlighted the problem.
There's a bar tucked in the Center Stage's back corner, but there were more people at the bar in front of the venue's entrance. Bartenders were busy, so it took more than five minutes for someone to notice I was without a drink.
The eight beers on tap are obvious choices: Budweiser, Bud Light, Landshark, Shock Top. Fordham (Annapolis) and Old Dominion (Dover, Del.) are the closest representatives of local brews. It would have been nice to see the Budweiser replaced with a Baltimore beer, or even National Bohemian. The beers were also comically small: The plastic cup holding my $5 Stella Artois was slightly taller than my wallet.
Walking out, it seemed Maryland Live Casino was doing better than fine, at least for a Friday night. The floor was filled, and groups of smiling people were coming in whenever I passed an entrance. The potential for a fun, memorable night is obvious from the moment you enter. Just don't expect a world-class concert or much bang for your buck at the bar.
On a recent Friday night, Maryland Live Casino — the state's largest and most extravagant casino, located in Hanover — appeared to be reaping the benefits of democracy.
At around 9:30 p.m., the crowded and energized floor offered enough sights and sounds to keep eyes darting in all directions. Towering women in lavish dresses and show-girl style headpieces flashed dazzling smiles as they welcomed customers. An Orioles game played on mounted flatscreen TVs. Burger grease wafted through the air around Bobby's Burger Palace. And, of course, the sounds of money mostly being lost to live dealers and slot machines alike rang loudest.
You wouldn't mistake the casino, which opened last June and introduced live table games on April 11, for Atlantic City, but Maryland Live offers an uncommon experience in the area. It's a $500 million operation that looks every bit the part, and it was refreshing to see so many people of all ages and backgrounds filling the floor.
For the most part, it was a different story last October, when I first visited. Granted, it was a Wednesday night, but the casino floor was decidedly dull. It resembled a state-of-the-art gym with only a few people on some treadmills. Unsurprisingly, the clientele was also noticeably older, which made me wonder: Could a shiny new casino, planted in a congested shopping mall area, catch on with young people without live table games? At the time, it was not a place I imagined returning to with friends.
A month later, the question no longer mattered. And seven months after my first experience, Maryland Live felt like an entirely different place — one that seemed like an attractive alternative for those needing a break from the city's nightlife scene.
One aspect of the casino was similar on both visits: The Rams Head Center Stage concert hall. Both nights offered free entertainment — two local, rock cover bands — that failed to attract a crowd. The 500-seat venue had approximately 30 people in it last October; on the recent Friday trip, there were 40. Most in attendance were seated, and many looked like they were taking a break from the casino floor. It was sad that the room with the most amplifiers felt like the quietest spot in the whole place. The band, with its constantly straining lead singer, did the stage no favors, and the excellent sound system only highlighted the problem.
There's a bar tucked in the Center Stage's back corner, but there were more people at the bar in front of the venue's entrance. Bartenders were busy, so it took more than five minutes for someone to notice I was without a drink.
The eight beers on tap are obvious choices: Budweiser, Bud Light, Landshark, Shock Top. Fordham (Annapolis) and Old Dominion (Dover, Del.) are the closest representatives of local brews. It would have been nice to see the Budweiser replaced with a Baltimore beer, or even National Bohemian. The beers were also comically small: The plastic cup holding my $5 Stella Artois was slightly taller than my wallet.
Walking out, it seemed Maryland Live Casino was doing better than fine, at least for a Friday night. The floor was filled, and groups of smiling people were coming in whenever I passed an entrance. The potential for a fun, memorable night is obvious from the moment you enter. Just don't expect a world-class concert or much bang for your buck at the bar.
The World's Smallest Arcade
In 2006, Mark Slevinsky fixed a Tron arcade game that a friend had left for trash. The work inspired similar gaming projects, ultimately leading him to a nerdy world record this year.
While surfing the Web, Slevinsky saw printed-paper models of Arcade parts, each about the size of a Game Boy. Since he had already created an operating system for small microcontroller computers, he wondered: Why not build a functional mini arcade? He started by adapting the software to play classics such as Tetris, Space Invaders, and Breakout. Next, he needed power. Two 1.5-volt AAA batteries could support 13 hours of game play yet lacked the juice to run a tiny, five-volt LED screen. Retail power supply circuits couldn't handle the voltage conversion—they all blew up—so he eventually made his own.
Slevinsky tucked the components into a wooden case and outfitted it with a joystick and button. He named it the Markade, and Guinness World Records deemed it the smallest device of its kind this year. Slevinsky's friends typically play five minutes, which he says lasts “a round of each game, or until they develop hand cramps”—on par with old-school arcade consoles.
Bored by beer pong, Kevin Kittle turned Battleship into a booze-infused board game. He built Battleshots' playing surface out of wood, steel, and acrylic and applied a grid using fluorescent paint that glows under a blacklight. Then Kittle drilled holes in wooden ships to hold neon shot glasses. As in the real game, a player tries to guess the locations of his opponent's ships. If someone's vessel takes a hit, he must do a shot. Kittle suggests using tonic-infused concoctions, because quinine glows in ultraviolet light. Sink responsibly.
To build office camaraderie at SinnerSchrader, a Hamburg-based technology company, a team of developers designed a Foosball table that sends scores and standings to the Web in real time. Players log in to a mobile application with their Twitter handles. Photo sensors in the table's chutes register goals and relay the data to a Wi-Fi–enabled Arduino microcontroller. The device updates players' Twitter accounts while pushing game stats to their phones. At first, the company worried that publicizing games would discourage play, but two of the project's developers—Thomas Jacob and Uli Schumacher—say it has created more foosball fanatics than ever before.
This year, you should really try to come up with something for your dad besides a new tie. He has enough ties to last a lifetime. If you really want to see him smile this Father's Day, consider giving him a little taste of his youth.
Of course, we're not talking about building a time machine (although that would be pretty cool!). We're talking about giving him a custom gaming machine from Dream Arcades. Dream Arcades makes arcade machines for the home. The company includes the actual games that you remember from your childhood, not fake reproductions.
One of these machines is better than your Xbox, PS3, and the Wii combined. Just one Dream Arcades machine packs in over 145 classic games.
And dad's money is no good here. In fact, no quarters are needed to play one of these custom machines.
Arcade units can be ordered directly from the Dream Arcades website or by calling the company. For a limited time, Dream Arcades is also running a special promotion, which will add multiple add-ons at no additional cost. This includes a DVD-ROM upgrade and multiple gaming packs with dozens of extra games.
If you like to do all your gaming standing up, the Cabaret Dreamcade 2.0 is the same type of stand-up machine that you remember from those many hours spent at the mall arcade. It also has a 19-inch monitor with tempered glass and over 145 games, as well as pinball flippers on the side for video pinball games. This model is also available now, with an MSRP of $1899.
Dream Arcades also offers a variety of game packs with classics from Atari, Digital Leisure, Midway, and Namco Museum. Depending on the package, these options allow you to add in games such as Asteroids, Centipede, Dragon's Lair, Joust, Paperboy, and Pac-Man. Dream Arcades also makes 60 Atari 2600 games available at no additional charge.
While surfing the Web, Slevinsky saw printed-paper models of Arcade parts, each about the size of a Game Boy. Since he had already created an operating system for small microcontroller computers, he wondered: Why not build a functional mini arcade? He started by adapting the software to play classics such as Tetris, Space Invaders, and Breakout. Next, he needed power. Two 1.5-volt AAA batteries could support 13 hours of game play yet lacked the juice to run a tiny, five-volt LED screen. Retail power supply circuits couldn't handle the voltage conversion—they all blew up—so he eventually made his own.
Slevinsky tucked the components into a wooden case and outfitted it with a joystick and button. He named it the Markade, and Guinness World Records deemed it the smallest device of its kind this year. Slevinsky's friends typically play five minutes, which he says lasts “a round of each game, or until they develop hand cramps”—on par with old-school arcade consoles.
Bored by beer pong, Kevin Kittle turned Battleship into a booze-infused board game. He built Battleshots' playing surface out of wood, steel, and acrylic and applied a grid using fluorescent paint that glows under a blacklight. Then Kittle drilled holes in wooden ships to hold neon shot glasses. As in the real game, a player tries to guess the locations of his opponent's ships. If someone's vessel takes a hit, he must do a shot. Kittle suggests using tonic-infused concoctions, because quinine glows in ultraviolet light. Sink responsibly.
To build office camaraderie at SinnerSchrader, a Hamburg-based technology company, a team of developers designed a Foosball table that sends scores and standings to the Web in real time. Players log in to a mobile application with their Twitter handles. Photo sensors in the table's chutes register goals and relay the data to a Wi-Fi–enabled Arduino microcontroller. The device updates players' Twitter accounts while pushing game stats to their phones. At first, the company worried that publicizing games would discourage play, but two of the project's developers—Thomas Jacob and Uli Schumacher—say it has created more foosball fanatics than ever before.
This year, you should really try to come up with something for your dad besides a new tie. He has enough ties to last a lifetime. If you really want to see him smile this Father's Day, consider giving him a little taste of his youth.
Of course, we're not talking about building a time machine (although that would be pretty cool!). We're talking about giving him a custom gaming machine from Dream Arcades. Dream Arcades makes arcade machines for the home. The company includes the actual games that you remember from your childhood, not fake reproductions.
One of these machines is better than your Xbox, PS3, and the Wii combined. Just one Dream Arcades machine packs in over 145 classic games.
And dad's money is no good here. In fact, no quarters are needed to play one of these custom machines.
Arcade units can be ordered directly from the Dream Arcades website or by calling the company. For a limited time, Dream Arcades is also running a special promotion, which will add multiple add-ons at no additional cost. This includes a DVD-ROM upgrade and multiple gaming packs with dozens of extra games.
If you like to do all your gaming standing up, the Cabaret Dreamcade 2.0 is the same type of stand-up machine that you remember from those many hours spent at the mall arcade. It also has a 19-inch monitor with tempered glass and over 145 games, as well as pinball flippers on the side for video pinball games. This model is also available now, with an MSRP of $1899.
Dream Arcades also offers a variety of game packs with classics from Atari, Digital Leisure, Midway, and Namco Museum. Depending on the package, these options allow you to add in games such as Asteroids, Centipede, Dragon's Lair, Joust, Paperboy, and Pac-Man. Dream Arcades also makes 60 Atari 2600 games available at no additional charge.
2013年5月19日星期日
Wind power experiences jolt of energy from utilities
Wind power is nothing new to the area; Northeast Iowa has more than its share of turbines humming these days.
Waverly Light and Power’s commitment to wind energy has been well noted.
MidAmerican Energy is another example. The company recently unveiled plans to add 656 wind turbines that will generate up to 1,050 megawatts of power in Iowa by the end of 2015. It’s a $1.9 billion project that Gov. Terry Branstad called the largest economic development investment in state history.
When the expansion is finished, MidAmerican expects its Iowa customers will receive 40 percent of their electricity from wind. Up to now, wind has represented about a quarter of MidAmerican’s energy portfolio.
That’s an impressive accomplishment and a lofty goal, certainly. And as they’re finding out in Traer, Iowa — a town of about 1,700 residents about 20 miles south of Waterloo — it’s achievable.
“We installed wind generation in late 2011,” said Pat Stief, general manager of Traer Municipal Utilities. “Over the past 16 months — all of 2012 and the first four months of 2013 — Traer Municipal Utilities has received 38.98 percent of its total energy from wind. No fanfare, just quiet progress.”
The generation comes from a single 1,500-kilowatt turbine, built at a cost estimated between $3 million and $3.5 million with the help of a group of investors in Story County, Stief said.
TMU has a contract with the investment group to purchase the turbine’s output for six years, plus a monthly payment to be applied toward outright ownership of the apparatus after the six-year term, Stief said. Over the 16-month period he mentioned, the utility has paid an average of $31,300 monthly for a turbine that has generated about 8.4 million kilowatt hours, or around 521,000 per month.
Nobody is trying to fool themselves into thinking wind is the only answer to future energy needs, Stief said.
“Marriage of wind and a large-scale solar project would probably be the best combination, but at this point I don’t think solar is economically feasible on a utility scale,” he said.
Nor does he think achieving more than a 40 percent energy ratio through wind is practical for Traer.
“I think we’re just about the maximum because there are periods of time if the wind is blowing the turbine is giving us full output, that turbine will actually produce more than we need,” he said. “In order to increase the percentage you increase the output, and then you exceed our power needs.”
However, he noted wind, being one of Iowa’s chief — and cheap — natural resources, is a valuable tool in TMU’s power capacity. It’s especially valuable when periods of high winds align with peak demands.
“I don’t think you can pinpoint any point in time (when wind is most valuable). It’s just that it’s out there and will be fully owned by TMU at end of six years, and we’ve got a lot of public support. The people in Traer are happy to see that thing spinning.”
Waverly Light and Power’s commitment to wind energy has been well noted.
MidAmerican Energy is another example. The company recently unveiled plans to add 656 wind turbines that will generate up to 1,050 megawatts of power in Iowa by the end of 2015. It’s a $1.9 billion project that Gov. Terry Branstad called the largest economic development investment in state history.
When the expansion is finished, MidAmerican expects its Iowa customers will receive 40 percent of their electricity from wind. Up to now, wind has represented about a quarter of MidAmerican’s energy portfolio.
That’s an impressive accomplishment and a lofty goal, certainly. And as they’re finding out in Traer, Iowa — a town of about 1,700 residents about 20 miles south of Waterloo — it’s achievable.
“We installed wind generation in late 2011,” said Pat Stief, general manager of Traer Municipal Utilities. “Over the past 16 months — all of 2012 and the first four months of 2013 — Traer Municipal Utilities has received 38.98 percent of its total energy from wind. No fanfare, just quiet progress.”
The generation comes from a single 1,500-kilowatt turbine, built at a cost estimated between $3 million and $3.5 million with the help of a group of investors in Story County, Stief said.
TMU has a contract with the investment group to purchase the turbine’s output for six years, plus a monthly payment to be applied toward outright ownership of the apparatus after the six-year term, Stief said. Over the 16-month period he mentioned, the utility has paid an average of $31,300 monthly for a turbine that has generated about 8.4 million kilowatt hours, or around 521,000 per month.
Nobody is trying to fool themselves into thinking wind is the only answer to future energy needs, Stief said.
“Marriage of wind and a large-scale solar project would probably be the best combination, but at this point I don’t think solar is economically feasible on a utility scale,” he said.
Nor does he think achieving more than a 40 percent energy ratio through wind is practical for Traer.
“I think we’re just about the maximum because there are periods of time if the wind is blowing the turbine is giving us full output, that turbine will actually produce more than we need,” he said. “In order to increase the percentage you increase the output, and then you exceed our power needs.”
However, he noted wind, being one of Iowa’s chief — and cheap — natural resources, is a valuable tool in TMU’s power capacity. It’s especially valuable when periods of high winds align with peak demands.
“I don’t think you can pinpoint any point in time (when wind is most valuable). It’s just that it’s out there and will be fully owned by TMU at end of six years, and we’ve got a lot of public support. The people in Traer are happy to see that thing spinning.”
2013年5月14日星期二
Slot machines play more like video games
Ask Bill Wadleigh about serendipity in the slot business, and he’ll say it’s sometimes as simple as spinning the wheel of a toy car.
That’s how the game designer came up with a spinning bonus graphic for his forthcoming NASCAR game.“We’ll just make a tire a wheel," Wadleigh recalled thinking. "Wheels are very attune to gambling.”
But he’ll also tell you his NASCAR game is much more than just wheels and reels.“It is a video game,” Wadleigh said.
Wadleigh, a transplant from the video game industry and head of development at Bally Technologies, has found himself moving closer and closer to his roots these days. Bally and many other slot machine makers are beginning to bridge the gap between traditional spin slots and immersive video games.
“From a technological standpoint, on a slot machine, it’s pretty insane,” Wadleigh said. “Insane in a good way.”
The most immersive slot machines, such as NASCAR, have gone beyond simple player-character interaction. Equipped with complex math, high-quality video cards and 3D engines, the machines put gamblers in scenarios they can control, much like the video games made popular by Sony’s Playstation and Microsoft’s Xbox.
Tap the spin button on NASCAR and strike the “U-Race” bonus, and suddenly you’re transported to the first lap of a three-lap race at Daytona. The character you chose at the beginning of the game — either Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson or Kevin Harvick — sits in the driver’s seat, but you’re in control.
A cluster of arrows pops up on the screen: left, right or straight ahead. Your choice dictates the driver’s decision.
Tap the right arrow, and the voice of your driver responds: “I can pass on the high side!” And that’s what he does.
Tap the forward arrow, and the driver confidently pipes up, “I’m going for the lead!” The car pulls ahead, taking the lead. When your car crosses the finish line, the driver thanks you. “Couldn’t have done it without you!” he says.
It’s not always that easy, of course. You don’t win every race. But with every choice, there’s money to be made. That’s the beauty of a bonus.
Wadleigh says the possibility of landing in a race or other high-quality bonus scenario keeps players interested and coming back for more — a slot machine's ultimate goal and measure of success.
“We’re out to find something that’s compelling to a player,” Wadleigh said. “And not just compelling once, but a repeatable event that has a lot of different variety in it.”
There are more than 853,000 electronic gaming machines in the United States, according to the American Gaming Association. Nevada has the most, more than 178,000. Nationally, the casino industry makes 62 percent of its revenue from slot machines.
Slot makers spend a lot of money — sometimes millions — paying for licensing fees and developing character-driven games based on pop stars, movies and television shows.
After two years of development with a team of 15 people, including engineers, 3D artists and mathematicians, the CSI slot machine moved to the casino floor. It’s now one of the most successful slots in the company's repertoire.
That’s how the game designer came up with a spinning bonus graphic for his forthcoming NASCAR game.“We’ll just make a tire a wheel," Wadleigh recalled thinking. "Wheels are very attune to gambling.”
But he’ll also tell you his NASCAR game is much more than just wheels and reels.“It is a video game,” Wadleigh said.
Wadleigh, a transplant from the video game industry and head of development at Bally Technologies, has found himself moving closer and closer to his roots these days. Bally and many other slot machine makers are beginning to bridge the gap between traditional spin slots and immersive video games.
“From a technological standpoint, on a slot machine, it’s pretty insane,” Wadleigh said. “Insane in a good way.”
The most immersive slot machines, such as NASCAR, have gone beyond simple player-character interaction. Equipped with complex math, high-quality video cards and 3D engines, the machines put gamblers in scenarios they can control, much like the video games made popular by Sony’s Playstation and Microsoft’s Xbox.
Tap the spin button on NASCAR and strike the “U-Race” bonus, and suddenly you’re transported to the first lap of a three-lap race at Daytona. The character you chose at the beginning of the game — either Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson or Kevin Harvick — sits in the driver’s seat, but you’re in control.
A cluster of arrows pops up on the screen: left, right or straight ahead. Your choice dictates the driver’s decision.
Tap the right arrow, and the voice of your driver responds: “I can pass on the high side!” And that’s what he does.
Tap the forward arrow, and the driver confidently pipes up, “I’m going for the lead!” The car pulls ahead, taking the lead. When your car crosses the finish line, the driver thanks you. “Couldn’t have done it without you!” he says.
It’s not always that easy, of course. You don’t win every race. But with every choice, there’s money to be made. That’s the beauty of a bonus.
Wadleigh says the possibility of landing in a race or other high-quality bonus scenario keeps players interested and coming back for more — a slot machine's ultimate goal and measure of success.
“We’re out to find something that’s compelling to a player,” Wadleigh said. “And not just compelling once, but a repeatable event that has a lot of different variety in it.”
There are more than 853,000 electronic gaming machines in the United States, according to the American Gaming Association. Nevada has the most, more than 178,000. Nationally, the casino industry makes 62 percent of its revenue from slot machines.
Slot makers spend a lot of money — sometimes millions — paying for licensing fees and developing character-driven games based on pop stars, movies and television shows.
After two years of development with a team of 15 people, including engineers, 3D artists and mathematicians, the CSI slot machine moved to the casino floor. It’s now one of the most successful slots in the company's repertoire.
Florida cities quiet on kids’ gaming machines
Since Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation outlawing video Game machines last month, South Florida cops have rolled through their cities like the Untouchables, seizing dozens of machines from mom-and-pop stores and cafes and arresting their owners, while politicians deliver fiery orations about rubbing out a cancer on the community.
But everybody has been curiously quiet about another aspect of the law: big, well-heeled — and lawyered-up — kiddie and adult arcades whose machines were also outlawed by the new legislation. A Miami Herald check of popular chains like Dave & Buster’s, Chuck E. Cheese’s and Game Time found hundreds of machines that don’t comply with the new law.
“I’m not going to go arrest Chuck E. Cheese in front of a bunch of 6-year-olds,” said Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez, whose city, on the day the law took effect, confiscated 72 machines from cafes and arcades that cater to the elderly. “If the governor and the Legislature want that, they can come and do it themselves.”
His words drew a bitter reaction from Jennifer Morejon, who was ordered by Hialeah police to close down her video arcade catering to the elderly and dismantle its 100 machines, or face arrest.
“It’s just discrimination,” she said. “How can the machines be bad for my customers, who are adults spending their own money, but not for kids? This is something you expect in a country like Cuba, not the United States.”
The new law was approved by overwhelming margins in both chambers of the Legislature after the news broke that so-called Internet cafes where computers were set up for casino-style gambling, which supposedly were operated by a charity that sent the profits to veterans’ organizations, were actually pocketing nearly all the money.
The scandal forced the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, whose public-relations firm had represented the Internet cafes. And it threatened to spread when it turned out the operators had made campaign donations to a number of legislators.
The law effectively put the Internet cafes out of business, as well as making illegal the so-called maquinitas — “little machines,” coin-operated gambling games scattered through stores and restaurants in South Florida’s blue-collar neighborhoods.
But it also included several provisions that would apply to most popular video arcades. Prizes must be merchandise — not cash or gift certificates — and they can’t be worth more than 75 cents. The games must include at least some element of skill. And they must be coin-operated rather activated by dollar bills or swiping a computerized card. The law also upped the potential penalty for operating illegal games to a second-degree felony punishable by 15 years in prison.
The sweeping nature of the law, coupled with the harsh penalty, convinced many business owners to get rid of their machines — especially after Miami cops staged a series of photo-op seizures and arrests. Hundreds of arcades for senior citizens around the state shut down after their association’s attorney warned them their businesses ran afoul of the law.
But everybody has been curiously quiet about another aspect of the law: big, well-heeled — and lawyered-up — kiddie and adult arcades whose machines were also outlawed by the new legislation. A Miami Herald check of popular chains like Dave & Buster’s, Chuck E. Cheese’s and Game Time found hundreds of machines that don’t comply with the new law.
“I’m not going to go arrest Chuck E. Cheese in front of a bunch of 6-year-olds,” said Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez, whose city, on the day the law took effect, confiscated 72 machines from cafes and arcades that cater to the elderly. “If the governor and the Legislature want that, they can come and do it themselves.”
His words drew a bitter reaction from Jennifer Morejon, who was ordered by Hialeah police to close down her video arcade catering to the elderly and dismantle its 100 machines, or face arrest.
“It’s just discrimination,” she said. “How can the machines be bad for my customers, who are adults spending their own money, but not for kids? This is something you expect in a country like Cuba, not the United States.”
The new law was approved by overwhelming margins in both chambers of the Legislature after the news broke that so-called Internet cafes where computers were set up for casino-style gambling, which supposedly were operated by a charity that sent the profits to veterans’ organizations, were actually pocketing nearly all the money.
The scandal forced the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, whose public-relations firm had represented the Internet cafes. And it threatened to spread when it turned out the operators had made campaign donations to a number of legislators.
The law effectively put the Internet cafes out of business, as well as making illegal the so-called maquinitas — “little machines,” coin-operated gambling games scattered through stores and restaurants in South Florida’s blue-collar neighborhoods.
But it also included several provisions that would apply to most popular video arcades. Prizes must be merchandise — not cash or gift certificates — and they can’t be worth more than 75 cents. The games must include at least some element of skill. And they must be coin-operated rather activated by dollar bills or swiping a computerized card. The law also upped the potential penalty for operating illegal games to a second-degree felony punishable by 15 years in prison.
The sweeping nature of the law, coupled with the harsh penalty, convinced many business owners to get rid of their machines — especially after Miami cops staged a series of photo-op seizures and arrests. Hundreds of arcades for senior citizens around the state shut down after their association’s attorney warned them their businesses ran afoul of the law.
2013年5月6日星期一
Niagara's Water Power Prowess Embraces the Allure of Wind
While the Niagara Region of Canada is known worldwide for its magnificent waterfalls and associated hydro power, the Ontario Clean Technology Alliance is attending WINDPOWER 2013 in Chicago to announce a series of national and international wind investments by companies including Capital Power Inc., Enercon Canada Inc., Niagara Region Wind Corp. (NRWC), NextEra Energy Canada ULC, REpower Systems SE, Samsung Renewable Energy Inc., and TSP Canada Towers Inc.
These companies are manufacturing components and building an estimated 200 wind turbines that will soon dot the landscape in a swath extending throughout Ontario's Haldimand County and into the Niagara Region. They are attracted by an excellent wind profile and connections to existing transmission lines that carry power from Niagara Falls into southern Ontario's manufacturing heartland.
The wind power infrastructure investment is also made possible by the Province of Ontario's visionary Green Energy Act of 2009 that helped ignite growth in the production of clean and renewable energy. Since 2009, Ontario's Clean Energy Strategy is helping to build on the $27 billion in private sector clean energy investments attracted to Ontario. Ontario's clean energy sector has already created 31,000 jobs and over 30 clean energy companies have set up shop in the province.
"While the 230-megawatt industrial wind turbine project by NRWC is the Niagara Region's largest, promising 770 construction phase jobs through to 2014 and 110 more to maintain the turbine structures, the Ontario Clean Technology Alliance team is working hard to build on this momentum," says Valerie Kuhns, Sector Manager for the Niagara Region's Economic Development Department.
She cites three foreign companies -- Denmark's Avanti Wind Systems, Helukabel USA, Inc. and Synergy Cables USA Ltd. -- that have recently set up shop across Ontario as a direct result of Ontario Clean Technology Alliance investor pitches at international wind industry trade shows.
Kuhns' employer is one of eight municipal members of the Ontario Clean Technology Alliance that also includes the Southwestern Ontario Marketing Alliance, The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment.
Kuhns also points out that just last week, wind turbine manufacturer PowerBlades Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of German-based REpower Systems SE, chose Welland, also in the Niagara Region, as the site of a blade production factory that will serve the province's wind project needs as well as supply the rest of the North American market.
PowerBlades is currently looking for experts in the fields of logistics, purchasing, management as well as production workers and maintenance technicians. The new German-backed Ontario company will create about 125 jobs within its first phase and about 75 within its second phase of operations.
Ontario is Canada's largest province by population, and clean technology industries take advantage of an Ontario government economic growth strategy, backed by a comprehensive series of legislative, regulatory and policy initiatives specifically designed to support the expansion of clean, green industries.
These companies are manufacturing components and building an estimated 200 wind turbines that will soon dot the landscape in a swath extending throughout Ontario's Haldimand County and into the Niagara Region. They are attracted by an excellent wind profile and connections to existing transmission lines that carry power from Niagara Falls into southern Ontario's manufacturing heartland.
The wind power infrastructure investment is also made possible by the Province of Ontario's visionary Green Energy Act of 2009 that helped ignite growth in the production of clean and renewable energy. Since 2009, Ontario's Clean Energy Strategy is helping to build on the $27 billion in private sector clean energy investments attracted to Ontario. Ontario's clean energy sector has already created 31,000 jobs and over 30 clean energy companies have set up shop in the province.
"While the 230-megawatt industrial wind turbine project by NRWC is the Niagara Region's largest, promising 770 construction phase jobs through to 2014 and 110 more to maintain the turbine structures, the Ontario Clean Technology Alliance team is working hard to build on this momentum," says Valerie Kuhns, Sector Manager for the Niagara Region's Economic Development Department.
She cites three foreign companies -- Denmark's Avanti Wind Systems, Helukabel USA, Inc. and Synergy Cables USA Ltd. -- that have recently set up shop across Ontario as a direct result of Ontario Clean Technology Alliance investor pitches at international wind industry trade shows.
Kuhns' employer is one of eight municipal members of the Ontario Clean Technology Alliance that also includes the Southwestern Ontario Marketing Alliance, The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment.
Kuhns also points out that just last week, wind turbine manufacturer PowerBlades Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of German-based REpower Systems SE, chose Welland, also in the Niagara Region, as the site of a blade production factory that will serve the province's wind project needs as well as supply the rest of the North American market.
PowerBlades is currently looking for experts in the fields of logistics, purchasing, management as well as production workers and maintenance technicians. The new German-backed Ontario company will create about 125 jobs within its first phase and about 75 within its second phase of operations.
Ontario is Canada's largest province by population, and clean technology industries take advantage of an Ontario government economic growth strategy, backed by a comprehensive series of legislative, regulatory and policy initiatives specifically designed to support the expansion of clean, green industries.
2013年5月2日星期四
Fashion week Canberra-style
She's the favoured wedding dress designer of rugby WAGs in her homeland but there was nothing pure and virginal about Sarah Joseph's gothic gowns which made their sultry Australian debut during Canberra’s inaugural Fashion Week event, Fashfest.
Ms Joseph, a UK-born, Tom Ford-trained designer, relocated to the capital with her youth worker husband eight months ago and is looking forward to making an indelible mark on the local evening and ball gown scene.
She has been overwhelmed with the support and creativity of Canberrans. She credited her Fashfest appearance - her first Australian show - to her business partner and to the help she received from local photographers, hair and make-up artists.
"Moving to Australia I knew I had to start from scratch but it's been great. I did some work with Alex Perry when I was out here about two years ago so it's great to be back."
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The racy Fashfest collection, which she completed prior to heading off to Dubai to add the finishing touches to her upcoming ready-to-wear range, packed a colourful punch on the runway and included some looks which she said were "one-off shocking black bits with a few bits of white".
The laser cutting and intricate hand stitching techniques complemented her use of one-off fabrics, which she sourced during her travels to various destinations throughout the Middle East and South East Asia.
Floor-length gowns with thigh high splits and plunging necklines were a highlight, as was a gown featuring a barely there corset that would make even racy pop star Rihanna blush – in a similar way the gents in the front row were.
Next up for Ms Joseph is a return to her roots in bridal couture.
"I'm releasing a bridal collection this year, which is something that happened organically after designing and creating a number of bespoke garments back in the UK," she said.
One of those “bespoke garments” was a $30,000 gown for Welsh rugby star James Hook’s fiancée Kim Tashara in 2011. The gown was the centrepiece of the couple’s four-page wedding album spread inside OK! Magazine which was enough to convince two other WAGs to call on Ms Joseph for their equally high profile wedding days.
Another big international name causing a stir in her home town is supermodel and new mother Anneliese Seubert who made her return to the catwalk during opening night of the four-day event.
Seubert, who was last on the catwalk in 2010 closing shows for Alex Perry and Aurelio Costarella at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in Sydney, is the inaugural ambassador for Fashfest.
While she admits she was not overly familiar with the local fashion scene prior to being approached by founding directors Clinton and Andrea Hutchinson, the starring role of a new event is a familiar one for the 39-year-old Canberra raised model who was the "face" of the first IMG Australian Fashion Week in 2005.
Ms Joseph, a UK-born, Tom Ford-trained designer, relocated to the capital with her youth worker husband eight months ago and is looking forward to making an indelible mark on the local evening and ball gown scene.
She has been overwhelmed with the support and creativity of Canberrans. She credited her Fashfest appearance - her first Australian show - to her business partner and to the help she received from local photographers, hair and make-up artists.
"Moving to Australia I knew I had to start from scratch but it's been great. I did some work with Alex Perry when I was out here about two years ago so it's great to be back."
Advertisement
The racy Fashfest collection, which she completed prior to heading off to Dubai to add the finishing touches to her upcoming ready-to-wear range, packed a colourful punch on the runway and included some looks which she said were "one-off shocking black bits with a few bits of white".
The laser cutting and intricate hand stitching techniques complemented her use of one-off fabrics, which she sourced during her travels to various destinations throughout the Middle East and South East Asia.
Floor-length gowns with thigh high splits and plunging necklines were a highlight, as was a gown featuring a barely there corset that would make even racy pop star Rihanna blush – in a similar way the gents in the front row were.
Next up for Ms Joseph is a return to her roots in bridal couture.
"I'm releasing a bridal collection this year, which is something that happened organically after designing and creating a number of bespoke garments back in the UK," she said.
One of those “bespoke garments” was a $30,000 gown for Welsh rugby star James Hook’s fiancée Kim Tashara in 2011. The gown was the centrepiece of the couple’s four-page wedding album spread inside OK! Magazine which was enough to convince two other WAGs to call on Ms Joseph for their equally high profile wedding days.
Another big international name causing a stir in her home town is supermodel and new mother Anneliese Seubert who made her return to the catwalk during opening night of the four-day event.
Seubert, who was last on the catwalk in 2010 closing shows for Alex Perry and Aurelio Costarella at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in Sydney, is the inaugural ambassador for Fashfest.
While she admits she was not overly familiar with the local fashion scene prior to being approached by founding directors Clinton and Andrea Hutchinson, the starring role of a new event is a familiar one for the 39-year-old Canberra raised model who was the "face" of the first IMG Australian Fashion Week in 2005.
2013年5月1日星期三
Proposed Wind Turbines Draw Attention
Wind Farms have been popping up all around the pine tree state over the past few years. The Bowers Wind Project, which consists of 16-turbines atop Bowers Mountain in Carroll Plantation and Dill Hill, is awaiting approval.
"There are other turbines in the area. The Rollins wind project in Lincoln, the Stetson project which is near are similar, but they are slightly different turbines," said Mark Bergeron, Director of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
The proposed 48-megawatt project is being considering by the DEP. At a public hearing in Lee on Wednesday, a group opposed to Bowers said wind energy is not what the Downeast Lakes Region is about.
Gary Campbell, President of the Partnership for the Preservation of the Downeast Lakes Watershed, said, "A lot of birding, lots of wildlife, canoeing, paddling, kayaking, boating, you name it, this region has been devoted to that."
Those against the project said it will turn visitors away, but supporters think that's not the case. Director for New England Development of First Wind, Neil Kiely, said, "Experience has proven that Mainers do not mind recreating wind turbines. In fact, ATVers and snowmobilers actually want more access to wind turbines."
Kiely thinks the project could bring a huge economic boost to the area, while Campbell believes it's taking away the core value of what Maine is about.
"There's nothing man-made in sight, even a single turbine sticking up vertically on the horizon is going to ruin that and we can't afford to take that risk," said Campbell.
The choice could come down to money. "This is a classic decision in Maine. We have a $100 million economic opportunity that we can't overturn based on fear of change," said Kiely.
The 2.5-120 machine, launched in January, harnesses the power of the industrial internet to analyse tens of thousands of data points every second. This helps manage wind variability and provides reliable, short-term predictable power, while communicating seamlessly with neighboring turbines, service technicians and operators.
GE points out that the 2.5-120 is the first wind turbine to incorporate short-term battery storage as part of the complete turbine package. Integrating the battery into the wind turbine allows wind farm operators to reap the benefits of energy storage without the high costs of farm-level battery storage installation. This design integrates GE's advanced Durathon Battery technology with three software applications.
The resulting intelligent system enables power producers and the wind turbines themselves to make data-informed decisions and provide short-term predictable power. "This new marriage of battery storage and advanced software within a wind turbine allows forward-thinking wind energy producers like Invenergy to shift the winds in its favor—increasing wind power's efficiency and short-term predictability," said Keith Longtin, general manager, wind product line for GE's renewable energy business.
The 2.5-120 brilliant turbines are scheduled to be installed this year at the Goldthwaite Wind Energy facility, currently under construction in central Texas. The project is expected to commence full commercial operation by the end of 2013. Subsequently, Invenergy will be among the first power producers to test the benefits of data-driven, turbine-to-battery communication in predicting wind power production in 15-60-minute increments.
"There are other turbines in the area. The Rollins wind project in Lincoln, the Stetson project which is near are similar, but they are slightly different turbines," said Mark Bergeron, Director of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
The proposed 48-megawatt project is being considering by the DEP. At a public hearing in Lee on Wednesday, a group opposed to Bowers said wind energy is not what the Downeast Lakes Region is about.
Gary Campbell, President of the Partnership for the Preservation of the Downeast Lakes Watershed, said, "A lot of birding, lots of wildlife, canoeing, paddling, kayaking, boating, you name it, this region has been devoted to that."
Those against the project said it will turn visitors away, but supporters think that's not the case. Director for New England Development of First Wind, Neil Kiely, said, "Experience has proven that Mainers do not mind recreating wind turbines. In fact, ATVers and snowmobilers actually want more access to wind turbines."
Kiely thinks the project could bring a huge economic boost to the area, while Campbell believes it's taking away the core value of what Maine is about.
"There's nothing man-made in sight, even a single turbine sticking up vertically on the horizon is going to ruin that and we can't afford to take that risk," said Campbell.
The choice could come down to money. "This is a classic decision in Maine. We have a $100 million economic opportunity that we can't overturn based on fear of change," said Kiely.
The 2.5-120 machine, launched in January, harnesses the power of the industrial internet to analyse tens of thousands of data points every second. This helps manage wind variability and provides reliable, short-term predictable power, while communicating seamlessly with neighboring turbines, service technicians and operators.
GE points out that the 2.5-120 is the first wind turbine to incorporate short-term battery storage as part of the complete turbine package. Integrating the battery into the wind turbine allows wind farm operators to reap the benefits of energy storage without the high costs of farm-level battery storage installation. This design integrates GE's advanced Durathon Battery technology with three software applications.
The resulting intelligent system enables power producers and the wind turbines themselves to make data-informed decisions and provide short-term predictable power. "This new marriage of battery storage and advanced software within a wind turbine allows forward-thinking wind energy producers like Invenergy to shift the winds in its favor—increasing wind power's efficiency and short-term predictability," said Keith Longtin, general manager, wind product line for GE's renewable energy business.
The 2.5-120 brilliant turbines are scheduled to be installed this year at the Goldthwaite Wind Energy facility, currently under construction in central Texas. The project is expected to commence full commercial operation by the end of 2013. Subsequently, Invenergy will be among the first power producers to test the benefits of data-driven, turbine-to-battery communication in predicting wind power production in 15-60-minute increments.
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