Craig and Brent Renaud know how to film difficult settings. The filmmaker brothers from Little Rock have made documentaries about wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the drug war in Juarez and post-earthquake Haiti. But according to Brent Renaud, none of those compare to a recent shoot in Egypt, where the fledgling news network Al Jazeera America sent him and the correspondent Christof Putzel a few weeks ago.
"The anti-Americanism is so intense on both sides, but particularly on the military side, the more moderate Muslim side that's against the Muslim Brotherhood who's protesting in the streets. They believe the U.S. has been pro-Muslim Brotherhood. They believe the foreign press has been pro-Muslim Brotherhood. The general of the military has fanned the flames, telling the public that they should be suspicious of all foreigners, especially Americans. Because of that, bringing out your camera in the street is extremely dangerous, almost impossible."
Brent said that he and Putzel made it inside a massive Muslim Brotherhood protest once and were relatively safe, aside from the risk of sniper fire. But he said trying to get inside the protest was another story.
"If you're on the periphery trying to get in, supporters of the military, or basically roving thugs of young men, some allegedly paid by the military, are looking for foreigners and cameras, and they will attack you.
"In one case, [the supporters of the military] had picked off a Muslim Brotherhood protester on the outskirts of the crowd and the mob was beating him, and they dragged him right past us, and I pulled out a small Handycam I was using and attempted to film that. They were beating him half to death. The military saw it, and started shooting machine guns up in the air to break up the crowd. And then as the crowd began to disperse, they saw me filming it. And then the crowd turned on us. They hit me on the back of the head. I started running for the car. Christof started running to the car. We had a translator with us. He was at first not able to reach the car. The driver thought he was in the car and started driving, but we managed to stop down the road and let him in just as the crowd started beating on the car."
Footage from that harrowing chase as well as interviews Brent and Putzel did with a supporter of the military and the mother of a Muslim Brotherhood protester who was killed led the Aug. 20 debut broadcast of "America Tonight," Al Jazeera America's flagship nightly news program anchored by CNN veteran Joie Chen. The network, a spin-off from the Qatar-funded media conglomerate, has made much noise about staking a unique position among cable news outlets.
"Viewers will see a news channel unlike the others, as our programming proves Al Jazeera America will air fact-based, unbiased and in-depth news," Ehab Al Shihabi, the channel's acting chief executive, told the New York Times. "There will be less opinion, less yelling and fewer celebrity sightings."
Al Jazeera acquired Current TV in January for $500 million. In the run-up to the launch of the network, it hired some 900 employees.
But its launch has not been smooth. AT&T dropped the network from its line-up in the 11th hour, which kept millions of potential viewers from seeing the channels launch. Al Jazeera America promptly sued.
The Renaud brothers said that they're excited about working with Al Jazeera America. Already, they've done two projects for "America Tonight" — the dispatch from Egypt and a feature on Chicago gangs that was shown in four parts and will eventually appear on the channel as a feature special. Each featured Putzel, but tended more towards the Renauds' verite style than something you'd see on "60 Minutes."
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2013年8月29日星期四
Full-Service Gambling: Addiction Treatment
Full-Service Gambling: Addiction Treatment
FOR A MAN with many, overlapping interests, Anthony Sobb appears remarkably unconflicted.
Sobb is CEO of one of Australia’s more successful registered clubs, Sydney’s Fairfield RSL, where gaming revenue runs to $39 million per year. If the club Sobb runs lines up with government estimates, some 41 per cent — or $16 million — of its vast poker machine revenue comes from problem gamblers.
Sobb is also chairman, a few doors down the road, of Oakdene House, a treatment centre he founded in 2012 to help Fairfield’s problem gamblers. He is the embodiment of the federal Coalition’s new problem-gambling policy, which would encourage poker-machine operators to partner with counselling services to root out gambling addicts in their venues. Except he’s gone further — Anthony Sobb has set up his own.
In the quiet halls of Oakdene House, this provider of both poison and cure is confidently explaining why gambling regulation is doomed to failure.
One by one he ticks off and discards proposed measures for tackling Australia’s runaway obsession with the bet.
“[Problem gamblers are] incredibly intelligent people,” he reasons. “Cutting down the number of poker machines? They will find another gambling form of choice.
“Saying you can’t put hundred dollar notes in the machine? They’ll play two machines with $50 in them.
“Saying you can only get $200 a day out of ATMs? They’ll get a couple of different cards and they’ll go to different ATMs.”
Certainly, he allows, “the opportunities to gamble have now vastly increased. That’s got to tell you, if you do the maths, there’s going to be more issues in relation to problem gamblers”.
But his club must contribute to that problem, operating many dozens of glittering poker machines. Aren’t his two roles in conflict? Sobb shrugs at the suggestion. “There are going to be sceptics out there who say it’s a conflict,” he says. “What can I do about that?”
ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2007, in an interview on the election campaign trail, then-Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd spoke candidly about Australian state governments’ unique embrace of the pokies.
“I hate poker machines,” he told The Australian newspaper, “and I know something of their impact on families.”
He signalled federal intervention on the issue. “It’s of sufficient concern to me for this not to just drop off the radar,” he said.
Rudd's comments, and the mood for change that accompanied Labor’s election that November, seemed to prompt a review of the place of gambling machines in Australian life. Despite its small population, Australia has the fifth-largest number of poker machines of any country in the world, and Australians lose more money per capita on gambling than any other country.
Depending on whose estimate you use, something between 22 and 60 percent of gambling-machine revenue is drawn from problem gamblers, and state governments (not including Western Australia, where poker machines are banned outside Crown’s Burswood Casino) have come to rely on gambling losses for some 10 per cent of their annual revenue.
In his first go-round as Prime Minister, Rudd enlisted World Vision chief and long-time anti-pokies activist Tim Costello to advise him on the issue. The Leader of the Liberal-National Coalition Government at the time, Brendan Nelson, expressed his own concerns about poker machines, and called for a Productivity Commission report into the industry. Even the clubs’ lobby group, Clubs Australia, joined the chorus for a national inquiry, saying it welcomed the opportunity to show the industry's progress in warding gambling addicts away from venues. In October 2008, Prime Minister Rudd asked the Productivity Commission to begin its work, and provide figures and recommendations upon which the government could base its policy agenda.
Half a decade on, it all seems so naive: as if the barrier to reforming Australia’s multi-billion dollar poker-machine industry could merely have been a dearth of reliable, rigorous research. The Commission’s report, released in 2010, found that, overall, gambling rates had declined, but there was no evidence that problem gamblers were contributing any less to the industry’s bottom line than they were 10 years earlier.
A slew of harm-minimisation measures was recommended. Poker machines should be fitted with pre-commitment technology, allowing punters to nominate how much they’d lose in a single session, the commission said, and the maximum value of bets should be capped at $1. These measures found their way into a reform package championed by Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie.
But the “Wilkie Reforms” withered in the face of a multi-million dollar campaign run against them by Clubs Australia. On billboards targeted at marginal Labor MPs, in television spots, and public rallies, the industry cast the measures as “un-Australian”, and warned that they would send pubs and clubs broke. Behind the scenes, the Australian Electoral Commission recorded a dramatic spike in political donations from the pub and club lobbies to the major parties, principally to the Coalition.
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FOR A MAN with many, overlapping interests, Anthony Sobb appears remarkably unconflicted.
Sobb is CEO of one of Australia’s more successful registered clubs, Sydney’s Fairfield RSL, where gaming revenue runs to $39 million per year. If the club Sobb runs lines up with government estimates, some 41 per cent — or $16 million — of its vast poker machine revenue comes from problem gamblers.
Sobb is also chairman, a few doors down the road, of Oakdene House, a treatment centre he founded in 2012 to help Fairfield’s problem gamblers. He is the embodiment of the federal Coalition’s new problem-gambling policy, which would encourage poker-machine operators to partner with counselling services to root out gambling addicts in their venues. Except he’s gone further — Anthony Sobb has set up his own.
In the quiet halls of Oakdene House, this provider of both poison and cure is confidently explaining why gambling regulation is doomed to failure.
One by one he ticks off and discards proposed measures for tackling Australia’s runaway obsession with the bet.
“[Problem gamblers are] incredibly intelligent people,” he reasons. “Cutting down the number of poker machines? They will find another gambling form of choice.
“Saying you can’t put hundred dollar notes in the machine? They’ll play two machines with $50 in them.
“Saying you can only get $200 a day out of ATMs? They’ll get a couple of different cards and they’ll go to different ATMs.”
Certainly, he allows, “the opportunities to gamble have now vastly increased. That’s got to tell you, if you do the maths, there’s going to be more issues in relation to problem gamblers”.
But his club must contribute to that problem, operating many dozens of glittering poker machines. Aren’t his two roles in conflict? Sobb shrugs at the suggestion. “There are going to be sceptics out there who say it’s a conflict,” he says. “What can I do about that?”
ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2007, in an interview on the election campaign trail, then-Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd spoke candidly about Australian state governments’ unique embrace of the pokies.
“I hate poker machines,” he told The Australian newspaper, “and I know something of their impact on families.”
He signalled federal intervention on the issue. “It’s of sufficient concern to me for this not to just drop off the radar,” he said.
Rudd's comments, and the mood for change that accompanied Labor’s election that November, seemed to prompt a review of the place of gambling machines in Australian life. Despite its small population, Australia has the fifth-largest number of poker machines of any country in the world, and Australians lose more money per capita on gambling than any other country.
Depending on whose estimate you use, something between 22 and 60 percent of gambling-machine revenue is drawn from problem gamblers, and state governments (not including Western Australia, where poker machines are banned outside Crown’s Burswood Casino) have come to rely on gambling losses for some 10 per cent of their annual revenue.
In his first go-round as Prime Minister, Rudd enlisted World Vision chief and long-time anti-pokies activist Tim Costello to advise him on the issue. The Leader of the Liberal-National Coalition Government at the time, Brendan Nelson, expressed his own concerns about poker machines, and called for a Productivity Commission report into the industry. Even the clubs’ lobby group, Clubs Australia, joined the chorus for a national inquiry, saying it welcomed the opportunity to show the industry's progress in warding gambling addicts away from venues. In October 2008, Prime Minister Rudd asked the Productivity Commission to begin its work, and provide figures and recommendations upon which the government could base its policy agenda.
Half a decade on, it all seems so naive: as if the barrier to reforming Australia’s multi-billion dollar poker-machine industry could merely have been a dearth of reliable, rigorous research. The Commission’s report, released in 2010, found that, overall, gambling rates had declined, but there was no evidence that problem gamblers were contributing any less to the industry’s bottom line than they were 10 years earlier.
A slew of harm-minimisation measures was recommended. Poker machines should be fitted with pre-commitment technology, allowing punters to nominate how much they’d lose in a single session, the commission said, and the maximum value of bets should be capped at $1. These measures found their way into a reform package championed by Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie.
But the “Wilkie Reforms” withered in the face of a multi-million dollar campaign run against them by Clubs Australia. On billboards targeted at marginal Labor MPs, in television spots, and public rallies, the industry cast the measures as “un-Australian”, and warned that they would send pubs and clubs broke. Behind the scenes, the Australian Electoral Commission recorded a dramatic spike in political donations from the pub and club lobbies to the major parties, principally to the Coalition.
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2013年8月27日星期二
Joanne and Stephen Murray moved
Retirement is no longer about trading in one’s career for a rocker in front of the TV. For many of the retirees who move to the Lowcountry, retirement is another chapter in their lives that began innocently enough with a vacation to the Hilton Head area.
Joanne and Stephen Murray moved from Fort Washington, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia, to Sun City Hilton Head in October 2011, but were part-timers since 2006. Joanne was finance director for a dance school and Stephen retired as a conductor for the Southeast Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA).
“We started to vacation in Hilton Head and wanted to move to warmer climates when we retired,” said Joanne. “It made perfect sense to choose a retirement community here. And because we’d been here so much, we felt like we were home when we got here.”
With more than 14,000 residents and dozens of groups to join, it’s like a small town, one that the Murrays enjoy.
“What I like about Sun City is the resort atmosphere when you drive through the front gate,” said Joanne. “You feel like you’re still on vacation even though you’ve come home. There is so much friendliness. I love the fact they have a community theatre and a really good one. And everyone has made us feel welcome quickly.”
The Cypress, with nearly 430 residents, and TidePointe, with about 300 residents, are much more intimate, offering first-class independent living along with different levels of continuing care, nursing care and assisted living on the grounds.
Tom and Beverly Conner kept their options open before finally moving into The Cypress. They were in the market for a move and looked around while en route to visit his brother in Vero Beach, Fla. On the way back from Florida, they looked in The Crescent in Bluffton and bought a house right away. That was in 2001. In November 2012, the Conners moved to The Cypress.
“We picked up our life in Bluffton, moved it down to Hilton Head and now we are just 14 miles closer to everything we do,” said Tom.
Tom, a former school superintendent in Washington, Pa., is part of the Center for Medical Excellence, one of the newest businesses accepted into the incubator at the Don Ryan Center for Innovation. He is also a volunteer at the Allendale prison where he takes his Labrador therapy dog. Beverly, a former program officer for Alcoa Foundation, participates in her church activities. Both are active in the annual Hilton Head Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance.
“We were really looking down the road as we get older. We were looking at when’s too early, when’s too late? You really have to be able to walk in here in order to live here,” Tom said. “It’s comfortable here, the service here is great. We have really enjoyed it, our health is good, and now Bev’s sister is moving into the house next to us. We have never looked back.”
Mary Moser lives at The Seabrook of Hilton Head, a non-profit, independent living retirement community with more than 200 residents. The Seabrook’s 21-acre campus includes the Fraser Health Center, a 33-private bed skilled nursing facility.
Originally from Reston, Va., Mary’s husband was career civil service and golf was his passion.
“In 1980 we came to Hilton Head for a 3-day/2-night golf package and went home proud owners of a lot in Hilton Head Plantation,” Moser said. “We were captivated by the island’s natural beauty and couldn’t wait to make it home.” After several years in a nice condo area after her husband died, Moser knew it was time to move. She moved to The Seabrook, which is nestled in the natural beauty of a peaceful maritime forest with easy access to the beach.
“A number of my friends live at The Seabrook and I’ve found it to have a small-town feel, where people are welcoming and friendly,” Moser said. “It’s the perfect place to call home.”
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Joanne and Stephen Murray moved from Fort Washington, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia, to Sun City Hilton Head in October 2011, but were part-timers since 2006. Joanne was finance director for a dance school and Stephen retired as a conductor for the Southeast Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA).
“We started to vacation in Hilton Head and wanted to move to warmer climates when we retired,” said Joanne. “It made perfect sense to choose a retirement community here. And because we’d been here so much, we felt like we were home when we got here.”
With more than 14,000 residents and dozens of groups to join, it’s like a small town, one that the Murrays enjoy.
“What I like about Sun City is the resort atmosphere when you drive through the front gate,” said Joanne. “You feel like you’re still on vacation even though you’ve come home. There is so much friendliness. I love the fact they have a community theatre and a really good one. And everyone has made us feel welcome quickly.”
The Cypress, with nearly 430 residents, and TidePointe, with about 300 residents, are much more intimate, offering first-class independent living along with different levels of continuing care, nursing care and assisted living on the grounds.
Tom and Beverly Conner kept their options open before finally moving into The Cypress. They were in the market for a move and looked around while en route to visit his brother in Vero Beach, Fla. On the way back from Florida, they looked in The Crescent in Bluffton and bought a house right away. That was in 2001. In November 2012, the Conners moved to The Cypress.
“We picked up our life in Bluffton, moved it down to Hilton Head and now we are just 14 miles closer to everything we do,” said Tom.
Tom, a former school superintendent in Washington, Pa., is part of the Center for Medical Excellence, one of the newest businesses accepted into the incubator at the Don Ryan Center for Innovation. He is also a volunteer at the Allendale prison where he takes his Labrador therapy dog. Beverly, a former program officer for Alcoa Foundation, participates in her church activities. Both are active in the annual Hilton Head Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance.
“We were really looking down the road as we get older. We were looking at when’s too early, when’s too late? You really have to be able to walk in here in order to live here,” Tom said. “It’s comfortable here, the service here is great. We have really enjoyed it, our health is good, and now Bev’s sister is moving into the house next to us. We have never looked back.”
Mary Moser lives at The Seabrook of Hilton Head, a non-profit, independent living retirement community with more than 200 residents. The Seabrook’s 21-acre campus includes the Fraser Health Center, a 33-private bed skilled nursing facility.
Originally from Reston, Va., Mary’s husband was career civil service and golf was his passion.
“In 1980 we came to Hilton Head for a 3-day/2-night golf package and went home proud owners of a lot in Hilton Head Plantation,” Moser said. “We were captivated by the island’s natural beauty and couldn’t wait to make it home.” After several years in a nice condo area after her husband died, Moser knew it was time to move. She moved to The Seabrook, which is nestled in the natural beauty of a peaceful maritime forest with easy access to the beach.
“A number of my friends live at The Seabrook and I’ve found it to have a small-town feel, where people are welcoming and friendly,” Moser said. “It’s the perfect place to call home.”
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Killer is Dead
From the imagination of the developer Goichi Suda, better known as SUDA 51 and CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture – Killer is Dead is the most insane assassination game that could ever be produced, so much so that after playing the first few chapters you will need to take a long rest to get over it and soak up the inexplicable sights to behold! I could describe it as an eccentric take on a James Bond movie where the environments feel like a collection of retro olden day vampire scenes to which the madness then just continues to develop further the more you dive into the alien-futuristic-criminal-underworld. This still does not put into words the oddity of the character artwork and level design that had me convinced I was in a trance!
In simple terms, Killer is Dead is a unique hack and slash in the third person view, but the complexity of the story unravels over the course of twelve very different missions and additional side missions. Throughout the game you are an assassin named Mondo, the main protagonist who takes on a different contract with each mission to assassinate an evil force, cyborg or some other part human mechanical being for a large cash sum. He does have a rather dumb female assistant too, not that it’s a 2 player experience because it is not, but this dumb sidekick appears in cuts scenes and voice overs – however both character are fearless with clearly a strong stomach for the on-going gore-fest of each mission! It will take you a few chapters to get to grips with the gameplay experience because there is nothing quite like it for a multifaceted view on a world where your income is determined by your successful killing sprees and your whole life a continuous spiraling hallucinating mind-fuck! If you’re familiar with anything from SUDA 51 you’ll know to expect the unexpected and thinking outside the box really means a million miles away from any logical perception. This is just plain weird!
Each mission within the game is organised by your employers, Bryan Execution Firm, run by – (you guessed it) a Bryan, and he himself is a powerful cyborg who commands you into this introspective nightmare world of danger. On your journey to complete what you are paid to do – KILL – you also start to learn a few home truths and discoveries of your past revealed through cut scenes and dreamlike gameplay. Every mission is a separate chapter of the game and you are graded and scored by time of completion, number of collectables found, and how many kills and so on. Before you start you are given a brief sheet of information detailing your target and a short cut scene will update you on the story within that mission. The whole presentation style is that of short series of movies, an adventure broken down into shorts with gameplay that is arcade style. Some chapters last only minutes where as others can last for hours depending upon your retries due to the difficult nature of your targets – some feel as though they are born invincible and might never go down. Or, you just have to rethink your strategy for another attempt. On the whole, it is a game about just killing as much as you can with a bloody great Katana and a cybernetic left arm that can be tooled up for drilling, shooting and aiming with a variety of sub weapons. The gameplay is nothing you haven’t done before with a similar style to Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, only with more violence and plenty of blood!
Attacking your enemies or well, job lots could be a better description – is all about taking a slash; lunging forward with the Katana and perfectly timing your strikes whilst using Guard and Dodge to defend yourself. You can heal yourself with the blood of others when health is running low and you will often find objects that will aid your survival and mission requirements by examining them at close inspection. The action is fast paced and keeps you on your toes with a disposal of character upgrades to your Attack and Skills at your disposal too. There are Special Skills to unlock that will improve your gameplay style and different button combo’s to present your deathly strike to the enemy. However, I feel that for the most part you will just button mash your way through it because you will not have the time to think about what buttons to press other than one to just kill the fuckers!
This really is a unique game that will appeal to SUDA 51 fans, those who have likely witnessed other mad plots such as Lollipop Chainsaw, and it is in the midst of that eccentricity that makes it work for you, where the curiosity of always wanting to know what screwed up psychological chapter comes next, and how does this story unfold, or where or when will this journey end for the overworked assassin that is Mondo? If ever there was a leaderboard for being a cold hearted pathological murderer he’d top it…but then, even more insanity comes with the missions where you must blatantly stare at the tits of women at bars, sitting romantically outdoors and showering them with expensive gifts to win their affection. These Gigolo missions form some of the most embarrassing parts of the game which neither add substance or real relevance but you will grab yourself a few Achievements for taking part. If anything it shows that Mondo is a red blooded male who is really needs some form of sexual activity badly. I didn’t find any kind of romance in these missions; it was just a man after a very expensive night of passion.
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In simple terms, Killer is Dead is a unique hack and slash in the third person view, but the complexity of the story unravels over the course of twelve very different missions and additional side missions. Throughout the game you are an assassin named Mondo, the main protagonist who takes on a different contract with each mission to assassinate an evil force, cyborg or some other part human mechanical being for a large cash sum. He does have a rather dumb female assistant too, not that it’s a 2 player experience because it is not, but this dumb sidekick appears in cuts scenes and voice overs – however both character are fearless with clearly a strong stomach for the on-going gore-fest of each mission! It will take you a few chapters to get to grips with the gameplay experience because there is nothing quite like it for a multifaceted view on a world where your income is determined by your successful killing sprees and your whole life a continuous spiraling hallucinating mind-fuck! If you’re familiar with anything from SUDA 51 you’ll know to expect the unexpected and thinking outside the box really means a million miles away from any logical perception. This is just plain weird!
Each mission within the game is organised by your employers, Bryan Execution Firm, run by – (you guessed it) a Bryan, and he himself is a powerful cyborg who commands you into this introspective nightmare world of danger. On your journey to complete what you are paid to do – KILL – you also start to learn a few home truths and discoveries of your past revealed through cut scenes and dreamlike gameplay. Every mission is a separate chapter of the game and you are graded and scored by time of completion, number of collectables found, and how many kills and so on. Before you start you are given a brief sheet of information detailing your target and a short cut scene will update you on the story within that mission. The whole presentation style is that of short series of movies, an adventure broken down into shorts with gameplay that is arcade style. Some chapters last only minutes where as others can last for hours depending upon your retries due to the difficult nature of your targets – some feel as though they are born invincible and might never go down. Or, you just have to rethink your strategy for another attempt. On the whole, it is a game about just killing as much as you can with a bloody great Katana and a cybernetic left arm that can be tooled up for drilling, shooting and aiming with a variety of sub weapons. The gameplay is nothing you haven’t done before with a similar style to Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, only with more violence and plenty of blood!
Attacking your enemies or well, job lots could be a better description – is all about taking a slash; lunging forward with the Katana and perfectly timing your strikes whilst using Guard and Dodge to defend yourself. You can heal yourself with the blood of others when health is running low and you will often find objects that will aid your survival and mission requirements by examining them at close inspection. The action is fast paced and keeps you on your toes with a disposal of character upgrades to your Attack and Skills at your disposal too. There are Special Skills to unlock that will improve your gameplay style and different button combo’s to present your deathly strike to the enemy. However, I feel that for the most part you will just button mash your way through it because you will not have the time to think about what buttons to press other than one to just kill the fuckers!
This really is a unique game that will appeal to SUDA 51 fans, those who have likely witnessed other mad plots such as Lollipop Chainsaw, and it is in the midst of that eccentricity that makes it work for you, where the curiosity of always wanting to know what screwed up psychological chapter comes next, and how does this story unfold, or where or when will this journey end for the overworked assassin that is Mondo? If ever there was a leaderboard for being a cold hearted pathological murderer he’d top it…but then, even more insanity comes with the missions where you must blatantly stare at the tits of women at bars, sitting romantically outdoors and showering them with expensive gifts to win their affection. These Gigolo missions form some of the most embarrassing parts of the game which neither add substance or real relevance but you will grab yourself a few Achievements for taking part. If anything it shows that Mondo is a red blooded male who is really needs some form of sexual activity badly. I didn’t find any kind of romance in these missions; it was just a man after a very expensive night of passion.
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2013年8月25日星期日
More Complex Than You’d Think
I expected two things out of Divekick: Diving and Kicking. In Divekick, the dive button dives (jumps) straight up, and the kick button will have your character spring back if you press it on the ground or kick in a forward moving fashion. A single hit would bring defeat to you or your opponent. This is all I knew before I started playing, and frankly, I was excited. I figured that if a game focused entirely around one attack, with characters given different angles and properties to play with, there would still be enough there to make for some interesting fights with friends.
It would remove a significant barrier to entry, allowing players to focus simply on their character’s fundamentals and learn how to deal with each opponent’s diving and kicking style. However, it turns out there’s a lot more to Divekick than I initially thought.
In addition to diving and kicking (which some characters need to charge or adjust their angle to do), each character has a couple of special abilities they can perform by pressing both buttons simultaneously. These range from simply building meter (which, when full, will activate the speed and jump-increasing Kickfactor) to a parry that will practically guarantee a headshot on any opponent if it blocks an incoming kick. By the way, a successful headshot will drain your opponent’s meter, make them jump lower and move slower for a short while, and forbid them from using any abilities, regardless of if they use meter or not, during that time.
On top of that, you need to keep the gems that you and your opponent select in mind, because a 10% boost to dive speed, kick speed, or meter gain is going to impact the way that they play, as should the one you pick. Not as simple as it first seemed, is it? Honestly, I felt a bit betrayed by Divekick at first. It seemed more complex than it needed to be, and I was frustrated by the fact that people were teleporting around and searching the ground and tossing projectiles like Phoenix Wright in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 looking for evidence.
However, once I played a few characters Story Modes (sadly, the only single-player option available in the game, which means that you can’t practice certain matchups against the computer unless you get to them somewhat at random), I started to get a feel for how everyone operated, and things that I once thought were chaotic and overly complex began to make sense.
For instance, Redacted is a basically a human sized wolverine who smokes cigars and stands and dive kicks a lot like Wolverine in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. She is obscenely fast, jumps and backjumps insanely high, and her kick is very shallow. Her ground special just has her growl and build meter for a while. At first, I didn’t think this made much sense, because her aerial special is just a short wall-cling, and that didn’t even require much meter usage… but then I hit Kickfactor and realized exactly how dangerous she could be. With Markman, I had a similar experience. His ground special has him search the ground for an item to build a “kickbox” with (think a Divekick two-button arcade stick).
When he doesn’t find one of the parts necessary for the kickbox, he just tosses it, creating an annoying obstacle in the middle of the battlefield. A vial of poison will drain whoever gets to close’s meter, a vial of glue will stick the person to the ground for a second, oil will add a bit of randomness to a player’s jumps and landings, springs will annoyingly have the player on top of them short hop in place until they kick off of it, and holes in the ground just drop a player perpetually from the floor through the ceiling until they kick away from it or it disappears. However, the fun begins when you complete the hitbox. His regular Divekick is kind of shallow and slow (unless you kick on just the right frame of the dive that speeds it up and surrounds it with lightning), so if you miss from a high angle, you basically sign your death warrant.
When the hitbox is complete, you’ve got a little bit of time where your specials are replaced with rising kicks which can be activated from the ground or the air. This means that you can start baiting an opponent into leaping above you mid-divekick, then use the rising kick to take them out as they try to land a headshot.
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It would remove a significant barrier to entry, allowing players to focus simply on their character’s fundamentals and learn how to deal with each opponent’s diving and kicking style. However, it turns out there’s a lot more to Divekick than I initially thought.
In addition to diving and kicking (which some characters need to charge or adjust their angle to do), each character has a couple of special abilities they can perform by pressing both buttons simultaneously. These range from simply building meter (which, when full, will activate the speed and jump-increasing Kickfactor) to a parry that will practically guarantee a headshot on any opponent if it blocks an incoming kick. By the way, a successful headshot will drain your opponent’s meter, make them jump lower and move slower for a short while, and forbid them from using any abilities, regardless of if they use meter or not, during that time.
On top of that, you need to keep the gems that you and your opponent select in mind, because a 10% boost to dive speed, kick speed, or meter gain is going to impact the way that they play, as should the one you pick. Not as simple as it first seemed, is it? Honestly, I felt a bit betrayed by Divekick at first. It seemed more complex than it needed to be, and I was frustrated by the fact that people were teleporting around and searching the ground and tossing projectiles like Phoenix Wright in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 looking for evidence.
However, once I played a few characters Story Modes (sadly, the only single-player option available in the game, which means that you can’t practice certain matchups against the computer unless you get to them somewhat at random), I started to get a feel for how everyone operated, and things that I once thought were chaotic and overly complex began to make sense.
For instance, Redacted is a basically a human sized wolverine who smokes cigars and stands and dive kicks a lot like Wolverine in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. She is obscenely fast, jumps and backjumps insanely high, and her kick is very shallow. Her ground special just has her growl and build meter for a while. At first, I didn’t think this made much sense, because her aerial special is just a short wall-cling, and that didn’t even require much meter usage… but then I hit Kickfactor and realized exactly how dangerous she could be. With Markman, I had a similar experience. His ground special has him search the ground for an item to build a “kickbox” with (think a Divekick two-button arcade stick).
When he doesn’t find one of the parts necessary for the kickbox, he just tosses it, creating an annoying obstacle in the middle of the battlefield. A vial of poison will drain whoever gets to close’s meter, a vial of glue will stick the person to the ground for a second, oil will add a bit of randomness to a player’s jumps and landings, springs will annoyingly have the player on top of them short hop in place until they kick off of it, and holes in the ground just drop a player perpetually from the floor through the ceiling until they kick away from it or it disappears. However, the fun begins when you complete the hitbox. His regular Divekick is kind of shallow and slow (unless you kick on just the right frame of the dive that speeds it up and surrounds it with lightning), so if you miss from a high angle, you basically sign your death warrant.
When the hitbox is complete, you’ve got a little bit of time where your specials are replaced with rising kicks which can be activated from the ground or the air. This means that you can start baiting an opponent into leaping above you mid-divekick, then use the rising kick to take them out as they try to land a headshot.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
Chaos eventually erupted in the barnyard
Once upon a time, my kids had what was then considered a high-tech gizmo: one of those See ‘n Say toys, where you dial an image of a certain animal, such as a cow, pull a string, and out would come something along the lines of, “The cow says ‘moo.’” ?
Chaos eventually erupted in the barnyard after the toy developed a low-tech malfunction, resulting in chickens making “moo” sounds, cows making “baa” sounds ? and so forth.
We’ve come a long way since then, perhaps too long a way. Witness complaints by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood over claims that certain mobile apps can help babies learn.
As recently reported by ?The Associated Press, this is the same group that mobilized against those “Baby Einstein” videos a few years ago, leading to nationwide consumer refunds. According to the AP, the American Academy of Pediatrics has also weighed in, discouraging any “screen time” for kids under 2.
If this includes smartphones, that battle is already lost. Last winter, my youngest grandson, then 23 months old, could grab his mother’s phone, speed dial his other grandmother in Colorado, then carry on a somewhat disjointed conversation of sighs, grunts? and an occasional recognizable word. Meanwhile, his older brother, closing in on age 4, regards the home computer as just another fun device among his arsenal of toys.
None of this, of course, was available when my own kids were little. The best toys my son ever had were Legos, which he fashioned into every sort of object you could imagine, from trucks to fire stations to rocket ships. Alas, even good old Lego has now gone digital, allowing kids to design hundreds of virtual models without ever having to touch a real Lego.
As for my daughter, her favorite toy throughout her childhood was an old doll named “Baby,” tossed aside by an aunt who had no use for such creatures. I don’t know if our daughter took Baby on her honeymoon but it sure went with her when she moved out of the house.
Mr. Potato Head and an occasional Cootie — as in the game — were the only items I ever assembled as a kid, although my younger brother, who would go on to become a civil engineer, did have an Erector set.
Then, as now, it can be argued that the best toy a kid can have is not the toy but the cardboard box it came in. Never more has that been proven than with the case of Caine Monroy, who at age 9 started building an arcade out of discarded cardboard in his dad’s East L.A. used auto parts store.
As recently outlined in myriad national news reports, young Caine had few visitors to his arcade that summer of 2011 until a filmmaker by the name of Nirvan Mullick wandered in looking for a used door handle. Not long after, Mullick made a film about the arcade and also organized a flash mob of customers.
Naturally, the thing went viral, raising more than $225,000 in college scholarship money for Caine. More importantly, Caine’s arcade has jumpstarted a wave of cardboard creativity through the non-profit Imagination Foundation, which inspires kids around the world to “think outside the box.”
Last year kids from 41 countries participated in the foundation’s “cardboard challenge,” churning out everything from football tables to robots and claw machines.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are,” Caine recently told NBC News. “All you need is cardboard and your imagination.”
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Game machines,welcome to contact us!
Chaos eventually erupted in the barnyard after the toy developed a low-tech malfunction, resulting in chickens making “moo” sounds, cows making “baa” sounds ? and so forth.
We’ve come a long way since then, perhaps too long a way. Witness complaints by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood over claims that certain mobile apps can help babies learn.
As recently reported by ?The Associated Press, this is the same group that mobilized against those “Baby Einstein” videos a few years ago, leading to nationwide consumer refunds. According to the AP, the American Academy of Pediatrics has also weighed in, discouraging any “screen time” for kids under 2.
If this includes smartphones, that battle is already lost. Last winter, my youngest grandson, then 23 months old, could grab his mother’s phone, speed dial his other grandmother in Colorado, then carry on a somewhat disjointed conversation of sighs, grunts? and an occasional recognizable word. Meanwhile, his older brother, closing in on age 4, regards the home computer as just another fun device among his arsenal of toys.
None of this, of course, was available when my own kids were little. The best toys my son ever had were Legos, which he fashioned into every sort of object you could imagine, from trucks to fire stations to rocket ships. Alas, even good old Lego has now gone digital, allowing kids to design hundreds of virtual models without ever having to touch a real Lego.
As for my daughter, her favorite toy throughout her childhood was an old doll named “Baby,” tossed aside by an aunt who had no use for such creatures. I don’t know if our daughter took Baby on her honeymoon but it sure went with her when she moved out of the house.
Mr. Potato Head and an occasional Cootie — as in the game — were the only items I ever assembled as a kid, although my younger brother, who would go on to become a civil engineer, did have an Erector set.
Then, as now, it can be argued that the best toy a kid can have is not the toy but the cardboard box it came in. Never more has that been proven than with the case of Caine Monroy, who at age 9 started building an arcade out of discarded cardboard in his dad’s East L.A. used auto parts store.
As recently outlined in myriad national news reports, young Caine had few visitors to his arcade that summer of 2011 until a filmmaker by the name of Nirvan Mullick wandered in looking for a used door handle. Not long after, Mullick made a film about the arcade and also organized a flash mob of customers.
Naturally, the thing went viral, raising more than $225,000 in college scholarship money for Caine. More importantly, Caine’s arcade has jumpstarted a wave of cardboard creativity through the non-profit Imagination Foundation, which inspires kids around the world to “think outside the box.”
Last year kids from 41 countries participated in the foundation’s “cardboard challenge,” churning out everything from football tables to robots and claw machines.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are,” Caine recently told NBC News. “All you need is cardboard and your imagination.”
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Game machines,welcome to contact us!
2013年8月20日星期二
Bomb goes off in Midsayap
An improvised explosive device went off in Barangay Nes, Midsayap, North Cotabato around 9 p.m. Sunday, the second blast that hit the town this month, police said.
No one was injured or killed in the blast, the police said.
Midsayap police chief Supt. Reinante Delos Santos, in a phone interview, said the bomb exploded in front of a sari-sari store owned by Jeffrey Fontanilla, damaging its roof and concrete wall.
Police investigation showed that before the explosion two unidentified men bought cigarettes and candies at the store and left on board a motorcycle towards the national highway.
The Army’s 66th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Division said the bomb was made of a 60 mm mortar and a mobile phone was used as the triggering device.
No one has claimed responsibility for the incident.
On August 7, 2013, a bomb also exploded in front of a pawnshop in Midsayap. No one was injured in the blast.
Aside from the latest blast in Midsayap, at least five other explosions have rocked parts of Mindanao since late last month.
Eight persons were killed and 46 others were injured in the Cagayan de Oro City blast in a resto-bar in Rosario Arcade, Limketkai Center on July 26.
Another eight people were killed and 30 were injured in Cotabato City on August 5 in a bombing that apparently targeted city administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi.
Seven soldiers were injured in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao on August 7. There were no reported casualties in the explosion of improvised bombs in Midsayap, North Cotabato and Datu Piang in Maguindanao on August 7.
Fast Towards Heaven
While “Fast Towards Heaven” is definitely the most musically-upbeat tune on the EP, it focuses lyrically on a hard-to-swallow realization: that there are some old attachments that you can never fully move on from, as hard as you might try – that first love that you never really forgot; that grudge you never gave up; the parts of your old teenage self that you cover up like a shameful bruise. It’s those things you’re most afraid of revealing to other people that often say much more about you than anything you might willingly tell. “Fast Towards Heaven” is about being, unwittingly and unwillingly, under the magnetic hold of those strong past affections and memories long after you thought they had vanished.
Safe
“Safe” is an elegy to a past self, to the teenage years when you shed previous versions of your identity with frightening frequency in an attempt to outrun the impending stasis of adulthood, as if once you leave high school you’ll harden into the person that you’ll have to be for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. If you’re a bookish nerd one day, there’s little preventing you from reinventing yourself into something else the next. This is mostly just adolescent exploration without long-term consequence, and while most of those changes are harmless, some are not. “Safe” is a song about coming to painful grips with the things you’ve changed about yourself that you can’t erase.
Please visit his website at www.happmart.com.
No one was injured or killed in the blast, the police said.
Midsayap police chief Supt. Reinante Delos Santos, in a phone interview, said the bomb exploded in front of a sari-sari store owned by Jeffrey Fontanilla, damaging its roof and concrete wall.
Police investigation showed that before the explosion two unidentified men bought cigarettes and candies at the store and left on board a motorcycle towards the national highway.
The Army’s 66th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Division said the bomb was made of a 60 mm mortar and a mobile phone was used as the triggering device.
No one has claimed responsibility for the incident.
On August 7, 2013, a bomb also exploded in front of a pawnshop in Midsayap. No one was injured in the blast.
Aside from the latest blast in Midsayap, at least five other explosions have rocked parts of Mindanao since late last month.
Eight persons were killed and 46 others were injured in the Cagayan de Oro City blast in a resto-bar in Rosario Arcade, Limketkai Center on July 26.
Another eight people were killed and 30 were injured in Cotabato City on August 5 in a bombing that apparently targeted city administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi.
Seven soldiers were injured in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao on August 7. There were no reported casualties in the explosion of improvised bombs in Midsayap, North Cotabato and Datu Piang in Maguindanao on August 7.
Fast Towards Heaven
While “Fast Towards Heaven” is definitely the most musically-upbeat tune on the EP, it focuses lyrically on a hard-to-swallow realization: that there are some old attachments that you can never fully move on from, as hard as you might try – that first love that you never really forgot; that grudge you never gave up; the parts of your old teenage self that you cover up like a shameful bruise. It’s those things you’re most afraid of revealing to other people that often say much more about you than anything you might willingly tell. “Fast Towards Heaven” is about being, unwittingly and unwillingly, under the magnetic hold of those strong past affections and memories long after you thought they had vanished.
Safe
“Safe” is an elegy to a past self, to the teenage years when you shed previous versions of your identity with frightening frequency in an attempt to outrun the impending stasis of adulthood, as if once you leave high school you’ll harden into the person that you’ll have to be for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. If you’re a bookish nerd one day, there’s little preventing you from reinventing yourself into something else the next. This is mostly just adolescent exploration without long-term consequence, and while most of those changes are harmless, some are not. “Safe” is a song about coming to painful grips with the things you’ve changed about yourself that you can’t erase.
Please visit his website at www.happmart.com.
Merge Country
On a soft July evening in Durham, North Carolina, shortly before the singing of our National Anthem, John Darnielle holds forth on baseball and breakfast. "Where have you eaten since you've been in Durham?" he asks, adjusting his glasses. "You didn't happen to stop by Loaf this morning, did you? Because if you did, and there weren't any peanut-butter-and-chocolate croissants left, I apologize: I grabbed the last few. They're insane."
The voice and face of much-beloved rock band the Mountain Goats, Darnielle is publicly passionate about a great many things, generous with deftly phrased opinions on sports and music and animal rights. But as he comes alive in Durham Bulls Athletic Park, touting his adopted hometown's ongoing renaissance from within its jewel-box minor-league-baseball stadium, his enthusiasm borders on the evangelical.
"We have so much good food in this town, it is crazy," he enthuses, between bites of a squishy veggie burger, as his sturdy two-year-old son, Roman, "our cookie sommelier," bulldozes a path to a platter of chocolate-chips just within his reach. "You go to these restaurants and you have profoundly good meals. You go to Loaf, you get the best loaf of bread you've ever had for five bucks."
A few blocks away, past the center-field bleachers, the city's once-abandoned downtown is now teeming with vibrant local businesses, including a staggering array of first-rate, farm-to-fork destinations, often natural extensions of already-successful vendors in the bustling Durham Farmer's Market and rapidly expanding swarm of food trucks. Bars, breweries, galleries, and urban farms have sprouted up, while the arrival of luxury condominiums is both luring new residents downtown and providing cause for concern among other Durhamites. Substantial retail operations seem to be finding some footing, and, not far from DBAP, you'll find the Durham Performing Arts Center, a recently built, Carnegie Hall-sized auditorium that has ranked nationally in ticket sales since opening in 2008.
But tonight is the Bulls organization's first official collaboration with another Durham institution: Merge Records, formerly and famously of neighboring Chapel Hill, 10 miles to the southwest, and label home to Spoon, Wild Flag, Arcade Fire, the Mountain Goats, and Superchunk, the pioneering 24-year-old punk-rock band of label co-founders Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. Both of whom are here as well, mulling over the catering options alongside Darnielle in the luxury box allotted to the label. At the Bulls' request, Merge has tapped its coveted back catalogue, providing the songs to which every Durham batter will stride to the plate tonight.
The entire stadium is gleaming in high definition, from the pink towers of cotton candy tottering through the aisles to the sweaty trains of light beer changing hands to the batting helmets of the visiting Pawtucket Red Sox, a team whose first, fruitless few at-bats are soundtracked only by narcotic crowd murmurs. But when a relatively propulsive snippet of the Mountain Goats' "The Brothers Diaz" cues up the approach of Bulls third baseman and leadoff hitter Cole Figueroa, all seems right in the Merge box. "Figueroa's got an older brother in the Big Show," Darnielle says to Ballance and her husband, Luc, an esteemed sound-engineer-turned-local-wine-importer. "We want him to go yard at least once tonight, so that he can say to the world that he owes it all to the Mountain Goats." Ballance, bratwurst in hand, cracks a smile and laughs. "John," she says slowly, "This is so weird."
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
The voice and face of much-beloved rock band the Mountain Goats, Darnielle is publicly passionate about a great many things, generous with deftly phrased opinions on sports and music and animal rights. But as he comes alive in Durham Bulls Athletic Park, touting his adopted hometown's ongoing renaissance from within its jewel-box minor-league-baseball stadium, his enthusiasm borders on the evangelical.
"We have so much good food in this town, it is crazy," he enthuses, between bites of a squishy veggie burger, as his sturdy two-year-old son, Roman, "our cookie sommelier," bulldozes a path to a platter of chocolate-chips just within his reach. "You go to these restaurants and you have profoundly good meals. You go to Loaf, you get the best loaf of bread you've ever had for five bucks."
A few blocks away, past the center-field bleachers, the city's once-abandoned downtown is now teeming with vibrant local businesses, including a staggering array of first-rate, farm-to-fork destinations, often natural extensions of already-successful vendors in the bustling Durham Farmer's Market and rapidly expanding swarm of food trucks. Bars, breweries, galleries, and urban farms have sprouted up, while the arrival of luxury condominiums is both luring new residents downtown and providing cause for concern among other Durhamites. Substantial retail operations seem to be finding some footing, and, not far from DBAP, you'll find the Durham Performing Arts Center, a recently built, Carnegie Hall-sized auditorium that has ranked nationally in ticket sales since opening in 2008.
But tonight is the Bulls organization's first official collaboration with another Durham institution: Merge Records, formerly and famously of neighboring Chapel Hill, 10 miles to the southwest, and label home to Spoon, Wild Flag, Arcade Fire, the Mountain Goats, and Superchunk, the pioneering 24-year-old punk-rock band of label co-founders Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. Both of whom are here as well, mulling over the catering options alongside Darnielle in the luxury box allotted to the label. At the Bulls' request, Merge has tapped its coveted back catalogue, providing the songs to which every Durham batter will stride to the plate tonight.
The entire stadium is gleaming in high definition, from the pink towers of cotton candy tottering through the aisles to the sweaty trains of light beer changing hands to the batting helmets of the visiting Pawtucket Red Sox, a team whose first, fruitless few at-bats are soundtracked only by narcotic crowd murmurs. But when a relatively propulsive snippet of the Mountain Goats' "The Brothers Diaz" cues up the approach of Bulls third baseman and leadoff hitter Cole Figueroa, all seems right in the Merge box. "Figueroa's got an older brother in the Big Show," Darnielle says to Ballance and her husband, Luc, an esteemed sound-engineer-turned-local-wine-importer. "We want him to go yard at least once tonight, so that he can say to the world that he owes it all to the Mountain Goats." Ballance, bratwurst in hand, cracks a smile and laughs. "John," she says slowly, "This is so weird."
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
2013年8月16日星期五
Naval architect in Muskegon
A field of wind turbines floating on Lake Michigan isn’t that far off, a naval architect and engineer told a crowd of about 45 people in Muskegon Thursday, Aug. 15.
Or, at least, the technology is nearly ready, said Glosten Associates naval architect and marine engineer Charles Nordstrom. There’s still no state mechanism to regulate such a project.
“There is not a framework for proceeding with a project,” Nordstrom said. “We’d love to.”
Glosten in 2012 had a partnership with Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center and Michigan Technological University for a federal grant to test its floating wind turbine technology on the Great Lakes, but the U.S. Department of Energy did not fund the grant.
Glosten is now completing engineering work on a demonstration project to put floating wind turbines using its PelaStar technology off the southeast coast of England. PelaStar works using tension-weight platforms, buoy-like hollow steel bases, anchored to the sea floor by cables.
PelaStar would work best where the lake is more than 160 feet deep, Nordstrom said. That contrasts to turbines with solid-construction foundations in the sea bottom, which become unfeasible before 160 feet of depth.
The depth of the water needed for PelaStar could place the floating turbines far enough out into the Great Lakes as to be nearly invisible from shore, Nordstrom said.
He pointed to maps that show strong wind conditions off the thumb of the Michigan mitten and off the coast of Southeast Michigan. The deep water in those areas starts 12 miles from shore.
“Pretty much can’t see these machines from the shoreline at 15 miles from shore,” he said, adding that the wind is also stronger. “It’s cheaper and deeper.”
The past debate over a proposal for the Scandia Offshore Wind project in Lake Michigan off the West Michigan coastline was a major controversy and ended with opposition to being able to see the turbines from shore. With deep-water deployment, wind turbines could be put on Lake Michigan without any detection from shoreline properties or public beaches, MAREC Director Arn Boezaart has said.
“(Land-based wind energy) is here to stay, the horses are out,” Boezaart said on Thursday. “But I think we’re at the point where offshore wind is a reality.”
Glosten is designing its turbines to be easily and more cheaply installed than others in the past. Nordstrom tried to show how close the floating turbines are to being feasible by comparing current electricity prices with the target prices Glosten is designing toward.
“This is not something that is just too expensive, and doesn’t work, messes up my view,” he said. “The conversation needs to change. This is not going to happen tomorrow, but let’s keep talking about it.”
For Dr Johann Overath, principal managing director of the Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V. (Federal Association of the German Glass Industry), this show is just the right forum for verifying these requirements: "Glass packaging has always been a part of the beverages market. For wine, sparkling wine, beer and spirits, almost exclusively glass bottles are used. For this reason drinktec, too, is very important for us, because the customers of the glass-container industry come to this forum.”
In the view of Dr. Johann Overath there are currently two main trends in glass packaging: "On the one hand there is increasing public focus on sustainability. And on the other, in particular as regards mineral water, we are seeing a real renaissance in glass. And in trend beverages, too, we are seeing glass bottles being used for new and innovative drinks."
Popularity of cans on the up again
Glass is 100% recyclable, and so, too, are beverage cans. Germany is seeing a return to the use of cans as containers for beverages. Since the introduction of deposits on disposable containers in 2003, beverage-can sales have only now broken back through the billion barrier. In 2011 sales of this type of can were at over 1.1bn, a rise of around 19% or 175m, over the previous year.
Even back in 2006 the three biggest beverage can manufacturers – Europe′s Ball Packaging Europe, Rexam Beverage Can Europe & Asia and Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East – were seeing an upwards trend. These companies are members of BCME, and all of them will be at Drinktec 2013.
For Welf Jung, spokesman for BCME Deutschland and sales and marketing director for Germany at Rexam Beverage Can Europe, the advantages for cans lie in their variety of formats and designs, the ideal product protection they offer and in terms of convenience and recycling: "Increasing mobility, the global battle against food wastage and a rising awareness of sustainability are trends in society and good reasons why people are choosing the beverage can. New segments where cans are currently making good ground include health drinks with sensitive ingredients and wines. With the latter in particular the can is the key to reaching a young, mobile target group."
Manufacturers are currently working on functional improvements to cans, in terms of better convenience and reduced material consumption. They are also trying out innovative new looks and even a new feel for cans.
One example is the development of thermochromic beverages cans, which change colour as they cool down. Another idea is for fluorescent cans that glow in UV light, for use in particular in discotheques and clubs. Tactile cans feel different because of their raised surface designs and they also have visual appeal. All-round modelling, for example, can be used to suggest to the consumer, both visually and through touch, that he is holding an orange, for example.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade pcb,welcome to contact us!
Or, at least, the technology is nearly ready, said Glosten Associates naval architect and marine engineer Charles Nordstrom. There’s still no state mechanism to regulate such a project.
“There is not a framework for proceeding with a project,” Nordstrom said. “We’d love to.”
Glosten in 2012 had a partnership with Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center and Michigan Technological University for a federal grant to test its floating wind turbine technology on the Great Lakes, but the U.S. Department of Energy did not fund the grant.
Glosten is now completing engineering work on a demonstration project to put floating wind turbines using its PelaStar technology off the southeast coast of England. PelaStar works using tension-weight platforms, buoy-like hollow steel bases, anchored to the sea floor by cables.
PelaStar would work best where the lake is more than 160 feet deep, Nordstrom said. That contrasts to turbines with solid-construction foundations in the sea bottom, which become unfeasible before 160 feet of depth.
The depth of the water needed for PelaStar could place the floating turbines far enough out into the Great Lakes as to be nearly invisible from shore, Nordstrom said.
He pointed to maps that show strong wind conditions off the thumb of the Michigan mitten and off the coast of Southeast Michigan. The deep water in those areas starts 12 miles from shore.
“Pretty much can’t see these machines from the shoreline at 15 miles from shore,” he said, adding that the wind is also stronger. “It’s cheaper and deeper.”
The past debate over a proposal for the Scandia Offshore Wind project in Lake Michigan off the West Michigan coastline was a major controversy and ended with opposition to being able to see the turbines from shore. With deep-water deployment, wind turbines could be put on Lake Michigan without any detection from shoreline properties or public beaches, MAREC Director Arn Boezaart has said.
“(Land-based wind energy) is here to stay, the horses are out,” Boezaart said on Thursday. “But I think we’re at the point where offshore wind is a reality.”
Glosten is designing its turbines to be easily and more cheaply installed than others in the past. Nordstrom tried to show how close the floating turbines are to being feasible by comparing current electricity prices with the target prices Glosten is designing toward.
“This is not something that is just too expensive, and doesn’t work, messes up my view,” he said. “The conversation needs to change. This is not going to happen tomorrow, but let’s keep talking about it.”
For Dr Johann Overath, principal managing director of the Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V. (Federal Association of the German Glass Industry), this show is just the right forum for verifying these requirements: "Glass packaging has always been a part of the beverages market. For wine, sparkling wine, beer and spirits, almost exclusively glass bottles are used. For this reason drinktec, too, is very important for us, because the customers of the glass-container industry come to this forum.”
In the view of Dr. Johann Overath there are currently two main trends in glass packaging: "On the one hand there is increasing public focus on sustainability. And on the other, in particular as regards mineral water, we are seeing a real renaissance in glass. And in trend beverages, too, we are seeing glass bottles being used for new and innovative drinks."
Popularity of cans on the up again
Glass is 100% recyclable, and so, too, are beverage cans. Germany is seeing a return to the use of cans as containers for beverages. Since the introduction of deposits on disposable containers in 2003, beverage-can sales have only now broken back through the billion barrier. In 2011 sales of this type of can were at over 1.1bn, a rise of around 19% or 175m, over the previous year.
Even back in 2006 the three biggest beverage can manufacturers – Europe′s Ball Packaging Europe, Rexam Beverage Can Europe & Asia and Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East – were seeing an upwards trend. These companies are members of BCME, and all of them will be at Drinktec 2013.
For Welf Jung, spokesman for BCME Deutschland and sales and marketing director for Germany at Rexam Beverage Can Europe, the advantages for cans lie in their variety of formats and designs, the ideal product protection they offer and in terms of convenience and recycling: "Increasing mobility, the global battle against food wastage and a rising awareness of sustainability are trends in society and good reasons why people are choosing the beverage can. New segments where cans are currently making good ground include health drinks with sensitive ingredients and wines. With the latter in particular the can is the key to reaching a young, mobile target group."
Manufacturers are currently working on functional improvements to cans, in terms of better convenience and reduced material consumption. They are also trying out innovative new looks and even a new feel for cans.
One example is the development of thermochromic beverages cans, which change colour as they cool down. Another idea is for fluorescent cans that glow in UV light, for use in particular in discotheques and clubs. Tactile cans feel different because of their raised surface designs and they also have visual appeal. All-round modelling, for example, can be used to suggest to the consumer, both visually and through touch, that he is holding an orange, for example.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade pcb,welcome to contact us!
LEEDCo has begun work
A LEEDCo official said more than 3,000 people in Northeast Ohio so far have signed up to pledge to buy a portion of their future electricity needs from offshore wind power.
The Power Pledge helps the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. gauge community support and demonstrate a strong market in Northeast Ohio for local clean electricity generated on Lake Erie, said LEEDCo President Lorry Wagner.
LEEDCo has begun work on a five to nine turbine wind energy demonstration project in Lake Erie named "Icebreaker," which is slated to be completed in 2017. It would be the first freshwater offshore wind project in the nation.
The Icebreaker project involves the installation of six 3-megawatt American-made Siemens wind turbines approximately 7 miles off the coast of downtown Cleveland in Lake Erie. Officials also have a 1,000 megawatt target in mind by 2020.
Officials from LEEDCo said the project is expected to create 525 construction, installation and permanent jobs, provide $79.9 million in gross regional product from construction, and $7.3 million of annual gross regional product impact.
Once completed in 2017, LEEDCo said the project would be the catalyst for a new regional industry that improves the environment, creates local jobs and advances U.S. energy security.
There is no obligation or cost to take the pledge, but it would allow people to be first in line when the wind power becomes available through their local power providers, Wagner said.
"About 60 percent of the people we contact are signing up for it," he said.
LEEDCo plans to use the pledges to encourage local electricity suppliers to make that source of electricity available to their customers, who would have the chance to be among the project's first customers.
The project already has received a round of investment from its private partners and the U.S. Department of Energy to fund the initial engineering design and permit application process.
In May 2014, the Department of Energy plans to invest up to an additional $46 million in each of three offshore wind projects that it believes would catalyze the U.S. offshore wind energy industry.LEEDCo, which was founded in 2009 as a nonprofit organization, also represents a public and private partnership.
Members of the organization include Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lorain and Lake counties, the city of Cleveland, The Cleveland Foundation and NorTech.Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, also will be on hand for a public event at 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Cleveland Convention Center called "POWER UP for Offshore Wind" to support the project and to encourage people to take the pledge."The mayor has always supported the project, saying it's one of his important initiatives," Wagner said.LEEDCo kicked off the Power Pledge drive in April during Northeast Ohio's Earthfest at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea.
Technology meets marketing: The Innovation Flow Lounge
Packaging is about much more than simply the material from which it is made. It also transports emotional messages to the end consumer. An ideal packaging has to be attractive and informative, and it has to be able to carry the desired brand messages. There are many ways of achieving this: through the printing, print-finishing and even choice of unusual shapes – modern technology is making many things possible and giving marketeers a huge range of options for implementing creative ideas. And because the packaging has such a critical role to play in the consumer′s decision to purchase or not, then much depends on the dialog between the technical people and the marketing professionals. The show has set itself the goal of promoting and facilitating that dialog.
Rather than leaving that dialog between technicians and marketeers to chance, the organiser is providing a structured forum in which this can happen.
Among the many events, for example, are chaired panel discussions. In the future it will be even more important for technology experts and product developers to develop a feeling for the needs of marketing – and vice versa. Focus on Packaging and Marketing is the title of a forum event in the afternoon of September 19 in hall A2.
Rising trends
A key trend that is becoming ever more important in this context is the digitalization of marketing communication. QR codes on packaging are spreading rapidly. Drinktec will also be the place to find out about these new techniques and technologies.
One of these visitors is Uwe Stoffels, Spokesman for Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME) Deutschland and manager marketing communications at Ball Packaging Europe. He has high hopes of Drinktec: "Drinktec is a must for us and the ideal platform for talking with experts from the sector. We are looking forward to picking up some new and exciting ideas this year in September."
Other dominant trends in packaging to be witnessed at drinktec 2013 are: intelligent product protection, consumer convenience and resource-efficient technology, the latter of course including recycling.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
The Power Pledge helps the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. gauge community support and demonstrate a strong market in Northeast Ohio for local clean electricity generated on Lake Erie, said LEEDCo President Lorry Wagner.
LEEDCo has begun work on a five to nine turbine wind energy demonstration project in Lake Erie named "Icebreaker," which is slated to be completed in 2017. It would be the first freshwater offshore wind project in the nation.
The Icebreaker project involves the installation of six 3-megawatt American-made Siemens wind turbines approximately 7 miles off the coast of downtown Cleveland in Lake Erie. Officials also have a 1,000 megawatt target in mind by 2020.
Officials from LEEDCo said the project is expected to create 525 construction, installation and permanent jobs, provide $79.9 million in gross regional product from construction, and $7.3 million of annual gross regional product impact.
Once completed in 2017, LEEDCo said the project would be the catalyst for a new regional industry that improves the environment, creates local jobs and advances U.S. energy security.
There is no obligation or cost to take the pledge, but it would allow people to be first in line when the wind power becomes available through their local power providers, Wagner said.
"About 60 percent of the people we contact are signing up for it," he said.
LEEDCo plans to use the pledges to encourage local electricity suppliers to make that source of electricity available to their customers, who would have the chance to be among the project's first customers.
The project already has received a round of investment from its private partners and the U.S. Department of Energy to fund the initial engineering design and permit application process.
In May 2014, the Department of Energy plans to invest up to an additional $46 million in each of three offshore wind projects that it believes would catalyze the U.S. offshore wind energy industry.LEEDCo, which was founded in 2009 as a nonprofit organization, also represents a public and private partnership.
Members of the organization include Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lorain and Lake counties, the city of Cleveland, The Cleveland Foundation and NorTech.Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, also will be on hand for a public event at 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Cleveland Convention Center called "POWER UP for Offshore Wind" to support the project and to encourage people to take the pledge."The mayor has always supported the project, saying it's one of his important initiatives," Wagner said.LEEDCo kicked off the Power Pledge drive in April during Northeast Ohio's Earthfest at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea.
Technology meets marketing: The Innovation Flow Lounge
Packaging is about much more than simply the material from which it is made. It also transports emotional messages to the end consumer. An ideal packaging has to be attractive and informative, and it has to be able to carry the desired brand messages. There are many ways of achieving this: through the printing, print-finishing and even choice of unusual shapes – modern technology is making many things possible and giving marketeers a huge range of options for implementing creative ideas. And because the packaging has such a critical role to play in the consumer′s decision to purchase or not, then much depends on the dialog between the technical people and the marketing professionals. The show has set itself the goal of promoting and facilitating that dialog.
Rather than leaving that dialog between technicians and marketeers to chance, the organiser is providing a structured forum in which this can happen.
Among the many events, for example, are chaired panel discussions. In the future it will be even more important for technology experts and product developers to develop a feeling for the needs of marketing – and vice versa. Focus on Packaging and Marketing is the title of a forum event in the afternoon of September 19 in hall A2.
Rising trends
A key trend that is becoming ever more important in this context is the digitalization of marketing communication. QR codes on packaging are spreading rapidly. Drinktec will also be the place to find out about these new techniques and technologies.
One of these visitors is Uwe Stoffels, Spokesman for Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME) Deutschland and manager marketing communications at Ball Packaging Europe. He has high hopes of Drinktec: "Drinktec is a must for us and the ideal platform for talking with experts from the sector. We are looking forward to picking up some new and exciting ideas this year in September."
Other dominant trends in packaging to be witnessed at drinktec 2013 are: intelligent product protection, consumer convenience and resource-efficient technology, the latter of course including recycling.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
2013年8月14日星期三
Wind continues to play a significant role
GE (NYS: GE) announced today the opening of the Paldiski Wind Farm on the Pakri peninsula in northwestern Estonia. With 18 GE 2.5-100 wind turbines, the Paldiski Wind Farm marks the commercial debut of the company's wind turbine technology in Estonia, one of Europe's most promising wind sectors. GE representatives were joined at the ceremony by officials from Eesti Energia AS and Nelja Energia AS , the owners of the wind farm, as well as President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
"I am glad that Paldiski wind farm has been completed. One more efficient power plant has been added to Eesti Energia's generating portfolio, as wind conditions on Pakri peninsula are excellent," said Sandor Liive , chairman of the Eesti Energia management board. Eesti Energia currently operates four wind farms: Paldiski, Aulepa, Narva and Virtsu, with a total capacity of 111 MW.
Thanks to strong winds coming off the Baltic Sea and the installation of the Paldiski Wind Farm, Estonia experienced a significant development for wind power last year. According to Martin Kruus, who is the chairman of the board of both Nelja Energia and the Estonian Wind Power Association, Estonia erected a record number of wind turbines last year with a total capacity of 86 megawatts (MW) that led to the overall capacity of 269 MW. "The amount of wind energy generated during 2012 grew by 23 percent," said Kruus.
"Wind continues to play a significant role in powering communities, and GE's wind turbines offer high efficiency and reliability for a broad range of wind conditions," said Cliff Harris, general manager, GE Renewable Energy Europe. "Our 2.5-100 wind turbine is a product of GE's evolution in the wind industry and is an excellent addition to the multi-megawatt wind sector. Advancements in serviceability and grid integration from earlier GE turbine models make it a great fit for Estonia's robust wind conditions."
To ensure successful operation and maintenance support, the wind farm is supported by a 10-year full service agreement from GE, which includes advanced anomaly detection, unplanned maintenance and an availability guarantee.
A Government framework is to be formed to help guide An Bord Pleanála on their windfarm planning decisions.
It should be finalised by late 2014 according to Minister Pat Rabbitte, but some applications,including those from Element Power, could be lodged months earlier.
Fine Gael Chairman and Laois/Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan says local communities will have their say.
“It is important that there is an open and transparent process for any individual or community that wishes to input their concerns. This will allow for all stakeholders to be consulted directly on national policy,” he said.
He said a revision of the 2006 guidelines on wind energy will begin later this year, calling them ‘outdated and obsolete’.
‘Key issues of concern such as noise, proximity, and visual amenity will be examined.
No community will have wind farms foisted upon them unwillingly and I would urge them to use these forums to air their concerns,” he said.
Element Power recently announced $250 million will be given to midlands communities over the 25 year lifespan of their turbines, through community, education, enterprise and energy grants.
““We have seen first-hand the desperate effects which emigration has had on many parts of the Midlands. By creating employment as well as offering financial support to sporting organisations and groups, we intend to make a real and positive contribution,” a spokesperson said.
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"I am glad that Paldiski wind farm has been completed. One more efficient power plant has been added to Eesti Energia's generating portfolio, as wind conditions on Pakri peninsula are excellent," said Sandor Liive , chairman of the Eesti Energia management board. Eesti Energia currently operates four wind farms: Paldiski, Aulepa, Narva and Virtsu, with a total capacity of 111 MW.
Thanks to strong winds coming off the Baltic Sea and the installation of the Paldiski Wind Farm, Estonia experienced a significant development for wind power last year. According to Martin Kruus, who is the chairman of the board of both Nelja Energia and the Estonian Wind Power Association, Estonia erected a record number of wind turbines last year with a total capacity of 86 megawatts (MW) that led to the overall capacity of 269 MW. "The amount of wind energy generated during 2012 grew by 23 percent," said Kruus.
"Wind continues to play a significant role in powering communities, and GE's wind turbines offer high efficiency and reliability for a broad range of wind conditions," said Cliff Harris, general manager, GE Renewable Energy Europe. "Our 2.5-100 wind turbine is a product of GE's evolution in the wind industry and is an excellent addition to the multi-megawatt wind sector. Advancements in serviceability and grid integration from earlier GE turbine models make it a great fit for Estonia's robust wind conditions."
To ensure successful operation and maintenance support, the wind farm is supported by a 10-year full service agreement from GE, which includes advanced anomaly detection, unplanned maintenance and an availability guarantee.
A Government framework is to be formed to help guide An Bord Pleanála on their windfarm planning decisions.
It should be finalised by late 2014 according to Minister Pat Rabbitte, but some applications,including those from Element Power, could be lodged months earlier.
Fine Gael Chairman and Laois/Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan says local communities will have their say.
“It is important that there is an open and transparent process for any individual or community that wishes to input their concerns. This will allow for all stakeholders to be consulted directly on national policy,” he said.
He said a revision of the 2006 guidelines on wind energy will begin later this year, calling them ‘outdated and obsolete’.
‘Key issues of concern such as noise, proximity, and visual amenity will be examined.
No community will have wind farms foisted upon them unwillingly and I would urge them to use these forums to air their concerns,” he said.
Element Power recently announced $250 million will be given to midlands communities over the 25 year lifespan of their turbines, through community, education, enterprise and energy grants.
““We have seen first-hand the desperate effects which emigration has had on many parts of the Midlands. By creating employment as well as offering financial support to sporting organisations and groups, we intend to make a real and positive contribution,” a spokesperson said.
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Residents living in Brunswick County
Residents living in Brunswick County were able to get a good look at what offshore wind turbines might look like off of our coast.
Monday evening the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hosted a public meeting to display their results of a visualization study.
“I think they’re great. It’s the way of the future,” said Art Fontaine.
Fontaine has spent the last several years enjoying the Carolina coastline.
He says he attended Monday’s public meeting to learn more about the wind turbines that could potentially obstruct the view he loves.
“When looking at the pictures, the larger model looks like a ship sailing across the ocean about 10 miles away,” said Fontaine.
Dozens of people from across the county attended the meeting sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
“Looking at the economic boom that this could be to North Carolina, but to the entire east coast,” said Randy Sturgill.
Sturgill doesn’t just live in the area; he works as a campaign organizer in favor of the wind turbine project.
Officials set up a simulation so residents could see what the turbines would look like if they were built.
“A visual stimulation of what it is going to look like from the beaches. That is a major concern for people and I think this simulation will put those fears to rest,” said Sturgill.
Officials say any decisions on the project is still several years away.
Another public meeting is scheduled from Wednesday, August 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Brunswick Islands Center, 9400 Ocean Highway 17 W; Carolina Shores, N.C. 29467.
China is on track to complete the world's highest wind farm by the end of the year, as reports confirmed work has got underway at a new 33 turbine development in Tibet.
State-owned news agency Xinhua reported late last week that five of the 33 turbines have been installed at a height of roughly 4,900 metres above sea level in south west China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
The 15MW project is being developed by Longyuan Power in Naqu Prefecture and is expected to be connected to the grid by the end of the year. The wind turbines have been supplied by Guodian United Power.
Once the project is completed, it will help to alleviate power shortages in the region and also reduce costs associated with transmitting electricity to the remote region.
Wind farm developers are seeking to build more projects in high-altitude areas such as Tibet as turbine technology continues to improve in terms of resilience and reliability.
The turbines in Naqu Prefecture have been designed to handle extremely low temperatures, low air density and high wind speeds, Longyaun Power said in a statement.
The project represents another milestone for a Chinese wind energy industry that has established itself as the largest in the world in recent years, with growth outstripping that experienced in the US and Germany.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
Monday evening the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hosted a public meeting to display their results of a visualization study.
“I think they’re great. It’s the way of the future,” said Art Fontaine.
Fontaine has spent the last several years enjoying the Carolina coastline.
He says he attended Monday’s public meeting to learn more about the wind turbines that could potentially obstruct the view he loves.
“When looking at the pictures, the larger model looks like a ship sailing across the ocean about 10 miles away,” said Fontaine.
Dozens of people from across the county attended the meeting sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
“Looking at the economic boom that this could be to North Carolina, but to the entire east coast,” said Randy Sturgill.
Sturgill doesn’t just live in the area; he works as a campaign organizer in favor of the wind turbine project.
Officials set up a simulation so residents could see what the turbines would look like if they were built.
“A visual stimulation of what it is going to look like from the beaches. That is a major concern for people and I think this simulation will put those fears to rest,” said Sturgill.
Officials say any decisions on the project is still several years away.
Another public meeting is scheduled from Wednesday, August 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Brunswick Islands Center, 9400 Ocean Highway 17 W; Carolina Shores, N.C. 29467.
China is on track to complete the world's highest wind farm by the end of the year, as reports confirmed work has got underway at a new 33 turbine development in Tibet.
State-owned news agency Xinhua reported late last week that five of the 33 turbines have been installed at a height of roughly 4,900 metres above sea level in south west China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
The 15MW project is being developed by Longyuan Power in Naqu Prefecture and is expected to be connected to the grid by the end of the year. The wind turbines have been supplied by Guodian United Power.
Once the project is completed, it will help to alleviate power shortages in the region and also reduce costs associated with transmitting electricity to the remote region.
Wind farm developers are seeking to build more projects in high-altitude areas such as Tibet as turbine technology continues to improve in terms of resilience and reliability.
The turbines in Naqu Prefecture have been designed to handle extremely low temperatures, low air density and high wind speeds, Longyaun Power said in a statement.
The project represents another milestone for a Chinese wind energy industry that has established itself as the largest in the world in recent years, with growth outstripping that experienced in the US and Germany.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
2013年8月13日星期二
Founded in 1946 by Paul Ilg
WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems, a leading laundry facilities management service for multi-housing locations in North America, announced today its acquisition of Universal Laundries, the Chicago-based route laundry company. This acquisition increases WASH's considerable presence within the Midwest region and is part of the company's nationwide expansion strategy.
"WASH's acquisition of Universal Laundries represents another important step in our expansion efforts," says Adam Coffey, WASH's president and CEO. "Universal Laundries' solid presence in the Chicagoland area increases our market density in the Midwest region, which has grown in recent years following other acquisitions, including Great Lakes Commercial Laundry based in Wisconsin and Automatic Apartment Laundries, Inc. of Michigan."
Founded in 1946 by Paul Ilg, Universal Laundries has supplied the Chicagoland area with high-quality laundry equipment and maintenance for two generations. The firm has become known for its prompt laundry equipment servicing and preventative maintenance scheduling. Universal's current managing partner and the founder's son, Robert Ilg, will remain involved in the operations of the business.
"WASH is a good fit because they share Universal's core values of outstanding customer service and superior equipment," commented Universal Laundries' Robert Ilg. "I am confident that Universal Laundries' customers will continue to receive the same high-quality laundry services they have come to expect along with some additional benefits and technologies that WASH brings to the table."
Coffey continues, "Chicago is the third largest metropolitan market in the United States, so acquiring Universal Laundries was a great opportunity for WASH to add considerable density and increased market share."
As participants in Vibrant Response 13-2, National Guard and Reserve soldiers will be busy responding to a simulated nuclear explosion. Luckily, after all emergencies have been contained and fires extinguished, there is a hot shower waiting for a soldier to wash the day away.
The 338th Quartermaster Field Services Company, a National Guard unit from Fort Wayne, Ind., is providing free laundry and shower services to soldiers participating in Vibrant Response from July 27 through Aug. 19.
“The most important thing about this mission is high morale and showing the capabilities of our unit,” said Capt. Nathan M. Bostrom, 338th commander.
The 338th can accommodate up to 1,200 soldiers a day for showers and 1,000 a day for laundry. There are 24 showers centrally located in a tent on Camp Atterbury that are cleaned daily. The tents are also equipped with water heaters and mirrors. Female soldiers can shower from 5 to 7 a.m., and at 6 to 8 p.m. The hours for males are 7 to 9 a.m., and from 8 to 10 p.m.
While being able to bathe daily is a luxury in a field environment, so is having a clean uniform. Soldiers deployed to Camp Atterbury during Vibrant Response can drop off their laundry daily, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. The service is free and the laundry returned clean and folded.
Vibrant Response, a major field training exercise, is conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.
Approximately 5,700 service members and civilians from the military and other federal and state agencies are training to respond to a catastrophic domestic incident. As a component of U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Army North coordinates timely federal military response to disasters in the homeland to help the American people in time of need.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
"WASH's acquisition of Universal Laundries represents another important step in our expansion efforts," says Adam Coffey, WASH's president and CEO. "Universal Laundries' solid presence in the Chicagoland area increases our market density in the Midwest region, which has grown in recent years following other acquisitions, including Great Lakes Commercial Laundry based in Wisconsin and Automatic Apartment Laundries, Inc. of Michigan."
Founded in 1946 by Paul Ilg, Universal Laundries has supplied the Chicagoland area with high-quality laundry equipment and maintenance for two generations. The firm has become known for its prompt laundry equipment servicing and preventative maintenance scheduling. Universal's current managing partner and the founder's son, Robert Ilg, will remain involved in the operations of the business.
"WASH is a good fit because they share Universal's core values of outstanding customer service and superior equipment," commented Universal Laundries' Robert Ilg. "I am confident that Universal Laundries' customers will continue to receive the same high-quality laundry services they have come to expect along with some additional benefits and technologies that WASH brings to the table."
Coffey continues, "Chicago is the third largest metropolitan market in the United States, so acquiring Universal Laundries was a great opportunity for WASH to add considerable density and increased market share."
As participants in Vibrant Response 13-2, National Guard and Reserve soldiers will be busy responding to a simulated nuclear explosion. Luckily, after all emergencies have been contained and fires extinguished, there is a hot shower waiting for a soldier to wash the day away.
The 338th Quartermaster Field Services Company, a National Guard unit from Fort Wayne, Ind., is providing free laundry and shower services to soldiers participating in Vibrant Response from July 27 through Aug. 19.
“The most important thing about this mission is high morale and showing the capabilities of our unit,” said Capt. Nathan M. Bostrom, 338th commander.
The 338th can accommodate up to 1,200 soldiers a day for showers and 1,000 a day for laundry. There are 24 showers centrally located in a tent on Camp Atterbury that are cleaned daily. The tents are also equipped with water heaters and mirrors. Female soldiers can shower from 5 to 7 a.m., and at 6 to 8 p.m. The hours for males are 7 to 9 a.m., and from 8 to 10 p.m.
While being able to bathe daily is a luxury in a field environment, so is having a clean uniform. Soldiers deployed to Camp Atterbury during Vibrant Response can drop off their laundry daily, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. The service is free and the laundry returned clean and folded.
Vibrant Response, a major field training exercise, is conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.
Approximately 5,700 service members and civilians from the military and other federal and state agencies are training to respond to a catastrophic domestic incident. As a component of U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Army North coordinates timely federal military response to disasters in the homeland to help the American people in time of need.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Arcade parts,welcome to contact us!
2014 Chevrolet Camaro
Cartoonish exterior, muscle-car attitude, and scorching performance carry through with as much head-turning potential as ever. The look is polarizing, no doubt, and outrageous in every inch of its sheetmetal, from the too-low roofline to the squared-off haunches.
Yet for 2014, there's quite a bit different in the details. The entire Camaro lineup gets its most significant round of changes yet, but they're mainly cosmetic. With somewhat revised sheetmetal all around, a new functional hood vent for Camaro SS models, and a revamped look front and rear, the Camaro strikes a somewhat different chord on the outside. A thinner upper grille with a larger lower grille help make the front end look a little lower, perhaps, while new rear lights are wide, rectangular, and thin, which helps exaggerate the car's width from some angles. Inside, changes are very minimal, with a central gauge-cluster information center the most significant difference for this especially low, cockpit-like layout.
Powertrains essentially remains the same. There's the stock 2014 Chevy Camaro, with its 323-horsepower V-6 and a choice of six-speed automatic and manual transmissions. It's the foundation for greatness, and in truth, it doesn't fare too badly as a sports car. Overall, if you can forgive the odd driving position, its electric power steering, rear-wheel drive, and independent suspension bring relatively nimble responses and a ride that's comfortable enough for just about any enthusiast type. EPA highway numbers ranging up to 30 mpg are an unexpected bonus.
The V-8s are still what most people have in mind when they think of the Camaro; the 6.2-liter V-8's lyrical engine note is a hypnotic for men of a huge range of ages. We're looped by it too--and by the gripping 60-mph runs of 5 seconds or less. With huge staggered tires and a front-end weight bias, there's still room for improvement in the way the SS handles; get the 1LE package that rights out the tires to equal sizes, tightens up the steering and manual gear ratios, and you can tap into some easy, controllable oversteer.
At the top of the performance ladder is the ZL1 coupe and convertible. With their supercharged, 580-hp version of the 6.2-liter (with either transmission) and the magnetic shocks found in the Corvette and some Cadillacs, it not only provides near-supercar numbers (0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, a top speed of 184 mph); it's also affordable, considering that, at about $60k.
Even more affordable is the new-for-2014 Camaro Z/28. With a focus on track capability, the Z/28 takes after the original 1960s models, and not the later '70s and '80s ones carrying that nomenclature. In it, a 7.0-liter V-8 makes 500 horsepower and 470 lb-ft. There's no standard A/C, and all Z/28s have a six-speed manual gearbox, but the design saves 100 pounds overall in weight. Spool-valve dampers, stiffer spring rates, and special Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires all add to the track chops.
The cabin appointments are where your love affair with the current Camaro's style and performance might come to a screeching halt. Why? Because the low-set roofline means that there's a severe shortage of headroom for taller drivers (not just the really tall ones, but most six-footers will find it tight, too). SS and ZL1 Camaros can be trimmed up with suede and leather and brightly colored trim pieces--some of those combinations are love-or-hate, really--while on all Camaros the back seat is for children only and the trunk is tight.
With a lineup that includes the LS, LT, SS (and 1LE), and ZL1--in addition to the new Z/28, equipment also spans a wide range, and the Camaro can be a rather basic coupe, a luxurious touring car, or an all-out performance machine. OnStar comes standard and navigation is available; Bluetooth, USB, and iPod connectivity are offered as options or as standard gear, and a head-up display mimics the one found in the Corvette. Convertibles get power-folding soft tops with glass windows, and standard rearview cameras. The ZL1 bundles it all together in instantly collectible form--but even SS Camaros, especially 1LEs, show the same potential to entertain auctioneers long after they've thrilled their original drivers.
For 2014, the Chevrolet Camaro gets a number of trim and appearance changes, with new wheels and colors throughout. The Hot Wheels Special Edition is no longer offered, and a rear spoiler is no longer standard--which might appeal to those who want a cleaner look.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Game machines,welcome to contact us!
Yet for 2014, there's quite a bit different in the details. The entire Camaro lineup gets its most significant round of changes yet, but they're mainly cosmetic. With somewhat revised sheetmetal all around, a new functional hood vent for Camaro SS models, and a revamped look front and rear, the Camaro strikes a somewhat different chord on the outside. A thinner upper grille with a larger lower grille help make the front end look a little lower, perhaps, while new rear lights are wide, rectangular, and thin, which helps exaggerate the car's width from some angles. Inside, changes are very minimal, with a central gauge-cluster information center the most significant difference for this especially low, cockpit-like layout.
Powertrains essentially remains the same. There's the stock 2014 Chevy Camaro, with its 323-horsepower V-6 and a choice of six-speed automatic and manual transmissions. It's the foundation for greatness, and in truth, it doesn't fare too badly as a sports car. Overall, if you can forgive the odd driving position, its electric power steering, rear-wheel drive, and independent suspension bring relatively nimble responses and a ride that's comfortable enough for just about any enthusiast type. EPA highway numbers ranging up to 30 mpg are an unexpected bonus.
The V-8s are still what most people have in mind when they think of the Camaro; the 6.2-liter V-8's lyrical engine note is a hypnotic for men of a huge range of ages. We're looped by it too--and by the gripping 60-mph runs of 5 seconds or less. With huge staggered tires and a front-end weight bias, there's still room for improvement in the way the SS handles; get the 1LE package that rights out the tires to equal sizes, tightens up the steering and manual gear ratios, and you can tap into some easy, controllable oversteer.
At the top of the performance ladder is the ZL1 coupe and convertible. With their supercharged, 580-hp version of the 6.2-liter (with either transmission) and the magnetic shocks found in the Corvette and some Cadillacs, it not only provides near-supercar numbers (0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, a top speed of 184 mph); it's also affordable, considering that, at about $60k.
Even more affordable is the new-for-2014 Camaro Z/28. With a focus on track capability, the Z/28 takes after the original 1960s models, and not the later '70s and '80s ones carrying that nomenclature. In it, a 7.0-liter V-8 makes 500 horsepower and 470 lb-ft. There's no standard A/C, and all Z/28s have a six-speed manual gearbox, but the design saves 100 pounds overall in weight. Spool-valve dampers, stiffer spring rates, and special Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires all add to the track chops.
The cabin appointments are where your love affair with the current Camaro's style and performance might come to a screeching halt. Why? Because the low-set roofline means that there's a severe shortage of headroom for taller drivers (not just the really tall ones, but most six-footers will find it tight, too). SS and ZL1 Camaros can be trimmed up with suede and leather and brightly colored trim pieces--some of those combinations are love-or-hate, really--while on all Camaros the back seat is for children only and the trunk is tight.
With a lineup that includes the LS, LT, SS (and 1LE), and ZL1--in addition to the new Z/28, equipment also spans a wide range, and the Camaro can be a rather basic coupe, a luxurious touring car, or an all-out performance machine. OnStar comes standard and navigation is available; Bluetooth, USB, and iPod connectivity are offered as options or as standard gear, and a head-up display mimics the one found in the Corvette. Convertibles get power-folding soft tops with glass windows, and standard rearview cameras. The ZL1 bundles it all together in instantly collectible form--but even SS Camaros, especially 1LEs, show the same potential to entertain auctioneers long after they've thrilled their original drivers.
For 2014, the Chevrolet Camaro gets a number of trim and appearance changes, with new wheels and colors throughout. The Hot Wheels Special Edition is no longer offered, and a rear spoiler is no longer standard--which might appeal to those who want a cleaner look.
Welcome to www.happmart.com Web.If you love Game machines,welcome to contact us!
2013年7月16日星期二
Gambling Control Board Allows Possible Conflict
In the mid-1940s, Harry Williams revolutionized the pinball business and became one of the country's leading manufacturers of slot machines. His company, WMS indusries, makes the slot machines that are used here in Maine. But now WMS is being acquired by Scientific Games. That's the same firm that monitors the slot machine revenue for the state and alerts gaming regulators if slot machines are out of compliance with state standards. The deal has triggered a tilt warning of sorts for Timothy Doyle, chair of the state's Gambling Control Board.
"I almost likened it to a referee owning a football team, at least in my mind," Doyle said.
The board has been grappling with the WMS acquisition ever since Scientific Games announced the $1.5 billion dollar transaction in January. Even before casino gaming, Scientific Games has overseen online lottery sales like Powerball and Megabucks Plus, as well as lottery scratch tickets. Patrick Fleming, the Gambling Control board's executive director, says Scientific Games must undergo the same level of scrutiny as WMS to ensure it meets state qualifications as a slot machine distributor. But Fleming says a financial review by Macdonald-Page, a South Portland accounting firm, turned up nothing of concern.
"Macdonald Page did not find anything in the review that would lead them to believe that Scientific Games or WMS gaming are not financially viable or financially responsible nor did they find anything in the financial or tax information submitted by the key executives to indicate that the key executives are not financially responsible," Fleming said.
Fleming said Don Armstrong, an investigator for the board, looked into the past activities of the Scientific Game's top three officers and failed to find anything that would adversely affect the individuals' suitability to distribute slot machines in Maine. Despite Fleming's analysis of the firms and its principals, Doyle remains troubled that the state is paying a company to essentially track its own stream of gambling revenue.
"I'm still concerned for what appears to be a conflict, the monitoring system and the slot machine distributor being the same entity," Doyle said.
Just because Scientific Games is the holding company though, does not mean the firm cannot independently monitor the slot machines it will acquire from WMS. Maine is among 14 gambling jurisdictions that permit a company to conduct central site monitoring of machines that it owns. Mike Freese, vice-president of regulatory affairs for Scientific Games, told board members that stakes are high for the company to ensure that its operations meet the highest level of scrutiny and accountability.
"I think it really comes down to one of the charges of all regulators and that is to maintain the integrity of gaming," Freese said.
"Gambling is such a morally suspect industry that you really have to stay away from perceived conflicts as well as real conflicts," said Professor I. Nelson Rose.
That's I. Nelson Rose, a professor of Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California and a recognized expert on gambling laws. He says if he were advising Maine's Gambling Control Board, he would recommend putting the slot revenue tracking out to bid simply to eliminate A potential conflict -- despite Scientific Game's ability and intention to keep both operations separate.
"There's no reason why this has to be the same company that's both monitoring and operating the slot machines," Rose said. "Self-regulation is really never a good idea."
The board voted to ask Scientific Games to provide it with additional written information explaining how it will prevent perceived conflicts of interest. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
"I almost likened it to a referee owning a football team, at least in my mind," Doyle said.
The board has been grappling with the WMS acquisition ever since Scientific Games announced the $1.5 billion dollar transaction in January. Even before casino gaming, Scientific Games has overseen online lottery sales like Powerball and Megabucks Plus, as well as lottery scratch tickets. Patrick Fleming, the Gambling Control board's executive director, says Scientific Games must undergo the same level of scrutiny as WMS to ensure it meets state qualifications as a slot machine distributor. But Fleming says a financial review by Macdonald-Page, a South Portland accounting firm, turned up nothing of concern.
"Macdonald Page did not find anything in the review that would lead them to believe that Scientific Games or WMS gaming are not financially viable or financially responsible nor did they find anything in the financial or tax information submitted by the key executives to indicate that the key executives are not financially responsible," Fleming said.
Fleming said Don Armstrong, an investigator for the board, looked into the past activities of the Scientific Game's top three officers and failed to find anything that would adversely affect the individuals' suitability to distribute slot machines in Maine. Despite Fleming's analysis of the firms and its principals, Doyle remains troubled that the state is paying a company to essentially track its own stream of gambling revenue.
"I'm still concerned for what appears to be a conflict, the monitoring system and the slot machine distributor being the same entity," Doyle said.
Just because Scientific Games is the holding company though, does not mean the firm cannot independently monitor the slot machines it will acquire from WMS. Maine is among 14 gambling jurisdictions that permit a company to conduct central site monitoring of machines that it owns. Mike Freese, vice-president of regulatory affairs for Scientific Games, told board members that stakes are high for the company to ensure that its operations meet the highest level of scrutiny and accountability.
"I think it really comes down to one of the charges of all regulators and that is to maintain the integrity of gaming," Freese said.
"Gambling is such a morally suspect industry that you really have to stay away from perceived conflicts as well as real conflicts," said Professor I. Nelson Rose.
That's I. Nelson Rose, a professor of Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California and a recognized expert on gambling laws. He says if he were advising Maine's Gambling Control Board, he would recommend putting the slot revenue tracking out to bid simply to eliminate A potential conflict -- despite Scientific Game's ability and intention to keep both operations separate.
"There's no reason why this has to be the same company that's both monitoring and operating the slot machines," Rose said. "Self-regulation is really never a good idea."
The board voted to ask Scientific Games to provide it with additional written information explaining how it will prevent perceived conflicts of interest. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
Ouya Console Looks to Fill Gaming Market Niche
I’ve spent the past couple days trying out the Ouya console. While it is a legitimate gaming machine, it’s not a real threat to grab serious market share from any of the “Big Three” console makers.
At $99, the tiny box and downloadable games in the $20 range are priced low enough to attract casual and occasional gamers who dig playing time-wasters on their smartphones. And, because of the Ouya’s potential to emulate several other earlier-generation consoles, it’s also likely to appeal to nostalgic and retro-gamers.
Ouya was funded through a Kickstarter project. Reviews of an earlier, beta version weren’t flattering, so I was somewhat skeptical as I unpacked the console. The strip of red plastic film printed with the message “And so the revolution begins” atop the console did nothing to allay my journalistic skepticism.
There’s literally not much to Ouya, which was released on June 25. I’ve had coffee mugs bigger than the little round-edged cube, which features a single power-on button, but an array of ports on the back. The Ouya has an HDMI port that let me display at a full 1080 resolution on my home LED television, plus a LAN port, a power port and a USB port.
At that point, we opted to tether the console to the wi-fi hotspot created by a colleague’s iPhone, and around a half-hour after getting started, we were updated and ready to go. It’s important to note that you’ll have to create an account for yourself on the Ouya, including providing your sign-in name, a password, an email and a credit card number. That raised some questions in my mind about the security of Ouya’s servers, ones that I will be posing in a telephone interview with CEO and founder Julie Uhrman on Tuesday.
I took the Ouya home and found it failed to stay connected to my wired LAN. I play Xbox Live just fine on that connection, so I don’t understand why the Ouya kept disconnecting and canceling game downloads or giving me error messages. That, by the way, is a common theme with the device, I’m finding. Often, after clicking on a button to start a game or perform another action, I’d get an error message on the screen. Clicking again would make the message disappear and the game open or the action continue. I noticed the machine worked fine when in constant use, but after I’d put down the controller for a minute or two, I’d tend to get the errors. Anyway, I was unable to tether the Ouya to my own iPhone’s hotspot, but it worked very well on my home wi-fi network.
The Ouya’s opening menu features several very clear and basic commands, like “play,” “manage” and “discover.” “Discover” takes you to the games menu, where you can find listings for around a couple hundred games in several easily navigable categories. All that I tried were free to download and play in a test or demo version, with a button to purchase the full game. The games, themselves, are a mixed bag, which I will get into later. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
At $99, the tiny box and downloadable games in the $20 range are priced low enough to attract casual and occasional gamers who dig playing time-wasters on their smartphones. And, because of the Ouya’s potential to emulate several other earlier-generation consoles, it’s also likely to appeal to nostalgic and retro-gamers.
Ouya was funded through a Kickstarter project. Reviews of an earlier, beta version weren’t flattering, so I was somewhat skeptical as I unpacked the console. The strip of red plastic film printed with the message “And so the revolution begins” atop the console did nothing to allay my journalistic skepticism.
There’s literally not much to Ouya, which was released on June 25. I’ve had coffee mugs bigger than the little round-edged cube, which features a single power-on button, but an array of ports on the back. The Ouya has an HDMI port that let me display at a full 1080 resolution on my home LED television, plus a LAN port, a power port and a USB port.
The Ouya started right up,
but required us to both establish a network connection and update the console’s Android-based firmware. That proved to be somewhat of a problem in my office. Our intranet firewall settings precluded our using a wired connection, so we quickly paired the console’s wireless controller to the Ouya and sought out one of several wireless networks we maintain. We connected to the first and began the system update, but the Ouya kept getting disconnected from wi-fi and cutting off the update. We then tried a second of the office wireless networks, with the same discouraging result.At that point, we opted to tether the console to the wi-fi hotspot created by a colleague’s iPhone, and around a half-hour after getting started, we were updated and ready to go. It’s important to note that you’ll have to create an account for yourself on the Ouya, including providing your sign-in name, a password, an email and a credit card number. That raised some questions in my mind about the security of Ouya’s servers, ones that I will be posing in a telephone interview with CEO and founder Julie Uhrman on Tuesday.
I took the Ouya home and found it failed to stay connected to my wired LAN. I play Xbox Live just fine on that connection, so I don’t understand why the Ouya kept disconnecting and canceling game downloads or giving me error messages. That, by the way, is a common theme with the device, I’m finding. Often, after clicking on a button to start a game or perform another action, I’d get an error message on the screen. Clicking again would make the message disappear and the game open or the action continue. I noticed the machine worked fine when in constant use, but after I’d put down the controller for a minute or two, I’d tend to get the errors. Anyway, I was unable to tether the Ouya to my own iPhone’s hotspot, but it worked very well on my home wi-fi network.
The Ouya’s opening menu features several very clear and basic commands, like “play,” “manage” and “discover.” “Discover” takes you to the games menu, where you can find listings for around a couple hundred games in several easily navigable categories. All that I tried were free to download and play in a test or demo version, with a button to purchase the full game. The games, themselves, are a mixed bag, which I will get into later. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
2013年7月1日星期一
Could SC see a revival in video poker?
Last winter as the Legislature took its first steps to outlaw Internet sweepstakes games, an experienced lawyer with the S.C. Attorney General’s office warned lawmakers that video poker barons always have another card up their sleeves.
Just months after that warning, a bill filed late during the legislative session has some worried the next card may have been played.
The bill, sponsored by S.C. Rep. Bill Herbkersman, R-Beaufort, was introduced, referred to a committee and even received a hearing late in the legislative session. Lawmakers will be able to pick up on the bill where they left off when they return in January.
Herbkersman said the bill would not allow the return of video gambling. Instead, he said, he is filing it on behalf of his constituents in the Sun City retirement community who have complained that the state’s gambling laws are too restrictive.
“We want to get ladies in Sun City to be able to go in the clubhouse, have a glass of wine and play cribbage,” Herbkersman said. “It’s not a gambling law. It’s a personal freedom law.”
Others who have battled video poker for years said some of the same industry players who have been around for years were at the spring hearing, leading to concerns that the bill is another back-door attempt to bring back video poker. This summer, Herbkersman and others who support the bill will meet with State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel to discuss it.
Meanwhile, police across the state continue their efforts to stamp out video gambling that popped up a couple of years ago when game operators argued they had found a loophole in state law that allowed their machines.
At iInternet sweepstakes parlors, customers paid for a product such as phone cards or copying services and then got to play video games for a chance to win prizes, including cash. They said their games were no different from McDonald’s Monopoly promotion. They also pointed to a measure in the state’s gambling laws that says businesses with beer and wine permits can hold promotional sweepstakes.
Law enforcement, including Keel and S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, said no loophole existed but urged legislators to rewrite the law to end any debate. Legislators complied, and Gov. Nikki Haley signed the bill into law in March. The warning that the poker industry always will try another tactic came during a Senate committee hearing as legislators moved to close the perceived loophole.
Since then, the sweepstakes parlors, which mostly operated out of strip malls and only served the purpose of gambling, have vanished. Police have reported finding machines scattered across the state in bars, convenience stores and other locations.
Sheriff Leon Lott said sweepstakes parlors vanished from Richland County after he raided one that had opened in the spring of 2012 on Sparkleberry Road Extension. But individual machines occasionally are found in businesses across the county, he said.
Last week, the Columbia Police Department reported it had seized 22 machines from several businesses in Columbia. Most of those machines were called Palmetto Gold or Chess Challenge II, according to incident reports. At one Farrow Road convenience store, the owner told police that customers played the games for a chance to win tickets that could be redeemed for groceries and beverages at the store, according to a May 29 incident report. The machines and $22 were taken by police. Click on their website happmart for more information.
Just months after that warning, a bill filed late during the legislative session has some worried the next card may have been played.
The bill, sponsored by S.C. Rep. Bill Herbkersman, R-Beaufort, was introduced, referred to a committee and even received a hearing late in the legislative session. Lawmakers will be able to pick up on the bill where they left off when they return in January.
Herbkersman said the bill would not allow the return of video gambling. Instead, he said, he is filing it on behalf of his constituents in the Sun City retirement community who have complained that the state’s gambling laws are too restrictive.
“We want to get ladies in Sun City to be able to go in the clubhouse, have a glass of wine and play cribbage,” Herbkersman said. “It’s not a gambling law. It’s a personal freedom law.”
Others who have battled video poker for years said some of the same industry players who have been around for years were at the spring hearing, leading to concerns that the bill is another back-door attempt to bring back video poker. This summer, Herbkersman and others who support the bill will meet with State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel to discuss it.
Meanwhile, police across the state continue their efforts to stamp out video gambling that popped up a couple of years ago when game operators argued they had found a loophole in state law that allowed their machines.
At iInternet sweepstakes parlors, customers paid for a product such as phone cards or copying services and then got to play video games for a chance to win prizes, including cash. They said their games were no different from McDonald’s Monopoly promotion. They also pointed to a measure in the state’s gambling laws that says businesses with beer and wine permits can hold promotional sweepstakes.
Law enforcement, including Keel and S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, said no loophole existed but urged legislators to rewrite the law to end any debate. Legislators complied, and Gov. Nikki Haley signed the bill into law in March. The warning that the poker industry always will try another tactic came during a Senate committee hearing as legislators moved to close the perceived loophole.
Since then, the sweepstakes parlors, which mostly operated out of strip malls and only served the purpose of gambling, have vanished. Police have reported finding machines scattered across the state in bars, convenience stores and other locations.
Sheriff Leon Lott said sweepstakes parlors vanished from Richland County after he raided one that had opened in the spring of 2012 on Sparkleberry Road Extension. But individual machines occasionally are found in businesses across the county, he said.
Last week, the Columbia Police Department reported it had seized 22 machines from several businesses in Columbia. Most of those machines were called Palmetto Gold or Chess Challenge II, according to incident reports. At one Farrow Road convenience store, the owner told police that customers played the games for a chance to win tickets that could be redeemed for groceries and beverages at the store, according to a May 29 incident report. The machines and $22 were taken by police. Click on their website happmart for more information.
The tedious act of recovering Lost Wages
It turns out that the name Leisure Suit Larry has become an ironic
title, as the cold reality of the game’s resource management tasks set
in and reloading the game to fill your wallet becomes a painful chore.
Again and again you scurry off to refill hapless Larry’s wallet at one
of many electronic gambling machines, where luck rather than skill
determines how quickly you can move through the game. Do you spend time
walking outside and receiving a $10 gift from a homeless man when you’ve
gone broke or do you simply “cheat” and reload the last save, from when
you actually still had money to gamble?
The blame isn’t entirely on N-Fusion Interactive or publisher Replay Games. To be fair, going broke in the original Sierra title meant a game over and forced reload. Turning the clock back is much more of a voluntary act here, since that same homeless fellow will keep feeding you a sawbuck every time you bottom out. Instead of being forced to reload, you simply want to because it’s so horribly dull to keep betting your $10 and losing it, over and over, until you hit a long enough string of jackpots to fill your wallet anew. The difference now is that you feel like you’re cheating every time.
There are other strange design choices here as well. Increasing your bet can only be done in $1 increments, each of which requires a single click, since holding down the mouse button brings up a radial menu for swapping between the different pointer commands. It’s a redundant feature, since you can also use your scrollwheel, your right mouse button, or a drop-down menu at the top of the screen to switch. Then there’s the lack of quick-save/quick-load buttons, forcing you to dive through a series of menus every time you want to recover your lost dollars.
If you’re wondering you’ve just spent three paragraphs reading about a story-driven adventure game’s slot machines, it’s because of how much time you spend staring at them. Larry’s money is constantly trickling away as you play, whether you’re spending it on cabs, on booze, on paying for an ill-advised wedding, and on any number of other things. You need it, and you’ll need considerably more in the end than the paltry $100 you start with. Gambling is a requirement.
This was a poor choice in the original game and it remains a poor choice now. The lingering importance of gambling in the game is frustrating, but it also speaks to the bigger issues at play in Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded. There’s a failure of design, but there’s also a creative miscalculation. Replay’s successful Kickstarter campaign for Reloaded could have delivered a re-born Larry for a 21st century audience, but little has been done to fix what was fundamentally broken before.
The finished product here feels more like a direct port of the VGA remake from the ’90s with a new skin on top of it. Fan service is valuable, but Larry felt uneven in 1987. N-Fusion could have gotten away with taking some creative license here and there to deliver a more fun game instead of just an HD re-release. There’s new content in the form of an extra woman to spurn Larry’s advances, and the point-and-click play continues to be charming, but the hoop-jumping progression through the story hinges too much on luck rather than the player’s powers of deduction. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
The blame isn’t entirely on N-Fusion Interactive or publisher Replay Games. To be fair, going broke in the original Sierra title meant a game over and forced reload. Turning the clock back is much more of a voluntary act here, since that same homeless fellow will keep feeding you a sawbuck every time you bottom out. Instead of being forced to reload, you simply want to because it’s so horribly dull to keep betting your $10 and losing it, over and over, until you hit a long enough string of jackpots to fill your wallet anew. The difference now is that you feel like you’re cheating every time.
There are other strange design choices here as well. Increasing your bet can only be done in $1 increments, each of which requires a single click, since holding down the mouse button brings up a radial menu for swapping between the different pointer commands. It’s a redundant feature, since you can also use your scrollwheel, your right mouse button, or a drop-down menu at the top of the screen to switch. Then there’s the lack of quick-save/quick-load buttons, forcing you to dive through a series of menus every time you want to recover your lost dollars.
If you’re wondering you’ve just spent three paragraphs reading about a story-driven adventure game’s slot machines, it’s because of how much time you spend staring at them. Larry’s money is constantly trickling away as you play, whether you’re spending it on cabs, on booze, on paying for an ill-advised wedding, and on any number of other things. You need it, and you’ll need considerably more in the end than the paltry $100 you start with. Gambling is a requirement.
This was a poor choice in the original game and it remains a poor choice now. The lingering importance of gambling in the game is frustrating, but it also speaks to the bigger issues at play in Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded. There’s a failure of design, but there’s also a creative miscalculation. Replay’s successful Kickstarter campaign for Reloaded could have delivered a re-born Larry for a 21st century audience, but little has been done to fix what was fundamentally broken before.
The finished product here feels more like a direct port of the VGA remake from the ’90s with a new skin on top of it. Fan service is valuable, but Larry felt uneven in 1987. N-Fusion could have gotten away with taking some creative license here and there to deliver a more fun game instead of just an HD re-release. There’s new content in the form of an extra woman to spurn Larry’s advances, and the point-and-click play continues to be charming, but the hoop-jumping progression through the story hinges too much on luck rather than the player’s powers of deduction. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
2013年6月25日星期二
Can fleet upgrades attract more riders to Cape May-Lewes ferry service?
On the third thwack, the bottle of sparkling wine Teresa Ford banged against the M/V Cape Henlopen broke open, spilling its contents down the hull as onlookers at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal applauded.
The ceremony was a “rechristening” of the vessel, capping off the work of crews who overhauled and modernized the ferry fleet, repainting hulls and installing swanky new seats imported from Australia.
Ferry officials hope the makeover will entice more to take the ferry, which offers a 17-mile crossing between southern Delaware and coastal New Jersey, letting people avoid the tolls, gas costs and traffic headaches of driving all the way around Delaware Bay.
Ferry users say the ships are convenient and pleasant, yet fewer people are choosing to ride. The Cape May-Lewes ferries carried 779,000 passengers in 2011, a third less than its ridership of 1.16 million 10 years earlier.
With that in mind, the Delaware River and Bay Authority sold one of its ferry vessels, the M/V Cape May, last month to Northstar Marine Inc. of Clermont, N.J., a marine services company. The sale price was $750,000, DRBA spokesman Jim Salmon said, and the authority negotiated the right to retain more than $500,000 worth of parts and equipment.
The remaining ferries, which can carry dozens of cars, have Game machines, tabletops for picnic lunches and flat-screen TVs. In time for the ferry system’s 50th anniversary next year, a gift shop on one of the ships will be remade into a bar serving craft beers.
“We have all of the amenities that you expect on a modern airline, but with a little bit more room – quite a bit more room,” said Heath Gehrke, director of ferry operations.
The Cape May, which joined the fleet in 1985, had been up for sale since 2007.
Because the Cape May was the least efficient vessel in the fleet, burning through more fuel per hour than the others, it went on the market – originally valued at $17 million, DRBA officials said in 2007. Salmon said the authority reassessed the vessel’s worth in August 2012 and judged its fair market value to be $1.6 million.
The original steamships that got the ferry service going in 1964 were taken out of service 10 years later in favor of diesel-powered vessels. So the sale of the Cape May leaves four ships in the water: M/V Delaware, M/V Twin Capes and M/V New Jersey, all acquired in 1974, and the slightly newer M/V Cape Henlopen.
The DBRA said in 2010 it would be willing to sell the Twin Capes, and that it could operate at existing service levels with only three vessels. It cost $10 million more to run the ferry system in 2011 than the $13.4 million in revenue it took in, although the DRBA’s overall operating budget, including the Delaware Memorial Bridge and its airports, was still in the black.
Administrators also cut the workforce by a third over the past 10 years, and promoted the terminals as places people can book for weddings or business meetings.
The ceremony was a “rechristening” of the vessel, capping off the work of crews who overhauled and modernized the ferry fleet, repainting hulls and installing swanky new seats imported from Australia.
Ferry officials hope the makeover will entice more to take the ferry, which offers a 17-mile crossing between southern Delaware and coastal New Jersey, letting people avoid the tolls, gas costs and traffic headaches of driving all the way around Delaware Bay.
Ferry users say the ships are convenient and pleasant, yet fewer people are choosing to ride. The Cape May-Lewes ferries carried 779,000 passengers in 2011, a third less than its ridership of 1.16 million 10 years earlier.
With that in mind, the Delaware River and Bay Authority sold one of its ferry vessels, the M/V Cape May, last month to Northstar Marine Inc. of Clermont, N.J., a marine services company. The sale price was $750,000, DRBA spokesman Jim Salmon said, and the authority negotiated the right to retain more than $500,000 worth of parts and equipment.
The remaining ferries, which can carry dozens of cars, have Game machines, tabletops for picnic lunches and flat-screen TVs. In time for the ferry system’s 50th anniversary next year, a gift shop on one of the ships will be remade into a bar serving craft beers.
“We have all of the amenities that you expect on a modern airline, but with a little bit more room – quite a bit more room,” said Heath Gehrke, director of ferry operations.
The Cape May, which joined the fleet in 1985, had been up for sale since 2007.
Because the Cape May was the least efficient vessel in the fleet, burning through more fuel per hour than the others, it went on the market – originally valued at $17 million, DRBA officials said in 2007. Salmon said the authority reassessed the vessel’s worth in August 2012 and judged its fair market value to be $1.6 million.
The original steamships that got the ferry service going in 1964 were taken out of service 10 years later in favor of diesel-powered vessels. So the sale of the Cape May leaves four ships in the water: M/V Delaware, M/V Twin Capes and M/V New Jersey, all acquired in 1974, and the slightly newer M/V Cape Henlopen.
The DBRA said in 2010 it would be willing to sell the Twin Capes, and that it could operate at existing service levels with only three vessels. It cost $10 million more to run the ferry system in 2011 than the $13.4 million in revenue it took in, although the DRBA’s overall operating budget, including the Delaware Memorial Bridge and its airports, was still in the black.
Administrators also cut the workforce by a third over the past 10 years, and promoted the terminals as places people can book for weddings or business meetings.
Betfred To Add New Gaming Machines
UK gambling company, Betfred will be expanding its betting shop services by adding 1,700 new gaming machines to its retail locations.
The group has signed an exclusive five year contract with Inspired Gaming which will see the games supplier deliver new Category B2/B3 gaming machines to an additional 500 Betfred shops that once served as Tote betting shops. Betfred acquired Tote from the UK government in 2011.
Inspired Gaming will ensure that the new Betfred gaming machines are installed by January 2014, bringing to over 5,100 the number of gaming machines in the group's portfolio.
According to the Managing Director of UK at Inspired Gaming, Lee Greogry, Betfred is well known in the gambling industry for its successful machine businesses and award winning retail marketing campaigns for new game launches.
"We've worked together to accomplish many successes over the past 15 years, from when AWP's were first allowed in bookmakers, and look forward to many more milestones - including a new hardware launch in 2013," said Gregory.
"Inspired UK's business as a whole is going from strength to strength and we anticipate a positive year ahead with the recent launch of Fortune Spins, a new game feature, and the upcoming launch of the next phase of our technology roadmap."
In other Betfred news, the company was told that an email ad put out in March has been banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ad, according to the authority, was misleading and did not include important information.
The ad was headlined: "Risk free in play offer & double and trebled odds on Champions League action". Players were told that they could enjoy a "risk-free in-play bet".
Complainants argued that the bet was misleading because it wasn't understood from anywhere in the ad that the offer was paid as a 10 bet and not in cash.
Betfred countered that all promotional emails included a clear link to terms and conditions of all offers, including the ad in question.
After lengthy correspondence where Betfred and the ASA referred to all points that the gambling group offered in its defense, it was finally ruled that the ad would be banned.
Betfred has therefore been told that the promotional material may not appear in its current form, and was warned that any future emails would need to contain clear conditions in the actual body of the email and not just as a link. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
The group has signed an exclusive five year contract with Inspired Gaming which will see the games supplier deliver new Category B2/B3 gaming machines to an additional 500 Betfred shops that once served as Tote betting shops. Betfred acquired Tote from the UK government in 2011.
Inspired Gaming will ensure that the new Betfred gaming machines are installed by January 2014, bringing to over 5,100 the number of gaming machines in the group's portfolio.
According to the Managing Director of UK at Inspired Gaming, Lee Greogry, Betfred is well known in the gambling industry for its successful machine businesses and award winning retail marketing campaigns for new game launches.
"We've worked together to accomplish many successes over the past 15 years, from when AWP's were first allowed in bookmakers, and look forward to many more milestones - including a new hardware launch in 2013," said Gregory.
"Inspired UK's business as a whole is going from strength to strength and we anticipate a positive year ahead with the recent launch of Fortune Spins, a new game feature, and the upcoming launch of the next phase of our technology roadmap."
In other Betfred news, the company was told that an email ad put out in March has been banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ad, according to the authority, was misleading and did not include important information.
The ad was headlined: "Risk free in play offer & double and trebled odds on Champions League action". Players were told that they could enjoy a "risk-free in-play bet".
Complainants argued that the bet was misleading because it wasn't understood from anywhere in the ad that the offer was paid as a 10 bet and not in cash.
Betfred countered that all promotional emails included a clear link to terms and conditions of all offers, including the ad in question.
After lengthy correspondence where Betfred and the ASA referred to all points that the gambling group offered in its defense, it was finally ruled that the ad would be banned.
Betfred has therefore been told that the promotional material may not appear in its current form, and was warned that any future emails would need to contain clear conditions in the actual body of the email and not just as a link. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
2013年6月18日星期二
Japanese Toys are Serious Business
The International Tokyo Toy Fair was held at Tokyo Big Sight on was held from June 13th to 16th. This is the big industry toy show for Japan, and it is always interesting to see the trends and new products that are emerging in the market. Being Japan, Characters play a big part in the show, the usual suspects from TV, anime and manga are present – Ultraman, Pretty Cure, Anpanman, One Piece and many many more.
However it is very interesting how there has been a trend to dig into stranger sources for new character ideas. Yuru-chara and Local Heros, which are the promotional characters for various cities and regions across Japan, have proven to be very popular. Also the original characters from Mobile Applications like LINE and Mobile Games like Puzzles & Dragons have made the jump into new toy product lines. One of the funnest things for me about Toy show are some of the innovative applications of character designs to unexpected products – a Sailor Moon cosmetics line, Bikkuriman iPhone covers, the Toyota Gundam concept car.
Technologically advanced Smart Phone style toys for boys and girls that feature Games, Messaging, and many more “Apps” were everywhere. Miniaturization was another trend – the Nano Copter – recognized by Guinness as the worlds smallest remote control helicopter; Nanoblocks – miniature Lego-like building blocks; even scaled-down realistic construction vehicle riding toys.
While Japan is well-known for realistic plastic food for restaurant displays, surprisingly there are now many toys and games that incorporate Hyper-realistic food. There was an abundance of non-digital physical games including a surprising number of skill games involving chopsticks. At the other end of the spectrum there were some amazingly complex gaming systems like Bandai’s Buttoburst involving physical toys, collectable cards, and arcade machines.
There was so much to take in at the Toy Fair, from innovative capsule toys to the truly bizarre and weird, but since I am a big fan of the Tokusatstu (live-action superhero) shows, my first stop at the show was Planet Bandai – home to Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Super Sentai.
Under the terms of the five-year deal, Inspired will deliver Game machines to an additional 500 Betfred shops that were previously Tote betting locations. Betfred acquired the Tote from the UK government in 2011.
The bookmaker’s estate now totals over 5,100 machines, making it one of the largest companies in the market. Inspired will install the additional 1,700 gaming machines in January 2014.
“Betfred is well known for its successful machines business and award-winning retail marketing campaigns for new game launches,” said Lee Gregory, managing director of the UK at Inspired. “We’ve worked together to accomplish many successes over the past 15 years, from when AWPs were first allowed in bookmakers, and look forward to many more milestones – including a new hardware launch in autumn 2013.
“Inspired’s UK business as a whole is going from strength to strength and we anticipate a positive year ahead with the recent launch of Fortune Spins, a new game feature, and the upcoming launch of the next phase of our technology roadmap.”
However it is very interesting how there has been a trend to dig into stranger sources for new character ideas. Yuru-chara and Local Heros, which are the promotional characters for various cities and regions across Japan, have proven to be very popular. Also the original characters from Mobile Applications like LINE and Mobile Games like Puzzles & Dragons have made the jump into new toy product lines. One of the funnest things for me about Toy show are some of the innovative applications of character designs to unexpected products – a Sailor Moon cosmetics line, Bikkuriman iPhone covers, the Toyota Gundam concept car.
Technologically advanced Smart Phone style toys for boys and girls that feature Games, Messaging, and many more “Apps” were everywhere. Miniaturization was another trend – the Nano Copter – recognized by Guinness as the worlds smallest remote control helicopter; Nanoblocks – miniature Lego-like building blocks; even scaled-down realistic construction vehicle riding toys.
While Japan is well-known for realistic plastic food for restaurant displays, surprisingly there are now many toys and games that incorporate Hyper-realistic food. There was an abundance of non-digital physical games including a surprising number of skill games involving chopsticks. At the other end of the spectrum there were some amazingly complex gaming systems like Bandai’s Buttoburst involving physical toys, collectable cards, and arcade machines.
There was so much to take in at the Toy Fair, from innovative capsule toys to the truly bizarre and weird, but since I am a big fan of the Tokusatstu (live-action superhero) shows, my first stop at the show was Planet Bandai – home to Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Super Sentai.
Under the terms of the five-year deal, Inspired will deliver Game machines to an additional 500 Betfred shops that were previously Tote betting locations. Betfred acquired the Tote from the UK government in 2011.
The bookmaker’s estate now totals over 5,100 machines, making it one of the largest companies in the market. Inspired will install the additional 1,700 gaming machines in January 2014.
“Betfred is well known for its successful machines business and award-winning retail marketing campaigns for new game launches,” said Lee Gregory, managing director of the UK at Inspired. “We’ve worked together to accomplish many successes over the past 15 years, from when AWPs were first allowed in bookmakers, and look forward to many more milestones – including a new hardware launch in autumn 2013.
“Inspired’s UK business as a whole is going from strength to strength and we anticipate a positive year ahead with the recent launch of Fortune Spins, a new game feature, and the upcoming launch of the next phase of our technology roadmap.”
Five things next-gen consoles should learn from PC gaming
With E3 finished, the industry has the chance to take a deeper look into the next-gen consoles. Some questions have been answered but many remain, particularly pertaining to how next-gen publishers and hardware makers plan to battle tablet gaming and welcome more independent developers and secure more content.
If console gaming is going to maintain the presence it once had, the developers are simply going to have to learn some lessons from the world of PC gaming, which has done an excellent job of keeping up with the changing online community and its increasingly user-centric demands.
With this in mind, here are five things console gaming could stand to learn from their PC cousins:
1. Openness to Publishers and Patches
A patch is a downloadable file that fixes or adds to a game after it's been released. Most people don't know that it can cost something to the tune of $40,000 to get a patch up for an Xbox 360 or PS3 because of internal certification processes. These outlandish costs can make it tough for even the most successful game development companies to afford regular patches and fixes.
This is discouraging to the developers, who may be able to identify bugs within days or weeks of a release, but won't issue patches because of the giant financial burden. Even worse, this leaves the actual players by the wayside, without the fixes the developers want to give them — held up only by the pricing determined by the console makers.
PC gaming is almost entirely opposite, with developers naming their own prices for rolling out patches, and some games taking on user-generated patches.
2. Fewer "Gates"
Why do console games have such proprietary membership systems, and why do they stand in the way of other services gamers may want to use? If people are already paying for a Netflix subscription and internet access, why also require them to pay for another online membership through their consoles?
This kind of "double charging" is already annoying to console users, and something PC users don't have to worry about at all.
3. Don't Ignore the Independents
If Minecraft is any indication of how successful an independent game maker can be, why wouldn't console companies be going out of their way to nurture the careers of up and coming developers?
It seems as though Sony is doing a decent job of incorporating indie games, even sending out free Vita development kits to independents to help fill their game roster. It still isn't a perfect environment for independents, but at least Sony (and to some degree, Nintendo) are recognizing the need to open the doors to independent development — something that has been happening in PC gaming all along.
4. Cater to the Hardcore Gamers
As consoles continue to become more sophisticated, they are starting to function more and more like personal computers — without the customization or range of capabilities. Instead of just playing games, consoles have all sorts of "media center" functions that are easily (and more effectively) met by other devices.
With iPads and smartphones, we don't necessarily need our consoles to stream music or access our Youtube accounts; we can already do these things on the fly, and easily connect with whatever screen or device we choose.
If people are gaming on a console, chances are they want to use it for gaming, not as a replacement for all of the other devices they use. What resources are being wasted turning consoles into multipurpose media centers, instead of powerful, consistently functional game machines?
If console gaming is going to maintain the presence it once had, the developers are simply going to have to learn some lessons from the world of PC gaming, which has done an excellent job of keeping up with the changing online community and its increasingly user-centric demands.
With this in mind, here are five things console gaming could stand to learn from their PC cousins:
1. Openness to Publishers and Patches
A patch is a downloadable file that fixes or adds to a game after it's been released. Most people don't know that it can cost something to the tune of $40,000 to get a patch up for an Xbox 360 or PS3 because of internal certification processes. These outlandish costs can make it tough for even the most successful game development companies to afford regular patches and fixes.
This is discouraging to the developers, who may be able to identify bugs within days or weeks of a release, but won't issue patches because of the giant financial burden. Even worse, this leaves the actual players by the wayside, without the fixes the developers want to give them — held up only by the pricing determined by the console makers.
PC gaming is almost entirely opposite, with developers naming their own prices for rolling out patches, and some games taking on user-generated patches.
2. Fewer "Gates"
Why do console games have such proprietary membership systems, and why do they stand in the way of other services gamers may want to use? If people are already paying for a Netflix subscription and internet access, why also require them to pay for another online membership through their consoles?
This kind of "double charging" is already annoying to console users, and something PC users don't have to worry about at all.
3. Don't Ignore the Independents
If Minecraft is any indication of how successful an independent game maker can be, why wouldn't console companies be going out of their way to nurture the careers of up and coming developers?
It seems as though Sony is doing a decent job of incorporating indie games, even sending out free Vita development kits to independents to help fill their game roster. It still isn't a perfect environment for independents, but at least Sony (and to some degree, Nintendo) are recognizing the need to open the doors to independent development — something that has been happening in PC gaming all along.
4. Cater to the Hardcore Gamers
As consoles continue to become more sophisticated, they are starting to function more and more like personal computers — without the customization or range of capabilities. Instead of just playing games, consoles have all sorts of "media center" functions that are easily (and more effectively) met by other devices.
With iPads and smartphones, we don't necessarily need our consoles to stream music or access our Youtube accounts; we can already do these things on the fly, and easily connect with whatever screen or device we choose.
If people are gaming on a console, chances are they want to use it for gaming, not as a replacement for all of the other devices they use. What resources are being wasted turning consoles into multipurpose media centers, instead of powerful, consistently functional game machines?
2013年6月12日星期三
Wind developer taking West Grey to court
According to a letter from a company lawyer NextEra is asking the courts to quash the March 18 additions to the bylaw which relate specifically to wind energy projects.
“We are not opposed to paying proper fees for application and permits at the municipal or any other level, we just felt this was above and beyond the general fees that would be required normally of an company for what we’re doing,” company spokesperson Adam Rickel said from his office in Juno Beach, Fla.
He believes West Grey is unfairly targeting NextEra with unusually high fees.
“We’ve compared it to other fees that we’ve seen in other jurisdictions and there is not much clarity in the West Grey bylaw for backup for the fees.”
The request to quash the bylaw follows a warning by a company lawyer, who appeared before council on March 18 asking councillors not to approve amendments which included hefty fees under the municipal fees and charges bylaw for wind turbines.
Under the changes, industrial wind developers have to post a $100,000 performance bond for each turbine to cover costs that might accrue to the municipality during and after the introduction of the machines.
The municipality also requires a $6,500 permit for each turbine to carry out work along the municipal roadways. NextEra plans to bury its power lines carrying electricity between the project’s transformer station and Hydro One transmission lines. West Grey wants a security deposit of $20,000 for each kilometre of connecting line located on its property. That’s in addition to an entrance permit of $5,000 per turbine site.
Wind energy developers must also deposit $50,000 for a peer review of reports generated in the renewable energy application process. Other security deposits include $50,000 for use of a municipal roadway by heavy equipment during installation nd maintenance of the turbines. For a municipal road with a box culvert, the security deposit increases to $125,000 and it goes up to $200,000 for a municipal road with a bridge.
West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles said in an interview following a special meeting of council on Monday that this is the first time West Grey has had an application for wind turbines and the municipality requires adequate fees to reflect the scope and size of the development.
“We’ve got fees and charges for any other development, it’s not like we’re just picking on wind turbines. This is the first one we’ve had for wind turbines and this is where we’re setting the fees,” said Eccles.
Following Monday’s closed door session, Eccles announced the municipality would not back down in the face of NextEra’s court challenge.
“It may be a David and Goliath scenario but I like the chances of David again,” Eccles said.
The application filed in the Superior Court of Justice in Kitchener on June 6 alleges that the municipality doesn’t have the jurisdiction to assess such exorbitant fees that specifically target the wind industry.
The lawyer for NextEra argues the fees subvert the intent of the REA process, which has as its aims the facilitation of wind energy in Ontario, and frustrates the purpose of the provincial laws.
The court documents state the West Grey bylaw “sets out fees and security requirements that are unreasonable, unsubstantiated and punitive and contemplate significantly more in fees than any other fee requirements” in the fees and charges bylaw.
NextEra also claims the security deposits required bear no relation to the actual cost to West Grey and are in fact taxes intended to discourage wind projects.
Eccles said the deposits and securities are only intended to protect the municipality and will be returned once the project is complete — provided no damage has been done to West Grey roads and infrastructure. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
“We are not opposed to paying proper fees for application and permits at the municipal or any other level, we just felt this was above and beyond the general fees that would be required normally of an company for what we’re doing,” company spokesperson Adam Rickel said from his office in Juno Beach, Fla.
He believes West Grey is unfairly targeting NextEra with unusually high fees.
“We’ve compared it to other fees that we’ve seen in other jurisdictions and there is not much clarity in the West Grey bylaw for backup for the fees.”
The request to quash the bylaw follows a warning by a company lawyer, who appeared before council on March 18 asking councillors not to approve amendments which included hefty fees under the municipal fees and charges bylaw for wind turbines.
Under the changes, industrial wind developers have to post a $100,000 performance bond for each turbine to cover costs that might accrue to the municipality during and after the introduction of the machines.
The municipality also requires a $6,500 permit for each turbine to carry out work along the municipal roadways. NextEra plans to bury its power lines carrying electricity between the project’s transformer station and Hydro One transmission lines. West Grey wants a security deposit of $20,000 for each kilometre of connecting line located on its property. That’s in addition to an entrance permit of $5,000 per turbine site.
Wind energy developers must also deposit $50,000 for a peer review of reports generated in the renewable energy application process. Other security deposits include $50,000 for use of a municipal roadway by heavy equipment during installation nd maintenance of the turbines. For a municipal road with a box culvert, the security deposit increases to $125,000 and it goes up to $200,000 for a municipal road with a bridge.
West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles said in an interview following a special meeting of council on Monday that this is the first time West Grey has had an application for wind turbines and the municipality requires adequate fees to reflect the scope and size of the development.
“We’ve got fees and charges for any other development, it’s not like we’re just picking on wind turbines. This is the first one we’ve had for wind turbines and this is where we’re setting the fees,” said Eccles.
Following Monday’s closed door session, Eccles announced the municipality would not back down in the face of NextEra’s court challenge.
“It may be a David and Goliath scenario but I like the chances of David again,” Eccles said.
The application filed in the Superior Court of Justice in Kitchener on June 6 alleges that the municipality doesn’t have the jurisdiction to assess such exorbitant fees that specifically target the wind industry.
The lawyer for NextEra argues the fees subvert the intent of the REA process, which has as its aims the facilitation of wind energy in Ontario, and frustrates the purpose of the provincial laws.
The court documents state the West Grey bylaw “sets out fees and security requirements that are unreasonable, unsubstantiated and punitive and contemplate significantly more in fees than any other fee requirements” in the fees and charges bylaw.
NextEra also claims the security deposits required bear no relation to the actual cost to West Grey and are in fact taxes intended to discourage wind projects.
Eccles said the deposits and securities are only intended to protect the municipality and will be returned once the project is complete — provided no damage has been done to West Grey roads and infrastructure. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
Urgent plea to build wind farm factories in the UK
THE UK must seize a "once in a generation" opportunity to build factories to supply offshore wind farm developments, the Government has been told.
A failure to attract major companies to set up facilities to support Europe's fast-growing offshore wind sector will see the UK losing tens of thousands of jobs and investment to other countries, an industry body has warned.
A report by RenewableUK suggests that in order to deliver planned wind farms Europe will need 64 major manufacturing facilities, but less than a quarter of the working or planned facilities are in the UK.
Between now and 2030 as many as 7,930 turbine towers could be needed for UK offshore wind farms, along with 23,790 turbine blades and more than 9,000km (5,600 miles) of cables, the industry body also said.
The UK would need dozens of factories to supply the sector and more than 20 huge seagoing vessels for installation and 230 ships to carry workers to and from working turbines, but it is not yet clear if the facilities will be constructed in this country.
RenewableUK's chief executive Maria McCaffery said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity. If we don't seize it, the large-scale offshore wind farm supply chain factories of the future, making the enormous blades, towers and foundations that we'll need to retain the UK's global lead in offshore wind, will be sited elsewhere.
"The potential to create tens of thousands of green-collar manufacturing jobs hangs in the balance. We are determined to work with government to ensure that the UK capitalises on this chance to build an industry which will be the envy of the rest of the world."
The UK is a world leader in offshore wind but the domestic market has lost momentum and the industry needs certainty from government over the sector's long-term future in order to invest in supply chains, which will be critical to bringing down the cost of the technology.
Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: "Offshore wind is a British success story. We already have more installed offshore wind than anywhere else in the world and this brings enormous benefit to our shores, supporting thousands of skilled jobs.
"This report sets out the enormous potential of this dynamic industry which makes a crucial contribution to our clean energy mix."
Under Government plans for renewables, there is potential for up a huge increase in offshore wind farms to be installed by the end of the decade.
However, the report follows the news that planning guidance in England will be changed to ensure local opposition can override national energy targets.
Local communities are to be given more powers to block wind farms, but also offered greater incentives to accept them, the government has said.
A failure to attract major companies to set up facilities to support Europe's fast-growing offshore wind sector will see the UK losing tens of thousands of jobs and investment to other countries, an industry body has warned.
A report by RenewableUK suggests that in order to deliver planned wind farms Europe will need 64 major manufacturing facilities, but less than a quarter of the working or planned facilities are in the UK.
Between now and 2030 as many as 7,930 turbine towers could be needed for UK offshore wind farms, along with 23,790 turbine blades and more than 9,000km (5,600 miles) of cables, the industry body also said.
The UK would need dozens of factories to supply the sector and more than 20 huge seagoing vessels for installation and 230 ships to carry workers to and from working turbines, but it is not yet clear if the facilities will be constructed in this country.
RenewableUK's chief executive Maria McCaffery said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity. If we don't seize it, the large-scale offshore wind farm supply chain factories of the future, making the enormous blades, towers and foundations that we'll need to retain the UK's global lead in offshore wind, will be sited elsewhere.
"The potential to create tens of thousands of green-collar manufacturing jobs hangs in the balance. We are determined to work with government to ensure that the UK capitalises on this chance to build an industry which will be the envy of the rest of the world."
The UK is a world leader in offshore wind but the domestic market has lost momentum and the industry needs certainty from government over the sector's long-term future in order to invest in supply chains, which will be critical to bringing down the cost of the technology.
Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: "Offshore wind is a British success story. We already have more installed offshore wind than anywhere else in the world and this brings enormous benefit to our shores, supporting thousands of skilled jobs.
"This report sets out the enormous potential of this dynamic industry which makes a crucial contribution to our clean energy mix."
Under Government plans for renewables, there is potential for up a huge increase in offshore wind farms to be installed by the end of the decade.
However, the report follows the news that planning guidance in England will be changed to ensure local opposition can override national energy targets.
Local communities are to be given more powers to block wind farms, but also offered greater incentives to accept them, the government has said.
2013年6月6日星期四
Microsoft's Shortsighted Approach Might
With Microsoft having made it official that the new Xbox One will have draconian limitations on playing used games, sharing games and being played without an internet connection, the question now is whether the console is dead on arrival with gamers. Given that the Xbox division has been one of the bright lights at Microsoft in recent years (even though its profit contribution is fairly small), this is no small act of self-immolation by the software giant. Is it too soon to write the obituary of a console that hasn’t even been released to the public yet? Perhaps, but perhaps not.
Consider that Xbox One and Playstation 4 from Sony are going to launch at almost exactly the same time with almost exactly the same hardware inside. Sony has already staked out a marketing position targeting the hardcore gaming constituency. By contrast, Microsoft clearly downplayed that message at its launch announcement, touting the console’s ability to act as a TV companion at least as much as a Game machines.
With the E3 gaming conference coming Monday, perhaps Microsoft hoped to gain gamers’ attention then, but today’s news is likely to be so off-putting, it’s not entirely clear Microsoft will ever be able to change the perception around Xbox One. That perception: It’s only a part-time gamer’s machine with things like Kinect that hardcore players don’t much care about and a lot of money-grabbing features and “Big Brother” surveillance built in. This is supposed to be the future of entertainment, it’s worth mentioning.
The negatives have been detailed well in fellow Forbes’ contributor Dave Thier’s post that I linked above, but specifically, Microsoft is absolutely going to war with a couple of key features people have taken for granted since almost the days of Atari:
Your right to buy used games is no longer absolute. Publishers can simply make titles unavailable for resale or can possibly charge fees to allow you to “reactivate” a used game — even up to the original price of the game. There is a $2 billion used game market for a reason: Games are expensive. Who wins here? The publishers have railed against the used-game market for years because they don’t like not receiving a cut on secondary sales. But realistically, someone buying the first Call of Duty for $15 in the used bin is a potential customer for the newest version at $60 this Christmas. There was a marketing benefit that publishers received for free even without a piece of the action.
Game rentals as we know them are effectively dead. For the admitted minority of people who enjoyed services like Gamefly or borrowed a title for a day or two from Redbox, the restrictions on one’s ability to share games mean there will be no more of that. While there are some new sharing features built into Xbox One, they in no way replace the ability to just bring a disc over to a friend’s house and play the game whenever you want to. That behavior is more or less over. Perhaps new rental models will emerge, especially with all games having an option to download them. But make no mistake, this is war on discs and your rights of ownership. It hasn’t gone entirely well for music, movie and book lovers when it’s been declared in the past and it looks ugly here.
Consider that Xbox One and Playstation 4 from Sony are going to launch at almost exactly the same time with almost exactly the same hardware inside. Sony has already staked out a marketing position targeting the hardcore gaming constituency. By contrast, Microsoft clearly downplayed that message at its launch announcement, touting the console’s ability to act as a TV companion at least as much as a Game machines.
With the E3 gaming conference coming Monday, perhaps Microsoft hoped to gain gamers’ attention then, but today’s news is likely to be so off-putting, it’s not entirely clear Microsoft will ever be able to change the perception around Xbox One. That perception: It’s only a part-time gamer’s machine with things like Kinect that hardcore players don’t much care about and a lot of money-grabbing features and “Big Brother” surveillance built in. This is supposed to be the future of entertainment, it’s worth mentioning.
The negatives have been detailed well in fellow Forbes’ contributor Dave Thier’s post that I linked above, but specifically, Microsoft is absolutely going to war with a couple of key features people have taken for granted since almost the days of Atari:
Your right to buy used games is no longer absolute. Publishers can simply make titles unavailable for resale or can possibly charge fees to allow you to “reactivate” a used game — even up to the original price of the game. There is a $2 billion used game market for a reason: Games are expensive. Who wins here? The publishers have railed against the used-game market for years because they don’t like not receiving a cut on secondary sales. But realistically, someone buying the first Call of Duty for $15 in the used bin is a potential customer for the newest version at $60 this Christmas. There was a marketing benefit that publishers received for free even without a piece of the action.
Game rentals as we know them are effectively dead. For the admitted minority of people who enjoyed services like Gamefly or borrowed a title for a day or two from Redbox, the restrictions on one’s ability to share games mean there will be no more of that. While there are some new sharing features built into Xbox One, they in no way replace the ability to just bring a disc over to a friend’s house and play the game whenever you want to. That behavior is more or less over. Perhaps new rental models will emerge, especially with all games having an option to download them. But make no mistake, this is war on discs and your rights of ownership. It hasn’t gone entirely well for music, movie and book lovers when it’s been declared in the past and it looks ugly here.
2013年6月2日星期日
Abbott strangles $20bn green investment
The first story was mostly symbolic in nature. The Newcastle Herald reported that the only wind turbine in Newcastle, the 600kW Kooragang turbine that was constructed in 1997 to “promote the emerging green energy market” is to be removed by Ausgrid - to make way for a new coal loader.
It is just a single turbine but, amazingly, apart from a small demonstration turbine at the CSIRO energy centre nearby, it is the only one in NSW north of Sydney. In fact, going north, you need to travel 2,000kms to the Atherton Tablelands before coming across another commercial wind turbine, 20 small towers amounting to 12MW at Windy Hill in the Atherton Tablelands. There are two other small turbines on Thursday Island, at the tip of the country and that is it – just 12.45MW of wind energy north of Sydney, out of a total of 2,500MW across the country.
How many other turbines are built in NSW will likely be influenced by key decisions being made by NSW Cabinet as early as today about rules governing wind farm developments and the state’s renewable energy plans. That, of course, and the fate of the large-scale renewable energy target – a federal decision.
The second story was not just one, but a barrage of media placements from Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and others seeking to lay the blame for the state’s stunning 22.5 per cent average rise in electricity costs in 2013/14 on green energy schemes, glossing over the fact that the overwhelming majority of the bill increases come because the cost of the billions of dollars of network upgrades is being borne by the consumer.
These are dangerous times for the renewables industry in Australia, particularly those looking to construct some $20 billion of utility-scale installations – be they wind or solar. Newman threw in large-scale renewables as part of the cause of rising prices, but the analysis by the Queensland Competition Authority shows that only 3.5 per cent of the average customer bill of $1451 a year will go to support the renewable energy target, including the small and large-scale schemes. That’s less than $1 a week for the average household.
Australia’s largest utility Origin Energy has virtually declared war on renewables, arguing again on Friday that they are becoming a costly burden on households. It’s an argument that the state governments such as Newman’s have been keen to embrace.
For the record, the Climate Change Authority, in its review completed late last year, said the large-scale renewable energy target would add between $12 and $64 to the average household’s annual bill. The upper range assumed there was no impact on wholesale prices from the “merit order” effect, where prices on the energy market are forced down by the presence of more wind power. It said even slashing the RET target from 41,000GWh to 26,400GWh would only save around $17 a year from consumer bills, but would cause huge damage to the renewables industry.
It’s bitterly ironic because Australia last week was rated as the fourth most attractive destination for renewable energy investment in the world by Ernst & Young. But that was based on the policies that are currently in force – such as the renewable energy target, and the presence of the Clean Energy Finance Corp and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
The federal Coalition is also promising to abolish the CCA, the independent body that ruled in favour of maintaining the fixed 41,000GWh renewable energy target. Not that it has been bothered by such independent advice before. Ian Macfarlane, who is likely to be the new energy minister, brought the Howard’s government’s modest renewable energy target to an abrupt and damaging close when he was in the same role a decade ago, despite the recommendations of the Tambling inquiry to extend it.
That decision brought the Australian wind industry to a halt, forcing the closure of several newly created manufacturing plants. Many of those manufacturing jobs – in wind and solar – are now going to other countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand which have much stronger and consistent support for large-scale renewable generation.
It is just a single turbine but, amazingly, apart from a small demonstration turbine at the CSIRO energy centre nearby, it is the only one in NSW north of Sydney. In fact, going north, you need to travel 2,000kms to the Atherton Tablelands before coming across another commercial wind turbine, 20 small towers amounting to 12MW at Windy Hill in the Atherton Tablelands. There are two other small turbines on Thursday Island, at the tip of the country and that is it – just 12.45MW of wind energy north of Sydney, out of a total of 2,500MW across the country.
How many other turbines are built in NSW will likely be influenced by key decisions being made by NSW Cabinet as early as today about rules governing wind farm developments and the state’s renewable energy plans. That, of course, and the fate of the large-scale renewable energy target – a federal decision.
The second story was not just one, but a barrage of media placements from Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and others seeking to lay the blame for the state’s stunning 22.5 per cent average rise in electricity costs in 2013/14 on green energy schemes, glossing over the fact that the overwhelming majority of the bill increases come because the cost of the billions of dollars of network upgrades is being borne by the consumer.
These are dangerous times for the renewables industry in Australia, particularly those looking to construct some $20 billion of utility-scale installations – be they wind or solar. Newman threw in large-scale renewables as part of the cause of rising prices, but the analysis by the Queensland Competition Authority shows that only 3.5 per cent of the average customer bill of $1451 a year will go to support the renewable energy target, including the small and large-scale schemes. That’s less than $1 a week for the average household.
Australia’s largest utility Origin Energy has virtually declared war on renewables, arguing again on Friday that they are becoming a costly burden on households. It’s an argument that the state governments such as Newman’s have been keen to embrace.
For the record, the Climate Change Authority, in its review completed late last year, said the large-scale renewable energy target would add between $12 and $64 to the average household’s annual bill. The upper range assumed there was no impact on wholesale prices from the “merit order” effect, where prices on the energy market are forced down by the presence of more wind power. It said even slashing the RET target from 41,000GWh to 26,400GWh would only save around $17 a year from consumer bills, but would cause huge damage to the renewables industry.
It’s bitterly ironic because Australia last week was rated as the fourth most attractive destination for renewable energy investment in the world by Ernst & Young. But that was based on the policies that are currently in force – such as the renewable energy target, and the presence of the Clean Energy Finance Corp and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
The federal Coalition is also promising to abolish the CCA, the independent body that ruled in favour of maintaining the fixed 41,000GWh renewable energy target. Not that it has been bothered by such independent advice before. Ian Macfarlane, who is likely to be the new energy minister, brought the Howard’s government’s modest renewable energy target to an abrupt and damaging close when he was in the same role a decade ago, despite the recommendations of the Tambling inquiry to extend it.
That decision brought the Australian wind industry to a halt, forcing the closure of several newly created manufacturing plants. Many of those manufacturing jobs – in wind and solar – are now going to other countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand which have much stronger and consistent support for large-scale renewable generation.
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