BP announced the $30 million tourism grants in April. While the agreement for the $30 million doesn't prevent Florida from pursuing any claims against BP or others, officials there decided a week later not to join other Gulf states in a lawsuit against Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig at the heart of the spill.
Florida's tourism spending spree isn't the first time that BP money has allowed government officials to snag items from their wish lists.
Separately, BP had already poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the four Gulf states in the months after the oil spill — with few strings attached. The Associated Press documented earlier this year how some of the $754 million given to local governments had been spent on tasers, SUVS and pick-up trucks, rock concerts, an iPad and other items with no direct connection to the oil spill.
In all, BP has given $150 million to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi for tourism promotion since the oil spill, with the Sunshine State getting the lion's share — $62 million.
In the case of the more-recent payout, Florida Panhandle counties have allocated more than $23 million of the $30 million through September, with $13.5 million used on for television, digital, radio and print advertising. The counties have also spent millions on a variety of attention-grabbing gimmicks, The Associated Press found through public records requests and interviews.
Some wonder whether the most extravagant promotions — such as Panama City Beach's $1 million Christmas display — are worth it.
"It wasn't all that busy out here last weekend," Charles Walsingham, a beachside merchant near the display, said a few days after the Christmas lights were turned on and the ice rink opened in early December. "There weren't that many people over there skating and that is a lot of money to spend."
The seven counties spent $2.5 million on promotions alone.
In Pensacola, the BP money paid for $30,000 worth of sports towels and another $30,000 worth of fleece blankets given out at local sporting events. In neighboring Perdido Key, officials spent $300,000 on American Express gift cards for overnight visitors. They also purchased $12,500 worth of BP gas cards for tourists who present receipts showing they've stayed in the area, essentially putting BP funds back into the company's pocket.
Alison Davenport, chair of the Perdido Key Chamber and Visitors Center, said the goal is to get tourists driving to the area next spring. "We had no hesitation in choosing BP gas cards over any others since BP's grant money has made the incentivized travel promotion possible," she said.
Okaloosa County, home to Destin and Fort Walton Beach, is giving away a trip to the Super Bowl and tickets to the BCS championship football game to drive traffic to its Facebook page. South Walton Beach also is giving away BCS tickets on Facebook.
2011年12月29日 星期四
2011年12月28日 星期三
Grote Expands Line of SuperNova NexGen LED Lamps Across Several Categories
Grote Industries has announced the expansion of its SuperNova NexGen LED lamp offering, with the introduction of its new integrated flange 4-inch stop/tail/turn and dual-system back-up lamps.
The new lamps feature a one-piece integrated flange design that mounts directly to the surface of a vehicle, eliminating the need for accessory mounting brackets or grommets, the company says. The lighting systems come with a cushioning gasket seal that keeps water and debris from getting behind the lamp while functioning as a shock absorbing mechanism. The design also incorporates a robust, hermetic lens-to-housing seal that resists moisture intrusion that would result in component corrosion.
"The integrated flange design is the most versatile and cost-effective addition to the premium SuperNova NexGen LED product family to date," said Randy Staggs, Grote's business development manager for signal lighting. "OEMs will benefit from improved assembly efficiency, while fleets and other end-users will incur simplified repair and replacement requirements."
Grote's SuperNova line is recognized for its high performance and the lamps are designed to be extremely durable. Each lamp is designed with an environmental encapsulant potting that cradles the lamp's solid-state circuit board and protects it from moisture and vibration.
The lamps' innovative optical lens design reduces theft potential by intentionally resembling incandescent versions, but their performance on the road is nothing like their incandescent predecessors, according to the company. Grote's SuperNova NexGen LEDs illuminate 200 milliseconds faster than incandescent bulbs, the company says, which provides a safety benefit to the driver of the following vehicle, amounting to more than a full car length of extra stopping distance at 65 mph.
Both the flanged four-inch stop/tail/turn and flanged dual-system back-up lamps are available with hard-shell and male-pin termination options, which allow them to make use of existing pigtails for installation flexibility and cost-effective retrofitting.
The flanged 4-inch stop/tail/turn lamps and flanged dual-system back-up lamps have durable acrylic lenses and housings composed of hard-coated polycarbonate material. As new members of the SuperNova NexGen product line, both lamps carry Grote's exclusive 10-year warranty.
According to court paperwork released Wednesday, Gregg Pfeifer began stalking and harassing his ex-girlfriend as well as her family at their home in July.
The victims filed a restraining order against Pfeifer the same month.
Police found that since then, Pfeifer has harassed the victims through phone calls, text messages, email and driving by their home.
"He would call her a 100 times a day and text her 100 times a day," said Dotti Hetzel, whose daughter was stalked.
Police say this led the victims to change their phone numbers, cancel their Facebook and email accounts as well as install a $2,000 surveillance camera system.
The new lamps feature a one-piece integrated flange design that mounts directly to the surface of a vehicle, eliminating the need for accessory mounting brackets or grommets, the company says. The lighting systems come with a cushioning gasket seal that keeps water and debris from getting behind the lamp while functioning as a shock absorbing mechanism. The design also incorporates a robust, hermetic lens-to-housing seal that resists moisture intrusion that would result in component corrosion.
"The integrated flange design is the most versatile and cost-effective addition to the premium SuperNova NexGen LED product family to date," said Randy Staggs, Grote's business development manager for signal lighting. "OEMs will benefit from improved assembly efficiency, while fleets and other end-users will incur simplified repair and replacement requirements."
Grote's SuperNova line is recognized for its high performance and the lamps are designed to be extremely durable. Each lamp is designed with an environmental encapsulant potting that cradles the lamp's solid-state circuit board and protects it from moisture and vibration.
The lamps' innovative optical lens design reduces theft potential by intentionally resembling incandescent versions, but their performance on the road is nothing like their incandescent predecessors, according to the company. Grote's SuperNova NexGen LEDs illuminate 200 milliseconds faster than incandescent bulbs, the company says, which provides a safety benefit to the driver of the following vehicle, amounting to more than a full car length of extra stopping distance at 65 mph.
Both the flanged four-inch stop/tail/turn and flanged dual-system back-up lamps are available with hard-shell and male-pin termination options, which allow them to make use of existing pigtails for installation flexibility and cost-effective retrofitting.
The flanged 4-inch stop/tail/turn lamps and flanged dual-system back-up lamps have durable acrylic lenses and housings composed of hard-coated polycarbonate material. As new members of the SuperNova NexGen product line, both lamps carry Grote's exclusive 10-year warranty.
According to court paperwork released Wednesday, Gregg Pfeifer began stalking and harassing his ex-girlfriend as well as her family at their home in July.
The victims filed a restraining order against Pfeifer the same month.
Police found that since then, Pfeifer has harassed the victims through phone calls, text messages, email and driving by their home.
"He would call her a 100 times a day and text her 100 times a day," said Dotti Hetzel, whose daughter was stalked.
Police say this led the victims to change their phone numbers, cancel their Facebook and email accounts as well as install a $2,000 surveillance camera system.
2011年12月27日 星期二
City Considers Adding Lights To Southwest Bike Path
The Southwest Bike Path in Madison is a popular trail for recreation and commuters. The question for the city and nearby residents is: What happens when the sun goes down? It's a question with different answers, depending on who is asked.
City officials are proposing LED lights for a portion of the bike trail. The finances for this 4-mile project are included in Mayor Paul Soglin's 2012 capital budget, but it's a proposal not sitting well with some along the trail.
"What I want to know is, tell me what this is going to cost me," said David Friedman, who lives in the area. "Tell me what this is going to cost for upkeep. What are we going to do for lighting it?"
Some along the trail are new lights would destroy the path's evening view.
"The night sky is spectacular," said Nancy Washburn, "We, of course, living in the city, only get to see a little piece of it. But I'd like to preserve what we've got."
"A quality bike path would almost always be lit," said District 10 Alder Brian Solomon. "It just makes sense. It's just like lighting our road corridors."
Solomon hopes to shed positive light on the $250,000 project.
"I've had a large number of people e-mailing me, calling me," said Solomon. "People I've seen on the path saying they would use it a lot more frequently, especially in the seasons we don't have much light out, if it were lit."
Solomon said the LED lights would shine straight down on the path, minimizing spillover to nearby homes. The key is convincing homeowners like Friedman.
"I put 47 trees in to shade my house from everybody. I really don't want more lights in the back," said Friedman.
As Solomon hears more from path patrons, several sunsets remain before a final decision.
"It's not necessarily about the city versus the neighbors," said Solomon. "It's about finding a solution that works for both. And I do think we could do that if we work at it."
Solomon said he's meeting with city staff in January, looking for more ideas and feedback from the community. Ideally, the 20-foot light poles would go up in the summer of 2012. But Solomon said he's willing to hold off until 2013 if there's more to discuss with nearby residents.
City officials are proposing LED lights for a portion of the bike trail. The finances for this 4-mile project are included in Mayor Paul Soglin's 2012 capital budget, but it's a proposal not sitting well with some along the trail.
"What I want to know is, tell me what this is going to cost me," said David Friedman, who lives in the area. "Tell me what this is going to cost for upkeep. What are we going to do for lighting it?"
Some along the trail are new lights would destroy the path's evening view.
"The night sky is spectacular," said Nancy Washburn, "We, of course, living in the city, only get to see a little piece of it. But I'd like to preserve what we've got."
"A quality bike path would almost always be lit," said District 10 Alder Brian Solomon. "It just makes sense. It's just like lighting our road corridors."
Solomon hopes to shed positive light on the $250,000 project.
"I've had a large number of people e-mailing me, calling me," said Solomon. "People I've seen on the path saying they would use it a lot more frequently, especially in the seasons we don't have much light out, if it were lit."
Solomon said the LED lights would shine straight down on the path, minimizing spillover to nearby homes. The key is convincing homeowners like Friedman.
"I put 47 trees in to shade my house from everybody. I really don't want more lights in the back," said Friedman.
As Solomon hears more from path patrons, several sunsets remain before a final decision.
"It's not necessarily about the city versus the neighbors," said Solomon. "It's about finding a solution that works for both. And I do think we could do that if we work at it."
Solomon said he's meeting with city staff in January, looking for more ideas and feedback from the community. Ideally, the 20-foot light poles would go up in the summer of 2012. But Solomon said he's willing to hold off until 2013 if there's more to discuss with nearby residents.
2011年12月26日 星期一
EPB fiber optics help local businesses grow
Cloud computing company Claris Networks is based in Knoxville but is expanding in Chattanooga because of the city's unique fiber optic network.
"We actually see Chattanooga as our largest growth potential," Claris Network Vice President Dave Sagraves said.
At the beginning of the year, Claris had two employees who worked out of a small, single room in a building on Main Street.
Now the business has eight employees working out of an office at The Freight Depot at 1200 Market Street.
"If Knoxville had what Chattanooga has, we'd be investing all those resources in Knoxville. This is the best market for our business to grow," Sagraves said.
Claris provides local businesses "cloud services," which means they host, manage and maintain computer networks for businesses.
The business relies heavily on speedy Internet access and predicts future growth for the Chattanooga business, Sagraves said.
"We are still on the acquisition trail and we expect that we will have between 50 and 100 percent growth from an employee standpoint," he said.
The high speed Internet has benefited other businesses, such as social media start up LifeKraze and Global Green Lighting.
"We switched over after a lot of spotty hours, days and weeks from our previous supplier," Michelle Warren, with LifeKraze, said. "We have had great consistency through EPB."
Global Green Lighting President Don Lepard said the high-speed fiber optic Internet is essential to his business.
"EPB has been my inspiration from day one," he said.
Global Green Lighting develops low-energy lighting control systems, which use the same technology EPB uses with its Smart Meter technology, Lepard said.
The company recently beat out national competition and won a bid to put the lights up across Chattanooga and is currently in the process of generating a contract for the project with the city.
Global Green Lighting has already replaced about 350 street and post lights on the North Shore's Coolidge Park, Frazier Avenue, and on the Walnut Street Bridge, he also said.
An operator can control the lights — which use smart grid and fiber optic technology — via the Internet from up to 35 miles away.
And the company is expanding it's physical presence by taking over the rest of the building and will be making more hires in the next year.
He hopes to grow to 250 employees before the company finishes the project with the city, and he said he expects he will book jobs with other local municipalities, whose leaders have seen what the company has done with lighting in Chattanooga and want that for their city.
"We actually see Chattanooga as our largest growth potential," Claris Network Vice President Dave Sagraves said.
At the beginning of the year, Claris had two employees who worked out of a small, single room in a building on Main Street.
Now the business has eight employees working out of an office at The Freight Depot at 1200 Market Street.
"If Knoxville had what Chattanooga has, we'd be investing all those resources in Knoxville. This is the best market for our business to grow," Sagraves said.
Claris provides local businesses "cloud services," which means they host, manage and maintain computer networks for businesses.
The business relies heavily on speedy Internet access and predicts future growth for the Chattanooga business, Sagraves said.
"We are still on the acquisition trail and we expect that we will have between 50 and 100 percent growth from an employee standpoint," he said.
The high speed Internet has benefited other businesses, such as social media start up LifeKraze and Global Green Lighting.
"We switched over after a lot of spotty hours, days and weeks from our previous supplier," Michelle Warren, with LifeKraze, said. "We have had great consistency through EPB."
Global Green Lighting President Don Lepard said the high-speed fiber optic Internet is essential to his business.
"EPB has been my inspiration from day one," he said.
Global Green Lighting develops low-energy lighting control systems, which use the same technology EPB uses with its Smart Meter technology, Lepard said.
The company recently beat out national competition and won a bid to put the lights up across Chattanooga and is currently in the process of generating a contract for the project with the city.
Global Green Lighting has already replaced about 350 street and post lights on the North Shore's Coolidge Park, Frazier Avenue, and on the Walnut Street Bridge, he also said.
An operator can control the lights — which use smart grid and fiber optic technology — via the Internet from up to 35 miles away.
And the company is expanding it's physical presence by taking over the rest of the building and will be making more hires in the next year.
He hopes to grow to 250 employees before the company finishes the project with the city, and he said he expects he will book jobs with other local municipalities, whose leaders have seen what the company has done with lighting in Chattanooga and want that for their city.
2011年12月25日 星期日
Gardener: How to choose winter-gardening light system
Lots of folks bring their gardens inside over the winter months. All kinds of delicate perennials, tropicals, citrus, and even herbs and salad greens, not to mention countless new seed starts, can wait out the cold indoors if they have the right conditions.
The most important condition is light. By understanding how plants use light, and the many lighting options available today, you can put together a lighting system that's right for the plants you want to grow indoors -- or at least sustain -- until they are able to venture outside again. Things to consider:
Bright sunshine contains the full spectrum of light wavelengths from red through yellow and green to blue and violet. Plants use all of these wavelengths for photosynthesis, but red and blue are two of the most important. The blue spectrum promotes vegetative growth so young plants build robust, full foliage. The red wavelengths promote flowers and fruits.
All plants need light to thrive, but some plants can get by on lower intensities than others. Native tropicals, shade-loving forest plants and houseplants like ivy and philodendron don't need as much light as Mediterranean succulents or desert cactuses. Flowering plants of all kinds, such as orchids and gardenias, generally need brighter light to flower and produce fruit.
No matter how much light they use to grow, plants need a rest now and then, to accomplish their other functions of metabolism. Plants' preferences for light to dark are divided into short-day, long-day and day-neutral.
Short-day plants thrive on less than 12 hours of light in a 24-hour period. Most will also need to have a stretch of even shorter days to signal them to set buds and flower. Azaleas, chrysanthemums, poinsettia and Christmas cactus are short-day plants.
Long-day plants need 14 to 18 hours of light per day. Vegetables and most garden plants are long day, and get pale and stretched when they don't get enough light.
Day-neutral plants like geraniums, coleus and foliage plants are happy with eight to 12 hours of light throughout the year.
Kinds of grow lights. There are many kinds of artificial lights that will support plants indoors, from ordinary bulbs and tubes to super-efficient LED lights. Most are available in multiple color spectrums.
Fluorescent tubes put out three to four times the light of incandescent bulbs for the same energy. Their color frequencies run from reds to blues, so you can mix and match to suit your preferences. Full-spectrum or sunlight fluorescents are great for all plants and for starting plants from seeds. They're often even marketed as grow lights.
The newest technology for grow lights uses Light Emitting Diodes. LEDs are extremely energy efficient; they average 50,000 hours of useful operation, and generate very little heat, making them safe for plants and people. You'll spend a good bit more upfront but you can expect to save 40 percent to 75 percent on your energy costs.
Regardless of which kind of lighting system you use, rotate your plants one or more times each week to balance the amount of light each plant receives. Replace fluorescent tubes when the ends start to blacken to keep adequate light levels for your plants. Keep the plants far enough away from the light to prevent burning yet close enough to maximize the exposure these supplemental sources provide.
The most important condition is light. By understanding how plants use light, and the many lighting options available today, you can put together a lighting system that's right for the plants you want to grow indoors -- or at least sustain -- until they are able to venture outside again. Things to consider:
Bright sunshine contains the full spectrum of light wavelengths from red through yellow and green to blue and violet. Plants use all of these wavelengths for photosynthesis, but red and blue are two of the most important. The blue spectrum promotes vegetative growth so young plants build robust, full foliage. The red wavelengths promote flowers and fruits.
All plants need light to thrive, but some plants can get by on lower intensities than others. Native tropicals, shade-loving forest plants and houseplants like ivy and philodendron don't need as much light as Mediterranean succulents or desert cactuses. Flowering plants of all kinds, such as orchids and gardenias, generally need brighter light to flower and produce fruit.
No matter how much light they use to grow, plants need a rest now and then, to accomplish their other functions of metabolism. Plants' preferences for light to dark are divided into short-day, long-day and day-neutral.
Short-day plants thrive on less than 12 hours of light in a 24-hour period. Most will also need to have a stretch of even shorter days to signal them to set buds and flower. Azaleas, chrysanthemums, poinsettia and Christmas cactus are short-day plants.
Long-day plants need 14 to 18 hours of light per day. Vegetables and most garden plants are long day, and get pale and stretched when they don't get enough light.
Day-neutral plants like geraniums, coleus and foliage plants are happy with eight to 12 hours of light throughout the year.
Kinds of grow lights. There are many kinds of artificial lights that will support plants indoors, from ordinary bulbs and tubes to super-efficient LED lights. Most are available in multiple color spectrums.
Fluorescent tubes put out three to four times the light of incandescent bulbs for the same energy. Their color frequencies run from reds to blues, so you can mix and match to suit your preferences. Full-spectrum or sunlight fluorescents are great for all plants and for starting plants from seeds. They're often even marketed as grow lights.
The newest technology for grow lights uses Light Emitting Diodes. LEDs are extremely energy efficient; they average 50,000 hours of useful operation, and generate very little heat, making them safe for plants and people. You'll spend a good bit more upfront but you can expect to save 40 percent to 75 percent on your energy costs.
Regardless of which kind of lighting system you use, rotate your plants one or more times each week to balance the amount of light each plant receives. Replace fluorescent tubes when the ends start to blacken to keep adequate light levels for your plants. Keep the plants far enough away from the light to prevent burning yet close enough to maximize the exposure these supplemental sources provide.
2011年12月22日 星期四
Philips goLITE BLU Energy Light Review
You don't have to have been diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to come down with the winter blues, or indeed to require some help waking up in the morning or keeping momentum during the day. Philips reckons it has the answer in the shape of the goLITE BLU HF3330/HF3332, a portable light lamp that promises to wake you up refreshed, buoy you during the day, and even help you say goodbye to jetlag. Ambitious claims from a box of LEDs: check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
A 14 x 14 x 2.5 cm white plastic box, the goLITE BLU is fronted by a pair of panels: a sizable blue LED array on top, and a smaller, blue-backlit touchscreen underneath showing time, light settings and battery status. The only physical control is a power button on the right side; on the left is a socket for the included AC power adapter. Philips also throws in a set of international plug adapters.
A notch on the lower rear panel holds a metal rod, which can be slotted into a hole to prop the goLITE BLU up. Magnets keep the rod in place in both, and there's a faux-leather slip case for transporting the whole thing. Unfortunately there's only one possible angle at which you can stand the light unit at, rather than an adjustable base.
Setup is straightforward. Tapping the bell button sets the alarm, using the plus and minus buttons to adjust the time; the stopwatch icon sets the length of time the light is on for. Alarms can be either an audible tone or the LED lights, or a combination of both, while anything from 1 minute to an hour – in minute increments – can be set as the duration.
As well as waking up to light, you can trigger an impromptu session manually. Pressing the power button once turns on the touchscreen, and a second press turns on the LEDs; you can adjust the intensity – in 25-percent increments – and the length of time the goLITE BLU is on for.
A temporary pause in a session can be added by pressing the power button briefly, or turning the intensity down to zero, though if you leave it paused and running on battery power for over five minutes, the goLITE BLU will automatically power off.
Philips recommends 15 to 30 minutes of time in front of the light each day, initially starting off at 50-percent brightness and increasing if you don't notice a difference after a week. Rather than sitting directly in front of the LEDs, basking in their glow as you might a tanning lamp, Philips advises putting it off to one side so that it shines tangentially onto your face.
That, along with the limited angle options from the stand, can make finding the best position tricky, though it's easier if you're working at a desk at the time.
Instant results aren't promised, but the idea is that if you invest several weeks you can gain more energy, alleviate your mood or even help bypass jetlag. Using the goLITE BLU in the morning, when you first wake up, is supposed to make it easier to get out of bed, while a quick session in the middle of the day can, so Philips says, top up your energy levels when you more normally might be flagging.
A 14 x 14 x 2.5 cm white plastic box, the goLITE BLU is fronted by a pair of panels: a sizable blue LED array on top, and a smaller, blue-backlit touchscreen underneath showing time, light settings and battery status. The only physical control is a power button on the right side; on the left is a socket for the included AC power adapter. Philips also throws in a set of international plug adapters.
A notch on the lower rear panel holds a metal rod, which can be slotted into a hole to prop the goLITE BLU up. Magnets keep the rod in place in both, and there's a faux-leather slip case for transporting the whole thing. Unfortunately there's only one possible angle at which you can stand the light unit at, rather than an adjustable base.
Setup is straightforward. Tapping the bell button sets the alarm, using the plus and minus buttons to adjust the time; the stopwatch icon sets the length of time the light is on for. Alarms can be either an audible tone or the LED lights, or a combination of both, while anything from 1 minute to an hour – in minute increments – can be set as the duration.
As well as waking up to light, you can trigger an impromptu session manually. Pressing the power button once turns on the touchscreen, and a second press turns on the LEDs; you can adjust the intensity – in 25-percent increments – and the length of time the goLITE BLU is on for.
A temporary pause in a session can be added by pressing the power button briefly, or turning the intensity down to zero, though if you leave it paused and running on battery power for over five minutes, the goLITE BLU will automatically power off.
Philips recommends 15 to 30 minutes of time in front of the light each day, initially starting off at 50-percent brightness and increasing if you don't notice a difference after a week. Rather than sitting directly in front of the LEDs, basking in their glow as you might a tanning lamp, Philips advises putting it off to one side so that it shines tangentially onto your face.
That, along with the limited angle options from the stand, can make finding the best position tricky, though it's easier if you're working at a desk at the time.
Instant results aren't promised, but the idea is that if you invest several weeks you can gain more energy, alleviate your mood or even help bypass jetlag. Using the goLITE BLU in the morning, when you first wake up, is supposed to make it easier to get out of bed, while a quick session in the middle of the day can, so Philips says, top up your energy levels when you more normally might be flagging.
2011年12月21日 星期三
Strides made at second meeting on Melnea Cass Blvd. design
The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) held its second public meeting on the redesign of Melnea Cass Boulevard to create a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly street while still accommodating car, truck and public transit traffic.
The BTD is the lead agency among a group of city and state agencies involved in the improvement project, to be funded by $600,000 in City of Boston funds and $7.5 million in federal earmarks and state funding. A team of consultants with expertise in transportation engineering, bicycle planning and landscape architecture has been engaged to help with the planning.
The BTD and the outside consultants for the project learned from this mistake, said BTD Senior Transportation Planner Patrick Hoey.
"We've set the reset button tonight, and we're going to get a fresh start," Hoey said. "We did our homework. We're going to put Melnea Cass Boulevard in its historical context this time."
Melnea Cass Boulevard was built in 1981 on one of the bulldozed paths. Running from Tremont Street near Ruggles Station to the Mass Turnpike Connector at Mass. Ave., today the boulevard is widely seen as a highway within the city, with fast-moving traffic and dangerous street crossings.
Now, the city wants to redesign the street with a new "complete streets" approach that emphasizes sustainability and a more pedestrian-centered approach.
After the slide presentation, attendees were divided into small groups — something that was on the agenda in the first meeting, but didn't come to pass — to brainstorm on improvement ideas. In one group, led by Keri Pyke, director of transportation planning at Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates and the Melnea Cass project's lead design consultant, attendees had a variety of suggestions.
"We're going to have to change the lighting," said one participant named Dan, pointing out how forbidding the area feels after dark for pedestrians.
"I appreciate bicycles," said one woman, "but for women with children, bicycle paths are not a priority. I want convenient access to public transit and a well-lit walkway."
State Rep. Byron Rushing, assigned to this group, said a dedicated lane for buses is needed, no matter what else comes into the design.
Group members agreed that traffic needs to be calmed with stoplights or prominent speed limit signs, and that crosswalks need to be improved or shortened.
Pyke asked what group members thought about adding on-street parking. This is a difficult issue, with some people feeling that businesses along the boulevard will depend on convenient parking, while others predicting problems with double-parking.
At the meeting's close, the design team gathered up the flip chart sheets full of ideas. The consultants clearly have their work cut out for them to create a cohesive design plan that melds the larger transit considerations with the public input. Discussions will continue after the holidays, with the next public meeting likely to be in late January or early February.
The BTD is the lead agency among a group of city and state agencies involved in the improvement project, to be funded by $600,000 in City of Boston funds and $7.5 million in federal earmarks and state funding. A team of consultants with expertise in transportation engineering, bicycle planning and landscape architecture has been engaged to help with the planning.
The BTD and the outside consultants for the project learned from this mistake, said BTD Senior Transportation Planner Patrick Hoey.
"We've set the reset button tonight, and we're going to get a fresh start," Hoey said. "We did our homework. We're going to put Melnea Cass Boulevard in its historical context this time."
Melnea Cass Boulevard was built in 1981 on one of the bulldozed paths. Running from Tremont Street near Ruggles Station to the Mass Turnpike Connector at Mass. Ave., today the boulevard is widely seen as a highway within the city, with fast-moving traffic and dangerous street crossings.
Now, the city wants to redesign the street with a new "complete streets" approach that emphasizes sustainability and a more pedestrian-centered approach.
After the slide presentation, attendees were divided into small groups — something that was on the agenda in the first meeting, but didn't come to pass — to brainstorm on improvement ideas. In one group, led by Keri Pyke, director of transportation planning at Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates and the Melnea Cass project's lead design consultant, attendees had a variety of suggestions.
"We're going to have to change the lighting," said one participant named Dan, pointing out how forbidding the area feels after dark for pedestrians.
"I appreciate bicycles," said one woman, "but for women with children, bicycle paths are not a priority. I want convenient access to public transit and a well-lit walkway."
State Rep. Byron Rushing, assigned to this group, said a dedicated lane for buses is needed, no matter what else comes into the design.
Group members agreed that traffic needs to be calmed with stoplights or prominent speed limit signs, and that crosswalks need to be improved or shortened.
Pyke asked what group members thought about adding on-street parking. This is a difficult issue, with some people feeling that businesses along the boulevard will depend on convenient parking, while others predicting problems with double-parking.
At the meeting's close, the design team gathered up the flip chart sheets full of ideas. The consultants clearly have their work cut out for them to create a cohesive design plan that melds the larger transit considerations with the public input. Discussions will continue after the holidays, with the next public meeting likely to be in late January or early February.
2011年12月15日 星期四
'Magic Vista' in Arnold neighborhood
This holiday season, the Mago Vista community in Arnold should consider renaming itself "Magic Vista."
At a bend in the road at 425 Century Vista Drive, near Spriggs Court, there is a wondrous animated display of Christmas lights on the lawn of David Nibeck's house.
A tall inflatable Santa and a lit Nativity scene are set upon the grass. On the path near the split-level house, a wooden Ferris wheel whirls. Plush Christmas bears and other stuffed toys sit silently in the wooden bucket seats, illuminated with neon lights.
High on the front facade, a scoreboard ticks down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Christmas Day.
But, that's not what draws people from the neighborhood and across the Broadneck Peninsula to see the house.
As a song plays through the outdoor speakers on the darkened lawn, a light flickers. Then, more begin to glow. Shapes appear to leap and tumble through the air.
Colors cross-fade, dim, twinkle and change rapidly. Small pine trees jump in place, and suddenly vaporize. Candy canes dance merrily.
"He's the Clark Griswold of Mago Vista," said neighbor Christie Barrett.
She's referring to the Chevy Chase character in the 1989 movie "Christmas Vacation," who envelops his house with strings of incandescent Christmas lights.
"My family likes to sit out front in our car and listen to the music," Barrett said. "Plus, I sneak by on my way home from work."
Some people hang out to watch the entire 30-minute show.
Inside, Nibeck and his three sons watch from the dining table in the front window. And smile.
Mason, the oldest at 16, is a junior at Broadneck High School. The 13-year-old twins are eighth-graders at Severn River Middle. Adam's the one with the buzz cut; Nicholas sports the Beiber look.
The display has more than 10,000 lights, most of which are LED bulbs. There are 64 channels, each controlled by a Light-O-Rama computer program that turns the illumination on and off and provides dramatic effects.
There are a dozen songs in the light show, most of them Christmas classics.
"Each song is specifically programmed for the lights," Nibeck said. "Each minute of music takes three hours to program. It takes me about 10 hours per song."
He broadcasts the songs through outdoor speakers nightly from 6 to 8 p.m. From 6 to 10 p.m. the transmission can also be heard via a radio. The show is nightly through Jan. 2. A sign advises passers-by where to tune in.
The light show almost put his lights out the first year.
"The energy usage when the bulbs were all incandescent was incredible," Nibeck said. "We quickly ran out of power in our house. We were tripping the circuit breakers." He soon switched to LED lights.
It takes Nibeck four weekends to set up the displays.
"He takes holiday decorating to a whole new level," said Amy McCarthy, who operates a licensed day-care center blocks away. "We go by every year.
At a bend in the road at 425 Century Vista Drive, near Spriggs Court, there is a wondrous animated display of Christmas lights on the lawn of David Nibeck's house.
A tall inflatable Santa and a lit Nativity scene are set upon the grass. On the path near the split-level house, a wooden Ferris wheel whirls. Plush Christmas bears and other stuffed toys sit silently in the wooden bucket seats, illuminated with neon lights.
High on the front facade, a scoreboard ticks down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Christmas Day.
But, that's not what draws people from the neighborhood and across the Broadneck Peninsula to see the house.
As a song plays through the outdoor speakers on the darkened lawn, a light flickers. Then, more begin to glow. Shapes appear to leap and tumble through the air.
Colors cross-fade, dim, twinkle and change rapidly. Small pine trees jump in place, and suddenly vaporize. Candy canes dance merrily.
"He's the Clark Griswold of Mago Vista," said neighbor Christie Barrett.
She's referring to the Chevy Chase character in the 1989 movie "Christmas Vacation," who envelops his house with strings of incandescent Christmas lights.
"My family likes to sit out front in our car and listen to the music," Barrett said. "Plus, I sneak by on my way home from work."
Some people hang out to watch the entire 30-minute show.
Inside, Nibeck and his three sons watch from the dining table in the front window. And smile.
Mason, the oldest at 16, is a junior at Broadneck High School. The 13-year-old twins are eighth-graders at Severn River Middle. Adam's the one with the buzz cut; Nicholas sports the Beiber look.
The display has more than 10,000 lights, most of which are LED bulbs. There are 64 channels, each controlled by a Light-O-Rama computer program that turns the illumination on and off and provides dramatic effects.
There are a dozen songs in the light show, most of them Christmas classics.
"Each song is specifically programmed for the lights," Nibeck said. "Each minute of music takes three hours to program. It takes me about 10 hours per song."
He broadcasts the songs through outdoor speakers nightly from 6 to 8 p.m. From 6 to 10 p.m. the transmission can also be heard via a radio. The show is nightly through Jan. 2. A sign advises passers-by where to tune in.
The light show almost put his lights out the first year.
"The energy usage when the bulbs were all incandescent was incredible," Nibeck said. "We quickly ran out of power in our house. We were tripping the circuit breakers." He soon switched to LED lights.
It takes Nibeck four weekends to set up the displays.
"He takes holiday decorating to a whole new level," said Amy McCarthy, who operates a licensed day-care center blocks away. "We go by every year.
2011年12月13日 星期二
A 1,000-watt smile for less
Earlier this year, Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) requested a very large rate hike from the Wyoming Public Service Commission (PSC). Key businesses and every municipality in Natrona County lined up in opposition to the rate hike; the issues were largely reliability of service, dependability and, of course, costs.
Concessions were made on all sides (listen up Washington). And while the PSC didn't give RMP everything they requested, the cost of electricity in Wyoming went up somewhat significantly; there were frowns all around.
Richard Walje, President of RMP, said in a Casper Journal guest column last April that "annual increases in electricity prices are likely for the next decade." The 2012 hike request was announced on Dec 9. The new rate hike is smaller than last year's request and for different reasons.
It would add about $6 to the average monthly bill or about $72 per year. Projected over 10 years, the average electric customer should plan for an additional $60 per month, $720 per year, over what they're paying today for their household electricity.
It's no secret that energy costs are going up. In fact, the cost of energy has become a significant part of everyone's expenses. Not limited to vehicle fuel, home heating and lights, today we seem to consume energy 24/7, awake or asleep. I'm amazed how many charging and "on" lights I see in my house when the lights go off for the night.
So what can we consumers do beyond planning to pay for rising costs? The answer may be simple: figure out how to use less energy. Beyond the simple equation of use less-pay less, part of the reason energy costs go up is to generate or find more energy to meet higher demands. RMP said that's what this year's rate hike is for - generation.
It seems counter-intuitive for a company to encourage consumers to use less, but that's what Jeff Hymas, a media relations expert at RMP, said the company is doing. Hymas said that consumers' most expensive energy is when new generation facilities have to be built. So Hymas said RMP is encouraging consumers to use less electricity to avoid that scenario. And he said it can be easy.
I made some small changes at my house that seem to make Jeff's point. I replaced nine 65-watt bulbs (585 watts) in some recessed can lights with 14-watt compact fluorescent soft-white bulbs (126 watts). That's a 459-watt saving for me. And the light generated is virtually the same color and intensity.
Using LED Christmas tree lights was even more dramatic; from well over 200 watts to about 10 watts. And while the LED lights are brighter, they're also substantially cooler, making them safer on my real tree.
I'm happy about these possibilities. For one, I stand a chance of affording future electric bills. And if I can pay less today and possibly avoid a rate hike tomorrow, maybe I can turn on my 1,000-watt smile again.
Concessions were made on all sides (listen up Washington). And while the PSC didn't give RMP everything they requested, the cost of electricity in Wyoming went up somewhat significantly; there were frowns all around.
Richard Walje, President of RMP, said in a Casper Journal guest column last April that "annual increases in electricity prices are likely for the next decade." The 2012 hike request was announced on Dec 9. The new rate hike is smaller than last year's request and for different reasons.
It would add about $6 to the average monthly bill or about $72 per year. Projected over 10 years, the average electric customer should plan for an additional $60 per month, $720 per year, over what they're paying today for their household electricity.
It's no secret that energy costs are going up. In fact, the cost of energy has become a significant part of everyone's expenses. Not limited to vehicle fuel, home heating and lights, today we seem to consume energy 24/7, awake or asleep. I'm amazed how many charging and "on" lights I see in my house when the lights go off for the night.
So what can we consumers do beyond planning to pay for rising costs? The answer may be simple: figure out how to use less energy. Beyond the simple equation of use less-pay less, part of the reason energy costs go up is to generate or find more energy to meet higher demands. RMP said that's what this year's rate hike is for - generation.
It seems counter-intuitive for a company to encourage consumers to use less, but that's what Jeff Hymas, a media relations expert at RMP, said the company is doing. Hymas said that consumers' most expensive energy is when new generation facilities have to be built. So Hymas said RMP is encouraging consumers to use less electricity to avoid that scenario. And he said it can be easy.
I made some small changes at my house that seem to make Jeff's point. I replaced nine 65-watt bulbs (585 watts) in some recessed can lights with 14-watt compact fluorescent soft-white bulbs (126 watts). That's a 459-watt saving for me. And the light generated is virtually the same color and intensity.
Using LED Christmas tree lights was even more dramatic; from well over 200 watts to about 10 watts. And while the LED lights are brighter, they're also substantially cooler, making them safer on my real tree.
I'm happy about these possibilities. For one, I stand a chance of affording future electric bills. And if I can pay less today and possibly avoid a rate hike tomorrow, maybe I can turn on my 1,000-watt smile again.
2011年12月12日 星期一
Daily Online News
Lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied lighting equipment, LED video screens and crew to the recent UK leg of the Chase & Status No More Idols tour, where Neil Carson's high energy lighting was much appreciated.
Carson has worked for Chase & Status for the last two years. The band shares the same management team as Pendulum, another artist to whom HSL provides lighting.
However, this is the first time Carson has used HSL to supply both lighting and video - a process likely to happen increasing frequently following a recent major investment in Martin EC10 and EC20 LED screen product. "It makes things very straightforward dealing with one source for all these elements," says Carson.
The Chase & Status project was managed for HSL by Mike Oates, who says: "We always enjoy working with Neil. He has great imagination and flare and the Chase & Status show is exciting, atmospheric and a great fusion of lighting and video."
Carson designed the screen architecture - based on a central upstage block of EC10 in the middle, about 6m wide and 2.5 deep - flanked by three columns of EC20 at 5m, 4m and 3m high respectively, which added real depth and three-dimensionality to the stage. The modular design allowed it to be easily - and practically - reduced to fit into smaller venues, whilst ensuring aesthetic continuity.
Their video content is created by The Light Surgeons. In addition to animations and raw, edgy ambient sequences, on this leg of the tour it featured special footage of all the Chase & Status vocalists, who appeared onscreen for their songs - and sometimes onstage for real.
If you're wondering how much this has cost them, the McManus' said they've saved on electricity by switching to LED lights.
"We didn't have to replace a lot of lights because they last longer and use less energy," Pennington said.
The family said they try to be courteous to neighbors my making sure the display doesn't twinkle all night.
Playback was stored on an AI media server, triggered by timecode from the band at the start of the track. Carson could tweak parameters like the screen intensity from his Chamsys MagicQ 100 lighting desk to match the space and the variable daily configuration of the lighting rig.
HSL supplied 24 Clay Paky Sharpies - also a new addition to their hire stock. They were joined by 24 GLP Impression Zooms, which, like the Sharpies, were dotted all over the towers. They are among Carson's current favourite LED washes and were joined by 18 x 2-cell moles and 12 Atomic strobes.
On the deck were six Martin MAC 3K profiles, strung out along the back wall, used for powerful back lighting effects and highly effective silhouetting of the band. On boom stands upstage of the band were six i-Pix BB4 LED wash lights, six 2-cell Moles and six Atomic strobes.
Carson has worked for Chase & Status for the last two years. The band shares the same management team as Pendulum, another artist to whom HSL provides lighting.
However, this is the first time Carson has used HSL to supply both lighting and video - a process likely to happen increasing frequently following a recent major investment in Martin EC10 and EC20 LED screen product. "It makes things very straightforward dealing with one source for all these elements," says Carson.
The Chase & Status project was managed for HSL by Mike Oates, who says: "We always enjoy working with Neil. He has great imagination and flare and the Chase & Status show is exciting, atmospheric and a great fusion of lighting and video."
Carson designed the screen architecture - based on a central upstage block of EC10 in the middle, about 6m wide and 2.5 deep - flanked by three columns of EC20 at 5m, 4m and 3m high respectively, which added real depth and three-dimensionality to the stage. The modular design allowed it to be easily - and practically - reduced to fit into smaller venues, whilst ensuring aesthetic continuity.
Their video content is created by The Light Surgeons. In addition to animations and raw, edgy ambient sequences, on this leg of the tour it featured special footage of all the Chase & Status vocalists, who appeared onscreen for their songs - and sometimes onstage for real.
If you're wondering how much this has cost them, the McManus' said they've saved on electricity by switching to LED lights.
"We didn't have to replace a lot of lights because they last longer and use less energy," Pennington said.
The family said they try to be courteous to neighbors my making sure the display doesn't twinkle all night.
Playback was stored on an AI media server, triggered by timecode from the band at the start of the track. Carson could tweak parameters like the screen intensity from his Chamsys MagicQ 100 lighting desk to match the space and the variable daily configuration of the lighting rig.
HSL supplied 24 Clay Paky Sharpies - also a new addition to their hire stock. They were joined by 24 GLP Impression Zooms, which, like the Sharpies, were dotted all over the towers. They are among Carson's current favourite LED washes and were joined by 18 x 2-cell moles and 12 Atomic strobes.
On the deck were six Martin MAC 3K profiles, strung out along the back wall, used for powerful back lighting effects and highly effective silhouetting of the band. On boom stands upstage of the band were six i-Pix BB4 LED wash lights, six 2-cell Moles and six Atomic strobes.
2011年12月11日 星期日
Forget 3D, here comes the QD TV
Researchers have developed a new form of light-emitting crystals, known as quantum dots, which can be used to produce ultra-thin televisions.
The tiny crystals, which are 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can be printed onto flexible plastic sheets to produce a paper-thin display that can be easily carried around, or even onto wallpaper to create giant room-size screens.
The scientists hope the first quantum dot televisions – like current flat-screen TVs, but with improved colour and thinner displays – will be available in shops by the end of next year. A flexible version is expected to take at least three years to reach the market.
Michael Edelman, chief executive of Nanoco, a spin out company set up by the scientists behind the technology at Manchester University, said: "We are working with some major Asian electronics companies. The first products we are expecting to come to market using quantum dots will be the next generation of flat-screen televisions.
"Something else we are looking at is reels of wallpaper or curtains made out of a material that has quantum dots printed on it. You can imagine displaying scenes of the sun rising over a beach as you wake up in the morning."
Although Mr Edelman was unable to reveal which companies Nanoco are working with due to commercial agreements, it is believed that electronics giants Sony, Sharp, Samsung and LG are all working on quantum dot television technology.
Most televisions now produced have a liquid-crystal display (LCD) lit by light-emitting diodes (LED), with the screen two to three inches thick. Replacing the LEDs with quantum dots could reduce the thickness.
Shortages of rare earth elements needed in these displays have driven up production costs, driving electronics firms to look for new ways of making them. Quantum dots are made from cheaper semi-conducting materials that emit light when energised by electricity or ultraviolet light.
By changing the size of the crystals, the researchers found they can manipulate the colour of light they produce.
Placing quantum dots on top of regular LEDs can also help to produce a more natural coloured light and Nanoco working to produce new types of energy efficient light bulbs. They also hope to produce solar powered displays using quantum dots.
Professor Paul O'Brien, an inorganic materials chemist at the University of Manchester who helped top develop the quantum dot technology, said: "By altering the size of the crystals we are able to change the colour they produce.
"It is rather like when you twang a ruler on a desk and the noise changes, the same is happening with the light produced by the quantum dots.
"As the colours are very bright and need little energy it has generated huge excitement in the electronics industry – the quality of display they can produce will be far superior to LCD televisions."
The tiny crystals, which are 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can be printed onto flexible plastic sheets to produce a paper-thin display that can be easily carried around, or even onto wallpaper to create giant room-size screens.
The scientists hope the first quantum dot televisions – like current flat-screen TVs, but with improved colour and thinner displays – will be available in shops by the end of next year. A flexible version is expected to take at least three years to reach the market.
Michael Edelman, chief executive of Nanoco, a spin out company set up by the scientists behind the technology at Manchester University, said: "We are working with some major Asian electronics companies. The first products we are expecting to come to market using quantum dots will be the next generation of flat-screen televisions.
"Something else we are looking at is reels of wallpaper or curtains made out of a material that has quantum dots printed on it. You can imagine displaying scenes of the sun rising over a beach as you wake up in the morning."
Although Mr Edelman was unable to reveal which companies Nanoco are working with due to commercial agreements, it is believed that electronics giants Sony, Sharp, Samsung and LG are all working on quantum dot television technology.
Most televisions now produced have a liquid-crystal display (LCD) lit by light-emitting diodes (LED), with the screen two to three inches thick. Replacing the LEDs with quantum dots could reduce the thickness.
Shortages of rare earth elements needed in these displays have driven up production costs, driving electronics firms to look for new ways of making them. Quantum dots are made from cheaper semi-conducting materials that emit light when energised by electricity or ultraviolet light.
By changing the size of the crystals, the researchers found they can manipulate the colour of light they produce.
Placing quantum dots on top of regular LEDs can also help to produce a more natural coloured light and Nanoco working to produce new types of energy efficient light bulbs. They also hope to produce solar powered displays using quantum dots.
Professor Paul O'Brien, an inorganic materials chemist at the University of Manchester who helped top develop the quantum dot technology, said: "By altering the size of the crystals we are able to change the colour they produce.
"It is rather like when you twang a ruler on a desk and the noise changes, the same is happening with the light produced by the quantum dots.
"As the colours are very bright and need little energy it has generated huge excitement in the electronics industry – the quality of display they can produce will be far superior to LCD televisions."
2011年12月8日 星期四
45 Degrees moves into new downtown location
Employees, customers and other local business owners joined Jeff Anderson, owner of 45 Degrees at a Nov. 29 Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony for downtown Stillwater retailer.
Formerly a few doors down on Main Street, 45 Degrees has just moved to a beautiful and newly renovated space that is 25 percent larger than their old space. Warm, inviting and full of natural light, the new space will actually use a quarter of the energy of their smaller store due to LED lighting they installed from Able Energy Co.
The move allows 45 Degrees an opportunity to better serve their customers by carrying a larger variety of high end, quality clothing and gear for the outdoor enthusiast. They offer footwear for all ages, as well as gear, gadgets and clothing for your next adventure or for enjoying the outdoors in any climate. 45 Degrees also offers snowshoe and cross country ski rentals and will be offering kayak rentals next spring.
Rubicon Technology, a vertically integrated producer of sapphire substrate wafers and products for the optical, RFIC, LED, semiconductor markets, has celebrated the first anniversary of its future-generation sapphire growth plant situated in Batavia, Illinois.
Sapphire crystals manufactured from the facility spanning 135,000. are converted into sapphire ingots and then into large diameter sapphire wafers for producing products including automotive lighting, tablets and smart phones, netbooks, laptops, HDTVs and LED-based lighting.
Rubicon Technology produces large sapphire crystals at its Batavia facility using proprietary, tailor-made furnaces that imitate the natural organic sapphire formation process. These crystals are then processed into large diameter wafers in the company's cutting and polishing plant located in Penang, Malaysia.
Rubicon Technology has so far delivered over 200,000 6" sapphire wafers to the RFIC and LED markets. In LED manufacturing, the transformation to large diameter wafers has been initiated at the LED production level. Various major LED chip producers have declared proposals to shift to large diameter wafers in the fiscal period 2011-2012.
The cost and process benefits of large diameter sapphire wafers help the LED industry to cut down costs and prices of LED.
The President and Chief Executive Officer at Rubicon Technology, Raja Parvez stated that with the company's proprietary crystal growth process, the Batavia facility has been constantly delivering superior-quality, high-yield sapphires and is key to the company's dominance in offering high-yield, superior-quality, large-diameter sapphire wafers to the LED market.
Formerly a few doors down on Main Street, 45 Degrees has just moved to a beautiful and newly renovated space that is 25 percent larger than their old space. Warm, inviting and full of natural light, the new space will actually use a quarter of the energy of their smaller store due to LED lighting they installed from Able Energy Co.
The move allows 45 Degrees an opportunity to better serve their customers by carrying a larger variety of high end, quality clothing and gear for the outdoor enthusiast. They offer footwear for all ages, as well as gear, gadgets and clothing for your next adventure or for enjoying the outdoors in any climate. 45 Degrees also offers snowshoe and cross country ski rentals and will be offering kayak rentals next spring.
Rubicon Technology, a vertically integrated producer of sapphire substrate wafers and products for the optical, RFIC, LED, semiconductor markets, has celebrated the first anniversary of its future-generation sapphire growth plant situated in Batavia, Illinois.
Sapphire crystals manufactured from the facility spanning 135,000. are converted into sapphire ingots and then into large diameter sapphire wafers for producing products including automotive lighting, tablets and smart phones, netbooks, laptops, HDTVs and LED-based lighting.
Rubicon Technology produces large sapphire crystals at its Batavia facility using proprietary, tailor-made furnaces that imitate the natural organic sapphire formation process. These crystals are then processed into large diameter wafers in the company's cutting and polishing plant located in Penang, Malaysia.
Rubicon Technology has so far delivered over 200,000 6" sapphire wafers to the RFIC and LED markets. In LED manufacturing, the transformation to large diameter wafers has been initiated at the LED production level. Various major LED chip producers have declared proposals to shift to large diameter wafers in the fiscal period 2011-2012.
The cost and process benefits of large diameter sapphire wafers help the LED industry to cut down costs and prices of LED.
The President and Chief Executive Officer at Rubicon Technology, Raja Parvez stated that with the company's proprietary crystal growth process, the Batavia facility has been constantly delivering superior-quality, high-yield sapphires and is key to the company's dominance in offering high-yield, superior-quality, large-diameter sapphire wafers to the LED market.
2011年12月7日 星期三
Fire brings down 56-foot Christmas tree at Lucena park
The Quezon provincial government's 56-foot-tall Christmas tree festooned with coconut husks and multi-colored lights at the Perez Park here caught fire late Tuesday afternoon. Ironically, combustible coconut husks were used to symbolize the province's efforts to revive the ailing coconut industry.
A provincial official said the fire occurred at around 5:20 p.m. just as early evening park visitors were starting to arrive at the provincial capitol grounds to take photos of the giant Christmas tree.
"The one in charge of the Christmas tree put on the switch for the lights to accommodate the request of park visitors when suddenly it caught fire as soon as it was switched on," Rowell Radovan, chief of the province general services office, said in an interview Wednesday morning.No one was hurt, he added.
Citing an initial investigation report by firemen, Radovan said the fire was caused by a short circuit triggered by wet wires connecting the 300 sets of "outdoor Christmas lights" after a heavy rain.
"Apparently, there was a short circuit in the connection. But it was an accident," Radovan said.
Radovan said strong winds also contributed to the fire which, according to witnesses, lasted only for about five minutes as firemen quickly put it the fire out before it could spread to several tents put up around the tree for what was to be a three-day Christmas bazaar and trade fair.
The traditional switching-on of Temple Square's multitude of Christmas lights happens Friday night, Nov. 25, at Temple Square and the adjoining campus of the Church Office Building.
Church officials said the lights go on automatically a bit after dusk, which is at 5:03 p.m. on Friday. There is no set time for the lights to switch on.
Meanwhile at the Gallivan Plaza, 239 S. Main St., the Downtown Alliance will throw its "Lights On!" celebration on Friday night.
The festivities start at 4:45 with the One Voice children's choir, as well as elves on stilts, and free cookies courtesy of Harmon's grocery stores.
"The fire happened very fast," Radovan said. Only the frames made from coconut lumber were left standing.
The giant holiday display, with a Nativity scene at its base, was first opened to the public last Monday evening, which coincided with the start of the three-day Christmas bazaar and trade fair.
Radovan said the Christmas display was a "labor of love" by provincial officials and employees, coconut farmers and the Philippine Coconut Authority.
"Some of our employees volunteered to help in the construction. The farmers helped in dehusking and grating the coconut meat prior to its adornment. The PCA donated the coconuts," Radovan said.He added: "The giant coconut Christmas tree symbolized our common aspirations to rehabilitate the ailing coconut industry."He also said that most of the Christmas lights were donations from businessmen, civic groups, employees and provincial officials.
Radovan said he will immediately meet with all concerned provincial offices for the design and construction of a new Christmas tree.
"As soon as the cleaning of the debris is finished, we will immediately start erecting the new one. But it will no longer be adorned with coconuts. Maybe, just a steel pole and wires," he said.
A provincial official said the fire occurred at around 5:20 p.m. just as early evening park visitors were starting to arrive at the provincial capitol grounds to take photos of the giant Christmas tree.
"The one in charge of the Christmas tree put on the switch for the lights to accommodate the request of park visitors when suddenly it caught fire as soon as it was switched on," Rowell Radovan, chief of the province general services office, said in an interview Wednesday morning.No one was hurt, he added.
Citing an initial investigation report by firemen, Radovan said the fire was caused by a short circuit triggered by wet wires connecting the 300 sets of "outdoor Christmas lights" after a heavy rain.
"Apparently, there was a short circuit in the connection. But it was an accident," Radovan said.
Radovan said strong winds also contributed to the fire which, according to witnesses, lasted only for about five minutes as firemen quickly put it the fire out before it could spread to several tents put up around the tree for what was to be a three-day Christmas bazaar and trade fair.
The traditional switching-on of Temple Square's multitude of Christmas lights happens Friday night, Nov. 25, at Temple Square and the adjoining campus of the Church Office Building.
Church officials said the lights go on automatically a bit after dusk, which is at 5:03 p.m. on Friday. There is no set time for the lights to switch on.
Meanwhile at the Gallivan Plaza, 239 S. Main St., the Downtown Alliance will throw its "Lights On!" celebration on Friday night.
The festivities start at 4:45 with the One Voice children's choir, as well as elves on stilts, and free cookies courtesy of Harmon's grocery stores.
"The fire happened very fast," Radovan said. Only the frames made from coconut lumber were left standing.
The giant holiday display, with a Nativity scene at its base, was first opened to the public last Monday evening, which coincided with the start of the three-day Christmas bazaar and trade fair.
Radovan said the Christmas display was a "labor of love" by provincial officials and employees, coconut farmers and the Philippine Coconut Authority.
"Some of our employees volunteered to help in the construction. The farmers helped in dehusking and grating the coconut meat prior to its adornment. The PCA donated the coconuts," Radovan said.He added: "The giant coconut Christmas tree symbolized our common aspirations to rehabilitate the ailing coconut industry."He also said that most of the Christmas lights were donations from businessmen, civic groups, employees and provincial officials.
Radovan said he will immediately meet with all concerned provincial offices for the design and construction of a new Christmas tree.
"As soon as the cleaning of the debris is finished, we will immediately start erecting the new one. But it will no longer be adorned with coconuts. Maybe, just a steel pole and wires," he said.
2011年12月6日 星期二
Try these easy ways to cut your energy bill
Energy-efficient improvements not only make your home more comfortable but they can yield long-term financial rewards and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air. Here are a few tips on small changes you can start making today:
Turn off your lights. Be mindful about shutting lights off when you leave a room. If you have a forgetful family member or roommate, paste reminders on the switch plates or consider installing motion-detector switches. Also, replace your bulbs with CFL or LED lights.
Install Energy Star ceiling fans in the rooms you use most often. They'll help keep you cool in summer while your AC works less or not at all. In winter, switch them to turn clockwise to circulate the warm air rising up to the ceiling back down into the room.
The refrigerator is one of the biggest energy users in your home, especially if it was made before 1993. Clean the coils on your fridge every six months to keep it running efficiently and take up unused space inside the fridge with jugs of water, which hold in the cold better.
Use a programmable thermostat. Nearly half of U.S. homes already have a programmable thermostat. Dig out that owner's manual and learn how to use yours to maximize the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems. Program your thermostat to turn itself down or off when you're sleeping or at work or school.
Using your dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand can save water in some cases. But if you let the dry cycle run, you're wasting energy and money. Skip the drying cycle and let your dishes air-dry. Newer, more effective dishwashers allow you to skip the step of pre-rinsing your dishes before you load them in the dishwasher.
Upgrade your appliances because appliances use 20 percent of the energy in the average U.S. home. When it's time to buy new appliances, look for the most efficient Energy Star model you can find.
Eliminate phantom loads. Many electronics suck energy even when they're turned off, such as that little clock on your microwave when it's not in use. Unplug your electronics or plug them into a power strip and switch it to off to save on phantom loads.
Plug air leaks around doors and windows with caulk and weather stripping. Also consider putting up insulating curtains or installing storm windows to further cut down on heat loss in winter. Get a home energy audit to help pinpoint your biggest energy losses in the home.
Washing clothes in cold water gets them just as clean as hot and cuts your washer's energy use in half. Drying your clothes on an outdoor clothesline or indoor rack can save around $100 in energy costs every year. Water and energy use are intertwined, producing energy uses water and providing clean drinking water requires energy. Take steps to conserve water everywhere in your home.
When you are ready to replace your hot water heater, consider switching to an on-demand or tankless system. These units heat water when you need it, rather than constantly heating a tank of water to be ready for use. Also, turn you water heater down by 10 degrees.
Turn off your lights. Be mindful about shutting lights off when you leave a room. If you have a forgetful family member or roommate, paste reminders on the switch plates or consider installing motion-detector switches. Also, replace your bulbs with CFL or LED lights.
Install Energy Star ceiling fans in the rooms you use most often. They'll help keep you cool in summer while your AC works less or not at all. In winter, switch them to turn clockwise to circulate the warm air rising up to the ceiling back down into the room.
The refrigerator is one of the biggest energy users in your home, especially if it was made before 1993. Clean the coils on your fridge every six months to keep it running efficiently and take up unused space inside the fridge with jugs of water, which hold in the cold better.
Use a programmable thermostat. Nearly half of U.S. homes already have a programmable thermostat. Dig out that owner's manual and learn how to use yours to maximize the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems. Program your thermostat to turn itself down or off when you're sleeping or at work or school.
Using your dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand can save water in some cases. But if you let the dry cycle run, you're wasting energy and money. Skip the drying cycle and let your dishes air-dry. Newer, more effective dishwashers allow you to skip the step of pre-rinsing your dishes before you load them in the dishwasher.
Upgrade your appliances because appliances use 20 percent of the energy in the average U.S. home. When it's time to buy new appliances, look for the most efficient Energy Star model you can find.
Eliminate phantom loads. Many electronics suck energy even when they're turned off, such as that little clock on your microwave when it's not in use. Unplug your electronics or plug them into a power strip and switch it to off to save on phantom loads.
Plug air leaks around doors and windows with caulk and weather stripping. Also consider putting up insulating curtains or installing storm windows to further cut down on heat loss in winter. Get a home energy audit to help pinpoint your biggest energy losses in the home.
Washing clothes in cold water gets them just as clean as hot and cuts your washer's energy use in half. Drying your clothes on an outdoor clothesline or indoor rack can save around $100 in energy costs every year. Water and energy use are intertwined, producing energy uses water and providing clean drinking water requires energy. Take steps to conserve water everywhere in your home.
When you are ready to replace your hot water heater, consider switching to an on-demand or tankless system. These units heat water when you need it, rather than constantly heating a tank of water to be ready for use. Also, turn you water heater down by 10 degrees.
2011年12月5日 星期一
Lighting Niagara Falls has long, colorful history
You can't take a boat ride into the roar and spray of Niagara Falls in the winter, but this time of year offers a different spectacle: Nighttime illumination of the falls in a changing array of colors — red, white, blue, purple, orange, amber and green.
In spring and summer, the colored lights shine for just three hours, but with less daylight in winter, curtains of color wash over the falls each night for up to seven hours.
Crowds gather along the sidewalk and railing on Niagara Parkway to see the show as mist rises from the falls and basin in front of them; others watch from the windows of hotels and restaurants on the Canadian side.
The display starts with patriotic themes — red, white and blue for the American Falls, red and white for the horseshoe-shaped Canadian Falls — and frequently includes colors to honor a cause. When Niagara Falls hosted the first wedding following New York's legalization of same-sex marriage in July, Mayor Paul Dyster arranged for a rainbow of colors, the symbol of gay pride. On Nov. 16, the falls were lit by white light for 15-minute stretches for lung cancer awareness, a request made by Christine Dwyer, who founded a group called Make Some Noise for Lung Cancer Awareness after losing her best friend to the disease.
"I think it validates us a bit," said Dwyer, of Becket, Mass. She said supporters sent her emails after the lighting saying, "I heard about this, I'm in tears, I'm so grateful."
"I never get tired of it," Gordon, 80, said one night in November, the start of his busy season, when fewer daylight hours mean longer nights to light.
The best views come on crisp winter nights, Gordon said, when the mist is transformed to sparkling ice crystals that catch the soft colors.
For the past year, Gordon and Mann have used a relatively new technology to control the lights — computerized touch screens. But the history of Niagara's illumination goes back more than 150 years. The falls were lit for the first time at 10 p.m. on Sept. 14, 1860, when 200 lights like those used to signal for help at sea were put in place for a visit from the Prince of Wales. Electricity was first used in 1879. An Illumination Tower, still used today, was built in 1899.
Colors appeared in 1907 when gelatin films were included in a 36-light system near the base of the gorge designed by General Electric Co. of Schenectady. Workers, including Peter Gordon's father, were paid $3 a night to change the gels when a foreman shouted cues.
The Niagara Falls Illumination Board, a cross-border body established in 1925, has kept the lights on most nights since with a few exceptions. They were turned off during World War II, for example, to conserve power.
But then there's that million-dollar view. After changing the lights' colors on the touchscreen, the controller can see the result 15 seconds later by looking out the windows or stepping through a door to a platform outside where the lights are mounted.
On the face of the waterfalls, colors fade to white as the next colored gel covers the spotlight and a new hue spills with the water over the falls. With each color change, it's as if someone has dumped dye into the river above as it careens over the edge to the rocks below.
The 4,000-watt spotlights burn with a combined brilliance of 8.2 billion candles, about what NASA used to light the runway for night space shuttle landings. Gordon staggers the lights to avoid repeating color combinations, changing them as often as every five minutes to keep things fresh for tourists milling across the street below.
In spring and summer, the colored lights shine for just three hours, but with less daylight in winter, curtains of color wash over the falls each night for up to seven hours.
Crowds gather along the sidewalk and railing on Niagara Parkway to see the show as mist rises from the falls and basin in front of them; others watch from the windows of hotels and restaurants on the Canadian side.
The display starts with patriotic themes — red, white and blue for the American Falls, red and white for the horseshoe-shaped Canadian Falls — and frequently includes colors to honor a cause. When Niagara Falls hosted the first wedding following New York's legalization of same-sex marriage in July, Mayor Paul Dyster arranged for a rainbow of colors, the symbol of gay pride. On Nov. 16, the falls were lit by white light for 15-minute stretches for lung cancer awareness, a request made by Christine Dwyer, who founded a group called Make Some Noise for Lung Cancer Awareness after losing her best friend to the disease.
"I think it validates us a bit," said Dwyer, of Becket, Mass. She said supporters sent her emails after the lighting saying, "I heard about this, I'm in tears, I'm so grateful."
"I never get tired of it," Gordon, 80, said one night in November, the start of his busy season, when fewer daylight hours mean longer nights to light.
The best views come on crisp winter nights, Gordon said, when the mist is transformed to sparkling ice crystals that catch the soft colors.
For the past year, Gordon and Mann have used a relatively new technology to control the lights — computerized touch screens. But the history of Niagara's illumination goes back more than 150 years. The falls were lit for the first time at 10 p.m. on Sept. 14, 1860, when 200 lights like those used to signal for help at sea were put in place for a visit from the Prince of Wales. Electricity was first used in 1879. An Illumination Tower, still used today, was built in 1899.
Colors appeared in 1907 when gelatin films were included in a 36-light system near the base of the gorge designed by General Electric Co. of Schenectady. Workers, including Peter Gordon's father, were paid $3 a night to change the gels when a foreman shouted cues.
The Niagara Falls Illumination Board, a cross-border body established in 1925, has kept the lights on most nights since with a few exceptions. They were turned off during World War II, for example, to conserve power.
But then there's that million-dollar view. After changing the lights' colors on the touchscreen, the controller can see the result 15 seconds later by looking out the windows or stepping through a door to a platform outside where the lights are mounted.
On the face of the waterfalls, colors fade to white as the next colored gel covers the spotlight and a new hue spills with the water over the falls. With each color change, it's as if someone has dumped dye into the river above as it careens over the edge to the rocks below.
The 4,000-watt spotlights burn with a combined brilliance of 8.2 billion candles, about what NASA used to light the runway for night space shuttle landings. Gordon staggers the lights to avoid repeating color combinations, changing them as often as every five minutes to keep things fresh for tourists milling across the street below.
2011年12月4日 星期日
Firefighters urge residents to stay safe this holiday season
Holiday decorations make things merry and bright, and local firefighters hope to help families stay safe so they can enjoy them this season.
He said people can keep their live trees safe by cutting a few inches off the bottom of the trunk to ensure the tree gets enough water.
"Squeeze the needles in your hand, and if they come off, it's too dry," he said. "And, don't use candles around a tree."
Jack Spurgeon, assistant fire chief in Bristol, Tenn., said live Christmas trees shouldn't be too near a heat source.
He also said people shouldn't put tree branches into a fireplace or woodstove, as that creates a danger of flying sparks and embers.
"And, don't throw wrapping paper in the fireplace," he said, for the same reason.
Both fire officials suggest that people have their chimneys inspected by a professional before lighting the first roaring fire of the season.
"The only thing a [homeowner] can do is look at the firebox to make sure [ there are] no loose mortars, but as far as seeing up the flue, there are professionals that can do that," Spurgeon said.
Lights are also potential dangers and should be inspected before installed, Spurgeon said.
"Check the wiring for any frayed wires," he said. "Any kink areas will generate a lot of heat buildup. And if you pile the lights up as you're stringing them, and they're on, that will generate a lot of heat."
Bolling said consumers should look for UL-approved light sets, as they've been tested for risk of fire and electric shock. He said LED lights are safer because they're usually not as hot as older light sets.
"When you use the lights, don't leave them on when you're not home," he said. "And as for extension cords, don't overburden them and make sure you're home when using it."
There is a spike in fires this time of year, Bolling said, mostly because people are turning their heat on for the first time in months.
"People turn the knob down [in their wall heaters] thinking it's off – they're not off," he said. "Every year in the first cold snap we'll find the wall heater will turn on and ignite something [people have set] in front of it. People need to keep a 3 foot clearance around heating systems."
Spurgeon said there are more kitchen fires during this time of year, too – from Thanksgiving to New Year's – because food is a big part of the season and people are likely to cook for families that visit.
Both stressed the importance of smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors.
Bolling said carbon monoxide can leak into homes when appliances that burn fossil fuels – gas heaters, wood stoves, gas furnaces – burn incompletely.
"It's colorless and odorless," he said. "You won't know it's there. Often there are flu-like symptoms, if you feel bad and move into fresh air and it goes away, you've got a problem."
Carbon monoxide is also a problem in garages attached to homes, he said. Those want to start the car so it can war up should move it outside the garage, he added.
He said people can keep their live trees safe by cutting a few inches off the bottom of the trunk to ensure the tree gets enough water.
"Squeeze the needles in your hand, and if they come off, it's too dry," he said. "And, don't use candles around a tree."
Jack Spurgeon, assistant fire chief in Bristol, Tenn., said live Christmas trees shouldn't be too near a heat source.
He also said people shouldn't put tree branches into a fireplace or woodstove, as that creates a danger of flying sparks and embers.
"And, don't throw wrapping paper in the fireplace," he said, for the same reason.
Both fire officials suggest that people have their chimneys inspected by a professional before lighting the first roaring fire of the season.
"The only thing a [homeowner] can do is look at the firebox to make sure [ there are] no loose mortars, but as far as seeing up the flue, there are professionals that can do that," Spurgeon said.
Lights are also potential dangers and should be inspected before installed, Spurgeon said.
"Check the wiring for any frayed wires," he said. "Any kink areas will generate a lot of heat buildup. And if you pile the lights up as you're stringing them, and they're on, that will generate a lot of heat."
Bolling said consumers should look for UL-approved light sets, as they've been tested for risk of fire and electric shock. He said LED lights are safer because they're usually not as hot as older light sets.
"When you use the lights, don't leave them on when you're not home," he said. "And as for extension cords, don't overburden them and make sure you're home when using it."
There is a spike in fires this time of year, Bolling said, mostly because people are turning their heat on for the first time in months.
"People turn the knob down [in their wall heaters] thinking it's off – they're not off," he said. "Every year in the first cold snap we'll find the wall heater will turn on and ignite something [people have set] in front of it. People need to keep a 3 foot clearance around heating systems."
Spurgeon said there are more kitchen fires during this time of year, too – from Thanksgiving to New Year's – because food is a big part of the season and people are likely to cook for families that visit.
Both stressed the importance of smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors.
Bolling said carbon monoxide can leak into homes when appliances that burn fossil fuels – gas heaters, wood stoves, gas furnaces – burn incompletely.
"It's colorless and odorless," he said. "You won't know it's there. Often there are flu-like symptoms, if you feel bad and move into fresh air and it goes away, you've got a problem."
Carbon monoxide is also a problem in garages attached to homes, he said. Those want to start the car so it can war up should move it outside the garage, he added.
2011年12月1日 星期四
Light up!
Dust off your Santa statues, make sure all the batteries in your electric holiday trinkets are good to go and be sure to plug in your lights to see if they're all working and blinking.
And if you've always wanted to decorate your home on the outside in the spirt of the Christmas season, go ahead. Chances are small that you'll see your festive actions on your December electric bill.
"Bigger things that affect the bills in December have to do with electric heating. A lot of people in town plug in strip heaters to supplement their gas for instance," Bob Stevenson, general manager at the Hannibal Board of Public Works, said. "That probably has a way bigger effect on electric bills than the lights."
However, unless you decorate like Clark Griswald (from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation) or John Freiling of rural Hannibal, you will see a spike in your electric bill.
Freiling, who does technical work for the James O'Donnell Funeral Home, sets up a half-mile home display along Carrs Lane each Christmas season. It's run entirely by computer and he has his own FM station for drivers to listen to as they pass by.
"In my case, it definitely goes up," Freiling said. "We put up almost half a million lights, so our bill goes up from an average $250 to almost $1,000."
And even though Freiling's many illuminated displays, trails of messages and candy canes raises his electric bill, he said it's an increase he said he doesn't mind at all.
Stevenson said those getting into the holiday spirit shouldn't worry about their own bills when it comes to decorating outside.
"A hundred-watt strand of lights will burn for about 10 hours for nine cents. If you had 100 of those strands around your house — which would be a lot — it'd be $9 an hour," Stevenson said. "A hundred watts for an hour is 9/10 of a cent. So if you had 10 of those strands, you'd have 1000 watts. It's really pretty cheap."
It's also the choice of Christmas lights that can result in different energy usage numbers.
"The way to go nowadays is LED," Freiling said. "They use about 10 percent of a regular light bulb. Your miniature light bulbs would be next and then the worst offenders are the C-7s and the C-9s. A C-9 is the old fashioned outdoor type of light and a C-7's kind of the old fashioned indoor.
"The LEDs are much better. They don't fade, the light they generate is pure light and it actually generates that color of light. They last for a long time and there's filament in them, so if you drop the bulb it's not going to hurt it."
And if you've always wanted to decorate your home on the outside in the spirt of the Christmas season, go ahead. Chances are small that you'll see your festive actions on your December electric bill.
"Bigger things that affect the bills in December have to do with electric heating. A lot of people in town plug in strip heaters to supplement their gas for instance," Bob Stevenson, general manager at the Hannibal Board of Public Works, said. "That probably has a way bigger effect on electric bills than the lights."
However, unless you decorate like Clark Griswald (from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation) or John Freiling of rural Hannibal, you will see a spike in your electric bill.
Freiling, who does technical work for the James O'Donnell Funeral Home, sets up a half-mile home display along Carrs Lane each Christmas season. It's run entirely by computer and he has his own FM station for drivers to listen to as they pass by.
"In my case, it definitely goes up," Freiling said. "We put up almost half a million lights, so our bill goes up from an average $250 to almost $1,000."
And even though Freiling's many illuminated displays, trails of messages and candy canes raises his electric bill, he said it's an increase he said he doesn't mind at all.
Stevenson said those getting into the holiday spirit shouldn't worry about their own bills when it comes to decorating outside.
"A hundred-watt strand of lights will burn for about 10 hours for nine cents. If you had 100 of those strands around your house — which would be a lot — it'd be $9 an hour," Stevenson said. "A hundred watts for an hour is 9/10 of a cent. So if you had 10 of those strands, you'd have 1000 watts. It's really pretty cheap."
It's also the choice of Christmas lights that can result in different energy usage numbers.
"The way to go nowadays is LED," Freiling said. "They use about 10 percent of a regular light bulb. Your miniature light bulbs would be next and then the worst offenders are the C-7s and the C-9s. A C-9 is the old fashioned outdoor type of light and a C-7's kind of the old fashioned indoor.
"The LEDs are much better. They don't fade, the light they generate is pure light and it actually generates that color of light. They last for a long time and there's filament in them, so if you drop the bulb it's not going to hurt it."
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