Yamaha Outdoors Tips — Stay busy this offseason

Early spring is a great time to start new projects and begin getting in shape for next fall.

But there are several things you can do in February and March when you’re bored, waiting on spring turkey season.

Stay busy by taking advantage of the downtime and try these suggestions to get ready for the next hunting season.

Clean Your Freezer: Eating wild game extends the hunt. Sure, it was plenty fun hunting deer, ducks, geese and turkey last fall, along with everything else. It’s now time to enjoy this bounty on the supper table. A quick online search can reveal many recipes that would allow you to swap out venison for beef or burger. A hot chili on a cold winter day is a great thing. You can also read Lone Star Outdoor News' recipe page for great ideas on how to prepare wild game each issue.

Attend Consumer Shows: Maybe you’re on the bubble. You’ve enjoyed riding Yamaha ATVs and Side-by-Sides in the past, but those four wheels belong to friends and family members. Maybe you want to know more about owning and enjoying one. Consumer shows are often set up for this reason – to share product and answer questions in a comfortable setting. Unlike trade shows, they cater to you and not buyers. So find one in your local area and check out Yamaha products.

Work-Out Plan: Sure, we all love to ride our four wheels. Truth is, it doesn’t help you get into hunting shape. To do that, set up a walking routine, ideally over terrain you’ll hunt this spring. Run road races. Join a recreational hoops league. Lift weights. Get ready for the action to come.

Hunt Spring Snows: The conservation order for so-called “light geese” (snows and blues) is likely underway soon in your state or one within driving distance. Check out the regulations — the conservation season in  Texas runs through March 25. If you haven’t done it, hire an outfitter for a hunt. You’ll not only pass the time until spring turkey starts, but also play your conservation part in helping manage these abundant populations.

Olney City Council approves program to replace 80 traffic lights with LED

Olney City Council approved entering into an LED street light rebate program that would replace 80 traffic lights in the city with more efficient LED lights.

According to information from City Manager and Attorney Larry Taylor, Sarah Mann, with Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission, told him that the rebate for LED lights may be reduced in June.

The current rebate is approximately $159 per light.

Taylor noted in his information that Street Department Supervisor Jay Scott estimates that the cost of replacing the lights on Whittle Avenue and Main Street will be approximately $500 per lights, for a total of approximately $40,000.

Taylor said the city will also need to spend approximately $1,000 to install three disconnects so that city crews can work on the lights without power flowing to them.

He noted that if the wiring along Main Street and Whittle Avenue is in good condition it will not have to be replaced because there is less demand on wiring with LED lights. There may be some wiring that needs replaced, however, he noted.

Taylor said the city should save around $6,000 in maintenance costs with the LED lights, so there would be a roughly four-and-a-half-year payback on the city’s initial investment.

Councilman Brad Brown noted the benefit of the program, but added that the cost of LED lights continues to go down.

Councilman Bob Ferguson said the costs may go down, but the longer the city waits, its maintenance costs increase in the meantime.

Councilman Gary Foster said he would first like to see what the budget looks like at the end of this fiscal year.

Richland County Development Corporation Executive Director Brandi Stennett noted during the discussion, however, that the city should likely get started as soon as possible in order to meet the June deadline.

The council voted to proceed with the program, with city crews doing the installation work.

Claire Williams and Peter Mills

They wore dresses from Marrime, in Kendal, pearl hairpieces from Monsoon and jewellery from Pilgrim.

The flower girl wore a white dress from Debenhams.
GROOMSMEN: The groom's best friend and band member Daniel Colagiovanni was the best man. The groom's brother Mark and the bride's brothers Stephen and Thomas were ushers. Stephen travelled from Australia to be part of the wedding. The couple's nephew Johan was a "mini usher".

The ushers wore brown suits from Mr Mister, with ivory waistcoats and brown ties, and the groom wore an orange tie.
FLOWERS: Flowers were supplied by Dodds of Ulverston, which provided wild flower-themed arrangements.

The younger bridesmaids wore small daisy chains in their hair.
TRANSPORT: The bride and bridesmaids arrived at church in classic white cars provided by the groom's brother and usher, Mark Mills. Guests travelled to the reception in an open-top bus.

RECEPTION: A wedding breakfast for 130 guests at the Eden Lodge, Bardsea. The grounds were decorated in wicker hearts, lanterns, fairy lights, and wild flowers.
TABLE SETTINGS: Wild flowers in jam jars, vintage cupcakes provided by Corrs Cakes and small, vintage photo frames containing messages of love.

The tables were decorated with music trivia cards, rainbow coloured favour bags containing retro sweets and the couple made a donation to Cancer Research with a pin broach for each guest.
ENTERTAINMENT: A ceilidh band played as guests arrived at the reception. After the meal Ailsa Mcintosh sang, accompanied by her Sugarfoot band mate Graeme.

DJ Trev, a friend of the groom's, entertained the evening guests, who also enjoyed ice-creams from a van and a sweet buffet. The couple and their bridal party, accompanied by younger guests, sent lanterns into the night sky.
FIRST DANCE: The Garden by Take That, followed by Love Shack joined by other guests.

HONEYMOON: A road trip round Europe with stops at Paris, Brussels, Luxemburg, Strasbourg, Zurich, Verona and Venice before returning home via London.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Nick Collinge at Love-it Studios, Barrow.
VIDEOGRAPHER: The ceremony and speeches were videoed by Haroon of Love-it Studios with additional video taken by a friend, Andrew Beattie.

LED light firm feels it's been shunned by city

A top executive of Canadian based company Pristine LED claims the firm has been shut out to date from doing business with the city after opening in Windsor with much fanfare less than a year ago and hopes of providing up to 300 jobs.

Meetings were held with a pair of city managers, but after three sessions with promising talks to provide LED lighting to the city, the company has not heard back or had phone calls returned over the last six months, said the company's Bruce Melmer.

Instead, Chinese company BYD has convinced Enwin Utilities to allow pilot tests of 30 LED street lights in Windsor. They are located on Jefferson Boulevard and Sunset Avenue.

A company executive said Wednesday BYD wanted to test how its LED street lights hold up through winter in a northern climate as they are primarily in use in California.

He also said the green firm is close to a decision whether to build an electric bus manufacturing plant in Windsor that could create up to 500 jobs.

Given early indications Pristine was in line to see its products used by the city, Melmer is crying foul. But city officials are saying he shouldn't read anything into it.

Pristine manufactures high efficiency LED lighting for the commercial, industrial and residential markets. The firm vows the LED technology it uses offers 75 per cent less electricity than other lighting products, while producing a more natural light.

"What we do is high-end technology and brought it to market," Melmer said. "We were wooed to come here by the development commission. We picked up the phone and were telling (the city) we are the new LED company in town and hoped they would do business with us.

"They never bought any product and the door was shut on us."

Last April Pristine opened a 22,300-square-foot head office and manufacturing facility at 3215 Jefferson Blvd.

The company has so far been able to get by on smaller jobs such as county arenas, an ambulance building, a Tim Hortons and Boston Pizza locales, but Melmer remains disappointed no business is being done with the city.

"They will not answer the phone or return our messages," he said.

Pristine to date only has about 25 employees on staff.

Meanwhile, city officials said the city has no looming lighting retrofit work - and when it does become available, Pristine is free to participate in the RFP or tender process.

The city retrofitted lighting at several of its facilities such as arenas, community centres and libraries within the last couple of years, but has little scheduled in the budget for 2012, said John Miceli, manager of facilities for the City of Windsor.

"We are just winding up some of those retrofits and in the verification stage on energy consumption," he said. "To just complete that measure and jump into another interest as to lighting may not be in the best interests of taxpayers.

"They shouldn't feel shunned," he said. "We have not yet gone through (their) technology."

Green light: City installing energy-efficient streetlights

New energy-efficient streetlights are going up on West Main Street, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Richard Ash, electric operations supervisor for Dothan Utilities, said the street lights were purchased for the city through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, aimed at pursuing energy efficiency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The grant was for $600,000. About $100,000 of that is being used for the streetlights.

The new streetlights are 157-watt LED lights and replace 250-watt high pressure sodium bulbs. Ash said the new lights use less electricity and will last longer than the old sodium bulbs. According to Lighting Orient, an LED light manufacturer, LED lights provide 50 to 60 percent energy savings over traditional sodium bulbs. They may also appear brighter than the old bulbs because they emit white, rather than yellow light.

Dothan Utilities workers are currently installing about 68 lights from the intersection of West Main Street at Ross Clark Circle to Montana Street. Lights have also been installed on Westgate Parkway and Honeysuckle Road. Installation should be complete in about two weeks.

Ash said the city has not started buying LED lights on its own, but likely will once the price of the lights starts coming down.

Integrators ‘Waking Up' to LED Lighting Benefits, Profits

In the January issue, CE Pro declared LED lighting as one of its "Top 5 Trends to Watch in 2012." That conclusion is certainly logical as integrators are already in the home selling and installing low-voltage equipment, including lighting control and other energy-saving devices.

You would think LED lighting manufacturers would be frothing at the mouth to establish re-selling relationships with integrators, but the big players in LED lighting are not actively reaching out to dealers. That hasn't slowed down some integrators.

Jay Gowda of Audio Communications in Monroeville, Pa., is very bullish on LEDs. He has been installing LEDs from a manufacturer called Cyron Lighting for about five years, mostly in aesthetic applications. Some of the applications he has done over the years include step lights in theaters, accent lighting in cabinets, trays around the base of the theater ceiling, and behind bathroom mirrors and under cabinets to "help them look more like furniture." He is even working on a job where he will be illuminating an old stone foundation in a 100-year-old home's basement.

Likewise, CE Pro 100 integrator Diamond Case Designs in Anaheim, Calif., has been installing lighting in its custom furniture for about 15 years to illuminate the electronics and highlight the cabinetry. The company made the switch from CFLs to LEDs about three years ago.

"The most common application for the LED lights is a bias light behind a flat panel TV," says Steve Hartfelder. "Not only do the lights improve nighttime viewing, they look incredibly cool as they are color changing. We can integrate full control of the lights into our universal remote controls. We are also able to use the LED lights in our entertainment centers, display cabinets, and bookcases."

Currently, he estimates about 20 percent of Diamond Case's jobs include LEDs of some sort, with the average LED sale between $300 and $600. Over the past year, Hartfelder estimates he's experienced 10 percent to 15 percent growth in selling LEDS.

"The success of the lights rests on great presentation. Once I sit someone down in a dark room and toggle the lights on and off and they see how much more comfortable TV viewing is with a bias light, the success rate jumps. Plus they're just cool," he adds.

For its part, Cyron Lighting in Chatsworth, Calif., is definitely paying attention to the custom installation channel. The manufacturer had a booth at the CEDIA Expo last September in Indianapolis to showcase its profit-laden home theater accent lighting ribbons.

"Custom installers are finally waking up to a profitable vertical market that is untouched," says Shell Reinish, vice president of sales. Reinish should know, he used to have his own A/V integration firm. "It's so logical … dealers are already installing all the low-voltage electronics in the home and our products are all 12VDC or 24VDC. All you need is a power supply and a controller and you are done."

So why are dealers so shy about the category? "There is a fear of the unknown," says Reinish. "They want everything to be plug-and-play. LED lighting is exactly that. But once they cut their teeth on a few jobs, integrators are thrilled and get very creative."

Bringing Lebanon out of the dark, naturally

For the past seven months, the house on his farm has been running on a solar-powered system that has replaced unreliable state-run electricity, which was provided for only six hours per day. He has even discarded his noisy, expensive and polluting generator.

Istaytiyyah says his farm's electricity is "better and cheaper than anywhere in Lebanon. Now, at my remote farm, I can be connected to the world via satellite TV and the Internet, which is only possible through my photovoltaic electricity system."

He adds that despite his farm's secluded location, the new system has brought him "closer to the civilized way of life."

Like many other Lebanese, Istaytiyyah lived with daily power outages, typically for 18 hours a day. Without a solid national energy plan on the horizon, he decided to take the initiative himself and install solar panels after seeing an online advertisement for them by Eco Friendly, an environmental consultancy firm that opened two years ago.

Patrick Ardahalian founded the company in 2010, having returned to Lebanon from abroad. Although he spent the bulk of his life overseas, Ardahalian never gave up on his ambition to help solve Lebanon's energy problems.

Similarly, George Abboud, founder of Earth Technologies, makes his clients' production systems more energy efficient. One of his latest projects was the Dora Flour Mill, where he cut the company's annual energy costs by $227,000 by replacing their regular lights with LED (light-emitting diodes) bulbs and their refrigerators' air conditioning with ACs that run on solar technology.

"I think the potential in Lebanon is great, because there's a great need," Ardahalian says. He points out that this is no longer the case in other countries. "In Cyprus, almost every building has solar panels, so the market is saturated."

Indeed, while the potential for alternative energy in Lebanon remains largely untapped, demand for electrical power is growing. Ever since the 15-year Civil War ended in 1990, the country has faced daily power outages, which have gotten worse with time, as supply has fallen far behind what is required by the population.

Demand for electricity currently exceeds 2,400 megawatts a day, while production struggles at less than 1,500 MW. Endemic power cuts have worsened in recent months, as maintenance takes its toll on electricity supply. The deteriorating situation has prompted large-scale protests throughout the country, particularly in rural areas where power cuts are most severe.

Much of the blame has been directed at Water and Energy Minister Gibran Bassil – like his predecessors – for failing along with the Cabinet to implement the energy plan that would supposedly reduce power rationing.

Revolutionary design, runaway costs

In deep, cold space, nearly a million miles from Earth, a giant telescope later this decade will scan for the first light to streak across the universe more than 13 billion years ago.

The seven-ton spacecraft, one of the most ambitious and costly science projects in U.S. history, is under construction for NASA at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s space park complex in Redondo Beach.

The aim is to capture the oldest light, taking cosmologists to the time after the big bang when matter had cooled just enough to start forming the first blazing stars in what had been empty darkness. Astronomers have long dreamed about peering into that provenance.

"It is the actual formation of the universe," said Alan Dressler, the astronomer at the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Pasadena who chaired a committee that proposed the telescope more than a decade ago.

If the James Webb Space Telescope works as planned, it will be vastly more capable than any of the dozen currently deployed U.S. space telescopes and will be a dramatic symbol of U.S. technological might. But for all its sophistication, the project also reveals a deeply ingrained dysfunction in the agency's business practices, critics say. The Webb's cost has soared to $8.8 billion, more than four times the original aerospace industry estimates, which nearly led Congress to kill the program last year.

The agency has repeatedly proposed such technologically difficult projects at bargain-basement prices, a practice blamed either on errors in its culture or a political strategy. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee that controls NASA's budget, said a combination of both problems affected the Webb.

"There was not adequate oversight," Wolf said. "And there were reports that the cost estimates were being cooked a little bit, some by the company, some by NASA."

It could spell a new era for the space agency, in which it will have money for just one flagship science mission per decade rather than one every few years as it has in the past. The Webb's cost growth, along with an austere budget outlook for NASA, is depleting the agency's pipeline of big science missions. A much-discussed mission to return samples of Martian soil to Earth, for example, may be unaffordable, according to the House Science Committee staff.

The Webb telescope was conceived by the astronomy community in the late 1990s as a more modest project with a smaller mirror for about $500 million. Then-NASA chief Daniel Goldin challenged the science community in a major speech to double the capability of the telescope for the same price.

Dressler, who was in the audience when Goldin gave the speech, recalled: "It astonished everybody. It made no sense that you could build a telescope six times larger than Hubble … and have it come in cheaper. We were so stunned, we didn't know what to do."

The early lowball cost figures had no official standing, but they shaped political expectations many years later.

Taking a look into solar energy can be illuminating

A week or so later, I received a well-written proposal that clearly explained what work the firm would perform, whose panels and inverters they would use, how they would tie it in to my existing electrical system, and much more detail than I can relate in this short article. They would apply for all permits and state rebates, install the entire system, commission it, and do a follow-up assessment.

They offered a five-year warranty on workmanship in addition to individual component warranties that are effective for much longer periods on the panels and inverters. They explained that the electricity generated by my system would simply mix with the power on the grid and that I would continue to be billed for power that I use minus the power that I generate.

But how well and how long would the system perform, and how much would it cost? The panels and inverters should operate for at least 25 years with minimal maintenance and very minor reductions in efficiency. After state rebates, a $1,000 state tax credit, and a 30 percent federal tax credit, the cost for my system was reduced by 35 to 45 percent from $25,000 to $9,162.

Our installer estimated that the system would generate 4,050 kilowatt-hours per year, reducing our electric NStar bills by 65 percent. But there are additional savings we did not expect. Large savings also come from the system's production of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates).

The details are a little complicated, but the end result is that we earn an additional $300 to $600 for every 1,000 kilowatt-hours our system generates, thereby shortening the pay-back period for the whole system to between 2.8 and 4.5 years. Right now Srecs are worth about $500 per 1000 kilowatt-hours. We will receive more than $2,000 per year in Srecs alone.

I must admit that the favorable economics of a solar energy installation like ours depends in part on generous incentives provided by the state and federal government, but I believe that the government is right to encourage us to move away from fossil fuel use. It is satisfying to know that our solar energy system helps to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil, slows down global warming, and cuts our personal electrical costs.

Once you get started with this home-grown electric power, you can't help but wonder how your system is doing. Our system's performance is clearly shown in a clever web presentation I can read from any computer connected to the internet. The presentation allows me to watch the production of each panel on our roof anywhere, anytime.

If you invest in a solar energy system like ours, you tend to watch its performance often, and you develop an interest in conserving energy in other ways. Compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs make the power you generate go much farther, you remember to turn off unused lights, and you really celebrate the sunshine!

Center Parcs

Chris Brooks, Center Parcs Sustainability manager, has one overriding pre-occupation when making any decisions about cutting energy usage and carbon emissions: "It cannot impact on the guests' experience of Center Parcs," he says.

It's a position that seems to have helped rather than hindered environmental progress at the British holiday parks group. The company, which welcomed 1.6 million visitors at its four villages last year, is ranked joint first in the CRC League table.

Brooks credits the 'stick' of the CRC for raising the profile of energy efficiency and sustainability internally at Center Parcs, but he says the group was already some way down the road of sustainability, having achieved the ISO14001 environmental management system some years ago.

Center Parcs has committed to a carbon reduction target of 20 per cent by 2020 from a 2009-10 baseline. Last year, it achieved a 1.9 per cent reduction, but this year it is aiming for a four per cent cut.

"It's about understanding where the low-hanging fruit is," says Brooks about the group's carbon reduction strategy.

To do this, the company rolled out 200 smart meters across all its sites, including its head office, in late 2009. The automated metering has allowed Center Parcs to get a handle on the breakdown of energy use across the villages and, according to Brooks, has been an invaluable tool in the carbon reduction strategy.

The main culprits in terms of energy usage are the parks' swimming pools, so in 2010 the group committed over 1 million at the Whinfell Forest village to replace the boilers for the 'Sub Tropical Swimming Paradise'. This included the installation of four new efficient boilers and a combined heat and power unit.

At another site, the company has invested in LED lighting and automated kitchen extraction controls – producing energy savings of between 10 and 20 per cent. And the company is investing in a new building management system at one of its villages, which it will roll out to all three other villages if it tests well.

The group has 300,000 set aside for each village every year to spend on energy initiatives and Brooks says this linked with its staff engagement programme is reaping rewards.

"Every single person is bonused on the carbon emissions of the company," he explains. "It's helped us develop a competitive instinct between the villages. Everyone thinks about carbon and everyone is rewarded for it."

Center Parcs' biggest challenge now, says Brooks, is continuing to offer its guests new facilities and experiences, whilst reducing the group's carbon footprint. The company is planning a fifth village in Bedfordshire, which will have 800 accommodation units plus a swimming pool. As such the new village is designed to the highest sustainable standards and will include a biomass-powered district heating system and solar panels.

Earth Hour Campaign Begins 'I Will If You Will' Activity

The Earth Hour campaign is stepping up its annual lights out event this year with the launching of the "I Will If You Will" activity that offers an opportunity for communities to be part of concrete environmental solutions to save the Earth.

The concept of "I Will If You Will" centers around providing a social contract between two parties by connecting one person, business or organization to a "promise" and their friends, family, customers or members to a "challenge," which is uniting them behind the common goal of creating a positive environmental outcome.

The "I Will If You Will" campaign will use the YouTube video platform to empower people to share a personal dare with the world by asking everyone, "What are you willing to do to save the planet?"

The campaign's digital platform is the result of an alliance between World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Leo Burnett, and YouTube.

The Earth Hour YouTube platform hosts a global library of "I Will If You Will" challenges, while encouraging people to share their challenges  publicly through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and email.

Friends can be invited to participate and accept each challenge using these popular social networks.

The simple promise can range from recycling, to switching to energyefficient light bulbs, turning off your mobile charger, or signing up for paperless banking.

Earth Hour Philippines National Director Gia Ibay said WWF is now seeking official partners for Earth Hour 2012.

"We call on corporations, local governments, media networks and other organizations to stand with us for this year's switch-off. When public and private sector forces unite - then we will be able to effect change on the scale required to change the world," Ibay said.

Earth Hour began as a single city initiative in 2007 and has since grown to be a 5,251-city strong global movement, reaching 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across all seven continents.

Earth Hour Philippines has led the global switch-off since 2009, ranking  number one globally in terms of town and city participation for three consecutive years.

Bush 41 goes for colorful, interesting socks

If by chance you happen to come across George H.W. Bush and he has on a pair of outrageously colored or mismatched socks, don't worry — the octogenarian former president isn't losing his marbles.

If he caught you staring at the light and dark blue striped confections on his ankles at the commencement ceremonies at Dartmouth College last summer, where he received an honorary degree, he would not have thought you rude.

And if you couldn't help but gawk slack-jawed at the bright pink numbers he had on while watching the Houston Marathon last month, well that's fine too because, with his slacks jauntily hitched, that's kind of the reaction he was hoping for.

In fact, the more people look at his socks, the more he likes it. They're simple utilitarian garments, socks, but not when a former president wears them as a statement - actually more than a statement.

There was a time when a visitor at the 41st president's west Houston office invariably left with a little box containing presidential cuff links. These days, you might find yourself leaving with a pair of lobster socks — light blue creations emblazoned with the bright red crustaceans.

"It's his trinket now," says Jean Becker, his long-time chief of staff. "This is his signature gift. He's sort of becoming famous for his socks."

Bush says he has been a "colored socks fan" for some time, and that his penchant for wearing them at high profile events "is not a big thing" in his life. His staff, however, begs to differ.

"He used to wear them on special occasions and not very often," says Becker. "But he has lately gotten more outrageous. Now he goes out of his way."

It could be because recently, the 87-year-old president's ankles are more openly on display. He has been diagnosed with lower body parkinsonism, a condition that causes instability from the waist down, and he often uses a wheelchair. But for whatever reason, Becker says the "sock thing" has certainly ramped up a few notches in recent months.

He has green and black striped socks. Pink and salmon striped socks. Orange socks with yellow polka dots. Socks with the American flag. Orange and pink socks. Blue striped socks with lavender accents at the top.

In November, the actor Kyle MacLachlan visited Bush in his office and was much taken with the pink and salmon striped socks the president was wearing with his grey pin-striped suit and black loafers.

This got Bush thinking about Christmas presents. His staff swept into action and within no time, the office was awash in boxes of socks, which went out to select friends and family, including MacLachlan, as gifts.

For years, Bush's principal supplier of socks has been Spike Heminway, a long-time friend and golfing buddy from Kennebunkport, Maine, where the Bush family has a seaside estate.

Toolbox Light Up the Way With a New Range of LED Lenser Torches

Toolbox is becoming a well known online retailer in the UK, after just a few years of operation, a significant proportion of visitors/customers have already deemed them their 'number one go-to guy' for anything to do with power tools or hand held tools. Things look promising for Toolbox, especially if they can convert people to continually buy from their website after just one visit; who says a high level of service never pays off?

The Toolbox website is constantly expanding, and this week is no change from the rest as the guys in marketing upload a great new range of products. Say hello to a whole new range of LED Lenser torches, one of the most known and regarded brands in the field of LED lighting. If there's an LED product you want, chances are, these are the people you want to be buying from.

LED is an acronym for light emitting diode, this type of light source has many benefits over a standard halogen bulb. The main most notable advantage is the durability; not only are they shock resistant, but they also last up to 1,000 times longer than a conventional light bulb. Green enthusiasts will be happy in the knowledge that they'll be helping to save the planet by buying an LED torch as LED's save energy and reduce CO2 emissions. So whilst all the celebrities and eco-mentalists are out buying electric cars, sit back in the knowledge that an LED torch is also lending a helping hand to combat this overheated planet.

Scott Morris, Marketing Manager at Toolbox gave a couple of words on the new torches; "I have a few LED Lenser torches at my disposal, one attached to my keyring which I can't begin to describe how useful it is and another main torch rated 220 lumens. Having used it many times, I couldn't possibly be without one now due to how efficient it is at doing everything I require it to do. The ability to focus in and out as well as change the light intensity is indescribably helpful and the clarity of the light can only be likened to crystals. Taking outdoor photographs in the dark used to be almost impossible without generators and HDI lighting; but the magnitude of LED Lenser torches makes it possible without shelling out for heavier equipment."

Scott has virtually covered all aspects of these torches; the applications for a torch of this calibre are endless. There are policemen and women who swear by these torches for night-time use and some have even made use of the temporary 'boost' function to dazzle and disorientate people who aren't cooperating with them. For quality like this, price is an after-thought when all the functions of a 'simple torch' are considered!

Marvell's Breakthrough Deep Dimming LED Driver IC Accelerates Mass Adoption of Energy Efficient LED Retrofit Bulbs

The 88EM8183 LED driver IC delivers the highest dimmer compatibility and lowest component count in the industry, while providing superior light quality and dimming performance comparable to incandescent bulbs.

To ensure the dimming compatibility of the 88EM8183 IC, Marvell engineering worked closely with Lutron, the industry leader in lighting controls, testing various dimmers from Lutron including the C-L series dimmer, which is rated for LED as well as traditional lamps.

Leveraging Marvell's unique mixed-signal architecture and advanced dimming control technology, the highly integrated 88EM8183 LED driver IC is designed to achieve smooth deep dimming as low as 1 percent LED current, a significant performance improvement compared to competitive LED driver solutions that typically achieve 10 to 20 percent dimming, which the human eye does not perceive as a significant drop in light level.

The 88EM8183 IC is also designed to be compatible with more than 100 different types of (TRIAC) wall box dimmers from various manufacturers around the world, providing consumers an out-of-the-box dimming experience that exceeds that of previous solutions, and provides an exceptional LED dimming experience.

Additionally, the 88EM8183 IC reduces the number of components needed for LED drivers by more than half, dramatically shrinking needed board space, allowing OEMs and ODMs to bring LED lighting to all kinds of lamp form-factors, including A19, PAR, BR, GU10 and Candle, without compromising dimming performance.

"As consumers replace legacy lighting solutions such as incandescent bulbs with energy saving LEDs, they expect the same or better lighting experience. Unfortunately, they often discover issues with dimming capability, resulting in the perception that the LED lamps are barely dimming, or flickering when dimmed. Many LED bulbs are also not compatible with existing wall dimmers already installed in homes," said Kishore Manghnani, Vice President of Green Energy Products at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. "Marvell's new 88EM8183 deep dimming LED driver IC offers OEMs and ODMs the most compatible dimming solution with the vast majority of dimmers on the market, and also superior light quality, decreasing consumer dissatisfaction and returns."

Moreover, the 88EM8183 IC supports universal AC input and a wide range of LED output wattages from a few watts up to 100 watts. This capability allows lighting OEMs and ODMs to dramatically reduce design efforts and improve operational efficiency by taking a product platform approach, which reduces the number of LED lamp SKUs and streamlines inventory management.

'Pearls' to shine for Buffett crowd

Omaha's damaged "String of Pearls" lights along Abbott Drive will be repaired by April — in time for Omaha's annual Berkshire Hathaway stockholder extravaganza.

With the Berkshire meeting scheduled May 5, city officials outlined a timetable for completing repairs nearly six months after a severe hailstorm pummeled the Omaha metro area. The storm ruined 276 fixtures along the approximately 700-light chain.

The Peter Kiewit Foundation originally funded the $8.8 million project to install the lights and to plant hundreds of trees along Abbott Drive. Largely completed in 2003, the project was intended to spruce up the city's primary gateway to and from Eppley Airfield.

The damaged fixtures will be replaced with energy-saving LED bulbs — a change that officials say could save up to $150,000 in annual energy costs. The city hopes to replace all the string's bulbs with LED technology within five years.

"I can't think of a better way to set an example for the rest of the nation than by greeting travelers with a beautiful row of efficient, LED bulbs," said Mayor Jim Suttle during a press conference Tuesday on the repairs.

The new fixtures will cost about $200,000, city engineer Todd Pfitzer said. Installation costs will add to the project's overall price tag, but the city now anticipates spending less than the original estimates of $500,000 to $600,000.

Officials also originally estimated repairs would be completed by late March or sooner, but the work was delayed as the city researched and tested LED bulbs, Pfitzer said. Now ordered, delivery of the new equipment could take eight to 12 weeks.

"You add it all together and that's why it took so long," Pfitzer said. "We felt it was more important to get it right."

While a timetable for completing the project is now more clear, discussions are ongoing on how to pay the bill.

Officials are still talking with the city's insurance provider about the damage. The city's claim for the damaged lights is among many submitted after the Aug. 18 hailstorm and record flooding along the Missouri River.

"This may be covered by insurance," Pfitzer said. "But we're not sure yet."

The Kiewit Foundation has expressed interest in raising funds for the project, if needed, but officials said no commitments have been made.

Also Tuesday, Suttle praised the city's Public Works Department and private snowplow contractors on what he billed as a successful snow removal operation after last weekend's storm.

In all, 18 private snowplow contractors helped clear residential streets and 85 trucks and other pieces of equipment tackled thick, wet snow that clogged area roadways.

Resident complaints to the city have been minimal thus far, officials said. An exact tabulation of how much the weekend's snow fight might cost won't be completed for another couple of weeks.

Duck for cover, here comes the laser-guided bullet

Figuring out how to pack a processor and other sophisticated equipment into a machine gun bullet has been a challenge, but engineers at Sandia National Laboratories in the US say the miniature guidance system they've developed is a breakthrough.

A bullet that directs itself like a tiny guided missile and can hit a target more than 1.6km away has the potential to change the battlefield for soldiers without costing too much, engineers said on Wednesday.

Sandia technical staff member Red Jones said the .50-calibre bullets are being designed to work with military machine guns, so soldiers could hit their mark faster and with precision.

"Everybody thought it was too difficult to make things small enough. We knew we could deal with that. The other thing was it was going to be too complicated and expensive," he said. "We came up with an innovative way around that to make it stupid and cheap and still pretty good."

Developing more precise weaponry has been a mission for government and industry scientists for decades. Most recently, the research arm of the US Department of Defence has awarded tens of millions of dollars in contracts to companies to develop guided ammunition for snipers and special scopes that account for crosswinds and other environmental variables.

The idea behind Sandia Labs' bullet is rooted more in the M2, a belt-fed machine gun that became standard issue in the US Army nearly 80 years ago. Pairing the M2 with the guided bullet would allow soldiers to hit their mark faster and with precision.

At 10cm long and a 1.27cm in diameter, the bullet is designed to twist and turn, making up to 30 corrections per second.

Jones and his fellow researchers had initial success testing the design in computer simulations and in field tests of prototypes, built from commercially available parts.

With most of the hard science done, Jones said the next step is for Sandia to partner with a private company to complete testing of the prototype and bring a guided bullet to the marketplace.

More than $US1 million in research and development grants have taken the project this far.

Computer simulations showed an unguided bullet under real-world conditions could miss a target about 1km away by nearly 9m. But according to the patent, a guided bullet would get within 20cm.

The design for the bullet includes an optical sensor to detect a laser beam on a target. The sensor sends information to guidance and control electronics that use an algorithm in an eight-bit central processing unit to command electromagnetic actuators. The actuators steer the fins that guide the bullet.

Jones said there are still some engineering problems to be sorted out that will make the bullet more practical - for example, it will have to be tough enough to be dropped off the back of a truck and still work.

Truth or myth: Vassar's secret tunnel system revealed

Beneath Vassar campus lies a labyrinth of winding tunnels...or so the legends say. The question of the existence of secret tunnels has captivated the imagination and attention of Vassar students long before students were a little too interested in things that were "underground."

The imagined purpose of these tunnels has evolved and changed over the last 80 years from the mystical to the practical and convenient.

In the 1930s, rumor had it that tunnels were used for sinister purposes."We had heard vague stories of catacombs under Main, but we didn't know that there are so many tunnels under the campus that you can travel all over from one hall to another through them," writes a reporter in the 11.05.32 issue of The Miscellany News.

By the 1970s the stories about the tunnels had changed into ones that resemble those that circulate the campus rumor mill today. "They were not built to protect turn-of-the-century Vassar women from the elements," wrote Nancy Frank, explaining a popular myth about the tunnels in 1979. "I've heard that they built the tunnels so that earlier Vassar women didn't have to walk in the snow," said Nathan Hoston '13.

Despite the popularity of the story, other Vassar students were closer to the truth. "I've heard from some people that they were built to move coal from building to building for heating but aren't in use anymore and are now sealed off," said David Gonzales '14.

While abandoned tunnels would undoubtedly provide a delightful haven during the cold Poughkeepsie days, in actuality the tunnels are still in use, but for a purpose that's mutually exclusive with a quick way to make it from Noyes to Sanders classroom.

"There is a network of tunnels between the buildings, but these are only big enough for steam pipes," Special Collections Assistant Dean M. Rogers wrote in an emailed statement. "The steam comes out the Central Heating Plant and it goes through the pipes in the tunnels to all the buildings on the campus proper, so not the athletic facility or to the buildings across the street," explained Manger of Mechanical Services and Building Trader Dave Bishop.

At the height of the use of the Central Heating Plant, 14 miles of tunnels took steam to the building and 20 miles of tunnels took gas to light the campus's buildings. With the addition of new houses and academics buildings, a new coal pocket was added to the plant in 1902 to store additional coal used for heating and the production of gas, with another coal bunker added in 1921.

Notably, in 1912 the use of gas fell out of style for lighting as electricity became the new craze. Lord and Co. was commissioned to build a new powerhouse as a part of the plant, which allowed Vassar to produce its own electricity until 1955 when the Board of Trustees recommended that the College begin buying their electricity from a local producer.

The boiler room is the only part of the plant which still retains its original purpose, with other notable parts being repurposed as the Susan Stein Shiva Theater and the Hallie Flagan Davis Powerhouse Theater.