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2010-08-29
News - Coleg Harlech
News
Coleg Harlech lease the Plas Amherst
Coleg Harlech today confirmed that they have taken a lease of Plas Amherst Nursing Home in Harlech after an approach from the owner.
Principal of Coleg Harlech, Annie Williams said “last month we had a catastrophic failure of our Halls of Residence and we have been advised that it will have to remain closed at least until Christmas; this approach from Plas Amherst was therefore very timely and will ensure that we can welcome students to Coleg Harlech when term starts in October.”
Students rewarded
At the recent end of year leaving ceremony students from each programme area were presented with awards recognising their achievements during the year. The two awards named after founders of WEA and Coleg Harlech were the Thomas Jones award for the best peice of work and the Silyn Award for the greatest individual progress.
Winners were
Social Studies - Tim Griffith and Stephanie Berry
Art and Design - Les Long and Tina Kaunhoven
Multimedia - Andrew Pickett and Stuart Parker
Music Technology - Craig Kennealy and Huw Morgan WilliamsPedal Power
Staff and students have been busy raising money for local charties by taking to their bikes – including a unicycle and tandem. Staff members Geoff Bond, Julie Roberts and Ann Williams along with students Neil Burrows and Jo Jackson experienced gruelling conditions in this years Snowdonia Bike Ride.
Geoff said "Even though the weather was horrendous we were really pleased to have raised over £400 for charities that include Mountain Rescue, Air Ambulance and the Rescue Dogs. Thanks to all those who have supported us".
Julie Roberts, was congratulated by the organisers for being the first lady rider home.
Geoff is now in training on his unicycle for the North Wales Bike Ride, to help raise funds
Planning Permission Granted for the Cambria Centre
Annie Williams, Principal of Coleg Harlech WEA announced today (4th March) that the Snowdonia National Park Authority has granted planning permission for the Cambria Centre to develop the existing site of Coleg Harlech and Theatr Harlech.
Ms Williams said “We are delighted that the National Park has supported the project which will bring a much needed boost to the local economy. We will now be in a much stronger position to seek the necessary funding to support the project.
Implementing the plan will not only address the needs of Coleg Harlech as an educational institution but also provide first class services for the community and for tourism and business markets.
The local communities will benefit from having a first class resource which as well as providing adult education will include – enhanced library; theatre and workshop space,; exhibition and conference provisions; areas for community theatre, choirs, dance; a venue for social events and eating out; and units for business development.”
More information can be found on the website www.cambria-centre.co.uk or by emailing to cambria@fc.harlech.ac.uk.
Coleg Harlech WEA 1st College to gain Wales TUC Quality Award
For the Quality Award the comments from regional union officials who supported the application, verified that tutors were supportive, friendly and that confidence building was a key factor on each course.
One education officer commented that, “They (the WEA) have a really strong commitment to learning.” One of several examples given was of how a tutor had gone to considerable lengths in time and effort, even calling in favours, with no personal advantage to help out a union officer, because the final outcome was of benefit to the learners.
The Workplace Learning Department at Coleg Harlech, overcome the many obstacles and the barriers that there clearly are, to take learning out into the everyday lives of our union members. That strong commitment, that belief in the accessibility to learning, to education, to training, for all adults, has remarkable benefits for individuals, for their families and for our communities.
More information about Coleg Harlech Workplace courses
Basic Skills Project with Dyfed-Powys Probation Service
Coleg Harlech WEA and Dyfed-Powys Probation are working together on a project to provide basic skills workshop access for those serving probation orders in the Newtown area.
In one case a young woman joined the group struggling to cope with the demands of entry level 3 Her tutor explained “Stephanie is now due to leave the Basic Skills classes, having completed and passed Literacy and Numeracy at level 2 and she has gained a place at Coleg Powys, a direct result of her Basic Skills training”.
Another course member, Colin, joined the programme two years ago with no reading or writing skills. He now says “I can read a newspaper; my self confidence has greatly improved as I can now write cards to my friends and family. I am saving money by being able to read the special offers in the shops. I can now go to a take-away and order from the menu.”
The tutor commented ‘The way group organises itself and the mutual support for one another are real positives’
Multimedia student Wakeel Ibrahim receives the Helena Kennedy Foundation Award
The Helena Kennedy Foundation runs a bursary scheme to provide much needed financial support to disadvantaged students, who have successfully completed a further education course and wish to progress to higher education.
Without any family around him, Wakeel has struggled financially, which has prompted him to return to education in order to create a more promising future for himself.
Wakeel has a keen interest in multimedia and wishes to continue his study at university. His Coleg Harlech tutor, Graham Hall, comments that Wakeel is a ‘committed and dedicated student’.
The Helena Kennedy Foundation, sponsored by Edge, will provide Wakeel with financial support as he progresses to study multimedia at the University of Huddersfield. Wakeel was presented with his award at the House of Lords by Baronness Helena Kennedy and Neil Kinnock.Coleg Harlech present plans for the Cambria Centre
Today (26 Sept) Coleg Harlech shared its plans for the proposed new development named ‘Canolfan Cambria Centre’.
Annie Williams, principal, explained that the College needs a new building because the estate is generally in poor repair and many of the buildings are no longer appropriate for the activities currently being undertaken. The Theatre Harlech building also needs considerable investment.
Ms Williams went on to explain that the local community will benefit from having a community resource which will include - library, theatre, workshop space, exhibitions, community theatre, choirs, dance, venue for social events, conference facilities and units for business development.
Coleg Harlech gains Quality Mark
Awarded by Basic Skills Cymru and recognised by the National Assembly, the Quality Mark provides a framework for raising and maintaining high standards of English/Welsh language, literacy and numeracy among adults. Our achievement not only shows that we provide basic skills to high national standards but also enables us to promote and to develop our provision in the future.
Local education providers awarded the best grades in Wales
In a recent inspection by ESTYN the partnership working in Conwy between Coleg Llandrillo, Coleg Harlech WEA, University of Wales Bangor and Coleg Llysfasi was highly praised.
Providers were awarded the best grades in Wales including grade ones for Community Development, Adult Learning and Welsh for Adults.
Funding Successes to support learners
Two interesting bids, worth £250,000, have been won by the Multimedia Programme at Harlech.
via harlech.ac.uk
TED: Ideas worth spreading
Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world
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Pathos - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, searchThis article is about the communication technique. For the Japanese manga published in 2008, see Pathos (manga).
Look up Pathos in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Pathos (pronounced /ˈpeɪθɒs/; Greek: πάθος, for "suffering" or "experience;" adjectival form: 'pathetic' from παθητικός) represents an appeal to the audience's emotions. Pathos is a communication technique used most often in rhetoric (where it is considered one of the three modes of persuasion, alongside ethos and logos), and in literature, film and other narrative art.
Emotional appeal can be accomplished in a multitude of ways:
- by a metaphor or story telling, common as a hook,
- by a general passion in the delivery and an overall number of emotional items in the text of the speech, or in writing.
Pathos is often associated with emotional appeal. But a better equivalent might be appeal to the audience's sympathies and imagination. An appeal to pathos causes an audience not just to respond emotionally but to identify with the writer's point of view - to feel what the writer feels. In this sense, pathos evokes a meaning implicit in the verb 'to suffer' - to feel pain imaginatively. Perhaps the most common way of conveying a pathetic appeal is through narrative or story, which can turn the abstractions of logic into something palpable and present. The values, beliefs, and understandings of the writer are implicit in the story and conveyed imaginatively to the reader. Pathos thus refers to both the emotional and the imaginative impact of the message on an audience, the power with which the writer's message moves the audience to decision or action.
[edit] Sublime pathos
This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2010)In the many works of Friedrich Schiller, "Sublime Pathos" (German, das Pathetisch-Erhabene) appears as a privileged aesthetic concept. According to Schiller, sublime pathos in the context of art demonstrates human freedom and triumph in the struggle against suffering. As such, pathos no longer refers to suffering itself, but rather an effect produced by overcoming suffering. Generally, Schiller links the experience of suffering to "grand ideas" - such as the idea of freedom; in this sense, pathos reminds one of Milton's Satan, when he cries out: "Hail, horrors, I greet thee!". Schiller's description of pathos continues to influence the use of the word today, in which such triumphant overcoming of suffering and other negative situations is seen as representing pathos.
[edit] See also
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathos"
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2010-08-28
Theatr Harlech staff to lose jobs by December - UK Wired News
Theatr Harlech staff to lose jobs by December
Published: 28th Aug 2010 09:23:03 Permalink
The Theatr Harlech building will no longer be the focus for productionsStaff at a leading Gwynedd theatre are to lose their jobs.
Four staff at Theatr Harlech have been told that redundancy proceedings will begin in the next few weeks.
The theatre has announced plans to take productions to the wider community of south Gwynedd, rather than using the theatre building.
The redundancies come after the theatre lost its funding in June from the Arts Council of Wales, which reviewed its spending on arts groups.
The posts, including that of interim director Jacqui Banks, will close by December.
The theatre's directors met earlier to discuss the Constellation Programme, a scheme to bring professional and community arts to towns and villages across Gwynedd.
A lottery application will be submitted to the Arts Council of Wales in the autumn, while the building itself will continue to be used by the film society.
A theatre spokesman said: "The constellation scheme has been two years in the planning and we are very excited by the opportunities it would offer to take our professional and community work out to our audiences."
A Facebook campaign called Save Theatr Harlech has more than 600 members.
BBC NewsExternal LinkShow Citation
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Design work has started on a £35m arts and innovation centre at Bangor University in Gwynedd....
Harvard Citation
BBC News, 2010. Theatr Harlech staff to lose jobs by December. [Online] (Updated 28 Aug 2010)
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Theatr Harlech staff to lose jobs < Global News Collection | Abaxo
Check out this website I found at abaxo.net
Theatr Harlech staff to lose jobs
The Theatr Harlech building will no longer be the focus for productions Staff at a leading Gwynedd theatre are to lose their jobs. Four staff at Theatr Harlech have been told that redundancy proceedings will begin in the next few weeks. The theatre has Full Article at BBC News
Untitled
News
Response to Ministerial Review
~ Thursday , 7 July 2010.Planning Permission Granted
~ Thursday , 4 March 2009.Planning Decision Defered, site visit pending.
~ Saturday , 27 February 2009.Planning Committee 25th Feb
~ Tuesday , 19 January 2009.Plans for Cambria Centre Harlech Announced
~ Tuesday , 19 January 2009.
Justice without borders for the ever-longer arm of the law - Asil Nadir.
Published Date: 26 August 2010 By Chris Bond
ASIL Nadir touched down on British soil yesterday ahead of the resumption of his courtroom battle after spending nearly two decades on the run.
Back in May 1993, he was facing 66 counts of theft involving £34m fraud allegations, relating to the collapse of his Polly Peck empire, and fled Britain to northern Cyprus. The Cypriot-born businessman appeared in court the previous year but had not technically surrendered to his bail, so a subsequent arrest warrant, issued on the basis that he had breached his bail, was not valid.
However, earlier this year Nadir's legal team indicated he was willing to return to face trial, as long as he was granted bail. The Serious Fraud Office agreed not to oppose bail in return for stringent
conditions ahead of his hearing next month at the Old Bailey.
But how had he been able to evade trial for so long? One of the key reasons is that the UK has no extradition treaty with northern Cyprus, along with the fact that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has been in diplomatic and economic isolation since it was founded in 1983.
Nadir, though, is not the only fugitive from British justice who made a beeline for northern Cyprus. For many years criminals hid in Spain, on the so-called "Costa del Crime," but in 1985 an extradition treaty was signed with Britain and a number of people were sent back in Britain. As a result, northern Cyprus was seen as a potential sanctuary and a number of criminals holed up there in the late '90s. But during the past decade there has been a shift in Turkish Cypriot attitudes towards Britain and the West. The TRNC offered to sign an extradition treaty with the UK but the British Government refused, because it does not have diplomatic relations with them and did not want to offend Cyprus or Greece.
Despite this, the police in northern Cyprus have made it clear that criminals are not welcome and the government has said it will work closely with British police where a criminal has fled to the country and there is a valid extradition warrant. In 2007, drug dealer Miran Thakrar fled to northern Cyprus after he and his brother committed a triple killing in Hertfordshire. The police not only detained him and escorted him back to Britain but sent over officers to testify at his trial and Thakrar was later jailed for life.
Extradition expert Anand Doobay, a partner with leading legal firm Peters & Peters, says problems can arise when there aren't extradition treaties in place. "Where the UK has an extradition arrangement with another country it means that it has to deal with each request. Without that it is done on a case by case basis. But we don't have a general extradition agreement with northern Cyprus and this is the difficulty the UK has had in the case of Asil Nadir."
The UK has two different types of extradition arrangements with other countries. The first, known as category one, involves EU countries and is based around European Arrest Warrants. The second, category two, includes all other countries. "There are distinctions between those category two countries in that some have to provide evidence when making a request," explains Mr Doobay.
Although not all countries do. "The most controversial of those countries which don't have to supply evidence is the US and some commentators have said there is an imbalance in the UK's treaty with the US because any request from our Government has to show a probable cause."
One of the most contentious cases in recent years has been that of British computer hacker Gary McKinnon. The 43 year-old, who has Asperger's Syndrome, is accused of hacking US military computer systems, although he denies this, saying he was seeking evidence of UFOs. David Cameron has publicly condemned plans to extradite Mr McKinnon to the US – where he faces up to 60 years in jail – and raised the issue with President Obama during his visit to America last month.
Mr Doobay says that since 9/11 the number of countries that the UK doesn't have an extradition agreement with has shrunk. "We recently reached an extradition arrangement with the UAE and there are on-going discussions with countries like Algeria and Libya. But the UK will want assurances that anyone returned to a country will be guaranteed a fair trial before it enters into any agreement."
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Last Updated: 26 August 2010 10:48 PM
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Stop Deep Cuts to Precious Conservation Funds - Sign the Petition
When you deliver your agency's 5% budget reduction to President Obama, I urge you not to cut conservation dollars.
Slashing these programs will do nothing significant to address our nation's budget problems, while it will dramatically reduce our ability to protect the resources that supply our nation with abundant food and a cleaner environment.
As stewards of over 70% of the land in America, farmers, ranchers and private landowners are critical partners in efforts to find cost-effective solutions to our most pressing environmental challenges.
Voluntary farm bill conservation programs provide support to stewards of working lands who are ready to invest their own time and money into tackling these conservation challenges. Further, these programs provide assistance that helps keep farms and forests as working lands, strengthening both rural America and the environment.
Unfortunately, demand for these programs far outweighs available funding.
We must find other solutions to the nation's budget woes than cutting programs that help rural Americans secure a cleaner future.
via change.org
CAPRA | Central American Probabilistic Risk Assessment
The Central American Probabilistic Risk Assessment (CAPRA) initiative aims to strengthen the regional capacity for assessing, understanding and communicating disaster risk.
The CAPRA initiative started in January 2008, as a partnership between CEPREDENAC, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), the World Bank and the Inter American Development Bank. The main objective is to raise awareness among countries in Central America by providing them with a set of tools that would let them better understand the risk of adverse natural events. The ultimate goal of the initiative is to help mainstream disaster risk management into local development to help reduce disaster loss.
CAPRA provides countries in the Central American Region with a set of tools to conduct risk assessments. The first phase of the initiative aimed at developing an integrated platform for probabilistic risk assessment. The platform provides users with a set of tools to analyze magnitude, distribution and probability of potential losses due to a various adverse natural events. These metrics are projected on a Geographical Information System (CAPRA GIS) that allows for visualization and analysis. In absence of such evaluations, governments encounter major obstacles to identify, design and prioritize risk reduction measures.
via ecapra.org
Looking for Partners – GeoNode
Many of us at OpenGeo have been eagerly working on GeoNode over the past few months. As the number of organizations interested in the project increases, the time has come to bring more partners into the mix to further develop this growing project.
Of particular interest are organizations with skills in cartography, web design, and graphic design—especially those with experience in Django, Pinax, GeoServer, and OpenLayers. Additionally, many prospective GeoNode users are interested in paper-based data collection workflows and greater OpenStreetMap integration.
If you or your organization is interested in partnering with OpenGeo on opportunities related to GeoNode development and design, or are curious about committing to the GeoNode as an open source project then please don’t hesitate to email seb [at] opengeo [dot] org for more information.
via geonode.org
Nadja Benaissa Found GUILTY In HIV Spreading Trial
DARMSTADT, Germany — A German girl band singer broke down in tears Thursday as a court found her guilty of causing bodily harm to her ex-boyfriend by having unprotected sex with him despite knowing she was infected with HIV. She was not sentenced to jail time.
Nadja Benaissa, a member of No Angels, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 300 hours community service after she was convicted in a Darmstadt administrative court. She faced a possible ten years behind bars.
The court ruled that the 28-year-old had infected a former boyfriend with the virus that causes AIDS by having unprotected sex with him.
Benaissa helped her case during the trial, which began Aug. 16, by acknowledging she had unprotected sex despite knowing she was HIV-positive and saying it was a big mistake.
"I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart," Benaissa said, adding that she had realized how much her ex-boyfriend was still suffering.
"I wish I could turn back time and make everything undone," she told the court. "But I know that he will never forgive me."
Prosecutor Peter Liesenfeld said he thought the sentence was appropriate.
"We have to remember that she was a lot younger than she is now, she had a turbulent life, and the acts were committed a long time ago," he told Associated Press Television News. "I think a suspended sentence is justified."
Benaissa left the courtroom without making any comment but her attorney Oliver Wallasch noted that she had said during the trial that she thought she deserved to be punished for her actions.
Story continues below
Advertisement"We managed to avoid a jail sentence for my client and with the conditions of the sentence she received, including some community service which she said was justified during the trial, the sentence was satisfactory for the defense and my client," he said.
The man who claimed Benaissa infected him said they had a three-month relationship at the beginning of 2004 and that he got tested after Benaissa's aunt asked him in 2007 whether he was aware that the singer was HIV-positive.
Benaissa said she didn't tell anybody about her disease because she was afraid of the consequences – which she described during the trial as a "cowardly act."
During the trial, microbiologist Josef Eberle, who examined the viruses of both Benaissa and her ex-boyfriend, told the court "in all probability" the singer was responsible for infecting the 34-year-old man with the virus that causes AIDS.
Both were suffering from a very rare type of the virus that was first found in western Africa, he said.
Benaissa told the court she became addicted to crack cocaine at 14 and that during her pregnancy at 16, she found out that she was HIV positive.
After winning a TV talent show, "Popstars," in 2000, she joined No Angels with four other young women and hid her illness from everyone. No Angels sold more than 5 million albums before breaking up in 2003.
Along with three other members from the original band, Benaissa helped re-form the group in 2007. They performed to a disastrous response in the 2008 Eurovision song contest, coming in 23rd out of 25 contestants.
No Angels were heading into a concert in Frankfurt in April 2009, when Benaissa was taken into custody and kept for 10 days – a move that a German AIDS awareness group criticized as disproportionate.
The Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe group argued her partners also carried a share of the responsibility for becoming infected, and criticized the verdict.
"If the responsibility for prevention is put entirely upon women and HIV-positive people, we are not recognizing the combined responsibility of two people," said spokeswoman Marianne Rademacher.
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2010-08-27
Andy’s Answers: Who are my talkers? | SmartBlog on Social Media
Andy’s Answers: Who are my talkers?
By Andy Sernovitz on August 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
Talkers are at the heart of all great word-of-mouth programs. Every company – regardless of your industry or what you sell – has a variety of talker groups, each with different interests and different motivators.
As a word-of-mouth marketer, your job is to find them and put the tools in their hands that get them talking. A few tips on where to look for them:
- Fans and hobbyists. Your customers aren’t always your best talkers — often it’s the fans, dreamers and brand evangelists who spread most of the word-of-mouth. Luxury brands such as Ferrari, for example, often get their buzz not from their buyers, but from their die-hard fans with posters on the wall.
- Enthusiastic employees. When looking for talkers, don’t forget all the fans on your payroll. Not every employee wants to be an evangelist, but the ones who do love tools like product samples, beta testing, brand gear and friends and family discounts.
- Professional talkers. A special group of talkers do this stuff — reviews, referrals and recommendations — for a living. High-profile bloggers and media outlets often get a lot of focus, but analysts, industry experts and trade publications (and anyone else that may influence your customers) deserve attention, too.
Related posts:
Tags: employees, fans, marketing, Word of Mouth
Categories: Andy's Answers, Word of Mouth
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WriteToThem - Now select the representative you'd like to contact
--> Why not take this as an opportunity to write to one of your other representatives? Their job is to help you too! -->
- 1. Enter postcode
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Now select the representative you'd like to contact
Important note about the Elections: There was a General Election and County Council Elections on Thursday 5th May 2005. We haven't got information for new Councillors available yet, but most MPs are available now.
You have several elected representatives at different levels of government. If you aren't sure who to contact, please read this advice.
Your Councillor
Your Assembly Members
Your Member of Parliament
Your Members of the European Parliament
Your Harlech Councillor represents you on Gwynedd Council. The Unitary Authority is responsible for all aspects of local services and policy, including planning, transport, roads (except trunk roads and motorways), public rights of way, education, social services and libraries. Most Councillors are not paid a salary, but get a small basic allowance for the work they do.
- Edmund Caerwyn Roberts
Plaid CymruYour Dwyfor Meirionnydd AM represents you on the National Assembly for Wales. The National Assembly for Wales has a wide range of powers over areas including economic development, transport, finance, local government, health, housing and the Welsh Language.
- Dafydd Elis-Thomas
Plaid Cymru4 Mid and West Wales Electoral Region AMs also represent you.
Write to all your AMs
- Nicholas Bourne
Conservative- Joyce Watson
Labour- Nerys Evans
Plaid Cymru- Alun Davies
LabourYour Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP represents you in the House of Commons. The House of Commons is responsible for making laws in the UK and for overall scrutiny of all aspects of government.
- Elfyn Llwyd
Plaid CymruFind out more about Elfyn Llwyd at TheyWorkForYou.com
House of Lords
Lords are not elected by you, but they still get to vote in Parliament just like your MP. You may want to write to a Lord (more info).
Your 4 Wales MEPs represent you in the European Parliament. They scrutinise proposed European laws and the budget of the European Union, and provide oversight of its other decision-making bodies.
Write to all your MEPs
- John Bufton
UK Independence- Jill Evans
Plaid Cymru- Kay Swinburne
Conservative- Derek Vaughan
Labour
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Employment and Support Allowance - rates : Directgov - Disabled people
Rates
Weekly rate during the assessment phase
The assessment phase rate is paid for the first 13 weeks of your claim while a decision is made on your capability for work through the Work Capability Assessment.
Age of claimant Weekly amount A single person aged under 25 up to £51.85 A single person aged 25 and over up to £65.45
Weekly rate during the main phase
The main phase starts from week 14 of your claim, if the Work Capability Assessment shows that your illness or disability does limit your ability to work.
Type of group Weekly amount A single person in the Work Related Activity Group up to £91.40 A single person in the Support Group up to £96.85 In most cases you will not get any money for the first three days of your claim. These are called 'waiting days'.
Depending on your circumstances you may be able to get more money if you get income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
You can only get extra money for your husband, wife or civil partner if you get income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
via direct.gov.uk
Buffalo JustStore Desktop hard drive - 1 TB - Hi-Speed USB (HD-E1.0TU2-UK
Store, back-up, or easily transport all file types including huge multimedia files too large to fit on a USB key, with the Buffalo JustStore Desktop. An innovative, fan-less design and power-saving mode make this Buffalo JustStore Desktop a dependable, economical and silent USB attached storage solution. With auto installation, easy operation and auto power on/off, you can quickly store, access, and transfer files, digital images, documents, and backups. Just plug it in to a PC or Mac and it works!
Highlights of the Buffalo JustStore Desktop hard drive - 1 TB - Hi-Speed USB
- USB 2.0 interface
- Pre-formatted drive for immediate use
- Easy set-up, no drivers required
- Silent fanless operation
- Connects to USB on any PC or Mac
- Two versions shipping, UK power supply and EU power supply
via dabs.com
Theatre staff being laid off at Christmas! | Save Theatre Harlech
From SAVE THEATR HARLECH
LOYAL STAFF OF THEATR HARLECH WERE CALLED TO A MEETING THIS MORNING AT 10.00am AND WERE TOLD THEY WILL BE MADE REDUNDANT AT CHRISTMAS 2010.
Why You Need to Really Care About Touchscreens | ClickZ
I read a book a while back called "Close to the Machine." Honestly, it wasn't all that great. The writing was clunky, the main point of the book was pretty slow in coming, and it relied way too much on the author's personal experience. But, it was a really good look inside the minds of people who were working deep in technology. The book was published in 1997, so this was really pretty early on, when not everyone was spending all of their time with a computer.
The one thing that I took away from the book (and still think about) was an underlying theme that is really summarized in the title itself: people who have really adopted technology want to be just that - "close to the machine." That is, people tend to get frustrated by the limitations of the tools that we need to manipulate the technology and power inside a computer. We want to do away with mice and keyboards and drawing tables and whatever else we need to get our ideas out of our heads and into the machine. We want to be close.
That was a concept held only by a minority of people back in 1997, but it was prescient. As more people used more computers, we all got that feeling. And just in time, the technology has really begun to allow for that, thanks to the proliferation of touchscreen technology.
This rise is due, in part, because most of the patents for touchscreen technology have expired, meaning that manufacturers don't have to worry about paying royalties or license fees. Additionally, of course, processor power has become advanced enough and powerful enough to handle the inputs from touchscreens.
But no matter what the reason, touchscreens have taken off, and marketers using interactive technology to communicate with consumers need to start thinking of what this might mean.
Touchscreens: More than Half of All Devices
Millennial Media (a mobile advertising platform) publishes a regular report on the mobile market place. Among the many gems (seriously) inside of its report is a breakdown of traffic by input device type. As of July, 54 percent of devices had touchscreens. In second place were QWERTY devices with just 26 percent. Considering that iPad traffic has been growing at 300 percent month over month, we are beginning to see that a new generation of trafficking is emerging.
This appears to be a pretty good thing. It seems that people using the iPad, in particular, are extraordinarily engaged and represent a significant opportunity for engagement. According to data from Mobclix (another mobile platform), ads on the iPad that use video have 10.7 times higher click-through rate than regular iPad ads. Anecdotally, we hear that ads in general on the iPad perform way better than traditional ads.
Of course, there's a really good reason to believe that this has more to do with novelty than with actual usefulness: people who have touchscreens are into the fact that they have touchscreens, so they are willing to play with anything. But that's a mistake. We're used to expecting new things to spike and then fade. That's not the case with touchscreens.
But the proliferation of the devices will not. Apple seems to be doubling down on its touchscreen investments with a mouse and a trackpad that use touch technology to drive desktops. And we are destined to see more tablets this year from BlackBerry, HP, Dell, and more. By next year, we should expect that - like mobile phones - regular old websites will be getting tons of traffic and interaction from touchscreens. According to Gartner, within four years, 90 percent of computers sold will have touchscreens.
Preparing for the Touch Future
The most important development that touchscreens enable is simplicity. Whether it be in a website, an application, or an ad, there is a constant struggle between getting all of the information across and keeping things nice and simple. People want simplicity. Businesses want to tell everyone everything. The solution, of course, lies in the interface and an experienced design department to create buttons and sliders and other things that people can manipulate with their mouses.
Touchscreen technology gives us the chance to start pulling away from that and into a new level of design, simply by removing the tool (mouse) from the equation. Personally, I have always wanted to have display ads be more like magazine ads. I know - that is fairly sacrilegious to say. You can't deny, though, that great magazine ads provide a compelling and arresting image that captures the consumer, and then provides more information and a call to action. All of those elements are on the same page at the same time.
I think we need to start exploring this approach as well within the design of interactive marketing materials. Right now, we can do that, but need all the buttons and menus around it. Now, the image (or the video or animation) can simply present itself and invite a touch, since touching is such a simple thing to do. We don't need to try to figure out how to do it. Touching something interesting is a natural thing to do. Using a mouse isn't.
Touchscreens, then, are really the most welcome of all technologies, in that they don't make things more complex or force us to try to learn how to use them. Instead, they make something easier and more natural. Because of that, I don't really think the initial spike in interactions and click-throughs is much of an aberration. I think it is a natural result of allowing people to finally feel close to the machine.
via clickz.com
Pentagon confirms attack breached classified network • The Register
The Pentagon has opened the kimono on what it described as the “most significant breach of US military computers ever,” in which a flash drive in 2008 was used to infect large numbers of computers, including those used by the Central Command overseeing combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When the device was plugged into a military laptop located on an undisclosed base in the Middle East, malicious code soon linked highly sensitive machines to networks controlled by an unnamed foreign intelligence agency, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III wrote in the first official account of the episode.
“That code spread undetected on both classified and unclassified systems, establishing what amounted to a digital beachhead, from which data could be transferred to servers under foreign control,” he wrote in an article to be published Wednesday, according to The Washington Post.
“It was a network administrator's worst fear: a rogue program operating silently, poised to deliver operational plans into the hands of an unknown adversary.”
Military officials responded with a counter attack known as Operation Buckshot Yankee, which Lynn characterized as a turning point in the Pentagon's computer defense strategy. Among the steps initially taken was the banning of USB devices by the Defense Department, a curb that has since been modified slightly.
The account, included in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, comes almost two years after The Los Angeles Times reported an unofficial account of the incident, that claimed it most likely originated in Russia. Wednesday's article signals attempts by the Pentagon to raise awareness to the growing vulnerability of the US military to computer-based attacks, which often allow adversaries with modest means to inflict disproportionate damage.
“A dozen determined computer programmers can, if they find a vulnerability to exploit, threaten the United States's global logistics network, steal its operational plans, blind its intelligence capabilities or hinder its ability to deliver weapons on target,” Lynn wrote.
Last month, a retired US general made many of the same points, comparing the network world to the highly vulnerable North German plain that has been invaded repeatedly over the past several centuries.
More coverage from The New York Times is here. Wired.com has an article here saying some Defense Department insiders doubt the attack was the work of a hostile government. ®
Philips Intros the Third-Generation of SpeechMike IVR Dictation Devices
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August 23, 2010Philips Intros the Third-Generation of SpeechMike IVR Dictation Devices
By Raju Shanbhag, TMCnet Contributor
Philips (News - Alert) has introduced the third-generation of its SpeechMike audio recording devices. This new version provides essential new functions and design elements that were previously available only with wireless SpeechMike Air.
Philips Speech Processing manufactures tools that help the clients to work more productively and remain truly flexible. The company makes use of SpeechExec Enterprise, a powerful dictation software solution based on the experience of over 50 years in professional speech processing.
To enhance the user’s experience, the redesigned model includes updates from the company. The device will now have an antimicrobial surface which offers important medical advances in hygiene. Offering a distinct improvement in the accuracy of voice recognition systems, one technology update is the noise-reduction technology that almost completely eliminates noise interference. Also, the ergonomically-designed elements in the updated line features help the user more easily dictate in their environment.
“All of these updates were made to ensure that our dictation devices not only benefited the individual user but entire institutions,” says Gerhard Podhradsky, head of development at Philips Speech Processing. “Through all of these innovations, Philips continues to create dictation devices that can be used by a variety of companies, not just the medicine or the legal field. We know that all organizations with high-text volume.”
By fully integrating with Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the voice recognition solution from Nuance (News - Alert), the third-generation SpeechMike series also raises the bar in cross-system collaboration. Also, allowing the integration of dictation, transcription and voice recognition in a single application, it is also compatible with all of Philips’ speech management solutions such as the dictation management software, SpeechExec Pro Dictate, states Philips.
Recently, the company introduced 40-50 most advanced concepts in patient monitoring and healthcare informatics systems to provide better care to the patients. This ahead-of-the-curve technology by Philips has proved very effective in saving lives worldwide and would soon help in providing quality healthcare solutions at affordable prices to its customers in India. This technology has proved very effective in saving lives worldwide, the company claims.
Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Raju’s articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by Erin Monda
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via ivr.tmcnet.com
2010-08-26
IT, Hi-Tech, Science, Medicine and Architecture News » Five Ways to Spend a Bank Holiday Weekend in Snowdonia
Snowdonia is easily accessible by road and train from most parts of mainland Britain – and by sea or air from Ireland – so a few days in Snowdonia is one of the nicest ways to spend a bank holiday weekend.
Come rain or shine, and whatever your age, there is something for everyone in Snowdonia to help you spend a happy bank holiday weekend in beautiful surroundings. Here are our top five ways to spend a bank holiday weekend in Snowdonia.
1. Outdoors activities
Snowdonia is known as the UK’s number one outdoor activities centre, and with good reason; as well as lush mountainous countryside stretching as far as the eye can see, Snowdonia has a beautiful 200-mile coastline that’s perfect for bank holiday outdoor activities.
There are many ways to enjoy the great outdoors in Snowdonia. Walking is one of the most popular; there are many excellent routes to follow, which include quiet country lanes, public footpaths, woodlands, beaches and, of course, mountains.
Top spots for walking include the Llyn Coastal Path, which takes in all the spectacular scenery of the Llyn Peninsula’s coast; Foel Ispri Path, near Llanelltyd, Dolgellau, which includes a 300m stretch that’s accessible to wheelchair users; and, of course, Snowdon, which has several paths ranging in difficulty from moderate to extreme.
If you’d rather see Snowdonia on two wheels, you’ll find many excellent cycle paths criss-crossing the region. One of Snowdonia’s most popular cycling spots is Coed Y Brenin Forest Park, where you can hire a bike on-site. You can also hire bikes at Beddgelert and cycle your way around some of Snowdonia’s most picturesque scenery.
Watersports are also very special in Snowdonia. From surfing and wakeboarding to sailing and white water rafting, watersports are a big deal in Snowdonia. As well as that dramatic coastline, we have countless rivers and lakes that are popular with watersports enthusiasts all year round. Top spots include the two beaches at Abersoch, the National Whitewater Centre at Tryweryn, and the National Watersports Centre at Plas Menai, Caernarfon.
2. Culture
If you’d prefer to spend your bank holiday weekend immersed in Welsh culture, you’ll find plenty of museums, galleries and theatres in Snowdonia to keep you occupied for a whole month of bank holidays.
Ty Siamas in Dolgellau is a museum with a difference; it’s dedicated to the history of Welsh folk music, and includes many hands-on exhibits, demonstrations and fun activities for the musically-minded. Galeri in Caernarfon hosts all sorts of events, like art exhibitions, concerts and workshops; as does Theatr Harlech, whose recent events have included sand sculpture workshops on Harlech beach. And if you want to immerse yourself in the Welsh language for a few days, book a residential course at Nant Gwrtheyrn, the National Centre for Language and Culture.
3. Time Travelling
A small confession: there isn’t a time machine in Snowdonia, so you won’t be able to take an actual trip through time. But we have enough castles, Iron Age remains, Roman ruins and other historic sites to give you a sense of Snowdonia’s heritage, and that’s the next best thing.
Our castles include Caernarfon, Harlech, Criccieth, Conwy, Castell Y Bere, Dolbadarn and Dolwyddelan – all have their own particular charm and they’re equally worth a visit.
Snowdonia has lots of historic houses, too, like Conwy’s Plas Mawr, Bangor’s Penrhyn, and the Llyn Peninsula’s Plas Yn Rhiw. And if you like your history really ancient, try the Roman ruins of Segontium at Caernarfon, or the remarkably preserved Tre’r Ceiri hill fort near Nefyn.
4. Shopping
No weekend away would be complete without a souvenir or two to take home, and you won’t be disappointed with the shopping in Snowdonia.
From the big-name shopping centre at Bangor to the local market at Pwllheli; from the potter’s co-op in Conwy to the craft workshops at Corris; from the farm shop at Glasfryn to the huge delicatessen at Llanrwst – Snowdonia is a shopper’s paradise. Whether you’re shopping for locally-brewed beer, gifts carved from millions-of-years-old Welsh slate, paintings inspired by the Snowdonia landscape or ice cream made to an old, secret family recipe – you’ll find it all in Snowdonia, and still have change for a few award-winning sausages.
5. Family fun
If all this sounds too adult-oriented, don’t worry – there’s plenty going on in Snowdonia for children, too. Smaller children will love Gypsy Wood near Caernarfon and Dwyfor Ranch Rabbit Farm and Animal Park, Llanystumdwy (even adults have been known to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the baby animals). Kids of all ages will appreciate Greenwood Forest Park, the eco-friendly amusement park with its human-powered rollercoaster. And King Arthur’s Labyrinth at Corris is fun for all the family, with its underground boat trip punctuated by tales of King Arthur’s adventures.
Steven Jones is Senior Tourism Services Officer at Cyngor Gwynedd Council, a Welsh local authority whose not-for-profit Snowdonia Mountains and Coast website provides visitors to Snowdonia with a wealth of useful information about the region. Visitors to the website can also find out more about things to do in Snowdonia.
via booshnews.com
Peter Saunders Trust
How to apply for a grant
We deliberately do not have an application form because each application will be different. Simply write to us and explain the merits of your project. There is some information that we need to help the Trustees make a decision. So, if you can, please include the following:
- the name of the organisation or individual
- the name of the person to contact about the application
- an address for correspondence, telephone number and e-mail address, if available
- whether or not the organisation is a registered charity
- the purpose and objectives of the organisation, or your objective if you are an individual
- what is the organisation's area of activity
- the scale of the total funding for your project
- the amount of the award you seek from the Trust
- other sources of funding you have tried
- other offers of funding you have received
- other sources of funding about which you know but have not yet tried
- whether or not you will seek match funding for awards made to you by the Trust
- would any award from the Trust replace other source of funds
- what activities are being undertaken by the organisation or individual to raise funds
- what difference it will make to your or your organisation if you receive an award from the Trust
- the locality which will benefit from any award made by the Trust
Applications from an organisation should be accompanied by a copy of your last set of accounts and a copy of your constitution, if available.
Send your application to: The Peter Saunders Trust, PO Box 67, Tywyn, LL36 6AH
Sweet Thursday - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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- For the 1960s British rock band and their only album, see Sweet Thursday (band) and Sweet Thursday (album)
Sweet Thursday
First edition coverAuthor John Steinbeck Country United States Language English Publisher Viking Press Publication date 1954 Media type Novel (hardcover) ISBN 0-670-68686-7 Sweet Thursday is a 1954 novel by John Steinbeck. It is a sequel to Cannery Row and set in the years after the end of World War II. According to the author, "Sweet Thursday" is the day after Lousy Wednesday and the day before Waiting Friday.
[edit] Plot summary
Doc returns to a failed Western Biological Laboratories after serving in the army during World War II to a changed Cannery Row. Mack and the Boys are still living in the Palace Flophouse, but Lee Chong has sold his general store to Joseph and Mary Rivas. Since the death of its original owner Dora, the local brothel, The Bear Flag Restaurant, is now being run by Dora's older sister Fauna, a former mission worker previously known as Flora. Under Fauna, the girls of the Bear Flag study etiquette and posture with the goal of joining Fauna's list of "gold stars", former employees of the Bear Flag who have married and left their employ there.
As Doc tries to rebuild his neglected business, the latest Bear Flag resident Suzy is causing trouble. Fauna knows Suzy isn't cut out to be a working girl, but her soft heart always causes her to fall for a hard luck story. Deciding to make Suzy one of her gold star girls, Fauna plots to throw Suzy into the arms of an unwitting Doc and enlists the aid of Mack and the Boys.
After a disastrous party hosted by Mack and the Boys, Suzy leaves the Bear Flag but not to marry Doc. Choosing to live alone, Suzy moves into an empty boiler in a vacant lot and takes a job at the local diner, the Golden Poppy. While Cannery Row is stunned over Suzy's actions and Doc wrestles with a critical project, Hazel struggles with his own demons. Having been told by Fauna in an astrological reading he will become President of the United States, Hazel fights destiny. To practice for high office, Hazel understands that he must learn to make difficult decisions — one of which is breaking Doc's arm, for he’s realized that this, arousing Suzy's sympathy, is the only way to bring the couple together. Realizing Doc's broken arm will keep him from a much-needed collecting expedition, Mack and the Boys teach Suzy to drive a car. Suzy and the injured Doc head off to the coast for the collecting expedition.
[edit] History
The novel was adapted into the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical Pipe Dream, which was nominated for nine Tony Awards. The movie version of the book's predecessor, Cannery Row, incorporates several of the story lines in Sweet Thursday.
[edit] Musical references
- In 1960 Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn wrote and recorded Suite Thursday inspired by the Steinbeck novel and dedicated to the author.
- The song "Sweet Thursday" from California singer/songwriter Matt Costa's 2006 release Songs We Sing is an allusion to the work. The song also incorporates aspects of other Steinbeck works including Tortilla Flat (1935) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939).
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Thursday"
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