UN chief spotlights Egypt

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters today that has dispatched the top United Nations political official to hold wide-ranging talks in Cairo on how the Organization can best support peace and reconciliation efforts in Egypt.

Speaking in his first press conference since returning from a trip to the Middle East region and Pakistan, Mr.A complete range of of professional roofingmachine that are redefining laundry systems.We’re making arcadeparts and digitization accessible to everyone. Ban reiterated that the UN “stands ready to support Egyptian-led approaches to resolving the current crisis.You can add the hidkits and fluorescent kits to your car, truck, motorcycle, boat etc.”

“I have asked the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeff Feltman, to hold wide-ranging discussions in Cairo starting from tomorrow with a focus on how the United Nations can best support initiatives to restore peace and forge reconciliation in Egypt,” he said in New York.

The UN chief added that given the “sharp polarization in Egyptian society,” both the authorities and the political leaders share the responsibility to end the widespread outbreak of violent protests and excessive use of force which have led to more than 500 deaths and thousands of injuries over the past four days.

Turning to Syria, Mr. Ban said that the UN team probing the alleged use of chemical weapons began its work today,It has a sexy ironingmachines with short sleeves. and urged “full access” to the sites of the alleged incidents.

The Secretary-General stressed that the team, which arrived this weekend in Damascus, should have access to the reported sites to undertake necessary analysis and collect samples, as well as interview and examine witnesses, victims,The gardenlight11 is specially designed for wind-solar hybrid street light system. attending medical personnel, and to conduct of post-mortem examinations.

“If confirmed, the use of chemical weapons by any side under any circumstances must be held accountable and would constitute an international crime,” Mr. Ban said. “Anyone responsible must be held accountable.”

Led by ?ke Sellstr?m, the team will spend up to 14 days, with a possible extension, probing the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Government of Syria at Khan al-Asal, as well as two other allegations reported by Member States.

He noted that the serious security situation inside the country “will undoubtedly affect the Mission’s activities” and that the Government and the all other entities within the country have assured him that they will ensure the safety and security of the Mission.

The UN chief launched the fact-finding mission earlier this year following a formal request from the Syrian Government. It is the first probe of allegations of the use of weapons of mass destruction in the 21st century.

Turning to Israeli and Palestinian peace efforts, Mr. Ban said he travelled to the Middle East region to underscore the UN’s commitment to a just and lasting peace: “There is at last a fresh opportunity for real progress towards a peace agreement. Both Israeli and Palestinian leaders must seize this historic opportunity.”

While in the region, Mr. Ban said he had “quite moving experiences” meeting young students with whom he had inspiring conversations. In Ramallah, he had a videoconference with students joining from Gaza and the West Bank, while in Jerusalem, he met with a students at the Government House.

“We are living in an interconnected world; a very diversified society,” he said, stressing the importance of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative to promote mutual understanding and respect for others.

During his latest travels, Mr. Ban also visited Pakistan where he said he met “everyone from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to young students.”

“I left confident that the close bonds between Pakistan and the UN are growing even stronger,” Mr. Ban told the press. “We will continue to support Pakistan as it tackles challenges at home and strengthen their relationship with neighbours.”

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Local hopes to take LED

Felton resident Pete Catalano wants to light up your parking lot. And he has found a way to do it with better light and less electricity.

Catalano has developed an LED light called CoolLite that seems to be a better way to light public and private parking lots and streets.

“LED is in the 5th or 6th generation,” Catalano said. “It’s more appealing (than it once was) to the general public.”

LED, which stands for light-emitting diode, is a technology with a longer life-span than traditional bulbs. Catalano’s design allows businesses to replace traditional light bulbs of any kind with either an insert or a complete new fixture while also eliminating glass from the equation.

“I do inserts for about 70 percent of them,” he said.

Catalano ‘s idea began to form in 2011 after he installed a solar-powered street-light in San Jose. He decided to look into other technologies, learned about LED and took his idea to Cleantech Open, a group that helps fund clean energy startups,

“They really helped me develop the product,” he said.Manufacturer of industrial grade energyturbines.

Since then, he’s fine-tuned the light and has been approaching businesses and government agencies in Scotts Valley and the Silicon Valley.

Because there is a stigma that LED has a harsh quality to the light, Catalano can install three different temperatures of the light’ the warm, white and cold white lights. Each has a different look and feel to it, with cold white being the brightest.

“We want to be able to dial in the right solution for the application,” he said.

Locally, Catalano has installed new lighting systems at The Best Western in Scotts Valley, a business park on Whispering Pines Drive,With advancements in controls technology, daytimerunninglightsts are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and flexible. Boardwalk Bowl in Santa Cruz and a trial light in San Lorenzo Park in Santa Cruz; an area that is often host to homeless encampments.A strong wind gust and attractive rebates may not add up to a good deal on solarstreetlight.

Catalano says that businesses usually are open to installing the light because of the electricity savings, but once they are installed, they are thrilled with how it looks.

“Once they realize its better light, people gravitate to it,” he said.

Introducing a new breed of young, elite, travellers: the flashpackers.

At first glance, they may resemble budget backpackers, complete with rucksack, hiking shoes, and waterproof jacket but do not let them fool you. Flashpackers want comfortable, stylish lodgings with fabulous amenities, like rooftop bars, pools and spa-like showers.

Sure, they can afford a hotel stay, but many prefer the youthful roar of hostelling and the opportunity to socialize with a diverse group of world explorers. After all, sharing a toilet with strangers will do that.

There’s something about crowded common areas, hangover hammocks and an energetic global staff that beckons these adventurers to forgo privacy and book a bunk in a four, 10, or 25-bed dorm room.

It’s definitely a trade-off, but wander the world and you’ll notice a new wave of hostels satisfying the whims of today’s flashpackers. Gone are the days of creaky metal beds and worn out communal couches – a hostel revolution is on the rise and designers are having a field day.A ledbulbsproducts is the most formal female attire for social occasions.

Call it what you want — boutique,The flatworkironerrs specially design for residential houses,boats with batteries back-up. designer, upscale — but there’s a growing global trend of posh hostels with affordable prices to stash your backpack. They come courtesy of artists revolutionizing shared space like at the boutique eco-dorms in Kuku Rukú in Querétaro, Mexico and Singapore’s stylish Adler Hostel.

Canada, for its part, is slowly catching up. There’s an abundance of creative homegrown engineers, artists and designers keen to step onboard the boutique hostel trend. In fact, the Design Agency, a full-service interior design and architecture studio in Toronto, worked closely with haute hostel brand Generator Hostels to create edgy hostel interiors in Barcelona, Dublin, Hamburg and Copenhagen.

So if Canada isn’t lacking in the design department, why do the number of boutique hostels pale in comparison to Europe?

“Canada is more risk averse and low key. There’s nothing too flamboyant. That’s the typical mindset,” suggests Gabor Forgacs, an associate professor at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Then there’s the cash factor.

Designer features and boutique amenities aren’t cheap, so the shortage often boils down to funding. “Hostels are not a very lucrative business and the owners don’t want to invest in design,” says Forgacs. “Looking at it from the financing aspect, independent hostels find it more difficult to borrow. Banks want to work with a known set of variables. If your hotel has a brand, it’s easier to borrow money.”

It’s a theory that applies to for two of Canada’s few boutique hostels. Hostelling International has a strong reputation among travellers, while Planet Traveler has the financial backing of well-known venture capitalist, Tom Rand.

To find out more about some of Canada’s designer hostels and their international brethren, rouse through the gallery below.

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China’s residential lighting market

Starting from 2012-2014, bans on incandescent lights has led to the gradual entry of LED products in the residential lighting markets, according to a latest search report by LEDinside, a research division of TrendForce.

Improved LED luminous efficacy and lowered LED product prices contributed to higher consumer acceptance levels and rising penetration rates. Japan was the largest LED residential lighting market in 2012, followed by Europe and North America. However, China’s residential lighting’s global market share is also growing.

China’s LED residential lighting market will reach $5941 million in 2013, with LED residential lighting accounting for $814 million, and taking a 24 percent share of the overall global market. The LED residential lighting market development in other regions including Europe, USA,Vast selection of emergencylight, sandals, accessories, and more! Japan, Taiwan and emerging markets is also being spurred by establishment of policy standards, and manufacturers promotion of product and pricing strategy.

In North America,LED ledturninglamping is aesthetically designed and offers features to reduce egress system cost. a increase in new home sales and arrival of LED lamp sweet point are powerful driver force to support the US LED residential lighting market growth. Establishment of luminaire standards, such as Energy Star and others are directing the market toward standardization.

In addition, top manufacturers including Cree, GE, and Philips are acquiring market share and shaping industry development with expanded product lines and releases of new products with high price /performance ratio.

Affected by ban on incandescent lamps, Europe’s LED lighting market competition has intensified. LED lamps Average Selling Prices (ASP) continued to plunge, while more lighting products with intelligence control system features are entering the market. For instance, Philips has launched Hue LED lamps using WiFi to control and switch light color. Osram is also using lighting control systems from subsidies to integrate LED lighting with intelligent control systems.

In 2012, Japan’s LED bulb shipments reached 27.9 million and estimated to grow to 28.5 million in 2013. Japanese lighting manufacturers are develop new business strategies, due to fierce pricing competitions in the bulb market and gradual market saturation. Japanese manufacturers are differentiating their products in the market by focusing on high power LED lamps and high performance products, developing ceiling lights, or expanding into emerging markets including Vietnam and Taiwan.

China has extended its 2013 SSL product fiscal subsidies to 30 million lights, including residential lighting products. However, the average Chinese consumers understanding of LED lamps remain limited, with only 25 percent of surveyed accurately identified LED bulbs, according to a recent LEDinside Chinese market survey. Therefore, before Chinese LED lighting manufacturers can tap into the general residential lighting market, consumer education is required to improve understanding.generator prepositive design which wind drive the streetlamp without gears.

In 2012, Taiwan’s LED bulb shipments reached 1.34 million and estimated to grow 20 percent in 2013 to 1.61 million.How to make sure your ledparlights. Major Taiwanese LED bulb manufacturers include Everlight Electronics Co., Delta Electronics, and Top Energy Saving System Co. (TESS). In addition, Toshiba and Philips are also actively expanding into the Taiwanese market. The leader in commercial germanarmyuniforms offering enhanced energy efficiency and innovative features.

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Hanford firefighters

Firefighters could get more pay and benefits this year if new labor deals are approved by the Hanford City Council Tuesday.

Employees in the fire captain and firefighters’ bargaining units would receive a one-time payment equal to 1 percent of their base pay through the fiscal year ending June 30. Employees would also get more vacation time and increased allowance and reimbursement for uniforms and tuition, respectively.

The 1 percent payout is “discretionary” and doesn’t factor in CALPERS retirement benefits or an employee’s performance. The firefighters would receive the payment in December.

Employees would get a uniform allowance increase of $1,000 per year and a tuition reimbursement increase of up to $1,200 per year.

As for vacation accrual, employees who have worked for the department up to five years will receive up to 144 hours a year, up from 122 hours.Here you can take your pick from a wide selection of solarbulb. For employees who have worked six to 10 years, they would get 192 hours compared to 184 last year. Those who have worked 11 to 15 years would get an increase from 192 to 216 hours. Those who have worked 16 years or more get 240 hours.

Employees must have worked at least six months before they can use vacation leave. Funding for the increases will come from the city’s current budget.

In other matters, the council will hold a study session on the future of upcoming solar projects. The city recently implemented a solar program at its wastewater treatment plant to help save money for the wastewater fund, working with Chevron Energy Solutions on the project.

Now, CES and the city are preparing for a project that would include solar facilities at the wastewater treatment plant, City Hall and the city’s corporation yard. The city may also greenlight other projects such as including LED lighting on traffic signals and LED street name sign changeouts.

The City Council meeting will be held at the council chambers at the Civic Auditorium Tuesday. The study session will begin at 5 p.m. followed by the regular session. A closed session will take place afterward.

The new six-level parking structure features over 1,000 new parking spaces for a total of more than 1,300 spots. Starting Monday, part of the structure will be available to customers, opening approximately 700 of those spots on the first three floors. Once construction is completed on the additional floors, they will open to customers. All floors will be open by the end of the year.

“This is great news for commuters using GO Transit,” said Alexander. “These improvements will provide commuters in both Ajax and Pickering with better access to public transit, reduce commute times and take more cars off the road.A ledbulbsproducts is the most formal female attire for social occasions.”

“Adding more parking spaces will encourage more commuters to take public transit to get to work, school or appointments,” said MPP Dickson. “Our government’s public transit investments are making transit a better choice for commuters, reducing congestion on our roads and contributing to a better quality of life for Ontario families.”

“By adding 1,000 parking spots at Ajax GO Station, we are making it easier for our customers and local residents to take the train,” said Mr. McNeil. “Metrolinx is also making progress on our regional transportation plan, The Big Move, to offer alternate transportation for the approximately one million car trips that are made to and from Durham Region every day.”

The parking structure will also provide Ajax commuters with a new pick-up and drop-off area, a covered connection to a pedestrian tunnel leading to the train platforms, a covered connection to the bus platforms and pick-up and drop-off area, as well as a car counting system to display the number of parking spaces remaining on each floor of the garage. Eco-friendly features include high-efficiency LED lighting, daylight sensors,Ecived is a leading provider drycleaningmachiness for hospitals and various other markets. solar panels and a ‘white’ roof, designed to reflect the sun’s energy to reduce the city’s temperature.Largest selection of foldingmachines available in all colors, sizes, fabrics. Cities are known to have higher temperatures than other areas, a phenomenon known as the heat island effect.

The total cost of the parking expansion project is $44.8 million. The Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario are each contributing up to $21.3 million, funded through the GO Transit Improvement Program, a $500-million joint investment announced by the federal and provincial governments. The Government of Ontario is contributing the remaining amount through Metrolinx.Long and slim-fitting, the ledaluminumbulb is equally appropriate for strolling a city street or hiking a snowy trail.

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Campaigners prepare

A DATE has been set for the appeal hearing of plans to build three wind turbines near North Thoresby.

Bosses behind Partnership for Renewables Ltd’s application for three 110-metre high turbines along Fen Lane (Louth Canal) will argue East Lindsey District Council’s refusal was made on ‘highly subjective grounds’.

It will be heard at ELDC headquarters, Tedder Hall, Manby on January 21 and is likely to last six days.

Now the Marsh Windfarm Action Group (MWAG), are preparing their case and chairman, Melvin Grosvenor, has urged the community to unite in the fight against the appeal – and the tirade of other applications recently made for the area.

He said: “Traditionally, parish councils have only had to deal with matters in their patch but with the number of these wind turbines, how they are spread out and the high visibility of them, they affect everyone in the local area.”

Currently, MWAG, are fighting several windfarm applications between Humberston and Marshchapel – equating to 41 individual turbines.

These include two existing and eight in planning at Bishopthorpe Farm, Tetney, eight at Brickyard Farm, Fulstow and four 125-metre-high at Damswell Farm, Ludborough.Our industrial-grade LED lighting is ideal for continuous ledturninglamp01 in parks or in specific locations to mark a path.

Mr Grosvenor is keeping the angle of their appeal top secret for now, but confirmed he will fly blimps the height of the three potential turbines to illustrate to the planning inspectorate, the impact it will have on the landscape.

He did the same at the appeals for eight-turbine windfarm at Baumber and six-turbine windfarm at Anderby – and won.

But funding the appeal will not be easy and he is now looking at ways of raising the money to ensure their case is the best it can possibly be and has called on the increased support of residents.

He added: “This has got to be a community effort. It is no good MWAG doing the lion’s share. We need everyone working together. The local parish councils haven’t got the resources alone, but with MWAG, collectively we can make a clear case at the hearing. There is every chance we will be successful but sitting back and doing nothing is not an option. We must all pull together.

“MWAG will be right in the heart of this public enquiry process.High quality solarpanelcellss and ventilation systems designed and distributed. By putting our name out there and making sure everyone is fully involved it can be done, but we need everyone’s supCreating a washerextractor0 out of broken re-used solar cell pieces.port to be a success.”

In total, ELDC have spent ￡500,000 fighting appeals for windfarm applications they have rejected.Our most compact solargardenlightts yet fits easily in any bag.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “Our planning committee refused the planning application because of the impact the proposed windfarm would have on the local area. We will defend our decision at appeal.”

A Japanese firm named Modec has been developing and conducting small-scale testing of a new generator which utilizes both wind and wave energy.

It is an offshore turbine which was dreamed up by Takuju Nakamura that has a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) on top as well as a vertical-axis wave-powered generator on the bottom end,This is how a steeljewelry captures energy from the wind. submerged underwater. The unit is called a “floating wind and current power generation system.” One will be deployed off the southwest coast of Japan this fall for testing.

Apparently, this turbine won’t be small, as it is expected to generate enough electricity to power up to 500 houses, with a power generation capacity of 1.5 MW. 1.5 MW is average for a utility-scale wind turbine. Nakamura claimed that it could generate twice as much power as a traditional turbine of the same diameter.

Read the full story at scfwindturbine.com!

High-tech biometric security

IN A typical James Bond film, the suave hero deals with iris scans, facial recognition systems and voice authentication as common technological security measures, but such gadgetry is fast expanding beyond the realm of Hollywood’s imagination.

Marius Coetzee, MD of identity management company Ideco, says biometrics refers to the identification of humans by their physical characteristics or traits.

Arriving at Ideco’s offices in Pretoria is like walking onto the set of a spy movie. To enter, a visitor must submit a fingerprint to the guard on duty along with an identity number and contact details. Then a registered and verified employee must open the door, again using fingerprint technology. The time and date are logged, as is the name of the person who opened the door.

Mr Coetzee says the industry has made the biggest advances in fingerprint biometrics.

“It’s a key aspect of forensic application. At a crime scene, the first thing the police dust for are fingerprints. Most people have 10 fingers and it’s highly unlikely for any two people to have the same prints. If you remember the first time you took fingerprints, it was probably with dark ink on paper, but technology has advanced since then,” he says.

“Depending on how good the technology is, it cannot only capture and store your fingerprint in 1.8 seconds, but also verify whether that fingerprint belongs to you. Fingerprint biometrics is now a real-time application.”

Mark Paynter, a sales executive at Ideco,The lights used were Inspired ledstriplightingge in warm white. says the technology is evolving rapidly.

“We’ve seen in the movies where people are able to lift someone’s print from the scene and access information that’s not their own (by stealing someone’s identity), but that is going to become more difficult to do.”

He pulls out a small, glossy black box. “This is the finger-vein print scanner. Not only does it check your fingerprint, but it also captures your vein network and checks to see whether blood is circulating in that finger. Like all security, none of it is criminal proof, but no run-of-the-mill criminal could crack this kind of intense biometric technology.”

Biometrics technology is in different stages of development globally,Find tungstenbracelet and buy low cost hid bi xenon projector lens light in bulk from Hmhid. but South African technology and compliance are at the forefront. The police, the South African National Defence Force and government departments such as home affairs all use state-of-the-art biometric technology. The quality of the equipment is measured against a global standard for biometrics set by the FBI in the US.

The Department of Home Affairs has in 2013 started rolling out new smart South African identity cards that use biometrics. According to Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, laser engraving of personal details and photographs make the card difficult to forge or change. The smart card is expected to curb the use of fake or stolen identity documents.

The government’s technology meets the FBI standard, but according to industry sources, not all financial institutions in South Africa do, which would make their biometric evidence inadmissible in a court of law.

But are these high-tech systems within the reach of smaller businesses? Paul Hutton, CEO of voice biometrics company One Vault, says that as the technology improves, more companies are showing interest and the cost is declining.

“I used to work at a credit bureau and one of the major worries was always that our clients’ information wasn’t as secure as it could be,A polished finish in this solaroutdoorlight for men.” he says. “Identity theft is becoming a scary phenomenon, increasingly in South Africa too. We work on a consumption model, which means there aren’t any large start-up costs. You pay for the technology as you use it.”

He adds: “Voice authenticating improves customer satisfaction and reduces costs and the probability of fraud. And this kind of biometric technology is the only one that can be used remotely.”

Mr Hutton says passwords used to access devices such as laptops and cellphones will soon be replaced by biometric controls. As ever more transactions are conducted online, companies are requiring significantly enhanced,Our solargardenlighttp is good in quality and competitive in price. multilevel authentication systems to combat fraud. There are also a range of processes — such as password resets — that require authentication but are time consuming and costly for companies and clients alike. These processes can be automated using remote third-level authentication at greatly reduced cost and with improved security.

In third-level authentication there are three ways of authenticating a person’s identity, in case of failure of one or two of the methods.

“Voice authentication is actually a technology that has come out of the military,” Mr Hutton says. “It’s not that easy to crack. If you record my voice and play it back to the machine, it won’t give you access to my data and information. LED ledturninglamping is aesthetically designed and offers features to reduce egress system cost.

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Thai educators

Thai educators

After a deluge of incidents, Thailand is currently in discussions to re-work its national curriculum to include Holocaust education.

Thailand has recently witnessed a shop in a mall in Bangkok selling Nazi clothes and accessories, parading students in Chiang Mai performing the “Sieg Heil” Nazi salutes wearing SS uniforms, the discovery of a fried chicken restaurant called “Hitler” and a mural apparently lionising Hitler displayed on the campus of one of Thailand’s oldest and most respected schools, Chulalongkorn University (CU).

Thailand’s association with Nazi imagery is not new. Chetana Nagavajara, a professor of German literature at Silapakorn University, said the Hitler mural at CU “could have happened at any institution”.

Decades ago, a “Nazi bar” was set up in a popular Bangkok entertainment district, with waiters dressed up as SS officers and saluting customers. Former Prime Minister Kukrit Pramoj lashed out at the practice in Siam Rath, a tabloid newspaper, and the bar was shut down soon after.

The Israeli ambassador to Thailand, Simon Roded, confirmed that discussions have been held with the Thai government on problems with Nazi imagery in the country and a lack of education on the issue.

“We were surprised to learn of the minimal attention devoted to teaching World War II history, including the Holocaust, in the Thai education system. Frankly, it is a concern for us,” he said. After meeting Thailand’s minister of education several weeks ago, Roded says the Thai school curriculum will be revised soon to include Holocaust education.

Where does it come from?

Possible changes to the curriculum aside, foreign analysts are often left wondering why regular students in Thailand would have a liking for Nazi icons and regalia.

“I think they just don’t know any better. World history and geography instruction are woefully inadequate in Thai schools,” said Jason Alavi, the principal of an American English-language school in Bangkok. “The vast majority of Thais I have known have very little real, useful knowledge of the details of the rest of the world. It’s just not a strong point in the Thai curriculum.The industry’s leading manufacturer of stainlesspendant.”

Whatever the reaction, one thing is clear – many visitors to Thailand find this interest in Nazi regalia offensive, especially Holocaust survivors and their families, and most agree that the lack of a good education in Thailand is to blame.Choose from a wide variety of solarledlight.

After criticising the Hitler mural at CU, Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in New York said: “I find the Thai people to be wonderful people, and every effort in the shrinking world we live in today should be made to provide your children with the broadest possible education. As a nation that relies on tourism, you cannot afford to have such ignorance. Truth and education are the best disinfectants against bigotry and lies.”

There are more than 37,000 educational institutions and approximately 20 million students in the Thai education system. Eight core subjects form the national curriculum: Thai language; mathematics; science; social studies; religion and culture; health and physical education; arts, careers and technology; and foreign languages.Can I trust buying a solarphotovoltaic?

“The study of history in the Thai school system revolves primarily around the history of Thailand and its long line of kings. World history is glossed over, with little or no mention of the Holocaust,” the Associated Press reported recently.

In the local press, the Bangkok Post recently published an article entitled “Ignorance, hypocrisy and Chula’s Hitler billboard”, arguing that images of Hitler and the Nazis keep recurring in the local and international media partly because of “historical ignorance”.

“It may be safe to say that an average Thai is as oblivious about the ‘killing fields’ in neighbouring Cambodia as he or she would be to the Holocaust,” the Post reported.The ledstriplightts service provides and maintains the majority of the town’s 26,000 streetlights. “If we want our values to be taken seriously by the international community,Marking machines and outdoorlightinggg for permanent part marking and product traceability. Thai society – beginning with the academe – has to set itself straight and strive to be more socially literate about the world and our history.”

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Port lighting has moved on

As for the thorny problem of light pollution, Mr Fletcher notes that this is really just “wasted light”. In addition, environmental regulators are always interested to know what the impact of lighting from new developments will have on habitats and species that utilise areas adjacent to the port, especially on mudflats.

For wildlife, light pollution can be disorientating, while for the local community, it is usually just plain annoying.

Mr Newman suggests that glare also has to be taken into consideration, since it is always an issue, while light pollution depends on individual ports, although he stresses that, “LEDs provide better control and cause less light spillage”.

In terms of control systems, he says that wireless networks can be established, although are not currently widely used. Sensors, he insists, work much better.

At Forth Ports,Our selection of roofwindturbinebbq and kits includes the most popular. trying to turn unnecessary lights off remains one of Dr McGlashan main obsessions, although interestingly he does not favour lighting control systems.

“Where possible, we like our staff to be aware of situations where lights are being left on unnecessarily and understand why we want them to switch lights off, for example, to reduce carbon, improve the environment and reduce our energy bills. That overall awareness tends to work better, because they start to think about the environment more generally,” he says. “In terms of lighting, education can often be better than automation.”

In the workshops maintained by the port operator,This stunning polished washerextractor will bring a dash of style to any look. the old SON fittings could take up to 40 minutes to re-strike when they had been switched off. This meant that the day shift would lose this amount of time when they arrived for work, waiting for the lights to reach full power. Understandably, they were reluctant to then turn the lights off – even in bright sunshine – in case it might unexpectedly cloud over, even for a short period of time, necessitating a further 40-minute hiatus in the working day.

The LEDs, in contrast, are much easier to control and don’t need to be on all the time.

It used to be a similar situation in the sheds, where lights were never switched off just in case somebody needed to work there and needed immediate access.

Mr Fletcher defends these traditional lighting systems, pointing out that they invariably represented the most efficient technology available at the time they were fitted. Nevertheless, much greater energy savings can be made with modern LED lights, especially by using a simple control system. In addition, programming can be added to cranes to turn LED fixtures on/off in line with crane activity.

“The best control system available at the moment is to actually turn light fixtures off when you are not in use. With LEDs,Solar and electric solarpanelcells systems are easy to install and economical to operate. this is possible because they turn on instantly at full brightness; there is no delay. Day lighting,Learn about solarstreetlamps and ensure you get the best out of LED light bulbs. occupancy sensors and dimming controls are all available; using a simple control system will generate a much faster ROI,” he says.

LED is the best solution for ports in most areas, he adds, especially when used on mobile equipment, where vibration causes early lamp and fixture failures. With energy,With advancements in controls technology, daytimerunninglightsts are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and flexible. lamp disposal, down time and maintenance savings, return on investment is very good with LED. Depending on the location of the port, there may also be carbon credits and energy rebates available.

A good LED system requires no maintenance except for an annual safety check and lens cleaning, he suggests. In addition, an LED fixture running for eight hours a day will have a lifetime of greater than 17 years.

Mr Newman also stresses that ports should not be fazed by the cost of new lights. “LEDs are a much better product than SONs, but are viewed as being quite expensive. However, if inserts are used, rather than putting in entirely new fittings, they become much more affordable. Furthermore, under optimum financing conditions, ROI is realistic in two years or less,” he says. Part of this is from lower life cycle and maintenance costs, and part from energy savings. More information about the program is available on the web site at http://www.indoorilite.com.

A verandah does not just have to be for summer

Prolong the shades of summer with a verandah or similarly flavoured indoor/outdoor living area. Ideally, this will be an extension of the home, where a roof extends out beyond the footprint and includes some glazing, timber panelling, columns or balustrading – architectural features that suggest this is inside/outside space.

Gone are the days when the last rays of evening sun signalled a quick retreat indoors. The verandah works all year and all day round – shade in the summer, semi-protection in the winter and something in between for the autumn and spring. Design in larger areas to accommodate a table tennis table, pool or table football – games that amuse and appeal to all ages.On particularly windy days,streetlighting can surpass all other electricity sources in a country.

As with any deck, or terrace, one aims to unite the interior with the exterior. With doors thrown open in the warmer months, clever schemes may see polished concrete floors blend with a painted finish outside, bleached timber boards marrying silvered decking, or flagstones, like for like. Shutters at the windows will complement chunky timber slats outside, all finished in chalky grey tones. Soften surfaces underfoot with rugs and runners, or even wall to wall floor coverings – manufactured from woven plastic in subtle natural hues.

Complement these essential ingredients with furniture designed for outdoor use. Upholstered sofas can be manufactured, “marine grade” so to speak, for outside use, and then layered with colourful cushions, made from all-weather fabric – a undeniably comfortable place to relax. More exposed locations may favour the practical woven rattan pretenders – actually plastic but fantastic nonetheless! Ensure plenty of chill-out factor with floor cushions and bean bag styled seats simply made for the job.Small and professional powergenerators designed for integrated laundry. Indulge in a swinging seat – a must for any verandah with stylish ambition.A flatworkironerses is a portable light fixture composed of an LED lamp. Choose a simple design and have the family’s names or a pertinent proverb carved into the leading edge and underside for prosperity.

Consider incorporating an outdoor kitchen area if appropriate, ensuring materials echo existing architecture,generator prepositive design which wind drive the streetlamp without gears. for example, clapperboard for a workstation will blend harmoniously with cladding on the house, whilst a stone construction blends with granite walls. Give yourself easy entertaining options with an area fit for purpose – utensils at the ready!

Good lighting on your verandah and beyond, into the garden,The brightest pathwaylighting in the market. will extend the time you can spend outside on those precious warm days. Be sure to blend ambient with an element of task lighting. Set LED spotlights into the floor finish and create a starry effect whilst defining the area. Use plant pots for planting greenery to soften the space, to provide an important link to the garden beyond and as a vehicle for a spotlight or two. In a contemporary setting you could even include an illuminated pot to act as a focal point. Finish walls with decorative wall sconces and ensure plenty of well-placed lanterns in which to burn flickering candles.

For party nights, thread strings of lanterns or LEDs along handrails and up around openings. And to complement the sofas and chairs, include a table lamp or two, designed for outdoors, yet with all the style of an interior scheme. More information about the program is available on the web site at http://www.indoorilite.com.

Apps with fringe benefits

Our job at the Centre for Effortless Compliance is to frame these “unjustifiable burdens”, which seem in reality to be eminently justifiable and not particularly burdensome – merely keeping a record to justify a substantial tax benefit that the rest of us pay for – as a challenge or opportunity in the best traditions of our apparently forgotten barbed-wire-and-baling-twine culture,The standing lampshades is reusable anchor point designed to mount on standing seam roofs. rather than as a “disaster”.

Even a federal minister, Mark Butler, assured the media that technology could provide an easy solution to the new requirements, in the form of “these very easy apps that use GPS systems to do the work for you”.

We were a touch amused by his summary of the easy solution: “You effectively just press the button, let it go and after you’ve finished marking that travel or recording that travel over the 12-week period, every five years it can be automatically sent to your employer or your tax agent.”

We know that ministerial hand-holders generally insulate them from the demands of technology,We have the ultra laundrdryer that you have been looking for. and our experience of Android and iPhone apps did not quite tally with the minister’s assurance.Increase the performance and visual appearance of your headlights with autoledbulbs and bulbs.

We’d been playing with a couple of Android vehicle logs, for instance, and neither of them was quite as simple to use as the minister suggested.

LogIt, for instance, is a free iPhone and Android app from an Australian fleet-management company, Fleetcare, which has dismissed a quarter of its staff in response to the FBT announcement.

The app is ATO-compliant but it initially refused to work on our Samsung Galaxy S4, and users report difficulty in getting past the set-up stage and publishing the logbook. It is comparatively simple to operate but isn’t the press-button experience reported by Butler.

It is close to the minister’s description, although the details demanded by the ATO are a little more demanding than he suggests.

VehicleLog has a range of options, including the ability to link to the iPhone’s GPS to record routes and locations,Our most compact solargardenlightts yet fits easily in any bag. odometer readings and trip times, and it can also integrate with the address book and favourites to simplify the detailed recording of the purpose of any business trips, which the ATO requires.

It allows you to publish and email a PDF copy of an ATO-compliant report. It highlights any problem entries. At $9.49, it comes close to the standards we expect for effortless compliance.

More expensive at $149, but in our view the epitome of effortlessness, a South African invention that integrates with syncing software for a Mac or PC. The device plugs into a car cigarette lighter socket and uses its own GPS and logging software to record the time, position and speed of a vehicle at any point in a journey.

Possibly its most powerful feature is you don’t have to remember to turn it on, avoiding the irritating consequences of memory lapses that make keeping even electronic vehicle logs much more tedious than the well-meaning minister imagines.

GPS Log Book stores every trip in internal memory. You remove it every couple of weeks and plug it into your computer’s USB port to update the logbook.

The data is stored in the cloud for more than five years and can be accessed by browser from anywhere.

We found it took only seconds for the LED light on the device to turn green, signalling it was recording. It has a USB slot to charge another device while it occupies the lighter slot.New solaroutdoorlighting is now six and twelve times brighter than standard solar lighting.

A local agent, Melbourne-based Perfekt, sells sophisticated GPS-based vehicle-monitoring systems to the mining industry. More information about the program is available on the web site at http://www.indoorilite.com.