Departing Sanliurfa, we make a stop at Harran, one of the oldest continuously lived-in places in the world. Harran (also known as Carrhae) is an archaeological site of great value as an ancient center of commerce. The legends surrounding Harran go to the beginning of man and it is said that Adam and Eve came here when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. It is also mentioned in the Book of Genesis that Abraham and his family lived in Harran for several years on their way to Canaan. Harran is also famous for its traditional “beehive” adobe houses constructed entirely without wood. Their design makes them cool inside and it is thought that this design has been unchanged for 3,000 years. Today, most of Harran’s population lives in a nearby village.
Visiting Harran’s fortress with its unusual 10-sided towers, walls and Aleppo Gate, we also see the Grand Mosque built in the 8th century, one of the oldest and largest mosques of Anatolia – restored during the Selcuk period – with its beautiful stone masonry.
Lunch today is at the Ataturk Dam, which is part of the Southeastern Anatolia Project to bring water to this part of dry land and turn it into a breadbasket of the Middle East. It is the largest development project in Turkey with its goal of extensive irrigation for active farming and bringing electricity and clean water to every home. Similar to the Tennessee Valley Authority, its scope covers nine provinces with major economic-development outreach.
We drive to Kahta for our climb to Mt. Nemrut, the site of the state of Commagene, made world-famous by the monumental heads commemorating its ruler, Antiochus I, a site among the Eight Historical Wonders of the world and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Our van driver takes us to the car park and refreshment stand from which we slowly start our 20-minute climb to the summit. We reach the Processional Way and East Terrace where there are five colossal statues believed to be Apollo, Zeus, Tyche, Heracles and Antiochus facing the dawn. Their heads have been toppled to the ground over the centuries due to earthquakes and erosion. Also, on the East Terrace is a massive square stone, the Altar. The West Terrace is identical to the East Terrace except for the Altar and has the same statues, somewhat in better shape and facing the sunset. King Antiochus I, who is responsible for this spectacular mountaintop site, is buried somewhere underneath. However, archaeologists have been unable to find his tomb. From 64 B.C. to 32 B.C., Antiochus was king of Commagene and all the kings of this Roman state claimed descent from Alexander the Great.
We wait until sunset arrives with its breathtaking views of this incredible site and then start the much easier climb down Mt. Nemrut. The other Commagene sites within the Mt. Nemrut National Park are the Karakus (Black Bird) Tumulus and the Statue and Cendere Bridge on Cendere Creek going back to the Roman times. It is one of the oldest bridges known in the world and is still in use.
Our next city is Gaziantep, which has been an important crossroads in every period in history. We visit the Archaeological Museum famous for its Roman mosaic collections and pictures excavated in Zeugma before the waters of the Southeastern Anatolia Project flooded this ancient site. Copper work and furniture with inlaid mother-of-pearl is the specialty of the artisans of Gaziantep and we get plenty of opportunities to purchase some. The city is famous for its rich cuisine and producing the best chefs in Turkey. Gaziantep is also world-renowned for its baklava, the Gulluoglu brand the most prominent. We all line up at its store to buy the freshly baked and boxed baklava. Last but not least, the city is the center of Turkey’s pistachio production where we take advantage of the reasonable prices and stock up on pistachios.
Before departing we also visit the Jewish and Armenian Houses district, the Kurtulus Mosque and the Ethnographical Museum, a typical Gaziantep house in the old city where documents and pictures of heroes and martyrs during the “Defense of Antep” are displayed. This took place after the European forces occupied the city following the defeat of the Ottoman army in World War I.
Today’s Antakya (Antioch) is where SS. Peter, Paul and Barnabas organized the first church of the Christians, and St. Paul used Antioch as headquarters of his missionary journeys. We visit the Cave Church of St. Peter, located just outside Antakya. It is widely believed the cave had been dug by Peter himself as a place for the early Christian community of Antioch to meet and thus to be the very first Christian church. SS. Peter and Paul did preach in Antioch around 50 A.D. and a church had been established in Antioch as early as 40 A.D. Antioch became a major center for planning and organizing the apostles’ missionary efforts and it was the inhabitants of Antioch who were the first to be called Christians as followers of Jesus Christ.
2012年5月31日星期四
2012年5月30日星期三
Quebec protesters, government close in on deal
Quebec student representatives and provincial government officials emerged from a second day of talks to end a bitter dispute over tuition hikes short of an agreement but confident talks were progressing to possibly end weeks of student protests.
Both sides agreed to meet again Wednesday. Student leaders said progress had been made and they would evaluate several proposals presented by both sides.
Students have called for a tuition freeze, but the government has ruled out that possibility. Students also object to an emergency law put in place to limit protests.
"We will take the night and probably tomorrow morning to evaluate the different scenarios and restart the negotiations during the day in the hope of presenting an offer to our members," Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, a co-spokesman for the more hardline CLASSE student protest group, told reporters.
Asked if a deal was imminent, Martine Desjardins, the head of one of the university student groups, said "it depends how many hours you consider to be imminent."
Student leaders said tuition hikes were on the table while the matter of the law was "broached" but left to be dealt with in greater detail in the future.
Any agreement would have to be put to the various student associations for approval. The government was hoping to avoid a repeat of previous talks that ended with an agreement in principle with the leaders that was later rejected by the associations.
The French-speaking province's average undergraduate tuition - $2,519 a year - is the lowest in Canada, and the proposed hike- $254 per year over seven years - is tiny by U.S. standards. Opponents consider the raise an affront - a manner of thinking that has its roots in the philosophy of the 1960s reforms in Quebec dubbed the Quiet Revolution.
The social movement set Quebec apart from the rest of Canada, and has the Quebecois comparing themselves to European countries where higher education is mostly free, rather than to the neighboring United States.
Protesters in Montreal and Quebec City were back in the streets again Tuesday evening in the latest in a string of consecutive night protests, banging pots and chanting against tuition hikes and the new law. A number of demonstrators gathered again in front of the building where the talks were taking place.
Police were noticeably absent Tuesday evening, some protesters going as far as banging on the door of the building with pots and wooden spoons.
On Monday, riot police were deployed as about 200 protesters stood in front of the building where the talks were held. Quebec City Police Lt. Stephane Dufresne said 84 were arrested. It was the first incident of mass arrests since last Wednesday when nearly 700 protesters were arrest. More than 2,500 people have been arrested since a student strike at more than a dozen Quebec colleges and universities began in February.
Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who has vowed to shake up the debt-ridden province's finances since he was elected nearly a decade ago, has refused to cave in. But he attended Monday's talks with the students for the first time since the conflict began, after being urged to do so by student leaders.
Charest said Tuesday he participated in the talks to show the government speaks with one voice at the table and because discussions had reached a new stage.
"We all want to turn the page and move onto other things," Charest said. "I hope it helps send a signal that the government wants to arrive at the best possible solution."
Charest's government passed emergency legislation on May 18 restricting protests and closing striking campuses until August. The law requires that police be informed eight hours before a protest begins, saying organizers must provide details on the route of any demonstration of 50 or more people. It also prohibits demonstrations within 50 meters (165 feet) of a college and declares that anyone who incites or helps another person break the new regulations can be fined.
Both sides agreed to meet again Wednesday. Student leaders said progress had been made and they would evaluate several proposals presented by both sides.
Students have called for a tuition freeze, but the government has ruled out that possibility. Students also object to an emergency law put in place to limit protests.
"We will take the night and probably tomorrow morning to evaluate the different scenarios and restart the negotiations during the day in the hope of presenting an offer to our members," Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, a co-spokesman for the more hardline CLASSE student protest group, told reporters.
Asked if a deal was imminent, Martine Desjardins, the head of one of the university student groups, said "it depends how many hours you consider to be imminent."
Student leaders said tuition hikes were on the table while the matter of the law was "broached" but left to be dealt with in greater detail in the future.
Any agreement would have to be put to the various student associations for approval. The government was hoping to avoid a repeat of previous talks that ended with an agreement in principle with the leaders that was later rejected by the associations.
The French-speaking province's average undergraduate tuition - $2,519 a year - is the lowest in Canada, and the proposed hike- $254 per year over seven years - is tiny by U.S. standards. Opponents consider the raise an affront - a manner of thinking that has its roots in the philosophy of the 1960s reforms in Quebec dubbed the Quiet Revolution.
The social movement set Quebec apart from the rest of Canada, and has the Quebecois comparing themselves to European countries where higher education is mostly free, rather than to the neighboring United States.
Protesters in Montreal and Quebec City were back in the streets again Tuesday evening in the latest in a string of consecutive night protests, banging pots and chanting against tuition hikes and the new law. A number of demonstrators gathered again in front of the building where the talks were taking place.
Police were noticeably absent Tuesday evening, some protesters going as far as banging on the door of the building with pots and wooden spoons.
On Monday, riot police were deployed as about 200 protesters stood in front of the building where the talks were held. Quebec City Police Lt. Stephane Dufresne said 84 were arrested. It was the first incident of mass arrests since last Wednesday when nearly 700 protesters were arrest. More than 2,500 people have been arrested since a student strike at more than a dozen Quebec colleges and universities began in February.
Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who has vowed to shake up the debt-ridden province's finances since he was elected nearly a decade ago, has refused to cave in. But he attended Monday's talks with the students for the first time since the conflict began, after being urged to do so by student leaders.
Charest said Tuesday he participated in the talks to show the government speaks with one voice at the table and because discussions had reached a new stage.
"We all want to turn the page and move onto other things," Charest said. "I hope it helps send a signal that the government wants to arrive at the best possible solution."
Charest's government passed emergency legislation on May 18 restricting protests and closing striking campuses until August. The law requires that police be informed eight hours before a protest begins, saying organizers must provide details on the route of any demonstration of 50 or more people. It also prohibits demonstrations within 50 meters (165 feet) of a college and declares that anyone who incites or helps another person break the new regulations can be fined.
2012年5月29日星期二
Iran victim of another cyberattack
A Russian-based internet security firm says a powerful computer virus with unprecedented data-snatching capabilities has attacked machines in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Iran has not disclosed any damage done by the new spyware virus, dubbed "Flame." Its origin has not been identified, but Israel's vice premier fueled speculation that his country, known for its technological innovation and tireless campaign against Iran's suspect nuclear program, unleashed it.
Russian digital security provider Kaspersky Lab, which identified the virus, said in a release posted on its website late Monday that "the complexity and functionality of the newly discovered malicious program exceed those of all other cyber menaces known to date."
It said preliminary findings suggest the virus has been active since March 2010, but eluded detection because of its "extreme complexity" and the fact that only selected computers are being targeted. Flame's primary purpose, it said, "appears to be cyber espionage, by stealing information from infected machines" and sending it to servers across the world.
According to Kaspersky, the virus collected information not only in Iran, but also in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Iran, however, was far and away the country most affected, it said.
A unit of the Iranian communications and information technology ministry said only that it has produced an antivirus capable of identifying and removing the new malware. The Flame virus is the fourth known cyber attack on Iranian computer systems.
Comments Tuesday by Israel's vice premier did little to deflect suspicion about possible Israeli involvement in the latest attack.
"Whoever sees the Iranian threat as a significant threat is likely to take various steps, including these, to hobble it," Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon told Army Radio. "Israel is blessed with high technology, and we boast tools that open all sorts of opportunities for us."
Israel, like the West, rejects Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is designed to produce energy, not bombs. It considers Iran to be the greatest threat to its survival and repeatedly, if obliquely, threatened to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if Tehran doesn't abandon its uranium enrichment project, a key element of bomb making.
Because Flame is so complex, was not designed to hack into bank accounts and doesn't have the hallmarks of amateur hackers, Kaspersky has concluded that the research that went into the code was government-sponsored.
The code offers no information that can tie Flame to any specific country, Kaspersky said in its release, but a company agent in Israel said "you could more or less put your finger on any Western nation."
There is no indication of what kind of material it stole, but "we know that the computers that were infected were computers with very sensitive information" because the virus can be modified to mine whatever information is sought, added Ilan Froimovici, technical director at Power Communications, Kaspersky's representative in Israel.
Evidence suggests the same programmers were behind both Flame and Stuxnet, a virus that disrupted controls of some nuclear centrifuges in Iran in 2010, Froimovici said. The centrifuges are devices used in enriching uranium.
The two codes "use the same vulnerabilities in the operating system and the computer infrastructure in order to infect the computer system. We do believe that the same programmers built the two codes," he said.
Udi Mokady, CEO of Cyber-Ark, an Israeli developer of information security, said he thought four countries, in no particular order, have the technological know-how to develop so sophisticated a cyber offensive: Israel, the U.S., China and Russia.
"It was 20 times more sophisticated than Stuxnet," with thousands of lines of code that took a large team, ample funding and months, if not years, to develop, he said.
"It's a live program that communicates back to its master. It asks, where should I go? What should I do now? It's really almost like a science fiction movie."
Iran claims Stuxnet and other computer viruses have done no serious harm to Iran's nuclear or industrial facilities, and sees them as part of a campaign by Israel, the U.S. and their allies, which includes the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, to undermine the Iranian nuclear program.
Iran has not disclosed any damage done by the new spyware virus, dubbed "Flame." Its origin has not been identified, but Israel's vice premier fueled speculation that his country, known for its technological innovation and tireless campaign against Iran's suspect nuclear program, unleashed it.
Russian digital security provider Kaspersky Lab, which identified the virus, said in a release posted on its website late Monday that "the complexity and functionality of the newly discovered malicious program exceed those of all other cyber menaces known to date."
It said preliminary findings suggest the virus has been active since March 2010, but eluded detection because of its "extreme complexity" and the fact that only selected computers are being targeted. Flame's primary purpose, it said, "appears to be cyber espionage, by stealing information from infected machines" and sending it to servers across the world.
According to Kaspersky, the virus collected information not only in Iran, but also in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Iran, however, was far and away the country most affected, it said.
A unit of the Iranian communications and information technology ministry said only that it has produced an antivirus capable of identifying and removing the new malware. The Flame virus is the fourth known cyber attack on Iranian computer systems.
Comments Tuesday by Israel's vice premier did little to deflect suspicion about possible Israeli involvement in the latest attack.
"Whoever sees the Iranian threat as a significant threat is likely to take various steps, including these, to hobble it," Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon told Army Radio. "Israel is blessed with high technology, and we boast tools that open all sorts of opportunities for us."
Israel, like the West, rejects Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is designed to produce energy, not bombs. It considers Iran to be the greatest threat to its survival and repeatedly, if obliquely, threatened to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if Tehran doesn't abandon its uranium enrichment project, a key element of bomb making.
Because Flame is so complex, was not designed to hack into bank accounts and doesn't have the hallmarks of amateur hackers, Kaspersky has concluded that the research that went into the code was government-sponsored.
The code offers no information that can tie Flame to any specific country, Kaspersky said in its release, but a company agent in Israel said "you could more or less put your finger on any Western nation."
There is no indication of what kind of material it stole, but "we know that the computers that were infected were computers with very sensitive information" because the virus can be modified to mine whatever information is sought, added Ilan Froimovici, technical director at Power Communications, Kaspersky's representative in Israel.
Evidence suggests the same programmers were behind both Flame and Stuxnet, a virus that disrupted controls of some nuclear centrifuges in Iran in 2010, Froimovici said. The centrifuges are devices used in enriching uranium.
The two codes "use the same vulnerabilities in the operating system and the computer infrastructure in order to infect the computer system. We do believe that the same programmers built the two codes," he said.
Udi Mokady, CEO of Cyber-Ark, an Israeli developer of information security, said he thought four countries, in no particular order, have the technological know-how to develop so sophisticated a cyber offensive: Israel, the U.S., China and Russia.
"It was 20 times more sophisticated than Stuxnet," with thousands of lines of code that took a large team, ample funding and months, if not years, to develop, he said.
"It's a live program that communicates back to its master. It asks, where should I go? What should I do now? It's really almost like a science fiction movie."
Iran claims Stuxnet and other computer viruses have done no serious harm to Iran's nuclear or industrial facilities, and sees them as part of a campaign by Israel, the U.S. and their allies, which includes the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, to undermine the Iranian nuclear program.
2012年5月28日星期一
Die Hard 4 reveals a real threat
Diligence and gritty determination may have helped Eugene Kaspersky become one of the software world's most successful entrepreneurs, but there's one thing the antivirus king can't bear: Die Hard 4.0.
"I watched the movie for 20 minutes, then pressed pause, got a cigarette and a glass of Scotch. To me it was really scary: they were talking about real scenarios. It was like a user guide for cyber terrorists. I hated that movie," the flamboyant Russian entrepreneur says.
The popular 2007 action film pits Bruce Willis' character, John McClane, against a domestic terrorist who's bent on launching a large-scale cyber attack that would disable financial markets, traffic lights, and other computer-controlled infrastructure across the United States.
For most viewers, it was nothing more than a fast-paced popcorn flick combining macho bravura with implausible technobabble. For Kaspersky it represented the popularisation of a relatively new mode of cyber attack that has now emerged as a real threat.
"We came to the [potential] of cyber terrorist attacks years before Die Hard 4.0," explains Kaspersky, the co-founder and chief executive of security firm Kaspersky Labs. "But it was forbidden in my company to explain it to journalists, because I didn't want to open Pandora's Box. I didn't want to let people think that my business is the business of fear. And I didn't want the bad guys to learn from these ideas."
His "silence" wasn't enough: as at least one high-profile hacking attack has recently shown, industrial control systems – and, in particular, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems used to monitor and manage physical plant processes - can be a target of interest for a number of attackers, from hackers to military operations.
Because of their mission-critical nature, SCADA systems traditionally run on separate data networks with no internet or intranet connectivity. However, some have been brought online, to enable remote access and control.
Their security environments are often managed separately to those of the general enterprise, and they often run on different operating systems that aren't updated as often as enterprise software, leading some experts to believe SCADA systems present potential holes in the cyber defences of critical infrastructure operations.
The threat became clear in mid 2010 as the notorious Stuxnet worm spread across Windows desktops inside Iran's nuclear facilities, until it found systems running Step-7. The software application from German giant Siemens manages SCADA programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that control industrial process lines. It is believed Stuxnet then grant itself root access and reconfigured SCADA systems that met certain specific criteria.
An incident in 2000 brought SCADA sabotage to our shores as Queensland-based former Maroochy Shire Council (now Sunshine Coast Council) was forced to deal with attacks from disgruntled SCADA contractor Vitek Boden, whose work with a laptop and radio transmitter flooded parks, rivers, and a local hotel with 800,000 litres of raw sewage.
While isolated, these events remain a threat, says Bill Holder, a SCADA security expert.
"The threat from hackers is real," he explains, arguing that infrastructure authorities should build security controls at every level of the infrastructure to limit their exposure to major attacks.
"Catastrophic failure is one end of the scale, and is the type of thing that fail-safe [measures] and monitoring would mitigate. The idea of security is that it is not added on after everything else is done; it should be part of the overall design and development," Holder says.
"I watched the movie for 20 minutes, then pressed pause, got a cigarette and a glass of Scotch. To me it was really scary: they were talking about real scenarios. It was like a user guide for cyber terrorists. I hated that movie," the flamboyant Russian entrepreneur says.
The popular 2007 action film pits Bruce Willis' character, John McClane, against a domestic terrorist who's bent on launching a large-scale cyber attack that would disable financial markets, traffic lights, and other computer-controlled infrastructure across the United States.
For most viewers, it was nothing more than a fast-paced popcorn flick combining macho bravura with implausible technobabble. For Kaspersky it represented the popularisation of a relatively new mode of cyber attack that has now emerged as a real threat.
"We came to the [potential] of cyber terrorist attacks years before Die Hard 4.0," explains Kaspersky, the co-founder and chief executive of security firm Kaspersky Labs. "But it was forbidden in my company to explain it to journalists, because I didn't want to open Pandora's Box. I didn't want to let people think that my business is the business of fear. And I didn't want the bad guys to learn from these ideas."
His "silence" wasn't enough: as at least one high-profile hacking attack has recently shown, industrial control systems – and, in particular, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems used to monitor and manage physical plant processes - can be a target of interest for a number of attackers, from hackers to military operations.
Because of their mission-critical nature, SCADA systems traditionally run on separate data networks with no internet or intranet connectivity. However, some have been brought online, to enable remote access and control.
Their security environments are often managed separately to those of the general enterprise, and they often run on different operating systems that aren't updated as often as enterprise software, leading some experts to believe SCADA systems present potential holes in the cyber defences of critical infrastructure operations.
The threat became clear in mid 2010 as the notorious Stuxnet worm spread across Windows desktops inside Iran's nuclear facilities, until it found systems running Step-7. The software application from German giant Siemens manages SCADA programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that control industrial process lines. It is believed Stuxnet then grant itself root access and reconfigured SCADA systems that met certain specific criteria.
An incident in 2000 brought SCADA sabotage to our shores as Queensland-based former Maroochy Shire Council (now Sunshine Coast Council) was forced to deal with attacks from disgruntled SCADA contractor Vitek Boden, whose work with a laptop and radio transmitter flooded parks, rivers, and a local hotel with 800,000 litres of raw sewage.
While isolated, these events remain a threat, says Bill Holder, a SCADA security expert.
"The threat from hackers is real," he explains, arguing that infrastructure authorities should build security controls at every level of the infrastructure to limit their exposure to major attacks.
"Catastrophic failure is one end of the scale, and is the type of thing that fail-safe [measures] and monitoring would mitigate. The idea of security is that it is not added on after everything else is done; it should be part of the overall design and development," Holder says.
2012年5月27日星期日
Cicero model home is Energy Star certified
Model homes appeal to our fantasies. They show us how we could be living and help us imagine what empty rooms and bare walls can become.
Marty Moore, sales and marketing manager of Ryan Homes Syracuse, recently led a tour of the company's freshly completed model home at 8681 Lavender Lane in Cicero's Wallington Meadows development. The four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath model, called the Ravenna, is Energy Star certified, and the exterior has what they call a "cottage elevation," evocative of a bungalow or Arts and Crafts-style home but with vinyl siding and cultured stone.
The home is $264,990, which Moore said is a discounted price, considering the upgrades and extra features. The price includes all Energy Star-certified appliances, even a front-load washer and dryer in the second-floor laundry room with a sewer-connected safety pan beneath the washer.
The 2,688-square-foot home has upgraded wood molding and trim, and rubbed oil bronze hardware and fixtures throughout. There is a built-in sound system as well as a security system and hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
The property has an asphalt driveway, lawn irrigation system, landscaping and sump pump. The price includes all the shower curtains, window dressings, decorative pillows and comforters. If the buyer wants the home with all the furniture, art, accessories, area rugs, mattresses and box springs, the price would be $335,934.
Since Ryan Homes needs to use the model to market homes for the next two to three years, the buyer will be the company's landlord.
"We become renters here. They purchase the home, close on it, and then we'll pay them rent until we're done selling homes in this community," Moore said. "It's a good investment for them. We cover the mortgage, taxes and insurance, and they get a discounted price as well as tax write-offs each year."
The two-car garage has been temporarily converted to Ryan Homes' office space, but will be restored at no charge.
The open concept first floor includes a Berber-carpeted family room and the kitchen and morning room, which have oak floors. The family room has a stone front natural gas fireplace. The kitchen has cherry cabinets with crown molding, a stainless steel sink, a built-in microwave and electric range with convection oven. The island, the counters and the breakfast bar are all topped with an upgraded beveled-edge laminate.
The space, which has nine-foot-high ceilings, is flooded with natural light, and the windows all have low-E, argon gas-filled glass panes. A double French door in the morning room opens to the composite deck and backyard.
Between the kitchen and the garage is a powder room as well as a small room that could be a home office.
Flanking the main entrance is a formal living room with oak floors and a carpeted formal dining room with a chair rail. Both rooms have two windows overlooking the front yard.
To maximize usable space, designers eliminated the two-story foyer, so ubiquitous in home construction of late, freeing up more square footage for second-floor bedrooms and a significant buffer between the master suite and the rest of the rooms.
The bedrooms and second-floor hallways have textured wall-to-wall Berber carpet. There is a full bath, a bonus storage closet and a large linen closet in the hall near three of the bedrooms. One bedroom is decorated in a Cicero Falcons Pop Warner Football & Cheer motif.
The master bath has his and hers sinks set in granite atop a maple vanity, and the commode is hidden in its own room. The deep soaking tub and walk-in shower are surrounded by ceramic tile, accented with decorative strips of tiny stone and glass mosaic tiles.
Marty Moore, sales and marketing manager of Ryan Homes Syracuse, recently led a tour of the company's freshly completed model home at 8681 Lavender Lane in Cicero's Wallington Meadows development. The four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath model, called the Ravenna, is Energy Star certified, and the exterior has what they call a "cottage elevation," evocative of a bungalow or Arts and Crafts-style home but with vinyl siding and cultured stone.
The home is $264,990, which Moore said is a discounted price, considering the upgrades and extra features. The price includes all Energy Star-certified appliances, even a front-load washer and dryer in the second-floor laundry room with a sewer-connected safety pan beneath the washer.
The 2,688-square-foot home has upgraded wood molding and trim, and rubbed oil bronze hardware and fixtures throughout. There is a built-in sound system as well as a security system and hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
The property has an asphalt driveway, lawn irrigation system, landscaping and sump pump. The price includes all the shower curtains, window dressings, decorative pillows and comforters. If the buyer wants the home with all the furniture, art, accessories, area rugs, mattresses and box springs, the price would be $335,934.
Since Ryan Homes needs to use the model to market homes for the next two to three years, the buyer will be the company's landlord.
"We become renters here. They purchase the home, close on it, and then we'll pay them rent until we're done selling homes in this community," Moore said. "It's a good investment for them. We cover the mortgage, taxes and insurance, and they get a discounted price as well as tax write-offs each year."
The two-car garage has been temporarily converted to Ryan Homes' office space, but will be restored at no charge.
The open concept first floor includes a Berber-carpeted family room and the kitchen and morning room, which have oak floors. The family room has a stone front natural gas fireplace. The kitchen has cherry cabinets with crown molding, a stainless steel sink, a built-in microwave and electric range with convection oven. The island, the counters and the breakfast bar are all topped with an upgraded beveled-edge laminate.
The space, which has nine-foot-high ceilings, is flooded with natural light, and the windows all have low-E, argon gas-filled glass panes. A double French door in the morning room opens to the composite deck and backyard.
Between the kitchen and the garage is a powder room as well as a small room that could be a home office.
Flanking the main entrance is a formal living room with oak floors and a carpeted formal dining room with a chair rail. Both rooms have two windows overlooking the front yard.
To maximize usable space, designers eliminated the two-story foyer, so ubiquitous in home construction of late, freeing up more square footage for second-floor bedrooms and a significant buffer between the master suite and the rest of the rooms.
The bedrooms and second-floor hallways have textured wall-to-wall Berber carpet. There is a full bath, a bonus storage closet and a large linen closet in the hall near three of the bedrooms. One bedroom is decorated in a Cicero Falcons Pop Warner Football & Cheer motif.
The master bath has his and hers sinks set in granite atop a maple vanity, and the commode is hidden in its own room. The deep soaking tub and walk-in shower are surrounded by ceramic tile, accented with decorative strips of tiny stone and glass mosaic tiles.
2012年5月24日星期四
Freight Carriers Discovering Even More Uses for GPS
It was back in 1973 when president Ronald Reagan opened up an extensive military GPS satellite system for public use after a Korean jetliner was shot down by Russian fighters after straying into Soviet airspace.
Not surprisingly it shipping carriers who were among the first to take advantage of it to deter theft and hijackings that have always plagued their industry.
Through GPS they were finally able to track the exact location of their trucks and trailers in real time as they made their way to their final destination and back, something that criminals were quick to become aware of.
What they discovered along the way though, was that there are even more reasons for fitting their trucks and vehicles with GPS. Uses for GPS tracking systems that are helping today's business operators to cut costs while they maintain a fleet of trucks or vehicles.
So to find out more about what fleet operators are using GPS systems for, aside from theft prevention, we contacted a company spokesperson from PinPoint GPS Solutions.
He informed us that, "Global positioning systems on company vehicles produce savings from several directions. For instance you can use GPS to track employee driving habits. Now drivers now know this now, so just by virtue of having GPS on their vehicle makes for a safer driver. This in turn translates directly over into fuel savings and fewer accidents as well. Then GPS also allows for more efficient navigation, so loads arrive quicker in a more predictable time frame which translates into a more satisfied client."
Now safer drivers and lower fuel bills are for sure an easy sell on their own in today's more competitive global business environment. Even so, all these benefits of GPS systems in their totality add up to yet one more big plus for todays business operator.
This is that as the public becomes more aware of the fuel savings that companies are achieving through the use of GPS technologies it's fast becoming the latest green trend. The latest PR tool in the race to be viewed by the public as being the most carbon friendly.
In the end though the real irony of it all is that the satellites that were initially launched into orbit were placed there for military purposes. Satellites that are now being used to reduce the likelihood of military conflicts through greater energy independence. PinPoint GPS Solutions Inc. provides end-to-end GPS tracking and mobile workforce solutions for a wide variety of market segments by combining innovative technologies with a focus on service.
Not surprisingly it shipping carriers who were among the first to take advantage of it to deter theft and hijackings that have always plagued their industry.
Through GPS they were finally able to track the exact location of their trucks and trailers in real time as they made their way to their final destination and back, something that criminals were quick to become aware of.
What they discovered along the way though, was that there are even more reasons for fitting their trucks and vehicles with GPS. Uses for GPS tracking systems that are helping today's business operators to cut costs while they maintain a fleet of trucks or vehicles.
So to find out more about what fleet operators are using GPS systems for, aside from theft prevention, we contacted a company spokesperson from PinPoint GPS Solutions.
He informed us that, "Global positioning systems on company vehicles produce savings from several directions. For instance you can use GPS to track employee driving habits. Now drivers now know this now, so just by virtue of having GPS on their vehicle makes for a safer driver. This in turn translates directly over into fuel savings and fewer accidents as well. Then GPS also allows for more efficient navigation, so loads arrive quicker in a more predictable time frame which translates into a more satisfied client."
Now safer drivers and lower fuel bills are for sure an easy sell on their own in today's more competitive global business environment. Even so, all these benefits of GPS systems in their totality add up to yet one more big plus for todays business operator.
This is that as the public becomes more aware of the fuel savings that companies are achieving through the use of GPS technologies it's fast becoming the latest green trend. The latest PR tool in the race to be viewed by the public as being the most carbon friendly.
In the end though the real irony of it all is that the satellites that were initially launched into orbit were placed there for military purposes. Satellites that are now being used to reduce the likelihood of military conflicts through greater energy independence. PinPoint GPS Solutions Inc. provides end-to-end GPS tracking and mobile workforce solutions for a wide variety of market segments by combining innovative technologies with a focus on service.
2012年5月23日星期三
Robot Fish Sniffs Out Underwater Pollution
The latest advancement in pollution-seeking technology looks like a fish and swims like a fish, but gathers data like a robot. These pollution-hungry robot fish are the product of research from British BMT Group and SHOAL research and are now be studied as they swim the seas of Gijon, Spain.
Luke Speller — who plays dual roles as SHOAL Project Leader and Senior Research Scientist for BMT Group — said of the research:
“SHOAL has introduced the capability of cutting the detection and analysis of pollutants in sea water time from weeks to just a few seconds. Chemical sensors fitted to the fish permit real-time in-situ analysis, rather than the current method of sample collection and dispatch to a shore based laboratory. Furthermore, the Artificial Intelligence which has been introduced means that the fish can identify the source of pollution enabling prompt and more effective remedial action.”
Currently, in order to monitor the water quality in the port of Gijon, divers are sent to take analyses and samples from hundreds of points in the port. This process is not only costly, but also lengthy, as the results can take weeks to return.
The SHOAL fish, however, could continuously swim the waters, discovering pollution and sending important data to port authorities instantly, allowing them to respond immediately to boat spillage and other forms of pollution.
According to the BMT Group, 5 recent areas of major development have led up to these swimming robots, including Artificial intelligence, chemical analysis, hydrodynamics, robotic design and underwater communication.
Each of the robot fishes are outfitted with an array of sensors which can detect copper, lead and other pollutants as well as help them navigate the open waters.
As such, these neon-yellow robotic fish — about the size of a regular tuna — can manage through multiple scenarios. Not only can these fish find and report pollution, they can also keep a safe distance away from other fish, report their location and the location of pollution and return to their base stations at the end of the day to be recharged.
The fishes’ batteries are said to last about 8 hours between charges, and their internal mechanics make them quiet, so as not to disturb the surrounding marine life.
SHOAL and the BMT Group took extra care to ensure these robots did not interrupt everyday life for the surrounding environment, allowing everything to carry on naturally as if the fish weren’t there.
These robot fish work together in groups, covering a square-kilometer area of water to detect and report pollution, all the way down to 30 meters. The fish then report this information back to their base station using low-frequency sound waves, which can travel through water more easily than radio waves.
“SHOAL has seen the coming together of scientists from across Europe to create a system that could not have been achieved without collaboration between different disciplines,” said Speller.
“One of the greatest achievements of SHOAL is getting robots running outside the lab and in the harsh, dynamic conditions of the sea. Autonomously exploring and investigating the harbor, the fish can work together to monitor and track down sources of pollution.”
In the future, the fish could also be outfitted to perform rescue and security duties, as well.
Luke Speller — who plays dual roles as SHOAL Project Leader and Senior Research Scientist for BMT Group — said of the research:
“SHOAL has introduced the capability of cutting the detection and analysis of pollutants in sea water time from weeks to just a few seconds. Chemical sensors fitted to the fish permit real-time in-situ analysis, rather than the current method of sample collection and dispatch to a shore based laboratory. Furthermore, the Artificial Intelligence which has been introduced means that the fish can identify the source of pollution enabling prompt and more effective remedial action.”
Currently, in order to monitor the water quality in the port of Gijon, divers are sent to take analyses and samples from hundreds of points in the port. This process is not only costly, but also lengthy, as the results can take weeks to return.
The SHOAL fish, however, could continuously swim the waters, discovering pollution and sending important data to port authorities instantly, allowing them to respond immediately to boat spillage and other forms of pollution.
According to the BMT Group, 5 recent areas of major development have led up to these swimming robots, including Artificial intelligence, chemical analysis, hydrodynamics, robotic design and underwater communication.
Each of the robot fishes are outfitted with an array of sensors which can detect copper, lead and other pollutants as well as help them navigate the open waters.
As such, these neon-yellow robotic fish — about the size of a regular tuna — can manage through multiple scenarios. Not only can these fish find and report pollution, they can also keep a safe distance away from other fish, report their location and the location of pollution and return to their base stations at the end of the day to be recharged.
The fishes’ batteries are said to last about 8 hours between charges, and their internal mechanics make them quiet, so as not to disturb the surrounding marine life.
SHOAL and the BMT Group took extra care to ensure these robots did not interrupt everyday life for the surrounding environment, allowing everything to carry on naturally as if the fish weren’t there.
These robot fish work together in groups, covering a square-kilometer area of water to detect and report pollution, all the way down to 30 meters. The fish then report this information back to their base station using low-frequency sound waves, which can travel through water more easily than radio waves.
“SHOAL has seen the coming together of scientists from across Europe to create a system that could not have been achieved without collaboration between different disciplines,” said Speller.
“One of the greatest achievements of SHOAL is getting robots running outside the lab and in the harsh, dynamic conditions of the sea. Autonomously exploring and investigating the harbor, the fish can work together to monitor and track down sources of pollution.”
In the future, the fish could also be outfitted to perform rescue and security duties, as well.
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