Olympic ticket rush as London 2012 bids reopen (AFP)

LONDON (AFP) ? Delays of half an hour faced British people who tried to buy tickets online for the London 2012 Olympics when the second round of sales opened at 6am on Friday.

Applications were open to the 1.2 million applicants who failed to get any tickets in the first round.

Many who tried on Friday morning were eventually able to complete ticket requests, but still won't know for up to 48 hours whether they have been successful at the second attempt.

Some would-be ticket buyers logging on at 6am were directed to a webpage saying: "We are experiencing high demand. You will be automatically directed to the page requested as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience."

Sometimes, after several goes, they got to the stage of selecting events and providing bank card details, only to be told: "Sorry we cannot process your request please try again later."

Eventually the lucky ones saw a message saying their application was being processed, followed after yet another wait by confirmation it had gone through, then an e-mail to their personal addres.

A London 2012 spokeswoman said: "The system is working, it has not crashed. Due to high demand some people are being held outside the system.

"For those in the system it is working and transactions are going through, but we are having to hold some people back from going through the site due to high demand."

Londoner Nick Morrison said: "I logged into my 2012 account at 5:50am, ten minutes before the scheduled opening of the sales window."

"When I selected an athletics session with tickets apparently available and tried to apply, a 'Sorry, we cannot process your request - please try again later' message appeared on my screen.

"After around ten attempts and 15 minutes, I got through to the payment processing page and submitted my payment but the same 'cannot process' message appeared again after a three or four-minute delay with a 'Processing' icon on the page.

"At the sixth attempt at this, I finally got past this at 6:26am and was told my application had successfully been submitted."

Another applicant had a similar experience: "I was quite excited when I got in right on 6am and was able to select hockey and archery sessions but confirming the application was very frustrating. It took me about 12 goes."

Some 2.3 million tickets went on sale on Friday after three million were sold in the first round from March 15 to April 26.

Of the 1.9 million people who applied the first time, just 700,000 were successful.

The disappointed 1.2 million applicants have a 10-day window in the second round, until 5pm on July 3, but the process this time is first come first served.

Nearly three quarters of the second rounds tickets are for the men's and women's football tournaments, which are being held in major stadiums across Britain.

ticketsBesides the football, plenty of remain for boxing, judo, hockey, handball and volleyball.

Availability is low for events including athletics, rowing, table tennis and the basketball finals.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110624/wl_uk_afp/britainolympics2012tickets

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Razer Black Widow Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review ...

In today?s gaming market, tons of keyboard offer a wide array of features to win over consumers. Getting down to the main gist of it, majority of gamers really require only the WASD and directional keys. And these keys get abused really, really badly. Gaming-oriented keyboards feature rubberized grips, reinforced aluminum keys, etc. to strengthen their keys. But there?s another solution: the switch or mechanical key. In this week?s test we bring out Razer?s flagship mechanical keyboard, the Razer Black Widow Ultimate which promises to bring a whole new feel to the keyboarding experience. Let?s see if it holds up the Ultimate moniker and as usual, let?s make this showy!

The enthusiast-oriented keyboard market right now is saturated with offerings featuring tons of extra keys, lighting features, and other gimmicks. Some target functionality whilst some durability. Razer has a very good reputation in providing quality products in this area with their extensive gaming peripheral line. We?ve had the opportunity of testing out numerous Razer products and all of the time we walked away very pleased with their offerings. Today?s test subject for review is the Black Widow Ultimate. A mechanical keyboard which uses switches instead of a membrane for actuation. Basically, mechanical keyboards are tough SOB keyboards and their keys wont cave in as easily as others. They? also have a distinct sound when pressed. What this brings to the gaming table is a whole new dimension to the gaming experience. So here?s a quick rap on the Black Widow?s features and specs and we?ll get on to the review and see if this keyboard is as lethal as the arachnid its named after.

Features:

• Full mechanical keys with 50g actuation force
• Individually backlit keys with 5 levels of lighting
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling / 1ms response time
• Programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording
• Gaming mode option for deactivation of the Windows key
• 10 customizable software profiles with on-the-fly switching
• 5 additional macro keys
• Gaming optimized key matrix for minimized ghosting
• Multi-Media Controls
• Braided cable
• Audio-Out / Mic-In Jacks
• USB-Passthrough
• Approx. size in mm: 475(L) x 171(W) x 30(H)
• Weight: 1.5kg

PACKAGING

The Black Widow Ultimate comes in a distinctly Razer-styled box with large graphics and fleer metal text for visual interest. Similar to the Marauder keyboard (review here), the box features a small opening protected by a internal blister pack to showcase the item within. Also worth noting is this is one heavy package. Most probably its the keyboard giving quite the heft to the box.

Turning the box over we have a feature layout of the Black Widow nicely highlighted on the top part. The bottom part mainly consists of translations into 16 languages of the features. Image highlights to the left for further marketing.

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Inside the Box

Pulling out the the inner packaging, we see the keyboard neatly protected by a plastic covering and is supported by thick folded cardboard to keep it from moving. That little box on the lower right is removed to pull out the cable tucked away for neatness.

The first thing that caught my eye upon removing the blister cover is the glossiness of this keyboard. I immediately thought fingerprint magnet, and I was right. The keyboard?s glossy chassis is highly susceptible to fingerprints when touched. Some would argue that this is a bad choice for a case design as a keyboard is practically the most handled computer equipment next to the mouse. I do occasionally have to wipe off grime and prints off my monitor?s border and I?ve gotten accustomed to it already. The Black Widow has practically the same border size so its no biggie.

Underneath the keyboard is a little folder which houses the manual, quick start guide, a certificate of authenticity and a Razer logo sticker sheet. We should all be well aware by now that Razer doesn?t package driver installation discs.

CLOSER LOOK

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The Black Widow Ultimate is one solid looking keyboard and its weight adds to the fact that it is one well constructed piece of hardware. The keys are coated with a rubbery texture which enhances grip. Signature Razer right there.

Flipping the keyboard over, we find four rubber feet to prevent the Black Widow from moving around during vigorous typing. Some might find them a bit small but the overall weight of the Black Widow will perfectly plant it on your desktop. As with any other keyboard, stands are also present.

The Black Widow Ultimate differentiates itself from its vanilla sibling, the Black Widow is the addition of individually illuminated keys (pic later) and the provision of a USB port as well as audio passthrough jacks on the right side of the keyboard. This is a nifty addition but it would?ve been better if there were two. The placement of the audio jack is a bit off for me since Razer itself likes to include long and stiff braided cables and these tend to get easily tangled. People with small deskspace will most likely bump their mice to anything attached to the Black Widow Ultimate?s ports.

Checking out the cable on the Black Widow Ultimate, one would immediately notice its very thick. Thicker in fact than the thickest I?ve seen from the Banshee. This is due to the addition of the above mentioned USB and audio passthrough. The main cable ends on a box with 2 USB and 2 audio jacks protrude. You need to plug in both audio jacks to make the ports on the Black Widow work as the Black Widow does not include a USB audio device. The USB and audio jacks are gold-plated for superior signal clarity.

Plugging in the Black Widow, we get treated to a nice glow from the illuminated keys. The Black Widow does not have multi-color LEDs like the Marauder but it does have multi-mode lighting which go from Off, Low to High Intensity and Pulsating similar to the Anansi.

PERFORMANCE, COMFORT, FUNCTIONALITY

Testing out the Black Widow Ultimate, I took it to the office and used it for a couple of days as my work keyboard. As a daily keyboard, the first and most noticeable characteristic it has is the sound it makes when a key is pressed. The keys click when actuation is made and a louder click is made when the key is pressed all the way down. If you think the sound is familiar, you?re not alone. Those typing sounds they use in TV shows and movies when some character is using a computer, that is exactly how the Black Widow sounds. Anyone wanting to use this keyboard for silent operation might want to look at the Lycosa because quietude is not one of the Black Widow?s features. Getting the hang of the layout is particularly easy since the layout is mostly standard with only a Fn and the macro keys added without affecting the already familiar layout. As for typing efficiency, the low actuation requirement are a touch typist?s heaven. You practically just slide your finger over a key to press it. Works wonders for me, personally.

On to gaming performance, we already know how responsive the keys are and they surely payoff in-game especially in RTS titles. Just to further increase the possible usage space of the Black Widow, I fired up DTXmania, a Bemani game simulator based off the popular arcade title Drummania and Guitar Freaks. I?ve been playing this game for years and using the Black Widow brought my game to a whole new level. The low actuation requirement made it easier to move from one key from the other and zero ghosting occured. With nearly 2000+ keypresses for a 3-minute-or-so song, my wrists were sore but scoring a 500+ combo on the keyboard with a fast-paced song like God Knows? is a very nice achievement for me. And yes, 3500+ keystrokes. That?s a keyboard pounding. I have retired numerous keyboard by playing this game and the Black Widow took that beating and gave me an S rank.

Hitting that many keys can be grueling on the wrist and I?ve come to expect a wrist-rest for any keyboard above 100$. The Black Widow does not include one though it has ample space at the bottom of the keyboard to rest the end of your palm which is sufficient. Still, I would?ve appreciated a wrist rest.

Since this keyboard?s pride is its mechanical keys, anything more than that is just a bonus. Razer?s usual loadout of media keys, gaming switch and profile switcher are a nice addition to this already solid package. One thing about the macro keys, it took me a while to get used to not pressing the M5 key instead of the Ctrl key since I?m so used to it being on the last lowest corner to my left. A little tilt upwards would?ve been favorable since most people would also experience this.

CONCLUSION

A solidly constructed keyboard that delivers a fresh new feel to typing, the Black Widow Ultimate simply feels better. Its solid construction and nice looks are subtly aggressive added with its glowing keys, it is a nice visual treat. As for functionality, its main feature is the mechanical keys which promises faster response and hardcore durability. To this respects, the Black Widow absolutely decimates everything in its league and delivers its promise.

So it all boils down to value, is the Black Widow Ultimate worth it? At US$130, some will shy away from this keyboard but its mechanical architecture with its long lifespan, one is assured of using it for quite a long time. Those not requiring the USB ports and audio jacks as well as the light-up keys might want to opt for the US$80 Black Widow. It may not be as flashy as the Ultimate, but it still gives you the experience it delivers.

I?m pretty sold on the worth of the Black Widow Ultimate as a functional keyboard though I?m a bit disappointed in the included stuff (or lack thereof) with it. For a very glossy keyboard, one would?ve appreciated some microfiber cloths. That wrist-rest I mentioned would also have been a lovely gift. Those would?ve made the huge price-gap between the Black Widow and Black Widow Ultimate much more reasonable.

As for the keyboard itself, a few nitpicks here and there like the macro key positioning which I tend to confuse for the Ctrl key and the audio jack positioning could?ve deserved a few more thoughts. Still, small complaints on a very well-designed keyboard.

Closing things off, the Black Widow Ultimate is a great keyboard with every key in its layout an entire reason to buy it. Those who prefer it simple (or can?t afford) the extra swag a lit keyboard brings should get the vanilla variation though. If you?re a hardcore PC enthusiast and want a sturdy, solid keyboard that?ll last you a lifetime, you have the Razer Black Widow for your consideration. Gamers who don?t require major use of all keys in a keyboard and are on a budget may want to look at Razer?s other offerings as the main bulk of the price of the Black Widow is still about its mechanical keys and you?d be sure disappointed if you thought it had pop-up LCDs or a built-in USB hub with a key drawer.

CLOSER LOOK

Source: http://www.back2gaming.com/reviews/razer-black-widow-ultimate-mechanical-gaming-keyboard-review/

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'Jersey Shore' to Be Recast for Season 6? Not So Fast!

Nothing lasts forever -- not even gym, tanning and laundry. But despite an MTV insider telling Us Weekly that the cast of Jersey Shore would be replaced by a new set of guido lifestyle experts after season 5, it looks like well be stuck with The Situation for at least a little while longer.

In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, an MTV rep has denied that the current crew -- Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jenni "J-Woww" Farley, Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Sammi Giancola, Vinny Guadagnino and Deena Cortese -- will film their last season this summer. "We love the present cast, and their summer adventures have just begun," says the rep. "We currently have no plans to recast the show."

Still, it's not hard to see why MTV might consider dumping the original cast and starting anew -- at least from a financial standpoint. The group's explosive popularity has been a double-edged sword for MTV. On the one hand, the show draws spectacular ratings, and of course that benefits the network. But their fame has also led to ever increasing salary demands. According to Entertainment Weekly, in season 2, the cast members were each receiving about $10K per episode. By season 4, the core group was earning $100K per episode. And yes, that means they earned $100K per episode to party -- and brawl -- in Florence.  

Naturally, their notoriety has also made filming more difficult. It's a little harder to get into a night club screaming match, or make out with a stranger, with hundreds of fans closing in on you all the time.  

Despite all that, MTV is sticking by this orange-tinted gang. And with three of them -- Snooki, J-Woww and Pauly D -- already primed for MTV spinoffs, it looks like the original gang will be hanging out well into the foreseeable future.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/jersey-shore-be-recast-season-5/1-a-360391

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Casey Anthony trial's new twist: Mother says she searched for 'chloroform'

The prosecution in the Casey Anthony trial had argued Casey sought information on chloroform before using it to drug her daughter. But Cindy Anthony said she searched for chloroform on the family computer.

In a surprising development, Casey Anthony?s mother testified on Thursday that she conducted Internet searches using the word ?chloroform? on the days and times prosecutors allege that Casey Anthony searched for that word as part of a premeditated plot to murder her two-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Skip to next paragraph

?I started looking up chlorophyll and that prompted me to look up cholorform,? Cindy Anthony, Casey?s mother, told a stunned courtroom.

In testimony filled with unexpected twists and turns, the mother also told defense attorney Jose Baez that the stain in the trunk of Casey Anthony?s car was present when the vehicle was purchased in 2000 ? eight years before prosecutors allege the stain was caused by leaking fluid from Caylee?s decomposing body.

The riveting testimony prompted immediate speculation that Mrs. Anthony may have altered earlier statements she made to detectives and prosecutors in an effort to help create reasonable doubt in her daughter?s first-degree murder trial. A family lawyer later said her testimony is consistent with all her prior statements in the case.

Her statements, on the seventh day of the defense case and the 26th day of the trial, represent a serious setback to the prosecution?s case. Her comments are an assault on two pillars of the state?s theory of Ms. Anthony?s guilt: that she used chloroform and that she kept Caylee?s decomposing body in the trunk of the car.

Prosecutors have presented a circumstantial case based on the theory that Ms. Anthony drugged her daughter with chloroform and smothered her by pressing duct tape over her mouth and nose. She then allegedly placed the girl in the trunk of her car for several days before dumping the body in a wooded area not far from the Anthony family home.

The state has offered no direct physical evidence linking Ms. Anthony to Caylee?s death.

Mrs. Anthony?s testimony is important for a second reason: Among all the players in the wider drama surrounding the trial and alleged crime, Mrs. Anthony is by far the most sympathetic figure.

There is no doubt that she adored her granddaughter, was crushed by her death, and is still grieving. In earlier testimony during the state?s case, the judge had to call a special recess to allow her to try to compose herself after she began sobbing on the witness stand. During her last trip to the stand she supposedly turned toward Ms. Anthony and mouthed the words, ?I love you.?

On cross-examination, Assistant State Attorney Linda Burdick attempted to undercut Mrs. Anthony?s testimony, suggesting that her employment records indicate that she had been at work ? not at home on the family?s desktop computer ? on the days the Internet ?chloroform? searches were conducted.

?Were you at home March 17, 2008 between 1:43 and 1:55 p.m.,? Ms. Burdick asked forcefully.

?If those computer entries were made, then I was home,? Mrs. Anthony replied, her voice rising to meet the force of Burdick?s question. ?That week was Casey?s birthday and our anniversary and I went home early a couple days.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/uPSjeGPOtqw/Casey-Anthony-trial-s-new-twist-Mother-says-she-searched-for-chloroform

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areavoices | Blog | Most Minot residents lack flood insurance

June 23, 2011 at 7:05 pm?in Grand Forks Herald

The vast majority of Minot residents didn?t have flood insurance as of four weeks ago, and it?s believed that most still were without it when the Souris River began its current siege on the city. Continue Reading

Tags: 2011 flood, Flood, flood insurance, minot, souris river, updates

Source: http://topics.areavoices.com/2011/06/23/most-minot-residents-lack-flood-insurance/

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Rhinodisplays Home Improvement ? Blog Archive ? Finding The Right ...

They have an important decision to renovate your kitchen and make it functional and inviting, made for friends and family. Now it?s up to you to decide exactly what kind of look you want and the kind of wardrobe that fit your style? If you want one, traditional, country or contemporary (modern, retro modern) is? You will probably find the right style for you is likely one that will be in harmony with the design of your house inside and out. If the architecture is classic, formal look to the right choice for you to be. Country styles seem to be appropriate for people to enjoy a relaxed lifestyle and relaxed. The contemporary, modern, retro and modern design will be a good option if you want clean lines, minimalist layout and minimal accessorizing.

Traditional cuisine

If you have selected what you are looking for your kitchen or bathroom, you?ll find cabinets and cabinet hardware instead. In traditional kitchens and bathrooms, where the atmosphere is elegant, graceful, and a bit formal, you will find cabinets are usually the rich, gleaming wood, usually cherry or mahogany look or stained wood in their design. Ivory or white lacquered cabinets are another common choice, but the key to the cabinets is a rich, glossy finish and the look of fine furniture. For the cabinet door style, choose a design and architectural details such as raised panel moldings and other wood components. One reason for the popularity of the traditional cooking style is graceful timelessness, and the fact that it affected not come and go through the design and trends. There are so many styles to finish drawer pulls cabinet, which may correspond to the traditional kitchen or bathroom. Some of our favorites are: Oil-rubbed bronze drawer pulls, drawer pulls, antique bronze, weathered brass, brass and wrought iron rustic drawer pulls.

A Country Kitchen

Some kitchen designers and other experts in the field of cabinet theorize that we love the look of country because it reminds everyone of the heat of the kitchen Grannies. The kitchen County awakens so many romantic notions of the old guard room, or just connects us, what we believe is simple, gentle time. Whatever the reason, that we love the country kitchen is one of the most popular designs, and provides such an opportunity and personal expression. The country kitchen is loose and relaxed, and it is a good choice for a relaxed lifestyle. Since the appearance of the wear is so desirable in the country kitchen, should be active and busy family kitchens, too. It is better to build your kitchen cabinets countries around the forest in a natural color, or a weathered white finish, or even a cheery color as the deep red paint. Neither the elegance and smoothness (as usually seen in a contemporary style) is the target, matching cabinets, freestanding pieces or shelves full of inedible food is the norm. There are many implications of this basic look ? the English countryside, House, Victorian and crafts, to name a few. If you are the kind of field kitchen, one of these variations is sure to please.

Modern Kitchen

The contemporary design and modern style has its origins in the late nineteenth century. This era is when artists, architects, painters and designers rebelled against the design sensibility that prevailed for most of the cluttered Victorian era. Their rebellion in the simplicity and the use of natural materials such as wood, metal and other raw materials is manifested. Has changed as the contemporary look and feel, he continued to emphasize natural materials, but sooner or later, has become more rational and more demanding. Between 1970 and 1980, when the technology was still emerging cultural transmission, a high-tech look to appear early in many kitchens. These drawings rough edges smooth and hard. This look was extremely articulate in neutral tones of stainless steel, stone and glass. The kitchens of this period was almost like labs or clinics. Although the contemporary and modern these days is clean, especially, the style began at a significant return in our time to make. The main features of contemporary or modern is today unframed, flat screen cabinets with clean lines and simple cabinet. There is usually also wood finishes such as maple, cherry and birch in brighter colors. Cabinet doors are made of glass and metal, usually made from aluminum, are popular because they go well with almost all modern appliances. Natural coating materials such as stone and brick and concrete, or even as solid laminate and dominate the surface. The retro-modern and Mid-Century Modern look can be common in many of today?s home furnishings seen. These styles affect kitchen and bath design. The elegant and modern look industrial / modern and retro-modern, not everybody?s cup of tea, but it certainly has a growing fan base.

Related posts:

1. How to install a kitchen cupboard With G Nealon
2. Why a kitchen hand?
3. Different types of trays to choose from
4. Reasons are important Pulls
5. Remodeling Your Kitchen On A Tight Budget

Source: http://www.rhinodisplays.com/finding-the-right-cabinet-hardware-style-for-your-kitchen.html

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