I make a living writing about mobile technology and for reasons I won't bother you with here, I've avoided all Apple products out of principle. Android has been my favorite platform for almost five years now. However, I'm interested in all mobile operating systems and a couple of months ago I wanted to fully explore another platform and ecosystem. I hoped that Microsoft's Windows Phone OS had matured enough to be a viable option and I got the Windows Phone 8 device HTC 8X on the day of its release.
I love the minimalist design in Windows Phone, its original UI and excellent typography. The system has a few interesting solutions, but it's very limited compared to Android. And it basically has no ecosystem and no Google support. Windows Phone lacked nearly all my favorite apps and the few titles it did have, such as the official IMDb client, were horrible. The ecosystem felt kind of tragic and I returned the HTC 8X within 24 hours.
Dismissing Windows Phone 8 didn't leave me much option if I wanted to explore another mobile ecosystem: I had to join the Dark Side and get an iOS device. So against my better judgment, I bought an iPhone 5 here in Spain. It is of course a polished operating system (although I find Apple's own design tacky) and iOS is naturally a far more complete OS than Windows Phone 8 – mainly because of the apps.
I think I downloaded more great iOS apps the first two days than the entire number of great apps in the Windows Phone app market. Everything is so locked down, though, and the customization options and the communication and sharing possibilities between apps are so limited that I almost get claustrophobia using iOS from time to time.
Okay, so this was making a short story very long. I actually just wanted to share a demo of one of the iOS apps I've been playing around with: Action Movie FX by Lost creator J. J. Abrams' production company Bad Robot. It's a pretty silly little app, but it's free and works surprisingly well. Action Movie FX lets you add action special effects to a movie clip you've recorded with your iPhone's camera. That's it basically, but it's fun to play around with. I recorded the clips in the video above in Torrevieja, Spain while testing the app.
This entry was posted in Spain, Tech, Travels and tagged Action Movie FX, Apple, Bad Robot, Demo, iOS, J. J. Abrams, Spain, Torrevieja.


 This place has the best Cuban sandwiches in, dare I say, the entirety of Southern San Diego.
 Looking to get a cult classic movie, a new favorite record or an old video game for that nostalgia feeling? Red Brontosaurus Records has you covered.
Italy had always been a magical place to visit in my mind ever since I was a young child.
This museum is set in Los Angeles CA, and is home to many older pieces of art that are gathered from around the world.


SantaMedical announces 20% Discount on healthcare devices for the Troubled and Needy.
All the products including TENS pulse massager, Dehumidifier, Pulse Oximeter, Blood pressure monitors etc. are on sale for a limited period. The range of products on offer are of utmost quality and are available for home delivery through leading stores such as Amazon, Walmart, GroupOn and their own site.
The reach of the medical devices in every household has helped decrease the number of cases where patients are in critical stages. Now they can constantly monitor their vitals and report any tell tale signs to their doctor saving Money on frequent visits to the clinic. Early detection has helped many Americans prevent costly treatment and become healthy without going through much agony.
"This time we have offered 20% discount so that every person, in whatever society they live in can have the same capability in their hands to a better treatment and better life" says CEO SantaMedical.
In this day and age when more and more people are becoming aware of their environment, it is imperative that they will be interested in having some control over their Health and not wait for the worse.


SchoolsClick map icons below to view information for schools near 70 Gardenia Dr NW Atlanta, GA 30314.
Home for sale at 70 Gardenia Dr Nw Atlanta, GA 30314.
Description: The property at 70 Gardenia Dr Nw Atlanta, GA 30314 with the MLS Number 6503823 is currently listed at $174,900 and has been on the Atlanta market for 67 days.
You are viewing the FMLS property details of the home for sale at 70 Gardenia Dr Nw Atlanta, GA 30314, which is located in the Ezra Church Heights subdivision, includes 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and has approximately 1500 sq.ft. of living area.


This group started in April of 2008 with 11 users and I remember "way back then" how much heckling I took as a Twitter user and then being one of a very few Recruiters to be using it.
My oh my how things can change in a year. Now you cannot watch a news program without hearing a reporter giving a Twitter name to follow.
susanstrayer | Susan Strayer | Washington, D.C.
DailyCareerTips | Susan Strayer | Washington, D.C.
#TalentNet Debut - Wed April 29 9-11PM EST on Twitter!
You need to be a member of Follow Me On Twitter to add comments!
I am looking for creative ways to be more interactive on Twitter. Please follow me, personally, at http://www.twitter.com/infoployment and follow CSP at http://www.twitter.com/CAStaffingPros.
Hi! I want to encourage those interested in snippets of how social media should be an integral part of your recruiting, retention and branding initiatives, follow me on Twitter!


Welcome to the EAP Japan Program!
The University of California Tokyo Study Center (TSC) has a proud tradition spanning over 50 years in Japan. It is located on the picturesque International Christian University campus in western Tokyo and coordinates the activities of about 200 UC EAP students per year who study at 9 Japanese Host Universities.
We create an enriching, educational, and safe experience in Japan and facilitate academic advancement, cultural enrichment, physical safety, mental balance, and social activities for the EAP students.
* Note: when calling from outside Japan, remember to drop the first 0 and add the country code 81.
If you will be away for 24 hours or more, you must submit this Travel Signout Form in MyEAP This sends an email notification to the Tokyo Study Center and Universitywide Office of EAP with the student's name and travel plans. This information is crucial in case of an emergency.
Foreign nationals in possession of a valid passport and resident card who will be reentering Japan within 1 year of their departure to continue their activities in Japan will not be required to apply for a re-entry permit. Be sure to present your resident card at departure. Before traveling, check with the U.S. Department of State to be sure there are no travel warnings for that region. You are required to abide by the UC EAP Student Travel Policy. Check your e-mail regularly while traveling.


Learn what options you can acquire in a Website Manager. Understand why it is essential.
Having a site is more complicated than having a domain and uploading files for it on a server. The web hosting service also includes things like domain records, databases, e mail addresses, statistics, FTP access, and so forth. Although they may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you refer to the word "website", they are an integral part of any website and none of them can be neglected. If you'd like to start and sustain a successful web presence, you need an easy way to manage these things, especially if you aren't very proficient. Aside from the simplicity of use, it's also crucial that you have total control over your domain names and the web hosting service associated with them.
Our cloud hosting come with a feature-rich Website Manager, that'll provide you with complete control of every aspect of your presence online and you'll be able to control everything without difficulty. Quick-access buttons will permit you to check out or modify the DNS records for every single domain hosted in the account or the WHOIS details for a domain registered with our company, to set up a database, an FTP account or an email address, to install a script-driven app, and many more. These options could be handled through a quite intuitive interface, so even if this is your first web hosting account ever, you won't come across any issues and will be able to do pretty much anything you want. The Website Manager includes a variety of help articles and video tutorials we have prepared in order to make the management of your presence online easier.
Because all our semi-dedicated server plans include a powerful Website Manager tool, you'll have total control over every part of your presence online. Furthermore, the tool is simple and user-friendly enough to be used by beginners, so even if you are creating your first website, you'll not have any troubles in handling everything quickly and easily. With one tool, you shall be able to manage every aspect of your online presence that is associated in some way to your Internet site. For instance, if a domain address is registered through us, you may look at and modify its WHOIS information, while if it is only hosted, you'll be able to update its DNS records. You can even install a script-driven app, set up an FTP or an email account, create a new database or look at stats for each and every website. You shall find all these options in one location and you'll be able to access them with no more than a couple of clicks inside the highly effective Website Manager tool.


Despite an uneven consumer landscape, Wendy's expects its makeover to boost same-store sales this year, CEO Emil Brolich told CNBC's "Power Lunch" on Wednesday.
"Certainly, it's a challenging economic environment out there," Brolich said. "But, remember, this is a very large marketplace, and there's always been an opportunity for excellent success for those brands that are relevant to consumers. We believe we can be one of those brands."
Wendy's plans to improve its brand to compete more effectively with the likes of McDonald's and Chipotle in part by revamping its restaurants. Brolich said it will have 200 refreshed stores this year and 400 in 2014.
"We really feel this is the fundamental part of our brand transformation and is very consistent with how we're positioning our brand as a cut above in the marketplace," he added.
The company expects its overhaul to lead to a significant sales growth. Same-store sales at company-owned restaurants rose 1 percent in the first quarter, but Wendy's forecasts growth of 2 percent to 3 percent for the year.
It is launching products that "will resonate very strongly with consumers," which makes the company confident about better sales growth, Brolich said.


text:
Small changes can add up to big climate results
A cleaner way to clean
Eighty percent of dry cleaners in the US use perchloroethylene, a solvent that has been linked to cancer, nervous system damage and hormonal disruption. Seek out a non-toxic professional dry cleaning alternative or "green cleaner" in your area.
If your washing machine has a setting for the amount of clothing you're washing, choose a low setting—you'll use less water and your clothes will get just as clean. Using cold water can save up to 80% of the energy required to wash clothes.
Use less hot water. Washing your clothes in cold or warm instead of hot water can save as much as 500 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
The average washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load, whereas newer, high-efficiency models use less than 28 gallons of water per load.
A bright idea
Only 10% of the energy used by an incandescent bulb produces light; the rest is given off as heat. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) are up to four times as efficient as incandescent bulbs.
Replacing one incandescent lightbulb with a compact fluorescent light can save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. CFLs produce the same amount of light, use one-third of the electricity and last up to 10 times as long.
Artificial lighting accounts for 44% of electricity use in office buildings. Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.
A home run
A leaky faucet that fills a coffee cup in 10 minutes will waste an estimated 3,000 gallons of water per year.
Improperly sealed or caulked windows can account for up to 25% of total heat loss from a house.
Choose low-toxic paints that are low in volatile organic compounds or VOCs, which can irritate the lungs and cause allergic reactions. Zero-VOC paints also are available.
If using solid wood for a project, select products with the Forest Stewardship Council label, certifying the wood was responsibly grown and harvested. Or find salvaged wood products at local used-building materials retailers.
Polystyrene ("Styrofoam") is difficult to recycle, both because recycling facilities aren't commonplace and you can't make it into new high-quality polystyrene.
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 7,000 gallons of water, three cubic yards of landfill space and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
Reuse containers and reduce waste. The average child's school lunch generates 67 pounds of packaging waste over a year.
Batteries can cause serious harm to human health and the environment when disposed of with municipal solid waste. Many companies and retailers will take your old batteries and properly dispose of them or have them recycled.
Twenty-six recycled PET plastic bottles equals a polyester suit. Five recycled PET bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket.
According to US EPA, about 40% of heavy metals including lead, mercury, and cadmium in landfills come from electronic equipment and discards.
The US uses 100 billion plastic bags annually, consuming about 12 million barrels of oil. Less than 1% of plastic bags are ever recycled. Reusable bags can help reduce the number of plastic bags you use.
About a third of all the food that's produced globally is never eaten. With some planning and small steps in preparation, storage, and freezing, you can make great strides to decrease waste in your kitchen at home and save money too.
Twenty percent of what goes into landfills is food, according to the EPA. If you've got some small outdoor space, consider starting a compost bin, or see if there are community options nearby to drop off your inedible scraps or peelings.
Now you're cooking!
Generating enough electricity to cook for an hour in a standard electric oven creates 2.7 pounds of CO2. A toaster oven creates 1.3 pounds over 50 minutes; a microwave creates 0.5 pounds over 15 minutes.
Use a microwave to save energy. Microwave ovens use around 50% less energy than conventional ovens do.
The average dishwasher in US homes today uses 8.7 gallons of water per load. Washing by hand for 10 minutes with water running can use 20 gallons.
Today's dishwashers are about 95% more energy-efficient than those bought in 1972—your old dishwasher may be costing you more in energy bills than it would take to buy a new one.
If your toilet is from 1992 or earlier, you probably have an inefficient model that uses between 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Newer, high-efficiency toilets use less than 1.3 gallons per flush.
Older showerheads can use 3 gallons per minute or more. New, efficient models use 2 gallons per minute or less. A family of four using low-flow showerheads instead of full-flow models can save about 20,000 gallons of water per year.
Letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as a 60-watt lightbulb consumes in 14 hours.
A full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a 5-minute shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons.
See the forest for the trees
The average US citizen uses 50 pounds of tissue paper per year. Try to buy the highest content of post-consumer recycled content, looking for either 100% recycled or FSC certified tissue or toilet paper.
Consider switching to e-billing. In the US, paper products make up the largest percentage of municipal solid waste, and hard copy bills alone generate almost 2 million tons of CO2.
Plant a tree. An average tree can absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
The average US office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper per year. Print on both sides and in draft mode whenever feasible.
US consumers spend up to 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water.
Refrigerators account for one-sixth of a home's energy use. Opening the door accounts for between $30 and $60 of a typical family's electricity bill each year. Select energy-efficient models when buying replacements.
Many idle electronics—TVs, DVD players, stereos, microwaves—use energy even when switched off to keep display clocks lit and remote controls working. Switch off power strips and unplug electrical devices when you're not using them.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Hazardous Locations
Fuel Burning
Field Evaluations
CSA SPE 1000
CSA B149.3
International Approvals
Training & Registration
QMS Registration and Training
Hazloc Training
LabTest Certification Inc. | Call or Email Today for a Quote.
About LabTest
Clients & Marks
LC Designations
SDHW Systems
Electrical & EMC
LC Directory
Posts by LabTest
Updated standard for Decorative Gas Appliances
The standard for Vented, ANSI Z21.50 / CSA 2.22, has been revised and the 9th Edition was published June 2019. Within this 9th Edition is the inclusion of a newly defined ignition source: the on-demand system. The on-demand system is an ignition system that is placed into operation for a predetermined amount of time, once the main burner gas valve is operated, and extinguishes the pilot if the main burner flame has not been proven or the main burner gas valve does not open during this predetermined amount of time.
The standard requirements now include the on-demand system to include, but not limited to, maximum safety control timings for pilot flame-establishing, flame failure response and flame failure re-ignition. Revised standard requirements also have updated the instructions and markings required to include the on-demand system.
LabTest News
Holiday Safety Hazards
With Christmas festivities just around the corner and many households planning their decorations, especially Christmas lights, extra care should be taken to make sure the lights you purchase carry a valid Certification/Listing Mark and that installation instructions are followed.
Many fires and other hazards are created by fraudulently marked products and products installed/used not as per the instructions.
Be safe this Christmas and make sure your lights are certified/listed as per your country or jurisdiction's regulations.
FIRE TESTING | Flame Spread Test
It is a known fact that the testing industry holds consumer safety as the highest priority. For example, standards for electronic products help to protect us from poor designs that could result in dangerous shocks; standards for mechanical devices using gas help to prevent dangerous explosions; standards for burning characteristics of building materials help to prevent the most violent fires.
But can a single test resulting in an ASTM E84 Class A fire rating really provide the confidence of safety that consumers need?
A Glance at Fire
Fire is one of the first major tools adopted by our species. We've used it for everything, from warmth to sterilization for thousands of years, so you'd think we would have it figured out by now. In reality, despite knowing a great deal about the nature of fire, it's incredibly difficult to predict its behavior even today. The process of burning typically involves three steps:
Heat from the environment causes flammable materials to break down and release combustible gasses.
The combustible gasses mix with fresh, oxygenated air.
More heat from the environment causes the air-fuel mixture to ignite, releasing more heat into the environment.
In broad strokes it sounds fairly simple, but the turbulent motion of hot gasses in a fire are so complex in their mechanics that even supercomputers can only tell us so much about the intricate movements seen in fires. Given the complex nature of fire, standards committees around the world have had to get creative with how to characterize building materials for fire safety.
Flame Spread Test
One important metric, in the fire safety world, is the measurement of the rate at which a flame front tends to propagate along a flammable material. We are talking about the Flame Spread Test, a common test that's done to evaluate the flame front propagation characteristics for a material, as defined in the American ASTM E84 standard. In this test, a building material, such as plywood, is cut into sections to fit a 21 inch by 24-foot rectangle. The plywood is placed into a 24-foot-long tunnel, called a Steiner Tunnel, lining the ceiling of the tunnel. A draft is then let into the tunnel carrying fresh, oxygen-rich air. A gas burner is ignited at the upwind end of the tunnel, causing the plywood at that end to burn. As the plywood burns, the flame front travels along the tunnel from the upstream end to the downstream end. The test ends when the plywood is fully engulfed in flame. The speed of the flame front is analyzed throughout the test and a classification (fire rating) is assigned to the material based on that speed. For example, a Class A rating results from the slowest-moving flame front and a Class C rating results from the fastest-moving flame front.
But How Reliable Are Fire Ratings?
Standards developers have done a relatively good job of specifying a tunnel that can yield consistent results between tests for something as chaotic as fire, but the real weakness in these tests is that the environment in which a material burns can seriously impact the burning characteristics of that material. A material that appears to produce a very slow-moving flame front in one scenario may prove to burn quite violently in another.
In a recent project, we tested a material under two very similar standards: ASTM E84 and the Canadian equivalent CAN/ULC S102. Though these standards are nearly identical, the test results were radically different. The Canadian standard for Flame Spread testing is very similar to ASTM E84, with a few major differences. First, three different test runs must be done on the material rather than the single run required in E84. Second, for materials that would normally require mechanical support to remain on the ceiling of the tunnel in E84, CAN/ULC S102 requires that the alternate S102.2 standard is used, placing the test material on the tunnel floor instead of the tunnel ceiling (see highlighted sections in diagram below). In general, the S102 standard includes more provisions to ensure that the sample material is tested in a way that mimics the environment in which it will be installed.
In the results of our recent project, the test material was found to be too flexible to rest on the tunnel ceiling as for the Canadian standard, therefore, it was tested on the floor. The ASTM E84 test resulted in a very slow burn of the test material, resulting in a Class A rating. However, when we tested that same material under the S102.2 standard, the impact of placing the material on the floor, without the need for supports, had such a radical impact on the flame spread that the result was a rating equivalent to Class C in ASTM E84. The same material, in two nearly identical tests, produced flame spread results on opposite ends of the spectrum.
How Is This Possible?
The truth is that even though a lot of consideration was put into developing standards, outlining the required tests procedures and regulating building materials for flame spread characteristics, the behavior of fire in the real world is too complex to be captured in a single test. In this case, the difference between burning on the ceiling and burning on the floor made enough of an impact on the flame spread across this material that someone reading only the Canadian S102.2 report would have a completely different understanding of the flame spread behavior than someone reading only the American E84 report.
In conclusion, fire is a complex phenomenon. In today's age, it's easy to assume that engineers would have everything measured and regulated to perfection, but the reality is that some scenarios are too chaotic to be predicted with certainty, especially from a single test. The lesson to be learned here is that for certain types of tests, like Flame Spread, a single report should not be taken at face value. To truly understand how a material will burn, a variety of tests are needed. Understanding this principle is critical to providing the safety and consumer assurance that these standards are designed to enforce.
Benefits and Principles of ISO 9000
The possibility of a commercial business making inadequate profits (or even losses) due to uncertainties is risky business. Every day, businesses deal with different challenges, risks and opportunities and business owners have to constantly think of how to tackle both the risks and the opportunities.
The ISO 9000 family of Quality Management Systems (QMS) standards are successfully used all over the world and, based on an ISO survey in 2017, over one million certificates to the standards have been issued across 187 countries to date.
This quality management system is designed to ensure that organizations consistently meet their customers' requirements and that quality is also consistently improved. It does so, by increasing productivity and efficiency, and therefore, bringing internal costs down.
Benefits of ISO 9000
The most recognized benefits of ISO 9000 are:
Gain competitive advantage in the market;
Helps to develop and expand business to new and global markets;
Improve customers satisfaction;
Documented management system and improved communication.
Principles of ISO 9000 series of standards
Management commitment and leadership: this is one of the most important elements for the successful implementation of ISO standards. Without such support, the system will not function effectively.
Continual improvement: the ISO 9000 series of standards formulates a structured approach to continual improvement through which communication between all levels of personnel is promoted. The standard adopts the input/process/output paradigm to enable and create a culture of quality that is improvement oriented. The measurement of performance is enabled throughout the organization, such that comparisons may be tabled year after year, thus improving the speed of return.
Customer focus: the continual drive to plan for and meet customers' requirements is a key element, which will guarantee customer satisfaction and therefore, encourage repeat business and customer loyalty.
System approach to management: organizations sustain success when processes are managed as one coherent quality management system.
Process approach: the process integration enables each variable to be scrutinized, thereby promoting continual improvement and performance.
Factual approach to decision-making: decisions are factually orientated through the collection of statistical information that is evidence-based and improvement-related.
Employee engagement: the systems and process approach enable communication among employees, who are then able to identify and resolve problems.
Mutually beneficial supplier relationships: organizations that carefully manage their relationships with suppliers and partners can nurture positive and productive involvement, support and feedback from those entities.
In conclusion, the implementation of ISO 9000 is a slow process that requires change in the culture of quality perceptions. The impact of implementation should be gradual and focus on people and attitude change throughout the organization.
Top 10 Halloween Safety Tips
With the Halloween festivities fast approaching, taking basic precautions is a major part of the preparation. It's easy to get lost in the fun and overlook these safety risks, if you're not vigilant. The good news is we provided you our top ten easy to follow safety tips for this coming Halloween to minimize any kind of safety risks that may occur.
Always check your decorations to see if they're certified, tested and approved. The certification should be on the outside of the package or stamped on the lights.
Make sure any damaged sockets or loose connections that could start fires or cause shock have been carefully looked over. One of the main causes of house fires are from electrical malfunctions. Discard any damaged wires.
Only have your electrical decorations on, when being used. Like any other electrical appliances in you home, it's not safe or necessary to have your decorations left unattended. Having decorations up around the house can be fun that we often forget that they come with possible dangers.
Make sure that all outdoor lights are fastened securely to trees, house wall or any firm supports to protect that lights from wind damage. Do not use nails or tacks to hold the light strings in place, only use insulated staples.
Use the the right cord for the right location. Indoor and outdoor cords are rated differently.
Don't run cords under the rugs where people will walk over them or through doorways or windows where they may become pinched (pinched wires can cause a fire).
Switch to energy efficient LED lights – they produce less heat, which reduces the risk of fire and will save you more energy.
Use battery powered LED lights for your jack-o-lanterns instead of candles. There's no need for open flames.
Make sure all costumes are flame resistant.
Be sure to plug your outdoor decorations into circuits protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to prevent electric shock.
Government Affairs Updates
Natural Resources Canada finalizes Amendment 15 to Energy Efficiency Act.
In June, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) published the final revisions to Amendment 15 to Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations.
Please take note of the following highlights relating to these regulations:
As anticipated, the effective date for all regulatory changes in Amendment 15 is January 1, 2020, which means all appliances manufactured on or after that date must be in compliance.
This Amendment creates two categories of appliance, and defines them as follows:
decorative gas fireplace means a vented fireplace that is fuelled by natural gas or propane, is marked for decorative use only and is not equipped with a thermostat or intended for use as a heater.
heating gas fireplace means a vented fireplace that is fuelled by natural gas or propane and is not a decorative gas fireplace.
The regulation imposes minimum efficiency on heating gas fireplaces, as well as pilot technology restrictions on both categories of appliance, as laid out on the following chart. Please note that at the request of industry, the pilot restriction language has been updated since the last draft.
NRCan Amendment 15 Notice
LabTest is proud to announce to be the first recognized Notified Body in Canada for EMC directive, under the Canada/EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
July 17, 2019 – The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has received confirmation that LabTest Certification Inc. (CAB # CA5970), has been recognized by the European Union under the Protocol on the mutual acceptance of the results of conformity assessment to Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as a Notified Body (NB:2815) under:
The Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU
The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive 2014/53/EU
Effective immediately, LabTest Certification Inc. may now operate as a recognized Notified Body.
One of the main new advantages of this new recognition, is that LabTest will now be able to provide review, tests, documentation, and certificates for products not falling under the harmonized standards (EN standards) and allow manufacturers to place their products on the EU market in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
"LabTest is excited about this new Recognition/Accreditation as a Notified Body for the EMC Directive and the Radio Equipment Directive, as it allows us to issue EU Type Examination Certificates, providing our clients with added value for the testing their products have undergone for CE compliance for the European Union Market Place" says Kavinder Dhillon, President of LabTest Certification. "Going through this rigorous process of recognition as a Notified Body has also helped us improve our internal systems and reporting process, to stay on top of the EU requirements. To our valued clients, this new recognition shows that they are dealing with a Notified Body that was carefully selected based on its competency and one of the few accredited outside of the European Union".
LabTest is dedicated to ensuring product and public safety, by validating that products meet the requirements of the applicable safety and performance standards, before being placed in the market and operated by the public.
LabTest Certification Inc. is an accredited Certification Body, Testing Laboratory, and Inspection Body accredited to ISO 17065, ISO 17025, and ISO 17020 by national and international accreditation bodies (ILAC and IAF Signatory Members), such as Standards Council of Canada (SCC), International Accreditation Services (IAS), ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB), and recognized as an IECEx Scheme member and an IECEE CB Scheme member. With offices and testing laboratories in Canada and USA, and partner testing laboratories and inspectors located throughout North America and around the world, LabTest can provide testing and certification to national and international standards in the areas of Electrical, EMC, Gas, Plumbing, Marine, Solar, Energy Efficiency, Building Materials, as well as Environmental Testing, both in house and on-site anywhere, in a fast and cost effective way.
Recognition Site Link
The latest addition to the LabTest family
Welcome the latest addition to the LabTest family: Sujit Embrandiri
Please welcome the latest addition to the LabTest family: Sujit Embrandiri, our new Account Manager for the Electrical department, Toronto branch. Sujit comes to LabTest with a master's degree in Electronics and Control Engineering and a 6 years consulting contribution to research and technology. With a broad background in product design and development, product testing, and certification, Sujit is a Semiconductor expert specializing in product development, supplier management, and volume manufacturing strategies who watches the electronics manufacturing industry with a hawk's eye. His specialities are, but not limited to: Consumer Electronics, Lighting, Industrial Automation and Control, Medical Electronics, Lab equipment, and IT/ Audio Video equipment. Sujit's expertise in strategic planning, pull-through program development, sales, digital marketing, project management, account management, product launch, and presentation development are his keys for delivering exceptional application sales results. As a proactive and open-minded person overall, Sujit takes pride in being analytical and a good problem-solver. Some of the causes he cares for are Health, Human Rights, Environment, Education, and Spirituality, but also enjoys Yoga, Sports, Reading, Travel, and Cooking!
Connect with Sujit at:
Sujit.Embrandiri@labtestcert.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujitembrandiri/
New Standard: EN 62368-1 will be replacing EN 60950-1 & EN 60065
EN 60950-1 & EN 60065 standard: This standard is applicable to mains-powered or battery-powered information technology equipment, including electrical business equipment and associated equipment, with a RATED VOLTAGE not exceeding 600 V.
EN 62368-1:2018: Is applicable to the safety of electrical and electronic equipment within the field of audio, video, information and communication technology, and business and office machines with a rated voltage not exceeding 600 V. This standard does not include requirements for performance or functional characteristics of equipment
Why EN 62368-1?
EN 62368-1, the new safety standard for Information Technology Equipment and Audio/Video Equipment, is a hazard-based, performance-oriented standard. Technology is changing everyday, and EN 62368-1 is technology independent. It also minimizes the need for national and regional differences.
What's changing?
Here are some of the main changes applied in the new standard:
addition of requirements for outdoor equipment
new requirements for optical radiation
addition of requirements for insulating liquids
addition of requirements for work cells
addition of requirements for wireless power transmitters
addition of requirements for fully insulated winding wire (FIW)
alternative method for determination of top, bottom and side openings for fire enclosures
alternative requirements for sound pressure
Originally, the date of withdrawal was June 2019, but the deadline has since been extended and the new date was changed to December 2020.
For questions about the new standard or if you have products ready to be tested against the new standard, contact us and let us know how we can assist.
Source of Information: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards/low-voltage_en
ASTM E84 – an easy approach
If you are an engineer, going through a standard can give you great pleasure to discover the details and understand not only the big picture, but also small elements. It's an intellectual journey when every single next step gets even more interesting and exciting, and every technical drawing starts to look like a piece of art or a sort of non-verbal poetry.
But what if you are not an engineer? A 22-page standard can look like an ocean of frustration. Or a dense forest, where the further you go, the more trees you hit. Darkness seems to be all around, and you feel completely lost.
Thus, why not take an easier approach and instead of using sophisticated and highly technical terms, we take a look at ASTM E84 from a more basic and less technical stand point.
What is ASTM E84? It is an American standard test method for surface burning characteristics of Building Materials (equivalent to the Canadian standard CAN/ULC-S102). A 10-minute test in a Steiner Tunnel allows to determine the Flame Spread and Smoke Density index. These are the two major parameters used to measure and describe the material response to heat and flame under controlled conditions.
Apparatus, known as Steiner Tunnel: the equipment used to test for Flame Spread and Smoke Density is a fire test chamber or, to be more precise – it is a rectangular horizontal duct with a removable lid, and equipped with observation windows, two gas burners, an air intake and exhaust end.
The specimen needs to be 21-inch (wide) by 24-feet (long) in size. If it is too large, the sample will need to be cut to size. If too small, a multiple number of samples can be fit in the tunnel and tested at the same time. In case of multiple samples, they will need to be arranged in a gapless way and the area of 21-inch (wide) by 24-feet (long) must be completely covered.
Next, in order to achieve a constant weight, the specimen is placed in a conditioning room with adjustable temperature and humidity. Once a constant weight is obtained, the specimen is placed horizontally, face down, onto the ledges of the test chamber. Next the chamber is closed with a watertight seal.
At this point, the two natural gas burners are ignited, the air is drawn through the tunnel at a steady rate, and the specimen is subjected to a flame exposure.
During the test, a technician continually records flames advancement through the tunnel observation windows. At the same time, a photometric instrumentation records the specimen smoke development.
The 10-minute ASTM E84 test in the Steiner Tunnel allows to find the specimen flame spread index and smoke development value, and the two parameters allow for the product to be classified accordingly. There are 3 different types of classes. They are respectively: Class A (or Class 1) – for flame spread index 0 to 25; Class B (or Class 2) – for flame spread index 26 to 75; and Class C (or Class 3) – for flame spread index between 76 and 200. Any value of flame spread index outside the range of 0-200 indicates that the product does not meet classification.
Starting to feel like an expert on ASTM E84 yet? There is, of course, much more to it, but this is a good start and it will help with getting your product ready for testing.
Click here to learn more about Fire Testing
Copyright 2020 Labtest Certifications Inc.
1) By submitting a testimonial to us using this form, you agree that we may publish your testimonial, together with your name and company name, on the Testimonial page on our website and occasionally, on some of our printed marketing material.
2) You further agree that we may edit the testimonial and publish edited or partial versions of the testimonial. Your testimonial will never be edited in such a way as to create a misleading impression of your views.
3) You may request to remove a previously submitted testimonial by emailing your written notice to lcmarketing@labtestcert.com


text:
Peter Friedl
Michel Majerus
KW Institute for Contemporary Art
Michel Majerus, Ohne Titel, o.J., 2021. © Michel Majerus Estate. Courtesy of neugerriemschneider, Berlin and Matthew Marks Gallery. Photo: Jens Ziehe, Berlin.
Auguststraße 69
Hours: Wednesday–Monday 11am–7pm,
press@kw-berlin.de
www.kw-berlin.de
KW Institute for Contemporary Art is pleased to announce its program for 2022, which includes survey exhibitions by Peter Friedl, Rabih Mroué and Michel Majerus, new commissions, projects and exhibitions by Tobias Spichtig, BLESS, Oraib Toukan, Lydia Ourahmane, Christopher Kulendran Thomas, Rachel Rossin and Atiéna R. Kilfa as well as the 12th Berlin Biennale curated by artist Kader Attia.
A Year with BLESS
January 19–December 22
Curator: Anna Gritz
Assistant curator: Léon Kruijswijk
Since 2017, KW Institute for Contemporary Art has been hosting the residency format A Year with..., a program that generates an in-depth engagement with an artistic practice through a variety of inward and outward facing formats over the course of one year. In 2022, the duo BLESS will take over the program. More
Pause: Tobias Spichtig
Die Matratzen
Curator: Krist Gruijthuijsen
Curatorial assistant: Linda Franken
KW has invited the artist Tobias Spichtig (b. 1982, Switzerland) as part of Pause Series to present his installation Die Matratzen. As the name suggests, the exhibition consists of various second-hand and different-sized mattresses laid out across the entire floor of KW's main hall. They are covered with used bed sheets from the personal networks of the artist as well as the curator, functioning both as a support mechanism and as catalysts for stories. As such they are evocative of moments of intimacy. More
Peter Friedl: Report 1964–2022
February 19–May 1, 2022
Report 1964–2022 is Peter Friedl's (b. 1960) most extensive institutional survey in Germany to date. Adopting a variety of genres, media, and forms of display, Friedl's works seek to explore the construction of history and the concepts within our political and aesthetical consciousness. His artistic practice is aimed at creating new models of narration in which time, permanent displacement, and critical intimacy all play a central role. More
Schering Stiftung Award for Artistic Research 2020: Rabih Mroué
Under the Carpet
Curator: Nadim Samman
Assistant curator: Sofie Krogh Christensen
Rabih Mroué (b. 1967, Lebanon) is the 2020 recipient of the Schering Stiftung Award for Artistic Research. Mroué's acclaimed body of work that span theatre, visual arts, and literature. Working at the intersection of personal and political history, media criticism, and concepts of authorship, his oeuvre is an interrogation of the ways we see and speak. Under the Carpet features eight newly commissioned pieces that are set within a constellation of works that spans 20 years. More
Oraib Toukan: What Then
Co-Curators: Krist Gruijthuijsen and Léon Kruijswijk
KW Institute for Contemporary Art invites artist and scholar Oraib Toukan (b. 1977, US) to present two new films stemming from her long-standing research on "Cruel Images". Her research-practice has been committed to exploring the line between looking at and looking away from mediated images of violence. More
12th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art
June 11–September 18, 2022
Curator: Kader Attia
Kader Attia (b. 1970, FR) looks back on more than two decades of decolonial engagement. As an artist, thinker, and activist, he has been particularly engaged with the notion of repair—first of objects and physical injuries, and then of individual and societal traumas. Throughout his practice, repair has emerged as a mode of cultural resistance, a form of agency that finds expression in diverse practices and fields of knowledge. In his role as curator of the 12th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, Attia makes this form of agency the starting point of a program that involves contributors and audiences in a critical conversation, in order to find ways together to care for the now. More
KW Digital: Rachel Rossin
Digital commission
Date: September 14–18, 2022
Rachel Rossin's (b. 1987, US) newest work, commissioned in collaboration with a KW partner institution, will employ novel technologies that the artist herself has created. They are the result of her research into embodiment in virtual reality, neural networks and DNA as code. With exhibits in Berlin and New York, the piece will consist of a multi-platform installation that seeks to bring together the physical and the digital domain.
Pause: Lydia Ourahmane
From October 1, 2022 onwards
Curator: Sofie Krogh Christensen
In fall 2022, Lydia Ourahmane (b. 1992, Algeria) will create a site-specific, permanent installation at KW Institute for Contemporary Art. This new commission is a continuation of the artist's ongoing engagement with the emotional, psychological, and political correlations between material, body, and place. Comprising sculpture and performance, the work engages her relation to her own mortality, the act of ritual, and the notion of permanence, situated in her interest of remains and relics. More
Michel Majerus: Early Works
October 22, 2022–January 22, 2023
KW Institute for Contemporary Art is pleased to take part in a major tribute to artist Michel Majerus (b. 1967–December 2002, Luxembourg) with a multifaceted program all over the city of Berlin as well as Germany that demonstrate the late artist's influence on his peers as well as the following generations. Twenty years after his sudden death, the tribute will commemorate Majerus by showing both his reflections on painting as a medium as well as his groundbreaking vision. One of a world in which popular culture, advertisement, and the virtual realms of TV, videogames and computers have infiltrated the very essence of everyday life, a process that is only intensified by the developments in the digital realm. More
Christopher Kulendran Thomas
in collaboration with Annika Kuhlmann
Over the past decade, British-Tamil artist Christopher Kulendran Thomas (b.1979, UK) has been addressing the way contemporary art produces realities as well as negotiating the social and cultural interwovenness between the East and the West. He has been particularly invested in examining the relationships between technology, imperialism, citizenship, and the political economy, as seen through the prism of the cultural scene of his native homeland, Tamil Eelam, a scene that was quasi extinguished when the de-facto Tamil state in the north and east of today's Sri Lanka was wiped out in 2009. More
Atiéna R. Kilfa
The exhibition at KW is the first institutional solo exhibition of Atiéna R. Kilfa (b. 1990, France). Using installation, sculpture, photography, and film, Kilfa reflects on the role of artists in the production of contemporary subjectivity at a time when available models are rapidly collapsing. At her KW exhibition, Kilfa will be presenting a newly commissioned body of work centering in on the notion of the "model," a term not only used to describe mannequins and maquettes but also standardized fictional and social roles. More
BPA // Exhibition 2022
December 3, 2022–January 22, 2023
Curator: Léon Kruijswijk
KW and BPA// Berlin program for artists founded their partnership in 2020. BPA// is a mentoring program that fosters exchange between emerging and established Berlin artists. Founded in 2016 by Angela Bulloch, Simon Denny, and Willem de Rooij, BPA// organizes studio visits, public lectures, and group exhibitions. KW serves as the venue for the BPA// exhibition, an annual exhibition of work produced over the course of the current BPA// program.
KW Institute for Contemporary Art is institutionally supported by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe, Berlin.
RSVP for Program 2022
KW Institute for Contemporary Art will be in touch.


text:
David Joseph Osmek ( ; born October 11, 1964) is an American politician and businessman who is a member of the Minnesota Senate. He has served as the 16th President of the Minnesota Senate since 2022. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Osmek represents District 33 in the western Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Early life and education
Osmek was born in Glencoe, Minnesota. He attended St. Cloud State University, graduating with a B.E.S.

Minnesota Senate
Osmek was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2012.

In 2021, amid protests for racial justice during the trial of Derek Chauvin, he introduced a bill that would make people convicted of a crime at a protest ineligible for student loans and other state financial aid.

Personal life
Osmek is married to Kari. They have two children and reside in Mound, Minnesota, where Osmek served on the city council. He is a project manager.

References

External links

Senator David Osmek official Minnesota Senate website

1964 births
21st-century American politicians
Living people
Minnesota city council members
Republican Party Minnesota state senators
People from Glencoe, Minnesota
People from Mound, Minnesota
St. Cloud State University alumni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia