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ASUS ROG Phone 5 Hands-on Video Reveals a Secondary Display
Ram Ronquillo - January 19, 2021 0
Following the ASUS ROG Phone 4 teaser, we now get a sneak peek at the phone via a leaked hands-on video. Before we get into...
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Gets Hearing Enhancements Feature in First Update
Samsung has just released the first update for the all-new Galaxy Buds Pro which adds a "hearing enhancements feature". The new feature allows users to...
realme Teases a New X-series Phone
Madhav Sheth, the CEO of realme in Europe and India, has just posted a teaser for a new member of the company's X-series. His tweet...
New "Hibernation" Feature to Reduce App Memory Usage Could Make its Way to the Next Version of Android
The team at the Android Open Source Project is working on a "Hibernation" feature that reduces the memory usage of apps you aren't using....
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Dell Inspiron 14 7400 Review – An All-Rounder With A Stunning Display
Grant Soriano - January 18, 2021 0
Introduction The Dell XPS series is still the most beloved and premium laptop for enthusiasts and business people. Of course, it comes as at an...
Biostar B550MH Ver 6.0 Motherboard Review – A Taste of Fast Connectivity at A Low Price
Grant Soriano - December 31, 2020 0
Overall, the Biostar B550MH is a well-rounded motherboard for its price. Its Php 4,130 price tag makes it the cheapest B550 chipset motherboard.
Synology DS918+: a NAS with a perfect blend of software and hardware
Giancarlo Viterbo and Grant Soriano - December 31, 2020 0
Synology DS918+ Synology is a staple brand in the storage industry. It's probably the first thing that comes into mind when hearing about NAS or...
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PlayStation 5 Standard Edition Review: All Hail the King of Consoles
Giancarlo Viterbo - December 11, 2020 0
PlayStation 5 Standard Edition Review Pre-ordering a PlayStation 5 was one of the most controversial news in the tech scene in the world, not just...
PlayStation 5 set for a December 11 release date, priced at PHP27,990
Chris Garcia - November 11, 2020 0
Patience is a virtue, and after a long silence from PlayStation Asia, we finally have the release date and price for the upcoming PlayStation...
Facebook Introduces its Own Cloud-Based Gaming Service for Free Mobile Games
Ram Ronquillo - October 27, 2020 0
Facebook has just announced that Facebook Gaming will now offer cloud-streamed mobile games via the Facebook app or browser. The emphasis here is mobile...
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Why a 144Hz Gaming Monitor Should Be Your Next Upgrade ft. Lenovo G25-10
Grant Soriano - November 9, 2020 0
Back in the days, high-refresh-rate monitors were considered a luxurious item for PC enthusiasts. There was no RGB then, and generating FPS above 100...
What Specs To Look For in A Gaming Monitor ft. Lenovo G25-10
Grant Soriano - September 30, 2020 0
History of "Gaming Monitors" It was not a long time ago before high-refresh rate gaming monitors were considered to be "holy grail," premium items that...
The Right Device To Make Your Ideas Come To Life
Ever had the hypothetical lightbulb in your head sparking up, telling you that you just had an idea worth acting on? Pumped and inspired,...
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Home Gadgets HP Elite X3 Review: A Phone that Means Business
HP Elite X3 Review: A Phone that Means Business
Emman Tortoza
Business phones are devices which are aimed at people who are on the go, jumping from one meeting to another, meeting colleagues and customers, and are in need of a companion which can both be with them wherever they go, and can serve as an effective tool in accomplishing tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, research, and many more.
The HP Elite X3 is an example of such a device. It utilizes the power of Windows 10, offering its users productivity anytime, anywhere. It's not just a smartphone, but a 3-in-1 device. In a few steps, it can turn a display into a Windows Machine thanks to its Desk Dock accessory, and can also work as a laptop by connecting it to the Lap Dock accessory (Sold separately).
But with the emergence of ultraportable notebooks which offer more computing power without the need for any accessories, a question remains: Is it actually worth getting? Lets find out in this full review.
A Big Box For a Big Phone… Literally
If you saw how big the X3's box was, you wouldn't have thought there's a smartphone in there, but a laptop, or even a keyboard.
Well, the reason being is that it comes with a lot of accessories, including the Desk Dock for Continuum, a couple of covers for the dock, as well as a power adapter for it, and another for charging the phone, and the usual documentation. Sadly, there's no Displayport cable or adapter included.
Good Design, Questionable Build Quality
The X3's design gives off the vibe of somebody who has his game face on. Someone who means business, with its rounded corners, black and metallic finish, as well as the matte back panel.
Being a business phone which may house sensitive information, HP has also equipped the X3 with an Iris scanner beside the front-facing camera. And while all of this is well and good, they could've slashed a few millimeters off the bezels at the top and sides.
The front-firing Bang & Olufsen speaker at the bottom is brushed in a metallic finish, which gives a good contrast to the overall look.
All the buttons are located on the right side, and are positioned lower than what we are used to. And while the color complements the design well, they do feel wobbly.
On the left side is the SIM tray, which can hold two Nano SIM cards and a MicroSD card. Unlike in most phone these days, you won't need a SIM ejector to pull it out, just your fingernails would do. I wish they stuck with the former though, as I found it really difficult to remove the tray, especially with short fingernails.
Oddly, the rear panel is also made of plastic, which isn't something you would expect from a device of this price range and category. It's also quite slippery. There's also the 16MP rear camera, and a fingerprint sensor.
The bottom of the devices houses a USB-Type C port, while the headphone jack is located up top.
A Display Worthy of a Flagship
A top of the line phone deserves a top of the line display. So it's no wonder the X3 was fitted with a 5.9-inch WQHD display, its got accurate colors, the brightness is just right, and the vividness just makes any type content look more lively (Except for documents probably).
Performance as Expected, with a Few Quirks
HP Elite X3 Specs:
2.15GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Quad-Core Processor
4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 64 GB of Internal Storage Expandable up to 256GB via MicroSD Card
5.9-inch WQHD AMOLED Display, Gorilla Glass 4 Protection, Anti-Smudge Coating
16MP Rear Camera, f/2.2, 6P Japanese Lens
8MP Front Camera, f/2.2, 5P Japanese Lens
LTE, Dual SIM
Bang & Olufsen Front-Firing Speakers
Colors: Graphite Chrome, Gold
Passed IP67 for water and dust resistance
Passed MIL-STD 810G testing – grade salt, fog, humidity, transport shock and thermal shock resistant
Microsoft Continuum Support
Hall Effect
As a smartphone, the X3 performed as expected from a flagship device. The Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM was more than enough to handle everything I threw at it, whether it be word processing, email, web browsing, media consumption, and even gaming. There were instances of delays in response, but it might be just a case of software optimization.
One unique thing about the X3 is that it can transform any display into a Windows machine using Continuum for Windows 10. All you have to do is connect it to its Deskdock accessory, and you're good to go.
There are a couple of things to take note of . The Deskdock accessory uses a Displayport for connecting to your monitor, so you'll have to have a Displayport on your monitor, or at least a DP to HDMI adapater to make it work. The dock also has its own power adapter and Ethernet port. Thankfully, it also has USB ports for connecting a mouse and keyboard (You can also use the phone as a touchpad).
So how does the X3 perform in Continuum? well, while the experience is almost the same when using a Full Blooded Windows PC as apps open quickly and you have more room to work with, especially when using productivity apps, plus, you can do a lot of things: browse the web, watch a movie, etc. it's not as snappy in terms of navigation though, productivity apps such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint only offer basic functions compared to their desktop counterparts, and not all apps are compatible with it. Meaning, they'll run on the phone's display instead.
The X3 still functions as a regular smartphone even when in Continuum mode, so you can still receive text messages and calls without any interruptions on your main display. Since apps that you're using are on the phone, it doesn't matter if you suddenly disconnect it from the display, just reconnect it again, and you can continue where you left off. This is useful when for example, you're editing a document, and you have to bring the phone with you.
The thing is, you're basically still using a phone. That means your usual x86 apps will not run natively. One thing you can do is find the app (or at least a good alternative) in the Windows Store. Or, you can use HP's Workspace, which is basically a paid service that uses a virtual machine over the cloud to run traditional Windows apps.
The Windows Store does offer some of the apps that I need, like Skype, Facebook, Messenger, Viber, Spotify, and Instagram. But it still falls short when compared to the libraries of its competition. We can only hope that it gets more support from different developers in the future.
Decent Imaging Capabilities
The rear camera could do more with sharpness, but was still able to produce decent looking photos with accurate colors under ideal conditions. 16:9 photos are limited to 10MP, so you'll have to switch to a 4:3 aspect ratio if you want the full 16MP.
Selfies taken by the 8MP front-facing camera also suffers from the same lack of sharpness, but are also decent overall, provided that there's adequate lighting.
The camera interface is quite simple and easy to use with only normal and panorama modes to choose from. It does however, give you more control over your shots with settings for ISO, Shutter Speed and White Balance. You can add more features to the camera app by downloading "Lenses" from the Windows Store.
Better with Headphones On
The B & O name might lead you to expect great sound quality from the speaker, but don't expect too much from it. The sound quality is decent at best, and there's distortion at high volume. It's loud enough, at least.
The listening experience becomes so much better when using headphones. Bass is evident, but not overpowering, clarity is also greatly improved without having a piercing effect even at high volume.
An Operating System with Great Potential
Windows 10 mobile uses tiles to represent apps on the Home screen. And being optimized for touch, the interface is very easy to navigate. Swipe down from the top of the screen to view your quick toggles and notifications, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to display or hide the on-screen buttons, and swipe left to view a list of all apps.
There's a lot of room to customize here. You can add, remove, and re-order tiles as you wish, change the size of text, apps, and other items on your current display, and even change the overall color scheme. The dedicated Settings menu gives you access to more options such as accounts, power options, time, language, and many more.
Overall, Windows 10 Mobile has a lot of potential, with Continuum, and especially when the library of apps gets bigger, and hopefully when x86 apps can run natively on mobile ARM based chips.
Slow to Drain, Quick to Charge
The X3 has great battery life. In our test using continuous video playback at 80% volume and 50% brightness, we were able to squeeze out around 10 hours of uptime. What's even better is that it charges from zero to full in less than 2 hours.
The HP Elite X3 is an extremely powerful device capable of handling daily tasks and heavy multi-tasking. It takes advantage of Windows 10's features to provide the necessary tools for productivity. As a smartphone, it has a great display, decent imaging capability, excellent battery life, but a somewhat questionable build quality.
Continuum support is definitely a plus, as it allows users to maximize the real estate that a bigger display can provide. The experience may not be as smooth as when you're using a full-blooded PC or laptop, but it's certainly getting there.
It doesn't come without quirks though, as this great device carries the same problem that plagued previous Windows smartphones, that is, availability of apps. There's also the issue of not being able to run native x86 apps. Sure, HP Workspace is a great alternative, but you're still somewhat limited by having to rely on a cloud-based solution, especially when you're in an area with slow or unreliable internet connectivity. Then of course, there's the price (Around PhP38,000).
So, to answer our question earlier. Is this worth getting? Well, that boils down to personal preference. If you prefer a pocket friendly device that lets you work on your daily taks whenever, wherever, and can instantly turn your monitor into a Windows PC, then the X3 is a decent choice. Otherwise, a laptop would be your next best option.
Continuum Support
Fast Iris Recognition
Camera Performance
Quick to Charge
Sound Quality When Using Headphones
The Not So Good
Price (Around PhP38,000)
Sound Quality from Speaker
Performance When in Continuum
Small library of apps in-store
You have to purchase the Lap Dock seperately
Does not come with a Displayport cable
Poorly optimized software
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
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Founded in 2009 by Gian Viterbo, Gadget Pilipinas is one of Philippines' top sources for news, tutorials, reviews and tips about the latest trends in technology, gadgets, social and digital media and cyber culture. We specialize in writing press releases, advertising services, discussing matters that can help consumers regarding technology and reviewing units.
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This sequel is tough and battle ready.
Our second proper look at The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is finally here, and it is a glorious takedown of Chris Pratt as a leading male action hero. Spinning out of the events we saw the very end of the last film, Bricksburg has seen better days, but at its center is Emmet Brickowski (Pratt) and he still doesn't have a care in the world. Everything will always be awesome.
The film definitely spotlights Pratt over Elizabeth Banks as the kidnapped WyldStyle, and while I appreciate a lot of the deprecating humor targetted at Pratt, I still hope there is plenty of action for Banks' kickass lego to devastate. Since we're getting double-mint Pratt, maybe this new Lego toy system has room for a Banks clone as well. But I'm getting ahead of myself. There is a lot to explore in this trailer, let's dive right into the opening hellscape.
The trailer begins very similarly to the first one released way back in June of this year. After the Duplo alien invasion, the people of Bricksburg can no longer celebrate their "Everything is Awesome" philosophy. WyldStyle looks across a barren wasteland from her perch atop the Lego version of the Statue of Liberty from Planet of the Apes. "You blew it up, you maniacs!" Everything is bleak with no smiles in sight.
That is until Emmet the cheerful crusader drops in with a double dose of coffee to wash away that bitter disposition. A girl can't go anywhere to brood with this gormless guy around.
The fury road of Bricksburg's apocalypse is just another blissful dancefloor for Emmet to rock his headphones. Even with roving marauders interrupting what is sure to be another sunny song, Emmet is unable to change with the times. For WyldStyle being tough and battle-ready is not a problem. For Emmet, it's an impossibility.
When a shooting star announces the arrival of Sweet Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz), the citizens of Bricksburg flee to the most secured bunker around: The Bat-Cave. Makes sense that the Dark Knight imperator would operate The Citadel.
Unikitty (Alison Brie) slips in right before the slowly closing bat-doors slam shut, but one little star friend is trapped in the gap. Witnessing the lil guy's pain is too much for Emmet, and when the star relates the sensation of cold taking over his body, the dope flips the switch releasing the creature. Hurray! No harm, no foul, right?
General Sweet Mayhem crashes her way through and kidnaps the fiercest leader of Bricksburg. Wrapped in a bevy of adorable stickers, WyldStyle is ripped from her friends and imprisoned in Mayhem's spaceship. Notice Mayhem's friendly design, signifying a universe of Legos not previously seen cinematically.
Once again, Emmet is to blame, but he's not going to sit out this adventure. Brick by brick, snap by snap, he constructs a starship from the available suburban pieces. To infinity and beyond, they're going where no brick has gone before. And just like J.J.'s Captain Kirk, Emmet will challenge the final frontier to the tune of the Beastie Boys.
Emmet is about to perish within an asteroid field when he's rescued by his most handsome and stubbliest doppelganger, Rex Dangervest (also voiced by Pratt). He's everything Emmet is not. You know, a badass.
…and herded a world of Jurassic beasts all in the name of science and adventure. Nothing to laugh about here, we're just nudge-nudging and wink-winking with these clever filmmaker gooses.
If that were not enough, it appears that Rex pilots around the galaxy inside a star destroyer in the shape of a fist. Rex is all man, and he will be a tremendous thorn in Emmet's self-assurance.
Or not. Looks like Emmet doesn't know the meaning of the word doubt. He stares in the face of the ultimate male and cuddles his raptor pets into submission. The Lego Movie 2 highlights both the adorable and ferocious aspects of Chris Pratt's charm, and the only man feeling less about himself because of this trailer is the one typing these words. The dude is undeniably cool.
…as terrifying as a many-armed squid demon. We're with Batman, we prefer the palatable pony version as well.
We catch a quick glimpse of a Justice League dance party before bouncing back to Batman atop a skyscraper waging war with a Duplo kiddie frog monstrosity. His batarangs prove ineffective against its cuteness. Despite a direct hit, the abomination defies the glum Gothamite with a "Missed me." Uh, no he did not! This cute toad is a beast.
Emmet and WyldStyle reunite by the end of the trailer, and she makes a shocking discovery. In an effort to compete with Rex's unquestionable manliness, Emmet has Sharpied on a few stubble dots. She calls him out on it and he immediately denies such foolishness, but it's too late to retract the marks of insecurity. A quick wipe of the chin only further exposes his precarious masculinity.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part obliterates galaxies and theaters on February 8, 2019.


The 5th annual Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival starts today!
The annual Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, created by artist Tyler the Creator, will begin today in L.A. The event is filled with rides, music, food, and exclusive golf wang merchandise. The music line up includes Tyler, Erykah Badu, School Boy Q, Toro Y Moi, Joey Bada$$, Kamasi Washington, Yuna, Action Bronson, The Internet, and more.
This will be Tyler's 5th year in a row hosting the successful carnival. See the final set times below.
Previous Post Princess Nokia releases music video for "Brujas".


*If you would like to join the Harmony Hustlers 4-H Club the first meeting of the new year will be this Sunday, October 1 @ 3:30 in the school concessions area. If you can't make it to the meeting but would like to join talk to Missy Lick.
*Reminder - Butterbraid sales are due Monday, October 2nd!
· FCCLA meeting during lunch in Mrs. Kriz's room. We will be getting fundraiser forms and picking out projects. All students that want to be members this year need to attend!!
· XC – Sisseton Invitational at 4:30; Please excuse these students at 2:40 – Tye S. Josh Q. Tana L. Sydney M. Kailey J. Emery C. Ayden O. Riley C. Grayson M.


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Queen's research shows how an alien observer might detect Earth
A group of scientists from Queen's University Belfast and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany have looked at how an alien observer might be able to detect Earth using our own methods.
They find that at least nine exoplanets are ideally placed to observe transits of Earth, in a new work published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Thanks to facilities and missions such as SuperWASP and Kepler, we have now discovered thousands of planets orbiting stars other than our Sun, worlds known as 'exoplanets'. The vast majority of these are found when the planets cross in front of their host stars in what are known as 'transits', which allow astronomers to see light from the host star dim slightly at regular intervals every time the planet passes between us and the distant star.
In the new study, the authors reverse this concept and ask, "How would an alien observer see the Solar System?" They identified parts of the distant sky from where various planets in our Solar System could be seen to pass in front of the Sun – so-called 'transit zones' -- concluding that the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are actually much more likely to be spotted than the more distant 'Jovian' planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), despite their much larger size.
"Larger planets would naturally block out more light as they pass in front of their star", commented lead author Robert Wells, a PhD student at Queen's University Belfast. "However the more important factor is actually how close the planet is to its parent star – since the terrestrial planets are much closer to the Sun than the gas giants, they'll be more likely to be seen in transit."
To look for worlds where civilisations would have the best chance of spotting our Solar System, the astronomers looked for parts of the sky from which more than one planet could be seen crossing the face of the Sun. They found that three planets at most could be observed from anywhere outside of the Solar System, and that not all combinations of three planets are possible.
Katja Poppenhaeger, a co-author of the study, added: "We estimate that a randomly positioned observer would have roughly a 1 in 40 chance of observing at least one planet. The probability of detecting at least two planets would be about ten times lower, and to detect three would be a further ten times smaller than this."
Of the thousands of known exoplanets, the team identified sixty-eight worlds where observers would see one or more of the planets in our Solar System transit the Sun. Nine of these planets are ideally placed to observe transits of Earth, although none of the worlds are deemed to be habitable.
In addition, the team estimate that there should be approximately ten (currently undiscovered) worlds which are favourably located to detect the Earth and are capable of sustaining life as we know it. To date however, no habitable planets have been discovered from which a civilisation could detect the Earth with our current level of technology.
The ongoing K2 mission of NASA's Kepler spacecraft is to continue to hunt for exoplanets in different regions of the sky for a few months at a time. These regions are centred close to the plane of Earth's orbit, which means that there are many target stars located in the transit zones of the Solar System planets. The team's plans for future work include targeting these transit zones to search for exoplanets, hopefully finding some which could be habitable.
Media inquiries to Emma Gallagher, Communications Officer at Queen's University on 028 9097 5384 and emma.gallagher@qub.ac.uk
IGFS at Queen's partners with local agri-food industry to promote Northern Ireland on global stage
Alien object 'Oumuamua was a natural body visiting from another solar system – Queen's scientists
Queen's University honours Seagate's Stephen Luczo
University of Manchester Vice-Chancellor Receives Honorary Degree from Queen's
Queen's launch MBA programme to enhance career progression

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Any tips for booster training? Do I lock the belt? Not lock it? if I lock it, when do I stop doing that? Thank you!
Sure you *can* (as long as it's not forbidden in the vehicle manual) but it's not necessary. It can be a helpful tool for those early days. DS1 (5.5) actually prefers to have the belt locked when he's boosterd. He feels more secure.
I find w/ older kids, at least mine, little 'training' is needed. They're old enough you can say 'this is how you need to act' and they get it for the most part. Doesn't mean they'll always be perfect (AJ had a tempter tantrum in his just yesterday and wouldn't sit back, lol) but it's not as hard as starting at 4.5yo or so. Evan has been in a booster twice and doesn't like it b/c I think he knows he has a hard time sitting still and he knows he has to in a booster. Our seatbelts don't lock, so that's not really an option anyways.
My kids is 4.5 and I really didn't have to do anything. I sat her in it, showed her her how to sit properly, routed the belt around her, and buckled. I explained how she needed to sit and how she coudn't lean forward or to the side. Basically, I told her to sit back with her head between the wings for the entire trip. Then we took a drive to the supermarket, which is like 1/2 a mile away. She did great. And, uh, since I had just been in a wreck and didn't have a replacement harnessed seat for her, the booster was it. She rode around in it for a few weeks with ZERO problems. I know she's on the younger side, but she's got great maturity and didn't need ANY reminding to sit properly for the few weeks until I got her another harnessed seat.
My theory is that booster-training is like potty-training. If it just seems harder than it should be, you're probably right. It's best to step back and try again later on. When the kid is ready, it goes quickly and easily.
ITA. My ds1 was so motivated to NOT be in a harness he sat perfectly in a booster a few months after his 4th birthday. Some kids will do it, some won't.
Mommy to two wild little boys and a little princess!
most kids by that age just aren't going to try to lean forward to get toys and stuff... they're used to the carseat and the habit of sitting right the whole ride.
The one thing I've noticed with long-term harnessed kids is that when they get in a booster, they're so used to not having to worry about what the car is doing that they're more likely to tip with curves, because they're not actively keeping themselves upright (and hence keeping the booster sat upright, too). This has happened with a couple of friends, and all it took was pointing it out to the child (7-9 year olds, in these cases).
I mentioned the Clek Oobr in my first post. It's latchable, and it fits small riders well.
Yes I looked that one up - i am working on DH and the price right now - He has been very good spending that on car seats but I am having a harder time convincing him on that for a booster - I'm working on it though I'm sure if I can sell her other seat to make up some of the difference, i should be able to talk him into it - We may just start with a turbo until I can get the Oobr.
Which booster if going straight from harness to booster with no training?
How do I know what type of seatbelts I have? And a question on booster training.


Bill Title: Regulation of residential building design elements; prohibiting county and municipal regulation; providing exemptions; providing definitions. Effective date.
There are no visible public or private PolitiCorps discussions concerning the 2019 Oklahoma SB862 at this time.


Nat's Paper Studio takes privacy very seriously. This policy sets out how Nat's Paper Studio (herby referred to as 'NPS') uses and protects any information that you give when you use this company.
NPS is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.
NPS may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 07.05.2018.
All data is visible to you at all times and can be deleted upon request at any time. Your personal information is only held within Trello and will not appear anywhere else. Trello boards are only visible to people who are invited to the board via email and are kept private at all times.
What do NPS do with the information gathered?
We require this information to complete and deliver your order. As well as providing you with a better service, and in particular for internal record keeping, follow ups and testimonial requests.
NPS will keep samples of your designs on file for photographing, portfolio and marketing purposes. This includes using them on social media and on the website and including them in sample packs.. NPS will not use anything with your home address on. If you do not want NPS to use your samples for future marketing then please let us know via written confirmation in an email.
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Once complete your job will be archived on Trello, but your information will still be accessible on the software for up to a year after the job completes. After a year your details will be permanently deleted. This includes any address, guest lists and wording for your stationery and your Trello board. Furthermore all emails will be deleted within a year of the final job completing. Invoices (just using your name) will be kept for 7 years as per tax regulations.
NPS are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical and electronic safeguards.
You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information. If you have previously agreed to NPS using your personal information for direct marketing purposes and you may change your mind at any time please email us to let us know in writing.
You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. If you do so please email to request access. If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please email us as soon as possible. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.


This Cafe is an easy to run business with weekly sales of approx $6,000 selling coffee and cabinet food only. Coffee sales are approx. 15kgs per week..
The current owner has run this business for 3 years with the assistance of 4 part time staff members.
This Cafe operates 7 days with simple to prepare food. There is huge potential to set up a kitchen also and sell menu style food.
There is a long secure lease in place until 2028.
Asking price is $90,000 plus stock.
For more information please contact Lucy on 021 063 9596.


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The Romanian Revolution / On the birth of the Minimal music scene in Israel
By Yaron Trax, founder and Owner of the block Club Tel Aviv
It will soon be four years since I heard Romanian Minimal music for the first time and I can still remember the feeling as if it was yesterday. The sweet memory of secret sunrises at the Israeli Summer Of Love, the first wave of underground acid parties held at beaches and forests in the early 1990's, shedding light on a brave new world opening up in front of a 22 year old kid who wanted to be a modern-classical composer, but realized a different calling awaits.
If you compare it to the music of those times (early European Techno and Trance), you will find that the BPM is considerably lower, the groove is totally different and the sound is worlds apart, and yet, underneath all the layers of sound and time, something similar is hidden. Maybe it's because both genres are mantra-based (sentences or segments that if repeated enough times, will bring you to enlightenment), maybe it is the similar harmonic concept, or maybe something in the general approach, something almost mystical that is hard to put your finger on.
Alongside the memories, another feeling emerged, the feeling of freshness and innovation, which in fact also brought back old times, because this was exactly what we felt back then - that something new is happening, something like never before. In a paradoxical way (that I still find hard to explain even to myself), I suddenly felt the same type of fresh feeling, so many years later. On top of the roots of the past, my ears identified a new formula that I didn't hear before - something about the drum programming, especially the kick and hi-hat patterns, felt new and different. It reminded me of how important the word Fresh is, and should always be, for electronic music, like a beacon of light when we search for the way forward, just like the final words in the old classic "In the beginning there was Jack" house acapella - "and this is fresh".
But apart from the drum programming and sound innovations, there was something more, something about the general philosophy and aesthetics. I felt the air in the music, the space and serenity. My children were about a year old back then, and I immediately noticed I can play these tunes in the living room at high volume without scaring them. The sound filled the space with love, softness, pleasantness and elegance. Like a wind blowing from room to room. To me it felt like a sort of miracle - a delicate, non-aggressive groove, restrained and patient, and at the same time so powerful, clubby, tribal and the most narcotic I could ever imagine. In my fantasy world you could call it the holy grail, and inside a musical scene that felt stagnant and unoriginal for some years now (at least for those who were there since the beginning of the 90s to this day), it sounded like a hint of revelation.
Later, Tal Cohen and I began watching YouTube clips from Romania, mainly from Sunwaves festival, and the sensation of a miracle intensified - how could it be? How can thousands of people dance to such low-key music? After all, everything we knew about festivals and huge parties pointed to the exact opposite - the larger the audience, the more extreme and aggressive the music should be, while here we saw something completely different happening. In the 2015 Tel Aviv scene it was unimaginable, and people who we showed the clips to suggested it is all about the types and doses of drugs the Romanians are consuming. Of course later we've found out that Romanians do the same drugs as any other people, and many don't do drugs at all, but at the time, the notion that so many people simply enjoy this type of music - without breaks, peaks and dramas - seemed inconceivable.
The deeper I delved into this sound, the stronger and clearer I felt that amidst all of the local aggression (which was something I was thinking a lot about at the time), this is exactly the antidote Tel Aviv needs right now, and furthermore, in the 21st century world of never ending stimulation and crazy pace of changes, this is exactly what the world needs right now.
Later, when the first Romanian DJs landed in Tel Aviv and I found myself dancing to the new groove on The Block's dancefloors, I noticed that not only my dance moves are changing, but also my communication with the people around me. The space between the sounds seemed to allow for an inviting zone where it's more pleasant and calm to communicate, the level of tension drops and it is easier to accept each other and yourself. The music created a surprising and magical combination of peacefulness, calmness and an ongoing euphoria that could last for hours, free from stress and the familiar need for never-ending stimulations, or in other words - there's no need for something new to happen every moment, in order for us to feel happier, because everything is perfectly fine the way it is now and we can go on like this forever. This was totally different from everything I knew up till then (and only lately, reading about and practicing Mindfulness meditation, I see the resemblance between this esthetic and philosophical approach to Buddhism).
Around the same time I read an interview with DJ Koze where he talked about the future of electronic music and described the exact same idea: "people are not able to concentrate longer than twenty seconds, and they need a climax. Otherwise, they are lost. We are so over-polluted and over-challenged. It's like politics - in every medium, everybody's screaming. It's too much. Empty and slow music, where every sound has a function, is really modern. Our brain needs this break, for only certain few elements to stick on. It is really refreshing."
All of these new sensations raised some fascinating questions in me about the social and psychological effects new musical genres can have on the world and on the spiritual evolution of humanity. What really happens when we learn to move and communicate differently? When we learn to listen, and as a result - to think, a little different?
Gradually, I found myself exposed to a brave new world; A world of DJs with the best mixing technique I ever saw, sometimes playing four tracks simultaneously, using exotic names which sound like a series of rare Pokemons (and even just pronouncing these names rang like poetry to me - Priku, Arapu, Cezar, Rhadoo, Crihan, Raresh, Sublee, Dragutesku, Petre Inspirescu, Dubtil, Mihigh, Nu Zau, Sepp); A world of mythology and urban legends that move on like rumors in dark and smokey backstage rooms; of a rich and diverse sound with influences that pull from a giant wealth of sources - from early Trance music, Techno and House, through to Dub, Jazz and Acid House, to World music, Classical music, Experimental music and more; I found myself reading the comments in Soundcloud and Youtube to learn and feel, together with other people throughout the planet, the same excitement of something new being born; following curiously and with wonder after the growing numbers of listeners to sets, the Romanian stages that popped up like mushrooms after the rain in leading festivals, and the gigs in places like Australia, South America, Russia, The UK, Arab countries and more, that suddenly filled the yearly calendars of anonymous names from Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca (who hardly played outside of Romania up until then); I started talking to DJs, producers, promoters and clubbers from Romania and other countries, exchanging reports in real time on related parties and communities forming right now across the globe.
As more time passed, I noticed a few other unique phenomenons that further established my understanding that something unusual is happening, like the fact that most of the clubbers who started listening to this music found themselves, within months, not being able to dance to anything else anymore (something in the groove was almost reprogramming your brain and body into a different pattern that blocked access to previous ones), or the rapid growth rate of new Romanian DJs / producers. Unlike movements such as Detroit's early techno (which began with the first wave of three pioneering founders and continued with a second and third wave, each of whom included a limited number of prominent artists), Romanian music seem to grow and expand exponentially in recent years, and after a first wave that was also founded by three pioneers, more waves arrived, grew and rapidly reached tens and hundreds of young new artists, expanding the movement to epic proportions that resemble an immense army of clones, although each one is a world in its own right, full of colors and nuances, some play full sets composed solely of original unreleased tracks, something unprecedented in such proportions in the history of electronic music.
All of this data seem to form one broad picture. Again, I sensed a feeling that I had felt more than two decades ago. I knew that feeling. This is how the outbreak of a global epidemic feels. I knew that such a thing doesn't happens when just fashion changes, it happens when there is a real shift - a shift in perception, and I felt so grateful to experience it and be a part of it for the second time in my life. Just like then, this time too I felt the uncontrollable urge to spread the word.
But while Tal Cohen, myself and other music fans around the world felt as if we were touched by the light, the first years at The Block were less shiny. For a start, most of the international DJs that arrived at the club didn't share our enthusiasm, especially the Germans seemed critical, maybe sensing a threat to their world hegemony and even worse - by the European underdogs (a couple of notable exceptions, both American veterans, were Dubfire, who told us that the best sets you can currently hear in Ibiza are the ones by Rhadoo in the small club "Underground", and Danny Tenaglia, who appeared stunned when approaching Tal Cohen that played before him some Romanian music, asking "What is this crazy futuristic minimal s##t?" and writing down the names of all the last five tracks played by Tal). Also in the local scene, the new sound was received with suspicion and disrespect - party goers remained indifferent and bored, leaving the dancefloors empty accordingly, some of the scene's opinion leaders expressed criticism and disregard ("There is no innovation here, this genre started a decade ago and was already popular and diminished" / "This is commercial and inferior music" / "It's an invention of The Block, this genre is of no interest to anyone in the world and certainly not in Israel"), and even in the immediate circle of The Block staff there was opposition and debates about the new musical direction the club decided to adopt.
As a business that has to pay the bills at the end of each month, we couldn't afford to continue supporting something that can't prove itself on the dancefloor and generate profit, so towards the end of 2016, after ten months of trying, we were very close to giving up.
They say the darkest hour is just before dawn, and our first ray of light came on a gloomy Friday night in the beginning of December 2016, when Romanian producer and DJ Adrian Niculae AKA Priku, landed for the first time in Israel and played a groundbreaking 4-hour set on The Block's main floor, re-assembling all the rules we knew up till then. It was either our ears were adjusting to the new sound, or his phenomenal ability to drive a dancefloor, or both - something finally clicked. That night in December marked the birth of the local minimal community, and from there on, slowly but surely, organically and gradually, it evolved. Week after week, month after month, more and more new friends joined the family, boys and girls with sparks in their eyes, talking among themselves about the embrace and warmth they feel from the music, the desire to hear more and more from this new beauty that they just discovered and the growing difficulty to dance to other grooves. I knew there was no turning back from here. Criticism and skepticism continued, but I knew - and also told anyone who were willing to listen - that the die has been cast.
From ten Israelis in Sunwaves Festival in 2016, it became 300 in 2019; from half empty dancefloors at The Block and The Squat, It became fully packed yards lasting up to 12:30 or even 14:30 PM, with a crowd of regulars, super aware and updated, knowing exactly what they are after; From hardly one DJ it became tens of local DJs playing this music, in Tel Aviv and in other cities (Hello Jerusalem!), some became residents of the club, some started producing amazing original music (influenced by what's going on in Romania, but with an added unique local touch) that the Romanians play in their sets.
Social and professional relationships, based on love and mutual appreciation began to form between Bucharest and Cluj Napoca to Tel Aviv - collaborative work on original studio music, back to back DJ sets, visits, vacations, friendships and shared experiences. An intercultural, underground, real and exciting connection was made.
Over time, alongside the forming community, a gradual change in the collective consciousness of the general public occurred. The combination of the transformations in the international scene and our stubborn persistence at the Block (every week - Main Floor / Squat / Lounge or Yard), plus the genre's leakage to other clubs in the city and other cities, led to a process of gradual infiltration into the collective subconscious of the scene. Because that's what happens when the body is repeatedly exposed to the same thing - whether you want to or not, it doesn't matter if you listen to Soundcloud for a living, or if you have no idea who is currently playing and what is the genre, something begins to seep and assimilate. In the bloodstream, in the legs, in the bones. What felt so foreign three and a half years ago, turned into something natural that everyone is already moving to, as if it had always been here. The body has adapted itself to the dance movements that went from dancer to dancer, through vision, through sound, through what we learned at the festivals in Romania, through the collective memories of the trance dance of past years, through YouTube clips. A new common language was formed.
The change could also be felt among the international DJs who came to The Block, some of whom were exposed to the genre for the first time when we sat them in the office to hear the latest unreleased tracks we received from the Romanian producers, or when we dragged them to the yard to feel the vibe after finishing their set on the main floor. The initial suspicion was replaced by appreciation and curiosity, and the result can be heard today in sets by DJs like the German collective Giegling, Resident Advisor's Label of the year, in the sound of Techno legends like Italian genius Donato Dozzy (who when supposed to play at The Block asked that we place him next to Romanian DJ Barac instead of other Techno DJs) and in special minimal sets by musical legends such as Roman Flugel at the urban yard, and soon (here's a scoop) you will be able to listen to the Burning Man's shaman Acid Pauli himself playing a minimal set he prepared especially for the yard, inspired by the hour he spent with us there, after completing his set on the main stage last October. And it's not because we asked, it was his request. He also insisted the slot will be before and after the Romanian DJs.
Moreover, my initial feelings about the impact of this groove on the aggression level at the club (which has always been a sensitive spot for me) have been proven, and compared to the other rooms, the amount of events that require the security interventions at the yard and the squat during minimal parties is almost nonexistent. Whole evenings go by without a need for the security guards. No violence, no harassment, everything just flows.
As of 2019, the epidemic has spread throughout the planet. This music is no longer being produced only in Bucharest or Cluj Napoca, and beyond Romania, there are currently minimal scenes of parties / festivals / DJs and local musical producers also in The UK, France, Russia, the Netherlands, Israel, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Tunisia , Albania, Colombia, Argentina, Greece, Cyprus, Yugoslavia, Japan, Italy, Australia, Vietnam, and the United States, and if you look at the calendar of DJs such as Priku for example, who skipped between no less than 28 countries in the first half of the year, you can add to the list of countries who book Romanian DJs - Turkey, Georgia, Belgium, Hungary, Slovenia, China, Austria, Serbia, in Valeria, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Brazil (and this is definitely a partial list).
Times they are a-changin', as Bob Dylan once sang.
Looking back on all my years in the nightlife (which is quite a lot), I feel that what has happened here in recent years is the most exciting and satisfying process I have ever experienced. I feel we are fulfilling our destiny as a club community. Not only do we spread the gospel in Israel and throughout the world, we also contribute to it and become part of it ourselves, and to feel the social and creative connection between us and another nation is inspiring.
For me, Minimal, Rominimal, or whatever it is going to be called in the future, is not Techno, nor House, and not something in between. It is the third groove, the third branch, alongside Techno and House, on the tree of modern club music, or like French DJ and producer Varhat once told me: "It is a new way of listening to music". The influence of this new branch on the world of clubbing specifically and on culture in general will be (and already is) far reaching, and therefore what happened in recent years in Bucharest is as important as what happened in Chicago in the 80s with the birth of house music and as important as what happened in Detroit with the birth of Techno, and I am curious as a child to hear where will it evolve to in coming years.
Just before I sum things up, it seems like you cannot write a post like this without addressing the question why Romania of all places? Although this is one of the most frequently asked questions and despite dozens of conversations I have had with the Romanians on this subject, there is no one clear answer. What we do know is that a history of hardship and suffering was, and always will be, a fertile ground to great art and breakthroughs, just like the birth of Techno in the dying Detroit, the gay and Latino community in NYC during the Paradise Garage era, or the black slaves and Jazz. The Romanians, who have lived for many years under brutal dictatorship and poverty, are very familiar with pain and suffering, and the fall of that regime, like the fall of the Berlin Wall, has led to a sense of liberation and freedom that created optimal conditions for artistic expression. In addition, as the eternal underdogs of Europe, the Romanians seem to have managed to maintain a basic and deep level of modesty and work ethic, alongside with an original and independent thought and a strong respect for art. It is also interesting to note that the artistic renaissance that has taken place in Romania in recent years does not only amount to electronic music, but also the video art, which has developed hand in hand with the development of music, is currently the most advanced in the world and, as I have been told, Romanian cinema, dance and choreography are groundbreaking as well.
If you've come all this way through this long post and still can't feel the vibe or just getting a slight taste of the genre for the first time, I would like to say that feeling a new groove could be a time consuming process, but at its end, a huge gift awaits. Groove is something that needs to be absorbed in the bloodstream until it flows naturally, and if you want to experience something new, you need to look (or listen) from a new angle. If you look for something you're used to find in something you liked before, you definitely won't find it, but if you let your curiosity lead you through unpaved grounds, you may find a wonderful new world (and in the meanwhile, if you want to practice, you're invited to listen to one of the sets in the first comment).
Finally, to all of the urban yard clowns and the tent dancers of Sunwaves festivals, to all the local minimal heads wherever they are - thank you for building this community together, thanks for the love and the passion. It's so much fun to be part of this beautiful thing, together


It so happened. And, guess what? 100% Guilt Free.
These bad boys are Gluten Free, Carb Free(bie foods list), and Sugar Free. Wha Wha??!!
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the oil, honey, almond butter, and vanilla in a separate, smaller bowl. Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and combine well. Your own two hands to the best job of getting it all combined. If you find the mixture is too dry and crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach cookie dough consistency.
Taste, and add stevia if you prefer the dough sweeter. Mix in the desired amount of chocolate chips and roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls.
1. The more you work the dough, the more the coconut oil will melt, resulting in the balls getting greasy. Return the dough to the freezer to re-harden if this bothers you.
2. This recipe doubles well.
— Find the recipe here.


text:
35: Steven Lutvak, Cabaret, and "A Gentlemen's Guide to a Gentleman's Guide"
Deborah Sharn talks with Tony awarding winning singer/songwriter Steven Lutvak about his upcoming cabaret show in St. Louis April 8 & 9 at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival theater. Deborah and Steven also talk about the musical, "A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder" which won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Musical.