Halcyon.

Introduction The Microsoft Java Virtual Machine, or MS Java VM, is used to run Java applets that can be found on web sites. When you visit a web site that has a Java applet, the MS JVM will compile and execute that applet on your machine. As of this writing Microsoft no longer supports the MS JVM and it has become obsolete. There have also been known security issues with un patched version of the MS JVM we advise that you remove it and install the safer SUN JVM as an alternative. If you have Windows XP SP1a installed on your computer, then you do not have the MS JVM installed on your machine. Uninstalling the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (JVM) Please follow these steps to uninstall the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine: Click on the Start menu, then select the Run option. In the Open: field type in or copy and paste the following text RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection java.inf,UnInstall Then press the OK button. You will now be presented with a conformation prompt like the one below: Press the Yes button to start the uninstall process of the MS JVM. Windows will uninstall the files and then give you a prompt asking whether or not you want to restart the computer. You should press the YES button to allow it to do so. When the computer has restarted and you are back at the desktop delete the follow folders and directories: c:\windows\inf\java.pnf c:\windows\java c:\windows\system32\wjview.exe c:\windows\system32\jview.exe Click on the Start menu, then select the Run option. In the Open: field type in or copy and paste the following text: regedit.exe Press the OK button. Navigate to the following keys and delete them: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Java VM HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\JAVA_VM If you are using Windows NT or 2000 then you may have to replace all occurrences of c:\windows with c:\winnt in the instructions above. If you are using Windows 95, 98, 98SE and ME then you need to replace all occurrences of c:\windows\system32 with c:\windows\system in the instructions above. Now you should go to http://www.java.com/ and download and install the latest SUN Java for your operating system. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask them in our computer help forums.

If you're running an older version of Windows, you might suddenly find Microsoft's Windows 10 upgrade already downloaded on your machine. You never requested it, so why are you getting it? The automatic download is part of Microsoft's aggressive push to get Windows 10 on as many devices as possible. Since last July, Microsoft has distributed the free upgrade on request. But starting this week, it's also pushing it out to those who haven't requested it—and who might not want it. Microsoft isn't actually installing Windows 10 automatically, but installation is just a click or two away. If you're not careful, you might suddenly find the new system on your old machine. Is this good for you? ___ THE BENEFITS OF WINDOWS 10 Windows 10 has many improvements over its predecessors—especially Windows 8. It's much easier to use than Windows 8, and it offers more modern controls—akin to mobile devices—than Windows 7. (There is no Windows 9.) Windows 10 also paves the way for multiple devices to work together. You might be able to buy an app once to run on your PC, phone and Xbox game machine, for instance. The app's layout would automatically reconfigure to the given screen size. New apps are being designed for Windows 10, so if you have an older system, you might find yourself shut out. ___ BENEFITS FOR MICROSOFT Microsoft is reducing reliance on software sales in favor of services such as the Bing search engine, OneDrive storage and Skype for communications. Windows 10 was designed to steer users to those services. Microsoft makes money from ads and premium features that cost money—such as additional OneDrive storage. Microsoft can also encourage app makers to write more software for Windows 10 if a lot of people are using it. It's similar to how Apple pushes its users to upgrade to the latest iPhone and Mac systems. App developers know they can enable the latest features without worrying about abandoning too many users of older devices. ___ WHY HOLD OUT? System upgrades aren't always smooth, especially on older machines with slower processors, less memory and less storage space available. Microsoft's Get Windows 10 app will verify that you meet minimum system requirements—but minimum doesn't mean speedy. Older machines also might have software that won't work on Windows 10, so you'd have to spend money upgrading those programs, if upgrades are available at all. Printers, scanners and other accessories also might need new controlling software, called drivers. If a driver update isn't available, you might find yourself with a dead accessory. And once you upgrade to Windows 10, you might be ceding control over [CENSORED]ure upgrades to Microsoft. The company is offering incremental updates to Windows 10 on a regular basis, and it won't always give you a choice on whether to accept. ___ HOW TO KEEP THE OLDER WINDOWS Microsoft is treating Windows 10 as a type of security update it regularly pushes to users. Microsoft is now reclassifying Windows 10 as "recommended" rather than "optional." In doing so, those who have set their machine to automatically get important updates will get Windows 10, too. You can avoid this by turning off automatic updates in the settings under Windows Update. That's not recommended, though, because you might miss important security fixes. If you work for a large company, your system administrators are likely monitoring these updates, so Windows 10 won't automatically download without their OK. Plus, Microsoft isn't offering Windows 10 for free to larger companies. Microsoft will support Windows 7 until 2020 and Windows 8 until 2023, after which time it will stop fixing any security problems. By then, it might be time for a new computer anyway. ___ IF YOU'RE READY To install Windows 10, all you need to do is accept it when prompted. Getting Windows 10 shouldn't affect your photos and other documents, though there's always a risk of a meltdown with any major upgrade. Back up your files first. You can use an online storage service such as OneDrive or DropBox to keep a backup online. ___ WHAT IF YOU DON'T LIKE WINDOWS 10? Microsoft keeps a backup of your system for a month. In the settings, go to "Update & security" and then "Recovery." You'll find the option to return to Windows 7 or 8. Your files should be OK, but you'll lose any apps installed after upgrading to Windows 10. Remember, you have only 31 days to change your mind.

Oculus promised it would unveil certified PCs and bundles that would meet the demands of its own VR solution. It’s now unveiled the first of those systems, as promised, though there’s been some confusion regarding price points and bundles. We’ll help you sort it out. The first wave of systems consists of desktops from Asus and Dell (Alienware is a Dell subsidiary). The cheapest configuration is an Asus G11CD, a desktop tower with an Intel Core i5-6400, 8GB of DDR4-2133, a GTX 970, and a 1TB HDD for $1,049. Alienware and Dell both offer systems with identical specs for $1,199, which raises the question of why anyone would buy them when the Asus rig is $150 cheaper. Bundles, discounts, and Oculus pre-orders There’s been some confusion over which systems are bundled with an Oculus Rift and which are not, so let’s clear that up first. Bundled systems — by which we mean systems that include the Oculus Rift, an Xbox One controller, and all the software that the Rift ships with start at $1,499. But not every system sold above $1,500 comes with a Rift bundled — none of the systems on the Rift blog post actually include a Rift headset. Oculus notes that this $1,499 bundle price point is for a limited time only, implying that the cost of bundled hardware will rise afterwards. There is one caveat to this. The various manufacturers are offering a $100 discount if you already pre-ordered an Oculus Rift. The website notes: “For those who’ve already pre-ordered Rift, you’ll be able to purchase discounted Oculus Ready PCs in select countries and regions. To claim your discount, check your order status and opt into partner offers if you haven’t already. Offer codes will appear on your order status page February 16.” As for the pricing on the systems themselves, it’s not too bad. I did a mock build at Newegg, sourcing the same components and using Asus-brand parts whenever possible. Total cost for my system came to $800 without the operating system and $900 if you need a copy of Windows 10. That’s before shipping, so toss in another $40-50 for that and Asus is making about $100 on the final product. The rigs from Alienware and Dell don’t look as nice by comparison, since they run $1,149. Personally, I might pay $100 to avoid the hassle of building a PC if I wasn’t intimately familiar with the process, but the $200 difference is pushing it. Best Buy is offering a $1,499 deal with the Asus G11CD + Rift, which isn’t bad considering that the two would run $1,650 if purchased separately. One potential problem with the Rift bundle pricing is that the PCs that include are considerably more expensive without a commensurate uptick in hardware capability. The more expensive systems aren’t impressive; Asus wants $1,700 for a Core i7-6700, a 256GB SSD, another 8GB of RAM, and a GTX 980. Alienware is hoping you’ll pay $2,549 for a GTX 980 and a Core i7-5820K with a smaller 128GB SSD. The Best Buy bundle with the Area 51 Alienware system comes to $3,100 — an incredibly steep price for less-than-top-end hardware. All of the systems shown here are Nvidia-based. We contacted AMD to inquire if AMD-based rigs would be approved in the near-[CENSORED]ure, but did not receive a response by press time.

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A vast number of the engineering Challenges faced by WHO développé Those internal-Combustion engines come down to one simple factor: friction. Countless years have gone Into Creating surfaces, coatings, oils, and bearings That Attempt to Overcome this universal force. And yet the way in qual Most basic copes with an engine friction, its lubrication system, has not really changed in the past 80 years. It's all about the distribution of an Adequate Even AMOUNT of clean oil. And Even If abidingly you're already familiar with the inner workings of an oil pump, or you've witnessed the Heartache of an oil-starved main bearing with your own eyes, a Refresher course never hurt anybody. You know how much we love These Jam Handy Educational films. The inimitable Henry Jamison "Jam" Handy hadd a long and amazingly productive Creating Career Educational fantastic films like this one-car Explaining differentials. Or this one demonstrating the inner workings of a manual transmission. Or this one, all about the design of a typical car's suspension system. This video, "Riding the movie," explains the approach to engine lubrication splash starting from the very basics: why oil works better than water to Allow two surfaces to slide Against Each Other. With stone-simple visual demonstrations and delightfully old-timey That Handy voiceover, this film has all of the things we've come to love about Jam Handy's work, Particular Even If this method is no longer in use in today's engines. How Handy: 1938 Film Explains Exactly How Car Suspensions Work This 1936 Film Explains Exactly How a Manual Transmission Works It's Simple, Really: How a Differential Works, Explained in a Vintage Video Gather up the kids and watch a few videos Jam Handy. They'll learn something useful-and Even If you're a pro, you'll probably learn something yourself.

A young man in his 20s rushes down the stairs of the metro station, his eyes darting across the entrance, searching for someone. But he’s stopped short in his tracks; a young girl holds up a bunch of roses — some single, some as bunch — saying, “Bhaiya, gulaab le lo, achhe gulab le lo (Please buy a rose, buy a beautiful rose).” The girlfriend hasn’t come yet, and the young man thinks this might be a nice surprise. He buys one and walks off, leaving the little girl with a bright smile and a Rs 10 note. But, more often than not, transaction does not end as happily, in fact, there is no transaction at all. For one girl’s simple token of love, is another’s means of respectable living. The Noida Sector-18 metro station on the blue line was recently renamed Wave Metro Station as part of a 10-year deal with DMRC that gives Wave Infrastructure exclusive renaming and marketing rights. To the four underage girls selling roses at the gate Number 2 exit, this development hardly meant anything. For them, this will always be sector ‘attara’ metro station. Years after the metro station first opened to the public, the line demarcating the rich and those struggling to get by have become much clearer. Commuters taking the gate Number 1 exit would be swept away by a sea of humanity, struggling to find their footing in the narrow footpath, already half-encroached by hawkers. The smell of open gutters, few overflowing on to the streets, and the sight of tiny mounds of garbage strewn everywhere, act as cues for someone trying to find Atta Market. The market snakes out to maze-like lanes where buildings, cramped for space, form a centipede of bricks and mortar. Just across the road, sounds from the chaotic market setting seem muted. Here, the roads are wider, clean and have house, top clothing brands, pubs and restaurants on both sides. From the eyes of an outsider, the metro station had unwittingly separated the flea market and the upscale establishments. “…he that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose,” wrote British poet Anne Bronte in ‘The Narrow Way’. Words from this 19th century poet still hold true today for the mother of the three underage girls trying to eke out a living by selling roses on the trendier side of sector-18 metro. As the crowd swells at the metro station, seven-year-old Sajda and her two elder sisters, Shazia, 13, and Sahiba, 10, duck past the rush hour crowd inside gate Number 2 towards the escalators. Amid the flock of heads bobbing up the steps wearing layers of winter clothing, it’s hard to miss the bright, blooming, bundle of roses in their hands. The sisters quickly scan the crowd before they approach couples exiting the station. Sahiba cajoles, charms and pleads a man to buy flowers for his lady love and her persistence pays off as the man relents. She manages to sell four roses. Shazia’s nimble fingers help her sister secure the flowers with a ribbon-knot before handing them over. While the duo target those near the ticket counter, Sajda and her cousin Mumtaz tail commuters outside the station. Dressed in bright salwar-kameez and sporting long braided hair, their eyes dart back and forth in search of customers. Noticing a group of college students’ exit, Mumtaz rushes to meet them, tugging the bag of a teenager from behind. She sells six roses, each for Rs 20, before heading towards her aunt to replenish her stock. Keeping an eye on the kids from a distance is their mother, who sits on the steps with bundles of roses spread in front of her. She is in-charge of the inventory and sales. With no education and an alternative source of income in the family, she says, it was Sahiba and her cousin Rani, 12, who pitched the idea of procuring flowers from the wholesale market and selling them at the metro station. Her extended family of close to 20, all residents of sector-37, source the roses from the neighbouring Ghazipur Mandi and disperse into small groups in and around Noida at various metro stations, traffic signals and malls. A bundle of 20 roses can cost anywhere between Rs 200-350, depending on the season and demand. As the price fluctuates, they try to adjust their rates and sell each rose for Rs 10-20. But, when the price shoots above Rs 400 per bundle, they are in a fix. The mother of three, who refused to give her name, said, “It is a big gamble, but this gamble has become a part and parcel of my life now, for the past three years.” Selling flowers is not just a source of income that would put food on the table for her family every day. The thought of marrying off her two elder daughters pushes her to go through this ordeal every day. “The two older daughters are at a perilous age, it’s them I’m mostly worried about. Even when they try to make their way through the crowd to sell flowers, I’m worried that they are not manhandled or touched inappropriately,” she said. It’s a mammoth task to save money for daughters’ marriages, she said, and only if they start early, they can save just enough before they turn 18. Education in the family means dropping out at class one and going to work. “Where is the money to send them to school, if we manage three square meals a day for everyone, it’s more than enough,” said the mother. Even government-run free schools for underprivileged kids are not within their reach. “Nothing in the world is free for the poor, and money is required for everything. They want papers (birth certificates) for their admission in schools. Where will I get those papers? They were all born at our home,” she said. As the evening nears, the shadows grow smaller and lights come on inside Wave One, a soon-be-inaugurated 41-storey building near the metro station. With most of the roses sold, the family prepares to leave for home. Today was a good day for business. They hope Valentine’s Day would double their sales. Selling flowers at the metro station has been challenging for the mother and her girls. Police and metro authorities occasionally chase them away for employing minors. The mother pleads helplessness and says it is the only dignified way to earn a living.

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The awards kicked off the "Make in India" week in Mumbai A leading Indian steel manufacturer, an automotive giant and a fast-growing pharmaceutical company won the inaugural TIME India Awards at a glittering ceremony in the Indian financial capital Mumbai on Feb. 13. TATA Steel, India’s first private sector steel company, won the award for Best in Class Manufacturing, which recognizes a business that has transformed its industry with its manufacturing prowess. In the Manufacturing Innovator of the Year category, the winner was Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of two-wheelers by volume, which walked away with the trophy for its line of innovate scooters and motorcycles. Yogesh and Rajesh Agrawal, joint managing directors of speciality pharmaceutical company Ajanta Pharma, won the Young Maker of the Year Award, which recognizes outstanding young entrepreneurs from the Indian manufacturing sector. Norman Pearlstine, Chief Content Officer for TIME Inc., announced the winners at a ceremony in Mumbai at which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honor. The awards kicked off a week-long series of events to mark the Indian government’s “Make in India” initiative to boost the country’s manufacturing sector. Leading international consulting firm McKinsey & Company was the knowledge partner for the awards. “The recipients of the first TIME India Awards are world-class companies that are making a real impact on the rapidly growing Indian economy,” said Pearlstine. “We are pleased to recognize them for their efforts during Make in India Week.” Speaking after the awards, Indian Prime Minister Modi said his government had launched its “Make in India” initiative to create new opportunities for the country’s youth. “We are working aggressively towards making India a global manufacturing hub,” he said. “In the coming years many Indian companies may take the big leap to become global multinationals,” said Rajat Dhawan, Director, McKinsey & Company. “Winners of the [CENSORED]ure will be companies that not only `Make in India’ but `Make Better and More Efficiently in India.'” A jury of leading international business figures selected the winners of the awards in each of the three categories. Judges included General Electric Vice Chairman John Rice; Infosys Founder N.R. Narayana Murthy; ICICI Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Chanda Kochhar; Renault and Nissan Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn; TIME Assistant Managing Editor Rana Foroohar; and Kevin Sneader, Chairman, Asia, at McKinsey & Co. Norman Pearlstine was the chair of the jury. The winners were selected among nine finalists, who were determined from a pool of approximately 3,000 manufacturing companies after extensive evaluation of qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Anyone can buy a Subaru WRX STI and tell their friends they drive a rally car for the streets. Not many people can buy one that’s actually a rally car and was driven by both Petter Solberg and Colin McRae in actual races. But for just a tad under $250,000 (at current conversion rates), you could be one of those lucky people. Yes, RallySales.com has a 2007 Subaru WRX STI rally car available right now that it claims was driven by both racers. The engine has gotten a full rebuild and the body has been refurbished, with the seller saying the car’s in “showroom condition.” It’s not wearing its full racing livery, but it still looks ready to relive its glory days, even coming with an FIA passport log. Speaking of its glory days, this is the car that Solberg placed second in the WRC rally in Portugal, third in Acropolis, and fourth in Wales in 2007. It’s also reportedly the car being driven below by Colin McRae at the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which ended up being his final public appearance.

Getting a tattoo is an amazing feeling but maintaining it is difficult as even slight negligence and carelessness can wreck an intriguing piece of body art and turn into a disaster. The most important thing that you need to remember is that once the tattoo is complete, resist the temptation to open the plastic wrapped on your tattoo and never touch your new tattoo with dirty hands, says an expert. Vikas Malani and Micky Malani, co-founders of Body Canvas tattoo studios and piercing parlour, have shared tips on how to care for your new tattoo. * Once the tattoo is complete and you have left the parlour, resist the temptation to open the plastic wrapped on it. * After removing the cling wrap (after 2 hours minimum), wash your tattoo gently with the help of your hands with a mild, fragrance and alcohol-free soap or hand wash. Do not use a loofah to remove excess blood, ointment and ink. * After washing the tattoo, pat it dry with a tissue paper. Do not rub it and don’t use a towel for drying off excess water. * For moisturising, apply only a thin layer of Nivea cream, it should just be enough to make the tattoo shine (your tattoo should be visible and the extra cream should be wiped off gently). * Cover the tattoo with cling wrap again. * Take a bath with a cling wrap on the tattoo as contact with a direct stream of water may adversely affect it. * After the third day regime, just apply Nivea cream every two hours for two weeks and you will observe that your tattoo is glossy. * Never touch your new tattoo with dirty hands or fingernails. Do not wear tight fitting clothes. Don’t go gymming or swimming for two weeks (depending upon the healing of the tattoo). * Don’t expose your tattoo to direct sunlight. After the healing process is over you can wear a sun-block. * Healing time varies with each individual and the area that was tattooed. With proper care, you can expect the tattoo to heal within two to three weeks.

I hope u change your mind Welcome

Can i jonin ?

v1 effects #Sorry i didnt send my work i was bussy

Windows Vista has made it a little harder to find the Folder Options settings than it had in previous versions. The easiest way is to use the Folder Options control panel to modify how folders, and the files in them, are displayed. You can still show the Folder Options menu item while browsing a folder, but you will need to hold the ALT key for a few seconds and then let go to see this menu. To enable the viewing of hidden and protected system files in Windows Vista please follow these steps: 1.Close all programs so that you are at your desktop. 2.Click on the Start button. This is the small round button with the Windows flag in the lower left corner. 3.Click on the Control Panel menu option. 4.When the control panel opens you can either be in Classic View or Control Panel Home view: If you are in the Classic View do the following: 1.Double-click on the Folder Options icon. 2.Click on the View tab. 3.Go to step 5. 1.If you are in the Control Panel Home view do the following: 2.Click on the Appearance and Personalization link. 3.Click on Show Hidden Files or Folders. 5.Go to step 5. 6.Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders. 7.Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide extensions for known file types. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files. Once this is done, your Folder Options screen should look similar to the following image. 8.Press the Apply button and then the OK button. Now Windows Vista is configured to show all hidden files.

Intel has announced that its most recent BIOS updates for Skylake processors will close a loophole that previously existed. Up until now, multiple motherboard vendors have offered BIOS’ that allowed for extensive overclocking of non-K processors. Ever since Sandy Bridge, Intel has limited overclocking to specific products with a “K” in the name — the Core i7-2700K, or the Core i7-6700K, to name the first and most recent examples. Non-K processors also sometimes have different features than their K-class brethren, though this actually varies between product lines. Skylake, however, opened a gateway — the Z170 chipset allowed non-K processors to hit much higher clock speeds, with manufacturers claiming BCLCK (base clock) overclocks of 20-30%. In a statement to PCWorld, Intel confirmed that they’re going to shut the practice down. “Intel regularly issues updates for our processors which our partners voluntarily incorporate into their BIOS,” an Intel spokesman said. “The latest update provided to partners includes, among other things, code that aligns with the position that we do not recommend overclocking processors that have not been designed to do so. Additionally, Intel does not warranty the operation of the processor beyond its specifications.” Is overclocking risky? Intel has never liked overclocking very much, and has taken various technical steps to disable or limit it across the years. It’s absolutely true that overclocking your processor can damage it or shorten its lifespan. One could argue that this last point actually matters more than it used to, since desktops are typically used for longer and longer periods. No one cared about killing chips when the average desktop was replaced every 2-3 years, but if you plan on using a system for 5-7 years, it could matter more. Both the P4 “Northwood” core and LGA 1156 processors had known problems when asked to run at extreme voltages and frequencies for significant periods of time. So yes — overclocking can burn out a core. There is, however, an important caveat to this. The scenarios that typically damage a CPU are high-voltage / high power scenarios that result from pushing a core well beyond safe thresholds. If you’re trying to squeeze another few hundred MHz out of your CPU and you make a few small voltage tweaks to accomplish it, you probably aren’t going to harm anything. It’s unfortunate to see Intel closing this particular loophole, since enthusiasts have had little enough to get excited about in years. AMD still offers some low-end chips with unlocked multipliers, but Intel doesn’t (with the exception of the 20th Anniversary Pentium released a few years back). After this update, overclocking will be confined to a handful of the more-expensive SKUs in Intel’s product lineup.

The Firefox smartphone operating system is being shut down, three years after a launch aimed at challenging the dominant platforms powered by Apple and Google, developers said Thursday. The operating system created by the Mozilla developer community as an open-source system failed to gain traction in mobile devices, according to a statement from Mozilla developer George Roter. "Through the work of hundreds of contributors we made an awesome push and created an impressive platform in Firefox OS," he said in a blog post. "However, as we announced in December, the circumstances of multiple established operating systems and app ecosystems meant that we were playing catch-up, and the conditions were not there for Mozilla to win on commercial smartphones." Roter said Mozilla has set "our plan to end-of-life support for smartphones after the Firefox OS 2.6 release" which means that "Firefox OS for smartphones will no longer have staff involvement beyond May." In 2013, Mozilla announced a tie-up with Spanish-based GeeksPhone to introduce two low-cost devices powered by Firefox. Firefox devices made by China's ZTE and TCL were announced in 2014 at a cost as low as $25. Roter said Mozilla made the decision as part of a push "to pivot from 'Firefox OS' to 'connected devices'" and would be focusing on developing open-source software for the Internet of Things—a category which includes everything from connected cars to lightbulbs. "As of today, we have three projects that have passed the first gate including (a) smart TV and about a dozen more projects are prepping for review," he said.

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The wait and the guessing games are over. Today, Top Gear confirmed the full team for when the show returns in May. Joining Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc—yes, that Matt LeBlanc—are Sabine Schmitz, Chris Harris, F1 commentator Eddie Jordan, and automotive journalist Rory Reid. And of course, the Stig. Despite speculation that Schmitz wouldn’t be a presenter, fueled by an interview she gave during the 24 Hours of Daytona, the German professional driver tells Top Gear that she “grew up next to the Nürburgring and [has] been racing for most of [her] life, so the chance to combine both driving and filming was too good an opportunity to pass up.” Her experience as a driver, especially on the Green Hell, should give the Stig a run for his money. YouTube car king Chris Harris says that he is “quite . . . happy to get into trouble.” Former Friends Star Matt LeBlanc to Co-Host BBC Top Gear Amazon Show with ex-Top Gear Hosts Coming Fall 2016, Won’t All Be Released at Once In Colorado, a Big Budget and Crew Try to Make Top Gear–Style Magic And remember how Top Gear held public auditions over the summer? All you had to do was send in a 30-second audition video and prove that you were Top Gear-ish. That’s exactly how Rory Reid, the editor-in-chief of Recombu, a tech and car site, got the job. According to Top Gear, he knew he faced some very tough competition. “To be the only person to make it through the open-audition process makes me immensely proud,” he says. “I’ve been a Top Gear fan for decades, but more than that, I live and breathe cars in a way that is perfectly compatible with the show.” Here he is driving a Bentley Continental GT Speed:

The rate of dementia among thousands of seniors steadily declined over three decades, according to a study that gives what researchers call "cautious hope" that Alzheimer's and other degenerative brain diseases need not be the bane of our ever-lengthening lives. The rate of dementia among the study's participants fell by an average of 20% per decade, according to an article to be published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine, and the average age of dementia onset was pushed back from 80 to 85 years. "Our study offers cautious hope that some cases of dementia might be preventable or at least delayed," the article concludes. Even cautious hope is welcomed. More than 5 million Americans are now living with some form of dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common, according to the Alzheimer's Association. As the number of baby boomers continues to swell, that number is predicted to triple by midcentury. In 2015, some 110,000 Wisconsinites over 65 had Alzheimer's. Because there is no treatment or cure, all will die either with or from the disease. The lead author of the journal article — Claudia L. Satizabal, an instructor at Boston University School of Medicine — and her co-authors analyzed data from 5,205 people 60 or older participating in the Framingham Heart Study, which started in 1948 and has been extended to the original participants' children and grandchildren. The dementia study, which reached back to 1975, broke the ensuing years into four periods, which the researchers called "epochs." More than 2,000 people contributed data to each epoch. Group members were overwhelmingly white. Their ages ranged from 60 to 101. The first epoch extended from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. The rate of dementia during that period was 3.6 people per 100. The average age of dementia onset was 80. The second epoch extended from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The rate of dementia during that period was 2.8 per 100, a rate decrease of 22%. The average age of onset was 82. The third epoch extended from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. The rate was 2.2 per 100, a rate decrease of 38% from the first epoch. The average age of onset was 84. The fourth epoch extended from the late 2000s to the early 2010s. The rate was 2 per 100, a decrease of 44% from the first period. The average age of onset was 85. Significantly, the reductions were noted only among those who had at least a high school diploma. Researchers noted that, over the three decades of reductions, they observed a trend toward higher eduction as well as a parallel trend away from most vascular risks, with the exceptions of obesity and diabetes. The researchers found that improvements in cardiovascular health were seen only among those with at least a high school diploma. However, they wrote, "none of these trends completely explain the decrease in the incidence of dementia." David S. Jones, a professor at Harvard Medical School's Department of Global Health & Social Medicine, was the lead author of a companion essay that sought to place the dementia study in perspective. Using coronary heart disease as an example, the essay said, predicting the trajectories of chronic diseases is extremely difficult. "Forecasts of (heart disease's) [CENSORED]ure continue to swing between narratives of triumph and catastrophe," the essay says. "Narratives of dementia remain similarly malleable," the essay says. "Even if a dementia decline has begun, it might not last." The essay, however, reflects the main article's cautious hope. Heart disease and cancer were once considered inevitable scourges of longer lives. Their inevitability, however, has been undermined by preventive measures, treatments and cures. "Many people think that we can live even longer lives — but lives compromised by dementia, vision loss, and hearing loss. Whether that fate is inevitable or whether these, too, are malleable scourges remains to be seen."

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea said on Wednesday that it would shut down an industrial complex that it runs jointly with North Korea, its strongest retaliation yet for the North’s recent nuclear test and its launching of a long-range rocket over the weekend. In announcing the decision, Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said the industrial complex in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, which went into operation in 2004, had wound up providing funds for the North’s weapons programs. Mr. Hong, the South’s point man for negotiations on the North, said South Korea had informed Pyongyang of its decision and asked it to help the 184 South Korean factory managers at the complex to cross the border safely and return home. Although the Kaesong complex was temporarily shut down in 2013, it was the North that initiated the closing, by pulling out its workers to protest joint South Korean-American military drills. The South responded by withdrawing its managers. Continue reading the main story RELATED COVERAGE North Korea Nuclear Effort Seen as a Top Threat to the U.S.FEB. 9, 2016 News Analysis: China Struggles for Balance in Response to North Korea’s BoldnessFEB. 7, 2016 North Korea Launches Rocket Seen as Cover for a Missile TestFEB. 6, 2016 North Korea Launches Newest Offensive: Cigarette ButtsFEB. 4, 2016 interactive Illuminating North KoreaJUNE 10, 2015 Wednesday’s action was the first time the South unilaterally closed the complex. And by officially identifying the factory park as a source of cash for the North’s nuclear program, the South seemed to indicate that the shutdown was permanent. There was no immediate public response from North Korea. The South’s announcement came as the United States and its allies were trying to persuade the United Nations Security Council to impose stronger sanctions against the North. South Korea and the United States have also said they will impose unilateral sanctions. “We cannot stop North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs with the existing methods of response,” Mr. Hong said in a nationally televised statement. “We need to act strongly together with the international community to ensure that North Korea pay a price, and we need to take special actions to leave the North with no option but to give up its nuclear program and change.” Mr. Hong said the Kaesong factory park had been an important source of cash for the North Korean government. He said North Korea had earned more than $560 million in wages for its workers there, including $120 million last year. Businesses and the government from the South have also invested $852 million in factories, roads and other facilities there. “In the end, it appears that the money was used not for the peace the international community wanted but to advance the North’s nuclear weapons and long-range missiles,” he said. On Jan. 6, North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test, which it claimed was of a hydrogen bomb, and on Sunday, it launched a satellite into orbit using a long-range rocket. Both actions were in defiance of Security Council resolutions banning the North from pursuing nuclear arms or ballistic missile technology. The conservative South Korean government of President Park Geun-hye has responded by resuming propaganda broadcasts along the border and, despite China’s opposition, agreeing to negotiate the deployment of an American missile defense system on its territory. But Ms. Park’s conservative supporters have been urging her to go further by shutting down Kaesong, the only industrial complex in North Korea that is jointly operated with investors from outside the country. Continue reading the main story Today’s Headlines: Asia Edition Get news and analysis from Asia and around the world delivered to your inbox every day in the Asian morning. The Kaesong factory park began more than a decade ago as an experiment: combining South Korean manufacturing skills with cheap North Korea labor. It was the most important of a number of cooperative projects begun during a period of reconciliation between the Koreas, when the South hoped that increased economic exchanges would help ease mutual mistrust and, eventually, lead to the reunification of the divided Korean Peninsula. Kaesong was the last of those joint projects still functioning and the most important symbol of inter-Korean good will. Streams of cars and trucks going to and from the complex crossed the otherwise tightly sealed border daily, carrying South Korean factory managers into the North and manufactured goods into the South. More than 45,000 North Koreans worked for 123 South Korean-owned factories at Kaesong last year, producing more than $515 million worth of textiles, electronic parts and other labor-intensive goods, according to the South Korean government. But the wages, paid in American dollars, did not go directly to the North Korean workers. Instead, the Pyongyang government took the bulk of the cash, with the workers getting just a small fraction of their wages in the local currency, according to South Korean officials here. Conservative South Koreans and some American policy makers have long feared that proceeds from Kaesong have benefited the North’s nuclear arms program. Until now, Kaesong had continued to operate despite such misgivings. Its operations were suspended for five months after the North’s third nuclear test in 2013, but they eventually resumed, with the Koreas agreeing to ensure that the complex would not be affected by “political situations under any circumstance.” Mr. Hong, the unification minister, said on Wednesday that the South had needed to take drastic action. He said the North’s nuclear ambitions, if left unchecked, could set off a “nuclear domino effect” in the region, with other countries pursuing their own arms programs in response to the North’s. CONTINUE READING THE MAIN STORY 4 COMMENTS South Koreans who have argued for keeping Kaesong open said that cutting off trade with the North would only weaken Seoul’s economic leverage and push Pyongyang closer to China. South Korea was once a major trading partner of the North, but almost all of the isolated country’s trade now goes through China, which has resisted appeals from Seoul and Washington to use its influence to curb the North’s nuclear ambitions. Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, said the shutdown of Kaesong was “the worst possible option” for the South. Economically, he said, it would do the North less harm than Seoul hoped, because the North could earn more cash by sending the same skilled North Korean workers to China. “When you look at the South Korean government’s policies since the North’s nuclear test, you cannot help thinking that it is reacting emotionally,” Mr. Cheong said. The Kaesong complex had been closed since Sunday for the Lunar New Year holiday; the South’s announcement means it will not reopen on Thursday as planned. Most of the roughly 500 South Korean managers based at the complex are home for the holiday, but 184 are still in Kaesong, South Korean officials said.

If you are having problems launching a Windows 8 App from the Start Screen, we have put together a list of troubleshooting steps you can try. Typically, if you are having this problem, when you double-click on a Windows app Windows will look like its doing something, but the app does not launch. You will not receive any errors or any other alert that indicates why the app has not started. When following the steps below, please do them in the order given. Reboot your Computer A closely held secret by many IT professionals is that rebooting Windows is the secret sauce for fixing most computer problems. Simply restart Windows and then try your apps again. If that does not work, then please proceed with the rest of the steps. Check your Display Resolution Windows 8 Apps will not run if your display resolution is lower than 1024x768. When your resolution is lower, you will be shown a message stating that your screen resolution is to low for the app to run. To fix this, simply type Resolution at the Windows 8 Start Screen and then click on the Settings search category. Then click on the Adjust screen resolution option. This will bring you to a screen where you can change the resolution settings for Windows. Make sure User Account Control is enabled in Windows 8 If User Account Control is disabled in Windows 8 your Windows apps may no longer start. This does not appear to affect everyone, but as it is a security risk to disable User Account Control, you are better off enabling it to be safe. To enable User Account Control, type User Account Control at the Windows 8 Start Screen and then click on the Settings category. Then click on the Change User Account Control Settings option. A screen will open where you can select the User Account Control level as shown below. Change the settings so that you it is set to the second from the top as shown in the image above. Install the latest video drivers Installing the latest video drivers may not only solve this issue, but will increase the overall performance of your computer. Newer video drivers typically contain enhancements that fix a wide range of issues from game performance to Windows compatibility. To update your video driver, determine what video card you have installed in your computer and then visit that manufacturers web site. From their web site you can then download the latest available drivers for Windows 8. Switch to a local account There have been some reports that if you are using a Microsoft account and switch to a local account, you will be able to start the Windows apps again. There is no loss of functionality by switching to a local account and any app that requires your Microsoft account credentials will just request them as needed. Revert any changes made by 3rd party programs If you have used a 3rd party program to customize Windows 8, they may have caused Windows Registry corruption or set values that are not valid for Windows. In some cases, there have been reports that these changes could cause Windows apps to no longer start. Therefore, if you have used one of these types of programs, please start them again and revert any changes you made back to the Windows 8 defaults.

Back when the PS4 first launched, Sony didn’t include any way to easily watch videos or listen to music from your other devices. It took well over year for the problem to get solved properly, but there are now multiple ways for you to stream your local media to your PS4. Today, I’ll be showing you two easy methods to stream your unprotected TV shows, movies, and music. Let’s start with a handy little app called Plex. For free, this server-client pairing lets you stream just about any DRM-free video or audio file from your computer or NAS directly to your PS4. It only takes a few minutes to get going, so let’s jump right in. Install the Plex server First off, you need to install the Plex Media Server. Download it, install it, and then launch the executable. It’s simple enough, and it’s available on Windows, OS X, Linux, and FreeBSD. And while you’re at it, sign-up for a free Plex account if you haven’t done so already. Configure server settings Once the server is up and running, you can configure your settings as you please. Choose your server’s name, add your media folders to the Plex library, and tweak your networking options as you see fit. If you need to change the port configuration, you’ll need to toggle on the advanced mode by clicking the “Show Advanced” button in the upper right. Most people shouldn’t need to tinker too much, but the options are available if you’re having issues. And if you can’t figure it out on your own, the Plex support page is a good place to start troubleshooting. Download the Plex app Now that your Plex server is properly configured, go into the PlayStation store, and navigate to the “Apps” section. You’ll find the Plex app is free, so initiate the download. Once it’s done installing, you’ll find the Plex app under the “TV & Video” section of the PS4’s main menu. Alternately, you can always go to the “Library” menu, and navigate to “Applications.” Generate a code Launch the Plex app on your PS4, and you’ll be greeted with four alphanumeric characters. You’ll need this code to pair your account with your PS4 Pair your PS4 to your account Head on over to the app linking page on the Plex website, sign in with your account, and enter the four characters being displayed on the PS4. Press the “Link” button, and you’ll be greeted with a message. If it tells you that the app was linked, you’re ready to rock. If you get an error, go back to your PS4, and generate a new code in the Plex app. Start streaming Finally, you’ll be able to stream movies, TV shows, and music on your PS4 quickly and easily. And since the app also has “Channel” support, you can also stream videos from places like TED, YouTube, CNN, and our sister site IGN. Using DLNA instead Last year, Sony began offering DLNA support through an app called Media Player. If you’d prefer to use that instead of the Plex app, here’s how to do it. First off, you’ll need to search on the PlayStation Store for the Media Player app. Navigate to the “Apps” section of the store, and you’ll find it under “Catalog.” Enabling your DLNA server Of course, you’re going to need a DLNA server to stream your media. Thankfully, the Plex server has DLNA streaming baked in already. Just go into the Plex server settings, find the DLNA tab, and make sure “Enable the DLNA server” is ticked. If you already have a DLNA streaming solution in place, you’ll probably be able to use that without much tinkering. And if you want to be sure that you’re only using supported file formats, check the PlayStation 4 User’s Guide for a full list. Select your server Launch the Media Player app on your PS4, and select your DLNA server. If you’re using Plex, it should start with “Plex Media Server” in the server selection menu. From there, you’ll be able to navigate through your music, photos, and videos as long as you’re connected to the same network. Stream as you please Whether you prefer using the Plex app or Sony’s own Media Player, you’ll find that the PS4 is significantly more useful now than it was when it first launched. It compared very poorly to the PS3’s robust streaming offering before, but it’s a respectable set-top box these days. It’s definitely not as cheap as a Roku or Apple TV, but if you already have one for gaming purposes, it’s finally become a rock-solid media machine that’s easy to recommend. Of course, the best part of using Plex (or DLNA) is that you’re not locked into any one platform. If you also have an Xbox One, smartphone, tablet, or laptop, setting up your streaming solution is just as easy. As long as your files aren’t locked behind any kind of DRM system, you’ll be able to watch whatever you want whenever you want on nearly any modern device.

Microsoft techies have pinpointed the SQL query that smashed the software giant's Visual Studio Team Services offline for several hours. It appears the query triggered a crippling SQL Server 2014 bug that Redmond is now trying to fix. Last week, Microsoft's cloud-based Team Services suffered a five-hour outage, leaving programmers unable to access or manage their accounts. Team Services provides tools for sharing code, tracking changes, testing builds, and so on ... when it's working, of course. In the immediate aftermath, we were told the downtime's culprit was "an SQL stored procedure that ... was allocating too much memory," and thus overwhelmed the service's database machines. That troublesome SQL query was working fine on Microsoft's SQL Server 2008, but jumped the tracks when engineers reconfigured their systems to run the procedure on SQL Server 2014. The problem lies in the rewritten cardinality estimator in SQL Server 2014. Cardinality estimation is supposed to improve a database's performance by predicting the number of rows a query is going to return, and allocating resources early. This means the server can grab the memory it needs before getting stuck into executing the SQL statement, thus avoiding the need to allocate chunks in memory on-the-fly (which can introduce deadlocks and other slowdowns) or swapping to disk (which destroys performance). The crucial SQL query – used by Team Services to handle customer accounts, identities, authorizations – is supposed to pull up one row, and it looks like this: SELECT TOP 1 @collidingAccountName = ids.AccountName, @preExistingDomain = i.Domain, @preExistingTfidGuid = i.Id FROM #identities ids INNER LOOP JOIN tbl_Identity i WITH (INDEX=IX_tbl_Identity_AccountName_TypeId, FORCESEEK, UPDLOCK, HOLDLOCK) ON i.PartitionId = @partitionId AND i.AccountName = ids.AccountName AND i.Domain = ids.Domain AND i.Sid <> ids.Sid WHERE i.PartitionId = @partitionId AND ids.TypeId in (5, 6) AND i.TypeId in (5, 6) OPTION (OPTIMIZE FOR (@partitionId UNKNOWN)) This caused SQL Server 2014 to predict that the query would return many, many more rows than the single one needed. In fact, the software thought it would require 3.5GB of RAM, rather than a very small amount, to cope with the request, which is bad news on a machine with 48GB of RAM. This query caused servers to run out of memory quickly, and leave customers unable to access their accounts. As a quick fix, Redmond engineers changed the last line of the above procedure to: OPTION (OPTIMIZE FOR (@partitionId UNKNOWN), MAX_GRANT_PERCENT = 1) This forced the cardinality estimator to, at most, reserve just one per cent of the memory it thinks it's going to need, which is more than enough. "In the SQL Server 2014 query optimizer, [Microsoft engineers] made significant changes to the cardinality estimation. I’m sure they were improvements but not for this query," blogged Brian Harry, Microsoft's vice president for cloud developer services. "The ultimate resolution, for now, is that we added a hint to the query that tells the query optimizer the maximum memory grant to use for the query. Longer term, littering our code with memory grant limits is a very unsustainable practice. We use query plan hints a lot but memory grant caps are too fragile over time. "So we are working with the SQL team to see about changes in the cardinality estimator that will do better for this query and others like it. There are also changes we can make to the way this query is written that will reduce the likelihood of mis-estimations. It turns out that in most cases, this query only operates on one row, but from a very big table, the cardinality estimator guessed a lot more than one row." A more detailed breakdown of the query at fault can be found here. In the meantime, if you're running SQL Server 2014 with big tables, and your code features a query similar to the above snippet, be mindful of a sudden devouring of available memory. We asked Microsoft to confirm that the SQL Server 2014 it runs in its Azure cloud, which powers Team Services, is the same SQL Server 2014 it ships to customers. We're still waiting to hear back from Redmond. ®

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