Sennheiser HD 201

Over-ear and closed-back for less than £20

Key features:

• Closed-back design
• 21 – 18,000Hz frequency response
• 3m cable
• Review Price: £16.99

On a really tight budget? A while back we looked at a whole bunch of sub-£20 headphones, and the Sennheiser HD 201 came out comfortably on top in terms of sound quality.

These are full-size headphones (for example: DENON DJ HP1100 ), and have a nicely-balanced, detailed sound that a lot of more expensive pairs fail to match. It’s clear Sennheiser got a lot right with these ultra-long-standing headphones. Of course, being a very cheap pair they don’t feel anywhere near as ‘fancy’ as more expensive pairs, including Sennheiser’s own sets.

The frame is pretty light and a tiny bit creaky, and the pads’ fake leather is very basic stuff. Still, if money’s too tight to mention they’re a great pick.

2018 Could Be Another Record Year For Solar Energy

A year ago, 2017 and 2018 were supposed to be down years for the solar industry as the U.S. and China pulled back from extremely high installation levels and adjusted solar policies. Instead, this year will be a record year for the industry, and 2018 could be even better.

The Q4 2017 Global PV Market Outlook report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) estimates that 92 GW to 97 GW of solar will be installed globally in 2017, up from 75 GW a year ago. In 2018, they expect between 94 GW and 111 GW to be installed, and further growth to 107 GW to 121 GW in 2019. The future for solar energy still looks very bright globally.
Why solar energy is booming

You don't have to look further than Mexico to see why solar energy is booming around the world. A recent auction resulted in a low bid of 1.92 cents per kWh of electricity, the lowest seen in Latin America and one of the lowest in the world. At under 2 cents per kWh, solar energy beats coal, natural gas, nuclear, and even wind (in some locations) on cost.

As solar energy becomes the economically viable choice for energy production, utilities, building owners, and homeowners are seeing it as the best option for new generation. And countries like China, India, and Mexico see it as a way to grow their economies.
Solar companies are being pulled by two threads

For the solar companies supplying modules and other components, the growth is certainly a positive. But it comes at a cost: the low economics means the price of solar panels (like RENOGY 100W)  and all other parts of the value chain have come under pressure. Leaders like First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR), and Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) aren't having a problem selling all of the solar panels they can make. They're having a problem turning those sales into consistent profitability.

Low bids from solar developers will keep the pressure on manufacturers to lower their prices. So a boom in profits from solar industry growth may not be around the corner.
Is growth finally going to be a boon for solar manufacturers?

The one potential upside of solar installation growth is that it could soak up demand in an oversupplied industry. For years, manufacturers have built solar panel manufacturing capacity faster than demand grew, which was a big driver of the drop in solar panel costs. But there are fewer solar manufacturers today than a decade ago, and most of their balance sheets are already stretched -- so they're not likely to increase demand at the rate they have over the past decade. That could help shore up component pricing if manufacturers aren't threatened by an oversupplied market.

No matter how you look at it, a growing solar industry should be good for solar manufacturers because they'll be able to sell all of their own production and potentially grow production in the future. Time will tell if that leads to increased profits as well.




10 stocks we like better than First Solar
When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now… and First Solar wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Common mistakes made when using Scouting Cameras

Over the years of camera testing, hauling loads of cameras, bungees, straps, lock boxes, batteries and memory cards to and from the field, we find we make a series of mistakes and repeat those no matter how how we try not too. We have compiled a list here in hopes that you can avoid these same mistakes. And yes, you will make these mistakes and probably feel like a dummy but remember it happens to the best of us.

Memory card and battery change programming problems

Double check to see if the cam lost the date/time and settings during the battery change. We deal with multiple brand names and not all cams will hold the time date during the battery change. Repeatedly we have failed to check this.

It is our practice to carry multiple batteries and memory cards when we make our rounds to check our trail cameras.

Caution: It has been reported that an individual was transporting the 6 volt battery for his Moultrie trail cam (for example : MOULTRIE PANORAMIC 150 )on the way to the field when the battery rolled under the cars seat. The protective caps that came on the battery had been removed and when the battery slid under the car seat it made contact with some metal and resulted in a fire that destroyed the individual’s automobile. Some of the cameras we use have the larger 6 and 12 volt batteries similar to the computer UPS batteries and they also could cause a fire if not properly handled. Care must be taken when handling and transporting and be sure that the protective caps are re installed after charging to prevent the accidental shorting out of the terminals.

Camera alignment issues

Re-aim the cam to the desired point. The force it takes to install the batteries in the cam causes the camera to move on the stand or tree and when you come back you find a lot of butts and the edge of the picture.

Memory card and battery mix up problems

Keep the new empty memory cards separate from the used cards. Imagine you drive 50 miles back home only to discover that you have had a mix up and all your memory cards are blank and last weeks cards are reinstalled!  The same thing happens with batteries too.  (hint: the camera’s batteries and cards are normally colder in the field than the new ones you brought with you).

Memory Card full issue

After the memory cards are brought in and viewed and all data is transferred to the computer, delete the contents so you are not taking a full card back to the field on the following visit.  If you make this mistake you are likely to get “memory card full” indication on the camera.

“Oh no, the camera was not turned on!” problem

After the cam has its new empty card with the proper date/time and settings, re-aim the cam and TURN THE CAMERA BACK ON AND LOCK IT UP. This has been our biggest mistake. Of all the mistakes we have made this seems to be the one that keeps repeating itself.

Simulations pinpoint atomic-level defects in solar cell nanostructures

To understand the nature of something extremely complex, you often have to study its smallest parts. In trying to decipher the universe, for example, we search for gravitational waves or faint waves of light from the Big Bang. And to comprehend the very essence of matter itself, we break it down to the subatomic level and use computer simulations to study particles like quarks and gluons.

Understanding materials with specific functions, such as those used in solar cells (for example: RENOGY 200 WATT 12 VOLT SOLAR STARTER KIT ) and engineering ways to improve their properties pose many of the same challenges. In the ongoing effort to improve solar cell energy conversion efficiencies, researchers have begun digging deeper -- in some cases to the atomic level -- to identify material defects that can undermine the conversion process.

For example, heterogeneous nanostructured materials are widely used in a variety of optoelectronic devices, including solar cells. However, due to their heterogeneous nature, these materials contain nanoscale interfaces exhibiting structural defects that can affect the performance of these devices. It is very challenging to identify these defects in experiments, so a team of researchers at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago decided to run a series of atomistic calculations at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) to find the root cause of defects in two commonly used semiconductor materials -- lead selenide (PbSe) and cadmium selenide (CdSe) -- and provide design rules to avoid them.

"We are interested in understanding quantum dots and nanostructures and how they perform for solar cells," said Giulia Galli, Liew Family professor of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and co-author of a paper published in Nano Letters that outlines this work and its findings. "We are doing modeling, using both classical molecular dynamics and first principle methods, to understand the structure and optical properties of these nanoparticles and quantum dots."

Core-shell Nanoparticles

For this study, the team focused on heterostructured nanoparticles -- in this case a colloidal quantum dot in which PbSe nanoparticles are embedded in CdSe. This type of quantum dot -- also known as a core-shell nanoparticle -- is like an egg, Márton Vörös, Aneesur Rahman Fellow at Argonne and co-author on the paper, explained, with a "yolk" made of one material surrounded by a "shell" made of the other material.

"Experiments have suggested that these heterostructured nanoparticles are very favorable for solar energy conversion and thin-film transistors," Vörös said.

For example, while colloidal quantum dot energy conversion efficiencies currently hover around 12% in the lab, "we aim at predicting quantum dot structural models to go beyond 12%," said Federico Giberti, postdoctoral research scholar at the University of Chicago's Institute for Molecular Engineering and first author on the Nano Letters paper. "If 20% efficiency could be reached, we would then have a material that becomes interesting for commercialization. "

To make this happen, however, Vörös and Giberti realized they needed to better understand the structure of nanoscale interfaces and whether atomistic defects were present. So, along with Galli, they developed a computational strategy to investigate, at the atomic level, the effect of the structure of the interfaces on the materials' optoelectronic properties. By using classical molecular dynamics and first principles methods that do not rely on any fitted parameters, their framework allowed them to build computational models of these embedded quantum dots.

Using this model as the basis for a series of simulations run at NERSC, the research team was able to characterize PbSe/CdSe quantum dots and found that atoms that are displaced at the interface and their corresponding electronic states -- what they call "trap states" -- can jeopardize solar cell performance, Giberti explained. They were then able to use the model to predict a new material that does not have these trap states and should perform better in solar cells.

"Using our computational framework, we also found a way to tune the optical properties of the material by applying pressure," Giberti added.

This research -- which included studies of electron and atomic structures -- used four million supercomputing hours at NERSC, according to Vörös. Most of the atomic structure calculations were run on Cori, NERSC's 30-petaflop system installed in 2016, although they also used the Edison system, a Cray XC30 with Intel Xeon processors. While the calculations didn't need a large number of processors, Giberti noted, "I needed to launch many simultaneous simulations at the same time, and analyzing all the data was in itself a rather challenging task."

Looking ahead, the research team plans to use this new computational framework to investigate other materials and structures.

"We believe that our atomistic models, when coupled with experiments, will bring a predictive tool for heterogeneous nanostructured materials that can be used for a variety of semiconducting systems," Federico said. "We are very excited about the possible impact of our work."

Prescription Drugs Versus Natural Herbal Supplements Including Graviola Extract

Organic supplements are consistently becoming ever-more preferred. These pure normal cures have now been supporting folks improve their health for ages.

When I evaluate herbs, I ran across that many locate natural herbs to be a wonderful alternative to pharmaceutical medicine since many prescribed drugs include chemicals and hormones using the inclusion of different synthetic factors.

Several have said they have developed a dependency when taking prescribed drugs for despair, panic, fears, and violence. Numerous chemicals have now been believed to transform this chemical equilibrium in the mind.

Natural herbs or "natural remedies" contain aspects that control capabilities of the body to market a green vitamins. Consequently, numerous people locate when taking herbal medicines in addition to diet and exercise believe it is can be very beneficial.

Numerous health problems are addressed together with the usage of Organic Testosterone Boosters and will be properly used to improve the immunity system to prevent nausea for example colds and influenza. For all generations, herbs have been useful for such functions, consequently when comparing to standard medicine such as prescription medications; they are considered as a wholesome alternative.

Health issues regarding the individual body-mind aren't a fresh concept. Psychological conditions, pregnancy, discomfort and body irregularities are merely several dilemmas we've been dealing with considering that the beginning of time. These concerns have been treated for thousands of decades with all the use of pure natural herbal medicines.

Several experts have tried to replicate natural herbs through chemical factors for quite some time. These natural remedies are the blocks for traditional medical training. For the most part, prescribed drugs result from natural treatments. Organic Dhea for example jungles and wetlands are searched for new compounds to test against viruses and bacteria.

Lucky for all of US, there are numerous Strontium Bone Builder at our disposal. Graviola, like is really a natural organic supplements remedy that originates from a fruit tree that develops in tropical surroundings such as the Amazon. This extract is now available as a natural product to treat numerous health issues.

Many of the local folks of the Amazon use Graviola for the fruit and herbal remedies. The fruit, although sometimes regarded as wrong is frequently employed as being green vitamin. Utilizing the Graviola tree as natural organic supplements solution generally treats intestinal issues such as dysentery.

Amazon locals used Graviola to lower fevers, eliminate parasites and to minimize muscular pain in addition to strengthen your body's natural defenses and lower blood pressure.

Some herbs, for example, Graviola can act as dual applications. As an example, one might take Graviola to combat an awful migraine although it also helps with a stomach disease.

The body needs nutritional supplements to operate effectively. Some state green vitamin supplements to obtain green power supplements is through pure herbs or crops rather than utilizing an unnatural complement.

Prescribed drugs and natural remedies can be quite complicated subjects for a lot of to totally comprehend. I really hope that with this review, I was able to interrupt it on to some comprehensible conditions.

However, there could be some questions unanswered. For all those of you which can be looking for more info, I have further reviews detailing the advantages of acquiring herbal supplements including Graviola and how this pure plant may be used being an assist in fighting cancer cells.

Extending the Life of Your Roof of Your Building

Service managers realize the worth of preservation, they realize that frequent maintenance obligations may seem high in the short-term, but from a long-term viewpoint, they are a good deal cheaper than full blown replacement fees. Regular examinations spot possible problems at the phase as possible do something about them, in place of wait until they're distinct issues that could have a costly effect a maintenance budget.

The key to maintaining normal checks is to have thorough records available. These documents range from the original building plans since this blueprint enables potential experts to have a point of reference. As an example if they are carrying out work on the surfaces it's rather easy to go through current electricity wires, nevertheless, the initial programs make that eventuality not as likely. Building plans enable NYC roofing contractors to predict the areas that'll be the weaker while in the New York roofers and to focus on those potential problem areas. As being a point of research it offers them an awareness of just how to access the issue within the most cost-effective technique.

Keeping Good Records Cuts Costs.

Additional reference items for your documents are any warranties that connect with the roof, commercial roofing NYC proposals, active New York roofing agreements, and potential repair proposals. There might be guarantees presently in place that mean any repairs are free and without these documents, it is feasible to pay for twice for them. Duplicate funds are avoidable and easy to position when meticulous records come in place.

One of the problems with warranties is that the stipulations might change which might have an effect on the guarantee. In today's finances of a worldwide credit crunch the company that presented your roofers New York may have gone bankrupt, or into receivership. It might have transformed its brand as a result of the death of the spouse or different factors, or it might happen to be offered. A few of these dealings might have changed the conditions of one's guarantee. Being forewarned is fore-armed and you can discuss negotiations to final troubles knowing what they are. Maintaining every one of the pertinent communication will also offer you bargaining strength as you possess a hard copy of previous deals which assist you when someone else attempts to get out of their contractual tasks.

In case your knowledge and papers are current it's a simple job to set up position a maintenance plan. You are able to possibly keep the important points on a wall chart so you can see in a glimpse, the areas that have been inspected and also the places that need to be inspected. Entire records are a crucial component of an effective program since there is too much information to be used inside your scalp and human mistakes may be costly as it might mean duplicate repairs. How and where has the roof released in the past an agenda allows you to check with it properly, you might well remember a trickle six months later, but six decades later is a completely different ball-game? Diligent records will reduce frustration before it begins. These records will also be invaluable to roofing companies NYC such technicians or engineers, they cost on an hourly basis and it cuts down some time they've to find necessary information.

Keep an Existing Warranties.

Guarantees are not necessarily basic over New York roofers, specified work including the fundamental roofing company NYC part can be guaranteed for fifteen, or twenty years, but the design will have a whole lot quicker warranty, along with other elements, for example, metal flashings may have a shorter warranty. Roofing companies NYC agreements nearly always include a guarantee as well as in some instances statutes can assure these warranties. Meaning that virtually every roof has some form of assurance, it is just a matter to be aware of time span. New roofing constructors NYC made from new energy-efficient supplies may have an older guarantee time that the older traditional slate roofs.

Despite these guarantees, many firms spend twice to get a roofing constructor NYC repair that is currently covered by an existing warranty. Over time the applicable paperwork has mislaid if not overlooked, and also this increases the fees of preserving a New York roofing. Retaining assiduous files right from the start means it's tougher for that form of distress to occur. Keeping every one of the files in one single area can also be important, two people preserving files or worse, however, two practices ensures that often the right-handed does not know what the left-hand does. To substance matter, the roofs using contemporary resources might have add-ons, which conserve energy, and these add- on are vent fans and skylights and they may be covered by separate roofing constructor NYC warranties. Retaining all of the paperwork together or over up to now indicates those modern green homes could have minimal simple maintenance costs in place of major repairs.

A Short History of Amish Quilting Styles

The Amish quilting began to round the 1870is, because of their spiritual morals to remain isolated in the modern world of delights and opportunities, quilting was at first a temptation that the Amish women ignored. After noticing the sensible utilization of the quilt, they ultimately became an ordinary part of the Amish quilts.

The primary Amish baby quilts were very basic with stable dark-colored textile, nearly the same as the apparel they used. But their talent for your elaborate models is what built their blankets renowned. After much talk, within the Amish quilt patterns, over a long period, the Amish girls slowly produced change with their designs and colors. This decision, like all the handmade patchwork quilts, needed to be accepted from the Amish Neighborhood. Today there's more personal input to how blankets are made and what patterns are accustomed to building the initial and lovely colored hand-stitched quilts that people see and enjoy today.

Even though the external world doesn't recognize the handmade Amish quilts, it's the middle of Amish living. Family and friends work together on initiatives for the whole group. For example attracting the plants, creating a barn, this is often termed a frolic. Women will get a selected property to do canning vegetables, fruits, and jellies. Usually one-woman will portion a quilt together, however, it is not unusual to possess several females across the quilting framework to aid stitch the quilt together; this is often referred to as a quilting bee or quilting circle. This permits the ladies to do something they appreciate and to catch-up on precisely what is happening in the community.

The Amish think a lady's ability to produce and hand-stitch a quilt is really a reward from God that needs to be used to its highest potential. Most of the young girls are shown to begin quilting by the age of four years of age. This helps to spell out why they offer such expert sewing in the Amish quilt designs.

Today, many consider the distinctive quilt designs a masterpiece of design. A growing number of people need their particular Amish applique quilts, not just due to it practical use, however for its artistic value. Amish quilts tend to be employed being a piece of wall design, wedding gifts, delivery of the kid and they produce great fund raisers.

The word Amish log cabin quilts can be used to describe a using the mixture of traditional Amish quilt block patterns, and created by an Amish or even a Mennonite quilter. The reason for it is because the Amish and Mennonites share related social behaviors. They existed alongside each other since immigrating to the United States. Their background of quilting as well as their designs will be the same.