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Even regular footpaths can become dangerous when the sun goes down. With this in mind, lighting is pretty important for any outdoor adventure. The LuminAid PackLite Inflatable Lantern is perfect for camping trips and mountaineering alike. It charges via USB or solar power, and the inflatable design simply shrugs off the rain. You can grab one now for $19.99 at the Popular Science Shop.
The great outdoors can be very unforgiving on the unprepared. Besides, it's nice being able to see your way around the campsite. You can use the LuminAid PackLite to light the way, or inflate the lantern for ambient lighting. There are five lighting modes to toggle through, and the lantern kicks out an impressive 75 lumens.
When you're on the move, the LuminAid folds pretty flat so you can hang it on your backpack or tent via the adjustable strap. This allows the built-in solar panel to recharge the battery, even in overcast conditions. On a full charge, the battery lasts for 24 hours of illumination.
Get the LuminAid now for $19.99, or upgrade to the multi-color version for $24.99.
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The LuminAid inflatable lantern Is the perfect light for outdoor adventures - Popular Science
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NEW MILFORD The Zoning Board has unanimously approved Mayor David Gronbachs request for a special permit to convert the old John Pettibone School into a community center.
The town, as an applicant, stepped up, Zoning Vice Chair Sharon Ward said at Tuesdays meeting. They met all the regulations, so we approved it.
At previous meetings, the board required the town to add lighting in the parking lot and add a drop-off area near Route 7, which Pettibone fronts, as conditions of its approval.
After concerns about pedestrian safety on the congested road arose during earlier public hearings, the board also requested that the town build sidewalks along the entirety of Pettibones Route 7 frontage within the next five years.
For now, however, the board required only the installation of a small walkway from a Route 7 bus stop to a paved waiting area and to the community center for the safety of HARTransit bus riders visiting Pettibone.
Zoning commissioners also asked the town to request that HARTransit buses drop off and pick up riders at the school itself.
Sidewalks along the Route 7 are not required by zoning regulations, Ward said, but the board strongly urges all Route 7 applicants to install them for pedestrian safety.
The town asked for five years to complete the project, so it can obtain grant money for the sidewalk, Ward added.
The town has been working for months to renovate the building, and town agencies including the Parks and Recreation and Social Services departments, along with the town Youth Agency, are expected to move in.
With the Zoning Boards earlier outdoor-lighting request accounted for, all renovations will cost the town $380,000, which Gronbach has pulled from the Waste Management Fund.
blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton
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Zoning approves Pettibone renovations - Danbury News Times
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Posted: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 8:39 am
Grow Elgin Project offers presentation on light pollution
Join us Saturday, July 15, at the Elgin Public Library Community room for a special presentation about preserving our wonderful views of the night sky. With all the new housing developments in Elgin, finding effective ways to light our paths is important while still allowing those stars to be seen.
Cindy Luongo Cassidy is the Section Leader for the Texas Section of the International Dark-Sky Association. She is the owner of Green Earth Lighting, which specializes in consultation services for effective outdoor lighting. She recently ran the successful Texas Night Sky Festival.
You are welcome to join in our potluck at 5 p.m. The Grow Elgin Project supports sustainability, so please provide your own plates and utensils.
The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. There will be time for questions and answers afterwards.
For more information, contact Charlotte Swenson at 512-470-1351.
Posted in News on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 8:39 am.
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Grow Elgin Project offers presentation on light pollution - Elgin Courier
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The first phase of the reforestation plan at Rollins Park in Concord is set to begin this fall with stump removal, regrading and the construction of walking paths.
Itll continue in the spring, using the remainder of the $160,000 set aside in the current budget to plant a diverse stock of young trees, Parks and Recreation Director David Gill said.
The view of the South End park from Bow Street looks vastly different ever since heavy machinery swept through and removed hundreds of mature trees this winter. The pines there were infested with invasive bugs and had to be removed last winter before they died and became dangerous.
When the weather warmed up, Gill and the citys planning department returned to the park to hold neighborhood meetings and determine what the next step should be for that space. Overwhelmingly, he said, the response was to replant trees and build some walking paths, a natural play area and an educational area.
Another phase of the project about $90,000 is planned in the citys capital improvement program for the following year, Gill said, which could be used to realize another recommendation: gazebos.
If thats approved in next years budget, we will look at installing the gazebos, but first and foremost is to get the area planted, get it presentable, he said.
After the city council approved the first phase this week, Gill said hell send out later this month a request for proposal to do the work.
Depending on pricing, the vision is to remove the stumps this fall, regrade this fall, install the walkways this fall, and next spring we will begin to replant the area, he said.
Hes expecting to have enough money left over to plant 40 to 50 trees roughly 2 to 3 inches in diameter and 6 to 8 feet tall and a mix of species so that theyre more resistant to infections such as the red pine scale that doomed the previous plantation.
Youre not putting baby trees in, he said. Theyre going to notice something right away.
But even still, planners hoped to plant as many as 100 trees, so Gill said hes considering an adopt-a-tree program that would allow people in the neighborhood to round out the total. He said hes heard from the neighborhood meetings that people were interested in this idea.
Folks could, if theyre interested, buy a tree, he said. Thered be various types and various costs for different types of trees, and thered be a plaque somewhere at the park thanking everybody who would adopt a tree.
Gill said hed likely put together the details of that program this fall.
(Nick Reid can be reached at 369-3325, nreid@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @NickBReid.)
Originally posted here:
Concord's Rollins Park reforestation plan to begin with stump removal this fall - Concord Monitor
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For anyone planning on going to see Craig David or Wet Wet Wet at the Rochester Castle Concerts it might be best to know there are certain rules about what you can and can't take on site.
From BBQs to glass bottles, gazebos, chinese lanterns and camera equipment - there are many things you will need to leave at home.
Here's a list of everything else that is banned at the Rochester Castle Concerts:
Read more: All you need to know about Rochester Castle Concerts - line up, road closures and tickets
No dogs or pets are allowed in the castle grounds, except guide dogs.
Organisers have asked those attending to be aware that they may use loud pyrotechnic explosions/displays during the concert.
BBQs, candles, fires, oil filled lamps or garden flares are not permitted in the grounds.
Chinese floating lanterns are also banned.
Read more: Rochester Castle Concerts 2017 - road closures and where to park in Medway
Reasonably sized collapsible chairs will be allowed into the castle gardens.
A limited number of chairs are available on a first come, first served basis.
Tables will not be permitted, with the exception of The Proms on Saturday, but these should be of a reasonable size and collapsible.
Glass is strictly prohibited from the castle grounds, with the exception of Saturday at The Proms.
However, cans and plastics are permitted.
Gazebos, umbrellas or any structure that might disrupt the view of others will not be permitted.
In case of rain during the concerts, organisers have asked people to remember to bring their raincoat/plastic poncho to keep dry - as umbrellas restrict audience members' view of the stage.
For anyone who doesn't have a rain coat, plastic ponchos will be on sale at the Castle Concerts' shop.
However organisers have advised that selfie sticks and flagpoles will be allowed on the grounds.
Read more: The 11 items you are not allowed to take to Rochester Castle Concerts
The use of all photographic, visual and audio recording equipment is prohibited within the venue.
Reasonable quantities of alcohol for personal consumption will be allowed into the venue at the sole discretion of the venue management.
Anything deemed as excessive will not be permitted into the venue.
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The 12 items banned from the grounds at the Rochester Castle ... - Kent Live
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A Cornwall charity is helping those affected following a fire in London that is believed to have killed at least 80 people.
It comes after the organisation was approached by a therapy group helping young people and adults traumatised during the event.
Victims of the Grenfell Tower fire are now being offered a range of outdoor activities and counselling sessions to help them recover.
'Kids on the Green', a collective of trained therapists who have set up a calm space for local children, teens and families, are being supported entirely by local businesses and community donations.
All the facilities are provided free, including food and drink, arts and crafts, games and children's entertainment, as well as alternative therapies.
ShelterBox supporter Juliet Emerson asked whether the Cornish charity could help the group with some tents or gazebos, as all their activities are out in the open at Norland Open Space, near the Edward Woods Community Centre and estate.
They also have to set up their activities every morning and pack away every night.
Now ShelterBox has provided all-weather cover for a range of outdoor activities and counselling sessions.
Five all-weather gazebos with side panels were dispatched, as well as a full-size marquee donated by a local business.
Juliet said: "We are working with an amazing team of helpers who are giving up so much time to help make this work a reality for as long as it is needed.
"The organizer Zoe Le Veque is amazing: dynamic and clear headed and with other wonderful people is making Norland open space a place for children and adults to come and play and paint, talk and grieve, eat pizza and spin hula hoops.
"Local shops big and small have generously donated fruit and snacks, drinks, paints and other craft materials, toys and even a marquee. A circus troupe has been offering their time for nothing.
"The little children seem fine on the surface but you only have to look at their pictures to see their distress - they use many colours, but black predominates. Adolescents are more direct but subdued."
Georgia Langley, from Kids on the Green, said after ShelterBox's tents arrived: "These look absolutely fantastic.
"Thank you so very much for such a kind and generous donation. We are almost entirely reliant on donations and volunteers and this will make a real difference to our set up and pack away procedures, as well as the overall running of the project."
ShelterBox Chief Executive Chris Warham didn't hesitate in approving the request from Kids on the Green.
He said: "Providing shelter for people who've suffered a disaster is exactly what we do, and it is rare we are called to respond in our own country.
"The Grenfell Tower fire is a tragedy with worldwide repercussions. But our response was mostly in recognition of this admirable community project, and a wish to put smiles back on the faces of local children and their families.
"We know from our work in disaster and conflict zones that families affected by disaster need so much more than simple shelter so it's great to see this group of therapists offering their professional services free."
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Cornish charity helps victims of Grenfell fire - Pirate FM
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The House of Bread soup kitchen fields a crowd every morning for breakfast, but Tuesday's group had a few new faces. And they came bearing gifts.
Workers from Marec Heating and Cooling and Neal Sign and Crane Service oversaw the installation of three new air conditioning units at House of Bread. The day shelter on Chestnut Street was full of hot air for nearly a month after burglars destroyed three of the industrial units, causing $30,000 worth of damage for scrap metal.
News headlines from the theft sparked an impromptu funding drive for House of Bread, which saw thousands in donations from various groups, according to Sister Theresa Fonti, the shelter's co-founder.
"It's a good feeling, getting so much support from the community," Fonti said Tuesday as a crane slowly lowered the shredded units onto a flatbed truck for disposal. "We're happy to be able to get our air back and continue our ministry."
The donated money helped close the funding gap for replacing the units about 80 percent of the cost was covered by the shelter's insurance policy.
And the new cooling system couldn't have come at a better time.
The two remaining air conditioners were working overtime, according to Matt Beard, the shelter's director. One blew a fuse last week, causing a brief panic in a kitchen that turns out about 200 meals a day for the city's homeless.
But the worrying is over. Now, Beard is focused on securing the units. He's already installed surveillance cameras on the building's roof and will be placing cages around the units to prevent similar thefts.
Meanwhile, city police are continuing their investigation into the thieves responsible.
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New A/C Units Installed At House Of Bread After Burglars Struck Last Month - Hartford Courant
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By Jason D'Aprile
Freelance contributor, TechHive | Jul 11, 2017 3:00 AM PT
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A smart thermostat will have an outsize impact not only how comfortable you are in your home, but also on your household budget. Heating and cooling your home accounts for nearly half of the average homes utility bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
A programmable thermostat can help reduce those costs by turning your HVAC system on when you anticipate being home, and off when you dont think youll need indoor climate control. A smart thermostat goes far beyond relying on a simple schedule. It will not only enable you to create more sophisticated schedules for every day of the week, and give you complete control over your HVAC system, even when youre away from home. Weve spent several months testing and evaluating a wide variety of smart thermostats, and now were ready to help you find the right one for your home.
The Ecobee3s unique use of remote sensors means it can monitor the temperature well beyond the actual thermostat, which makes it an excellent choice. Read TechHive's full review
Nest usually gets all the attentionand the company deserves credit for shaking up a once sleepy marketplacebut we think the Ecobee3 is the best choice when it comes to smart thermostats. Where the competition relies on measuring a homes temperature in just one spot: Where the thermostat is located, which is almost never in a room that you spend any time in. The Ecobee3 lets you place sensors in multiple rooms in your home, so youll always be comfortable where you do spend most of your time. The Ecobee3 is also compatible with just about every other smart home device you can imagine, including Apples HomeKit ecosystem and Amazons Echo. Could Google Home compatibility be in the works?
Dont count Nest out of the thermostat game. The Google division has worked harder than anyone to build out a comprehensive smart home ecosystem with its own productsthe Nest Cam security camera series and the Nest Protect smoke and carbon-monoxide detectorsas well as a wide array of third-party products: Everything from ceiling fans to lighting controls and even smart appliances. So why does it garner runner-up status here? Nest counts on your buying other Nest products to help determine when youre home and away, for starters. And anyone investingor planning to investin Apples up-and-coming HomeKit ecosystem should steer clear of Nest products.
C-wire requirement Most smart thermostats require more electrical power than a set of batteries can provide. Fortunately, they dont require so much power than they need to be plugged into the wall. They rely instead on low-voltage power provided by your HVAC system. Many smart thermostats require the presence of a dedicated C (common) wire for this purpose, while others can siphon electricity from another source, typically the R (power) wire. But the latter practice is known to cause problems with some HVAC systems, including permanent damage. If you pull out your existing thermostat to install a smart model and find no C wire connected to it, look inside the wall to see if theres one that hasnt been connected. If theres no C wire, our advice is to have one installed. Only a couple of the thermostats reviewed here require a C wire, but all the manufacturers highly recommend using one.
Ease of installation A thermostat shouldnt be difficult to install, even if youre only moderately handy. The manufacturer should provide comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand instructions with plenty of photographs or illustrations to guide you through the process. The thermostat itself should be clearly indicate which wires go where, and most companies provide labels that you can attach to the wires coming out of the wall as you disconnect and remove your old model. The wires themselves should be color coded, but a good practice is to photograph your old thermostat for reference before you take it down.
Geofencing This feature uses the thermostats app and your smartphones GPS chip to establish a perimeter around your home. When you leave the perimeter, you presumably no longer need to heat and cool your home, or you can at least have the thermostat adjust the temperature so that its not running unnecessarily. When you cross the perimeter again as you come home, your HVAC system can kick into action so your house is comfortable when you walk in the door.
Remote Access Remote access enables you to control your thermostat from afar, so that you can check in and adjust the temperature from wherever you have a connection to the internet.
System complexity Each of the thermostats we tested support multi-stage heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, as well as heat pump systems. If your home is divided into zones that are heated and cooled independently of each other, youll probably need one thermostat for each zone. A single app should be able to control multiple zones.
Sensors Geofencing is greatprovided everyone who lives in the home has a smartphone. Motion and proximity sensors offer an alternative means of determining if your home is occupied and therefor in need of climate control. The original Nest thermostat was often criticized for relying too much on its motion sensor. If no one walked past it often enough, it would decide that the house was empty and it would stop heating or cooling. Some smart thermostats can also tap into door and window sensors as well as the motion sensors for your home security system. And proximity sensors on the thermostat itself can trigger a thermostats display to turn on when you walk past it, making the screens a handy feature in their own right, even if for no other reason than providing a nighttime pathway light.
Smart-home system integration Every smart thermostat comes with an app so you can control it with your smartphone or tablet, but the best models can also be integrated with other smart-home devices and broader smart-home systems. This can range from being able to adjust the temperature with a voice command via an Amazon Echo or Google Home digital assistant to linking to you smoke detector so that your fan automatically turns off when fire is detected, preventing smoke from being circulated throughout your home. Other options to consider include IFTTT and Stringify support, Apple HomeKit compatibility, smart-vent connectivity, and tie-ins with home security systems.
User interface Long gone are the days when a thermostats user interface consisted of numbers on a dial. The more sophisticated a device becomes, the more difficult it can be to learn to use. The last thing you want to be doing is staring at inscrutable hieroglyphics on the wall when all you really want is to be warmer or cooler. A smart thermostat should convey important information at a glance and should easily adapt to your specific needs.
We installed these thermostats in a single-family home with a conventional HVAC system and used each one for a week or more to determine how effective it was at maintaining a comfortable environment. The homes existing thermostat was wired with G, R, W, and Y wires. There was also a C wire in the wall that was connected to the furnace, but that had not been previously used.
While there is no regulated standard for color-coding HVAC wires, industry practice has the G wire connecting the thermostat to the fan. This wire is typically green. The R wire, typically red, is for power. Some systems have separate power wires for heating and cooling and are labeled RH and RC respectively. The typically white W wire is for auxiliary heat; i.e., a second source of heat. The Y wire, which is typically yellow, connects the thermostat to your air conditioner. Finally, the C or common wire is used to carry power and is typically blue (think cerulean if you need a mnemonic).
Well update this story with new product reviews as they come in.
The Ecobee3s unique use of remote sensors means it can monitor the temperature well beyond the actual thermostat, which makes it an excellent choice. Read the full review
The Nest is still the best for users who dont want to think about their thermostat, but it's no longer our top pick. Read the full review
Although not perfect, the Lyric Round is a commendably smart and functional thermostat.
Not technically smart, but a very solid middle ground between dumb and smart thermostats. Read the full review
MSRP $114.01
on Amazon
The Sensi is like your old thermostat with the addition of some excellent Wi-Fi features. Read the full review
Jason D'Aprile has been writing about technology and entertainment since the early 90s from his secluded home in West Virginia.
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Best smart thermostats of 2017 - TechHive - TechHive
Dive Brief: Dive Insight:
Heating and cooling buildings accounts for almost 40% of carbon emissions in the United States, and so Alphabet's engineers have spent years developing ways to make geothermal systems more affordable and less intrusive to install.
Dandelion CEO Kathy Hannun said the project was started "because we realized millions of homeowners are using expensive, truck-delivered fuels because they dont have access to better options today." But the key to signing on customers, particularly residential, would be in reducing cost and time to install.
Along with Hannun, Dandelion will be run by James Quazi, who will lead the company's technology development.
Over at the Google X blog, Hannun gives some background on developing the new geothermal installation process, including modifying drills and and considering liquid nitrogen to install a system of underground pipes.
"After months of testing, we hit upon a design for a fast, slender drill that hit our objectives," the new CEO writes. "It could drill just one or two deep holes just a few inches wide, and compared to typical installation rigs, it produced less waste and took up much less space as it operated."
While installing the tubes typically takes up to four days, the new process could be done in one day and "left a typical suburban backyard relatively undisturbed."
Dandelion is now operating in the New York Hudson Valley and Capital Region, and the company says its systems can provide renewable heating, cooling, and hot water and include monitoring and a smart thermostat.
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Alphabet lab turns out new geothermal company for residential heating and cooling - Utility Dive
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Replace your heating and AC energy bills with a $20,000 geothermal system buried in your yard.
Part of the Alphabet (formerly Google) empire is the moonshot factory simply called X. X focuses on inventing and launching "moonshot" technologies to make the world a better place. The latest of those technologies just became an independent company called Dandelion.
Dandelion was an internal project at X for several years with a focus on using geothermal energy to cut down on carbon emissions in the home. This isn't a new idea, but it is an expensive one, which Dandelion aimed to solve. And solve it they have if Kathy Hannun, CEO of Dandelion is to be believed.
Rather than using fuel oil, propane, and lots of electricity to heat and cool your home during the different seasons, it's possible to do the same thing using geothermal systems. For home owners, that means taking advantage of the ground under their yard.
That ground stays at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. A geothermal system for heating/cooling works by drilling and installing U-shaped plastic pipes and running water through them. In the winter the water takes up the heat in the ground and a geothermal heat pump turns that into warm air pumped into your home. In the summer, the system works in reverse and pumps the warm air out of your home to cool it and deposits the extracted heat in the ground.
The expensive part of such a system is the installation and in particular the drilling, which is what Dandelion focused on solving. What they created was a brand new drill capable of drilling very deep holes with very little waste and completing the required ground loop piping in less than a day. Existing systems requires large machines, create a lot of mess, and take up to four days to complete the work.
According to CNN, existing geothermal system installations cost $60,000 to install. Dandelion cut that price down to just $20,000, which is still a lot of money until you factor in the energy cost savings each year.
Dandelion is now open for business and will initially be offering its system in New York. It wants to partner with local heating and cooling installers to help roll out the service and there will be a financing program through Collaborative Fund in the near future to help with the cost.
Matthew is PCMag's UK-based editor and news reporter. Prior to joining the team, he spent 14 years writing and editing content on our sister site Geek.com and has covered most areas of technology, but is especially passionate about games tech. Alongside PCMag, he's a freelance video game designer. Matthew holds a BSc degree in Computer Science from Birmingham University and a Masters in Computer Games Development from Abertay University. More
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Alphabet's Dandelion Wants to Water Cool/Heat Your Home - PCMag
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