ArkabaS
Aug 7, 03:45 PM
Why does no one ever mention the Dock? It is a HUGE part of OS X and hasn't changed since Jaguar. It could be so much more useful if it allowed for dividers, more customization, etc. I hope the Top Secret stuff includes major improvements to Finder, the Dock, and Expose.
robotx21
Sep 19, 12:57 PM
I don't know if that's proof or a reason enough to think they'll have more than a chip drop-in, but I'm certainly hoping that it does get announced, and that you're right. :)
Well, like I have said before, brenthaven is releasing new "macbook pro" carrying cases next week the same time around the photokina event, and they are about 1/4" thicker in terms of "minimum/maximum" laptop specifications. This gives me reason to believe the case will be approx. .1-.3 inches thicker than current models, possibly making room for a better graphics card and dvd drive? Don't know...
Well, like I have said before, brenthaven is releasing new "macbook pro" carrying cases next week the same time around the photokina event, and they are about 1/4" thicker in terms of "minimum/maximum" laptop specifications. This gives me reason to believe the case will be approx. .1-.3 inches thicker than current models, possibly making room for a better graphics card and dvd drive? Don't know...
Vegasman
Apr 27, 08:43 AM
I think is quite conceivable that keeping those logs forever, not encrypting them, maintaining them despite an opt out, and not removing the timestamps was done in the spirit of: "Let's keep the data, maybe they will be useful at some point, and why bother do encrypt them, that is just some extra lines of code to write."
And it is this spirit which is somehow worrying.
This is the most likely explanation for me (too).
And it is this spirit which is somehow worrying.
This is the most likely explanation for me (too).
benthewraith
Mar 31, 11:06 PM
I feel like Apple fails more on the hardware front than the software front, especially with the iDevices. Regardless, both companies have flaws, but having your next gen OS NOT work on phones is a big uh-oh. Obviously they'll optimize it; perhaps they'll skip honeycomb for phones, and then come out with a unified "faster" approach for both tablets and phones.
I don't think Google ever had any intentions on deploying it's next gen OS on phones yet. They probably focused on the OS running on tablets during production.
I don't think Google ever had any intentions on deploying it's next gen OS on phones yet. They probably focused on the OS running on tablets during production.
yg17
Apr 27, 08:26 AM
He shouldn't have given in to the racists. But it's out there.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42779923/ns/politics-white_house/
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/3050/08c2e64746f7486daac794e.png
Now will Donald Trump and all of these other racists please shut the hell up?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42779923/ns/politics-white_house/
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/3050/08c2e64746f7486daac794e.png
Now will Donald Trump and all of these other racists please shut the hell up?
Multimedia
Aug 18, 09:19 PM
I purchased Kingston PC2 5300 FB for my Mac Pro from New Egg. They seemed to have the best price and some Mac friendly reviews.
My Pro now starts 10.4.7 in less than 5 seconds!Link To New Egg Mac Pro Kingston Memory? I can't find it. How much money?
Ramseeker.com (http://Ramseeker.com) has a full Mac Pro line up of choices now. Omni OPTIVAL is only $333.99 per 2GB kit including cool blue heatsinks IF YOU USE THIS LINK (http://www.ramseeker.com/scripts/counter.php?http://www.omnitechnologies.biz/cgi-bin/catalog/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F714335&rnd=3227630&rrc=N&affl=B&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=APLMP2X1GB667O&cat=applem).
My Pro now starts 10.4.7 in less than 5 seconds!Link To New Egg Mac Pro Kingston Memory? I can't find it. How much money?
Ramseeker.com (http://Ramseeker.com) has a full Mac Pro line up of choices now. Omni OPTIVAL is only $333.99 per 2GB kit including cool blue heatsinks IF YOU USE THIS LINK (http://www.ramseeker.com/scripts/counter.php?http://www.omnitechnologies.biz/cgi-bin/catalog/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F714335&rnd=3227630&rrc=N&affl=B&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=APLMP2X1GB667O&cat=applem).
boncellis
Jul 20, 10:22 AM
As far as the name goes, how about the "Mac Quattro Pro." ;) Then maybe Apple could acquire the rights to the software and include it in the iWork suite...
CaoCao
Mar 1, 05:00 PM
^^ Well maybe, but the Obama administration doesn't believe that law is constitutional.
Gov't seeks to uphold DOMA in gay lawyer's lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO
The Justice Department says a lesbian federal employee should still be denied permission to add her wife to her health insurance despite the Obama administration's refusal to defend a federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriages.
Government lawyers told a federal judge Monday in San Francisco that the administration will still enforce the Defense of Marriage Act until it is struck down by a court or repealed by Congress. They say its new position on the act's unconstitutionality is irrelevant.
Karen Golinski is a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lawyer suing the Office of Personnel Management for not authorizing family health coverage for her wife. The circuit's chief judge has twice ordered the office to allow it.
The Justice Department says the rulings were not binding because they were made in the judge's role as Golinski's boss.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9LMIFS80.htm
I can't help it if you live in a backward country. I was talking about civilised norms. And whatever your cockeyed definition, it is still not equality.
Right, that's why England is preventing a married couple from adopting.
Gov't seeks to uphold DOMA in gay lawyer's lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO
The Justice Department says a lesbian federal employee should still be denied permission to add her wife to her health insurance despite the Obama administration's refusal to defend a federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriages.
Government lawyers told a federal judge Monday in San Francisco that the administration will still enforce the Defense of Marriage Act until it is struck down by a court or repealed by Congress. They say its new position on the act's unconstitutionality is irrelevant.
Karen Golinski is a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lawyer suing the Office of Personnel Management for not authorizing family health coverage for her wife. The circuit's chief judge has twice ordered the office to allow it.
The Justice Department says the rulings were not binding because they were made in the judge's role as Golinski's boss.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9LMIFS80.htm
I can't help it if you live in a backward country. I was talking about civilised norms. And whatever your cockeyed definition, it is still not equality.
Right, that's why England is preventing a married couple from adopting.
obeygiant
Mar 17, 01:03 PM
Obeygiant, you have a way of distilling issues down to their core. The funny thing is, I don't think Lee even realizes he's doing it.
Yeah I'm pretty sure I'm on his ignore list. lol
Yeah I'm pretty sure I'm on his ignore list. lol
SevenInchScrew
Aug 20, 09:40 AM
I laugh at both dirt games because of this...
Personally, I think Codemasters do a great job with racing games, but the problem is, the games they make are always a little more geared toward arcade-style racing. Realistic enough to really get you into the feel of rallying, or touring cars, or whatever, but not SO realistic that only pros can play the game. The early "Colin McRae Rally" games were tons of fun for that very reason. I only played the demo for Dirt though, so I can't really speak for it.
...Forza 3 online was a much unneeded step backwards.
I didn't like it at all either... until recently. They've finally added production hoppers, where everyone in the race is using the exact same car. It makes for some GREAT racing. I've only done a few races so far, but they have been some of the best yet.
Personally, I think Codemasters do a great job with racing games, but the problem is, the games they make are always a little more geared toward arcade-style racing. Realistic enough to really get you into the feel of rallying, or touring cars, or whatever, but not SO realistic that only pros can play the game. The early "Colin McRae Rally" games were tons of fun for that very reason. I only played the demo for Dirt though, so I can't really speak for it.
...Forza 3 online was a much unneeded step backwards.
I didn't like it at all either... until recently. They've finally added production hoppers, where everyone in the race is using the exact same car. It makes for some GREAT racing. I've only done a few races so far, but they have been some of the best yet.
Peace
Aug 7, 04:12 PM
I thought an interesting part was more UB apps next week..
Office?
CS2 ?
Office?
CS2 ?
notabadname
Mar 22, 01:12 PM
Blackberry playbook = The IPad 2 killer - you heard it here first.
Look at the specs, their greater or equal to the iPad 2 with the exception of battery life.
Except for the battery life. Ha, ha . . . yeah, that's not important at all in a mobile device. You get your 10.1 inch "point and shoot" camera, I'll take the battery for a handheld portable computer. Haven't heard a lot of concern over all the laptops without a rear-facing camera. It's funny how critical it is for the iPad though, and what an important comparison it is to many people.
Look at the specs, their greater or equal to the iPad 2 with the exception of battery life.
Except for the battery life. Ha, ha . . . yeah, that's not important at all in a mobile device. You get your 10.1 inch "point and shoot" camera, I'll take the battery for a handheld portable computer. Haven't heard a lot of concern over all the laptops without a rear-facing camera. It's funny how critical it is for the iPad though, and what an important comparison it is to many people.
Stridder44
Mar 26, 05:00 AM
This seems a little fast for the first GM. Maybe not such a big update after all? Where are all the secrets? The UI could use more of an overhaul IMO. This is probably just for the devs and they will bust out some fancy fancy at WWDC. I hope! Gotta have that one more thing...
I hope Lion lives up to the name and is BEAST.
Exactly how I feel about it. I mean it feels like they just told us about it. We're just now starting to get rumors and tips about the new OS. Windows 8 isn't slated to come out until Q4 2012. Take your time Apple. Snow Leopard is a fantastic and very stable OS. PLEASE don't rush Lion! Take your time to iron out the bugs, and add more stuff in if need be.
I hope Lion lives up to the name and is BEAST.
Exactly how I feel about it. I mean it feels like they just told us about it. We're just now starting to get rumors and tips about the new OS. Windows 8 isn't slated to come out until Q4 2012. Take your time Apple. Snow Leopard is a fantastic and very stable OS. PLEASE don't rush Lion! Take your time to iron out the bugs, and add more stuff in if need be.
Multimedia
Jul 23, 08:28 PM
So you don't expect the Mac Pro at WWDC?? Or only a dual core version using Conroe?
I agree single Woodcrest doesn't make sense. So we have two options for Quad core - Dual Woodcrest and single Kentsfield. Of course 2xWodcrest is going to be more expensive but I wonder by how much more. I am guessing $400. But, if you do that, you have the same motherboard across the Mac Pro (and possibly shared with XServe as well) and for that $400 you also get FB-DIMM and higher RAM ceiling. Also, the same platform can be used with Clovertown to scale to 8 core workstation early Q1'07. If Kentsfield is used then 4 core is the end of the line.Not really. Yorkfield is the 8 core follow on to Kentsfield in the Conroe class motherboard. Should be shipping by next Spring.So I don't expect Mac Pro to exclusively use Conroe/Kentsfield. Either two different boards - Conroe/Kentsfield on the low end and Woodcrest/Clovertown on the high end. Or Woodcrest/Clovertown across the board. Given the reasons above, I expect it will be the latter.Given the above reasons, I expect it will be the former. The whole line will be Conroe based EXCEPT for the ONE top model which will be based on a Woodcrest MoBo etc so each time the top doubles it's core count from 4 to 8 then 16, the lower models double theirs from 2 to 4 then 8, all in less than a year from now.Conroe deserves to be in the Apple lineup. I expect it will be in the upgraded (perhaps a larger i.e. 23") iMac. Apple may also release another desktop to fill the gap between the Mini and the Pro. That option has been discussed here as well.I think it's safe to say we may witness the fastest acceleration in affordable computing power in the history of personal computing during this next year.
I agree single Woodcrest doesn't make sense. So we have two options for Quad core - Dual Woodcrest and single Kentsfield. Of course 2xWodcrest is going to be more expensive but I wonder by how much more. I am guessing $400. But, if you do that, you have the same motherboard across the Mac Pro (and possibly shared with XServe as well) and for that $400 you also get FB-DIMM and higher RAM ceiling. Also, the same platform can be used with Clovertown to scale to 8 core workstation early Q1'07. If Kentsfield is used then 4 core is the end of the line.Not really. Yorkfield is the 8 core follow on to Kentsfield in the Conroe class motherboard. Should be shipping by next Spring.So I don't expect Mac Pro to exclusively use Conroe/Kentsfield. Either two different boards - Conroe/Kentsfield on the low end and Woodcrest/Clovertown on the high end. Or Woodcrest/Clovertown across the board. Given the reasons above, I expect it will be the latter.Given the above reasons, I expect it will be the former. The whole line will be Conroe based EXCEPT for the ONE top model which will be based on a Woodcrest MoBo etc so each time the top doubles it's core count from 4 to 8 then 16, the lower models double theirs from 2 to 4 then 8, all in less than a year from now.Conroe deserves to be in the Apple lineup. I expect it will be in the upgraded (perhaps a larger i.e. 23") iMac. Apple may also release another desktop to fill the gap between the Mini and the Pro. That option has been discussed here as well.I think it's safe to say we may witness the fastest acceleration in affordable computing power in the history of personal computing during this next year.
brownpaw
Jun 11, 03:50 PM
I used to work at radioshack too and the resources there suck. Activation will take longer than usual and they can mess up your account/credit. I hated activating phones cause it was a hassle since we were not connected directly with carriers.
Now for Radioshack. Brother-in-Law goes and his credit gets run twice by child who works at Radioshack and signs him up to expensive plan. So they have to call their 3rd party service provider and the manager there and employee make a big mess of his ATT account and turns out the phone they had was from a customer return, not even brand new. He ends up just getting bad credit after 4 hrs in the stuffy dusty shack. We go to apple next week, now he has to put deposit cause his credit was messed up but guess what? thats right apple waived it as they saw the mistake and he gets a brand new phone. :) Radioshack = worse place to get any phone Apple = smart well trained employees
I just talked about these cases closest to me but I'll tell you those Radioshack employees are the worst to buy any cellphone from. you take a risk with your credit, used phone possibly, long activations, and bad locale.
Just wanted to say that generally when people have these types of experiences, they are at RadioShack franchises and not company-run (corporate) stores. I have worked at both in the past, and though it's been about 6 years, I can say that things were definitely very different.
Franchise stores, at the time, did indeed work through 3rd party processors for cell phones so it was easier to mess things up. However, it was all through a web interface so more often than not the problems stemmed from the interface crashing or it not being up to date with the latest promotions, etc, than actual user error.
Corporate stores also ran through a web interface but it was directly through the carrier so it was much more reliable.
The bigger problem with cell phones at RadioShack was consistency. The sales flyers would always talk about this deal or that deal, and oftentimes that deal wasn't even offered to franchise stores.
I think a bit of this has been resolved, and I wouldn't mind getting a phone through RadioShack nowadays if there was a good promotion.
However, as someone else said, RadioShack prices on most other things are ridiculously high. I felt terrible when I saw a guy at our store sell this old man a 30-ft HDMI cable for $300. Not kidding at all. I don't know how they stay in business, their prices on most things are not competitive at all.
sw
Now for Radioshack. Brother-in-Law goes and his credit gets run twice by child who works at Radioshack and signs him up to expensive plan. So they have to call their 3rd party service provider and the manager there and employee make a big mess of his ATT account and turns out the phone they had was from a customer return, not even brand new. He ends up just getting bad credit after 4 hrs in the stuffy dusty shack. We go to apple next week, now he has to put deposit cause his credit was messed up but guess what? thats right apple waived it as they saw the mistake and he gets a brand new phone. :) Radioshack = worse place to get any phone Apple = smart well trained employees
I just talked about these cases closest to me but I'll tell you those Radioshack employees are the worst to buy any cellphone from. you take a risk with your credit, used phone possibly, long activations, and bad locale.
Just wanted to say that generally when people have these types of experiences, they are at RadioShack franchises and not company-run (corporate) stores. I have worked at both in the past, and though it's been about 6 years, I can say that things were definitely very different.
Franchise stores, at the time, did indeed work through 3rd party processors for cell phones so it was easier to mess things up. However, it was all through a web interface so more often than not the problems stemmed from the interface crashing or it not being up to date with the latest promotions, etc, than actual user error.
Corporate stores also ran through a web interface but it was directly through the carrier so it was much more reliable.
The bigger problem with cell phones at RadioShack was consistency. The sales flyers would always talk about this deal or that deal, and oftentimes that deal wasn't even offered to franchise stores.
I think a bit of this has been resolved, and I wouldn't mind getting a phone through RadioShack nowadays if there was a good promotion.
However, as someone else said, RadioShack prices on most other things are ridiculously high. I felt terrible when I saw a guy at our store sell this old man a 30-ft HDMI cable for $300. Not kidding at all. I don't know how they stay in business, their prices on most things are not competitive at all.
sw
odedia
Jul 27, 09:50 AM
Yes. I believe people who have gotten their hands on Core 2 Duo beta chips have put them in their mini's with no difference (except a massive speed boost)
Only the Mac Mini and the iMac's processor can be replaced. the MacBook and MacBook Pro have the processor soldered into the motherboard.
Only the Mac Mini and the iMac's processor can be replaced. the MacBook and MacBook Pro have the processor soldered into the motherboard.
xStep
Apr 10, 04:58 AM
I'm a little confused...why was Avid presenting at a Final Cut Pro User Group's meeting anyway? Do they just come in and are like "Hey, you've all made a mistake!" or something?
No, they come in and professionally present their product like they would do for any audience, as personally seen at an LAFCPUG (http://www.lafcpug.org/) meeting.
Michael Horton who runs LAFCPUG, and is one of the main organizers of the Supermeet, has the attitude that editors should be aware of all the tools available, including competition to FCP. Also remember that not all people are tied to one tool.
The speculation of how Apple got into the meeting is humorous. Hopefully Michael will eventually give up some information.
Apple can easily make there own event, just book that building in SF and invite some journalists or plan in advance!!
Giving an in depth presentation to this FCP centric audience will likely get Apple much more buzz in the editing community than a standard announcement in front of journalists.
No, they come in and professionally present their product like they would do for any audience, as personally seen at an LAFCPUG (http://www.lafcpug.org/) meeting.
Michael Horton who runs LAFCPUG, and is one of the main organizers of the Supermeet, has the attitude that editors should be aware of all the tools available, including competition to FCP. Also remember that not all people are tied to one tool.
The speculation of how Apple got into the meeting is humorous. Hopefully Michael will eventually give up some information.
Apple can easily make there own event, just book that building in SF and invite some journalists or plan in advance!!
Giving an in depth presentation to this FCP centric audience will likely get Apple much more buzz in the editing community than a standard announcement in front of journalists.
AppleScruff1
Apr 20, 11:55 AM
I think this was because Woolworth (Australian supermarket giant) applied for a blanket trademark that allows it to apply it's logo on anything - especially competing electronic goods, computers, music players, and branded phones. (I'm not saying it's right, just surfacing some more details)
P.
I think you are correct. Still ridiculous, IMHO. The Woolworth logo was a fancy W.
P.
I think you are correct. Still ridiculous, IMHO. The Woolworth logo was a fancy W.
Elvin77
Mar 22, 01:24 PM
Blackberry playbook = The IPad 2 killer - you heard it here first.
Look at the specs, their greater or equal to the iPad 2 with the exception of battery life.
1) Battery life IS a big deal
2) Are we forgetting about apps? The best hardware in the world is useless unless there are apps to make it sing. A $200 tablet can surf the web just as good as the playbook.
Look at the specs, their greater or equal to the iPad 2 with the exception of battery life.
1) Battery life IS a big deal
2) Are we forgetting about apps? The best hardware in the world is useless unless there are apps to make it sing. A $200 tablet can surf the web just as good as the playbook.
~Shard~
Jul 15, 12:58 AM
It would be ridiculous if it came with just 512 mb's of ram...
Steve Jobs-"The New Octa-Core Mac Pro with 512 mb's of ram" It just doesn't fit...
I agree, it wouldn't make sense. Might as well sell a new Lamborghini with a 1.8L 4-banger... ;)
Steve Jobs-"The New Octa-Core Mac Pro with 512 mb's of ram" It just doesn't fit...
I agree, it wouldn't make sense. Might as well sell a new Lamborghini with a 1.8L 4-banger... ;)
aohus
Apr 19, 02:05 PM
Hardly. Samsung would have been fine had they stuck to that original theme, rather than move into Apple's house as a squatter with a subsequent model
Apple can try and patent a grid of icons all they want. It won't fly in court. That Samsung F700 model is very telling, namely that the external candybar style device was used BEFORE the iPhone was even announced in January 2007. In fact, it almost looks as though Apple copied the external 'look and feel' of the Samsung music player.
Apple can try and patent a grid of icons all they want. It won't fly in court. That Samsung F700 model is very telling, namely that the external candybar style device was used BEFORE the iPhone was even announced in January 2007. In fact, it almost looks as though Apple copied the external 'look and feel' of the Samsung music player.
HecubusPro
Aug 27, 06:55 PM
+BT Mighty Mouse (x2)
BT Keyboard
Some sort of bag for the MBP
D-Link USB Bluetooth drive
*Crosses fingers*
I just bought this today at my local Apple Store in anticipation of receiving my new 2.33mhz MBP 17".
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/2.RSLID?mco=B8F3B1F4&nplm=TH469LL%2FA
I'm a 36 year old man and I still use backpacks instead of briefcases. :cool: When will I ever grow up? :)
BT Keyboard
Some sort of bag for the MBP
D-Link USB Bluetooth drive
*Crosses fingers*
I just bought this today at my local Apple Store in anticipation of receiving my new 2.33mhz MBP 17".
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/2.RSLID?mco=B8F3B1F4&nplm=TH469LL%2FA
I'm a 36 year old man and I still use backpacks instead of briefcases. :cool: When will I ever grow up? :)
takao
Dec 1, 12:46 PM
the difficulty of the special stages/licenses tests is varying a lot .. on some of the 'b'-license tests i had to try 10 times to even get a silver medal edging out those 0.010 of a second and on the 'a' license tests i managed to get 4 gold ratings on the first try and once beating the needed time by more than half a second
as for the second top gear challenge... for me it's next to impossible ... your lotus seem to have tires which seem to slide around corners much more and the AI somehow manages to break much, much, MUCH harder than you can:
i was driving along around 40 meters behind one and went on full brakes when i saw their braking lights and still got disqualified for slamming into their back like a madman ... what gives
i found the first n�rburgring specials much easier than the first top gear challenge
after trying out the nascar challenges: :confused:... honestly they should have rather spent their money on getting more recent street cars ... thanks for having 10+ premium nascar cars :rolleyes:
as for the second top gear challenge... for me it's next to impossible ... your lotus seem to have tires which seem to slide around corners much more and the AI somehow manages to break much, much, MUCH harder than you can:
i was driving along around 40 meters behind one and went on full brakes when i saw their braking lights and still got disqualified for slamming into their back like a madman ... what gives
i found the first n�rburgring specials much easier than the first top gear challenge
after trying out the nascar challenges: :confused:... honestly they should have rather spent their money on getting more recent street cars ... thanks for having 10+ premium nascar cars :rolleyes:
sierra oscar
Sep 19, 09:39 AM
I don't know how many times we have to go round and round with this here. I've been on MacRumors since '01 and it's always the same-old, same-old. It's not legitimate. It's "I-wantism." You have no basis to believe that a Rev B would be more "stabled and refined." That's a hope, backed by nothing -- and nothing Apple ever comments on, either. The bottom line is that you can hope if you want, and you can wait if you want, but to bash Apple for being slow on the trigger, and to make the argument that Meroms are amazing and Yonahs are crap is, frankly, horse manure. Like I said, 64 bit is pretty irrelevant for most users, and the speed and battery differences are quite negligible. And the argument that Apple is losing tons of sales to PC manufactuers is, frankly, laughable too.
Sure... I have no basis to believe a revB will be more stable and refined. But I'm participating in 'discussion' - so no real proof - but I wasn't seeking any.
I did state - I was hoping a revB would 'maximise' my chances though. Ironically just as I have no 'proof' neither do you that this won't be the case.
I find your tone very condescending and doesn't encourage open and accepting dialogue between ppl here. I don't understand why you would participate then... If you need to be the oldest forum member (you win) or 100% right (you can win that too).... but I want to engage with ppl here in a friendly and warm atmosphere.
Sure... I have no basis to believe a revB will be more stable and refined. But I'm participating in 'discussion' - so no real proof - but I wasn't seeking any.
I did state - I was hoping a revB would 'maximise' my chances though. Ironically just as I have no 'proof' neither do you that this won't be the case.
I find your tone very condescending and doesn't encourage open and accepting dialogue between ppl here. I don't understand why you would participate then... If you need to be the oldest forum member (you win) or 100% right (you can win that too).... but I want to engage with ppl here in a friendly and warm atmosphere.