Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
There lurks on the London Underground network a tube station that wont appear on any tube map, past, present or indeed future. In use on most days, yet no trains ever call there and no passengers ever use it. Fully fitted out with Oyster card readers, signalling and display boards, it isn’t an old abandoned station.
This is in fact a fully fitted out fake tube station built by London Underground on the 3rd floor of an office block in West Kensington and is used to teach new employees what goes where and when.
It is slightly surreal to go into a fairly generic office building, then on the third floor, find the entrance to a tube station – complete with fake newspaper stall and wire mesh grills.
The whole floor is used for training staff.
Despite the presence of the mocked up tube station, the rest of the floor is made up of conventional office rooms, although in a nice touch, each room is also named after a former tube train stock number.
It is slightly surreal to go into a fairly generic office building, then on the third floor, find the entrance to a tube station – complete with fake newspaper stall and wire mesh grills.
The whole floor is used for training staff.
Despite the presence of the mocked up tube station, the rest of the floor is made up of conventional office rooms, although in a nice touch, each room is also named after a former tube train stock number.
The tube station is probably the highlight for any visitor and in addition to looking like a tube station, it also behaves a bit like one. When a train is due to arrive, although no physical train appears, the platform rumbles, speakers drown out conversations and there is even a fan in the corner blowing to simulate the wind blast that heralds the arrival of the train.
How the tube network deals with faults – and what causes them. For example, there is a small break in the running rails which acts as a signal isolator, but over time that gap gets filled in with metal filing from trains, and the signal breaks. Sometimes, simply scuffing the surface with your shoe is what it takes to fix a signal.
Which is why sometimes signal failures last just a few minutes before magically vanishing.
Which is why sometimes signal failures last just a few minutes before magically vanishing.
Sometimes a signal failure in the wrong place can be a nightmare and totally screw up the network for several hours.
Incidentally, West Ashfield station is indeed in the western wing of the office block. Maybe there’ll be an East Ashfield station sometime in the future?
One floor down is the BIG BOYS TOY writ large, as there is a fully functioning training simulator for the forthcoming S-Stock trains that will be appearing on the Metropolitan Line next year (and Circle/District later on)
One floor down is the BIG BOYS TOY writ large, as there is a fully functioning training simulator for the forthcoming S-Stock trains that will be appearing on the Metropolitan Line next year (and Circle/District later on)
Quite interestingly, although a SPAD is not a good thing, in of itself it isn’t mission critical. Due to the nature of the tube network signalling systems, SPADS are almost guaranteed, and the tube network only takes action if someone is rather incompetent and keeps passing red signals. As a SPAD could be a signalling failure and not the drivers fault, the driver seeks permission to drive carefully after each incident and after 3 minutes, returns to driving at normal speed. The new S Stock automatically limits the speed for three minutes, then releases the driver to go at full speed again.
The new trains also have some interesting improvements, such as if someone has got a bag jammed in a door because they jumped on when the doors are closing, then the train will only open that one door rather than all the doors on the train – which usually results in more people leaping on (and getting stuck between closing doors).
Incidentally, standing outside the simulator as the train starts moving forward is a very unsettling experience as you see the scenery moving, but don’t feel the usual sensation of a train accelerating. Takes a bit of getting used to as your brain gets confused by the illusion of moving without moving.
A brief talk about how they use a static model railway to set up possible scenarios and teach tube staff how to handle situations.
The new trains also have some interesting improvements, such as if someone has got a bag jammed in a door because they jumped on when the doors are closing, then the train will only open that one door rather than all the doors on the train – which usually results in more people leaping on (and getting stuck between closing doors).
Incidentally, standing outside the simulator as the train starts moving forward is a very unsettling experience as you see the scenery moving, but don’t feel the usual sensation of a train accelerating. Takes a bit of getting used to as your brain gets confused by the illusion of moving without moving.
A brief talk about how they use a static model railway to set up possible scenarios and teach tube staff how to handle situations.
Then on to the ultimate model railway.
This is a fully functioning model railway that was only recently built to replace an older model based in White City many years ago. That older model used signalling systems that were so close to the live kit, that sometimes an engineer would run in and nick a component to fix a broken signal at White City!
That’s not going to happen with the new model train set.
In addition to being configured with a selection of more modern signalling systems as used on the London Underground, they also have a lovingly recreated old lever based signal network which is used to show staff how things worked in the past.
That’s not going to happen with the new model train set.
In addition to being configured with a selection of more modern signalling systems as used on the London Underground, they also have a lovingly recreated old lever based signal network which is used to show staff how things worked in the past.
The true purpose of the model train set though is to train staff on dealing with problems, and a simple flick of a switch can simulate any sort of network failure you care to imagine.
Why it can sometimes take ages to get trains out of tunnels when things go wrong.
For example, a train is stuck at a platform – maybe someone decided that 5pm was the best time to kill themselves – and there is a train behind it in the tunnel. Not only does that train now have to reverse back down the tunnel – but do so safely.
In ye olde days (aka, 2008) the station staff at the previous station would have to manually check any points junctions were safe, but then walk down to the stranded train and hand over a paper form granting authority for the driver to drive backwards down a tunnel.
Today they can grant authority over a secure radio link, but that only became possible 18 months ago. Indeed it does seem that the Evening Standard headlines of people being stuck in tunnels for an hour or more have dried up since this was introduced.
So, a change that many people wont have even known has happened has already had a positive impact on reducing delays on the network.
One of the stations is called Hobbs End. Sci-Fi film geeks may get the reference
Why it can sometimes take ages to get trains out of tunnels when things go wrong.
For example, a train is stuck at a platform – maybe someone decided that 5pm was the best time to kill themselves – and there is a train behind it in the tunnel. Not only does that train now have to reverse back down the tunnel – but do so safely.
In ye olde days (aka, 2008) the station staff at the previous station would have to manually check any points junctions were safe, but then walk down to the stranded train and hand over a paper form granting authority for the driver to drive backwards down a tunnel.
Today they can grant authority over a secure radio link, but that only became possible 18 months ago. Indeed it does seem that the Evening Standard headlines of people being stuck in tunnels for an hour or more have dried up since this was introduced.
So, a change that many people wont have even known has happened has already had a positive impact on reducing delays on the network.
One of the stations is called Hobbs End. Sci-Fi film geeks may get the reference
Friday, December 10, 2010
How to Speed Up Sluggish PC: Boost Your Computers Performance and Make It Run Faster
0 comments Posted by atcruxblog at 10:39 AMTesa was working on her first home based job. Hurried, as it is time for her to submit the files needed by her boss. She is attaching a file on her email when suddenly the PC slows down, and it took hours before she finally submitted her work. Her angry boss sent his last email to her …. And Tesa lost her chance. This typical story shows how a sluggish PC can disturb one’s life. To save you from a trouble like this, you should read the following steps on how to speed up sluggish PC.
Improving your PC performance
The most typical reason why a computer slows down is having a heavy carried data. This happens as you use your computer in your daily activities, data continually clutters the computer storage especially if you explore internet constantly. Remove these clutters from your PC. Delete the browsing data such as cache, cookies, and history. Check also your pc storage memory, removing the files and application you no longer. Include those boring old games as it occupies a lot of space in your PC memory. Remove also spywares and adwares, including their traces contained in the temp folder. This will save a lot of space on the storage memory making your PC to perform at maximum performance.
Check also what loads up as your computer boosts up. These start up programs also consume much space in your PC memory and slows down your computer. Delete your unwanted start up program as this will contribute to fasten your PC.
Do these steps every month as this will save you to a lot of problem in the future. If you think these steps would be a down time, then you could just download some free software that optimizes PC performance by doing the cleaning, organizing, as well as fixing PC encountered errors. This software usually comes with a feature that monitors your PC performance and automatically fixes PC performance problems. If you are tired of a slowing down, do these easy ways on how to speed up sluggish PC as this will benefit you in the long run.
How To Create Printer-Friendly Web Pages
As web design technology goes further contemporary web pages created by experienced web developers are known to get more and more complex due to the amount of images, advertisements, links etc included in them. That is why sometimes it is hard for the visitor to view such web pages fast and without obstacles online. Moreover, apart from being crammed with visual content web pages may be somehow misrepresented in different monitors. And that is where the necessity to print the page occurs. There may be a lot of other reasons why users may need to print web pages - not only the distorted presentation but also the necessity to bring the printed material along may appear. In any case your task is to make your web pages printer-friendly so that any user may print and read them easily.
What implies printer-friendly web page? There are many suggestions concerning this issue as web developers make use of different methods to write the printer-friendly page. Some of them decide to remove the navigation and advertising, some include the text links and some leave only the title and body of the written content. But there are several tips which will come in handy in any case and will help you to create web pages which will be printer-friendly for sure. So take a look at the steps you need to take.
1. Change the colors
If your web page is multicolored, i.e contains colored background and fonts, you need to make the background white and the text black in order for your web page to be printer-friendly. This is the most winning combination for your pages content to be read easily on the paper, moreover, a lot of your site visitors make use of black-and-white printers so you will help them to use the ink economically.
If your web page is multicolored, i.e contains colored background and fonts, you need to make the background white and the text black in order for your web page to be printer-friendly. This is the most winning combination for your pages content to be read easily on the paper, moreover, a lot of your site visitors make use of black-and-white printers so you will help them to use the ink economically.
2. Use proper font and font size
The most appropriate font for your printer-friendly web page is probably serif one as it is very easy to read both online and when moving to print. As for the size - if your web page is of the small font size, e.g. 11px or smaller, you need to increase it for printing. It depends but you better make your page font size not less than 12pt.
The most appropriate font for your printer-friendly web page is probably serif one as it is very easy to read both online and when moving to print. As for the size - if your web page is of the small font size, e.g. 11px or smaller, you need to increase it for printing. It depends but you better make your page font size not less than 12pt.
3. Highlight the links
The links you place within your web pages won’t be clickable on the paper so you need to highlight them for your printer-friendly page. The easiest way is just to underline all of the links in order for the viewer to identify them when he printers the web page.
The links you place within your web pages won’t be clickable on the paper so you need to highlight them for your printer-friendly page. The easiest way is just to underline all of the links in order for the viewer to identify them when he printers the web page.
4. Remove surplus pictures
If your page contains related images you need to limit them for the printed version. Remove all the pictures that are not so necessary and leave only those ones which are important, e.g. images which the article requires or brand logos.
If your page contains related images you need to limit them for the printed version. Remove all the pictures that are not so necessary and leave only those ones which are important, e.g. images which the article requires or brand logos.
5. Remove advertising and navigation
Advertisements placed within your site make it difficult to print the page so you better remove them taking into account that they will probably be of no use on the printed page and may only distract the visitor from the main content. The same thing concerns your website navigation - it is useful only when the visitor browses your pages but on the paper it will appear to be unnecessary. Removing it you will provide more space on the page for the very written content a user needs.
Advertisements placed within your site make it difficult to print the page so you better remove them taking into account that they will probably be of no use on the printed page and may only distract the visitor from the main content. The same thing concerns your website navigation - it is useful only when the visitor browses your pages but on the paper it will appear to be unnecessary. Removing it you will provide more space on the page for the very written content a user needs.
6. Add a by-line
The articles your website contain may not have a by-line but you should definitely include it for the printer-friendly version. This will allow the user to find out the necessary information about the author without rushing and opening your site again especially when there is no opportunity to do it at the moment.
The articles your website contain may not have a by-line but you should definitely include it for the printer-friendly version. This will allow the user to find out the necessary information about the author without rushing and opening your site again especially when there is no opportunity to do it at the moment.
7. Add the URL
Including the original URL of the printed article is a very important aspect. This allows your customers to follow the link in case of necessity and get additional information from your website. Moreover, this will help you to promote your web pages as well as the users will probably share the source of the article they have printed.
Including the original URL of the printed article is a very important aspect. This allows your customers to follow the link in case of necessity and get additional information from your website. Moreover, this will help you to promote your web pages as well as the users will probably share the source of the article they have printed.
8. Add a copyright notice
Don’t forget to protect your writing as you are the sole owner of what you write on the web. So adding a copyright notification will protect your rights and avoid using your web page printed version as someone’s creation.
Don’t forget to protect your writing as you are the sole owner of what you write on the web. So adding a copyright notification will protect your rights and avoid using your web page printed version as someone’s creation.
So these are the steps you should follow in order to create a printer-friendly web pages for your website and assure your customers of the quality of your services once again.
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