Conrad Pole-Climbing Bike Lock Keeps Away from Thieves

                Great.. until bike crooks discover ladders!

I’m guessing that most bike locks can be taken off using some fast-filling skills or some very sharp Sawzall.

However, what if there was a way to make it very inconvenient for a thief to get to a bicycle because it was high up on a lamppost?

This is apparently the idea from Conrad, a German toy and model company who made a very interesting bike lock made from a motorized skateboard.

You will note the hexagonal shape seems to embrace the lamppost. I am assuming that lampposts are of a standard circumference. Anyway, it is then as easy as mounting the bike on the frame. Then, at a touch of a button on a remote control, the bike goes up like it is in an elevator.

No thief is going to be climbing a lamppost to steal a bike, it is just too much effort and way too public of a crime to get away with. Yes, the only person who will be climbing this pole to get to a bike is the owner with the busted remote control.

The Ultimate Gaming Chair

I thought that the Pyramat Sound Chair was the ultimate gaming chair, but I was wrong. Very wrong. That title definitely goes to the Ultimate Game Chair. The name really gets the point across, eh?

This chair is packed with features. To start off, there are 12 vibration motors throughout the chair that are synchronized with the games action. Nerdy and cool. As far as sound goes, you can use your stock headphones from a MP3 player etc, or plug the chair into your home stereo system to get full surround sound. There are adjustable 3D stereo speakers built into the chair as well. Any type of gaming accessory will probably work with the chair, including steering wheels and custom controllers.

Comfort was definitely not overlooked when this chair was designed. It’s all leather material, has an adjustable headrest, leg rest, and even a beverage and remote controller holder. Oh, and I forgot to mention that this chair will give you a nice massage, too. Seriously. Quite a few game consoles are compatible with the Ultimate Gaming Chair, including the PS3, Xbox 360, Gamecube, PC, Mac, PS2 and Xbox. For audio only, you can use all those and your iPod, DS, PSP, or generic MP3 player.

Just to recap, you get a massage chair, beverage holder, stereo sound, vibrators synced to the game, and a remote holder. If you’re a serious gamer, price means nothing, but if you’re not, the $160 price tag might give you some second thoughts.

Butterball Electric Turkey Fryer – Next years turkey in a third of the time

I'm deeply sorry for the short absence; my girlfriend and me went to our friend's house for Thanksgiving and we ended up staying for one more day since we didn't have the opportunity to see each others often. Here is something they made me discover.

There is nothing new about having turkey for the holidays, but being able to cook a delicious one in just a few minutes per pound is revolutionary. Masterbuilt’s Butterball Electric Turkey Fryer can do just that. Cook up to a 14 pound turkey to juicy, tasty perfection in less than an hour. It is ideal for indoor use, is considered countertop safe and has an automatic temperature control as well as a built in timer.

The Butterball Fryer also uses a third less oil than conventional fryers, which means less waste and healthier low fat cooking.

Turkey frying used to be a bit dangerous, okay, let’s be honest, it was downright hair-raising, dropping a giant bird into a searing vat of grease while at the same time jumping back in order to avoid the 3rd degree lap burns that could possibly ensue if you were not quick enough. The Butterball Fryer is much safer and more efficient, with a specialized basket, a folding lid with a window, and a drain valve for easy cleaning.

This turkey fryer can also be used to fry chickens, fish, french fries or even donuts. It is great for large gatherings, and I promise you everyone will love the moist, amazing bird you will be able to turn out in no time. I don’t own one because I never wanted the whole gang at my house for Thanksgiving, but if I did, this would be the best way to make the ultimate bird every time.

Special thanks to KillerKun

While browsing some blogs, I came across some really amazing and creative work done by an artist. It included photoshop work, 3d graphics, video tutorials, CG portraits and concept art. Since I didn't have any banner for my blog, I decided it wouldn't be bad to ask if he could help me out with this and he replied he could and asked me what I wanted. I didn't give him any restriction as far as it had the same text as befefore and he did it within fifteen minutes (which also include the computer restart and the fact he had to reinstall his photoshop software). I don't usualy make publicity like this but here is something that will show you how he can create something out of nothing!

                                                             Herp Derp :

                                                            Here's the original :

So if you feel like getting a new banner or need any help with photoshop, you can go ask him out; he's still taking requests! If you don't need anything, just go check his stuff, it's amazing! 

KillerKun's Blog

Wireless X12 Taser LLS Stun Gun

I love reporting on the latest in weaponry. I’m sure that a lot of people will call me a little twisted, but I just can’t think of a cooler gadget than the latest weapon.

This particular stun gun, the X12 Taser LLS, had me when it was described as a “wireless taser”. Perhaps I also have an affinity for all things wireless. I mean, we have wireless computers and phones, why not wireless tasers? After all, those wires that zip out of most tasers can tangle very easily.

The LLS stands for Less Lethal Shotgun, and it is able to fire a charged round from up to 88 feet away. According to a Press Release, “it can pentrate clothing and transmit electrical impulses, causing the body to be temporarily paralyzed, unlike conventional stun guns which cause immobility by causing pain”.

In other words, someone might have you in their sight before you say “don’t tase me, bro”. I’m sure that you really don’t want to get hit by one of these guys, really.

The X12 Taser LLS is due to come out in June, but I’m guessing that it won’t be available to the general public. Hopefully, it won’t be too expensive, because SWAT teams in today’s economy might opt for cheaper and more lethal rifles.

Source

Digital Storm keeps things running nice and cool in your PC

You gotta love a name like Digital Storm – it brings a whole new updated meaning to the traditional word ’storm’, and has long been the predominant name when it comes to computer system integration and engineering. Well, Digital Storm is extremely proud to bring what they deem to be the Formula 1 of high-performance computing – their very own Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System. This new system intends to deliver an unrivalled PC gaming experience which is capable of handling overclocked Intel i7-980X CPUs of up to 4.6GHz, while ensuring the idle processor remains below 0ºC. Now is that a feat worthy of mention?

As you can tell by its name, the Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System will deliver freezing liquid to the CPU, which is more than capable of smothering any heat it encounters. Having been designed and tested over months of research by the industry’s most performance focused engineering team, the Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System is not meant for your ordinary computer user, but will instead specifically target enthusiasts and hardcore gamers who have performance and power right at the top of their lists.

Right smack at the core of Sub-Zero would be a series of TEC peltier coolers which function in conjunction with other high-end liquid cooling components. In other times, enthusiasts were relegated to bulky phase change systems in order to achieve radically low temperatures to maximize performance. Well, things have certainly changed with the passage of time, where enthusiasts are able to achieve unmatched overclocking potential with increased reliability since the core of Digital Storm’s Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System has no moving parts

If you’re interested in picking up Digital Storm’s Hailstorm gaming PC with the Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System, all the work has already been done for you, albeit at a price, of course. Prices start from $3,899 and can only go upwards from there, depending on what is the type of configuration that you decide upon. Just like you staying cool under an intense situation in a game, so does your computer with Digital Storm’s help.

Watch this Micromouse do a maze in 5 seconds, eventually

This micromouse robot competition is some international event that involves a tiny automated robotic mouse that goes through a maze, studying every possible turn, and then restarts, going through the maze as fast as possible.

Go ahead and watch the video after the jump so you can see the mouse go slowly through the maze and then speed through it in about five seconds. Granted, it takes a while before the video gets to that point, but this is one of those vids where you want to see all the opening acts before the final show.

There are a couple of things worth noting. You will see that the mouse takes paths that you probably wouldn’t take if you were actually going through a maze like this. I mean, what human would deliberately go down a clearly visible dead end?

The other thing to notice is that you, as a human being, could probably not remember as good as this micromouse here. Just try running through a maze and figuring out where to go, without a pen and paper or even a piece of string. Then try starting from the very beginning and run it in five seconds.

The last thing that you should notice is the lower right hand corner. The letters “A-L-F” are clearly seen. Some maze-maker a big ALF fan? Ha-ha! I kill me! (That’s from the TV show ALF in case you didn’t get that joke.)

Edit : wow, I can't believe I've reached the 100 followers so fast! Thanks to everybody, this means a lot to me! Here is the link of my 100th follower's blog since I can't find any better idea of what to do with this since I got aware of this about ten minutes ago! http://killerkun.blogspot.com//

Favorite kind of gadget

Audio/Video : The area of home entertainment is a gadget lovers paradise.

Conceptual : In the ongoing quest for the coolest gadget we come across a fair few gadgets that are just concepts. Some we hope will become reality whilst others we hope stay on the drawing board.

Cooking : Kitchen gadgets seem to be one of the most abundant kinds of cool gadgets. There are just so many things you can do in the kitchen that a gadget will help you with.

PC/Gaming : Many are wacky or just plain pointless but we do get the odd USB gadget that is useful as well as fun.

Sport : The staff of coolest gadgets are probably not the most sporty of individuals but that doesn’t stop us playing with and enjoying sport gadgets. A plasma TV is a sports gadget after all.

Tech News : News about up and coming technology events.

Here is a little update since I forgot to tell everybody I just created a poll that you can find on the sidebar. It will be open for two weeks and I'll go with whatever you my lovely followers decide. I'd really appreciate it if you would take a few seconds to vote so I can be aware of what you would most likely want to read when visiting my blog even if I'll keep posting about other kind of gadgets!

Hands on with the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset

I had a friend of mine try out Psyko Audio’s gaming PC Headset at CES last January. He told me they were “the best headphones that he had ever seen”.

You can imagine what kind of a set-up that is for a review. Either I am going to be really disappointed, or I’m going to agree with him. One thing I can say is that I am not disappointed.

The Pskyo 5.1 isn’t designed to be headphones, but a headset system for gaming. The system creates 3D sound like a room system, with 5 speakers in the bridge plus a sub-woofer positioned at each ear. It is created so that a gamer can hear exactly where a sound is coming from. By the way, just because they aren’t designed to be regular audio headphones doesn’t mean they can’t be used as them, and they work rather well in that capacity.

The Psyko Audio also has an extremely unique aesthetic quality. The ears are made of transparent plastic, and are easily adjustable. There is also a terrific removable microphone.

The Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming headset requires hooking up the earphones to an amp that you plug into the wall. The amp has an adjustable volume and bass. It requires some set-up for 5.1 surround sound.

You should be able to purchase the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset on Amazon for a price of $169.99. That may sound pretty expensive, but this is probably going to be the last pair of headphones that you will need to buy for a long time. If you have a gamer on your Christmas list, and you can spare the cash, then this is your gift for that person.

Edit : I linked the product to Amazon since they sell the headset for half the price Psykoaudio sells it!

Jeans made to shock pickpockets

In my home area I’m not in the slightest bit concerned about someone picking through my pockets.  However, no one in a large and strange city doesn’t realize the risk you run when you let on that you’re a tourist.  Even if you live in a city all of the time, as soon as you get into a crowded area you’re abundantly aware of how easy it’d be for someone to swipe your wallet and the thief to disappear into the crowd.  Thankfully one person created a kit to attempt to keep pickpockets from being successful.

You just fit a small battery-operated kit into the garment.  After you’ve gotten it all set up in your jeans and flipped the on switch, anyone that tries to remove your wallet will receive a 220-volt shock.  To protect you from getting the same shock there is a rubber coating that, Syam Chaurasia, slipped into the pockets.  This isn’t currently up for sale just yet, but the creator has hopes that he could connect with a company to help him sell these.

The transparent toaster

Here’s a kitchen gadget that has me intrigued; it’s a transparent toaster. If you’ve already ordered the stylish-looking transparent radiator, then this gadget is a must have.

I’m always burning toast, either because the bread’s too thin, the timer’s too long or too short (too short I run the toaster a second time and still burn the toast), but with this gadget even I can’t go wrong.

With a transparent toaster in the kitchen I can watch the bread turn a perfect golden brown colour and hit the button when it’s ready.

There’s only one slight problem though. I found the toaster via the excellent Gizmodo blog, and followed the link to the product page. As the page was loading I noticed the url contained the words “Concept Studio” and thought “Uh oh…” Sure enough, the thing’s only a design concept and not a working device. The problem is that at the moment they haven’t found a glass that will get hot enough to cook the toast.

I’m wondering how they got the cool idea though. I’ve heard that people on the Wacky Baccy are often quite partial to toast, and looking round the Inventables Concept Studio website, I’m seeing some evidence that they regularly get partial to a bit of toast too…. haha just kidding guys.

Anyway, I want one of these transparent toasters! There must be an answer to the problem; maybe using a sintered glass and an external, infra red laser might do the trick. The laser’s not a bad idea because you can scan the laser across the toast to get the perfectly uniformly toasted bread. A rastering, infra red laser might be expensive though.

I’ve got a feeling ordinary quartz can withstand temperatures exceeding 1000 C. Anyway, if there are any materials scientists out there that can turn this concept gadget into a working toaster – be sure to drop us a line!

E-Tomb – Dead goes digital

I hate talking about dying, I spend more time than I think is right, wondering about my mortality. In fact my family and I debate over whether we need a nice luxurious vault, or a quick and easy cremation, and up until now, cremation was for me. I just couldn’t think of a single reason to be stuck in the cold, wet ground.

Well, maybe now there might be one, E-Tomb. Seriously. A headstone capable of saving all of your online information from social networking sites, blogs and other website information and dispensing it to your, um, shall we call them guests? Via their smartphone or computer. This solar powered grave marker will connect via bluetooth with a key embedded into the cross on the stone, this connection will allow the headstone to dispense information about your “digital personality” including websites, social networking sites, audio clips, pictures and even videos. Your friends can stop by your stone, and upload their own stuff, adding even more memories to the collage of information this thing can hold.

So, anyone that knows me, knows I have a lot to say, it would be nice to think I could still be saying it long after I am gone. Of course theres some footage from the 90’s I’m going to have to destroy before I go….

What Gadget Do You Most Want For Christmas???

I am currently completing my 2010 Christmas gift guides and there is some very cool stuff out there.

However I could do with a little help finishing them off so if you could please leave a comment telling us which gadget or gadgets you would most like Santa to deliver that would be great (if I can I’ll try to negotiate a discount for Santa too).

Interface with 3D Graphics with the axsotic 3D-Spheric-Mouse

One of the problems with computer mice is they are made for a two-dimensional world. You can go along with length and width, but if you want your cursor to travel on a z-axis, picking it up isn’t going to make a bit of difference.

Of course, most of us are quite satisfied with a two-dimensional screen. However, those who are in computer graphics have to work in a 3D world.

Fortunately, there is a mouse for that. This axosotic 3D-Spheric-Mouse can be pushed, pulled, and lifted to re-position a model in 3D space. There is a video after the jump so you can see how it works.

According to my Source, this 3D-Spheric-Mouse “allows for 1,000 dpi optical precision when rotating an object, and 2,170 dpi when panning or zooming. It appears to work with the hundreds of 3D packages currently owned by Autodesk (and presumably 15-20 more since this article was written) plus others that haven’t been bought up yet”.

This reminds me of the Leonar3Do, which is uses a “bird” as a three-dimensional mouse. Clearly, 3D graphics on every monitor is going to be the wave of the future. I don’t know whether they will be simulated 3D on 2D or holograms, but consumers will demand three-dimensional interfaces eventually. Perhaps axsotic is ahead of the game with this sphere-mouse.

iRecord Music – and I’m not going to jail

Gone are the days where you could fill up your iPod with huge amounts of free content found, however illegally, on websites like the old Napster or Limewire.

Fast forward to the future, where you need to look over your shoulder if you are not paying the exorbitant fees required to load up your handheld devices. I for one don’t need the stress of “sharing” my files with the unknown masses, or wondering when my computer will crash from doing the naughty song stealing I shouldn’t have been doing in the first place.


Well, now there is another option, iRecord Music, brought to you by the same people who brought you the iPad compatible, iRecord Pro. iRecord Music is the only multifunction USB device that can directly record to an iPhone 4 and other iPhones, all iPods including iPod touch and other portable media players with a touch of a button. No computer or complicated software required.

The iRecord Music can also record from CD players, internet radio, cassette players, TV and even computers. It will allow you to digitize your old collections or grab new content from almost anywhere. The iRecord Music will also function as a live recorder using its built in microphone or as a basic MP3 player. And for $79.95 it all but pays for itself.

How cool is that?

BACTrack personal breathalyzer review

This was an interesting review to write - there are only a limited number of things you can do to review  a breathalyzer and I don’t have access to sophisticated test equipment. So when it came to the operational review I had to resort to the “manual” approach with the aid of Mr Jack Daniels. Ahh, the things we do for science!

Before we get to that though, a quick overview. The BACTrack is designed to detect the presence (and amount) of alcohol flowing around your bloodstream. The value it gives is in the form of a Blood Alcohol Concentration (or BAC)%. It does this by measuring a sample of your breath.

Even a small BAC% can impair reaction times and judgement (try playing a video game after you’ve had a few beers if you don’t believe this) but the real danger is that you may feel OK to drive “the morning after the night before”, whilst still having a level of alcohol present in your system.

Packaging

The BACTrack is a stylish, portable unit about the size of a mars bar. In the box you get the BACTrack, a handy protective carrying pouch and a comprehensive manual. As well as operational instructions the manual also includes information on the effects of alcohol at various %BAC concentrations and the current drink-drive limit in the US. You’ll need to find a pair of AA batteries, they’re not included.

So how well does it work?

This is where things get interesting. I don’t make a habit of getting systematically drunk but down to the local bar I headed, complete with friends to double check readings and notepad to record results:

- Throughout the evening our readings rose and fell as expected and broadly in line with each other. In other words, the device was consistent.

- After a drink (and the requisite 20 minute wait) we registered .001 - i.e some alcohol in the system.

- After a few more drinks - waaaay past the time I’d think about getting into a car - the unit only registered .004% This is theoretically inside the “safe” drink drive limit in both the UK and US yet there’s no way I’d have considered driving.

- At the end of the evening (again waiting about 20 mins after the last drink) the reading was 0.12%. According to the manual there would be “Significant impairment of motor coordination and loss of good judgement” amongst other things. Which, from my dim recollection of events sounds about right!

- Taking readings at various points after this showed a steady decline in BAC%, but even 7 hours after the last drink (i.e the next morning) it still showed .001% before finally reaching zero an hour later.

Conclusion

For the most part it seemed to work as advertised and getting the readings hours after the last drink was certainly enlightening. If you make a habit of late drinking and early starts you should definitely look at one of these (or change your drinking habits…).

I don’t know what happened in the middle though. We all thought we were way past the limit for driving but the BACTrack showed us safely inside it. The only thing I can think of is that we may not have waited long enough between drinking and taking a reading, so the alcohol was still in the process of entering the bloodstream and the BACTrack couldn’t read it.

Or - and this is also possible - the US limits are simply too high!

Sony Internet TV – Now I never have to get off the couch

There goes my promise to start exercising, just when I was feeling motivated, Sony introduces Internet TV with a Blu-ray disc player powered by Google TV.

Now I can search for whatever I want, anywhere on the Internet or TV and I can actually cruise the net, while I am watching television. Its not that I don’t do that already, its just that having everything on one integrated screen is just so darn exciting. I imagine myself updating my Facebook page while watching the news, or helping my daughter with her homework and watching football at the same time, mostly I see myself watching Formula 1 and running the live timing screen on the same display with Dual View.

This cool little box also has built in WIFI and can access your online movies, photos and music, this just gets better and better. The Sony Internet TV really is an all in one entertainment source. It probably couldn’t be any more compelling if you could say… download Android Apps or link it with your mobile phone and use it as an additional remote, or share content between the phone and TV, but you can.

The Internet TV Blu-Ray player connects to your existing HDTV, comes with a handheld QWERTY keyboard with an optical mouse and at $399.00, the only reason not to own one is all the stuff you’re not going to get done.

Mac or PC

Which Comes Out Tops for Business and Home Use

There will never be a clear winner in the age-old debate of whether a Mac beats the PC, or the PC trumps the Mac, but it is infinitely clear that each enjoys a staunch following of devoted fans.

The confusion between which is the better of the two, really comes to light if you are a unbiased consumer looking for the machine that best suits your needs, or a business owner fielding requests from individual employees, arguing the necessity for their preferred platform.

What's the Difference?

Apple creates both the hardware and software applications for its products. This means that Apple determines specs, costs, and retailers allowed to carry them, and all their software runs seamlessly on their OS X operating system.

Both use new technology like the Intel Core Duo processor, which means that all PC apps are now able to run on a Mac.

Microsoft's Windows is the operating system associated with the majority of PCs in the world. This means that PC manufacturers each have their own deal with Windows for software, and are able to be ultra-competitive in the features and pricing of their hardware.

FAQ's

Both Mac and PC supporters usually take a hard-lined stance on their favoured platform's strengths, and the competitor's perceived weaknesses. From a strictly unbiased perspective, these are the need to know facts on Macs and PCs:

• Why are Macs more expensive than PCs?
  This is a two-part answer because although the up front cost of a Mac may be higher, the long-term cost can be substantially lower than a PC.
  
  Apple targets a higher market to begin with - above creating their own software and hardware, they use more expensive components and parts, which results in a higher up front cost. When you buy a Mac however, it is preloaded with the Apple line of software and it literally ready to use right out of the box, with no additional set up or software uploads required.
  
  PCs open the door for users on a tight budget because competitive prices are within reach of most consumers. Your basic machines at the lowest end of the pricing scale are only capable of email, surfing the internet, and creating basic documents. The costs in upgrading the operating system, increasing memory, or upgrading the software that most PC owners use on a day-to-day basis, is where the long-term costs come in. Depending on what you intend to use your PC for, or how you upgrade it will significantly affect the total cost of your computer.
  
• Are Macs best for multimedia, and PCs for business?
  Macs have traditionally held the market in publishing and design, while PCs are the standard in business. It is most likely that Macs will continue to be the go-to in the publishing sector and because of their price and readily available support, PCs are probably going to dominate the business world for some time to come.
  
  It should be noted however that both platforms are able to perform similar – if not the same functions, with the help of software specific to that use.
  
• Can Macs run Windows programs?
  Yes – you are even able to run Windows simultaneously with the Apple OS X platform. Popular Windows programs like Microsoft Word and Excel are also available in a Mac compatible format, however these obviously come at an additional cost.
  
• What's with PCs and viruses, and why do they seem so unstable?
  Given that PCs make up the majority of all computers in the world, it makes sense that hackers are more inclined to create viruses for the operating system on which they can cause the most damage. Mac's operating system on the whole, is considered to be more stable though and generally requires less maintenance than a PC. That being said, PC technical support is cheap and easy to come by, while support for a Mac can be a little more challenging to find.

So here are my questions : Do you own a PC or a Mac? Why did you choose it?

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Looks like all Call of Duty fans out there are getting their noses over this new installment in the famous game series. The 7th game will be entitled Call of Duty series: Black Ops. Black Ops was officially announced last April 30, 2010 and a full trailer of it was first shown on May 18, 2010. The upcoming 2010 first-person shooter video game will be released on November 9, 2010, following the Call of Duty Christmas day release tradition.

The developer of the said game is Treyarch and is published by Activision. Black Ops is said to be the most intense, gripping and exciting game in the Call of Duty franchise. Treyarch said that fans should be expecting improved matchmaking, with enhanced Create-A-Class for added character customization. The company’s head, Mark Lamia even said that they are commiting all of their 200 staff to work hard on Black Ops. They had taken creative risks because they want to do something different than what they usually do. On the elite world of Black Ops we will be able to witness the history between World War II and the present day.

The name of the game suggests secret, more of special forces action than frontline fighting. Players will be spending least time fights however the lead character will still be on a secret agenda. The game will be full of missions which will take gamers to Cuba and South America which will also feature Cold War and Vietnam. The Cold War era will feature Vietnam, Frosty Russian Mountains Location underground and everything in between. Players will be given the chance to play as a member of the Special Air Service, a pocket of CIA sanction forces, during a close combat in a mission going to Iranian Embassy back in 1980’s.

A zombie mode is also included where players can gun down forces of zombies which is a popular feature in the Call of Duty: World at War. This unbelievably exciting and gorgoeus new game includes rapelling out of a helicpter on an SOG missions and stealthy operations in the Ural Mountains. New weapons are also included in the game like the Crossbow which can be used for both stealthy kills and explosive tip secondary fire shot, M202 rocket launcher and Incendiary shotgun. Also an SR-71 Blackbird, an exciting pilotable vehicle and is fully controllable will also be a new feature of the game.

Black Ops also features snazzier smoke, fire effects, clearer draw distance, more convincing charcters , launching missiles, exploding laboratories, snowsuit soldiers in wintry environs, crashing helicopters, guys in bandanas and good lighting. It will be available for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and for PC just like its other series.