I have DS220+ in my living room, i need to extend the storage size and looking for a Quite HD somewhere in the range of 8TB to 12TB.
I have a good experience with:
WD black 1TB
WD blue 2TB
Seagate barracuda 4TB
but i am not sure if in the large sizes they are still quite.
​
​
What do you recommend?
*It's a small apartment, so I can't move the NAS

My aunt is a nun for the Catholic Church and as a kid I spent a lot of time at the convent where she lived. The convent is large and has two different living areas but they can be accessed by doors inside the living quarters so everything is connected.
Before my aunt moved to the 3 bedroom side of the convent she stayed on the larger side. It had 3 different prayer rooms, two living areas, two dining spaces, and a kitchen. Upstairs it had bedrooms lining both sides of the hallway.
One day she needed something from storage down in the basement. To get down there we had to walk all the way through the lower level of the convent to the door that led to 3 bedroom side and then down a set of stairs to a hallway with a door.
She unlocked the door and you could feel the damp, cool, air coming through. We went in and while my aunt and dad were searching for whatever they were trying to find I walked in circles and waited impatiently to leave.
The basement at first was a big room but to the right of the room there was a hallway. It was dark and long and I’ve always been afraid of the dark so I backed up from it. But then my aunt turned on a light that illuminated a little bit of the hallway and I looked down it again, there were empty rooms that looked like offices.
I remember asking my aunt what that was and she said it was for the church. That there is a hallway that connects to the convent to the church directly next to it. That caught my attention. I asked if we could search it and she said yes.
This place was huge and it was all underground. A hallway also led to the Catholic school that was on the other side of the convent so if it rained or snowed they could get to church. It was weird though. It was filled with so many empty offices that smelled moldy and the yellow, almost eggshell colored paper was peeling off. Why did it need so many offices down here? I asked my aunt and she couldn’t really answer why they needed that many offices or what they were for.
The whole time I felt uneasy, like something was watching me. I’m not sure if it was my fear of the dark or something more. I never went back down in the convent basement after that. But I’m not convinced there isn’t something weird going on down there whether it’s the back rooms or something else.

Enili is one of the largest southern princedoms, the strength of which is heavily reliant upon the support of the Kawriq Empire. It is ruled by a prince, currently Izevel, who is the head of the princedom senate, overseer of the court of judges, and possesses unquestionable executive power within the nation.
The soil there is of a bright orange to dark brown coloration. Alhough it does not hold many natural resources, it is a treasure in itself, fertile and capable of sustaining great forests and farmlands. Woodwork, harvested crops, livestock meats and furs, woven fabric, pottery and glass, as well as experienced professionals make up most of the country's exports. Metals, spices, alcohols, scrolls of papyrus and many other materials need to be purchased from merchants from the north, east, and west. The people of Enili commonly use clay tablets for writing and notation, but since the nation fell under the influence of the Kawriq Empire papyrus scrolls began to significantly gain on popularity.
The princedom does not possess a large army, and its city lacks in strategic defenses. However, it does maintain a fleet of over fifty state-owned ships to deal with pirates and perform escorts of important individuals and resources, while the city militia is numerous, well-trained, and well-equipped.
The City of Enili, located on the most eastern flank of the Kawriq civilization and easily accessible from land and sea by travelers and merchants from far away, has become a safe stop for those travelers. It allows them to rest in their journey, make repairs to their vessels and equipment, and resupply at a relatively cheap price. Many buildings at the center of the city were built out of white imported marble and sandstone, while on the outskirts wood and orange clay bricks are the most dominant materials.
The city has been expanding both in population and size at an unprecedented pace for the last few years, reaching no less than one hundred thousand citizens, about sixty thousand non-citizens (mostly immigrants from Kawriq, and people from the dry and hot north) and thirty thousand peasants with limited rights. To gain a citizenship and the benefits it grants one has to serve at least twenty four years in the city militia, navy or military (and half as much to become a half-citizen) or be born to a pair of citizens, or one citizen and one half-citizen. Half-citizens are effectively citizens who were born to pairs of a citizen and a non-citizen, however child of a pair of two half-citizens will always be a non-citizen. They can improve their status and become a full citizen by paying a half-citizen tax for twelve years and completing a written test of citizenship.
The city posses a primitive, mostly covered sewage system, making it suprisingly clean and pleasant-smelling for its size.
The faith of the feathered twins has recently become the main religion, and while the cults of most of the lesser gods have died out or been nearly completely abandoned, however their statues and symbols are still understood to attract good spirits. They are still actively prayed to, but more as a group. Those relics of the past can often be seen in public meeting areas and households, bringing luck to the citizens. Similarly, the fossils and bones of long-dead animals have always been understood to protect from tge evil spirits, the fuller and more accurately articulated the skeleton, the better. In accordance with the dominant Enili philosophy known as the "palace of the higher needs," no temples or ancient statues were purposefully demolished. Instead, they were repurposed to serve the feathered twins. The religious conversion was mostly swift and bloodless, thanks to countless public speeches by philosophers, government officials, and public representatives, as well as successful negotiations between interested parties.
There are many skilled craftsmen living within Enili, purchasing raw resources from merchants and selling finished products with profit. Many private, priesthood-owned and state-owned schools exist there, the most well known of which is the Enili School of Craftsmanship and Philosophy, located in a repurposed ancient temple on the western bank of the river Izu. According to many the Enili School represents the highest standard of education in all southern princedoms. A large population of alchemists lives in the eastern part of the city, producing and selling a great number of elixirs of questionable effectiveness, though there are many things they produce that have been proven to function as intended, coloured glass being one of them. The woodwork sector is also strong within the city, producing great art, furniture, and sturdy ships of the Enili pattern. Many poets, artists, sculptors, architects, engineers, and philosophers also live within the city, and their works are the pride of Enili people.
The coinage there is somewhat unusual. The "unicorns" are the very recently introduced coins of the highest value. They are round, made of platinum and iron, and bear the image of the creature on one side and the stylized profile carving of Izevel on the other. They are worth one thousand of the golden coins each. The "envoys" are the second most valuable coin, made of gold, square, and with a hole at the center. They bear the image of two envoy birds on one side and the ruler of the Kawriq Empire on the other. There is also another, older version of this coin still in use called "phoenixes," which has the image of a phoenix on one side and the likeness of either Izevel, Izevel's father, or another old ruler on the other. Each golden coin is worth twelve silver coins. The triangular silver "altars," each with a hole in the middle, bear the images of a fish, a crowhorse, and wheat, respectively in each of the corners, and the panorama of Enili on the other side. Each silver coin is worth twelve of the round coloured glass coins, known as "tokens", which can bear a great variety of state-mandated symbols, and are mostly orange in coloration.
The Morning Mountains Colony is a territory aquired relatively recently by the Princedom of Enili by a threat of force and exchange of many coins. It's a small but growing city located near the source of river Izu, counting around ten thousand non-citizens in population. It is ruled by a council made up of its inhabitants and a governor from the City of Enili. The Colony is relatively prosperous and content with it's current political situation. Trade has significantly increased since it joined the princedom, living conditions have improved and a few schools and roads have been built. It's better fortified than the City of Enili, with a steep cliff protecting it from one side and a palisade from the other. The Colony possesses a military force counting around one hundred armored envoy riders, three hundred crowhorse-riding archers, three hundred infantry and ten ships. The purpose of this very expansive force (maintained mostly from the taxes of the citizens of the City of Enili) is to protect the trade routes, eliminate bandits, maintain peace and protect the north of the Princedom of Enili.
https://imgur.com/a/1rowOEA

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

• Mainly racing sim games like Forza etc

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

• $4000 SGD

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

• Within this month

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

• Tower + OS, peripherals not required

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

• Singapore

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

• None

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

• No

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

• No particular preference

What type of network connectivity do you need? (Wired and/or WiFi) If WiFi is needed and you would like to find the fastest match for your wireless router, please list any specifics.

• Wifi

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

• No particular preference

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

• Windows 10

Extra info or particulars:

• Thanks in advance!

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using. Playing mainly Apex Legends and sometime other shooters Warzone, Battlefield, COD, Valorant, CS, Fortnite
What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

2000€

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

As soon as possible

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

The 2000€ budget is only for tower

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

Romania, no microcenter here

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

None

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

I will maybe overclock it sometimes

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

I want to get as many FPS as i can and also quality as much as i can

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

I like RGB so i will love as much rgb as i can

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

No

I'm just a layman, but I just posted in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/DataHoardecomments/13z3mqu/what_brand_model_size_and_how_many_disks_should_i/ to correct/clarify what the poster above me said: The largest size drives will be SMR. and that brought to mind another thread that I thought I posted on and rereading it, there's a lot of incorrect info, suppositions and critically no one seems to have brought up the the SMR drives used at Dropbox are HM-SMR, not consumer DM-SMR*, and I'd like to open a discussion about the differences between Enterprise HM-SMR, HA-SMR and consumer DM-SMR. https://www.reddit.com/DataHoardecomments/13kqy64/dropbox_after_four_years_of_smr_storage_heres/
*HM-(Hardware Managed)SMR and HA(Hardware-Aware)-SMR require specialized hardware and software and are not compatible with typical consumer hardware and software and it not available to home consumers. DM(Drive Managed)-SMR is what all consumer SMR drives are and appear to our hardware and software the same as CMPMR drives.
This is a ultra-critical point that I don't believe anyone in the thread above pointed out. My BOLD:

5. Deeper collaboration

Dropbox has one of the largest host-managed SMR fleet in the industry, and the close relationships we have with our HDD partners have been key to our continued success. The biggest improvement to our evaluation process since deploying our first SMR drives has been to more deeply integrate our partners into our large scale testing phase. During this phase, our vendors now run a mix of vendor and Dropbox workloads at scale with our exact storage hardware at their site. In addition we have developed an in-house simulator of Magic Pocket, which allows our hardware engineering team to gain even more fidelity signal earlier in our hardware evaluation.
As I stated, I'm just a layman, but believe this subject should be discussed at length as SMR, in whatever from is very likely here to stay. And of course I'm open to corrections, additions and clarification of anything I post! FLAMESUIT ON!
The following is a lot of quoted text, but critical to our discussion and understanding about the differences between HM-SMR, HA-DMR and DM-SMR and why saying "(DM-)SMR is always bad!" isn't true as IMHO, it has its place as archival or non-speed/mission critical home use.*\*
**A while back, I posted that for me, write speed for my backups isn't critical for me. Some pointed out that it can be important because the longer it takes, the more likelihood that my primary source could fail during the process. I see the point, but want to clarify that 99% of my hoard backup is from torrents, so I count my active torrent drives as a live, checksummed primary source, from which I create sneakernet to my primary, backup 1 and backup 2 drives.

Making Host Managed SMR Work for You – Dropbox’s Successful Journey

Three Flavors of SMR

Essentially, SMR comes in three flavors. It is important to understand their differences as the host software requirements and drive performance characteristics differ.

Drive-Managed SMR

Drive-managed SMR, where the drive manages all write commands from the host, allows a plug-and-play implementation, compatible with any hardware and software. However, the background ‘housekeeping’ tasks that the drive must perform result in highly unpredictable performance, unfit for enterprise workloads.

Host-Managed SMR

In contrast to drive-managed SMR, host-managed SMR is an implementation where the host is responsible for everything ranging from managing data streams, to read/write operations and zone management. Host-managed SMR requires host-software modification so that the host system has knowledge of the underlying media and can micro control all elements by employing a new set of commands.
Depending on the system architecture, implementing these modifications may seem like an onerous task, yet once developers gain SMR familiarity and optimize their applications for sequential writing, they can take advantage of unsurpassed levels of reliability and quality. With the ability to deliver predictable, consistent performance comparable to what users expect from traditional PMR drives, host-managed SMR is emerging as the preferred option for implementing shingled magnetic recording.

Host-Aware SMR

Host-aware SMR is like a superset of the aforementioned options. On the surface this may seem like the best of both worlds. However, if predictability and reliability are what you are after, you cannot take any shortcuts in modifying your stack as you would for host-managed SMR. As such, host-managed SMR allows for a smooth, staged transition to Host-aware SMR in a future timeframe.
Source: June 12, 2018 https://blog.westerndigital.com/host-managed-smr-dropbox/

1. >What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.
4. Mostly gaming like valorant, rainbow six, and over watch.
7. >What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?
10. $3,000
13. >When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.
16. Sometime this week.
19. >What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)
22. Just the tower
25. >Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?
28. No I do not have access to a micro center
31. >If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.
34. Aoc monitor
37. >Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?
40. Maybe down the line
43. >Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)
46. SSD
49. >Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?
52. White theme with LED lighting
55. >Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?
58. Yes I need copy. Whatever is best.
61. >Extra info or particulars:

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

Ill be using the pc for gaming AAA titles while simultaneously streaming, aswell as handling large datasets for work

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

£1800 GBP

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

As soon as possible, ill order the parts once i have a build together

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Tower pc and monitor

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

Im in the uk so no microcentre unfortunately

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

I cant really reuse parts as im coming from a laptop but i do have a mouse and keyboard i want to keep

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

Not really, no

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

Atleast 2tb storage

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

Id really like an all white pc to fit my rooms aesthetic but i know white parts can easily skyrocket price so i dont mind having gpu etc normal and just the white case

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

Nope

Extra info or particulars: Id request a cpu with an igpu as ive had bad experiences with a gpu dying at work and spending nearly the whole day trying to figure out whats wrong so i do not want to deal with that at my home setup too

Julia Holdom New Zealand Tertiary College

Practitioner Research： Vol 5, No 3 - May 2018

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A personal reflection

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Figure 1: Children at Little Einstein’s Educare in Cambridge lead the design, planning, and execution of the construction of a hut made out of tree branches after recent stormy weather.
When introduced to the acronym STEM (which stood for science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning in early childhood education (ECE), I was immediately intrigued. Having been a kaiako (teacher) in rural New Zealand and growing up on a dairy farm, natural, hands-on, child-lead, and inquiry-based learning was my passion. It always sat well with me that Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum (Te Whāriki) (Ministry of Education [MoE], 2017) backed by decades of research and literature supports a play-based approach to learning in the early years in New Zealand. It did not come as a surprise to me then that STEM learning, a term for the learning areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, a buzz phrase making its way around the international academic world, was something I recognised as intrinsically woven throughout early childhood curriculum and programs in Aotearoa/New Zealand. As a result, I presented on STEM learning in ECE with Fiona Woodgate, at the 2017 New Zealand Tertiary College symposium and have since been speaking with kaiako from different regions in New Zealand to get a broader idea of how STEM learning is integrated into their ECE programs.
Due to a rapidly evolving, complex and technologically advancing society, it is now well recognised that future societies are going to need to be equipped with a range of problem solving and creative thinking dispositions, rather than specific skill sets (Allen, 2016; Smith, 2016; Rodriguez, 2016; Wise Lindeman & McKendry Anderson, 2015). The young children of today need to be involved in real world, contextually relevant learning, in order to support their communities, preparing them for educational opportunities in the future, as well as a wide range of careers that may not currently exist (Allen, 2016; Draper & Wood, 2017). This realisation has resulted in a strong international focus on the concept of STEM learning in today’s varying education settings. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), whilst a relatively new term in the early childhood education sector in New Zealand, is not a new concept. Its focus is to support children in learning problem solving, creative thinking, investigation skills and design, through multi-content curricula (Sharapan, 2012; Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.; Gartrell, 2016).
This reflective article begins to explore the concept of STEM through the lens of Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017). The world renowned curriculum document is well known for its focus on dispositional, play-based learning, and the weaving of multiple curriculum content areas throughout daily and ongoing learning experiences. Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017) not only focuses on skill acquisition, but on dispositions and attitudes that support learning throughout a lifetime. This article presents an explanation of how teachers can support STEM concepts and experiences from ECE settings inAotearoa/New Zealand are shared to provoke thinking and reflection.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics – An introduction

In ECE, recognising individual aspects of STEM learning can be relatively simple. Children are naturally curious, and begin to explore the world around them from infancy, developing their own working theories about how the world works through the people, places and things that they interact with (MoE, 2017). In this sense, they are natural born scientists, investigating, questioning, exploring, and experimenting. As they explore, they are often confronted with simple scientific and mathematical concepts, such as learning about gravity, force and motion, quantity, number, weight, space, and time through play (Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.; Sharapan, 2012; Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012; Bosse, Jacobs & Anderson, 2009).
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Figure 2: Building a relationship with Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) is seen as an essential aspect of early childhood in Aotearoa/New Zealand, which can lead to increased environmentalism and sustainability in years to come. Children are encouraged to be involved in the care of the natural environment, and here, they are engaged with centre family members in exploring the garden, utilising and leaning valuable STEM concepts in the process.
Working theories are the evolving ideas and understandings that children develop as they use their existing knowledge to try to make sense of new experiences. Children are most likely to generate and refine working theories in learning environments where uncertainty is valued, inquiry is modelled, and making meaning is the goal” (MoE, 2017, p. 23).
Often within children’s play arises the opportunity to use varying tools to support their learning. Utilising tools with a purpose for design or problem solving can be understood as technology (Dietze & Kashin, 2012; Young & Elliot, 2003). Technology in ECE is often viewed by kaiako as digital technology, and the use of information communication technology (ICT) (Wise Lindeman & McKendry Anderson, 2015), however it is imperative to recognise that technology is anything that has been designed for and is used for a purpose, generally being to make a task easier, quicker, or more productive (Young & Elliot, 2003; Fleer & Jane, 2011). In my experience, engineering is perhaps the more challenging notion to identify as part of young children’s learning and development, in part due to some teachers’ lack of content knowledge in this area, but also the complexities of this concept for children in the early years. Much of the literature on STEM learning focuses on engineering for children from preschool age onwards (3+) without mentioning the infant and toddler years. Perhaps this is due to the perception of what design and engineering is for differing ages. Is a toddler not engineering when they are constructing with sand in the sandpit? Is an infant not designing when creating art with finger paints or food on different surfaces during experiences every day?
“The day-to-day programme and environment are organised in such a way that children can initiate purposeful, problem-solving activities and devise and solve problems to their own satisfaction using a variety of materials and equipment” (MoE, 2017, p. 49).
Science is a way of investigating, understanding, and explaining our natural, physical world and the wider universe. It involves generating and testing ideas, gathering evidence – including by making observations, carrying out investigations and modelling, and communicating and debating with others – in order to develop scientific knowledge, understanding, and explanations (MoE, 2007, p. 26).Technology is intervention by design: the use of practical and intellectual resources to develop products and systems (technological outcomes) that expand human possibilities by addressing needs and realising opportunities. Adaptation and innovation are at the heart of technological practice. Quality outcomes result from thinking and practices that are informed, critical, and creative.... Technology is never static. It is influenced by and in turn impacts on the cultural, ethical, environmental, political, and economic conditions of the day (MoE, 2007, p. 26).Engineers design technology using a combination of science and math (Pantoya, Aguirre-Munoz & Hunt, 2015, p. 61). Engineering is solving problems, using a variety of materials, designing and creating, and building things that work (Boston Children’s Museum, 2013, p. 3).Mathematics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in quantities, space, and time. Statistics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in data. These two disciplines are related but different ways of thinking and of solving problems. Both equip students with effective means for investigating, interpreting, explaining, and making sense of the world in which they live (MoE, 2007, p. 26).
Whilst internationally, the concept of STEM focuses on inquiry and project-based learning, often planned for, facilitated and led by adults, I see this concept being represented in a range of educational settings, woven through a range of pedagogical approaches and philosophies of teaching in New Zealand. In line with the vision of Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017), STEM learning occurs naturally in children’s play, need not be teacher-led or project focused (Gartrell, 2016; Draper & Wood, 2017) and can effectively be supported in a socioculturally relevant context for individual learners and their learning communities (Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012; Moomaw & Davis, 2010; Neill, 2009).
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning is important for all children, individually, and within social groups of learners. The common theme within the four STEM concepts, is that they are all content areas that occur naturally through play. When children are natural learners, curious in nature, they do not require adults to give them answers to questions, and do not benefit greatly from this method of teaching (Allen, 2016; Sharapan, 2012). Instead, children develop life-long dispositions of inquiry, curiosity and independent thinking by having inquiry skills scaffolded or modelled to them. Often children embrace the opportunity to investigate for themselves, experimenting, exploring, making mistakes, and using trial and error. In this sense, STEM learning is a way of being, a way of playing and a way of learning (Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.). So where do kaiako fit into STEM learning?
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Figure 3: Through their natural urges, infants and toddlers explore mathematic and scientific concepts through play with the support of their kaiako, as well as through environmental prompts, provocations and play invitations.

The science, technology, engineering and mathematics environment

There are a number of areas worth considering when planning for and facilitating learning in diverse and unique education settings. One of the most obvious in play-based, child-led settings is the physical environment. Those familiar with the Reggio Emilio approach will have heard of the notion of the environment as the third teacher (Delany, 2011) and providing opportunities for child-led learning through the design of and resources available in the child’s physical learning environment. It is imperative that the environment supports STEM learning so that children may engage in STEM learning experiences both independently, as well as with peers and kaiako (Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012). Long gone are the days of including a science, mathematics or technology corner in your classroom or setting (Neill, 2009; Delany, 2011), instead the emphasis is on saturating the environment in resources that encourage authentic, real-world, familiar and culturally relevant ways of exploring. These resources do not need to be expensive and single purpose, and can easily be found in our natural environments. As New Zealand makes more of a move towards environmental sustainability, and eco-schools become more popular (Vincent-Snow, 2017; Enviroschools, n.d.), reusing and recycling materials becomes an exciting way to make the most of what we have available to us, and supports children’s creativity.
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Figure 4: Uninterrupted play allows these tamariki time to work together to create, design, problem solve, and imagine. Here, children in the Tui room of Little Einstein’s Educare have created a structure to protect themselves from the ‘Lava’ beneath.
Another popular move in recent years appears to be the inclination to get out into nature to support real life, hands on learning. Emphasis has been made on preventing a generation of children with Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by Richard Louv (2005) in his book Last Child in the Woods. Kaiako and children are venturing out into whatever natural environments they have available to them, such as local parks, reserves or forests to make the most of natural learning that occurs when children are empowered to explore, question, and discover. science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning could not be more evident in these opportunities to explore and build a relationship with Papatūānuku.
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Figure 5: Nature Days are becoming increasingly popular in ECE settings that can accommodate such expeditions. Children are empowered to use a variety of tools to explore, create and design, and developing working theories through the relationship they are building with the natural world around them.

Reflective Prompts

Consider the ECE settings and environments you are familiar with.Does your environment invite exploration? Are there spaces, in which children can taste, touch, smell, listen and look?Are there gardens and natural spaces for children to independently explore nature science, earth science and opportunities for children to play with different matter to build working theories about the natural and physical world?Are there loose parts provided both inside and out for children to construct, build, design, create and begin to develop theories around science and mathematics through size, weight, height, gravity, momentum, trajectory and more?Do you have pen, paper, clipboards, scissors, cameras and other technological tools available to children in different areas that they can easily access and use to document, plan, take notes and draw about their learning and discoveries – inviting engagement in the concept of engineering?
“Children have opportunities to explore how things move and how they can be moved by, for example, blowing, throwing, pushing, pulling, rolling, swinging and sinking. Children have access to technology that enables them to explore movement, for example, wheels, pulleys, magnets and swings. Children have opportunities to develop spatial understandings by fitting things together and taking things apart, rearranging and reshaping objects and materials, seeing things from different spatial viewpoints and using a magnifying glass” (MoE, 2017, p. 49).

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics books

Books are an essential resource for any STEM learning environment (Bosse, Jacobs & Anderson, 2009; Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.). Not only is it important for children to access reference books with correct images and names of items, something Fred Rogers found instrumental in supporting children’s language acquisition and development (Sharapan, 2012), but also fictional and non-fiction story books about people and characters whom are investigators, explorers, inventors, designers and problem solvers themselves (Pantoya, Aguirre-Munoz & Hunt, 2015). Children’s scientific and engineering identities are supported as they explore literature that introduces concepts, dispositions and attitudes children recognise within themselves, and they are able to develop deeper understanding of STEM concepts as they explore these in context through stories, characters and the arts (McLean, Jones & Schaper, 2015; Sackes, Trundle & Flevares, 2009).
In addition to this, Kathy Trundle’s work on inquiry-based learning emphasises the opportunities that arise through purposeful interactions between kaiako, children and books to scaffold children’s inquiry skills.
Fictional children’s books to support STEM learning and identity in the early years:Inventor McGregor by Kathleen T. PelleyThe Grandma McGarvey series by Jenny HessellOh the Things they Invented by Dr SeussRosie Revere, Engineer; and Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beatty and David RobertsAnything is Possible by Giulia Belloni

Risk taking

Wise Lindeman and McKendry Anderson (2015) emphasise that children need real-world experience and real-world problems in order to have a chance at developing solutions to these. Pawlina and Stanford ( as cited in Wise Lindeman & McKendry Anderson, 2015) add that educators must view mistakes as opportunities to grow children’s brains. Here, teachers must consider both physical risk taking, as well as emotional and mental risk taking. In today’s society, maintaining the physical health and safety of the children in our care settings seems to have counterbalanced the human need to take risks in order to learn. Kaiako are finding themselves challenged beyond comfort when it comes to children’s safety, and the balance between safe and calculated risks, children learning from experience, and adults protecting children from physical injury is out of sync. However, research shows that children need these experiences to learn for themselves, and that without these risk-taking experiences, children will not be adequately prepared for challenges they will face in the future, both physically and mentally (Brynes-Swiatek, 2017; Curtis, 2010; Gramling, 2010; Warden, 2010). When it comes to emotional and mental risk taking, we must consider how we are supporting children to try new things, supporting them to push themselves out of their comfort zones, and risk making mistakes and being wrong, all whilst remaining confident that their holistic wellbeing needs are being met to maintain a safe learning environment.
​
Figure 6: When the tolerance for risk is zero, children don’t really risk loss of life or limb, but more often than not, they risk losing valuable experiences with the world they inhabit. (Gramling, 2010, p. 51).
Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017) supports this through its sociocultural approach to learning, outlining the need for children to learn in culturally and socially relevant contexts. In addition to this, aspects of dispositional learning such as perseverance, persisting with difficulty, and facing challenges or uncertainty (MoE, 2017), are outlined as important for life-long learning. Risk taking is highlighted as a desirable learning outcome throughout the Exploration strand of Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017), particularly for toddlers and young children. Risk taking, mistakes, failure, trial and error are all significantly important in STEM learning and developing perseverance, inquiry skills, attitudes towards exploration and creative thinking.

Reflective Questions

Does your learning environment, both material and otherwise, provide opportunities for children to take risks physically, cognitively and emotionally?Are children encouraged and supported to experiment, to trial, to make mistakes, to fail or succeed, and to revisit their learning?Do your environments allow for independent and group creative thinking and problem solving?

Time

Providing children with not only the space and resources needed for exploration and enquiry learning, but the time to discover at their own pace, and the opportunity to document or revisit their learning is crucial. Gifting children the time to figure things out for themselves, without interrupting their learning with a quick answer, supports an attitude and disposition towards creative thinking and problem solving. Dr. Emmi Pikler (as cited in Christie, 2012) emphasised the importance of slowing down one’s practice and interactions to deeply engage with the children during interactions. Toni Christie (2012) states that the practice of taking adequate time deepens teachers’ awareness and knowledge of each child. The same concept can be applied to children’s interactions with the world around them. Can giving children the time to explore, think and discover deepen their awareness and knowledge of the world around them, teaching them more about science, mathematics, engineering and technology in real-world, contextually relevant and authentic ways?
“The learning outcomes in each strand are broad statements that encompass valued knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions that children develop over time” (MoE, 2017, p. 22).
​
Figure 7: Hands on Science in action! Many New Zealand ECE settings are making a move to embrace children’s natural inclination to get messy during their exploratory play. Science occurs in many forms, why not through mud and water play?
In addition to giving children the time needed to learn, do teachers support children to stay on task and be focused on the interest they have taken, or do they interrupt this learning with routines? In Carr and Lee’s (2011) research on children’s learning wisdom, they highlight the importance of teachers adopting strategies to support children to revisit their learning. One strategy suggested is that “Teachers can document the changes in children’s understanding” (Fleer, 2008 as cited in Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012, p. 85). This allows children to deepen their engagement, and develop an openness to experiences and a capacity to reflect, in order to make sense of their learning.
​
Figure 8: Working together as a team to solve problems, think creatively and develop theories about how things work. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics all evident through child initiated play experiences.
Reflective Questions:Are children gifted the time needed to explore, design, create and learn in uninterrupted environments?Do the routines of the day disrupt this learning or do they support busy learners to continue their work?Are children given the tools and strategies required to support them to document and revisit their learning? Are kaiako skilled in the art of observation, knowing when to step in, and when to step back?Are kaiako gifted the time to support children’s learning in this way, or are they too busy with the organisational tasks of the day?Do teacher - child ratios support quality STEM interactions?

Purposeful, intentional teaching

Once we have decided as kaiako whether we should step back to observe, or step in to add value to the child’s learning experience, the responses we provide must consist of high quality, purposeful, thoughtful interactions with children (MoE, 2017). In these moments, teachers need to be highly sensitive and aware of what the child needs from them – more often than not, it is not an answer they need, but stimulating investigation habits and behaviours being modelled to them (Sharapan, 2012). Kaiako must embrace opportunities to model moments of wonder, using questions that may prompt curiosity within children, and the opportunity to co-construct ideas and working theories in collaborative settings (Allen, 2016; Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.; Sharapan, 2012).
The key to these experiences is not to make the mistake of answering children’s questions with an answer, but to provide intentional, open-ended questions and comments that get the children thinking (Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.; Sharapan, 2012). Equally as important, is the need to model and introduce the use of varying tools to support their enquiry, so that they may seek their own answers independently in future.
Modelling STEM language is crucial to a child’s ability to learn STEM enquiry and thinking themselves. In addition to questions, modelling scientific, mathematical and investigative language is important to support children’s inclination to develop their own working theories. Supporting children by modelling language, describing using scientific, mathematical and technological words will give them the tools to use to do the same in future experiences. This will also normalise STEM concepts and learning for children (Sharapan, 2012).
It is important to support children’s scientific enquiry in new ways too – perhaps in ways they had not thought of themselves. This is where we are scaffolding their learning, in that they are learning new ideas and knowledge in a social situation from others. Part of STEM learning is how children understand investigative thinking and processes. Imperative to science, engineering and design are STEM process skills (Neill, 2009). The Ministry of Education supports this by adding that children should have opportunities to demonstrate “curiosity and the ability to enquire into, research, explore, generate and modify working theories about the natural, social, physical, spiritual and man-made worlds… [and the] ability to represent [these] discoveries using expressive media, including digital media” (2017, p. 47).
“Kaiako are the key resource in any ECE service. Their primary responsibility is to facilitate children’s learning and development through thoughtful and intentional pedagogy. This means they require a wide range of capabilities [including being] knowledgeable about play-based curriculum and pedagogy and able to conceptualise, plan and enact curriculum that is motivating, enjoyable and accessible for all children, [and] able to integrate domain knowledge (for example science and arts knowledge) into the curriculum” (MoE, 2017, p. 59).

Conclusion

The rapidly changing world that we live in, is providing us with many new and exciting technologies that make our lives easier, more enjoyable, and enable quick access to new information at a rate never seen before. However, with these new and exciting changes, also come challenges for children’s natural, enquiry learning. More and more ECE centres, particularly in city environments are designing spaces with little-to-no large open natural spaces for children in the outdoors, and are resorting to man-made environments of turf, concrete and other year-round, all-weather materials to support indoooutdoor play. Does this mean that these children miss out on the opportunity to learn natural science? Or can nature be woven through the environment and program in other ways? Children are also more inclined to want to be engaged with digital media, as their parents and society are modelling the use of these in everyday interactions. Is this cause for concern in the ECE setting, or can children be empowered to use technology in constructive ways? Are kaiako equipped with the understanding of STEM learning and child development that they need to support life-long learning dispositions of enquiry, problem solving, risk taking and perseverance, or are current pedagogies failing tamariki (children)? As learning and information consumption grows exponentially to the highest it has even been, it is now more than ever that children need teachers to be the facilitators of learning, the models of curiosity, the inspiration to learn, explore, discover, think, design and to be leaders of the future. Dispositions, rather than skills, are what tamariki need to succeed in the future. A final question for reflection therefore asks are educators preparing tamariki adequately for life-long success?

Acknowledgement

Special thanks to Jo, Jade and the entire learning community at Little Einstein’s Educare Ltd in Cambridge for giving permission to publish their inspirational photographs, and shared understanding of STEM learning in action. Special thanks also to Catherine at Hobsonville Point ELC, and Jen at Changepoint ELC, Tauranga for your wisdom and input on STEM learning in your ECE learning communities.

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.
Games like Elden Ring, Star Wars: Jedi, The Callisto Protocol, Apex Legends
What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?
$2000
When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.
Next week
What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)
Keyboard, Mouse and best 2k Monitor for my 7900XT GPU
Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?
I don't think so
Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)
NVME 2TB
Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?
I prefer black components, with best looking case and a good cooling system because I barely use AC and I live in hot environment.
Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?
Yes

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Designing a tiny house provides a unique challenge: maximizing the use of limited space while retaining practicality and aesthetic appeal. Fortunately, various interior design concepts can make a little house decor feel more roomy, efficient, and pleasant. Here, we look at some popular interior design concepts for compact houses.

1. Every square inch counts in a little abode. To maximize functionality, versatile furniture must be included. A sofa that also serves as a pull-out bed, a dining table that folds down from the wall, or storage ottomans that function as seats while also providing hidden storage space is all examples.
2. Open Floor Designs: Open floor designs work well in tiny dwellings to generate a sense of openness and maximize the flow of natural light. Removing unneeded walls and barriers can make a room feel more spacious and versatile. It also allows for more versatile furniture combinations and the appearance of a larger living space.
3. Utilizing Vertical Room: Because tiny residences frequently lack horizontal room, vertical space is essential for storage and organization. Installing floating shelves, wall-mounted hooks or racks, tall storage units, or built-in cabinetry can help maximize vertical space while keeping the floor clear and clutter-free.
4. Bright and light colors, such as whites, creams, and pastels, enhance the illusion of space in a small dwelling. They reflect natural light, making the room feel light and airy. Choosing light-colored furniture, carpeting, and wall finishes all help to make a room appear larger.
5. Large Windows and Natural Light: Adequate natural light is vital for making a tiny area appear larger and more appealing. Large windows not only illuminate the interior but also provide a connection to the outside world, providing a sense of openness and enlarging the perceived space.
6. Mirrors & Reflective Surfaces: Using mirrors to create the illusion of depth and visually expand a compact house is a clever design tip. Mirrors carefully placed can reflect light and provide the illusion of a larger space. Incorporating reflecting surfaces such as glass or metallic accents can also assist bounce light around the space.
7. Smart Storage Solutions: In a tiny residence, effective storage solutions are essential for keeping possessions organized and minimizing clutter. Under-bed storage, built-in cabinets, hanging organizers, and concealed or multi-functional storage sections can all help to maximize available space while preserving a clean and uncluttered appearance.
8. Compact Appliances and Fixtures: In a tiny house, it's important to choose appliances and fixtures that are specifically designed for small spaces. Compact kitchen appliances, space-saving bathroom fixtures, and slim-profile furniture can help maximize functionality while minimizing the footprint.
9. Outdoor Living Space: If your tiny house has outdoor space, incorporating an outdoor living area can extend the usable space and provide a refreshing retreat. Designing a patio, deck, or rooftop terrace allows for additional seating, dining, and relaxation areas, providing the feeling of a larger overall living space.
10. Personalization and Minimalism: While designing a tiny house, it's essential to focus on the essentials and avoid excessive clutter. Embrace a minimalist approach by carefully curating your belongings and incorporating personal touches that bring joy and meaning to your space. Thoughtful design choices and intentional decor can make a tiny house feel cozy and uniquely yours.

Finally, designing the interior of a compact house necessitates imagination as well as careful consideration of space constraints. A compact house can feel more large, useful, and appealing by adding multipurpose furniture, utilizing vertical space, embracing light colors, maximizing natural light, employing mirrors, and prioritizing smart storage. A tiny house may become a cozy, personalized retreat that suits your needs and reflects your taste with intelligent design decisions and efficient use of space.

I am 41, female. My mom is 71 and her ex-husband is 75. They started dating when I was 6 and were married for 29 years. I grew up with this man in my home as my primary male role-model. He has a number of problems including being an alcoholic and narcissist. He made my life a living hell for over 30 years - he was constantly degrading, controlling, and gaslighting myself and my mom. I honestly do not understand why/how they ever "fell in love" because from the time that I moved out of the house at 17.5 I have avoided him as much as I could without cutting off contact with my mother.
About 2 years ago my mother and stepfather got divorced. Long story short - my husband and I now own most of the property (house in FL and house in ME) that used to belong to both of them. I purchased it from her in order to finance a large payment/buy out to my ex-stepfather to make the divorce happen. My mom and he have stayed amicable but she is finally at a point where she doesn't want to deal with his destructiveness anymore.
Fast forward to the present day. Ex-stepfather has asked my mom numerous times to let him come live with her again. She allowed him to stay rent free in the FL house while she was in ME, but the house was destroyed (along with everything in it) during hurricane Ian. After that he has lived in a motel in CT near his remaining family. He asked if he could "rent" a room at the house in ME. I said "absolutely not - I own it and you can tell him that I'm the bad guy who said no" because I don't want him anywhere NEAR my 2 little kids (both girls - 7yo and 5yo). Frankly, I also don't want him around my mom!
About 2 weeks ago he announced that he found a room to rent for the summer! It's half a mile away from mom's/my house. (Incidentally, he's staying with a woman who I am 99% sure he had an affair with). He still has all of his crap (furniture, clothing, boxes) in the garage of my/mom's house where it has been for 2 years. I want to hire a mover to come and get everything of his out of the garage and move it to his new place. I am worried that if we rely on him move it himself, it will never actually happen. He will just use it as a reason to keep on showing up unannounced at my mom's house whenever he wants to. Am I an asshole for wanting to butt into this situation and move the stuff even if he doesn't want me to? I will gladly pay for the movers and give him a range of delivery dates. To be fair, I am pretty sure he will not have a place/space to store it all, but he can rent a storage unit or something right? Why should we have to store his stuff and wait around for him to pick it up? The lack of good/safe boundaries with this man while I was growing up make it feel like this is an asshole thing to do - but my brain keeps saying "MOVE THAT SHIT"!

Abdul Majeed Wani uses a flashlight to carefully inspect his blooming saffron crocus plants in red plastic baskets placed on iron racks. He’s deliberately deprived this small room of natural light, covering the windows to “maintain the quality” of the crop.
Mr. Wani is among the first farmers in Kashmir to embrace this relatively new technique of growing saffron indoors, stacked in vertical columns. “It is the third year I am growing saffron inside my house, and the results are very promising,” he says with excitement. “We have got better produce both in quality and quantity.”
Mr. Wani comes from a traditional saffron-growing family from Shaar-i-Shalli, a hamlet located on the foothills of Zabarwan mountains. Most of the people in his village and the surrounding areas have been growing the prized spice for centuries. Saffron is grown in a few places around the world, requiring unique kinds of soil and specific climatic conditions. Kashmir is the second-largest producer after Iran, and saffron cultivation is seen as a symbol of Kashmiri culture.
Although the demand for Kashmiri saffron – which can cost $10,000 per kilogram (2.2 pounds) – is growing, the region has witnessed a steady decline in its production. Farmers and industry experts blame the fast-growing construction in and around the saffron fields, as well as climate change and regional conflict. But government support and breakthroughs in indoor cultivation are offering farmers hope
“The new technique has raised huge hopes in us,” says Javaid Ahmed, another saffron farmer from Pampore who’s embraced indoor farming. “No matter how erratic rain or how early we receive snowfall, there is now more probability for our saffron to bloom in better ways.”
Agricultural intervention
In 1996, more than 14,000 acres of land were used to grow saffron in Kashmir, according to Department of Agriculture data. Over the next couple decades, that number dwindled to 6,000, and production decreased by nearly 90% from 16 metric tons to 2 metric tons, much of which is attributed to climate change.
“In the past 20 years, we have been witnessing untimely rainfalls and extreme weather events, like sudden rise or fall in temperatures,” says Mr. Wani. In 2014, devastating floods cost Kashmir’s saffron industry about $127 million.
Climate change isn’t the only issue disrupting saffron farming. The Himalayan region is marred by conflict, with India and Pakistan both controlling portions of Kashmir while claiming the majority-Muslim territory in its entirety. In the Indian-administered areas, clashes between separatist rebels and Indian security forces have cost thousands of lives and brought huge distress to the people, who are largely dependent on farming.
Still, there is cause for hope. Since the government launched its “Mission on Saffron’’ in 2010, traditional farmers have gained access to new resources, including the India International Kashmir Saffron Trading Centre (IIKSTC) in Pampore. IIKSTC aims to streamline saffron production, with facilities to separate and dry stigmas (the part of the crocus from which the spice is derived) for auction, as well as provide better marketing avenues and secure higher prices for farmers.
The center fixes auction rates based on stigma quality, and certifies the authenticity of Kashmiri saffron sold in India and abroad. This sort of quality regulation is critical, say farmers, to combat the proliferation of cheaper “Kashmiri saffron” knockoffs and preserve the spice’s reputation as the best saffron in the world.
In addition to these post-harvest supports, the government is working to safeguard remaining farmland from development and provide farmers with better irrigation facilities, such as tube wells and sprinklers. Meanwhile, scientists in the region have stepped in to reduce their reliance on the land altogether.
How to grow a saffron plant – indoors
Traditional farmers plant their saffron corms, or bulbs, in the fall. The saffron crocuses should bloom the following November, at which point farmers can pluck its flower and harvest the bright red stigma. This cycle repeats for about 3 to 5 years before the original corm decays, leaving behind new bulbs to be planted.
Yet erratic weather can affect that year’s bloom, leading to massive losses if a farmers’ crop fails. Climate changes also result in fewer new corms, explains Mr. Wani, leading to a gradual decline in production.
Hoping to safeguard his family’s farm, Mr. Wani signed up for training at the Advance Research Station for Saffron & Seed Spices, a government initiative affiliated with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) in Srinagar. There, he learned how to protect his saffron plants during their most vulnerable period.
“Under this new method, we remove the saffron corms from soil a few weeks before the harvest time and place them in these trays inside a room, which has no direct sunlight,” says Mr. Wani.
The sheltered flowers bloom as usual, and after the saffron is harvested, he puts the corms back in the soil.
“The corms need a chilling period of more than 1,000 hours, and the temperature should be below zero degrees [Celsius],” says Bashir Ahmad Elahi, a scientist at SKUAST and head of the research team studying local saffron trends and solutions.
Despite promising results, there are some apprehensions among farmers, as the saffron corm recommended for indoor cultivation is quite large, weighing more than 10 grams.
“We don’t get that type of corm usually,” explains Mr. Ahmed, noting that about 80% of the saffron corms available to farmers are too small for indoor use.
Still, he and other farmers see value in pursuing a hybrid of traditional and vertical farming.
“In a small room, one can produce saffron that would be traditionally cultivated over one kanal [about 3 basketball courts] of land,” he adds.
Hope beyond Kashmir’s saffron fields
Kashmir’s 2021 saffron yield reached a two-decade high of 15.04 metric tons, which farmers partly attribute to good weather, but also better irrigation methods as well as indoor cultivation and other government supports. Available reports on 2022 harvests suggest further growth, though the government has yet to release any official data.
The improving prospects for Kashmir’s saffron farmers have kindled hope at a time when the region’s other major economic source – apple farming – is in crisis, due to similar challenges of erratic weather, plummeting prices, and poor connectivity to Indian markets.
While the vertical farming techniques aren’t directly applicable to Kashmir’s numerous orchards, some say the saffron industry’s progress is proof that with government support and a bit of innovation, farmers can survive difficult times.
For their part, the local horticulture department has already been promoting high-density apple varieties from Europe, which yield more produce and have an earlier harvesting period, helping farmers avoid the early snowfalls that can decimate apple crops.
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2023/0206/Crocus-blooms-in-the-living-room-Kashmir-s-saffron-farmers-get-creative

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What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

• gaming and lots of it

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

• 3000-4000 usd

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

• next week

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

• Singapore.

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

• monitor mous and kb.

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

• no overclocking.

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

• 2tb ssd .

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

• casing with good airflow.

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

• dont need.

Extra info or particulars:

IQOO Neo 8 Pro Price In India

iQOO Neo 8 Pro price in India is expected to be ₹38,790. iQOO Neo 8 Pro launch date is speculated to be on November 16, 2023. The mobile will be available in multiple color variants.

IQOO Neo 8 Pro Details

Design, Display, and Security
The iQOO Neo 8 Pro has a high-end design aesthetic, which increases its attractiveness. Glass lends the device's camera module bump its elegant and upscale appearance. The gradient finish on the back panel improves the aesthetic overall. The phone has a punch-hole cutout on the front panel where the selfie camera is located. The iQOO Neo 8 Pro is offered in a variety of colours, giving customers a variety of alternatives in this price range. The smartphone has a large 6.78-inch screen for its display. The AMOLED display screen makes sure that pictures and movies are seen with vivid colours and deep blacks.
The gadget also has a fast screen refresh rate, which makes it perfect for gaming and web browsing. Additionally, the display has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels and a pixel density of 388ppi, which makes sure that the pictures are crisp and sharp. The 20:9 aspect ratio of the phone also offers an immersive viewing experience. Additionally, the iQOO Neo 8 Pro provides a face unlock function and an in-display fingerprint sensor, giving consumers several choices for safeguarding their devices.
Performance, Camera, and UI
A MediaTek Dimensity 9200 Plus octa-core CPU powers the newest smartphone from iQOO. The Cortex X3, Cortex A715, and Cortex A510 processors of the chipset have a maximum clock speed of 3.05GHz. In addition, the chipset has the Immortalis-G715 MC11 GPU, which can handle demanding graphics and gaming. 256GB of internal storage and 12GB of RAM are included with the iQOO Neo 8 Pro. With this model, the firm has not provided the possibility to increase storage. In terms of cameras, the back panel has a triple camera configuration. The device has three lenses: a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 32MP telephoto lens, and a 50MP main sensor with an f/1.79 aperture.
The iQOO gadget is equipped with the most recent FunTouch OS 12 version and runs Android 13 as its operating system.
Battery and Connectivity
A 5,000mAh battery is available in the iQOO Neo 8 Pro. Additionally, the phone supports 120W fast charging, which is a welcome bonus. You have access to 5G, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS with GLONASS, dual-SIM, and a USB Type-C connector in terms of connection.
The Latest IQOO Neo 8 Pro
Launched with a MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ SoC, the iQOO Neo 8 Pro includes the Neo 8's price and specifications.
Multiple storage choices are available with the Chinese debut of the iQOO Neo 8 series. Up to 16GB of RAM will be offered with the Neo 8 series.
The 5,000mAh battery of the iQOO Neo 8 Series is confirmed to support 120W fast charging.
According to the brand, the iQOO Neo 8 series will have 120W rapid charging. On May 23, the smartphones are anticipated to go on sale in China.
The Sony IMX866V camera sensor, 16GB LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 storage are confirmed to be included in the iQOO Neo 8 Series.
China will introduce the iQOO Neo 8 series later this month. The firm has teased some of the most important phone specifications ahead of the launch.

IQOO Neo 8 Pro Specifications

SUMMARY

Processor Chipset MediaTek Dimensity 9200 Plus MT6983
RAM 16 GB
Rear Camera Dual (50MP + 8MP)
Internal Memory 256 GB
Screen Size 6.78 inches (17.22 cms)
Battery Capacity 5000 mAh

PERFORMANCE

Chipset MediaTek Dimensity 9200 Plus MT6983
No Of Cores 8 (Octa Core)
CPU 3.35GHz, Single core, Cortex X33GHz, Tri core, Cortex A7152GHz, Quad core, Cortex A510
Architecture 64-bit
Fabrication 4 nm
RAM 16 GB
RAM Type LPDDR5X
Graphics Immortalis-G715 MC11

DESIGN

Height 6.48 inches (164.7 mm)
Width 3.03 inches (77 mm)
Thickness 0.33 inches (8.5 mm)
Weight 192.3 grams
Colors Surf, Match Point, Night Rock
Screen Unlock Fingerprint, Face unlock

DISPLAY

Resolution 1260 x 2800 pixels
Aspect ratio 20:9
Display Type AMOLED, HDR 10+
Size 6.78 inches (17.22 cms)
Bezel-less display Yes, with Punch-hole
Pixel Density 453 pixels per inch (ppi)
TouchScreen Yes, Capacitive, Multi-touch
Color Reproduction 1B Colors
Screen to body percentage 87.51 %

CAMERA

Rear camera setup Dual
Rear camera(Primary) 50 MP resolutionWide Angle lensf/1.88 aperture1.49" sensor size1µm pixel size
Rear camera(Secondary) 8 MP resolutionUltra-Wide Angle lensf/2.2 aperture
Front camera setup Single
Front camera(Primary) 16 MP resolutionWide Angle lensf/2.45 aperture
Sensor Exmor-RS CMOS Sensor
Flash LED Rear flash
Digital zoom 20x
Video Resolution(Rear) 7680x4320 @ 30 fps3840x2160 @ 60 fps1920x1080 @ 60 fps
Video Resolution(Front) 1920x1080 @ 30 fps
Optical Image Stabilization(OIS) Yes
Camera Features Auto FlashAuto FocusFace detectionTouch to focus
Shooting Modes Continuous ShootingHigh Dynamic Range mode (HDR)

BATTERY

Type Li-Polymer
Capacity 5000 mAh
Removable No
Fast Charging Yes, Flash, 120W
Charging speed 50 % in 9 minutes (claimed by Brand)

STORAGE

Internal Memory 256 GB
Memory type UFS 4.0
Expandable Memory No

SOFTWARE

Operating System Android v13
Custom UI Origin OS

CONNECTIVITY

SIM Configuration Dual SIMSIM1: NanoSIM2: Nano
Network SIM1: 5G, 4GSIM2: 5G, 4G
SIM1 Bands5G: FDD N1 / N3 / N5 / N8 / N28 ; TDD N38 / N40 / N41 / N77 / N78
4G: TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) ; FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 850(band 19)
SIM2 Bands5G: FDD N1 / N3 / N5 / N8 / N28 ; TDD N38 / N40 / N41 / N77 / N78
4G: TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) ; FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 850(band 19)
Voice over LTE(VoLTE) Yes
Wi-Fi Yes, with a/ac/ax/b/g/n/n 5GHz
Wi-fi features Mobile Hotspot
Bluetooth Bluetooth v5.3
USB USB Type-C, Mass storage device, USB charging, USB On-The-Go
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Yes with A-GPS, Glonass
NFC Chipset Yes
Infrared Yes

SOUND

Speaker Yes
Audio Jack Yes, USB Type-C
Video Player Yes, Video Formats: MP4

SENSORS

Fingerprint sensor Yes, On-screen
Face Unlock Yes
Other Sensor Light sensor Proximity sensor Accelerometer Compass Gyroscope

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

• Games (starcraft, battlefield, elder scrolls), editing with premiere and Lightroom

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

• $1000 (including the H1 case bought for $200). I’m flexible with the budget if it makes sense value wise but would like to stay as low as possible with an upgrade path down the road.

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

• In a week or two

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

• Tower and OS

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

• US Washington state. No micro center.

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

• Reusing all peripherals

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

• not planning to

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

• CUDA support would be nice but not necessary

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

• ITX. NZXT H1 case already bought.

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

• Yes. Windows 11

Extra info or particulars:

I’m looking to build this PC as cheaply as possible now to upgrade with better parts in 3-5 years.

A slime toy that would blend in perfectly with all of the ooze, but its not the right color.
Appearance: A mass of pink toy slime with one eye, sharp teeth and can change into anything.
Location: Bay 104
Gameplay: Rapid Racecar leads the way via the slime trail, until they turn the corner and the RC toy comes ride back to Billy in fear. Billy peaks around the corner and sees 10 selves full of plastic cans of Alien Snot. They all take 12 steps between the shelves, but then the cans starts shaking violently and popping their lids off. All of the slime forms into a large, dripping blob which eyes Billy with hunger.
The blobby beast begins to talk to Billy and the toys, talking about how he's the fourth outsider this year. Billy realizes that he's talking about the Swansons, and asks it if they know where they are. They claim that they'd rather get to eating instead, and that was Billy's cue to scram!

So my girlfriend (28F) and I (31M) are moving into a new place in a few weeks. We’re trying to set things up so both of us have our own personal spaces for things we like to do; in addition to her 9 year-old son and our 10-month old baby.
She’s a HUGE reader and she has nearly a thousand books (we counted them about a year ago, so it’s probably well over a thousand by now). Our current apartment isn’t that big and she has her bookshelves lining almost all the wall space in our living room, plus stacks and stacks of books on the floor in front of all the bookshelves because they don’t fit on the shelves. It’s enough to where it’s hard to even get to the living room window to look outside. She also has a desk in the corner for her writing.
In our new house, I’ve been adamant about wanting my own space for my video gaming. When I can find the time, at least. I haven’t had my own space for a very long time because there’s no room for my desk anywhere in our apartment. When she got pregnant with our son, I had to move my desk to our basement storage to make room for his crib, and now his dresser. So yeah; definitely want to finally have a small corner for just me in the new house. Even in bed, I have almost no space for my stuff at bedside. She has an end table and I have a six-inch space between the bed and the wall for setting my stuff.
The incident in question came up tonight when talking about the two closets upstairs in the new house. She would like to use both of them for her clothes because they’re not very big. I said I’d like to have somewhere to put my clothes now that I can because I’ve had to live out of a clean clothes basket for the past few years due to not having room for my own dresser and no room in our current closet. I said I’d be okay with her using both of them, but I’d like to get a dresser, to which she said there might not be room for me to get a dresser.
Then I calmly suggested maybe, for now, putting a bookshelf’s worth of books that she doesn’t touch into a tote and storing them in the basement so there’d be a little more room. There are one or two shelves containing books she hasn’t touched in years. She got very offended by this. She pretty much said I’m not taking her love of books into consideration and that they give her comfort. She said I hurt her feelings by suggesting that because I know it’s her dream to pretty much live in a library in her home and that she feels judged. I’m going to state word-for-word to the best of my ability the way I apologized because she got upset that I didn’t do it right. I said something along the lines of, “I’m sorry. I’m really not trying to hurt your feelings. I’m just trying to think logistically and the books take up a lot of space.” Maybe that’s not the proper way to apologize, I don’t know. I really wasn’t trying to hurt her; I just want us all to have room for stuff we love. Any advice for this?
tl;dr: I want her to have her book collection, but I also want to have room in our new house.

Build Request (i think i did this correctly this time
What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.**
Gaming and streaming, for games: ark, overwatch 2, cod mw2
>**What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?**
$3.5k
>**When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.**
Hopefully a week from now
>**What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc\)**
Tower, Monitor, OS
>**Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?**
US, yes i have acess
>**If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.**
None
>**Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?**
potentially, if its possible and easy enough
>**Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)**
Pretty colors :)
>**Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?**
Full tower, Tempered Glass, Led Lighting, Red/Black color preference
>**Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?**
Yes please