Earlier this year NVIDIA announced a new set of “RTX” features that included support for advanced ray tracing features, upgrading a graphics technique that simulates the way light works in the real world. It’s expected to usher in a new generation of hyper-realistic graphics but there was one small problem: no one made any hardware to support the new stuff yet.
Now at the SIGGRAPH conference NVIDIA CEO Jen Hsun Huang revealed eighth-generation Turing GPU hardware that’s actually capable of accelerating both ray tracing and AI. Turing can render ray tracing 25x faster than old Pascal technology thanks to dedicated processors that will do the math on how light and sound travel through 3D environments. They’re also the first graphics cards announced with Samsung’s new GDDR6 memory on board to move data faster using less power than ever before.
The first implementations of this technology aren’t intended to play games, they’re for the people who make them, as well as anyone doing work rendering objects for movies, or modeling new products like this Porsche prototype shown in the demo. As an example of how powerful the new tech is, NVIDIA showed off the impressive “Reflections” Unreal Engine demo that we first saw during GDC running on a workstation with four of its older Volta GPUs, now rendered in real-time using a single Turing card. It won’t stay that limited forever though, Microsoft is already supporting ray tracing with DXR extensions in DirectX 12.
Porsche prototype rendered in Unreal Engine on Turing hardware
NVIDIA announced three graphics cards with the technology, all due in the fourth quarter. The Quadro RTX 5000, 6000 and 8000 will go on sale for $2,300, $6,300 and $10,000, respectively, with the top of the line 8000 packing 48GB of RAM. If that’s not flexible enough there will also be an option for a RTX server that will give datacenter-style access to a GPU for multiple users — there’s no word on how much that costs.
Apex Releases Threaded Barrel for 9mm M&P M2.0 Compact
PEORIA, Ariz. –-(Ammoland.com)- Apex Tactical Specialties is pleased to announce the release of its new Apex Threaded Barrel for the 9mm M&P M2.0 Compact pistol from Smith & Wesson. The stainless steel barrel features a black Melonite finish, a 1:10” twist rate and a 1/2-28 thread pattern.
Based off the patent-pending design of the Apex Grade fitted barrels, the Apex Threaded Barrel for the 9mm M2.0 Compact (4.00” model) delivers improved accuracy and is a true drop-in barrel that requires no fitting.
The new barrel can be ordered direct from ApexTactical.com. Retailers and wholesale distributors that have not yet ordered and wish to stock the new barrel can contact Apex at dealer@apextactical.com or (623) 322-0200 for pricing and quantity availability.
Features and Specifications:
Direct drop-in replacement of factory barrel
Black Melonite finish
1:10” twist rate
1/2-28 thread pattern
Thread Protector included
Improves accuracy
No fitting required
Apex Part #: 105-062
MSRP: $234.95
About Apex Tactical Specialties
For more information on parts from Apex Tactical Specialties, visit www.ApexTactical.com, like Apex Tactical on Facebook or follow @ApexTactical on Instagram or Twitter. Instructional videos on the installation of Apex parts are available on Apex’s YouTube channel.
The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006, bringing a revolutionary new console to the market. While its highlight feature was motion control, the Wii also touted retro gaming capabilities.
Using the Virtual Console, users could download retro video games for a variety of past consoles including the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the Nintendo 64 (N64), the Sega Master System, the Sega Mega Drive, and more.
However, the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console was limited to a small pool of games. But don’t despair, as thanks to emulation software, you can play virtually any retro video games on the Nintendo Wii!
Note: We don’t condone downloading illegal ROMs from the web. Use this only for games you’ve legally purchased and own.
Running Emulators on Your Nintendo Wii
Between disc-based games and downloadable titles, the Nintendo Wii sports a comprehensive library of software. Nevertheless, emulators provide even more options for gamers.
By installing emulator software on your Nintendo Wii, you can run loads of retro video game ROMs from consoles ranging from the Atari 2600 and NES to PlayStation 1 and N64. Moreover, there’s a ton of homebrew software for homebrew gaming on the Wii.
How to Set Up Your Wii for Homebrew Using Letterbomb In ancient times, running homebrew software required owning a specific game and corrupting its save data to run an exploit. It was complicated. The most recent hack, which has been working for a year now,… Read More
. Just follow the steps outlined in the linked article.
Play Atari Games on the Wii
Because it’s an older console, Atari 2600 titles are easy to emulate on pretty much any hardware. As such, the Nintendo Wii can handle any Atari 2600 ROMs you throw at it. StellaWii provides the functionality to play Atari 2600 games on the Nintendo Wii. For Atari 7800 gaming on the Wii, check out the aptly named Wii7800.
For Atari Lynx handheld gaming, there’s WiiHandy. Atari ST emulation on the Wii comes via Hatari Wii, Hatari, and AtaWii. Further, WiiXL handles Atari 800, XL, 5200, and XE titles. Overall, the Wii is a thriving landscape for Atari emulation.
Play Old Nintendo Games on Your Wii
Despite the abundance of NES, SNES, and N64 games on the Virtual Console, the addition of Nintendo emulators for Wii adds even more opportunity to play retro games on the Wii. FCE Ultra GX is a Wii NES emulator. With FCE Ultra GX, you can revisit the likes of The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy III, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
While the NES is a solid console, the Super Nintendo features a bevy of revered classics. There’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, and one of my all-time favorites, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. For an awesome Wii SNES emulator, install Snes9x GX.
As the name suggests, Wii64 lets you play Nintendo 64 games on the Wii. Simply download this Wii N64 emulator for a romp through The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo Wii emulators for NES, SNES, and N64 gaming run well on Wii hardware. Between official Virtual Console downloads and third-party Wii emulators, there’s a massive library of retro gaming content.
Play Gameboy and DS Games on Your Wii
The Wii also runs handheld Nintendo ROMs flawlessly. Visual Boy Advance GX handles Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance titles. Gnuboy GX and RIN Wii play Gameboy and Gameboy Color ROMs. For Nintendo DS emulation on the Wii, there’s DeSmuMe Wii. With an array of Wii emulators for Nintendo consoles and handhelds, the Wii provides comprehensive retro gaming with a Nintendo flavor.
Play PlayStation Games on Your Wii
Although a Nintendo device, the Wii is more than capable of running ROMs from other consoles. WiiSX and PCSX-Revolution allow for PS1 gaming on the Nintendo Wii. Install WiiSX or PSCX-Revolution to play classics like Metal Gear Solid, and Final Fantasy VII on your Nintendo Wii.
Play Sega Games on Your Wii
Similarly, Nintendo Wii Sega emulators run ROMs from a variety of consoles. Genesis Plus plays Genesis, Mega Drive, Master System, Game Gear, Sega CD, and SG-1000 titles. Yabause Wii tackles Sega Saturn emulation on the Nintendo Wii. For Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System emulation on the Wii, there’s SMSPlus.
Other Retro Gaming Emulators for Wii
While Wii NES, SNES, N64, and PS1 emulators might be the most popular options, you can play loads of ROMs of other, less popular systems on the Nintendo Wii as well.
Arguably the most comprehensive Nintendo Wii emulator is WiiMednahen. This awesome option supports consoles including the GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket, WonderSwan, Genesis, Lynx, and more. Check out the full list of Wii homebrew emulators via WiiBrew.
doesn’t provide completely smooth N64 emulator support.
Yet with a beefy device, you can run Wii emulator Android software such as Dolphin. If you plan to run a Nintendo Wii emulator for Android, you’ll need a powerful gadget like the Nvidia Shield TV or Galaxy S8.
Turn Your Wii Into a Retro Games Console
While the Nintendo Wii features an amazing lineup of disc-based games and downloadable content, emulator software further enhances the gaming experience. I enjoy using Wii homebrew emulators to revisit retro games that I’ve ripped, such as my extensive PS1 collection.
Between that and its vast library of Wii games plus backwards compatibility with GameCube titles, my Wii remains regularly used. Though it’s an aging console, the Nintendo Wii is still worth using whether as a retro gaming arcade.
A while ago we released our FromDual Backup and Recovery Manager (brman) 2.0.0 for MariaDB and MySQL. So what are the new cool features of this new release?
First of all brman 2.0.0 is compatible with MariaDB 10.3 and MySQL 8.0:
shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --mode=logical --policy=daily
Reading configuration from /etc/mysql/my.cnf
Reading configuration from /home/mysql/.my.cnf
No bman configuration file.
Command line: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/bin/bman.php --target=brman:******@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --mode=logical --policy=daily
Options from command line
target = brman:******@127.0.0.1:3318
type = full
mode = logical
policy = daily
Resulting options
config =
target = brman:******@127.0.0.1:3318
type = full
mode = logical
policy = daily
log = ./bman.log
backupdir = /home/mysql/bck
catalog-name = brman_catalog
Logging to ./bman.log
Backupdir is /home/mysql/bck
Hostname is chef
Version is 2.0.0 (catalog v0.2.0)
Start backup at 2018-08-13_11-57-31
Binary logging is disabled.
Schema to backup: mysql, foodmart, world, test
schema_name engine cnt data_bytes index_bytes table_rows
foodmart 0 0 0 0
mysql CSV 2 0 0 4
mysql InnoDB 4 65536 49152 17
mysql MyISAM 25 515327 133120 2052
test InnoDB 3 49152 0 0
world 0 0 0 0
/home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mysqldump --user=brman --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3318 --all-databases --quick --single-transaction --flush-logs --triggers --routines --hex-blob --events
to Destination: /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_11-57-31.sql
Backup size is 488835
Backup does NOT contain any binary log information.
Do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_11-57-31.sql
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_11-57-31.sql
md5 = 31cab19021e01c12db5fe49165a3df93
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_11-57-31.sql
End backup at 2018-08-13 11:57:31 (rc=0)
Next brman also support mariabackup now:
shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --mode=physical --policy=daily
...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-02-18
Backup with tool mariabackup version 10.3.7 (from path /home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mariabackup).
Schema to backup: mysql, foodmart, world, test
schema_name engine cnt data_bytes index_bytes table_rows
foodmart 0 0 0 0
mysql CSV 2 0 0 4
mysql InnoDB 4 65536 49152 17
mysql MyISAM 25 515327 133120 2052
test InnoDB 3 49152 0 0
world 0 0 0 0
Binary logging is disabled.
/home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mariabackup --defaults-file=/tmp/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-02-18.cnf --user=brman --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3318 --no-timestamp --backup --target-dir=/home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-02-18
180813 12:02:19 Connecting to MySQL server host: 127.0.0.1, user: brman, password: set, port: 3318, socket: not set
Using server version 10.3.7-MariaDB
/home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mariabackup based on MariaDB server 10.3.7-MariaDB Linux (x86_64)
mariabackup: uses posix_fadvise().
mariabackup: cd to /home/mysql/database/mariadb-103/data/
mariabackup: open files limit requested 0, set to 1024
mariabackup: using the following InnoDB configuration:
mariabackup: innodb_data_home_dir =
mariabackup: innodb_data_file_path = ibdata1:12M:autoextend
mariabackup: innodb_log_group_home_dir = ./
2018-08-13 12:02:19 0 [Note] InnoDB: Number of pools: 1
mariabackup: Generating a list of tablespaces
2018-08-13 12:02:19 0 [Warning] InnoDB: Allocated tablespace ID 59 for mysql/transaction_registry, old maximum was 0
180813 12:02:19 >> log scanned up to (15975835)
180813 12:02:19 [01] Copying ibdata1 to /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-02-18/ibdata1
180813 12:02:19 [01] ...done
...
Then brman 2.0.0 supports seamlessly all three physical backup methods (mariabackup, xtrabackup, mysqlbackup) in their newest release.
On a customer request we have added the option --pass-through to pass additional specific options through to the final back-end application (mysqldump, mariabackup, xtrabackup, mysqlbackup):
As an example the customer wanted to pass through the option --ignore-table to mysqldump:
shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=schema --mode=logical --policy=daily --schema=+world --pass-through="--ignore-table=world.CountryLanguage"
...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-11-40
Schema to backup: world
schema_name engine cnt data_bytes index_bytes table_rows
world InnoDB 3 655360 0 5411
Binary logging is disabled.
/home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mysqldump --user=brman --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3318 --quick --single-transaction --flush-logs --triggers --routines --hex-blob --databases 'world' --events --ignore-table=world.CountryLanguage
to Destination: /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_schema_2018-08-13_12-11-40.sql
Backup size is 217054
Backup does NOT contain any binary log information.
Do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_schema_2018-08-13_12-11-40.sql
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_schema_2018-08-13_12-11-40.sql
md5 = f07e319c36ee7bb1e662008c4c66a35a
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_schema_2018-08-13_12-11-40.sql
End backup at 2018-08-13 12:11:40 (rc=0)
In the field it is sometimes wanted to not purge the binary logs during a binlog backup. So we added the option --no-purge to not purge binary logs during binlog backup. It looked like this before:
shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3326 --type=binlog --policy=binlog
...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-16-48
Binlog Index file is: /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.index
Getting lock: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/lck/binlog-logical-binlog.lock
Releasing lock: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/lck/binlog-logical-binlog.lock
FLUSH /*!50503 BINARY */ LOGS
Copy /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.000006 to /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000006
Binary log binlog.000006 begin datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:14:14 and end datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:14:30
Do MD5 checksum of /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000006
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000006
md5 = a7ae2a271a6c90b0bb53c562c87f6f7a
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000006
PURGE BINARY LOGS TO 'binlog.000007'
Copy /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.000007 to /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000007
Binary log binlog.000007 begin datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:14:30 and end datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:14:31
Do MD5 checksum of /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000007
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000007
md5 = 5b592e597241694944d70849d7a05f53
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000007
PURGE BINARY LOGS TO 'binlog.000008'
...
and like this after:
shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3326 --type=binlog --policy=binlog --no-purge
...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-18-52
Binlog Index file is: /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.index
Getting lock: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/lck/binlog-logical-binlog.lock
Releasing lock: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/lck/binlog-logical-binlog.lock
FLUSH /*!50503 BINARY */ LOGS
Copy /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.000015 to /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000015
Binary log binlog.000015 begin datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:16:48 and end datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:18:41
Do MD5 checksum of /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000015
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000015
md5 = 1f9a79c3ad081993b4006c58bf1d6bee
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000015
Copy /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.000016 to /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000016
Binary log binlog.000016 begin datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:18:41 and end datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:18:42
Do MD5 checksum of /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000016
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000016
md5 = ef1613e99bbfa78f75daa5ba543e3213
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000016
...
To make the logical backup (mysqldump) slightly faster we added the --quick option. This is done automatically and you cannot influence this behaviour.
Some of our customers use brman in combination with MyEnv and they want to have an overview of used software. So we made the version output of brman MyEnv compliant:
mysql@chef:~ [mariadb-103, 3318]> V
The following FromDual Toolbox Packages are installed:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MyEnv: 2.0.0
BRman: 2.0.0
OpsCenter: 0.4.0
Fpmmm: 1.0.1
Nagios plug-ins: 1.0.1
O/S: Linux / Ubuntu
Binaries: mysql-5.7
mysql-8.0
mariadb-10.2
mariadb-10.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
mysql@chef:~ [mariadb-103, 3318]>
In MySQL 5.7 general tablespaces were introduced. The utility mysqldump is not aware of general tablespaces and does not dump this information. This leads to errors during restore. FromDual brman checks for general tablespaces and writes them to the backup log so you can later extract this information at least from there. We consider this as a bug in mysqldump. MariaDB up to 10.3 has not implemented this feature yet so it is not affected of this problem.
FromDual brman backups are quite complex and can run quite some long time thus timestamps are logged so we can find out where the time is spent or where the bottlenecks are:
...
At 2018-08-13 12:27:17 do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ib_logfile0
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ib_logfile0
md5 = d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e
At 2018-08-13 12:27:17 compress file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ib_logfile0
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ib_logfile0
At 2018-08-13 12:27:18 do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ibdata1
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ibdata1
md5 = 097ab6d70eefb6e8735837166cd4ba54
At 2018-08-13 12:27:18 compress file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ibdata1
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ibdata1
At 2018-08-13 12:27:19 do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/xtrabackup_binlog_pos_innodb
...
A general FromDual policy is to not use the MariaDB/MySQL root user for anything except direct DBA interventions. So backup should be done with its own user. FromDual suggest brman as a username and the utility complains with a warning if root is used:
shell> bman --target=root@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --policy=daily
...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-30-29
WARNING: You should NOT use the root user for backup. Please create another user as follows:
CREATE USER 'brman'@'127.0.0.1' IDENTIFIED BY 'S3cret123';
GRANT ALL ON *.* TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
If you want to be more restrictive you can grant privileges as follows:
GRANT SELECT, LOCK TABLES, RELOAD, PROCESS, TRIGGER, SUPER, REPLICATION CLIENT, SHOW VIEW, EVENT ON *.* TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
Additionally for MySQL Enterprise Backup (MEB):
GRANT CREATE, INSERT, DROP, UPDATE ON mysql.backup_progress TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
GRANT CREATE, INSERT, SELECT, DROP, UPDATE ON mysql.backup_history TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
GRANT FILE ON *.* TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
GRANT CREATE, INSERT, DROP, UPDATE ON mysql.backup_sbt_history TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
Additionally for MariaBackup / XtraBackup:
GRANT INSERT, SELECT ON PERCONA_SCHEMA.xtrabackup_history TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
...
Some customers have implemented a monitoring solution. FromDual brman can report backup return code, backup run time and backup size to the FromDual Performance Monitor for MariaDB and MySQL (fpmmm/Zabbix) now:
Some customers run their databases on shared hosting systems or in cloud solutions where they do not have all the needed database privileges. For those users FromDual brman is much less intrusive now and allows backups on those restricted systems as well:
#
# /home/shinguz/etc/brman.conf
#
policy = daily
target = shinguz_brman:secret@localhost
type = schema
per-schema = on
schema = -shinguz_shinguz
log = /home/shinguz/log/bman_backup.log
backupdir = /home/shinguz/bck
shell> /home/shinguz/brman/bin/bman --config=/home/shinguz/etc/brman.conf 1>/dev/null
...
WARNING: Binary logging is enabled but you are lacking REPLICATION CLIENT privilege. I cannot get Master Log File and Pos!
WARNING: I cannot check for GENERAL tablespaces. I lack the PROCESS privilege. This backup might not restore in case of presence of GENERAL tablespaces.
...
Details: Check for binary logging is made less intrusive. If RELOAD privilege is missing --master-data and/or --flush-logs options are omitted. Schema backup does not require SHOW DATABASES privilege any more.
Some customers want to push theire backups directly to an other server during backup (not pull from somewhere else). For those customers the new option --archivedestination was introduced which replaces the less powerfull option --archivedir which is deprecated. So archiving with rsync, scp and sftp is possible now (NFS mounts was possible before already):
shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --policy=daily --archivedestination=sftp://oli@backup.fromdual.com:22/home/oli/bck/production/daily/
...
/home/mysql/product/mysql-5.7.21/bin/mysqldump --user=root --host=127.0.0.1 --port=33006 --master-data=2 --quick --single-transaction --triggers --routines --hex-blob --events 'tellmatic'
to Destination: /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql
Backup size is 602021072
Binlog file is mysql-bin.019336 and position is 287833
Do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql
md5sum --binary /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql
md5 = 06e1a0acd5da8acf19433b192259c1e1
/usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql
Archiving /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql.gz to sftp://oli@backup.example.com:/home/oli/bck/production/daily/
echo 'put "/home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql.gz"' | sftp -b - -oPort=22 oli@backup.fromdual.com:/home/oli/bck/production/daily/
End backup at 2018-08-13 11:42:19 (rc=0)
A distressed Horizon Air employee stole one of the airline’s planes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night and roamed through the air with F-15 fighter jets in pursuit until the plane crashed on Ketron Island, southwest of Seattle, authorities said.
No passengers were aboard the Bombardier Q400 turboprop plane, and authorities did not immediately release information about the fate of the employee — but video from the scene showed burning debris strewn across the island.
Air traffic at SeaTac Airport was temporarily grounded due to the security threat, according to reports from Horizon Air’s parent company, Alaska Air.
In audio recordings from the air traffic control system, the man flying the plane said that he was “just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. Never really knew it, until now.”
I’m listening through the archive of the radio chatter on the #seatac hijacking. Below are some of the clips. pic.twitter.com/ziBAYv7cgn
In another audio clip, the air traffic controller tried to give the man, referred to as “Rich,” options for landing. “This is probably jail time for life, huh?” the man replied:
Horizon Air’s chief operating officer, Constance von Muehlen, said in a video statement that the theft occurred at about 8 p.m. PT. “Our hearts are with the family of the individual aboard, as well as all our Alaska Air and Horizon Air employees,” she said.
Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, said via Twitter that the theft of the plane was “not a terrorist incident,” but involved a “single suicide male” who was a 29-year-old Pierce County resident.
“We know who he is,” Troyer tweeted. “No others involved.”
Troyer did not identify the rogue pilot by name.
In follow-up tweets, Troyer said he was told that F-15 fighter jets were scrambled out of Portland, Ore., and arrived in the area “within a few minutes of the theft.”
“Pilots kept plane out of harm’s way and people on [the] ground safe. .. They may not admit for a few days. But is true,” he wrote.
Air traffic controllers kept up a conversation with the rogue flier, who casually discussed what he was seeing from the cockpit. “Man, have you been to the Olympics? These guys are gorgeous … holy smokes,” he could be heard saying.
At other times, the flier hinted at the reasons for his distress. “Ah, minimum wage,” he said. “We’ll chalk it up to that. Maybe that will grease the gears a little bit with the higher-ups.”
He wondered out loud about what would happen after the flight. “Hey, do you think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?” he asked a controller.
“You know, I think they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off,” the controller replied.
“Yeah, right. … Nah, I’m a white guy,” the flier said.
One astonished family posted a video of the plane flying low through the neighborhood (with salty commentary):
This video showed the plane doing what a bystander described as a loop-the-loop, with fighter jets in pursuit.
Some dude stole a plane from #Seatac (Allegedly), did a loop-the-loop, ALMOST crashed into #ChambersBay, then crossed in front of our party, chased by fighter jets and subsequently crashed. Weird times. pic.twitter.com/Ra4LcIhwfU
@KING5Seattle it looked like the plane crashed. We saw the plane go over head and took a nose dive south of Fox Island. We saw it come back up then a huge explosion.
Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. Preliminary info is that a mechanic from unknown airlines stole plane. Was doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills caused crash into Island
Helicopters and a Cessna are circling the presumed crash site on Ketron Island near the Chambers Bay Golf Club. N423QX is no longer in the air. It was scheduled to head to Medford at 855 PT before being stolen at #SEATAC.
There are still a lot of unknowns surrounding tonight’s tragic incident of a stolen Horizon Airline plane. The responding fighter pilots flew alongside the aircraft and were ready to do whatever was needed to protect us, but in the end the man flying the stolen plane crashed.
I want to thank the Air National Guard from Washington and Oregon for scrambling jets to keep Washingtonians safe. Those pilots are trained for moments like tonight and showed they are ready and capable.
SeaTac Airport reported that normal operations resumed as of 9:30 p.m. PT. Airline passengers complained about the delays caused by the incident. “I’ve been waiting at SeaTac for two hours,” one wrote on Twitter.
Many noted that information about the incident came much more quickly via Twitter than via traditional media outlets.
Late Friday, the FBI’s Seattle office took charge of the investigation in cooperation with local, state and federal partners. “Information gathered thus far does NOT suggest a terrorist threat or additional, pending criminal activity,” the FBI tweeted.
Ketron Island is situated in south Puget Sound, not far from Steilacoom and Chambers Bay Golf Course, which was the venue for the U.S. Open Championship in 2015. Census records show the island with a population of 17 residents in 2010. Here’s the location of the crash:
The aircraft reportedly crashed near Ketron Island, near the Chambers Bay Golf Course.
Here’s what the Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 looks like. The plane normally carries about 80 passengers and crew. It’s commonly flown on regional routes heading from Seattle to destinations in Washington state, Oregon and British Columbia.
Wikimedia Commons
Post updated to correct airport photo and details about how the plane crashed. Frank Catalano contributed to this report.
Ohio State University smashed its previous record high income from technology commercialization in fiscal 2018 – $7.97 million from stocks in spinouts, royalties and other sources – after more than a decade of effort.
We’ve been told by all the most reliable, intelligent and informed people in the both the media and politics that easily downloadable blueprints for 3D printable guns presents a clear and present danger to national security and the American way of life. In fact, the technology is such a threat that some politicians have even suggested 3D printers themselves should probably be registered or regulated.
“We now live in a world where a 3D printer cartridge has become as deadly as a gun cartridge,” @SenMarkey. “It’s the ultimate gun loophole. Why buy them if you can print them at home instead?” #tictocnewspic.twitter.com/5ejpad2nyE
It took 36-hours and $10 worth of plastic to print 13 pieces that he assembled into the pistol. That convenience is what worries critics. But the quality of fully printed plastic firearms is another issue.
In any case, all of the panic over Defense Distributed loosing its dangerous plans on the world had nothing to do with the actual “threat” the guns pose and everything to do with exposing their carefully constructed gun control regimes generating anti-gun press. Plus, it got them a restraining order preventing the company from releasing their files.
Not that the judge’s laughable order means anything at all here in the real world. 3D plans for firearms are and have been widely available online for years. You can get yours right here.
Of course, the Liberator pistol design isn’t the only plan out there. You can also print a very serviceable AR lower which tends to perform well.
Whatever. All of the hysterical hoplophobes tend to gloss over the fact that it’s always been perfectly legal to build your own guns at home. Whether you do it the low tech way with cheap, readily available Home Depot components or with a roughly $2000 (for now) 3D printer is utterly beside the point.
But let them keep continue sticking their bony little fingers in the ever-multiplying holes in the electronic dike. Maybe it makes them feel like they’re accomplishing something. As ever, they just can’t stop the signal.
All Macs are perfect, and never encounter a single problem. This is thanks to the unicorn dust applied liberally to the internals of each new machine.
Unfortunately, that’s not true. Just like Windows machines, your Apple hardware can and will go wrong from time to time. Apple provides plenty of tools to get you on your way, but a few free third-party apps don’t hurt either.
Here are eight free tools that can help when your computer don’t work properly.
1. Disk Utility
When to use it: Corrupted files, drive errors, or a Mac that won’t boot into macOS.
Disk Utility is a utility provided with macOS, which you can find under your Applications > Utilities folder. It’s used for formatting drives, mounting and unmounting volumes, and fixing problems as they arise.
You can run First Aid on any drive by launching the utility and clicking the corresponding button. For better results, and in cases where your Mac won’t boot, you can launch your Mac in Recovery Mode by restarting and holding Cmd + R while it starts up. Select Disk Utility, then First Aid to attempt a fix. Hit Repair Disk if it detects a problem.
It’s also possible to create whole images of your current disk using this utility, which is perfect if your drive is failing. Reboot in Recovery Mode and connect a large enough external drive. Then eject the drive you want to back up (probably called Macintosh HD), followed by File > Create New Image from “Macintosh HD” (or whatever the label is).
When to use it: Suspected hardware issues, when trying to find out which specific component is causing an issue.
Another tool that comes bundled with your Mac is Apple Hardware Test. This simple utility can help diagnose problems, though it lacks the detail required to make serious repairs. It is, however, useful in cases where you’re trying to isolate a hardware issue from a software one.
The age of your machine will determine whether you use Apple Diagnostics or Apple Hardware Test, but they do the same job and launch using the same shortcut. Simply hold down D while your Mac boots, or Option + D to run the test from the internet (in cases where the test won’t run from disk).
If you’re feeling brave and you want to glean as much information as possible about your hardware problems, you can use Apple Service Diagnostics, assuming your Mac isn’t too new.
3. OnyX
When to use it: For making deep system tweaks, cleaning up caches, and fiddling with the OS.
OnyX is the jack of all trades maintenance tool for macOS. Most users won’t have any specific need for it until the time comes, but it’s a handy tool to have installed. Just like Disk Utility, you can use OnyX to verify the structure of the startup disk. It can also repair permissions, something that most users of El Capitan or later will never need to do.
With OnyX you can perform tasks like run the operating system’s daily, weekly, and monthly clean-up scripts with the click of a button. You can also rebuild databases like Spotlight, Mail, and LaunchServices without having to boot into Safe Mode.
This tool works to to clear just about every cache on your system, though generally speaking you should let the OS take care of this task. You can also perform three and seven-pass secure erases, though you shouldn’t do this on solid state drives. OnyX can also show and hide files, folders, and applications, plus access macOS applications like the hidden Network Utility and Directory Utility tools with a click.
Finally, you can tweak some settings that are usually only available via Terminal prompts. These include the format, location, and naming conventions for screenshots, recent folder and file listings, Safari tweaks like history cutoff and DNS prefetching; startup sounds, and even graphical effects throughout the OS.
When to use it: Crashes, freezes, app instability—particularly if you just installed some new memory.
RAM is one of the last internal components Mac owners can still customize—on some machines at least. The iMac in particular still provides a window at the back that pops open and allows you to add physical memory. Older MacBooks, where the RAM isn’t soldered to the motherboard, are also open to tinkering.
But this can lead to issues when the memory you’ve installed is faulty. Application crashes, hard reboots, and freezing are all symptoms of dud memory. Even the old sticks of RAM installed when your machine was new can fail, leading to problems. MemTest86 is a free tool for thoroughly testing your RAM and isolating memory problems.
To use it, simply download the version for Linux and Mac, create a bootable USB drive using the image, insert your USB stick, and hold the Option key when your Mac boots. Choose the USB boot option from the menu and follow the prompts.
There are memory testing tools that run under macOS or via a graphical interface. But the problem with this approach is that your operating system is already using the RAM you want to test. By booting into a lightweight Unix environment, you can test the RAM more thoroughly.
When to use it: Periodically to ensure your Mac is malware-free.
Your Mac is susceptible to malware, even though the likelihood of infection is low. Apple has put in place protections like system integrity protection and Gatekeeper to limit damage from errant third-party software. But exploits still happen, and Malwarebytes is a free solution to keep you protected.
If you’ve already been infected, this is one anti-malware tool that can help. The free version lacks real-time protection, but that’s fine since resources are precious. A quick scan from time to time, as well as running the updates when they arrive, should be enough to keep you safe.
You’ll get a free trial of the premium version of Malwarebytes when you download, but the free version offers ample protection for most users.
When to use it: When you suspect malware is persistently trying to install itself on your machine.
Objective See produces a whole range of security tools for macOS, but we’re going to focus on KnockKnock here. It’s a tool that looks a little deeper than your average malware scanner for applications that attempt to persistently install software on your machine.
This is the hallmark of many vehicles used to deliver malware, though the app will also detect benign applications that do this as part of their regular operation. The app is integrated with VirusTotal protection, indicating if anything unusual is attempting to install something more sinister.
When to use it: When you’re experiencing problems with the normal operation of macOS.
EtreCheck is a tool that can detect over 30 minor and major problems with your Mac. It generates reports based on what it finds, so you can ask others to help remedy the problem. EtreCheck works in tandem with Apple Support Communities to help users with limited technical knowledge solve their computer problems.
EtreCheck will generate five reports for free, which should be enough to help diagnose an immediate problem with your hardware. After this it will cost around $10, depending on where in the world you are. This is so anyone can use it as a fast diagnosis tool, but also to cover the continued development costs.
When you first run the app, you’ll see a prompt asking for description of your problem. EtreCheck will then scan your computer for hardware, configuration, software, and performance issues.
When to use it: In cases where you need to recover media from external drives.
Test Disk and PhotoRec are two closely related projects. The former is aimed at whole drive recovery, while the latter is designed to recovery media from removable storage. Unfortunately, TestDisk doesn’t yet support Apple’s new file system APFS, but it does work with HFS+ file systems created prior to macOS 10.13 High Sierra.
PhotoRec supports the most common file systems used to store media, so if you’ve lost an SD card full of photos it might be your best bet for getting them back. Unfortunately you’ll lose your original filenames, but that’s better than losing the data entirely.
If your card becomes unreadable, remember that you should not write to it at all until you have tried everything to get your data back. The more you write to the volume, the less likely a full recovery is possible.
Don’t Forget Your Boot Modes
You Mac uses various boot modes for all kinds of troubleshooting functions. Safe mode will automatically verify your disk on startup, while resetting your PRAM and SMC can solve numerous minor issues.
Imagine a world where Star Wars and Harry Potter live in the same universe. That’s what David Ariew created with this highly under-appreciated video that sees stormtroopers riding broomsticks, chasing the Golden Snitch, and off to battle the students of Hogwarts.
That’s the age-old question, isn’t it? When choosing a CCW, this is a good place to start.
Carrying a gun chambered in .45 ACP will be larger than one chambered in .380. That’s just how it is and there is no way around it.
By then end you’ll have a good understanding of the best caliber for you…
Concealed Carry
Plus our favorite concealed carry handguns for it! And our favorite holsters and ammo too.
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Variables to Consider
The size of your piece matters.
If you decide to go with a larger caliber or a double stacked magazine, your gun will be physically larger. If you have a thinner or smaller body or like to wear tighter clothing…the fact you’re carrying a gun will be VERY obvious.
Clothing
For those of us in the Midwest, we have, what seems like, 16 months of winter where we wear big jackets and sweatshirts. This allows us to carry just about any caliber CCW we want.
But, when summer rolls around, that changes. Carrying a full-size .45 ACP is more difficult to conceal in shorts and a t-shirt.
At least it’s easier to conceal wearing winter clothing!
Take a look at your style and your seasons to find a good compromise. Possibly owning a gun for winter carry and another one for warmer months. Think of it as a seasonal accessory if it helps you justify the purchase.
Choosing the Caliber
There are a few ways to choose the caliber of your CCW. First is to ask around. My guess is you’ll get a lot of people replying that their carry gun is a 9mm or a .45 ACP. These are probably the most common.
Another way is to follow what law enforcement, military, and government agencies use. They tend to do a lot of research into what the bare minimum yet effective caliber or weapons are out there.
The .380 looks like the 9mm’s younger sibling
What you will see with a lot of these groups is that they went back to 9mm.
This is because the 9mm has come a long way in the last few years. The .40 S&W was the go-to for a long time, but not really anymore. Something I noticed in my time building police vehicles was the rural departments, and many times sheriffs in rural areas carry .45 ACP.
While a .22LR can deter an attacker, it is not really recommended for concealed carry. If this is your only option, then go for it. Something is better than nothing But, if you are going to purchase something to carry every day, go with a larger caliber.
.22lr revolvers like this one are often a great choice for disabled folks looking to defend themselves. Find more recommendations in our article for Disabled Shooters!
If you are in a state that has colder weather, a .22LR will have some difficulties penetrating thicker or multiple layers of clothing.
What is likely to happen if you were to use a .22LR and be forced to use it against an attacker wearing a thicker jacket (Carhartt or similar), is the bullet may pierce the jacket and clothing but could struggle to do the appropriate amount of damage needed to disable the attacker.
Below are a couple choices for each caliber to help get your search started.
I know everyone has their favorites and there will be comments about this gun or that gun should be on or off the list. Feel free to interject, but leave useful comments and suggestions.
9mm
The 9mm CCW category is packed with a lot of good choices. Also, keep in mind that most of the manufacturers make a .40 S&W and a 9mm in the same size frame so I am only listing the 9mm models here.
It’s smaller than a lot of compact guns but bigger than a subcompact. And it’s thin too. About 1” thick. The Shield and Shield 2.0 also come in a variety of calibers, too such as the Shield .380 Auto and Shield .45 ACP
I would compare it to a Glock 26 in size, but it holds 10+1 and is a single stack magazine. This keeps the width to an inch. It also has a rail if you want to add a light or other attachment.
While there have been some production issues of the P365 and some “voluntary” recalls, Sig Sauer seems to have ironed out the issues now.
Another PPT writer reviewed the Sig P365 not long ago and wrote a glowing review on it.
Something to note before you get your boxers in a bunch is I left out 1911s because this is an article about concealed carry. We have our Best 1911s article for that.
Yes, you can carry a big gun if you want, but most want a smaller gun for their EDC.
It’s thin and easy to conceal, a combination that isn’t easy to find in a real larger caliber.
Because of the shorter barrel and the larger caliber, it kicks and can make reacquiring your target more difficult when firing quickly. You’ll probably need to train a little more with that than you would with a 9mm.
But extra training should be assumed when you’re working with .45 ACP.
The FN FNX-45 is a bigger gun compared to some of the others listed so far. It is a compact size, so the barrel is a bit longer. If you are looking for something for your large hands, this would be a good option.
Using one of each for your different needs makes it easier to transition between the two and makes training much simpler.
.380
A .380 is a very concealable weapon. They are usually thinner and smaller than a 9mm subcompact. You will lose some of the impact you get when a .380 hits the target, but they are still acceptable for self-defense.
You’ll want to read up on the differences and limitations of the .380 Auto, and we have Just the Article for You.
Same bullet, smaller casing.
Something you might want to look into right away if you are getting a .380 is a new trigger. Most of them have a long pull and can make them hard to shoot accurately under duress.
The Ruger LCP II is a popular small gun and a large improvement over the older LCP model. It comes in different colors so finding the one you like aesthetically is easy.
The Glock 42 is a great choice if you are looking for a reliable single stack .380 or if you are Glock fan and want something a little smaller than their other offerings.
A .38 Special or .38 special +P are very common calibers for revolvers and don’t really show up in semi-auto pistols. When it comes to a revolver for CCW, lightweight and hammerless are two of the characteristics I recommend looking into.
S&W revolvers come in almost every shape, finish, size, and option you can think of. This one is super lightweight since it uses a one-piece aluminum frame and a very short barrel.
It’s handy, easy to use, and rated for +P. Everything you could want in a CCW revolver.
It has an exposed hammer, so you’ll want to practice your draw to make sure you can do it well and not snag clothing. It’s also able to fire +P rounds for a little more punch.
If the exposed hammer is an issue for you though, Ruger also makes the LCR that uses an internal hammer for smoother draws.
Going concealed with the perfect gun for you is still useless if you don’t have a great holster. Check out our top holster picks for all the popular ways to carry.
Aliengear Holster, High Grip
Plus you’ll need a sturdy belt that doesn’t scream “I’m carrying a gun.” Check out these nondescript options in Best CCW Gun Belts.
Best CCW Gun Belts, Thickness
Same goes with ammo…we use data from shorter handguns and clothed ballistics gel to make our choices. Since that’s what you’re likely to see in the real world.
In this list, there are some popular models of various calibers to get you started in your search. Some are subcompact, some are not. In the .38 Special category, they are all revolvers and in the .45 ACP category, there are bigger guns.
Take a look at your lifestyle. This will have a big impact on what and when you will carry. Look for a CCW that will be convenient and comfortable to carry or you just won’t.
Comfort comes from how it fits your hand as well as how it feels carrying it on your person.
Just because you aren’t strapping a pair of 1911s in shoulder holsters every time you leave your man cave doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be safe. Get a 9mm or .380 that fits your hand and you can conceal in the majority of the clothing wear daily.
Lots of Holsters, Boondock Saints
And as a reminder if you scan articles like I do: Everyone has their favorites and there will be comments about this gun or that gun should be on or off the list. Feel free to interject, but leave useful comments and suggestions.
We have some more specific articles too if you already know what you want:
We love to hear from our readers about their CCW choices, so let us know! What handgun do you use? What caliber? Tell us all about it in the comments! And then head to our CCW Definitive Guide.
Ohio State University smashed its previous record high income from technology commercialization in fiscal 2018 – $7.97 million from stocks in spinouts, royalties and other sources – after more than a decade of effort.
