![]() ![]() I would get different results even if the images were shot within seconds of each other in the same light.ĭSLR scanning fixes that problem. They were designed for maximum flexibility so that the user could shoot indoors and outdoors on the same roll, and then decide how to adjust the colors in the darkroom.īut the issue I’ve had with the Epson scanner and both the bundled Epson and Silverfast scanning applications is that I was never able to get the same look from image to image. Modern print film wasn’t meant to have a baked in color like films of the past. ![]() Getting consistent results on color film scans is a new phenomena for me. Getting consistent results is near impossible And if you’re working with dense negatives, there’s even room to get more detail by combining exposures to make an HDR scan. Digital cameras shooting raw are able to capture far more colors and dynamic range in a single image than a flatbed scanner - no matter what model. The other benefit of scanning with a DSLR is the colors. Even for the time, they weren’t known for producing sharp results. ![]() The V550 and V600 are still using the same imaging sensors Epson developed back in 2009. Going any larger than the 1600 DPI setting is simply introducing extra bulk (up to 1Gb, to be precise) to the image without creating any extra details to work with in Lightroom or Photoshop. Meanwhile, the V600 scanner has a maximum effective resolution of around 1560 DPI, despite advertising that says it is capable of to scanning up to 6400 DPI. Just joking of course, but being able to see that much more detail from DSLR scans means that I can crop the images more without losing quality. Turns out I’m just bad at focusing manual lenses. So finally, I was able to tell that the reason my photos weren’t sharp wasn’t just film inherently being softer than digital. When I finally got my latest DSLR film scanning setup together, there was an immediate, noticeable difference. The images aren’t as sharp, and the files aren’t as flexible Otherwise the scan quality, film holders, size, shape, and weight all remain identical. ![]() The only benefit the V600 scanner has over the V550, is that the V600 has a software update allowing it to use Digital ICE to remove dust and scratches on prints and negatives, where the V550 can only perform dust removal on negatives. Professional photographers will be pushed to the Epson V750, or Epson V850 models, which have better film holders and are also capable of scanning 4×5 or 8×10 negatives. Both the V600 and V550 were cheap, reliable, and produced good enough results if you were cataloguing family negatives. When these models were released, were meant to help entry-level consumers digitize their collection of film photos. That said, the scanners both contain the same scanning technology from the 2009 version, and come with film holders capable of scanning 35mm and medium format film. The Epson V600 was originally released back in 2009, while the V550 weirdly came out in 2013. But if you already have a DSLR camera with a macro lens, then it may be worth spending a bit extra to get into scanning with your camera.īefore we get into it, let’s go over what exactly are the differences between the V550 and the V600 scanners The Epson V600 sitting on top of my shelf in the same place it’s been for the last 3 years Epson V550 and V600 Overview If you’re new to film photography and are thinking about purchasing one of these scanners, I absolutely recommend it. A big reason for that is because I bought the right equipment to make it work this time. ( Find out what gear I use to scan film with my digital camera here).īut even though I admit there are many reasons why DSLR scanning is superior to using a flatbed scanner, I do believe that this unit still has a place on the market. This time, I went for the V600 for no reason other than Amazon no longer stocked the $50 cheaper V550.īut now, a year later, I’ve revisited DSLR scanning, and have been loving the results I’m getting with my Sony A7III. Lacking a reliable way to mount my DSLR, and not having a dedicated macro lens, I went back to the Epson scanners. So I sold it, and elected to buy another after attempting low-budget DSLR scanning with the equipment I already had on hand. And since I was going by plane, it didn’t make sense to bring the scanner with me. I’m sure I pissed off more than a couple neighbours with the electronic whirring piercing through the thin walls of my Montreal apartment. I used that scanner for a couple years, scanning rolls for myself and my friends late into the night. One of my first purchases as a new film photographer was the Epson V550. ![]()
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![]() ![]() If you choose not to file Form I-765 and/or Form I-131 with your Form I-485, then you must submit a copy of your I-797C, Notice of Action, (also known as your receipt) as evidence that you filed Form I-485. If you submit Form I-485 and pay the required fee, you do not have to pay an additional fee to also file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and/or Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, for advance parole. Visit our Form I-485, Supplement J page for specific instructions on when and how to file Supplement J.įiling Form I-765 and Form I-131 with Form I-485 However, you must file Supplement J if you are filing Form I-485 based on a previously filed Form I-140 or if you are requesting job portability to a new, permanent job offer under INA section 204(j). If you are filing Form I-485 together with a Form I-140 that names you as the principal beneficiary, you do not need to file Supplement J. If you are seeking to adjust status under the provisions of section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, see Supplement A for additional instructions. When filing Form I-485, you must supply evidence of an approved Form I-360 or a copy of the COM approval letter that also indicates approval of your Form DS-157. For more information, see instructions on the DOS website on Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans – Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Afghans who start the SIV application process on or after July 20, 2022, may seek classification as a special immigrant with DOS by filing Form DS-157 with the application for Chief of Mission approval. 30, 2023, there is no fee to file Form I-485 to adjust status on the basis of Afghan special immigrant classification, or for any associated biometric services or to file an associated Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility.Įffective July 20, 2022, we transitioned the responsibility to adjudicate Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) petitions filed by Afghans to the U.S. Under 14 and not filing with the Form I-485 application of at least one parentįiling Form I-485 based on having been admitted to the United States as a refugee Read our Paying USCIS Fees page for more details. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms. ![]() We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. Filing and biometric services fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee. When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. You can pay the fee with a money order, personal check, cashier's check, or pay by credit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. See the chart below for filing fees based on your category. Use this form to apply for lawful permanent resident status if you are in the United States. Government page, and see the instructions for Form I-485 (PDF, 1.32 MB) for complete filing information. Review filing instructions at our Green Card for an Afghan Who Was Employed by or on Behalf of the U.S. When filing Form I-485, include evidence of an approved Form I-360 petition or a copy of the Chief of Mission approval letter which also indicates approval of your Form DS-157 petition. You do not have to pay the filing or biometric services fees for Form I-485 if you were paroled into the United States due to the humanitarian crisis and are applying for adjustment as an Afghan Special Immigrant. Special filing instructions apply to those filing Form I-485 in this category. ![]() The fastest way to submit your Form AR-11 is online. If your address changes, you must notify us of your new address within 10 days by submitting Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card. government or International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and you did not complete Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, at a safe haven, we encourage you to file Form I-485 as soon as possible to apply to become a lawful permanent resident and get a Green Card. ![]() If you are an Afghan parolee with an approved Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, as an Afghan employed by or on behalf of the U.S. ![]() ![]() ![]() Reading texts all night long can cause migraines, sore eyes, and unpleasant muscle strain switching to Dark Mode is a great option. Now, the Firefox system will show in Dark Mode, but not all of your websites will, so you may need to enable Night Eye for Mozilla or another add-on. There are several different color variations, so choose one that you like. Then, click ‘Add Ons.’ From here, you’ll see a Themes option on the left click it, then click on one of the options in the list that gives you Dark Mode. All you need to do is click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right-hand corner of the browser. Enabling Dark Mode on Firefox is the same on a Mac or a PC. Can I enable Dark Mode with Mozilla Firefox on my Mac?įortunately, yes! Firefox makes many things simpler than other web browsers, and Dark Mode is one of them. If you follow the steps above to activate Dark Mode on your Mac, it will have no effect on third-party apps and browsers such as Firefox or Chrome. This means you’ll need to use a Chrome browser extension like the ones we’ve mentioned above. Yes, but unfortunately, it isn’t an option provided natively. Can I use Dark Mode with Chrome on a Mac? ![]() Here are the answers to more of your questions about Apple Dark Mode. If some website doesn’t support Dark Mode, you can use Safari Reader. Safari – With the Dark Mode turned on all websites will show as dark when you load them. TextEdit – You can switch to the Dark Mode when working in TextEdit by selecting “View,” then “Use Dark Background for Windows.” You can disable it by selecting “Preferences” and then deselecting “Use dark backgrounds for note content.” ![]() Notes – Your Notes will open with a black background if the Dark Mode is activated. Mail – If you want to use light mode when reading your emails, open your Mail and select “Mail,” then “Preferences.” Click on the “Viewing” tab and uncheck “Use dark backgrounds for messages.” Maps – If you want to use a dark background for maps with the Dark Mode activated, open the app and select “View,” and then select “Use Dark Map.” Here is a short how-to on toggling it on and off for the most popular apps on iOS. If dark mode is enabled, some apps will automatically have it activated. You can use the Dark Mode for other apps, not just your Safari browser. Select “Dark” in the “Appearance” options, and all websites on your Safari will switch to a black background.Open the Apple menu and select “System Preferences.”.So, if you have Mojave installed on your Mac, follow these steps to set the dark mode up. Previous versions had to use shortcuts, and you had to make exceptions for every site you wanted to view in dark mode. Most Mac users had to wait for the macOS Mojave update to be able to activate the dark mode on their computers. Repeat the process for every website you want to read in dark mode. Select “Dark,” and the screen will turn dark right away. ![]() The available options are Normal, Grey, Slightly Yellow, and Dark. Tap on the “Reader Mode” button found in the search bar.Go to the website you want to access in dark mode.On the iPad and iPhone, Safari comes with a built-in reader mode designed to ease the pressure on your eyes during night reading. Using Dark Mode in Safari on iPad and iPhone The nightlight will automatically shift the color patterns when at night, then back again during the day. With the optional timer settings, you can enjoy dark mode on Safari without ever having to toggle it on and off. ![]() ![]() ![]() If you are mistaken or you want to remove assignments, just click a big yellow button “None”. Just click on the corresponding button in the profile and press the chosen key on your on-screen keyboard. ![]() Open a layout and assign keys to the pad’s buttons. You can also drag and drop every button as you want. Thanks to this option, it will be easier to reproduce the layout of the pad. To do this, just press on the gamepad and they will appear in the layout. You can easily do this in the Direction pad tab: Go to the image Tab and choose the one you like most of all. ![]() If necessary, you may also add an image to your profile.After that, you’ll be redirected to the Controller editor.Double click on the app and configure your first gamepad list. It would be more convenient if you create a folder so that you can easily keep saved profiles. If necessary, you can unzip the file and go through a simple installation procedure. Guidelines on How to Use Xpadder?įollow this step-by-step guide and you won’t face any difficulties related to the application setup: Here, at , you can find out more about this powerful app, but this review is about the ways of using this tool. Today, there’s a variety of superb combinations of controllers that you can configure using Xpadder. Unfortunately, Xpadder can’t provide you with drivers or controllers you like, but this application will help you map the controller’s buttons easily. The main distinctive feature of the software is that it has many potential uses, but its main goal is to configure console controllers in order to provide gamers with a possibility to play games that don’t come with native gamepad support. ![]() ![]() ![]() Joystick and other external gaming devices connect to desktop or laptop for a more interactive experience. Why not download that racing game on your PC and play with your gaming steering wheel? Nox emulator can help you do just that with its transformed Android interface. You have the perfect gaming steering wheel for racing but it connects to a USB port. ![]() You can enjoy the thrill of racing on your tablet, but you don't have enough control to drive precisely. Role-playing games will run better on your desktop or laptop thanks to the NoxPlayer app, with dazzling HD images and clearer sound. Unlimited internet means you don't have to worry about data usage while online with your friends. Your home Internet connection has fewer problems loading slowly than your mobile phone. ![]() How can you regain the trust of your friends? Your friends get frustrated when you have trouble because of a poor Internet connection, so they stop inviting you to play. The problem is you don't have a good data plan on your phone and you're having trouble loading slowly. You are very good at role-playing games and enjoy connecting with your friends. You can enjoy your colorful game for longer. You won't get tired anytime soon and your gaming skills won't falter. Using NoxPlayer for Windows or Mac, you can download games on your PC and play them on the big screen. What can you do? Play a match-3 game on a laptop. Why? As your eyes have to work harder to see tiny icons on a small screen, the color- and shape-distinguishing receptors tire and begin to no longer work as well. You love match-3 games but get tired of your eyes after just half an hour of playing on your phone, resulting in even worse gameplay. It is important to take care of your software and privacy. New threats are emerging every day in the digital world. These make the connection between electronic devices seamless, secure and virus-free. Regular updates are available and easy to download. You can add external devices, such as Bluetooth, joystick, gaming keyboard or wireless optical mouse, or the Pen Mouse wireless smart mouse, using shortcuts and mapping at leisure. Nox App Player is a software application that is designed to install Android games and apps on your Mac or Windows PC. Nox for PC can run two or more applications at the same time on most computers without freezing. The apps can be used without problems, with better speed and resolution on the phone. Running Android or iOS apps on your computer won't use up your mobile Internet plan. NoxPlayer uses less RAM than other mobile OS emulators. You will not lose any of the features over time as the tool is licensed free. The app doesn't need a paid subscription or one-time payment for you to stay active. NoxPlayer emulates the mobile device's operating system so that you can run video games and applications made for smartphones on your PC.įeatures of NoxPlayer What makes NoxPlayer different?įirst, NoxPlayer is free to download. ![]() ![]() This F-350 Platinum with the Tremor off-road package and the new 7.3-liter V-8 is 81.3 inches tall. We also have a chevy, nothing fancy, runs a good running small block, a built 700R4 and a 208 t-case, it runs 5:38's Detroit and true track, all 3 rigs run chrome moly axles Wirth 35 spline outers and drive plates in place of hubs.The chevy also runs orbital steering instead of a steering box, the fords need it but it really isn't worth the effort for what will be back up rigs for big trips.what they have works fine for light use.all of them have had frames reinforced, the chevy was beefed from end to end.the fords are braced around the shocks and a couple other places where we have seen stress.The chevy has been off-road since 2003, the 92 ford since 2011, and the 89 ford is a youngster at 3 years off road in our group.Ford has taken the truck game to new heights. rims are 12x 16.5 steel and the tires are 44" super swamper boggers. the rigs run special made springs that we order from a spring shop in Texas, they have the ability to carry the weight while still allowing decent movement.We run bilstien medium damping shocks, at least 2 per corner to offset the unsprung weight of the bigger tires/rims. End of each season we bring them in the shop and go thru them, axles to the inner axles, the ball joint front gets new ball joints t least every other year, the 44's and the weight of the truck drastically shorten ball joint life.we have talked about replacing the "C"'s with trunnions, but we have half the shit to build 2 new buggy's that will never get built if we keep throwing money at the old ones. both run 60 fronts, the 92 is a ball joint front, the 89 is a trunnion 60.both run fords rear axle, not a fan, both trucks run 5:13 gears, Detroit locker out back, true track up front, both run factory t-case and trans, the 92 runs a ford AOD, the Windsor runs a C6 for trannies.not a fan of the AOD but it does ok.We build the flat beds, they are 8.5 foot wide and at least 9 foot long.Mostly they are stock, but they get heavily maintained, greased and fluids checked for water at the end of the trip before loading on trailer. ![]() Well, the 2 fords, one is a 89 3/4 ton with 351 Winsor as far as how it started life, the other is a 92 1ton dually with 460. most don't they run half ton brakes on half ton axles and both are inadequate for off road use let alone on road use at speed.same with steering linkages, suspension components, the list is long and most are ignored simply because they don't want to spend the dollars needed to do it right.they always think its good enough and it will never go wrong for them.But in reality it does, often costing someone else dearly for their stupidity. The problem isn't looks could care less about is 100% about safety.most of these rigs are so far from safe its not funny, weather it is handling issues to just how shit was built and weather it can withstand the loads it is going to see, that goes for steering systems, brake systems, suspension systems.Just for brakes alone, running these big tires requires 1 ton capacity or better brakes on all 4 corners. Some of you might try it, maybe you'll be a happier person. I've been trying really hard lately to be positive about life, and it makes my day so much more pleasant. It seems humans just love to talk shit about others for no good reason other than to be negative. I don't like to be judged by idiots that aren't into things I enjoy, so I try very hard not to judge others for something I'm not into that's not harming anyone else. ![]() You know, some people don't like our guns and judge us for spending thousands of dollars on guns and NV, thermal and assorted gear that most of which never gets used. ![]() ![]() ![]() Sharecode: /mg/getmirror/windows_8_codecs,2.html Sharecode: /mg/getmirror/windows_8_codecs,1.html You can also re-add the removed items at any time. After installation, you can select to remove specific portions without removing the entire package. Users this particular package have the ability to choose what is installed and where to install it using the public redistributable. Streaming video is supported in several formats in all popular web browsers. With this package installed you will be able to use any media player, limited only by the players' capabilities, to play all movies and video clips. STANDARD Codecs does not contain a media player and it does not associate file-types. ![]() Windows Media Player and Media Center will instantly recognize all your files as playable. You won't need to make any adjustments or tweaks to enjoy your media content immediately. This installer will automatically remove most other popular codec releases from your computer before installing this concise yet comprehensive package. STANDARD Codecs is an audio and video codec package which only contains the LAV filters and VSFilter for subtitles whereas the ADVANCED Codecs contains a full suite of codecs. Sharecode: /mg/getmirror/advanced_圆4components,1.html Sharecode: /mg/getmirror/win7codecs,2.htmlĪDVANCED 圆4Components is an audio and video codec package which contains a full suite of codecs whereas the STANDARD 圆4Components only contains the LAV filters and VSFilter for subtitles. This frustration was the basis for me to begin making a codec pack that works with ALL players. I was always in need of a tweak, adjustment, or even a re-installation just to get the what I needed/wanted and most of the time, the file still didn't play properly. There are several decent solutions out there, but none of them did everything I wanted. Due to the fact, there has never been an 'out of the box' working solution that the average computer user could install and just have everything work properly from the beginning. These type of audio and video suites have been a problem for most users at one time or another. ADVANCED Codecs is an audio and video codec package which contains a full suite of codecs whereas the STANDARD Codecs only contains the LAV filters and VSFilter for subtitles. ![]() ![]() ![]() Working with Matei Zaharia and James Zou, he is currently exploring the fast-growing marketplaces of artificial intelligence and data. He is broadly interested in machine learning, data management and optimization. We compare these bounds to the performance of state-of-the-art robust classifiers and analyze the impact of different layers on robustness.īio: Lingjiao Chen is a PhD candidate in the computer sciences department at Stanford University. For fixed but arbitrary distributions, we demonstrate lower bounds on both the 0-1 and cross-entropy losses for robust learning. In this talk, we will step away from this paradigm and show how fundamental bounds on learning in the presence of adversarial examples can be obtained by viewing the problem through an information-theoretic lens. Most research on adversarial examples has focused on developing better attacks and ad hoc defenses, resulting in an attacker-defender arms race. ![]() ![]() Of particular interest are adversarial examples, which are maliciously pertrubed test-time examples designed to induce misclassification. Talk Abstract: Understanding the robustness of machine learning systems has become a problem of critical interest due to their increasing deployment in safety critical systems. Talk Title: The Role of Data Geometry in Adversarial Machine Learning He is currently a postdoctoral scholar at UChicago with Ben Zhao and Nick Feamster. He received the 2018 Siemens FutureMakers Fellowship in Machine Learning, and was a finalist for the 2017 Bell Labs Prize. He was a finalist for the 2020 Bede Liu Best Dissertation Award, and won the 2019 Yan Huo *94 Graduate Fellowship and 2018 SEAS Award for Excellence at Princeton University. His work has exposed new vulnerabilities in learning algorithms, along with the development of a theoretical framework to analyze them. The second goal of my research is critical re-examination of measurement methods: I probe models designed for traditional natural language processing tasks involving large, generic datasets by exploring their results on small, socially-specific datasets that are popular in cultural analytics and computational social science.īio: Arjun studies the security of machine learning systems, with a focus on adversarial and distributed learning. These communities situate personal opinions and stories in social contexts of reception, expectation, and judgment. Two fruitful sites for this research are online communities grounded in structured cultural experiences (books, games) and online communities grounded in healthcare experiences (childbirth, contraception, pain management). The first goal of my research is to use natural language processing methods to represent complex personal experiences and self-disclosures communicated in online communities. Talk Abstract: Written communications about personal experiences-and the emotions, narratives, and values that they contain-can be both rhetorically powerful and statistically difficult to model. Talk Title: Modeling Personal Experiences Shared in Online Communities She has a master’s degree in computational linguistics from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in humanities from the University of Notre Dame, and she has completed research internships at Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Her work translates methods from natural language processing to insights about communities and self-disclosure by modeling personal experiences shared in online communities. Her research focuses on unsupervised natural language processing methods and applications to computational social science and cultural analytics. Bio: Maria Antoniak is a PhD candidate in Information Science at Cornell University. ![]() ![]() ![]() Others may prefer to use free alternatives that don't display advertisement. ![]() Some users may not mind the advertisement, as it can be avoided by not opening the main interface. ![]() The free version displays advertisement in the main interface in other words: nothing has changed in this regard. Closing Wordsīandizip's latest version, version 7.13, has the same limitations as the version that I reviewed back in March 2020. Most changes, however, fix bugs and issues in the application. when they are moved from one screen to another. Users who don't open the program directly, by using the context menu to extract or create files, may never see advertisement when they use the program.Ī quick look at the program's version history shows several new version releases since the release of Bandizip 7.0. Bandizip 7.06 introduced support for Windows 10's Per-Monitor V2 DPI Awareness feature to make sure that program windows scale automatically when the resolution changes, e.g. It makes the interface look quite messy.Īdvertisement is not displayed when you open archives or when you extract them. The main Bandizip interface displays an advertisement banner in the top lower right corner and a register icon in the upper left corner. It may be used in commercial environments on the other hand as well. The terms that are displayed when you run the installer reveal that the free version is limited when it comes to certain features (the ones mentioned above), and that advertisement is displayed. Advertisement is still listed as non-removable in the free version. Sure, it would be lovely if all features were also present in the free version, but companies need to earn revenue to finance the continued development of the application, and one way of doing so, is to make sure that the commercial versions are attractive from a feature point of view. Has anything changed since the release of Bandizip 7? Bandizip, the second lookĪ look at the Bandizip homepage confirms that the limitations of the free version are still all there this is not that much of a problem in my opinion, as the features were not part of previous versions. To the developer's credit, the features that are limited or not available have not been available in previous versions of Bandizip. These features, the option to repair archives, password recovery, password management, antimalware scan, or image previews in archives, are not included in the free version at all or severely limited (only one password can be stored in the Standard Edition password manager). The free version came with limitations the company did not take away features, but it excluded the free version from having new features that it unlocked only in the commercial versions. An Enterprise version was also added to the lineup. Bandizip would be offered as a free and commercial product, and the free product would get advertisement and would only be provided as an online installer.īandizip 7.0 launched on March 3, 2020, and with it came the free version, now called Standard Edition, and the commercial version, called Professional Edition. This led to my 2014 review of Bandizip in which I expressed the opinion that it was probably the best file archiver for Windows at the time my opinion did not change until late 2019 when the company behind the product announced major changes coming to Bandizip 7. It was convenient to use, supported all the archive types that I required, and did not put any distractions on the screen while it was being used. The file archiver Bandizip was my go-to program on Windows for all file archive related operations for a long time. ![]() ![]() ![]() It didn’t take Northwest Florida State long to find the replacement to Greg Heiar as the next mens basketball head coach. “It makes a lot of sense because the backhoe was created here, and Winchendon’s heritage is Toy Town, so this fits in very well with the area.”įor more information, visit /.PANAMA CITY, Fla. “I grew up and saw the demise of the chair industry and Simplex leaving, so this really hits close to home for me because it is my home,” he said, adding that the return of a construction-based line of toys to the area would be a touch of symmetry. That’s a strength of the toy.”ĭemeo said he’s hopeful the success of the HandTrux toy line could lead to more business opportunities in the community he grew up in. “They instantly know how to use it, they instantly want to use it, and it really encourages children to do something tangible - get dirty and play and build things. Graves said the design of the HandTrux toy is simple and elegant, and something that children instinctively respond to. Van Den Heuvel said he is elated by the success of the toys so far, and pleased that his invention has come to the attention of the Wachusett Business Incubator. “So I wanted to be like my dad who controlled these giant beasts of equipment, and then when I operated bulldozers when I got older, I realized that you are the machine when you’re at the controls of it.” “I used to sit on the sides and I had a spoon and a stick, and that’s what I’d use to dig in these little piles of dirt, and I’d wait for my dad to call break time or lunch, and he’d pull me up on his lap and let me run the machine,” he said. Van Den Heuvel said he was inspired to create the toys while watching his father work at local construction jobs. “HandTrux XL is already proven in the marketplace, so we already have a strategy that we’re developing to actually get that out in much larger quantities,” he said. Graves said the first thing the Wachusett Business Incubator would do to assist TenTonToys on its way to success would be to get their second model line of toys prototyped, molded and mass produced for the marketplace. So we see a great opportunity to create a pipeline between the media parts of their property and the actual toys themselves.” “They also come to the table with a variety of other proponents to that book of business. ![]() “They have a product that has proof-of-concept in the marketplace,” Graves said. He said he was interested in backing the new company because it had already had some success in the marketplace. Graves also saw the potential in the line of the toys. Wachusett Business Incubator Executive Director Scott M. “I saw that what he was developing had potential, but it was also useful - the toys are not only entertainment, but there is an educational value to what (Ernie) was doing.” “Ernie is one of the most imaginative people I’ve ever come across, and his concepts were not only for toys but for media content creation in terms of characters, TV shows and films,” Demeo explained. He said he immediately saw the potential in the toys and their creative inventor. The toys came to the attention of Steve Demeo, who grew up in Gardner and is now the CEO of TenTonToys. All toys feature the patented “Handraulic” power grip, which mimics a real excavator’s look and feel. The collection of toys features STEM-based construction toys designed by an actual excavator. The HandTrux product line is the brainchild of excavator and creative inventor Ernest Autumn Van Den Heuvel, who said he was inspired by his excavation work to develop the highly acclaimed toys. The WBI is dedicated to fostering economic growth in north central Massachusetts. The company was recently accepted into the Wachusett Business Incubator’s leadership candidate program. The toy has already sold more than 50,000 units in specialty stores, and response was so positive that the company is in the process of designing an entire line of similar toys. The HandTrux XL, which is a durable backhoe digger worn over the hand, is only one of the imaginative toys presented by TenTonToys of New York. HandTrux toys are unique, miniature bulldozer toys that imitate real backhoes, dump trucks and dozers. GARDNER - Could the HandTrux XL be the next big thing in the world of toys? A local team of designers and developers is certainly hoping children are ready to play dirty while dreaming big. ![]() |
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