Public Services and Procurement Canada has further scaled back ongoing construction work on a range of federal projects since Ontario announced its moratorium on construction in the province, but renovations to the historic Centre Block building continue to crawl ahead.

Based on our own assessments, we had started to demobilize some sites ahead of the announcements made by the Government of Ontario [on April 3], explained Michle LaRose, media relations for Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), in an email to The Hill Times.

Following this announcement, we demobilized additional sites to align with the governments revised directives. In all, 85 projects [in the parliamentary precinct] have been demobilized [to date].

On April 3, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that, as of April 4, all industrial construction in the province would be halted for the next two weeks, except for projects deemed essential services, like those related to health care facilities and critical infrastructure (like transit), among others.

As reported by The Hill Times in late March, PSPCwhich acts as custodian of Parliaments buildings and is responsible for federal infrastructure and work spaces generallybegan adjusting its operations after federal work-from-home orders were issued in mid-March.

At that time, the department said it was limiting work in occupied buildings to emergency work only. But it signalled that exterior work and renovations in unoccupied buildings, like Centre Block, would continue, albeit with modifications, including: staggering breaks; additional cleaning of equipment and shared facilities; reducing and limiting the size of construction teams on site to avoid workers being in close proximity; new face covering protocols; and making handwashing facilities and hand sanitizer available on work sites.

As a general construction requirement, all workers are required to wear personal protective equipment at all times to perform their work, which includes gloves. The nature of the work performed, as well as the large footprint of the construction sites, enables social distancing to be applied on site, explained Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anands (Oakville, Ont.) press secretary, Cecely Roy, last month.

Further changes have been made since Mr. Fords announcement, according to PSPC.

Although federal projects do not fall under provincial authority, Public Services and Procurement Canada is reducing its construction activity across the province in the spirit of inter-jurisdictional co-operation and to demonstrate leadership in our collective efforts to flatten the curve in alignment with the advice of Canadian public health offices, said the department.

The approximately 85 projects temporarily demobilized so far range in size and nature, falling into three general categories, according to PSPC.

First, theres interior fit-ups. Demobilized projects in this category include work to offices carved out for parliamentary administration at 50 OConnor St., where interim office space has been leased to accommodate people displaced by other precinct work. This list also includes retail and operational space fit-up in the Wellington Building, where work was ongoing to ready retail spaces (which are set to be leased out) along Sparks Street on the buildings ground floor.

Another category of impacted projects are interior improvements. Drywall repairs and patchwork renovations inside the East Block building, which remains occupied by some 40 Senators and staff, have been paused, as have ceiling and radiator repairs in the Confederation Building, among other things.

Finally, some projects dealing with exterior repairs have been paused, including window sealing work on the Justice Building, window replacement and repairs on the Confederation Building, and exterior renovations on the National Press Building at 150 Wellington St.

Work on the Centre Block and East Block will continue in unoccupied spaces, said the department, so, too, will necessary repair and maintenance work required for the safe operations of parliamentary facilities.

Health and safety remain the top considerations. Over the past month, PSPC has worked closely with industry leaders and associations to move the industry toward stringent health and safety protocols in the context of COVID-19, based on prevention, detection, and response, said Stfanie Hamel, another member of PSPCs media relations team, noting that the department was an active participant in the development of the Canadian Construction Associations standardized protocols for construction sites in Canada amid COVID-19, the latest version of which was released on April 16.

Aside from interior patchwork, ongoing work on the East Block buildingbumped out of of necessity ahead of the buildings full renovationincludes masonry restoration, roof replacement and repair, and restoration of iron work.

Work inside the Centre Block building is currently focused on demolition work and the abatement of hazardous substances, like asbestos, in particular on floors four through six. Outside the building, excavation work is underway to prepare for the construction of the final phase of Parliament Hills new underground Visitors Welcome Centre.

The final design plans, budget, and timeline for Centre Blocks overall renovation have yet to be finalized or announced. To date, more than $770-million in contracts related to the buildings renovation have been awarded, and overall, roughly $4.5-billion in spending has been approved for the precincts renovation.

lryckewaert@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times

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PSPC further scales back construction projects, but work on Centre Block continues - The Hill Times

The Board of Selectmen (BOS) approved two maintenance projects for Guilfords schools, with work expected to begin right away on repairing more than 60 non-functioning windows in Adams Middle School, and beginning the process of replacing the football field and track at Guilford High School, which likely wont be completed until 2021.

Director of Operations and Facilities Cliff Gurnham told the BOS at a virtual meeting that the synthetic turf field had exceeded its life expectancy by about six years, and while it was still usable, it needs replacement.

The field itself gets inspected every year and tested every year to ensure that it meets all the requirements that you can have regular play on it...Its in good working order, its just really getting worn out, Gurnham said.

The BOS approved a contract with New Britain-based architectural firm Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc., for design of the field at a cost of $17,500.

Kaestle Boos previously consulted with the town in 2018 when another synthetic turf field failed and was replaced under warranty. The cost for that field was approximately $1.1 million. Gurnham said the town was likely to go to bid for the construction phase of the project in March or February 2021, in consultation with the Board of Education.

The windows at Adams Middle School, which have been essentially non-functional for some time due to a failure of the mechanism that guides and keeps them from falling, will be repaired while students are currently out of class, Gurnham said.

That project was awarded to Rocky Hill-based Millenium Builders at a cost of about $53,000, though Gurnham said the town has been working to get reimbursed for some of the original cost due to the failure.

According to Gurnham, the windows were replaced in 2009 by a company that is no longer in business. Subsequently the balance mechanisms on many windows that kept them from falling or moving unexpectedly failed, creating an extreme safety concern.

Many windows are permanently closed, and general policy is that windows in the school are not opened at all, according to Gurnham.

Though the windows are not being replaced, the labor and cost is higher due to the fact the windows have to be disassembled to replace the mechanisms.

That project is funded through a 2013-14 bond referendum, according to documents provided by the town.

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Guilford Approves Window Maintenance on Adams, Replacement of GHS Field - Zip06.com

By Denise Fleischer | on April 20, 2020

Sahara Window and Doors showroom is at 150 S. Main St., Mount Prospect. The American Thermal Window showroom is at 5304 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago.

A major element in home improvement is window and door replacement. While kitchen and bathroom renovations seem to be high on homeowners lists, improving indoor air quality and long-term savings are just as important to factor in.

According to Iver Johnson, Sr., owner of American Thermal Window of Chicago and Sahara Window and Doors of Mount Prospect, todays window manufacturers frequently upgrade their products to provide higher energy ratings and that translates into lower heating and cooling costs. Wood, vinyl and aluminum windows are currently being used for both new homes and upgrades.

Both locations have crews that professionally install nine window lines, including Marvin and Pella. They have a minimum of eight years installation experience.

When it comes to doors, 58 door styles are offered with 36 paint and stain combinations and 200 glass options. Homeowners are choosing fiberglass for outside doors for its durability. Johnson carries Simpson Doors that are produced in the United States and come in solid oak, birch, cherry and poplar, as well as other woods.

Custom patio doors are also offered. Youll find designer glass and grids and custom cuts. Check out the steel security storm doors, as well.

Johnson recommends homeowners research a business before a sale is made. Find out if it has a long-standing in the community and provides service after installation as well as a warranty. Angies List has awarded Johnsons companies the Super Service Award and they have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Sahara Window and Doors showroom is at 150 S. Main St., Mount Prospect. The American Thermal Window showroom is at 5304 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Visit the website atsaharawindowanddoors.com/andamericanthermalwindow.com/

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When It's Time To Replace Your Home's Windows And Doors, Call Sahara Window And Doors - Journal & Topics Newspapers Online

Windows 7 and Windows 10 aren't bad operating systems. In fact, they are both quite good. Unfortunately, since Windows 7 is no longer supported, some of its users are stuck in a conundrum. They have to decide whether to use an unsupported Windows 7 or upgrade to Windows 10 that is full of telemetry and other "spying" that passes their information to Microsoft's servers.

Well, I am happy to say there is another option -- switch to Linux. Yes, modern Linux-based operating systems will be supported (unlike Windows 7) and most will run great on aging hardware (unlike Windows 10). Linux Lite is one of the best Linux distributions for Windows-switchers, as it is lightweight, modern, and familiar. Today, the first release candidate of Linux Lite 5.0 becomes available, and it is based on the bleeding-edge Ubuntu 20.04. It even comes with modern software, such as Linux kernel 5.4.0,Gimp 2.10.18,Thunderbird 68.7.0, Firefox 75.0, andVLC 3.0.9.

ALSO READ:Apple Music on the web is no longer in beta -- including on Linux

"Linux Lite 5.0 RC1 is now available for testing. This is the most feature rich, complete Linux Lite release to date.This is the release many people have been waiting for. We will go into greater details for each new feature, the why's and what's in the Final release announcement. In lieu of any specific instructions, the new in-built Help Manual will have instructions for all of our new features," says Jerry Bezencon, Linux Lite Creator.

Bezencon shares significant changes below.

If you are interested in testing or playing with Linux Lite 5.0 RC1, you can download the operating system here. Keep in mind, this is pre-release software, so you shouldn't replace Windows with it -- yet. Instead, you should use the release candidate now for testing to see if you like it. Then, if you feel you can switch from Windows to Linux, you should wait for the final version of Linux Lite 5.0 before making the jump.

Link:
Ubuntu 20.04-based Linux Lite 5.0 RC1 is here to replace Windows on your PC - BetaNews

The Beacon Hill Architectural Commissionapproved an application for an extensive renovation of the Boston Athenaeumsnorth faade and terrace on Thursday, April 16, at its monthly hearing, whichwas held virtually in the face of COVID-19.

Theapplicant, Matthew Bronski, a principal with the Waltham engineering firmSimpson Gumpertz & Heger, said the intended restoration would include apatchwork replacement of brownstone on the faade of 10 Beacon St. using a range of natural stone custom to thestone were replacing.

Theproposed terrace work would include the reconstruction of a leaning terraceretaining wall, as well as the replacement of a non-code-compliant bronzerailing that sits atop the basement stairwell at the staff entrance, Bronskisaid.

Its very exciting that youre going torestore the building to that level of quality, said Miguel Rosales, commissionchair.

Approval of this application came with theprovisos that staff approve a mock-up of the custom stone replacement, and thatthe size of the new railing match an existing one located in the back of thebuilding facing the historic Granary Burying Ground cemetery.

The commission also approved as proposedanother application for the Athenaeum to make small alterations to the front bronzedoors and interior leather doors.

Thisis part of a larger project to renovate the interior lobby and expand into 14Beacon St., said the applicant, Stewart Marshall, a senior associate withBoston-based Schwartz/Silver Architects.

The commission voted to deny withoutprejudice an application to install a small vent for a new boiler at the frontfaade of 16 Beacon St., which is home to the Boston Bar Association, andencouraged the applicant to explore other options instead.

Inanother matter, the commission approved an application for 35 Beacon St. forthe removal and replacement of six storm windows on the fourth floor of thefront faade, and to fabricate and install wood sills to replace deterioratingsills in kind, with the proviso that the applicant submit drawings to staffshowing the windows to scale.

The commission also approved an applicationfor 10 Charles River Square to replace five wood six-over-six windows in thefront faade in kind and additional aluminum-clad six-over-six windows in theback-alley facade, as well as to paint the front door red.

This came with provisos that the applicantuse true divided-light windows in the main facade; and that the shade of paintfor the door match the red color found on other existing doors at 7 and 15Charles River Square and be subject to staff approval for historic integrity.

In regard to an application for 52 BeaconSt. that was continued from Feb. 20, the commission approved the installationof a slanted, sliding glass access hatch at the roof-deck below the existingrailing to minimize its visibility from the Boston Common.

Thecommission approved an application for 73 Mt. Vernon St. to add a seasonalplanter, a stone garden bench, granite pavers and a pea-stone path at the frontyard, with minor provisos regarding the style of the bench and the installationof bronze recessed well lighting at that location.

Also, the commission approved an applicationfor the replacement of a roof-deck at 99 Pinckney St., with the proviso thattwo existing 2-foot bump-outs on either side of the deck be removed to make itflush. and that a fascia also be added along its perimeter.

Regardingan application for 104 Mount Vernon St. to rebuild a front brick wall andinstall a new handrail, as well as to recast the stone sills at the sidefaade, the commissions approval came with provisos that spindles for thehandrail be reduced in number to minimize penetrations of the historic granitesteps, and that the drawings of the handrail and side faade with modified granitecorner detailing be submitted to staff for approval.

The commission also approved an applicationto install a light fixture above the front door of 17A Branch St., with provisothat staff approve the style of the fixture with smaller dimensions to avoidencroaching into the sidewalk, and that the applicant submit drawings to scaleof it to staff.

On aviolation at 5 West Cedar St., the commission voted unanimously to ratifyunapproved no trespassing signage, which would eliminate public access toAcorn Street, with the provisos that brickwork be repaired, and that anothersign located beneath the signage in question be removed.

Inresponse to the commissions determination, Eve Waterfall, chair of the BeaconHill Civic Association board of directors, wrote: The Beacon Hill CivicAssociation empathizes with the residents of Acorn Street, and we havesuggested several ideas to limit intrusive tourist visits to Acorn Street, butunfortunately certain Acorn Street residents have chosen to post No Trespassingsigns instead, even though we believe the public has a long-standing right towalk along this street. Despite assurances that the No Trespassingsigns are intended for tourists and not local residents, we are worried thatthis step may lead to future closure of this street by gates or otherbarriers.

The Beacon Hill Civic Association is verydisappointed that the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission did not follow itsown regulatory guidelines and has improperly decided to allow the closure ofAcorn Street to the general public, an historic and iconic street onBeaconHill that has been open to the public for over 150 years,Waterfall added.

Thecommission also voted to ratify a violation for 54 Pinckney St. for unapprovedwork at the front faade, which included repairing cracks in a lintel, sillsand a step; replacing the doorbell and exterior lantern; and painting the frontdoor and trim to match existing.

In contrast, the commission voted to denythe ratification of a violation for 4 Pinckney St. regarding unapproved work atthe rear of the property and the installation of an unapproved granite slab andshoe scraper near the front door.

The commission also heard an advisoryreview for 2 Beaver Place, with proposed work including the addition of awindow in a currently bricked-up window area, along with the installation ofan access door on the side faade.

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Level of Quality: BHAC Approves Renovation of Athenaeums Faade and Terrace - Beacon Hill Times

Clayton G. Graham Public Safety Building

The Clayton G. Graham Public Safety building was named after a police officer killed in the line of duty in the 1960s.

Art Dorrington reacts to seeing his name on the rink after the ceremony. Tuesday January 24 2012 Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall names it's ice rink after local resident Art Dorrington, the first black NHL player. (The Press of Atlantic City / Ben Fogletto)

Atlantic City's ice rink at Boardwalk Hall was named "The Art Dorrington Ice Rink" after Dorrington, who was the first black professional hockey player. While Dorringtondidnt grow up in Atlantic City, his name is synonymous with the resort.He moved to the city in 1950 to play professional ice hockey for the Eastern Hockey Leagues Atlantic City Sea Gulls. He is well known for being the first professional black hockey player when he signed a contract with the New York Rangers organization. His career was sidelined early due to a broken leg.

The Horace J. Bryant Jr. MUA building in Atlantic City, named after Bryant, who was an African-American civil rights activist. He was the first African-American to serve in a state cabinet position in the NJ government.

Horace J. Bryant Jr., who lived in Atlantic City for 44 years, was an African American civil rights activist.

In 1969, Gov. Richard Hughes made Bryant the state's first black cabinet member when he was appointed head of the Department of Banking and Insurance.

Bryant was elected as an Atlantic City commissioner in 1972 and won a second term in 1976.

He founded the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority and served as president of the Northside Union League Federal Credit Union.

He died in 1983 at age 74.

Kenny Tolbert (12) plays little league at the Max Manning fields in Pleasantville. Manning was a former Negro Leagues pitcher. June 12 2007

The Max Manning Sports Center is located on Park Avenue in Pleasantville.

Max Manning was a Pleasantville native and a former Negro Leagues pitcher.

A 6-foot-4-inch right-hander with a sidearm delivery, Manning was a high school standout who played for the Johnson Stars in Atlantic City after high school. In 1937, he was contacted by the Detroit Tigers for a tryout, but the offer was withdrawn when the team found out he was black, according to "The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues."

John P. Whittington Senior Assisted Living Center in Atlantic City is located at New Hampshire and Madison avenues. John P. Whittington was an Atlantic City Housing Authority commissioner. Heserved two terms on City Council from 1982 to 1988, and was a long-time chairman of the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

The John P. Whittington senior assisted living facility is located at New Hampshire and Madison avenues in Atlantic City. Whittington was an Atlantic City Housing Authority commissioner.

He served two terms on City Council from 1982 to 1988, and was a longtime chairman of the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

The Ralph Peterson Sr. Community Center in the New HOPE Community in Pleasantville. The Pleasantville Housing Authority unveils a new neighborhood, opens a community center, and recognizes two longtime supporters with a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the New HOPE Community and the dedication of the Ralph Peterson Sr. Community Center and Reverend Dr. Milton L. Hendricks Street. Peterson was a boxer, Pleasantville police chief and Pleasantville mayor. Monday May 5, 2008 ( Press of Atlantic City / Danny Drake)

The Ralph Peterson Sr. Community Center is part of Pleasantville's New Hope Community Village.

Peterson was Pleasantville's first black mayor, serving 16 years in the city's top job until he retired. He was Pleasantville's first black police officer and the city's first black police chief, eventually putting in nearly 34 years on the force before he became mayor.

And before all that, back in 1960 when he was a young police officer, he was the founder of "Pete's Boys," kind of a one-man Police Athletic League that got kids off the street and into sports.

Peterson died in June 2014 at the age of 81.

The Jacobs Family Center, which I believed is privately owned condos, located at New York and Baltic avenues, Atlantic City. The late Herbert Samuel Jacobs was Atlantic County's first black Superior Court judge.

Pierre Hollingsworth was well-known in Atlantic City and was the longtime city NAACP president and commissioner. He also received distinction as one of the first three black firefighters in the city to achieve the rank of captain. He also was the first black person to hold the position of Deputy Fire Chief of Atlantic City.

The fire station at Indiana and Grant avenues was renamed in his honor in June 2006.

Updated Brown's Park in Atlantic City before its opening on Memorial Day Thursday May 18, 2017. (The Press of Atlantic City / Edward Lea Staff Photographer)

Brown's Memorial Park is located at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bacharach boulevards in Atlantic City.

The park is named after Sgt. Harold Brown, the first black resident of Atlantic City to be killed in World War II.

A bronze statue memorializes the park's namesake.

The John R. Jasper Jr. Memorial Fire Station in Atlantic City in 2000. The late John R. Jasper Jr. was the resort's first African-American fire chief.

Chief John R. Jasper Jr. Memorial Fire Station is located at Atlantic and Maryland avenues in Atlantic City.

Jasper, one of Atlantic City's first three black firefighters, was the resort's first African-American fire chief.

In 1956, Jasper became one of the first five blacks to integrate the city's firehouses when he was assigned to Fire Station No. 1, at Maryland and Atlantic avenues. Before that, black firefighters were assigned to the firehouse at Indiana and Grant avenues.

NICE----Michelle English , of Atlantic City , walks her boxer , "Bootsy" through the arches at the Oscar E. McClinton Jr. Waterfront Park on New Hampshire Ave. in Atlantic City on this nice day beforew the heatwave moves into the area..Monday July 24th 2006. ( Press of Atlantic City / Danny Drake)

Oscar E. McClinton Jr. Waterfront Park is located on New Hampshire Avenue in Atlantic City.

McClinton Jr. who was an Atlantic City resident, who devoted his time and talent to the community. He was appointed to the Atlantic City Housing Authority board of commissioners in 1974 and six years later was elected chairman. He was vice president and treasurer of Anchor Savings Bank before he died in 1982.

Friday May 25 2007 Future Legends Hank Aaron League baseball at Pop Lloyd Stadium for Atlantic City youths between the ages of 13-18. (The Press of Atlantic City / Ben Fogletto )

Pop Lloyd Stadium is located at 1200 N. Dr. Martun Luther King Blvd. in Atlantic City.

John Henry "Pop" Lloyd, the Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop, called Atlantic City home for much of his life.

He played baseball for more than 25 years, from the early 1900s-1930s, for several Negro League teams, including the Atlantic City-based Bacharach Giants. He was a slick-fielding shortstop and terrific hitter who owned a career batting average of .343, earning him induction into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 1977.

After his baseball playing days were over, Lloyd worked as a custodianat the Indiana Avenue School.

He was famous for keeping a bucket of baseball mitts in the janitor's office and loved to teach the kids how to play catch.

Lloyd died March 19, 1964, at the age of 79.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School Complex educates Atlantic City students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

King, a southern Baptist minister, fought for civil rights and social justice in the mid-20th century. He was the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 until his death.

He was assassinated in 1968

Mayor James L. Usry Child Day Care Center was dedicated four months prior to the death of the longtime Atlantic City resident.

Usry became the city's first black mayor in 1984.

In his younger years, Usry played center for the Harlem Renaissance basketball team, a forerunner of the Harlem Globetrotters. He played pro ball from 1946 to 1951 after finishing a three-year stint in the Army during World War II.

He was assigned to the Army's Criminal Investigation Division, or CID, in Italy and once went undercover to help arrest a soldier suspected of a triple murder.

In March 1953 Usry took a full-time job in Atlantic City as a high school teacher before later serving as principal of the Indiana Avenue School, and was director of elementary services and director of community services for the city's schools.

Usry was an assistant superintendent of schools when he left the district to move into the mayor's office.

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About $15,000 worth of items stolen from Pleasantville church - Press of Atlantic City

The novel strain of coronavirus might be cancelling a lot of events around the world, but it didnt cancel Beatrice Chapmans 101st birthday Tuesday.

Chapman rang in her next year of life with friends and family gathered outside of the window of her room at The Berkeley Assisted Living Center with balloons and signs wishing her a happy birthday.

It was special to still be able to find a way to celebrate Chapmans birthday Tuesday, said her niece, Joyce Carswell.

My mother and her were sisters, Carswell said. The other two have passed, and she was the oldest. Shes still with us, so weve always kind of made over her.

Andrea Elder, Chapmans great niece, brought her children, Noah and Sarah, to the party with her.

This is four generations of us with her, Elder said.

With visitation restricted at assisted living facilities across the county, Chapmans family had to come up with a creative way to celebrate their Aunt Bea.

This is even more the event to celebrate, especially at this time, Carswell said. Since we cant be with her either at home or at the church fellowship hall, we needed to even more do as much as we could to celebrate.

One of the nurses at The Berkeley asked Chapman what her secret was to living to be 101. She told Elder the answer is simple: Do as the Bible says.

She said to treat others the way that she wanted to be treated, just like the Bible said do unto others as you would have done unto you, Elder said, quoting her great aunt.

It was just in November that Chapman came to live at The Berkeley after falling and breaking her hip in late October, requiring a replacement. Her doctor praised her the morning of the surgery, Carswell said.

He said of his three patients that day, she was the healthiest, Joyce said.

Living by herself, Chapman was thoroughly involved in church activities at Dentons Chapel United Methodist Church.

Last March or April, when the church had one of their last suppers, she fixed like six or seven desserts, said Lonna Wilson.

Shes always had that dedication to the church.

Shes an amazing lady, said Linda Saunders, who said shes gone to church with Chapman for many years. Shes always give to the church, church conversed and shes always worked for the church.

When she became a centenarian in 2019, the church celebrated in style.

We had a big fling for her when she was 100, and there was about a hundred people there, said Judy Peach. Every time Id see her she would tell me about that she was so grateful for that.

She still is able to reminisce on what life was like growing up around Burke County.

If you go to her house, she can tell you about things 80 years ago when she took care of her mom and dad and her husband, Wilson said.

Her friends and family all described her as an amazing woman.

She is a saint of God, Wilson said.

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Woman celebrates 101st birthday with party through window - Morganton News Herald

Windows 98 was my very first exposure to PCs,but by the time I got my own it had already been replaced by its successor, Windows XP. At the time, I thoroughly dreaded the 98 aesthetic. I found XPs vivid color scheme and rounded corners infinitely more appealing.

XPs design seemed more modern to my eyeballs back then. But with time, Ive come to develop a keen appreciation for the 98 aesthetic. Im not the only one: Up to this day, people are still paying homage to this classic look with Windows 98-inspired DIY gadgets and appreciation sites just like98.css.

Its a new CSS library that lets you effortlessly build interfaces in the likeness of Windows 98. If youve been thinking about recreating that look for one of your upcoming projects, you should absolutely have a gander at it.

98.css comes with several pre-styled components, including buttons, checkboxes, textboxes, a dropdown menu, and a window among others.

The library uses semantic HTML and doesnt contain any JavaScript, which means you can easily apply it to a variety of frontend projects. It simply styles your HTML with a bit of CSS.

Another cool thing is the project is MIT-licensed, which should give you enough flexibility to tweak it to your needs.

And if youre looking for a trip down old-school OS memory lane, check out Microsofts unexpected throwback to Windows 1.11orthis snazzy music feed disguised as a retro Mac OS.

Read next: After Tiger King, Netflix seeks $1 billion loan to make more original content

Read our daily coverage on how the tech industry is responding to the coronavirus and subscribe to our weekly newsletter Coronavirus in Context.

For tips and tricks on working remotely, check out our Growth Quarters articles here or follow us on Twitter.

Excerpt from:
This CSS library makes it easy to build Windows 98-inspired UIs - The Next Web

Engineershave developed a semi-transparent solar cell that offers a viable level of efficiency, and it might get us closer to a future where windows that double up as solar panels could transform both architecture and energy production.

Two square metres (around 22 square feet) of the next-gen perovskite solar cells (PSCs) would be enough to generate about as much electricity as a standard solar panel, according to the latest study in the region of 140 watts per metre, if tinted to the same degree as current glazed commercial windows.

Solar cell windows are something researchers have been working on for years, but as yet no one has really hit the sweet spot in terms of efficiency, stability and cost. The team behind the new project says they are closer than ever to doing just that.

"Rooftop solar has a conversion efficiency of between 15 and 20 percent," says materials chemist Jacek Jasieniak, from Monash University in Australia. "The semi-transparent cells have a conversion efficiency of 17 percent, while still transmitting more than 10 percent of the incoming light, so they are right in the zone.

"It's long been a dream to have windows that generate electricity, and now that looks possible."

Central to the work is the replacement of a key solar cell component (Spiro-OMeTAD to be technical) with a specially developed polymer, based on an organic semiconductor, which increases overall stability.

That stability is crucial in material that is out in the sunshine all day. Add the recent efficiency increases in PSCs and you can see why this growing solar technology is becoming more and more commercially attractive.

However, you won't be able to gaze through a perfectly clear window and get the maximum amount of energy efficiency from it there's still a balance to be found between opacity and efficiency.

"There is a trade-off," says Jasieniak. "The solar cells can be made more, or less, transparent. The more transparent they are, the less electricity they generate, so that becomes something for architects to consider."

Even with this major step forward, it may be some time maybe as much as 10 years before the tech can be commercialised and scaled up. The scientists are working with business partners to try and get the solar cells included in future building plans.

Multi-storey buildings where glazing is already expensive are likely to be the first beneficiaries, according to the team, as the addition of solar cell technology won't cost a huge amount extra (and don't forget the electricity savings).

Among the avenues that the researchers are now exploring is combining a layer of perovskite solar cells with a layer of organic solar cells (the more traditional type) to get the benefits of both.

"These solar cells mean a big change to the way we think about buildings and the way they function," says Jasieniak.

"Up until now every building has been designed on the assumption that windows are fundamentally passive. Now they will actively produce electricity."

The research has been published in Nano Energy.

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This Genius New Type of Solar Energy Cell Can Be Used in Windows - ScienceAlert

Brady Gavin

When you inadvertently press Insert on your keyboard, it toggles to Overtype mode. This means anything you type next will overwrite the text that follows the cursor. Fortunately, you can disable this annoying key in Windows 10.

Every key on your keyboard has a correspondingkey scan code that tells Windows how to handle each keystroke.While you cant turn off the Insert key by default, you can tell Windows to replace it with a null character in the Windows Registry.

SharpKeys is free software you can use to edit the specific Registry entry for you. It uses a graphical interface to remap keys on the keyboard.This tool makes it easy to make the necessary change to the Registry without actually having to open Registry Editor.

To do this, fire up a browser, head over to the SharpKeys GitHub page, and download the most recent release.

After you install SharpKeys, open it from the Start menu, and then click Add when it opens.

Scroll through the list on the left and click Special: Insert (E0_52), click Turn Key Off (00_00) in the list on the right, and then click OK to remap the key.

The value in the parentheses is the key scan code associated with it, so the Insert keys code is 00_52. We want to disable it, so we replace the code with the nonexistent 00_00.

Next, click Write to Registry, and SharpKeys adds the values to the Windows Registry for you.

Click OK.

For the changes to take effect, you have to log out or restart your computer.

You can also use SharpKeys to disable other annoying keys, likeCaps Lock.

If youre comfortable making changes to the Windows Registry, you can also disable the Insert key manually in the Registry Editor. Youll be making the same change that SharpKeys performs in the background.

The Registry Editor is a powerful tool, though. If its misused, it can render your system unstable or even inoperable. However, this is a pretty simple hack. As long as you follow the instructions, you shouldnt have any problems.

If youve never worked with the Registry Editor before, you might want toread up on ita bit before you get started. Definitelyback up the Registryandyour computerbefore you make the following changes.

For extra safety, you might want tocreate a System Restore pointbefore you continue. This way, if something goes wrong, you can just roll back to a time before things went haywire.

RELATED: How to Open the Registry Editor on Windows 10

When youre ready, open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key in the left sidebar:

Right-click Keyboard Layout, select New, and then click Binary Value.

Although the name of the value is arbitrary, you should choose something memorable in case you have to find it again and make any changes. For example, you could name it Insert Remap.

Double-click the value, and then set the value data to the following:

The order is important here. It tells the OS how to handle the remap and what to do when you press the key.

The first 16 zeroes act as the header and will remain set to all zeroes. You can ignore these.

The next hexadecimal number specifies how many remaps are in the value plus onethe null entry at the endfollowed by six more zeroes.

The next two digits are the scan code to the key to which we want Windows to remap the Insert key. In this case, we set it to do nothing (00 00).

After that, the following scan code is the Insert key (52 E0).

Finally, the last eight zeroes signify the null entry and the end.

As long as you follow the scheme above, you can map multiple keys with a single value. First, increment the 02. Then, type both the scan code for the remapped key and the default key before the null entry (the final eight zeroes).

It might seem daunting at first, but once you understand which set of values do what, it gets easier.

If youd rather not edit the Windows Registry, you can download our DisableInsert Key registry hack. Just open the ZIP file, double-click DisableInsertKey.reg, and then click Yes when prompted to add the information to your registry.

These REG files add the same registry settings we covered above.If youd like to see what this (or any other) REG file will do before you run it, right-click the file, and then select Edit to open it in Notepad.

Thats all there is to it! Weve also put together a guide to help youmake your own Registry hacks, if youre interested.

RELATED: How to Make Your Own Windows Registry Hacks

If you cant make changes to the registry on your current Windows system, you can also just pry the Insert key off your keyboard. This will be easier to do on some keyboards than others. However, you probably shouldnt try this low-tech method on a laptop keyboard.

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How to Disable the Insert Key on Windows 10 - How-To Geek