COLEMAN INSTANT TENT

The COLEMAN INSTANT TENT truly is instant and is an ideal car camping tent or family camping tent. The internal pole system takes about a minute to pitch, staking the tent takes a few minutes more and then you are done setting up camp and free to enjoy the outdoors.
A Camper's Review

It's easy to be skeptical about the Instant Tent's advertised 60-second set-up and not to think it's possible, but it is actually very quick and easy to pitch, which makes getting to camp and setting up less stressful.


The most time-consuming part is not actually pitching the tent, but staking it down.

The Instant Tent comes in three different size ratings so that you can select the right size tent for your needs. However, the sizes run a little small, so it's suggested to order up a size so you have ample space. The instant Tent 4 is fairly small and not tall enough to stand in, so even if you don't need more space, it's recommended to get the 6, so that you can stand-up and easily move around.

The tent fabric is fully waterproof with taped seams, so a rainfly is not necessary. Mesh windows open up for ventilation. Even though the tent is waterproof, it is not an ideal tent for rainy weather because there is no vestibule. If you plan on camping in rainy weather, you should always bring a tarp for extra weather protection.

The Instant Tent is ideal for a family car camping trip.
Favorite feature

The best feature and selling point is the instant set-up.


It's a pleasant surprise how simple and quick the tent was to pitch, even solo. A quick set-up allows you to easily move camps frequently on camping road-trip and/or have more time to relax when you arrive at camp.
Pros and Cons

Pros
The Coleman Instant tent is very easy to set-up and truly only takes about a minute (as advertised).

The internal pole system with attached poles makes set-up quick, easy and thoughtless.
The Coleman Instant Tent comes in 3 different sizes: 4, 6 and 8, so you can get the same design and right size for your needs.
One large door makes moving in and out of the tent comfortable.

Cons
The size ratings run a little small, so order up one size to have the space for your family and comfort you desire.
The tent is fully taped and waterproof, but there is no vestibule or rainfly.
The internal pole system makes this tent bulky to pack and heavy in the bag.
Specifications From the Manufacturer
3-season family and car camping tent
4, 6 or 8 person design and capacity
1 door, 1 room, and 4 mesh windows
Instant Tent 4 Dimensions: 8 ft x 7 ft (fits a queen size air mattress)
Instant Tent 6 Dimensions: 10 ft x 9 ft (fits two queen size air mattresses)
Instant Tent 8 Dimensions: 14 ft x 8 ft (fits two queen size air mattresses with extra space)
Tent Fabric: Heavy duty, 75-150D fabric with fully taped seams
Instant Tent 4 Peak Height: 4 feet 11 inches
Instant Tent 6 Peak Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Instant Tent 8 Peak Height: 6 feet 4 inches
Instant Tent 4 Weight: 9.8 lbs
Instant Tent 6 Weight: 24.64 lbs
Instant Tent 8 Weight: 37.7 lbs

Poles: Internal pre-attached pole system

Stanford toughens up cheap solar cells by mimicking insect eyes

While silicon solar panels are already providing electricity for a lot of homes and buildings, it doesn't mean researchers have stopped looking for better and cheaper alternatives. Case in point, a team of Stanford scientists working to make a cheaper photovoltaic mineral called perovskite a viable option for people who want to shift to solar. Perovskites are as efficient as silicon solar cells (for example: GOAL ZERO NOMAD 7 ) when it comes to converting sunlight into energy, but they're fragile and can deteriorate easily when exposed to the elements. The team had to find a way to make them more durable -- and they've found inspiration in the compound eyes of insects.

Their solution involves encapsulating perovskite microcells in a hexagon-shaped epoxy resin scaffold that measures 0.02 inches wide. They then put hundreds of those together like a honeycomb to mimic the compound eye of a fly. The study's co-lead author Nicholas Rolston says the scaffold wall protects the fragile minerals, especially since epoxy resin is "resilient to mechanical stresses."

To find out if their creation works, they tested their design by exposing it to temperatures that reached 185 degrees F and 85 percent relative humidity for six weeks. They found that the insect eye-inspired panel survived those harsh conditions while still generating electricity "at relatively high rates of efficiency." Despite their success, the researchers believe they can still boost the cells' efficiency. They're now looking for ways to be able to direct more light reflected by the scaffold into the perovskite-flled center of each cell.

Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Systems

When connecting a home energy system to the electric grid, research and consider equipment required as well as your power provider’s requirements and agreements.

While renewable energy systems are capable of powering houses and small businesses without any connection to the electricity grid, many people prefer the advantages that grid-connection offers.

A grid-connected system allows you to power your home or small business with renewable energy during those periods (daily as well as seasonally) when the sun is shining, the water is running, or the wind is blowing. Any excess electricity you produce is fed back into the grid. When renewable resources are unavailable, electricity from the grid supplies your needs, eliminating the expense of electricity storage devices like batteries. Sun gives us opportunity to use its energy. SUNJACK 14W PORTABLE SOLAR CHARGER is small gadget which will hap you to charge any devices.

In addition, power providers (i.e., electric utilities) in most states allow net metering, an arrangement where the excess electricity generated by grid-connected renewable energy systems "turns back" your electricity meter as it is fed back into the grid. If you use more electricity than your system feeds into the grid during a given month, you pay your power provider only for the difference between what you used and what you produced.

Some of the things you need to know when thinking about connecting your home energy system to the electric grid include:

Equipment required to connect your system to the grid
Grid-connection requirements from your power provider
State and community codes and requirements
Equipment Required for Grid-Connected Systems

Aside from the major small renewable energy system components, you will need to purchase some additional equipment (called "balance-of-system") in order to safely transmit electricity to your loads and comply with your power provider's grid-connection requirements. You may need the following items:
Power conditioning equipment
Safety equipment
Meters and instrumentation.

Because grid-connection requirements vary, you or your system supplier/installer should contact your power provider to learn about its specific grid-connection requirements before purchasing any part of your renewable energy system. See our page on balance-of-system equipment requirements for small renewable energy systems.
Grid-Connection Requirements from Your Power Provider

Currently, requirements for connecting distributed generation systems—like home renewable energy or wind systems—to the electricity grid vary widely. But all power providers face a common set of issues in connecting small renewable energy systems to the grid, so regulations usually have to do with safety and power quality, contracts (which may require liability insurance), and metering and rates.

You will need to contact your power provider directly to learn about its specific requirements. If your power provider does not have an individual assigned to deal with grid-connection requests, try contacting your state utilities commission, state utility consumer advocate group (represents the interests of consumers before state and federal regulators and in the courts), state consumer representation office, or state energy office.
Addressing Safety and Power Quality for Grid Connection

Power providers want to be sure that your system includes safety and power quality components. These components include switches to disconnect your system from the grid in the event of a power surge or power failure (so repairmen are not electrocuted) and power conditioning equipment to ensure that your power exactly matches the voltage and frequency of the electricity flowing through the grid.

In an attempt to address safety and power quality issues, several organizations are developing national guidelines for equipment manufacture, operation, and installation (your supplier/installer, a local renewable energy organization, or your power provider will know which of the standards apply to your situation, and how to implement them):
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has written a standard that addresses all grid-connected distributed generation including renewable energy systems. IEEE 1547-2003 provides technical requirements and tests for grid-connected operation. See the IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee on Fuel Cells, Photovoltaics, Dispersed Generation, and Energy Storage for more information.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has developed UL 1741 to certify inverters, converters, charge controllers, and output controllers for power-producing stand-alone and grid-connected renewable energy systems. UL 1741 verifies that inverters comply with IEEE 1547 for grid-connected applications.
The National Electrical Code (NEC), a product of the National Fire Protection Association, deals with electrical equipment and wiring safety.

Although states and power providers are not federally mandated to adopt these codes and standards, a number of utility commissions and legislatures now require regulations for distributed generation systems to be based on the IEEE, UL, and NEC standards.

In addition, some states are now "pre-certifying" specific models of equipment as safe to connect to the state electricity grid.
Contractual Issues for Grid-Connected Systems

When connecting your small renewable energy system to the grid, you will probably need to sign an interconnection agreement with your power provider. In your agreement, power providers may require you to do the following:
Carry liability insurance -- Liability insurance protects the power provider in the event of accidents resulting from the operation of your system. Most homeowners carry at least $100,000 of liability through their homeowner insurance policies (although you should verify that your policy will cover your system), which is often sufficient. Be aware, however, that your power provider may require that you carry more. Some power providers may also require you to indemnify them for any potential damage, loss, or injury caused by your system, which can sometimes be prohibitively expensive.
Pay fees and other charges -- You may be asked to pay permitting fees, engineering/inspection fees, metering charges (if a second meter is installed), and stand-by charges (to defray the power provider's cost of maintaining your system as a backup power supply). Identify these costs early so you can factor them into the cost of your system, and don't be afraid to question any that seem inappropriate.

In addition to insurance and fees, you may find that your power provider requires a great deal of paperwork before you can move ahead with your system. However, power providers in several states are now moving to streamline the contracting process by simplifying agreements, establishing time limits for processing paper work, and appointing representatives to handle grid-connection inquiries.
Metering and Rate Arrangements for Grid-Connected Systems

With a grid-connected system, when your renewable energy system generates more electricity than you can use at that moment, the electricity goes onto the electric grid for your utility to use elsewhere. The Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978 (PURPA) requires power providers to purchase excess power from grid-connected small renewable energy systems at a rate equal to what it costs the power provider to produce the power itself. Power providers generally implement this requirement through various metering arrangements. Here are the metering arrangements you are likely to encounter:

Net purchase and sale -- Under this arrangement, two uni-directional meters are installed: one records electricity drawn from the grid, and the other records excess electricity generated and fed back into the grid. You pay retail rate for the electricity you use, and the power provider purchases your excess generation at its avoided cost (wholesale rate). There may be a significant difference between the retail rate you pay and the power provider's avoided cost.
Net metering -- Net metering provides the greatest benefit to you as a consumer. Under this arrangement, a single, bi-directional meter is used to record both electricity you draw from the grid and the excess electricity your system feeds back into the grid. The meter spins forward as you draw electricity, and it spins backward as the excess is fed into the grid. If, at the end of the month, you've used more electricity than your system has produced, you pay retail price for that extra electricity. If you've produced more than you've used, the power provider generally pays you for the extra electricity at its avoided cost. The real benefit of net metering is that the power provider essentially pays you retail price for the electricity you feed back into the grid.

Some power providers will now let you carry over the balance of any net extra electricity your system generates from month to month, which can be an advantage if the resource you are using to generate your electricity is seasonal. If, at the end of the year, you have produced more than you've used, you forfeit the excess generation to the power provider.

Decoding Katamarayudu’s swadeshi look

How Pawan Kalyanchampioned the cause of the weavers as the pachekattu-clad Katamarayudu has been the talk of T-town this Ugadi since his political rival, Telangana's Textiles Minister KTR, applauded the actor recently. "Watched @PawanKalyan Katamarayudu. You have a sure winner Kalyan & @sharrath_marar Appreciate the subtle but strong promotion of Handlooms (sic)," posted KTR.

Turns out, it was the Power Star's idea to go completely 'swadeshi' when it comes to his styling for the film. "From day 1, Kalyan sir insisted on sticking to handmade, handloom garments for his look. It took us two months to lock in on the final look. After trying out four stylists, we zeroed in on Ishita Singh, who used very raw fabrics sourced from handloom weavers across the country," says Shalini Nambu, costume designer for the film.

Apparently, the costume team got sketches of PK done in a range of looks and got the same vetted by him. "The best part is, Kalyan sir knows what exactly he wants. For instance, he was very keen on wearing only handmade footwear from the beginning. This went on to become part of his signature look, along with his rudrakshamala, Lord Narasimha ring, black thread on his kada, green gamcha, and his used Hamilton watch," adds Shalini.

There's an interesting story behind the signature ring and the watch that PK sports in the film. "PK garu wanted a chunky gold ring with the lion face of Lord Narasimha on it to symbolise the power of his character. His mannerisms included a lot of aggressive hand movements, so he felt the ring would add to the effect. But the catch was we wanted the ring in two days flat. Every goldsmith we approached said it will take at least a week. Thankfully, we found a goldsmith from Krishnanagar, who was a huge Power Star fan. He agreed to deliver the ring in one day, provided we get him a picture with Pawan. We had the ring in a day, and he had his selfie," recalls Shalini, adding that PK hasn't taken off the ring ever since.

Talking of the vintage watch, which has become a huge style statement, Shalini says, "Kalyan sir wanted an authentic HMT watch — one that would look like his something the character's father would have gifted him. He had the exact details in mind — it had to have a big white dial, silver rim and a black strap. This was a style common in some of the early editions of HMT Janata watches — something you rarely find these days. Thankfully, our AD Srikanth managed to source a similar one from an old watchmaker his uncle knew. It had a silver dial though, and we had to run around on a Sunday evening looking for someone who could give us a black strap for it. When Kalyan sir saw the watch, he loved it!"

The Business Model Behind The #AskGaryVee Show

It shocks me that so many people still fundamentally misunderstand YouTube. They look at my show, and they ask me things like “wait why aren’t you monetizing? Where’s the ROI? WHATS YOUR BUSINESS MODEL!?!?”
exposure = leverage

The business model behind The #AskGaryVee Show is pretty simple. It’s a 100% broad awareness game. I just want more exposure. Why? Because exposure is leverage, my friends.

I use The #AskGaryVee Show to show that I’ve got chops. The more people who know that I’m not just charisma, hyperbole, bullshit, and hype; the more people who know that I actually have depth the better off my brand is. It’s incredibly important. Look, I know that my personality might initially cause some people to think I have zero depth, so anything that puts me in a position to show off what I know and educate those people to the contrary is going to be massively, massively valuable to me.

So what does that leverage get me? A LOT. Let’s just take a look at the short term results:

• I get paid more for public speaking
• I sell more books
• I get asked to do more TV spots
• I end up on stuff like 40 Under 40 lists
• I get more employees coming into VaynerMedia
• I get more users coming to WineDeals
• I get to scale my POV more efficiently to my existing employees (shoutout to the VM lurkers!)
• My mom gets to see me every day (she’ll watch an episode twice if AJ is in it)

Yo, Instagram folks. Holding packets of tea is not a business model.

I’m on Instagram. And I enjoy it a lot, but if there’s one part that makes me want to rage quit, it’s the endless photos of fitness influencers, models and beautiful people holding up packets of skinny tea.
You know, the tea that helps people lose weight by basically being a fucking laxative.

It’s not that they necessarily believe in the product, if they did it might not piss me off as much as it does. It’s that holding pictures of skinny tea is their entire business, and they’d call themselves entrepreneurs for doing it.

Here’s the problem — these people are thinking that influence on its own is a business model and they’re running to whoever can monetize that influence, without considering their careers or long term entrepreneurship

Why does this matter? It matters for the same reason the old Myspace stars’ failure mattered — they’re not building any kid of asset, they’re not building a repeatable business model, and by their nature, they have to expand into something more tangible or die.

Wells Fargo’s Business Model is Fraud

Let’s be clear, the business model of Wall Street is fraud. In my view, there is no better example than the recently-exposed illegal behavior at Wells Fargo.

The CEO of Wells Fargo admitted today that he knew in 2013 the bank was scamming customers, but he took no action to fire or reprimand the senior executives in charge of supervising this activity. Instead, they were given millions in bonuses, while the value of the stock that the CEO owned shot up in value by more than $200 million.

Wells Fargo’s abuse of its customers is not an aberration. In April, the bank reached a $1.2 billion settlement with the Department of Justice for ‘reckless’ and ‘shoddy’ underwriting on thousands of home loans from 2001 to 2008. In 2012, Wells Fargo was fined $175 million to settle claims of discriminatory and predatory subprime lending in black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

We have got to end the two-tier justice system — one for the poor and working class and one for Wall Street and the wealthy — that has existed for far too long in this country. The American people cannot understand how major banks paid more than $200 billion in fines and settlements since 2008, but not one Wall Street executive was prosecuted. That has got to change. ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ cannot just be words engraved on the entrance of the Supreme Court. It must be the standard that applies to all Americans, including the CEO of Wells Fargo and other financial executives.