In Time for Holidays, Canadians Can Now Acquire Samsung's Gear VR for 360-Degrees of Entertainment

Samsung Electronics Canada Inc.

Since the beginning of the year, we were told wearable technology would be the biggest sector looking to breakout in 2015. While there hasn't been a super high-capacity boom, there has been some impressive concepts emerging in the infancy of wearable technology. While much of the attention has been focused on smartwatch devices, other forms of wearable electronics have emerged with the capacity of delivering a unique user experience.

From Samsung, Gear VR technology could change the way many of will look at our smartphones (literally). Through a piece of headgear that attaches to certain popular Samsung smartphone types, Gear VR is promising to offer 360-degree viewing experiences assembled as photos, videos as well as games. Launched in the United States earlier this fall, Canadians are now able to explore the interactive virtual viewing experience in its entirety.

Samsung Electronics Canada Inc.

The first consumer edition of the Samsung Gear VR headset is now officially available in Canada. At a price of $139.00 excluding the compatible Samsung smartphone, the Frost White coloured device contains an Accelerometer, Gyrometer, and comfortable foam padding. This consumer version of the Gear VR is an evolution from the so-called Innovator Edition as being lighter as well as less expensive. Without the smartphone, the weight of the Gear VR is rated at 318 grams.

Requiring the installation of Samsung's Milk VR app from the Oculus store, the Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+, S6 or S6 edge device is attached to the Gear VR headset by clips as well as a micro USB connection. Once connected through the Gear VR, the user wearing the device is immersed with a 96-degree field of view created by a Super AMOLED display. While wearing the Gear VR, the 360-degree view adjusts in accordance to your head movements. When launched in Canada on December 11th, the available content through Milk VR provides 300 app titles and more than 25 hours of video for the wearer to view in a 360-degree perspective. Video Content immediately offered in the new viewing format consists of several genres of entertainment. Entertainment choices such as the Hollywood blockbuster Hunger Games Mockingjay: Part 1 and GONE, a thriller developed exclusively by Robert Kirkman and David Alpert's Skybound Entertainment for the viewing system, can be accessed for the Gear VR.

"The Gear VR offers a truly innovative experience, getting Canadians closer to incredible 360 degree content in a completely immersive way." says Samsung Electronics Canada's Executive Vice President Mobile Solutions Paul Brannen.


Please find included below is a Youtube demo prepared by Samsung Mobile of the Gear VR providing a different perspective for smartphone gaming:

Tesla Powerwall Quickly Charges Up with Canadian Backers

For many Canadian consumers, energy costs for our homes tend to travel in one direction; upward to pricier plateaus as illustrated on power bills. Smart meters, time of use rates have done nothing to provide us with a Simple logic would suggest we lower our consumption. Despite seeking low wattage lights and energy-saving appliances, we still seem to be paying more. In this modern world where connectivity and smartphones neglect any possibly for most of us to live off the power grid, it appears we are held at our mercy every time we turn on a light switch or plug in a device.

Last week, Tesla introduced a novel solution of a chargeable Powerwall battery providing a variety of opportunities to liberate consumers and small businesses from inflexible energy distribution. Today, it was announced the first 38,000 Powerwall units have already been sold in the United States through pre-orders. Less than a week after Elon Musk presented the new energy storage solution to the world, plans for releasing the Powerwall in Canada has been solidified.

In a partnership between Toronto's energy storage project developer NRSor Inc. and smart grid software engineering company Opus One, the Tesla Powerwall will began installation north of the 49th parallel border by the end of the year. "This energy storage system will provide Canadians with the opportunity to find demonstrable efficiencies in their daily energy usage as well as ensuring access to energy when it is really needed." said Chair and CEO of NRStor Annette Verschuren.

Expected for release statewide for the summer, the Canadian roll-out of the intelligent lithium-ion based energy storage unit will be available in limited markets for 2015. Widespread availability of the Tesla Powerwall in Canada is scheduled for the early part of 2016. The sale price for the Powerwall units have not been announced nor is there any announcement if the technology will ever qualify for government incentives.

 

What is the Tesla Powerwall?

Comprising as a large rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the Tesla Powerwall weighs around 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and measures 1,300 millimeters by 860 millimeters by 180 millimeters (51.2 x 33.9 x 7.1 inches) in dimension. Introduced in storage capacities of 7 kWh and 10 kWh (priced at $3,000 and $3,500 respectively), the Powerwall can be installed in a collection of up to 9 units for a total battery storage capacity of 90 kWh. As a reference for the necessary capacity needed by a home or business, Tesla offered the following examples:

Refrigerator: 4.8 kWh/hour
Flat Screen TV: 0.1 kWh/hour
Lighting for a Room: 0.1 kWh/hour
Laptop Computer: 0.05 kWh/hour

Out of curiosity, a single Tesla Powerwall will not be able to fully charge a Model S. The Tesla Model S 70D fitted with a 70 kWh battery would require seven-battery home system using 10 kWh units to be completely charged from empty. Single and multiple battery setups must be installed by a trained electrician.

There are two primary ways the Tesla Powerwall can operate. The first way the Powerwall works is as energy storage for generated power from a solar panel setup. The Tesla Powerwall will also function as a backup power source for a home's existing conventional system. Under the second scenario, smart technology is employed to draw power for charging during off-peak hours for storage. During peak power periods, the Tesla Powerwall supplies energy to the connected home or building. Using numbers from Ontario Hydro as an example, on-peak cost for power per kWh is 16.1 cents while off-peak is 8.0 cents. Using a 10 kWh Tesla Powerwall, the savings will equate to 81 cents per day. While it seems meager in one day, the savings over a year is over $295.

The Tesla Powerwall is also equipped with an emergency system that will automatically switch on when utility-supplied power is lost in the event of a storm or other outage.

Record 9.23 Million Canadians Watched 2015 Super Bowl

Photo Credit: Rawlings

Super Bowl XLIX was best defined as the game New England Patriots fended-off a late game charge to win over the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. While the players of one team left the field victorious with the ultimate prize of being NFL champions, the football game was a massive win for television stations broadcasting the game. In the United States, NBC quickly sold 30-second commercial spots for 4.5 million dollars ahead of the Super Bowl and recorded consistent viewership of 114.4 million Americans watching the close, suspense-filled match. An all-new record for a Super Bowl broadcast, the 2015 game's peak viewership topped out at 120.8 million through a late New England Patriots drive for a touchdown. In Canada, the 49th annual football game was also a ratings blockbuster.

Between CTV and the French-language RDS sports channel, Super Bowl XLIX drew an average audience of 9.23 million viewers according to Bell Media making it the most-watched edition of the game ever in this country. The 2015 game breaks the 8.18 million audience that watched the 2012 Super Bowl tournament between the New England Patriots and New York Giants.

While the majority of Canadian audiences were accounted watching CTV, there was a million Francophone viewers alone. Over the course of the Super Bowl telecast in this country, 19.3 million unique members of the Canadian population watched the game at some part in the Sunday evening. The total number of viewers meant roughly 55 percent of Canada's total population watched the Super Bowl. Bell Media also noted that the event's halftime show drew 12.2 million in this country consisting of Katy Petty singing alongside guests Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott.

Once again, Canadian viewers of "The Big Game" lost out on seeing a majority of the highly-produced commercials created for the NBC airing of the game. Leading up to this year's Super Bowl, a CRTC ruling decried after 2016 that Canadian broadcasts could no longer replace the American advertisements with others supplied through the telecast provider in this country. Called simultaneous substitution, this is a common practice exercised in Canadian broadcasting for almost any broadcast from the United States shown as the same time in Canada. For Super Bowl XLIX, the result was commercials from Canadian Armed Forces, Tim Hortons, Government of Canada, PC Financial and Home Hardware making it to air on CTV.

Explained as a response to the CRTC's public consultation Let’s Talk TV: A Conversation with Canadians, the plan to outlaw simultaneous substitution has not sat well with Bell Media and its parent company Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE). Bell owns the rights to the Canadian broadcast of the Super Bowl and would lose autonomy in distributing their ad space. Days following the ruling, the notion of discontinuing simultaneous substitution was greatly argued by pundits (many against the CRTC coming from Bell-owned media companies). BCE noted the influence of sponsors in their press release saying, "Last night's record audience proves once again there is no better opportunity for Canadian advertisers to strike a chord with Canadian viewers than the Super Bowl.". Bell Media properties also received considerable ad time throughout the 2015 game.   

After the record 2015 Super Bowl, 1.35 million Canadians remained on CTV to watch the season 2 premiere of Masterchef Canada.

Aerial Drone Flight School Opening in British Columbia Teaching New Transport Canada Guidelines

Photo Credit:  CyPhy Works-Business Wire

The flights of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones has provided an outlet for recreation as well as a useful tool allowing professionals to accomplish tasks in a new, efficient manner. However, the growing access to UAVs has not been without concerns for their use. Privacy, property damage, signal interference and interference with other aircraft have been some of the worries regarding small flying devices.

In Canada, a new set of guidelines have been implemented to provide pilots with rules to safely operate their UAVs. Defined as Transport Canada Knowledge Requirements for Pilots of Unmanned Air Vehicle Systems (UAV) 25 kg or Less, the guidelines cover a wide assortment of aspects to flying a drone aircraft regarding the vehicle as well as the operator. With fines up to $25,000 applying in some cases when an operator of the UAV causes a disturbance, the Transport Canada guidelines gain a great importance.

In British Columbia, a partnership between Aerobotika Aerial Intelligence and Pacific Rim Aviation Academy has formulated the first instructional course designed specifically for UAV operation under the new Transport Canada rules. The monthly course will educate students on the lawful use of UAVs covering subject matter such as standard pilot training along with avoidance of dangerous situations.

Starting in late February, the class will operate monthly as a two-day seminar. With four students per instructor, completion of the course results in pilot candidates receiving a Letter of Completion used to acquire a special flight operations certificate from Transport Canada.

CTV Records Second-Largest Canadian Audience During Sunday Night's Super Bowl

Less than super, Super Bore, the Snoozer Bowl have been some many ways to describe Sunday night's NFL championship match-up between the Denver Broncos and the victorious Seattle Seahawks. Taking the lead after a single mistake by the Broncos' offense, the Seahawks commanded the field of MetLife Stadium throughout the 48th Super Bowl to win 43-8. A couple years ago, remembered watching the Toronto-based Buffalo Bills game versus the Seahawks and was not the least bit surprised the Seattle NFL team could mount such a Super Bowl feat against, what was on paper, a formidable Denver team.

Despite the dominating performance of Seattle driven by quarterback Russell Wilson and a near unbreakable defensive line, fans gave Super Bowl XLVIII continuing attention. Recording big ratings in the United States, Canadian fans of American football were also glued to "The Big Game".

Numbers released by CTV (Canada's broadcast affiliate for the 2014 Super Bowl) revealed that Sunday night's game was the second-highest watched broadcast of the event in this country. Shown on the main CTV stations and on French sports network RDS, the 2014 Super Bowl combined to draw an average viewership of 8 million. The viewership fell just short of the record-setting 2012 Super Bowl broadcast in Canada that achieved 8.2 million average sets of eyeballs. While the average amount of viewers achieved 8 million, CTV has accounted that 18 million unique viewers watched at least some part of the 2014 Super Bowl broadcast. Viewership among the 18-49 and 25-54 age demographics showed growth greater than one-third over the 2013 Super Bowl. On CTV and RDS, the adult male demographic share was rated between 65 and 74 percent.

With the Seattle Seahawks' appearance in the 2014 game, western Canadian markets recorded all-time high audiences for this year's Super Bowl. Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton area fans turned on the television set in record numbers.

The non-sport element of the 2014 Super Bowl also proved popular among Canadians. During this year's acclaimed halftime performance, CTV estimates almost 10 million viewers watched Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers entertain in New Jersey.

How Blackberry is Giving Itself a Black Eye

Photo Credit: Blackberry

When 2013 began, Blackberry (entering the year with the long-standing Research in Motion business name) prepped what was supposed to be an ambitious and important corporate revival. Blackberry's CEO Thorsten Heins proudly held the full touchscreen Z10 and the QWERTY keyboard/touchscreen hybrid Q10 smartphones as if they were the Ten Commandments that would lead a connected humanity. Their Blackberry 10 operating system was highly developed to the point it delayed its release date to a point some were concerned if the devices would ever arrive. While the devices featured nifty technology, the smartphones have not left the big splash in the water it hoped. Having not learned from the Playbook tablet, Blackberry is still fighting to realize it is not Apple (specifically when it comes to demanding money from consumers). While their technology is formidable, Blackberry has been fighting to reclaim a its position as a major smartphone player when selling near $700 devices such as the Z10 or Q10.

In addition to the Blackberry Z10 and Q10, a third smartphone using the new operating system and technology was created. Slightly less capable than the Q10, the Blackberry Q5 carried the perk of a lower price tag. Unfortunately, Blackberry made choice to sell the Q5 only in emerging markets not realizing a market for a lower-cost smartphone option in North America. Even Apple has been rumoured to be readying a more price competitive iPhone. In late July, Blackberry finally conceded in what was their initial intentions to sell its Q5 handheld device. A less expensive Blackberry 10 family device priced roughly comparable with the latest Android devices from Samsung. In time for the Back-to-School buying phase, the QWERTY-keyboard equipped Blackberry Q5 device could potentially show up on the wish list of high school and college students. With its forecasted release this week, there is just one question; where has been the promotion for the Blackberry Q5?

Mention of the Blackberry Q5 is only trickling out from Canadian wireless carriers. Of as Monday, the Telus website is the only major wireless phone provider to advertise the Q5 being available. Through Telus, the Blackberry Q5 costs $49 with a 24-month plan or $425 without a contract. Only this week has the Blackberry Canadian site updated to include the profile of the Q5. When Apple announces the technical details of their newest iPhone, that technology company insures that customers are well-informed on where and how to buy the device before it drops into kiosks. Is it possible that cell phone providers in Canada want to suppress knowledge of the less expensive phone to maintain better sales of the Q10? Is just apathy wireless providers feel for Blackberry products?

Instead of hype surrounding the roll-out of what could become the bread and butter tool to Blackberry's efforts to stay relevant, news has surrounded the structure of the Canadian-based technology provider. Shareholder swoop like vultures for the shares as it the company considers buying them back in order to go private. On Monday, news surrounded the fact Blackberry is exploring options such as a sale or partnership with another technology company. Some investors or analysts would also like to see the company separate its more promising units away from less profitable efforts. This should be a time for the phone maker to promote their Q5 device's release in Canada. Once again, Blackberry is having difficulty trying to steer the message to the media. It's bad enough the company has abandoned plans for a next-generation Playbook tablet, the Blackberry 10 operating system could be an compelling piece of software few will see. It is disappointing to see the company behind the BBM technology is lacking the ability to effectively communicate what could be a move that will place more Blackberry 10 operating systems in the hands of customers.

Ultimately, what Blackberry needs is to place their devices into as many hands as possible. By stoking a consumer marketplace, app developers and investors will be more eager to place their support behind the company's work. The Blackberry Q5's release in Canada should be observed as the key to igniting a spark in an engine that is losing power. We simply need to wait and see if there is a fire left in Blackberry.

Amazon Igniting Kindle Fire Tablet Sales in Canada

Photo Credit: Amazon.ca

Launching into the computer tablet market in 2011, Amazon announced the Kindle Fire as a top-end offering to their e-book reading device family.

Previous Amazon Kindle products prior to the Kindle Fire were focused generally on the distribution of electronic books (with some additional features supplied on newer ereaders). Utilizing an Android operating system to perform tasks, the Kindle Fire same relative capacity as a Samsung Galaxy tablet or Blackberry Playbook. Originally priced at a starting price of $199, Amazon Kindle Fire was also a competitive fighter against the popular but more expensive Apple iPad. Selling over a million devices in just its first week of release in the United States, the Kindle Fire distribution was initially limited to that one country. Attracting discontent from potential buyers in other parts of the world for lack of availability, the Kindle Fire was made available in parts of Europe by Amazon before the end of 2012. On June 13^th, Canada will finally be able to buy a Kindle Fire tablet directly from Amazon.

Pre-orders for the Kindle Fire HD 7-inch and Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch computer tablets are now being taken on the Amazon.ca website ahead of its release date. The price for the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD starts at $214 while the version with an 8.9-inch screen will feature a starting price of $284. The two models of the tablet can be equipped with a 16-gigabyte or a slightly more pricy 32-gigabyte.

While the Kindle Fire devices could operate in other countries, Amazon chose up until not to ship the computer tablet to non-American customers. However, it was possible for people in Canada to acquire the affordable Kindle Fire through third-party means. For Canadian buyers pre-ordering, the price for Kindle Fire devices will be a little higher than those sold in the United States. Both Kindle Fire HD 7-inch and the 8.9-inch tablet will cost $15 more through Amazon.ca compared to the Amazon.com price given for American customers.

Flu Shots Good for the Heart: Says Newly Presented Reports

Approaching the time of the year where many health care providers and government campaigns recommend the population receive the flu vaccine, the effort is meant to reduce illnesses and the spread of a disease that can risk well-being, productivity and even the lives of one's self or others. According to a pair of reports being presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2012 opening on Sunday, October 28th in Toronto, researchers are set to make a case that the administration of a influenza vaccine can also be a heart smart choice.

In the first study, researcher Dr Jacob Udell, a cardiologist at the Women's College Hospital and the University of Toronto, will relay some major additional benefits to receiving a flu shot when it comes to protecting the most vital organ in our bodies. According to Dr Udell, influenza vaccines can reduce the risk of a major cardiac event such as a stroke or heart attack by an estimated 50 percent and deaths related heart failure by 40 percent.

Dr Jacob Udell's study examined a group of 3,227 patients consisting of near equally of those without and with heart issues. Of the group, half received a flu shot and the another half received a placebo vaccine. Dr Udell strongly suggests, "For those who had the flu shot, there was a pretty strong risk reduction,".

A second study set to be Canadian Cardiovascular Congress relates to Dr Jacob Udell's research making a correlations between influenza vaccines and heart health. Dr Ramanan Kumareswaran and Dr Sheldon Singh, cardiologists of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre viewed the flu shot's impact on patients who required an implantable cardiac defibrillator or an ICD.

During two periods in late 2010 and another through the new year of 2011 until March, Kumareswaran and Singh examined a sample group of 230 patients with an ICD. In the group of patients between 70 and 74 years of age, it was determined that individuals given the flu shot had a reduced need for ICD therapies. Research concluded that 10.6 percent of flu shot-protected patients received at least ICD therapy compared to 13.7 percent for those without the flu vaccine.

For authors of both studies presenting their findings this week at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress on the request of conducting additional research. Notwithstanding additional research, the announcement that a flu shot has increased health benefits can be helpful to boost the case for encouraging the general popular to get immunized.

Obama for Canadian Prime Minister? Ancestry.ca Shows Support

Photo Credit: Jag Gundu, CNW Group/Ancestry.ca

The major federal elections in Canada is a job that effectively only four candidates representing individual parties can seek. Given a system where our prime minister is installed as the leader of the party winning the most seats in Parliament, we are never really granted the choice of our choice person to lead the government. In a wild fake election, Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has been measured by some unique contenders by voters.

Fighting for a second term in the White House, US president Barack Obama is focused on a 2012 election. However, in a recent poll conducted by on-line family tracking database Ancestry.ca, the current United States president would have a fighting chance to claim the high office in Canada. Through a survey performed in a mock poll in downtown Toronto, people were offered the choice of the 44th US president Barack Obama, the 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney, current Canadian prime minister or other political leaders in Canada. Obama captured an impressive 42 percent of the popular vote in the entertainment-oriented poll. In second place with 25 percent of the vote, Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper placed favourably among potential voters for the next federal election. Placing in 3rd with eight percent approval was Mitt Romney. Recent days, presidential candidate Romney does think a lot of Canada (in particularly the Alberta oil sands production that has him promising speedy approval of the XL pipeline if elected).

There were also a few write-in choices in the mock ballot that rises some eyebrows. Having just announced his intention to enter the federal Liberal party's leadership race, Justin Trudeau was one who received several bodes of support in the Ancestry.ca survey. There was also one write-in vote for the current Toronto mayor Rob Ford for the prime minister job.

The Ancestry.ca poll also measured the popularity of Stephen Harper alongside previous prime ministers and concluded that Pierre Trudeau's legacy remains strong almost 30 years after the Liberal party reigned. Taking 35 percent of the vote in the former leader category, Trudeau's next nearest rival was Lester B. Pearson who recorded a more modest 15 percent. Behind third place Sir John A. MacDonald who took 12 percent of the vote, Harper received 11 percent support ahead of Jean Chretien and Sir Wilfred Laurier who each won 6 percent of voters.

The unusual poll created by Ancestry.ca was in effort to promote the site's added inclusion of Canada Voters Lists.

Canadians Consumed Growing Amount of Media in 2011: CRTC Report

Photo Credit: CNW Group/BELL ALIANT INC.

As citizens of a massive land mass separated by hills, mountains the occasional waterway, Canadians have existed in a society that historically connects us through extraordinary means. From the Canadian Pacific Railway constructed through the late 19th century, the 20th century embraced wide telecommunication and broadcasting networks that integrated a country that could have otherwise been isolated by geographic separation. Combined with Canada's typically trying weather during the winter seasons, the allure of media content has allowed Canadians spanning across age groups to explore and surrender a few hours. According to a recently-published annual report by government-supported regulator CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission), 2011 tends to indicate English as well as French speaking Canadians have realized an increased amount of content across radio, television, Internet and mobile platforms. 
While a pop song once popularized the phrase "Video Killed the Radio Star", the "Spirit of Radio" (perhaps not unlike the one Canadian rock band Rush sang about in 1980) remains a part of 21st century life in Canada. In 2011, the CRTC has computed the average Canadian listened to 17.7 hours of radio per week. A slight increase from the previous year, it is possible some listening is incidental in restaurants and stores.

In terms of Canadian viewing habits with television, the appetite remains strong for so-called "Couch Potatoes". In 2011, the average Canadian television viewer watched 28.5 hours of content (up from 28 hours in 2010). Despite the increase access to on-line sources for entertainment and information, improvements to television content delivery such as video-on-demand as well as digital cable has kept the medium popular among media consumers in Canada. While the average subscription cost has increased by $2.13 per month in 2011 compared to the previous year, paid television remains a popular option. With 11.8 million Canadians subscribed to television broadcast services, cable leads over satellite accounting for 70 percent in the category compared to 24 percent. The CRTC also notes a 6 percent present of telephone line-based television content delivery.

A source for decades, radio and television have been sharing an increasing amount of the media landscape with forms of new digital media. Through digital media, consumption along English-language Canada has shown a remarkable raise in 2011 over the previous year. Rating the average Canadian spending 18.2 hours a week engaging in digital media content during 2011, it is almost an increase of a full hour from 2010. Average French language Canadian spent 13.1 hours a week with digital media content.

CNW Group/Bell Canada

When it comes to experiencing the Internet at home, 78 percent of Canadians have a subscription to the vast virtual world that stretch beyond the country's borders. Of those customers of Internet, 54 percent utilize connections that involve a minimum of 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) Internet download speeds. In 2011, the typical Canadian watched 2.8 hours of Internet television content per week according to the annual report from the Canadian telecommunications regulator. The CRTC has also realized that a modest 4 percent of the Canadian public now absorb content exclusively through on-line sources. Music streaming through radio or as downloadable content is also recorded as modest. English-speaking Canadians usage was accounted at 22 percent while 17 percent French-speaking users in the country utilize the Internet for accessing music or other audio programs.

The annual report of 2011 also recognized the smartphone and tablet technology many Canadians have been embracing more each year. Accounting that 38% of Canadians use a smartphone and 10% had a tablet computer at the time of the study, the CRTC identified the smaller devices as possessing a smaller piece of the media puzzle. With only 4 percent of Canadians watched television on tablets and 3 percent watched the similar content on smartphones. With the rapid advance of technology, the data for smartphones and tablets is more than likely set for an increase within annual reports going forward.

Showing that no single platform is ultimately conquering Canada's media spectrum, radio, television and new media should paint a diverse culture for citizens to absorb content. The CRTC annual report for 2011 also makes several mentions of enhanced technologies (LTE and over 5 Mbps Internet) that should insure the sprawling of the landscape could be as ambitious as the far-reaching lands we have built a country.