PBS has just launched a new educational games site called PBS Kids Lab  http://pbskids.org/lab/   Those of you with young kids or grandkids might want to check it out.  Or even if you don’t and you just want to add a Cat in the Hat game to your mobile device.

 PBS also launched a new PBS Food website aimed at pulling “together the best articles, videos, and recipes from across public television and present them here for you. Our inspiration comes from the long line of wonderful chefs that have appeared on PBS stations for decades, from the incomparable Julia Child to Jacques Pepin to Jose Andres.” Check it out at: http://www.pbs.org/food/

 Over the summer and early fall, there has been much activity around the installation of an emergency backup power system for the Network Operations Center (NOC) in Boise. All the broadcast and internet programming and telecommunication control signals that we provide to the state originate here. I’m pleased to let you know the project was completed in September. The sophisticated system provides an extremely “smooth” power stream to the NOC through the combined technologies of a large uninterruptable power supply (UPS), an associated flywheel generator, and 185KW diesel generator all monitored by a computer management system. These new devices will provide at least 72 hours of uninterrupted power.  

It got its first real-world workout on Monday, September 12 when the downtown Boise area experienced a series of power outages. I’m pleased to report IdahoPTV’s Network Operations Center continued without interruption. Wahoo! Funding for this project was made possible through a competitive grant of $300,000 from the now defunded U.S. Department of Commerce’s Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP).