HiTechRavlik

Top Apple Engineer Warned Jobs About iPhone 4 Antenna Problems [Iphone 4]

2010-07-15T07:29:00.001-07:00

Paranoid Android

Image by D. [SansPretentionAucune] (•̪●) ✪

According to Bloomberg, one of Apple’s senior engineers raised concerns over the potential for the iPhone 4 to drop calls because of the device’s design.

Quick-Draw Gadget!

2010-07-14T05:45:00.002-07:00

I’ll show you how to make the Colgate Wisp Quick Draw Gadget so you too can be minty fresh without even having to reach into your pocket. I have two more ideas for the next gadget but I can’t decide so I need your help. Which one would you like to see? WISP Toaster Dispenser or Super Lipstick WISPer? Let me know in the comments for this video!

Robot Violinist

2010-07-14T05:45:00.001-07:00

Toyota have unveiled a new robot that can play the violin. Albeit not particularly well.

The first version of programs

2007-10-11T01:58:00.000-07:00

Nobody remember them but they still exists... old versions of most popular software.

Internet Explorer 1.o

PhotoShop 0.63

3d Studio 1.0 (3dsmax)

WinAMP 0.020b

Windows 1 .0

Opera (Unreleased)You can find and download those programs here.
from here

HardDrive clock

2007-09-18T04:31:00.000-07:00

You have old harddisk? Make hitech clock!

Which computer parts (or other High Tech remainder) were used? A 5-1/4 " - non removable disk, the housing of an old Compaq laptop power pack, various electronics construction units from other cannibalized devices as well as keys from a computer mouse for placing the clock.

from here

OpenSource Self-replicate 3d-printer

2007-07-27T02:19:00.000-07:00

Future is coming. Guys from reprap.org build self-replicate 3d-printer.
The printer prints a 3D-object from plastic thread.

This RepRap printer will make the components using FDM Rapid Prototyping technology, which essentially builds the component up in layers of plastic. This technology already exists, but your cheapest setup would set you back £15,000. And it isn't even designed so that it can make itself! So what we, the RepRap team, are trying to do is to develop and give away the designs for a much cheaper (material costs will be about £300) setup with the novel capability of being able to make itself - so you can give one to a friend for Christmas.

find here

Very comfy office chair bike

2007-07-23T01:24:00.000-07:00

A recumbent bike with a very comfy seat. It's a 35 pount leather executive office chair connected to a 16" (little girl's) Princess bike re-welded into a recumbent (recliner bike) and using a piece of another donor bike frame. I built it in honor of "Bike to Work Day".

from here

Life at Google - The Microsoftie Perspective

2007-06-29T05:29:00.000-07:00

The following has been making the rounds on just about every internal email list I belong to in Microsoft. Here it is to share a little insight with the rest of the world. Microsoft is an amazingly transparent company. Google is not. Any peek is a good peek.

Many of you were asking for the feedback I received from my interview with the former Google employee I hired into ABC Development as a Sr.SDE. Here it is. This candidate is also a former MS employee who left the company and founded a “Start-up” called XYZ. XYZ was purchased by Google and he was hired on as a Senior Software Engineer II / Technical Lead. Here is his take on Google’s environment as well as areas Microsoft should consider improving in order to be more competitive.

Enjoy

1. What is the culture really like? How many hours are people actually working? What are the least amount of hours you can work before you are looked down upon?

The culture at Google is very much like the old culture at Microsoft – back when the company felt like most employees were in their mid 20’s. These kids don’t have a life yet so they spend all of their time at work. Google provides nearly everything these people need from clothes (new T-shirts are placed in bins for people to grab *twice* a week!) to food – three, free, all-you-can-eat meals a day. Plus on-site health care, dental care, laundry service, gym, etc. Imagine going from college to this environment and you can see how much everyone works. People are generally in the building between 10am and about 6pm every day, but nearly everyone is on e-mail 24/7 and most people spend most of their evenings working from home.

This culture changes a bit with more experienced folks. They generally work 10a – 6pm like the new hires, and most of them are on email until around midnight. It’s pretty common for them to be working most of the evening, too.

2. 20% of your time on personal project. How many people actually get to use it? If so, how do they use it? Does Google own your personal project?

“20% is your benefit and your responsibility.”

In other words, it’s your job to carve out 20% of your work week for a project. If you don’t carve out the time, you don’t get it. Your project needs to be tacitly approved by your manager. Whatever it is, is owned by Google. If you’re organized, you can “save up” your 20% and use it all at once. It’s not unheard of for people to have months and months of “20% time” saved up.

Most people don’t actually have a 20% project. Most managers won’t remind you to start one.

3. What are the office arrangements like? Do you have an office or cube space?

Google believes that developers are, with few exceptions, interchangeable parts. This philosophy shows through in their office arrangements which in Mountain View are all over the map. There are glass-walled offices, there are open-space areas, there are cubicles, there are people who’s desks are literally in hallways because there’s no room anywhere else. There are even buildings that experiment with no pre-defined workspaces or workstations – cogs (err, people?) just take one of the available machines and desks when they get to work.

In terms of employees per square-foot, every Microsoft Building 9-sized office is a triple at Google.

Google doesn’t seem to think that private offices are valuable for technical staff. They’re wrong.

4. What is the management structure like (hierarchy)?

There are front-line developers, and then their manager. My manager had over 100 direct reports and is the common case for managers at Google. Managers quasi-own products and their employees tend to work on their projects, but not always. It’s possible for a developer on your product to actually work for a manager in research (a completely different division). This makes it really interesting at review time. Oh and conflict resolution between team members is very complex – the product’s manager isn’t involved day-to-day, probably doesn’t actually manage all of the peers who are trying to resolve a conflict, and likely hasn’t spent any time with their employees anyway.

The overall structure is:
tons (a hundred or more) of individual contributors report to
a middle manager who reports to
a division v.p. who reports to
the management team (Larry, Sergie, etc.)

5. Do they actually have plans for career development?

Not really. There is no career development plan from individual contributor to manager. Basically if you get good reviews, you get more money and a fancier title (“Senior Software Engineer II”) but that’s about it.

6. Who would you recommend Google to? Is it for the college kid or family type, worker bee or innovator?

College kids tend to like it because it’s just like college – all of their basic needs are taken care of. In fact, even most of your personal-life can get tied up in Google benefits. Google provides free or subsidized broadband to every employee. Google runs its own, private, bus lines in the Bay Area for employees. Google provides free or subsidized mobile phones. A college kid can literally join Google and, like they did as freshman at university, let Google take care of everything. Of course, if Google handles everything for you, it’s hard to think about leaving because of all the “stuff” you’ll need to transition and then manage for yourself.

Mid-timers, people who’ve worked at other places for a few years tend to be a mixed bag. For some, this is the first stability they’ve seen after a few failed startups. For others, this is the company that represents a “better” way to run a company than the company they worked at before. Either way, for these folks to succeed at Google they have to drink the cool-aid and duke it out with the college kids because Google doesn’t place any value on previous industry experience. (It puts tremendous value on degrees, especially Stanford ones).

“Old-timers” tend to like Google because they’re the ones who know to take the most advantage of the perks. These are the people who religiously take their 20% time, use as many of the services as possible, and focus on having a “peaceful” experience. They’re here to do a job, enjoy the perks, and that’s about it. They still put in a lot of hours, but the passion of the college kids isn’t there.

7. Please provide any additional information that you believe will help in our battle for talent against Google?

Make the food in the café free. If an employee eats an average of $15 of food per day (the actual average at Google which is closer to $10) it would cost Microsoft $3,750 per year per employee to offer 3 meals a day. Instead of increasing starting salaries, switch to free food. Give everyone else half the merit increases we would have gotten AND ANNOUNCE THE FREE FOOD AT THE SAME TIME. For that quoted $10 average Google provides free soda, free organic drinks (odwalla, naked juice), breakfast, lunch, and dinner (most people only eat lunch), free sport drinks (vitamin water, etc.), and free snacks (trail mixes, nuts, chips, candy, gum, cereal, granola bars).

That single benefit gets people to work earlier because hot breakfast is served only until 8:30. And since dinner isn’t served until 6:00 or 6:30 the people with a home-life tend to skip it.

Google actually pays less salary than Microsoft.

Google’s health insurance is actually not nearly as good as Microsoft’s.

Google has no facility for career growth. Microsoft has more, but could do better. Continuing Microsoft-specific education for things like project management, managing people, communication skills, etc. should be promoted. A structured career plan for each discipline would be great – e.g. training, experiences, milestones, etc. Paths like “Developer to Development Manager” “Developer to Technical Architect” which show what courses and experiences (e.g. being a mentor) are encouraged for the different paths.

Private offices for employees is a big benefit. See https://exchange.microsoft.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=f2fb6003ac0c47be99742c2f7059de7d&URL=http%3a%2f%2fjoelonsoftware.com%2foldnews%2fpages%2fMarch2007.html. Play this up. Take a cue from Google and loosen up a little about offices. Let people call facilities and have their office painted any color they want. Have the standard office come with a guest chair and a brightly colored Microsoft branded bean-bag chair.

Google has the concept of “Tech Stops.” Each floor of each building has one. They handle all of the IT stuff for employees in the building including troubleshooting networks, machines, etc. If you’re having a problem you just walk into a Tech Stop and someone will fix it. They also have a variety of keyboards, mice, cables, etc. They’re the ones who order equipment, etc. In many ways the Tech Stop does some of what our admins do. If your laptop breaks you bring it to a Tech Stop and they fix it or give you another one (they move your data for you). If one of your test machines is old and crusty you bring it to the Tech Stop and they give you a new one. They track everything by swiping your ID when you “check out” an item. If you need more equipment than your job description allows, your manager just needs to approve the action. The Tech Stop idea is genius because:

You establish a relationship with your IT guy so technical problems stop being a big deal - you don’t waste a couple of hours trying to fix something before calling IT to find out it wasn’t your fault. You just drop in and say, “My network is down.”
Most IT problems are trivial when you’re in a room together (“oh that Ethernet cable is in the wrong port”)
The model of repair or replace within an hour is incredible for productivity.
It encourages a more flexible model for employees to define their OWN equipment needs. E.g. a “Developer” gets a workstation, a second workstation or a laptop, and a test machine. You’re free to visit the Tech Stop to swap any of the machines for any of the others in those categories. For example, I could stop by and swap my second workstation for a laptop because I’m working remotely a lot more now. In the Tech Stop system, this takes 5 minutes to walk down and tell the Tech Stop guy. If a machine is available, I get it right away. Otherwise they order it and drop it off when it arrives. In our current set up, I have to go convince my manager that I need a laptop, he needs to budget for it because it’s an additional machine, an admin has to order it, and in the end developers always end up with a growing collection of mostly useless “old” machines instead of a steady state of about 3 mostly up-to-date machines.

from here

Think geek has a LED fan

2007-06-12T01:57:00.000-07:00

If you're the type that likes to call attention to yourself, and happen to need to lower the apparent room temperature at the same time, we can think of no better way than with this LED fan. With 42 LEDs mounted on the blades, the LED Art Fan spins and flickers at a brazillian* RPM to create beautiful persistence of vision images. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so make sure you behold the video below.
Unbelievable bright images 5 megs of memory holds up to 128 individual frames. You can animate, spin, slide, flash and dissolve to your heart's delight. All the while, enjoying the cool breeze from a chromed-up art-deco desktop fan.
Show off your m4d 4rT 5k1Llz using the included software. Import animated GIF files, or draw your own frames. If you've got a logo you want to display, have at it!
The LED Art fan works with Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and requires a serial port. Make sure you read the manual. As highly programmable as this fan is, you don't want to miss a step and end up with something less than cool.
• Your actual RPM may vary. If you don't know how many a brazillian is… well, it's a lot.
LED Art Fan In Action

Product Features

5MB of Storage holds 128 individual pictures
85 diameter pixel resolution
Chrome Art-Deco style
Supports Windows 98, 2000 and Windows XP
Requires an available serial port
Programmable with IR transmitter (included)

From here

10 Major Reasons To Switch To Linux

2007-04-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

1. It Doesn't Crash
Linux has been time-proven to be a reliable operating system. Although the desktop is not a new place for Linux, most Linux-based systems have been used as servers and embedded systems. High-visibility Web sites such as Google use Linux-based systems, but you also can find Linux inside the TiVo set-top box in many livingrooms.
Linux has proved to be so reliable and secure that it is commonly found in dedicated firewall and router systems used by high-profile companies to secure their networks. For more than ten years, it has not been uncommon for Linux systems to run for months or years without needing a single reboot.

2. Viruses Are Few and Far Between
Although it is possible to create a virus to target Linux systems, the design of the system itself makes it very difficult to become infected. A single user could cause local damage to his or her files by running a virus on his or her system; however, this would be an isolated instance rather than something could spread out of control.
In addition, virtually all Linux vendors offer free on-line security updates. The general philosophy of the Linux community has been to address possible security issues before they become a problem rather than hoping the susceptibility will go unnoticed.

3. Virtually Hardware-Independent
Linux was designed and written to be easily portable to different hardware. For the desktop user, this means that Linux has been and likely always will be the first operating system to take advantage of advances in hardware technology such as AMD's 64-bit processor chips.

4. Freedom of Choice
Linux offers freedom of choice as far as which manufacturer you purchase the software from as well as which application programs you wish to use. Being able to pick the manufacturer means you have a real choice as far as type of support you receive. Being open-source software, new manufacturers can enter the market to address customer needs.
Choice of application programs means that you can select the tools that best address your needs. For example, three popular word processors are available. All three are free and interoperate with Microsoft Word, but each offers unique advantages and disadvantages. The same is true of Web browsers.

5. Standards
Linux itself and many common applications follow open standards. This means an update on one system will not make other systems obsolete.

6. Applications, Applications, Applications
Each Linux distribution comes with hundreds and possibly thousands of application programs included. This alone can save you thousands of dollars for each desktop system you configure. Although this is a very small subset, consider that the OpenOffice.org office suite is included as well as the GIMP, a program similar to (and many people say more capable than Adobe Photoshop); Scribus, a document layout program similar to Quark Xpress; Evolution, an e-mail system equivalent to Microsoft's Outlook Express; and hundreds more.
For the more technically inclined, development tools, such as compilers for the C, C++, Ada, Fortran, Pascal and other languages, are included as well as Perl, PHP and Python interpreters. Editors and versioning tools also are included in this category.
Whether you are looking for Instant Messaging clients, backup tools or Web site development packages, they likely are all included within your base Linux distribution.

7. Interoperability
More and more computers are being connected to networks. No system would be complete if it did not include tools to allow it to interoperate with computers running other operating systems. Once again, Linux is very strong in this area.
Linux includes Samba, software that allows Linux to act as a client on a Microsoft Windows-based network. In fact, Samba includes server facilities such that you could run a Linux system as the server for a group of Linux and Windows-based client systems.
In addition, Linux includes software to network with Apple networks and Novell's Netware. NFS, the networking technology developed on UNIX systems also is included.

8. It's a Community Relationship, Not a Customer Relationship
Other operating systems are the products of single vendors. Linux, on the other hand, is openly developed, and this technology is shared among vendors. This means you become part of a community rather than a customer of a single manufacturer. Also, the supplier community easily can adjust to the needs of various user communities rather than spouting a "one size fits all" philosophy.
This means you can select a Linux vendor that appears to best address your needs and feel confident that you could switch vendors at a later time without losing your investment--both in terms of costs and learning.

9. It's Not How Big Your Processor Is...
Because of a combination of the internal design of Linux and development contributions from a diverse community, Linux tends to be more frugal in the use of computer resources. This may manifest itself in a single desktop system running faster with Linux than with another operating system, but the advantages go far beyond that. It is possible, for example, to configure a single Linux system to act as a terminal server and then use outdated hardware as what are called thin clients.
This server/thin client configuration makes it possible for older, less powerful hardware to share the resources of a single powerful system thus extending the life of older machines.

10. Linux Is Configurable
Linux is a true multi-user operating system. Each user can have his or her own individual configuration all on one computer. This includes the look of the desktop, what icons are displayed, what programs are started automatically when the user logs in and even what language the desktop is in.
And lastly no Bill schmendrick character telling you what you can and cannot do.

By: Max Rubin

Today is created an adapter for pluging fingers in electric sockets

2007-03-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

Daktiloadapter (the adapter for fingers) «Vilkus» is developed specially for amateurs of connection of the electric system by own fingers.

Many people take pleasure in direct contact to electric networks of the common using. Usually for these purposes shaped fragments of not isolated wire, writing paper clips or even usual metal table plugs are used. All these adaptations are unreliable, short-lived and, that is important, are capable to cause short circuit, ignition of posting.
Apertures are comfortable even for large phalanxes, and are on convenient distance from each other

«Vilkus» in itself does not consume the electric power, therefore it(he) can be left connected to the socket up to a following session.

Amateurs to travel will appreciate deliveries entering into the complete set replaceable plugs — for the European and American sockets.

from here

The Top Eight Computer Myths!

2007-03-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

Since most computer problems are resolved either by random or ritualistic action on the part of the user, or by following mysterious instructions from an allegedly knowledgeable support person, it's hardly surprising that there are lots of pseudo-religious myths about PCs. Between them, these stories can waste a lot of your time and money. Worse yet, you could become one of the myths' promulgators, and exacerbate the problem!

This article is partly about the worst of these myths, but it's also about how to spot misconceived ideas yourself, and where to find the straight dope about your computer.

1: Everything's a virus!

By far the most common PC myths concern viruses. Novice computer users are renowned for assuming that anything that goes wrong with their PC must be caused by a virus, and misguided virus warnings are one of the most popular kinds of non-commercial junk e-mail. Many of these warnings clearly originated as a joke (e-mails titled "Pen Pal Greetings!" that warn you never to open an e-mail titled "Pen Pal Greetings!", for instance...), but many computer users don't know what their computer can and can't do and so forward the "warnings" promiscuously.

In recent times, it has become possible for e-mail to be harmful. "Rich media" e-mail clients, especially those made by Microsoft, have far more complex abilities than client software like Eudora, that just tries its best to render whatever you've been sent, and doesn't automatically run anything. By means of legal function calls or unintended weaknesses, overpowered clients like Microsoft Outlook Express can do strange things when they receive particular messages, like for example an HTML e-mail message that's broken in just the right way.

Far commoner are e-mail pseudo-viruses like good old "Melissa", which is part Microsoft Word macro virus and part "Trojan". These pseudo-viruses pretend to be something harmless - an e-mail with an attached text file, a movie file, a list of smutty URLs, something like that, but aren't. Unlike a true virus, though, they have to be specifically executed before they do their thing. Melissa's more sophisticated offspring don't need Word to work - the various Loveletter variants, Serbian-Badman, Life Stages, for instance, are all self-contained.

Most of these viruses require the foolish user to manually execute an file, usually attached to an e-mail, but some of them (like Loveletter) can run if you just have the Preview Pane activated in Outlook Express. The preview helpfully executes the attachment; opening the e-mail normally doesn't. Fabulous piece of software design there, guys.

Microsoft released a patch on www.officeupdate.com that dealt with this problem, by the way, but only after pretty much everybody running Outlook in their office had had their server jammed solid with virus attachments.

Originally, viruses that propagate via e-mail did it exclusively via Outlook. If you used a different e-mail client, you quarantined the infection to your computer.

More recently, worms and trojans have been coming with their own built-in mail sending software, and the ability to hoover up destination addresses (and fake "From" addresses) from various mail clients, Web browser cache files and other locations. If you're not running a Microsoft mail client, though, you still have to actually deliberately execute the virus program to kick things off.

On PCs, mail-client-exploiting viruses are likely to remain restricted to Microsoft software, partly because its excessively featureful nature and poor security make it a great target, and partly because it's so popular. Similar weaknesses have been demonstrated in Corel's SCRIPT files, and anything with a similarly powerful macro or script language is theoretically susceptible, but the victim populations for viruses that target other software are small enough, and Microsoft software still vulnerable enough, that there's no good reason for virus writers to bother with other strategies.

Avoiding viruses, in general, is fairly simple. Use virus checker software. Keep it updated. Don't run mysterious programs sent to you by e-mail. Look carefully at attached files to make sure that they're not called something like foo.txt.vbs - a Visual BASIC Script file, not a text file. Don't run macros in unknown documents in programs like Microsoft's Office suite. And don't use Microsoft e-mail clients unless there's some amazingly good reason to do so.

Viruses which are alleged to physically damage hardware are also hoaxes, although some come close. A virus like the still widely-found CIH, for example, can wipe many computers' BIOS chip. This is a Bad Thing if you've got a late model motherboard with a socketed BIOS, since you'll probably need to swap in a new chip, or at least get the old one re-burned by someone. It's a Very Bad Thing if your motherboard has the BIOS chip soldered onto it, since then the most economical solution is probably to replace the motherboard.

But this isn't, strictly speaking, hardware damage; the BIOS chip itself still works, it's just had rubbish data written to it.

Some really old computers (we're taking 1980, here) may or may not have had particular hardware oddities that might have allowed malicious software to damage hardware, by for example ordering the monitor to try to paint the whole image in one tiny spot. But anything modern enough to run DOS, let alone Windows, has no such problems.

If you've received a questionable virus warning, or if you just want to know how to spot them, the Vmyths.com (formerly Computer Virus Myths) web site is the place to go. For information on what viruses really do exist, start at Virus Bulletin, the best respected independent virus information source. Symantec's AntiVirus Research Center database, searchable here, is another handy resource.

2: Microwave monitors?

Much has been made by some people - particularly those selling monitor radiation shields - of the supposed health risks of the emanations from computers in general and monitors in particular.

There is evidence that EMR (electromagnetic radiation) - specifically, the radiation from mobile phones - can have effects on living tissue beyond those expected from simple heating. But it most certainly does not follow from this that even high levels of mobile phone-type radiation actually cause any adverse effects at all in humans. Epidemiological evidence doesn't support such a conclusion, despite sensationalistic reporting of inconclusive studies. Since radiation from computers is both a great deal weaker and at very different frequencies from mobile phone radio waves, there is no reason at all to suppose that your PC is giving you cancer, or making you infertile, or whatever the panic-mongers are alleging this week.

Sitting in a bad chair typing frantically for hours isn't good for you, and if you spend all of your time in front of a PC instead of getting some exercise, your health most certainly is at risk. But since everybody already knows this and most people ignore it, it doesn't make the headlines.

3: Leaving it on

Some people leave their computers on as long as possible, on the grounds that components come under the most stress when turned off and on, and so you're less likely to have failures if you leave the power switch alone. There's only a grain of truth to this.

Rapidly cycling the power - working the power switch as if you're being paid by the click - is a bad idea for many electronic devices, including computers and monitors. If you're talking about ordinary use, however, the only problems you're likely to encounter stem from differential thermal expansion. Things get bigger as they warm up and smaller when they cool, and different components in a computer expand and contract by different amounts. The resultant mechanical stress can, theoretically at least, break traces on circuit boards and cause similar havoc.

In the real world, thermal problems with personal computers practically never have anything to do with differential expansion, but instead stem from lousy ventilation. Hot components, hard drives in particular, can barbecue themselves into an early grave. But these failures happen pretty seldom, these days, and modern hard drives are very unlikely to suffer motor or solenoid failure on startup. An old drive that's developed "stiction", where the drive has a hard time spinning up, should be left running all of the time. But that problem's never been common and is now close to unknown.

Current "green" PCs with power management features let you have most of the convenience of an always-on PC without the power bills; you can put your monitor, your hard drives, your processor and even the whole computer to sleep, and wake everything back up in a few seconds. From a differential expansion standpoint, this is the same as manually powering off the components in question. But since differential expansion is unlikely to ever do anything bad to your computer, who cares?

4: Screen savers

The screen saver is a modern art form. But what it isn't, any more, is a way of saving anybody's screen from anything.

In days of yore, monochrome monitors were quite susceptible to a phenomenon known as "burn-in" or "phosphor burn". An image shown on the monitor for a long time - a default menu, for instance - would burn in as an incurable ghostly image. Some colour monitors are still susceptible to this, but only if the image has been on the screen for a really, really long time, which is something that just doesn't happen in most applications.

All you need to protect your screen, of course, is to blank it; again, current PCs with their standby features make it easy to save electricity as well as the screen.

Some screen savers won't help with burn-in, anyway, because they have graphic elements that never move. If the screen-saver's static, it's as bad as a static application screen.

5: Don't defrag!

You don't need to defragment your hard drive very often. Modern drive optimisers like Windows 98's Defrag which position program data according to how often you use it can, indeed, improve performance a bit, but there's no reason for even a heavily used computer to be defragmented every week, or even every month. Yes, it'll be faster if you do. But the difference will probably be tiny.

Hard drive performance in toto makes very little difference to system performance, on machines with adequate physical RAM. The difference in performance between unfragmented and moderately fragmented drives is small, and the larger the drive, for a given level of filesystem activity, the less fragmentation it will suffer.

If you're using Windows NT or 2000 and NTFS-formatted drives, bear in mind that NTFS is famously insensitive to fragmentation - which is just as well, because it's hard to do anything with NTFS without it fragmenting data. This is why Microsoft claimed for so long that NTFS was immune to fragmentation, and no defrag utility was needed at all!

NTFS performs poorly on old drives with lousy seek speed, but the trade-off is that its performance as fragmentation increases remains quite steady. Once the NTFS Master File Table (MFT) becomes fragmented, you can indeed lose performance, but how much you lose still depends on what files are where and how you use the computer. Look at overall system performance, rather than just disk subsystem performance, and the difference due to fragmentation often fades into the noise.

How much effect fragmentation has on performance depends heavily on what files are fragmented, where the fragments lie, and what filesystem you're using. Generally speaking, the upshot of all this is that frequent ritualistic defragmentation, in the absence of a significant measured performance loss (not just how your computer "feels" to you), is, obviously, unnecessary.

Fragmentation certainly can severely degrade system performance, especially on Windows machines without enough physical RAM, or which are doing very disk-intensive tasks like serious database work or high data rate video editing. Defrag weekly, though, and you're probably just going to grow hair on the palms of your hands.

6: Monster swap files

Twiddling Windows' virtual memory settings (setting a static swap file size, for instance) doesn't improve Windows 98 or ME's performance much, if at all, although it can help Windows 95. If you choose to do it, don't use the goofy rule-of-thumb that your virtual memory should be some set multiple of your physical memory. You need as much memory as all of the programs you want to run at once will consume, and no more. The more physical memory a given system has, the less swap file size it needs, all other things being equal.

This goes for Windows NT and 2000, too; they let you specify swap file sizes on multiple different drives, which is nice to split swap activity over different physical devices for performance purposes. But going bananas on a multi-drive machine and giving yourself a permanent 3500 megabyte memory pool is pointless. Set your minimum total swap to roughly match your average memory pool needs, if you like (Ctrl-Alt-Del, Task Manager, Performance tab; the "Peak" number shows the most memory your system's used this session), but no tweaking beyond that is needed.

7: Microsoft bit rot

If you're running Windows 95 or 98, resign yourself to the fact that, over time, it goes rotten. Windows ME's "save point" automatic backup system may help, or it may not. Sooner or later, any Windows 95-series PC that's had programs installed and removed or its configuration otherwise changed a fair few times is going to start misbehaving badly enough that zapping the Windows directory and reinstalling, if not formatting the whole hard drive and starting afresh, is called for. Even WinNT and Win2000 systems will go bad eventually, given enough fiddling.

This does not mean you have a virus, or defective hardware, or bad karma. It's just one of those endearing character traits that make us all love Windows so much.

8: Magnetic mayhem

One of the basic tips in every computers-for-idiots book is to keep your floppy disks and other magnetic media away from magnetic fields, lest your data be wiped.

Magnetic fields can, indeed, eat data, but the usual suspects aren't generally the problem.

Every ordinary cone-type speaker driver has a large permanent magnet on its back, to give its electromagnetic voice coil something to push against. "Shielded" speakers neutralise the magnetic field with another, opposed magnet glued to the voice coil one, which reduces the driver's efficiency but does the job. An unshielded speaker's magnetic field is clearly apparent if you put it too close to your monitor - the image will distort and change colour, and in extreme cases stay that way, despite the monitor's built in "degaussing" circuit, until someone makes magic passes over the device with a degaussing wand.

But putting a floppy disk on top of an unshielded speaker won't hurt the data on the disk at all. This is partly because a change in magnetic field strength is helpful in erasing disks when the field is more or less powerful enough to flip the bits, but mainly because the magnet on the back of a speaker may only barely be strong enough to erase a floppy even if you put the disk right on top of the bare driver. A rapidly oscillating magnetic field of greater strength is much more dangerous than the weaker, static one from a simple permanent magnet inside a box.

A old fashioned bell-ringer telephone contains a pulsing electromagnet that moves its bell-clapper, and a disk leant up against it is likely to be a goner in short order. The abovementioned monitor degauss circuit may zap disks left atop the screen pretty well, too, and some printers, especially older dot matrix models, contain quite large and poorly magnetically shielded motors.

Essentially, any electronic device with moving parts may be able to zot your floppies, tapes and Zip disks. It doesn't have to be able to pick up a paper clip to be dangerous.

from here

Making Your Home Energy Efficient Adds Up To Big Savings

2007-03-29T06:23:00.001-07:00

Government statistics report that conserving energy costs in the home can save a household several hundred, even several thousand, dollars per year on their utility bills. Replacing your older appliances and elements of your home’s structure, such as older windows and doors, with more energy-efficient alternatives, such as products that meet ENERGY STAR guidelines, is an important step to maximizing the amount of money you can save. ENERGY STAR is a government program that identifies products – including appliances, home electronics, and home improvement products – that meet energy efficiency guidelines that exceed the minimum federal standards, as determined by the U.S. Department of Energy. You can identify a product that meets the organization’s guidelines by looking for the signature blue ENERGY STAR logo.

The ENERGY STAR program began as a voluntary labeling tool to “identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” It started with the labeling of computers and monitors and more than a decade later, has expanded to identify all types of products used in homes and offices that conserve energy. The result: Consumers and businesses have saved billions of dollars since the program began – $12 billion in 2005 alone.

Energy-efficient appliances – such as refrigerators and freezers, clothing washers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers and window air conditioning units – can cut consumer utility bills in half when compared with standard models. And home improvement products with an ENERGY STAR rating – such as vinyl replacement windows, doors, skylights and siding – help to better maintain your home’s temperature control, cutting heating and cooling costs anywhere from $20 to $400 per year.

If you’ve been searching for a product in any one of the more than 40 categories rated by ENERGY STAR, you may have come across the organization’s blue logo. That seal of approval indicates that the item can perform as well as, or better than, comparable products, but save you more money than if you purchased a less energy-efficient option. A refrigerator meeting ENERGY STAR’s energy conservation guidelines today:

Uses 40% less energy than models sold in 2001

Saves its owner 15% in energy costs when compared with other models (And freezers save 10 %.)

Compact models, with volumes less than 7.75 square feet, save 20%

A washing machine that meets ENERGY STAR guidelines:

Saves its owner up to $110 per year

Requires 50% less energy than standard washing machines

Uses up to 50% less water

Has more efficient spinning cycles to reduce drying time

Energy-efficient appliances provide an obvious cost savings for a household’s energy expenses. And other products that meet ENERGY STAR standards, such as vinyl replacement windows, doors, skylights and siding, make a significant contribution to keeping those costs down as well. Replacing your existing windows and siding with newer, better designed vinyl replacement windows and insulated siding can quadruple the insulation value of your home and save an average of 30% on your utility bills.

In addition to saving money, vinyl replacement windows with this rating create a more comfortable living environment by:

Eliminating drafts and blocking heat

Offering protection from sun damage

Reducing interior condensation on windows

In the winter, energy-efficient vinyl replacement windows keep the interior glass warmer for better temperature control. And the warmer the window, the less interior condensation that, over time, can damage your window sill and paint job, and encourage mold growth. In the summer, these windows also:

Block 45 to 70% of the sun’s heat

Provide “sunscreen” to your home by blocking ultraviolet light that can reduce fading up to 75% without compromising visible light.

Whether you are looking to add to the beauty of your home and lower your energy bills by installing vinyl replacement windows, or you want to make a smart decision when choosing your next dishwasher or window air conditioning unit, products that meet ENERGY STAR guidelines offer an economical alternative that leaves more money in your pocket.

By: dave4

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Michael Clem is Operations Manager of Creative Energy of Richmond, Virginia. Creative Energy uses ENERGY STAR-compliant vinyl replacement windows and doors to make their clients’ homes more energy efficient.

Biodiesel Processor Kit

2007-03-29T03:26:00.000-07:00

Biodiesel is much cleaner than fossil-fuel diesel. It can be used in any unmodified diesel engine. In fact diesel engines run better and last longer with biodiesel. Biodiesel can easily be made used cooking oil for $0.70 per gallon or less.

Are you wondering what diesel secret is? They thin out waste vegetable oil with; Gasoline, diesel or kerosene, a cetane booster and their Diesel Secret additive. In truth this practice if harmful for your engine (research). Here is the real secret behind Diesel Secret... Forum discussion of Diesel Secret

"The diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and would help considerably in the development of agriculture of the countries which use it...The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time." Rudolf Diesel, c.1912...

From here

5.5g iPods can now run Linux

2007-03-09T02:34:00.000-08:00

The Linux on iPod developer blog says the 5.5g iPods can now run Linux -

Many thanks and cheers to the hard work by DataGhost et al. in figuring out all of the final little bits in getting 5.5th gen iPods working with iPod Linux (Winpods and Macpods, 30 and 80 gig units). His various patches have been checked in, and integrated into the current nightly build of the kernel.

There’s a minor patch being integrated today that will allow 30 gig units to work properly… look for that kernel tomorrow!

More information can be found on the 5.5G Wiki Page with respect to installing these experimental builds on your 5.5th gen iPod.

from here

Gadgets That You Can Control With Your Brain

2007-03-02T06:24:00.000-08:00

Brain-controlled gadgets are finally becoming a reality. That’s right, soon you’ll be able to control more than just a robotic hand or computer with your brain. Which technology are you most looking forward to?

Robot Hand Controlled by Human Thought

Honda Research Institute Japan and Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) have partnered to develop a robot hand that uses “functional magnetic resonance imaging to scan a personâ€™s brain” and then maps the scans to hand actions.

Though the scientists say they need â€œseveral breakthroughs in related technologies, including those for brain scanning hardware, before this type of non-invasive systems will be used in daily lifeâ€, this provides hope for amputees to someday have a mechanical limb that works as well as their original one.

[Source 1 - 2]

Brain-Computer Typing Interface

Here’s another interesting brain-computer project: two users are typing using only their thoughts to control the interface. Unfortunately, no other information was provided on how the technology works. This is what Brian had to say:

This video shows how to type text *WITHOUT* keyboard - just by thought. And it’s serious research

Brain-Controlled Robot

Researchers at the University of Washington have unveiled a “brain-controlled” robot — basically uses “an electrode cap (a non-invasive tool generating a noisy signal), mental powers commanded the robot to walk to a block, pick it up, and set it down in a designated area.”

Because of the type of brain readings they’re getting, the bot is semi-autonomous, using human control for making the decisions based on video cameras, but managing the actual mechanics of the motions on its own. Right now the bot can only manage to pick up simple shapes and move them to another location, but the eventual goal is a human-controlled robot that can function in human environments, learn from its surroundings and perform meaningful tasks for its human masters

[Source 1 - 2]

Brain-to-Computer Pong

Remember the brain-to-computer interface we covered in the past? Now here’s a video of this technology in action which shows two players enjoying a friendly game of Pong, using only their thoughts to control paddle movements.

3D stereo display for mobile phone

2007-03-02T02:15:00.000-08:00

This is a prototype of 3D stereo display for mobile phone which made by Neochroma.

Neochroma is a mobile phone attachment that puts a big screen into the palm of your hand.
The installed base of camera phones has reached 850 million in 2006.1.5 billion are predicted for 2010 (source: Lyra Research).
While billions of shots are taken every year, tiny screens limit camera phone usage.With Neochroma, a large and vibrant image can be enjoyed instantly.
Neochroma can be used for navigation applications as well.
It is stereoscopic (that is, it shows life-like 3D), and can be built very inexpensively.

from http://www.neochroma.com/ (Neochroma Vision A Digital Stereoscopic Viewer For The Photography And Mobile Markets)

Typewriter keyboard mod

2007-02-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

I even doesn't know what to say. I just want a such retro-style keyboard.

found this miracle on makezine

13 Incredible Computer keyboards

2007-02-20T02:07:00.000-08:00

1. The roll-up keyboard

These keyboards feature 104 keys in a standard QWERTY layout, but with a nifty twist of being the most portable keyboard seen to date. Simply roll the unit up when you’re done with it! A great tool for laptop users who miss their full-sized KB when on the road, or LAN party warriors looking to lighten their load.

2. The virtual laser keyboard

The I-Tech Virtual Keyboard uses a light projection of a full-sized computer keyboard on almost any surface. Used with PDA’s and Smart Phones, the Virtual Keyboard provides a practical way to do e-mail, word processing and spreadsheet tasks, enabling users to leave laptops and computers at home.

3. The wrist keyboard

Completely sealed, it can operate in the rain and other harsh environments. A curved back provides a secure and comfortable placement on the wrist. The keyboard layout is optimized to provide alphanumeric entry. Carefully positioned arrow keys ease menu-oriented tasks. The WristPC keyboard comes with an optional wrist strap to provide the capability of attaching it to your wrist.

4. The frogpad

The FrogPad mobile keypad with its innovative 20 full-size key layout optimized around the most frequently used characters sets a new standard in information access with superior portability and ergonomics, global adaptability, rapid learning and ease of use. Its unique patented keystroke algorithms enable it to be used in either a right or left-handed mode and with any international language set.

5. Maltron 3D Ergonomic Keyboard

These fully ergonomic two handed keyboards fit the shape of hands and the different lengths of fingers to reduce movement and tension.

6. The Orbitouch Keyboard

The orbiTouch Keyless ergonomic Keyboard creates a keystroke when you slide the two domes into one of their eight respective positions. You type the different characters by sliding the domes to create letters and numbers. The orbiTouch Keyless ergonomic Keyboard also has an integrated mouse, so moving the domes gives you full mouse and keyboard capability!

7. The Tidy Tippist

The marriage of eating and tipping: the decorative tablecloth, made of felt, contains a textile keyboard. The electronic is woven into a fabric, which finds itself between layers of water resistant felt as sandwich material. The soft felt surface makes it a pleasure for fingers to tip a cozy keyboard.

8. The SafeType keyboard

This well thought at keyboard will allow you to type in a relaxed position, saving you the pain. All that despite its futurist look. The supplementary keypad allows the user to position the 10-key numeric pad with arrow keys anywhere that is most usable and comfortable. It can be on the left or the right, or even in your lap. We are constantly amazed by the tremendous variation in challenges and how people find solutions for their own problems.

9. The Twiddler 2

The Twiddler2 is a pocket-sized mouse pointer plus a full-function keyboard in a single unit that fits neatly in either right or left hand. The Twiddler2 plugs into both keyboard and mouse PS/2 ports (USB port with the PS/2 to USB Adapter) on any computer that accepts standard PS/2 mouse and keyboard (or USB input). Combining major innovations in pointer and keyboard technology, the twiddler is designed to bring renewed enjoyment to current computer users and to attract newcomers to the world of personal computing.

10. The datahand keyboard

The DataHand ergonomic keyboard offers a total of 132 keys (more than even extended flat keyboards) through the use of five key switches clustered around the tips of each of the fingers. With four modes, shifted by the thumbs, hand movement is no longer required to perform keyboard work. Hand support results in the elimination of the major source of muscular-skeletal stress in hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, backs, and necks.

11. Optimus Keyboard

Each and every key on the Optimus Keyboard is a stand-alone display that shows you exactly what it is controlling at the very moment.

12. Das Keyboard

Where is the letters? Das keyboard believe with no keys to look at when typing, your brain will adapt and memorize the key position thus increasing typing speed.

13. AlphaGrip

Claimbled to the most comfortable computing device. It is a gaming pad, a keyboard also comes with a mouse trackball.

from here

Worst hi-tech products

2007-02-13T03:30:00.000-08:00

by Tim Moynihan, Michelle Thatcher, and Peter Butler

Calling a piece of tech the "best" often starts an argument, but just about everyone knows a lemon when they see it. December is a long way away, but we couldn't wait to put together a list of the worst tech, tech events, and downloads of 2006. If there's a particularly horrendous gadget or tech happening you think we've missed, let us know in our TalkBack section. Here we go, in no particular order...

Worst product demo:
Intel's voice-activated remote control

As this video shows, Intel's Don McDonald had quite a bit of trouble getting his company's voice-activated remote control prototype to listen to him during an Intel Developers Forum demo. Yes, yes, it's only a prototype. But it also makes us ask: "Exactly how lazy do you have to be to use a voice-activated remote control?"

Worst MP3 player named after a legume: Sony Walkman Bean
Thanks to hissy audio, a weird interface, and stupid controls, we'd rather listen to a plate of three-bean salad than to Sony's bean-shaped player. For what it's worth, the Sony Walkman Bean is also the best MP3 player named after a legume. But there isn't much competition in that category.

Worst-kept secret: Microsoft Origami
"We're working on a top-secret project that will blow your mind, and we won't give details until next week. Except that it's bigger than a handheld and smaller than a notebook PC. Oh, and it has tablet functionality. And we're calling it the ultramobile PC. But that's all we're saying!" Ooh, mysterious.

Most overhyped announcement: Apple's "fun, new products"
Media and fans alike worked themselves into a froth of excitement over the possibilities of Apple's February 28 announcement of "fun, new products." But alas, the iPod Hi-Fi, leather Nano cases, and an Intel Mac Mini were nowhere near as fun or as new as the stuff in our imaginations. Now our imaginations are filled with images of Apple jumping the shark.

Worst battery life: Acer Aspire 3000
We couldn't measure this laptop's mobile performance because its battery life was well short of the 90 minutes that it takes to run the benchmark. But you can use it as long as you want while it's plugged in. Which is totally the purpose of owning a laptop. If you live in the magical realm of Electro-Outlet Land.

Worst use of fire-engine red (MP3 player division): Wolverine Data MVP (120GB)

A portable media player that holds 120GB of music, video, and pics? Awesome! A "portable" media player that's roughly the size of the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey and available only in fire-engine red? Not awesome! This feature-packed player has a lot going for it, but we resent these facts: we need a wheelbarrow to lug it around, and everyone can see us doing it because it's bright freakin' red.

Worst use of fire-engine red (laptop division): CyberPower Xplorer
We haven't carried around anything this red since we played with Tonka trucks. For the record, that was a while ago. This CyberPower laptop makes up for it a bit with decent performance, but anything this red should have a tourniquet wrapped around it. Still, it's probably smaller than the Wolverine Data MVP.

Worst name for a product that's supposed to go in your living room: Biohazard Media Center Xpress
This rack-style Biohazard multimedia PC will look great next to your LeadPaint-brand A/V receiver, Asbestos-brand speakers, and Steaming Pile of Human Waste-brand HDTV! Hazmat suit sold separately.

Worst-rated product that CNET readers love: Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
This thing, it surfs Internet. You want to make phone call? You can't make phone call. You like Ethernet? No Ethernet. You get Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is nice. No wires! You like slow load times? Yes? It is good for that. You like battery that lasts more than three hours? It does not have one. Nice screen, though.

Worst product that can get you arrested and ruin your PC: Kazaa 3
The latest version of Kazaa's P2P file-sharing app is loaded with all the fixin's! Unfortunately, those fixin's include system-gumming spyware, ridiculous flashing ads, and useless toolbars. Is the RIAA in on this? It should be, because this P2P app is the best argument against illegal downloading we've ever seen.

from here

Top 10 best MP3 players

2007-02-13T03:10:00.000-08:00

by Edvarcl Heng

2006 was an eventful year. Every MP3 player manufacturer had something to say. Apple had its iPods, Creative went with the Zens and iriver turned miniature.

To date, MP3 players had never looked as gorgeous. The fashion bug has really bitten with the Samsung and Apple paving the way with designer styles. The Samsung YP-K5 and YP-T9 certainly look chic in glossy piano black, while the new slim Apple iPod nano can give any waifish supermodel a run for her money.

The hard drive MP3 player is definitely on its way out, with most of the new models introduced in the latter half of the year using flash memory. Video playback is still not the big hunky-dory feature it was supposed to be as most consumers seem to be contented with a player that meant mainly for audio.

Samsung once made a promise it would overtake Apple in the MP3 player market by 2007. Along the way, we have seen it progress from crudely designed Yepps to its more modish iterations. Come CES 2007, Samsung will unveil the YP-K3--a svelte, voguish number that seems to be the most credible challenger to the iPod nano to date.

It has been a bumper year for Creative as it took the mickey out of Apple with its Zen patent amidst the shadow of its losses. However, revitalized with a renew partnership with Apple for iPod accessories, Creative looks ready for a better year ahead. It has been traditional for Creative to launch a powerful product at CES and we looking forward to a new Zen that incorporates Creative's unique Xi-Fi audio enhancement technology.

Though Sony has not made much headway in the market, it still retains nostalgic value for its former audio prowess. 2007 may prove to be a crucial year for Sony to regain its former glory before it's really too late. The NW-S705F looks extremely promising with Sony's trademark ingenuity in play. Packaging noise-canceling technology into an MP3 player itself? Unheard of and more innovations in the same vein may push the former Japanese doyen of portable audio back to the top.

iriver really shocked the world with the S10. Before its appearance, nary had anyone imagined a functional color-screened MP3 player to reach such a minuscule size. In the MP3 world, iriver may be the new king of miniaturization. But product launches has been scratchy for iriver. While there is the E10 and the S7, there has been precious few offerings in comparison to other big name manufacturers. Is iriver branching out to another field, much like how Apple intends to move into the cellular phone realm? Only time will tell.

Top 10 best MP3 players of 2006 year

iriver E10 (6GB)
Samsung YP-Z5 (4GB)
Samsung YP-Z5F (4GB)
Apple iPod (30GB, video)
Apple iPod nano (2GB)
Apple iPod nano (4GB)
Creative Zen Vision:M (30GB)
iriver S10 (2GB)
Creative Zen Vision W (30GB)
Sony NW-E005 (2GB)

from here

Asimo the first advanced humanoid robot

2007-02-07T04:01:00.000-08:00

ASIMO was the world's first advanced humanoid robot and in many respects the beginning of what we here at Communist Robot fondly refer to as "The Future."

ASIMO, the worlds most advances humanoid robot makes its debut in the year 2000. The name ASIMO stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, and is pronounced "ashimo" in Japanese, meaning "legs also" (from Japanese "足も"). This little robot is the result of 14 years of dedicated scientific research done by Honda into the mechanics of bipedal locomotion. About 40 of the old 2000 model ASIMO's are currently touring the world in promotional capacity.

from Robots, HiTech and etc

Ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armour

2007-01-16T03:46:00.000-08:00

From bears to bullets

Inventor hopes to sell armour suit to the military
By Wade Hemsworth
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jan 11, 2007)
The grizzly man is back, and this time he's ready to take on bullets and bombs.

Troy Hurtubise, the Hamilton-born inventor who became famous for his bulky bear-protection suit by standing in front of a moving vehicle to prove it worked, has now created a much slimmer suit that he hopes will soon be protecting Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

He has spent two years and $15,000 in the lab out back of his house in North Bay, designing and building a practical, lightweight and affordable shell to stave off bullets, explosives, knives and clubs. He calls it the Trojan and describes it as the "first ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armour."

Using the hard-learned lessons of his Project Grizzly experience -- a 20-year odyssey that included a National Film Board documentary, an appearance on CNN and personal bankruptcy -- he's ready to start selling his newest idea.

Already, he says, the suit has stood up to bullets from high-powered weapons, including an elephant gun. The suit was empty during the ballistics tests, but he's more than ready to put it on and face live fire.

"I would do it in an instant," he said. "Bring it on."

Yesterday, he returned to Hamilton to show off the suit, hoping to generate some publicity that will get him the meetings he wants with military and police outfitters.

On Saturday, he plans to wear it to Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto and wait for the reporters. It shouldn't take long to create a stir.

Hurtubise, 43, wore his suit -- helmet and all -- on the four-hour drive down south, partly as a way of making sure it would be comfortable enough in the field. Even sitting on his armoured butt cheeks, he said he was fine.

As he drove his black pickup in his black getup, other drivers gawked and honked. Just south of Huntsville, he was delighted to be pulled over and gave an apprehensive OPP officer a close-up look at the suit.

Once he established that he could see just fine in his helmet and that the guns attached to his magnetic holsters were just props, Hurtubise was free to continue his trip.

The whole suit -- which draws design inspiration from Star Wars, RoboCop, Batman and video games -- is made from high-impact plastic lined with ceramic bullet protection over ballistic foam.

Its many features include compartments for emergency morphine and salt, a knife and emergency light. Built into the forearms are a small recording device, a pepper-spray gun and a detachable transponder that can be swallowed in case of trouble.

Dangling between the legs, that would be a clock.

In the helmet, there's a solar-powered fresh-air system and a drinking tube attached to a canteen in the small of the back. A laser pointer mounted in the middle of the forehead is ready to point to snipers, while LED lights frame the face.

The whole suit comes in at 18 kilograms. It covers everything but the fingertips and the major joints, and could be mass-produced for about $2,000, Hurtubise says.

He said he hopes to earn enough of a living from the suit so he can keep on inventing, but the real reason he did this, he says, is "for the boys."

from here

The smallest mobile phone

2006-12-18T02:54:00.000-08:00

BloodRabbit designs the concent of the smallest mobile phone.

This is my concept phone,
I made it after I got annoyed at all the useless features on my phone (last night).

This phone can only be used to call with, no sms, mms, camera or garage opener.

Im not sure if all the componnets needed can fit in my tiny phone, but hey its a concept modell.

Explaining the button system, hmm when you but your fingertip (tumb) in the grove on the 123 button,
you get 1 by manipulateing it to the left, 3 to the right and 2 by pressing the button down (if this dont explain it well enough I hope the picture will fill in the gaps.

the big silver button on top releases the spring loaded display to get called ID and to recieve you press it again while the display is out, to hang up a call you simply close the display by pushing it in (and loading the spring again).

The display is a lcd of the old calculator type whitout the reflective backing, so its seetrough.

Source here

The Leaf - Open source robot using artificial intelligence and vision

2006-12-15T03:38:00.000-08:00

The Leaf is an artificial intelligence and vision robotic system. It is open source, software and construction details are available on the Leaf Project Web site. Make your own OSS Aibo!
$ Cost of computer parts, etc (~$2k)

The objectives of this project is:
Design and build a robot which will be computationally powerful, easy to work on, large enough to operate in a real world house environment and interact with the same household features that humans do, and be (of course) relatively inexpensive.

It should have the hardware and software capacities to carry a reasonable weight, operate for hours at a time, and perform memory and throughput intensive tasks such as vision, speech recognition and generation, and sophisticated artificial intelligence techniques.

The robot should be constructed using, as far as practical, commonly available hardware and software; preferably free or inexpensive. Standard PC equipment and software will be used for the "intelligence".

The design should be flexible enough to accommodate future changes easily including alternate drive systems (e.g. tracks), addition of an arm(s), addition of animated head, etc.

In particular, the robot should provide a good platform for research into AI, vision and navigation.

The robot design will be well documented on the web so that anyone else can duplicate our design or use our methods to design their own robot.

A suggested order of build might be:

1. Build the base and motor/drivetrain and verify it will be able to move your robot around.

2. Build the body on top of the base and make shelves and attachments to install the battery, microcontroller board, laptop PC and other PC components.

3. Build the microcontroller board and test it.

4. Add wiring to power and interface all the components

5. Add software and GO.

6. Adding sensors can be done last and will depend on what you want to do. Most programming for sensor interfacing will be done in the laptop Nav and Control software.

New Pen-style computer concept from NEC

2006-12-12T04:36:00.000-08:00

P-ISM :
A Pen-style Personal Networking Gadget Package
It seems that information terminals are infinitely getting smaller. However, we will continue to manipulate them with our hands for now. We have visualized the connection between the latest technology and the human, in a form of a pen. P-ISM is a gadget package including five functions: a pen-style cellular phone with a handwriting data input function, virtual keyboard, a very small projector, camera scanner, and personal ID key with cashless pass function. P-ISMs are connected with one another through short-range wireless technology. The whole set is also connected to the Internet through the cellular phone function. This personal gadget in a minimalistic pen style enables the ultimate ubiquitous computing.

from here

TOP 10 IMPOSSIBLE INVENTIONS THAT WORK

2006-12-10T03:27:00.000-08:00

by Jeane Manning

When Leonardo da Vinci sketched out an impossible invention, fifteenth-century scholars probably put him down. Forget it, Leon. If machines could fly, we'd know about it.

Throughout history, experts tell innovators that their inventions are impossible. A few examples:
The English Academy of Science laughed at Benjamin Franklin when he reported his discovery of the lightning rod, and the Academy refused to publish his report.
A gathering of German engineers in 1902 ridiculed Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin for claiming to invent a steerable balloon. (Later, Zeppelin airships flew commercially across the Atlantic.)
Major newspapers ignored the historic 1903 flight of the Wright brothers airplane because Scientific American suggested the flight was a hoax, and for five years officials in Washington, D.C. did not believe that the heavier-than-air machine had flown.

Perhaps in the 21st century the following inventions will be standard science, and a history student may wonder why 20th-century pundits disregarded them.
1. THE SPACE ENERGY CONVERTER

This class of inventions could wipe out oil crises and help solve environmental problems. More commonly called free energy or fuelless electric generators, they put out more power than goes into them from any previously recognized source. No batteries, no fuel tank and no link with a wall socket. Instead, they tap an invisible source of power. Such unorthodox clean energy-producing devices exist today and were built as far back as the l9th century.

Forget the Rube Goldberg mechanical perpetual motion contraptions; they had to stop eventually. In contrast, new solid-state (no moving parts) energy converters are said to draw from an energy field in surrounding space. This source of abundant power is known by physicists as the zero-point quantum fluctuations of vacuum space. Zero-point refers to the fact that even at a temperature at which heat movement in molecules stops cold, zero degrees Kelvin, there is still a jiggling movement, said to be from interdimensional fluctuations or cosmic energy. Magnetism and vortexian or spin-upon-a-spin motions seem to line up these random fluctuations of space and put them to work, as in the Searl Effect (Atlantis Rising, first issue).

Inventors give various names to their space-energy converters. In the 1930s a scientist in Utah, T. Henry Moray, invented a Radiant Energy device powered from the sea of energy in which the earth floats. This sea that surrounds us, Moray said, is packed with rays which constantly pierce the earth from all directions, perhaps from countless galaxies. Converting this cosmic background radiation into a strange cold form of electricity, his device lit incandescent bulbs, heated a flat iron and ran a motor. His sons say he was thanked with bullets and other harassments, but that's another story.

A spiritual commune in Switzerland had a tabletop free energy device running in greenhouses for years, but members feared that outsiders would turn the technology into weaponry. Before the commune closed its doors to snoopers, European engineers witnessed the converter putting out thousands of watts. However, most other unorthodox energy technologies are still at the stage of unreliable, crude prototypes. (So was the Wrights first airplane; it only flew about a hundred feet.)

The inventor of AC (alternating current) electrical generating and transmission systems, the genius Nikola Tesla (1857-1943), was said to have run a Pierce-Arrow car on a free energy device in the 1930s. Although that's difficult to document now, we have his word that it's possible. It is a mere question of time when men will succeed in attaching their machinery to the very wheelwork of nature, said Tesla.

It may have been done before Tesla's time. Among the free energy inventions of John Worrell Keely (1827-1898) is the Hydro Pneumo-Pulsating-Vacuo motor that used cavitation (implosion) of water. Although Keely reached an advanced understanding of the science of vibrations, he failed to develop machines which other people could operate. Progress continues from other directions, a company in Georgia is selling water cavitation devices that range from 110 per cent to 300 per cent efficient.

Up in Vancouver, Canada, Tesla researcher John Hutchison says he has a feel for the natural flows of a subtle primal energy. In the spring of 1995 he showed his latest invention to the author and a mechanical engineer. The Hutchison Converter involves crystalline materials and the principle of electrical resonance. He twirls a few knobs to tune it, and the energy flow is amplified until it runs a one-inch diameter Radio Shack motor. The whirring of a small propeller isn't too impressive until you remember that there are no batteries and the device runs for days at a time.

The garage inventors come from many backgrounds. Wingate Lambertson Ph.D. of Florida, former executive director of Kentucky's science and technology commission, invented a device which converts the space energy fluctuations into electricity which lights a row of lamps. This dignified former professor took a roundabout route to the free-energy scene. In the mid-1960s he read There Is a River by Thomas Sugree, who writes about the destruction of Atlantis through misuse of a crystal energy collector. Lambertson's psychic friend later offered to collaborate on replicating the first Atlantean energy converter, but Lambertson eventually turned to his own knowledge of ceramics and metals to develop an energy converter. Neither his nor other known zero-point energy conversion methods of today are based on the first Atlantean crystal method, because the researchers found better methods. Also, the concept of a central power station providing electric power to a nation is obsolete, says Dr. Lambertson. Small energy converters will follow the path of the personal converter.

2. COLD FUSION

In Japan, cold fusion is called New Hydrogen Energy, and that oil-dependent nation welcomes successful experiments. In contrast, two pioneering experimenters were hounded out of North America. David Lewis described this scene as Heavy Watergate in Atlantis Rising, issue two.

Update: A successful experiment was served up in Monte Carlo in April, at the Fifth International Conference on Cold Fusion. Clean Energy Technologies Inc. of Florida demonstrated a cold fusion cell with energy output as much as ten times more than input. Other companies are also gambling on this new source of heat energy which could drive electric generators.

What exactly causes atomic nuclei to fuse, and release energy, without extreme high temperatures and pressures? A Romanian physicist writing in Infinite Energy magazine, Dr. Peter Gluck, wonders if it could be only partly a catalytic nuclear effect, and partly a catalytic quantum effect providing the capture of the zero-point energy, The ubiquitous z-p energy.

3. SYSTEM TO SPLIT WATER FOR FUEL BY USING RESONANCE

Another variation on the water-fuel theme relies more on vibrations than on chemistry. At more than 100 per cent efficiency, such a system produces hydrogen gas and oxygen from ordinary water at normal temperatures and pressure.

One example is U.S. Patent 4,394,230, Method and Apparatus for Splitting Water Molecules, issued to Dr. Andrija Puharich in 1983. His method made complex electrical wave forms resonate water molecules and shatter them, which freed hydrogen and oxygen. By using Tesla's understanding of electrical resonance, Puharich was able to split the water molecule much more efficiently than the brute-force electrolysis that every physics student knows. (Resonance is what shatters a crystal goblet when an opera singer hits the exact note which vibrates with the crystal's molecular structure.)

Puharich reportedly drove his mobile home using only water as fuel for several hundred thousand kilometers in trips across North America. In a high Mexican mountain pass he had to make do with snow for fuel. Splitting water molecules as needed in a vehicle is more revolutionary than the hydrogen-powered systems with which every large auto manufacturer has dallied. With the on-demand system, you don't need to carry a tank full of hydrogen fuel which could be a potential bomb.

Another inventor who successfully made fuel out of water on the spot was the late Francisco Pacheco of New Jersey. The Pacheco Bi-Polar Autoelectric Hydrogen Generator (U.S. Patent No. 5,089,107) separated hydrogen from seawater as needed.

A pioneer in breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen without heat or ordinary electricity, John Worrell Keely reportedly performed feats which 20th-century science is unable to duplicate. He worked with sound and other vibrations to set machines into motion. To liberate energy in molecules of water, Keely poured a quart of water into a cylinder where tuning forks vibrated at the exact frequency to liberate the energy. Does this mean he broke apart the water molecules and liberated hydrogen, or did he free a more primal form of energy? The records which could answer such questions are lost. However, a century later, Keely is being vindicated. One scientist recently discovered that Keely was correct in predicting the exact frequency which would burst apart a water molecule. Keely understood atoms to be intricate vibratory phenomena.

4. SYSTEM FOR SENDING POWER WIRELESSLY

Look, Mom Earth, no power lines!

Tesla may have wanted to voice such a boast, but it didn't turn out that way; the world is crisscrossed with transmission lines for the electrical power grid. His invention for sending electrical power wirelessly wasn't too popular on Wall Street.

Before the power brokers figured out what he was up to, Tesla built a tower-topped laboratory near what is now Colorado Springs. He filled the mountain air with thunderous manmade lightning bolts and pounded the earth with electrical oscillations as he tested ideas about electrical resonance. Then he returned to New York to build Wardenclyffe, a complex wooden tower on Long Island from which he planned to send both communications and power wirelessly. When banker J. Pierpont Morgan realized Tesla could make it possible for anyone to stick an antenna in the ground anywhere and get electrical power, the banker cut off the inventor's funding and blocked other financial deals that Tesla tried to make. Wardenclyffe tower was torn down and sold for scrap.

In recent years, scientists such as James Corum Ph.D. have learned that Tesla did successfully test a wireless system in Colorado. For example, Tesla knew specific frequencies associated with the earth-ionosphere waveguide, knowledge he could not have had in the nineteenth century unless he had sent electrical oscillations wirelessly.

5. ANTI-GRAVITY DEVICE

In 1923 Townsend T. Brown's simple flying discs demonstrated a connection between electricity and gravitation. Working along these lines for twenty-eight- more years, Brown patented (U.S. Patents 2,949,550, 3,018,394 and others) an electrostatic propulsion method. Starting with two-feet-in-diameter suspended discs flying around a pole at seventeen feet per second, he increased the size by a third, and the discs flew so fast that the results were highly classified, said an international aviation magazine in 1956. Before the end of his life Brown had apparatus that could lift itself directly when electricity was applied. He died in 1985.

The bottom line: if electrogravitics is developed, we could have an electric spacecraft technology which does not obey known electromagnetic principles. The craft would thrust in any direction, without moving engine parts. No gears, shafts, propellers or wheels.

Coupling effects between electricity or magnetism and gravity are shown by other experimenters, including David Hamel of Ontario and Floyd Sparky Sweet of California. At a 1981 symposium in Toronto, Rudolf Zinsser of Germany demonstrated a device (U.S. Patent 4,085,384) that propelled itself, according to credible witnesses such as professional engineer George Hathaway. Zinsser claimed his specifically shaped pulses of electromagnetic waves altered the local gravitational field.

Hathaway collaborated in the mid-1980s with John Hutchison on action-at-a-distance experiments in which heavy pieces of metal levitated and shot toward the ceiling when put in a complex electromagnetic field, and some metal samples shredded anomalously. Visitors to the laboratory came from Los Alamos and the Canadian department of defense. (The military is a quantum leap ahead of the academics in spooky science.)

Read the first issue of Atlantis Rising for a fascinating antigravity story, John Searle's levity disk generator.

6. A METHOD FOR TRANSMUTATION OF ELEMENTS

Changing atomic elements or making elements appear mysteriously? It sounds like impossible alchemy, but experimenters recently did this, without Big Science particle accelerators. These scientists learned from a metaphysician, Walter Russell (1871-1963). During vivid spiritual experiences, Russell had seen everything in the universe, from the atom to outer space, being formed by an invisible background geometry. Russell not only portrayed his visions in paintings, he also learned science. He was so far ahead that in 1926 he predicted tritium, deuterium, neptunium, plutonium and other elements.

Recently, professional engineers Ron Kovac and Toby Grotz of Colorado, with help from Dr. Tim Binder, repeated Russell's 1927 work, which was verified at the time by Westinghouse Laboratories. Russell found a novel way to change the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen in water vapor inside a sealed quartz tube, or to change the vapor to completely different elements. Their conclusion agrees with Russell: the geometry of motion in space is important in atomic transmutation. Kovac shorthands that idea to geometry of space-bending.

These modern shape-shifters speak of Russell's feats such as prolate or oblate the oxygen nucleus into nitrogen or hydrogen or vice versa. To change nuclei, they change the shape of a magnetic field. Although they used expensive analyzing equipment, it is basically tabletop science. No atom-smashing cyclotron needed; just a gentle nudge using the right frequencies. Focus and un-focus light-motion, create a vortex and control it.

Cold fusion researchers are also running across strange elements popping up in their own electrified brews. No one is proposing to make gold and upset world currencies, but some experimenters aim to clean up radioactive waste by their novel processes.

7. ORGONE ACCUMULATOR

As Wilhelm Reich, M.D., (1897-1957) moved from Europe to Scandinavia to America, he left a trail of angry experts in every field he explored, from psychiatry to politics to sexology, biology, microscopy and cancer research. His work all led toward one unifying discovery, a mass-free pulsating life-force energy he named orgone, because he discovered it in living organisms before finding that it also permeates earth's atmosphere.

Reich's life ended in prison after prolonged conflict with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. His books and papers were burned by federal officials because the FDA had gathered a case against use of his orgone accumulator for therapy. The accumulator is a box made of layered organic and inorganic materials; experiments with it show anomalous results. An unusual temperature rise inside the accumulator indicates limitations of the second law of thermodynamics. Whether or not concentrated orgone can help with health problems, the accumulator does defy standard science.

8. The CLOUDBUSTER'

In 1952 Wilhelm Reich invented a method of rainmaking that doesn't involve cloudseeding with chemicals. Cloudbusting, otherwise known as etheric weather engineering, invokes principles that are hard for the conventionally trained mind to accept. The technology is low-tech; point some hollow metal pipes at the sky and connect their lower ends into running water. But unless you know both meteorology and orgonamy, please don't try this at home, on our planet.

Among the properties of the primordial energy, orgone, Reich observed, are its absorption into water, its role in controlling weather and its dangerous state when excited by radioactivity. The planet doesn't need any more mad-scientist experimenters manipulating natural systems, but it may need a more advanced understanding of what nuclear power plant emissions do to the atmosphere. (Reich's followers warn that the planet's life-force is disturbed by the excess radioactivity.)

9. THE RIFE MICROSCOPE & FREQUENCY GENERATOR

In the late 1920s Royal Raymond Rife of San Diego invented a high-magnification, high-resolution light microscope. This meant that he could see unstained living cells, unlike the dead specimens seen under an electron microscope. Basically, he developed an electromagnetic frequency generator which he could tune to the natural frequency of the micro-organism under study. Further, he learned that certain electromagnetic frequencies could kill specific bacterial forms.

New discoveries in biophysics not only shed light on the illumination process of Rife's microscope, they also explain how he could selectively explode viruses. His concept of shape changing bacteria indicates that traditional germ-theory dogma is incomplete. Despite documented cures, his non-drug, painless electrical treatment of diseases was not welcomed by a powerful medical union.

10. ELECTRONIC TELEPATHY DEVICE

When Patrick Flanagan was a teenager in the early 1960s, Life magazine listed him as one of the top scientists in the world. Among his inventions was the Neurophone, an electronic instrument that can program suggestions into a person directly through skin contact. He made the first Neurophone at age fourteen, out of kitchen junk, his electrodes were scouring pads made of fine copper wire and insulated with plastic bags. He then wired the electrodes to a special transformer attached to a hi-fi amplifier. Holding the pads on his temples, he could hear, inside his head, music from the amplifier. Later models automatically adjusted the signal to resonate with the human subject's skin as part of a complex circuit. Patent officials said it was impossible for a sound to be heard clearly without vibrating bones or going through a crucial nerve of the ear, and refused for 12 years to patent it. The file was re-opened when a nerve-deaf employee at the patent office did hear with a Neurophone.

At one time Flanagan researched man/dolphin language, on contracts with the U.S. Navy. This led to a 3-D holographic sound system that could place sounds in any location in space. He then perfected a Neurophone model which could be used for subliminal learning that would go into the brain's long-term memory banks. But after he sent in a patent application on a digital Neurophone, the Defense Intelligence Agency slapped on a Secrecy Order and he was unable to work on the device or talk to anyone about it for five years. This was discouraging, since the first patent took twelve years to get.

Having helped certain deaf people to hear, Flanagan's next miracle could be to help the blind to see. All we have to do is stimulate the skin with the right signals.

With public acceptance of inventions such as space-energy converters and super-learning devices, perhaps today's innovators will pull the establishment, kicking and scoffing, into a new world view before the 21st century. However, figure that there will always be experts to say Forget it: such things are impossible.

More space-energy converters will be pictured in a book by Jeane Manning, forthcoming from Avery Publishing Group this winter.

Top 10 High-Tech Car Safety Technologies

2006-12-10T02:37:00.000-08:00

By Tori Tellem

It's just a fact of life — we are living longer. And it's not just because of tofu, sunscreen and medical breakthroughs. Automakers are to thank (or curse) for this as much as doctors, since they are competitively blending performance and creature comforts with cutting-edge safety technology that tries to stay one step ahead of you — and everyone else on the road.

While pedestrian-friendly bumpers and cars that can drive themselves may seem like the faraway future of automotive safety, so did many of the features that are now industry standards for 2006-'07 models. It makes us wonder if the Jeep Grand Cherokee Concierge concept from 2002 — with an integrated heart defibrillator — might catch on as part of the next wave of safety.

Below are our top 10 choices for safety technologies, complete with a list of the automakers that offer them and their estimated costs.

Tire-pressure monitoring
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has required that all U.S. passenger vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less be equipped with a tire-pressure monitoring system by the 2008 model year. But it's already a safety feature in most new autos. (For example, BMW will have it as standard equipment on all of its models by the end of 2006.) Sensors at the wheels are able to alert you if the air pressure is too low by an audible warning, a light on the instrument panel, or both. You may also see more cars with run-flat tires (the Corvette, among the current offerings), which allow a vehicle to continue to run at a relatively high rate of speed for 50-plus miles.

Available from: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Porsche, Range Rover, Rolls-Royce, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

As an option, it typically costs less than $100.

Adaptive cruise control/collision mitigation
Modern cruise control goes beyond just maintaining a constant speed. Thanks to sensors and the use of radar, cruise control can now adjust the throttle and brakes to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you if there are changes in traffic speed or if a slowpoke cuts in. If the system senses a potential collision, it typically will brake hard and tighten the seatbelts. Once it knows the lane is clear or traffic has sped up, it will return your car to its original cruising speed, all without your input. Of course, you may override the system by touching the brakes. The Mercedes-Benz and Maybach systems go by a less obvious name: Distronic.

Available from: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Jaguar, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover, Toyota and Volvo.

As an option, it should cost $600-$3,100, but could be more if it's part of a package. (The Lexus LS 430 Ultra Luxury Selection package includes Dynamic Radar Cruise Control for $13,570, for example.)

Blind-spot detection/side assist/collision warning
This technology is designed to alert you to cars or objects in your blind spot during driving or parking, or both. Usually it will respond when you put on your turn signal; if it detects something in the way, it may flash a light in your mirror, cause the seat or steering wheel to vibrate, or sound an alarm. This is more of a short-range detection system.

Available from: Audi and Volvo.

As a stand-alone option on the Audi, it's $500; Volvo is TBA.

Lane-departure warning/wake-you-up safety
This is similar to blind-spot/side-assist technology but with more range. It judges an approaching vehicle's speed and distance to warn you of potential danger if you change lanes. However, because it doesn't necessarily require the turn signal, it can also warn if it determines your car is wandering out of the lane, such as if you are distracted. This could come in the form of a vibration through the seat or steering wheel, or an alarm. Down the road expect lane-departure warning to even be able to monitor body posture, head position and eye activity to decide if the driver is falling asleep and the vehicle is behaving erratically. At that point, the system may even be capable of slowing the car down and engaging stability control. Just in case.

Available from: Infiniti.

As an option, packages run $3,600-$10,500.

Rollover prevention/mitigation
Most automakers offer an electronic stability control system, and some offer a preparation system (seatbelts tighten, rollbars extend). However, what we're talking about is more intelligent than that. If the system senses a potential rollover (such as if you whip around a corner too fast or swerve sharply), it will apply the brakes and modulate throttle as needed to help you maintain control. DaimlerChrysler calls it Electronic Roll Mitigation, Ford named it Roll Stability Control, and GM's is Proactive Roll Avoidance. Range Rover's is Active Roll Mitigation, while Volvo's is called Roll-Over Protection System. But they all have the same goal.

Available with stability control systems from: Acura, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Jeep, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Range Rover and Volvo.

Occupant-sensitive/dual-stage airbags
All humans are not created equal, and airbags are evolving to compensate in the form of low-risk, multistage and occupant-sensitive deployment. Technology can now sense the different sizes and weights of occupants as well as seatbelt usage, abnormal seating position (such as reaching for the radio or bending to pick something off the floor), rear-facing child seats and even vehicle speed. While driver, passenger and side curtain airbags are nothing new, sensing airbags are popping up (so to speak) everywhere.

Available from: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Nissan, Pontiac, Rolls-Royce, Saab, Saturn, Scion, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Emergency brake assist/collision mitigation
This brake technology is different from an antilock braking system or electronic brakeforce distribution, in that it recognizes when the driver makes a panic stop (a quick shift from gas to brake pedal) and will apply additional brake pressure to help shorten the stopping distance. It may also work in conjunction with the smart cruise control or stability control system in some vehicles if it senses a potential collision. It is often called brake assist, although BMW, for example, refers to it as Dynamic Brake Control.

Available from: Acura, Audi, Aston Martin, BMW, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Saab, Scion, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo and Volkswagen.

Adaptive headlights and/or night-vision assist
Night vision can be executed in different forms, such as infrared headlamps or thermal-imaging cameras. But no matter the science, the goal is the same: to help you see farther down the road and to spot animals, people or trees in the path — even at nearly 1,000 feet away. An image is generated through a cockpit display, brightening the objects that are hard to see with the naked eye. Adaptive headlights follow the direction of the vehicle (bending the light as you go around corners). They may also be speed-sensitive (changing beam length or height), or compensate for ambient light.

Available from: Acura, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen and Volvo.
As an option: Prices vary; it's $700 as a stand-alone option on the Mercedes-Benz S550 but $6,550 for part of the car's Premium III package. The cost for most night-vision systems falls between those figures.

Rearview camera
Rearview cameras not only protect your car, but also protect children and animals from accidental back-overs. Backing up your car has graduated from side mirrors tilting down or causing chirps and beeps to real-time viewing. New-school tech involves a camera that works with the navigation system to provide a wide-open shot of what's happening behind you to help with parking or hooking up a trailer.

Available from: Acura, Audi, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen.

As an option: Expect to pay anywhere from $750 to $1,000 — or more, if part of a package.

Emergency response
There are a variety of ways vehicles now and in the future will handle an emergency situation. For example, DaimlerChrysler's Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS) turns on interior lighting, unlocks doors and shuts off fuel when airbags deploy, while Volkswagen's also switches on the hazards and disconnects the battery terminal from the alternator. In addition, GM's OnStar and BMW Assist both alert their respective response centers of the accident and make crash details available to emergency personnel.

Available from: Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Hummer, Jeep, Land Rover, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Volvo.

Optional: Some services may require a monthly fee, but provide additional capabilities beyond emergencies.

Fake chinese electronics selling better than the originals

2006-12-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt

It’s a funny old world. Chinese manufacturers are copying the circuit boards and designs of products from Japan and Korea, and they’re doing it so fast that by the time the originals arrive in the marketplace, they’re seen as the fakes!

China is a land of endless factories, with many pumping out the world’s most desirable gadgets, from iPods to portable computers to digital cameras and much more. But with so much electronics smarts to hand, the pirate electronics industry is very active.

Two reports on the Internet, here and here, have indicated that Chinese electronics pirates have been very busy, churning out excellent copies of LG’s Chocolate phone right down to the glowing touch-controlled keypad and smooth sliding action.

LG took so long to get a Chinese version ready, that by the time they launched theirs into the market, the copied Chinese version had been on sale for so long that LG’s phone was seen as the fake item copying the ‘original’ Chinese version.

Another example is the PSP. Rumoured to be coming out with in a version that contains a standard GSM mobile phone, a Chinese manufacturer came out with a phone that looks very much like a PSP, although not as wide, with a stack of pirated Nintendo games thrown in for good measure to beef up its gaming credentials, even if those games have been shamelessly ripped off from Nintendo.

Plenty of other goods, both electronic and otherwise, are routinely copied in China. Everything from designer clothes, handbags, Mont Blanc and other brand pens, expensive cars, golf clubs, jewellery, sports shoes (sneakers), many modern toys including many of the robots in the ‘Robosapien’ series and plenty more including CDs and DVDs is freely available from ‘markets’ all over China, and if you know where to look, at markets in Hong Kong, too.

The cars may not be so easily accessible from the markets, indeed that’s the one place you won’t find them, but the rest of the products are much more easily transportable and copyable that it’s no surprise they are widely available.

The electronics market is just the latest frontier, with costs of electronics production so low in China. Many of these products will not officially make it out of China, but will be smuggled out to appear in stores across Asia, and in likely much smaller quantities to first world Western countries.

The piracy of electronics is nothing new. In the 90s, I clearly remember fake Panasonic DVD players marked as ‘Panesoic’, a brand name so ridiculous only the incredibly dimwitted would mistake it for the original.

But sell these products do, especially in Asia where the prices are low, few questions are asked and in many cases, the quality is actually pretty good.

Samsung is said to have been so concerned by seeing its phones copied on the Chinese market that it tracked the distribution channels back to the source and discovered the electronics guys responsible for copying their latest products.

After offering them a job with Samsung and a chance to go legitimate, they are reported to have declined the offer, saying that they were able to make more money by simply continuing in their pirate ways. What Samsung did next is not known.

Eventually China will crack down on the blatant piracy seen on its shores, but until then, the world will keep on seeing ever more creative and ever better quality copies from Chinese manufacturers, along with complete duds that should definitely be avoided and products of varying quality everywhere in between.

What a funny old world we live in, where people will do almost anything and copy almost anything to make, or save, a buck.

Afghanistan, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania herders go high-tech

2006-12-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

Nomadic herders go high-tech

By Marsha Walton

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (CNN) -- Satellites, cell phones and spectrometers: Probably not the first things you think of when you picture sheep and goat herders in Afghanistan. But those modern tools may soon make the lives of nomadic families a little more stable.

Afghanistan is the latest location for projects coordinated by the University of California-Davis and Texas A&M University, to provide early warning systems about animal health and to help pinpoint the location of the healthiest grazing areas.

A $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development's Mission to Afghanistan will fund the effort for four years.

"Agriculture is so fundamental to helping people become economically self-sufficient," said Elsa Murano, dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. (Watch nomadic herders get a feel for 21st century technology )

"And the economic stability that comes from being able to sell your goods, produce your goods, and get an income from that is a stabilizing force like no other," she said.

Texas A&M research scientist Jay Angerer, who worked with herders in Mongolia, says there is a mixed reaction when he first explains the tools and how they might help.

"I think that they're welcoming in the sense that they're glad that someone is concerned about their issues and problems, and I think they're very curious and interested," said Angerer.

But he says it is also important to respect the understanding they have gained from generations of tending sheep, goats, cattle, and horses. In addition to the natural disasters of drought and dust storms, herding families in east Africa and Afghanistan have also had to survive civil wars and unstable governments.

"I always tell people that I train that this shouldn't be the only tool that you use to make a decision. There's lots of information out there," said Angerer.

The U.S. researchers are often joined by scientists and college students from the region to collect and analyze plant samples. That data about forage is added to information about climate and precipitation, some from satellite information, and some from ground reporting stations.

Computer models then predict how those plants will grow, based on soil conditions and rainfall. The researchers can then forecast where the richest vegetation will be, especially if drought or other crisis conditions exist.

"By giving that information you could provide the herder the information to know whether they need to sell animals, buy supplements or to make a decision that, 'I'm going to cope with this drought by hanging on just a little bit longer'," said Angerer.
Analyzing manure

The livestock experts also gain important clues about animal health from the herds' manure.

"We're using a very convenient product, manure, to determine what the animals were consuming, what their diet was, which tells us, are they healthy? Are they going to gain weight? Are they going to meet their reproductive demands?" said Kris Banik, lab manager at the Grazingland Animal Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M.

At that Texas lab, samples from farms and ranches are carefully dried and pulverized before they are analyzed with a Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy machine, or NIRS. The device provides a biochemical snapshot of the organic material, indicating how much protein and other digestible organic matter the animals have consumed.

But shepherds and herders, often on the move in mountains or deserts, do not have the luxury of a nearby lab. So researchers developed a tool to take to their turf.

A portable spectroscopy unit can accomplish the same thing, with almost instant results that can provide early warning to herders of their animals' health.

"If we can go out in the pasture in real time and be able to take a scan of that sample, and then be able to give an answer right then, we'll cut five days off that decision-making process," said Doug Tolleson, director of the Grazingland Animal Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M. "If you had a rapid onset of a drought, that could make a lot of difference."

When scientists arrive in a new region, one of the first tasks is to seek input from local experts.

Professor Robert Kaitho, an animal nutritionist at Texas A&M, has helped coordinate programs in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.

"I am trained in the region, and before I joined this project I had worked under the agriculture resource system for more than 20 years," said Kaitho.

"In the communities we are constantly providing them advisories. They were able to move the animals to areas where there was forage during drought, and were able to minimize their losses," he said.

And Kaitho says technology now goes beyond just keeping animals healthier. It can help families get a better price for their animals, through a cell phone, or any Internet connection. Sending a text message to a cell phone number will get within a couple of minutes the current market prices for livestock.

"They are able to get information otherwise that was only limited to middle men, and those who had connections in the cities," he said. "Now, the common people have access to that same information."

"We don't see it as our role at all to change their lifestyles," said Professor Paul Dyke, research scientist at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Texas A&M in Temple, Texas.

"It's to go in and try to give them information to really try to apply some of this, what seems to be and is fairly high-tech science and apply it down into what we generally think is the poorest of the poor. They are in very fragile lands, very marginal lands, and they face a lot of problems in knowing when to move and when to reduce herds," said Dyke.

"We have always been trying to push good science down to the level that it really makes a difference, and if we don't reach the people that it affects on a day to day basis, then as far as I am concerned, then we have missed our objectives," said Dyke.

In nearly three decades of global efforts, the academic teams also have worked with nongovernmental organizations including Mercy Corps, and various other international humanitarian aid agencies that work at the grassroots level.

"These are programs that have existed for 27 years, and what we have done is build strong partnerships with our local collaborators, in a way that they are involved in all the decision making about the design and implementation of these projects," said Montague Demment, professor of plant sciences and director of the UC Davis-based Global Livestock Collaborative Research Support Program.

In Afghanistan, the scientists will be working with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, and Kabul University.

"We not only have to understand the biology and the ecology, but you also have to understand the political and social context. Our folks on the ground have learned to become part of the local landscape," said Demment.

"One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to think that you understand all the answers to questions before you go into these situations. So in a sense, it takes some time on the ground to learn about the constraints, the cultural issues, and to be able to do this in an effective manner," said Demment.

So how do the herders feel about scientists from other countries bringing in their new tools to a very established lifestyle?

Michael J. Jacobs has been in Afghanistan for two months as the project coordinator for the Afghanistan Pastoral Engagement, Adaptation and Capacity Enhancement (PEACE) project.

He says he visited Policharkhe, an area where Kuchi tribespeople spend a few months between their summer and winter grazing lands.

Through a translator, Jacobs talked to one sheep and goat herder. At one point the translator started to chuckle. Jacobs asked him what the herder had said.

The translator said: "He is asking what took you so long to help them."

Group of Colorado scientists invent breathable rubber

2006-12-01T03:27:00.000-08:00

Suit Up! Breathable Rubber Keeps Chemicals Out without the Sweat

In this age of looming bioterrorism, keeping chemical warfare vapors off of soldiers is a primary military concern.

A group of Colorado scientists may have just come up with a solution that can keep troops safe while giving them the comfort of breathability.

In the past, military personnel had two choices: they could wear a breathing apparatus along with a full-body suit of cross-linked butyl rubber, or a garment fortified with activated carbon. Although the latter could adsorb any harmful aerosols floating their way, it was heavy--imagine wearing an outfit with charcoal stuffed in every pocket--and the carbon needed to be periodically replaced. As for the garment made of rubber, the same material used in hockey pucks and most waterproof clothing, it kept most agents out, but it also locked the soldier's sweat in--leading to heatstroke or even death, in some extreme cases.

Butyl rubber, a linear polymer, "is a really good barrier," says University of Colorado at Boulder chemist Douglas L. Gin, "but it's really good both ways."

Gin, along with Brian Elliott, a researcher at TDA Research in Wheat Ridge, Colo., led a team that sought to tweak butyl rubber for greater water transport through the material. In order to get butyl rubber into a state useful for a suit, the linear polymer must be cross-linked to make a three-dimensional network, which, according to Gin, "makes it more chemically, mechanically and thermally robust."

The researchers blended butyl rubber with liquid crystals that could be organized to form hydrophilic, 1.2-nanometer-wide pores. These holes would allow water to pass through, but they would block chemical agents that were either too big to fit or were hydrophobic and therefore repelled by the pores. Unfortunately, when testing the new material with water vapor and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES or "half mustard" gas), Gin and Elliott discovered that water vapor moved across the membrane, but not at a rate that would be acceptable for military use.

So the team went back to the drawing board, using a new liquid crystal that created, rather than pores, a "bicontinuous cubic" made up of interconnected, three-dimensional sheets.

"The first version was just pipes," explains Gin. "It's really easy to block a pipe--all you have to do is plug it somewhere in the middle and transport is completely stopped." With the second version, "it now is more like intercrisscrossing layers of water in three dimensions. So you get easy transport no matter which way water wants to go in or out."

Sure enough, when the scientists tested the water vapor transport rate for a four-micrometer-thick film of their new material, it performed at four times the minimum acceptable rate by the military and 300 times that of plain, cross-linked butyl rubber. It is also about 30 percent less permeable to CEES, making it more effective for protection against a chemical agent.

Gin and Elliott are now working to make their new, improved butyl rubber as effective at thinner swaths. They also believe they may be able to use the material not only in suits, but as filters for solutions from brine to contaminated water.

"The crux of our whole technology is we can take conventional commercial butyl rubber and, by blending it with our polymerizable liquid crystal, we can actually make these water conduits in there," Gin remarks. "And depending on the type of liquid crystals, we can control the dimensionality from one-dimensional cylinders or tubes to the much more effective interconnected 3-D water manifold system."

from here

Top ten map innovations (non-Google)

2006-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

by Wendy Boswell

1. Real time earthquake map

Not the most comforting of mapping utilities out there, but certainly one of the more intriguing. Watch earthquakes plotted in real time with the USGS Earthquake Map - it's quite hypnotizing to see little tremors (and some big shakes) rock and roll their way all around the world.

2. Atlas

Atlas is built on MSN's Virtual Earth platform. You can do some basic geography exploring, but you can also use Atlas to see if anyone's blogging near you, view local movie showtimes, check gas prices, and a few more nifty little tricks. Slow to load (for me), but worth the wait.

3. SIMILE Timeline

The SIMILE Timeline is a visual map of timely events. They've got a few examples to show you; my favorite is the Dinosaurs time map that is frankly utterly fascinating. You can make your own time map with SIMILE's simple directions, and check out Gina's previously-posted Roll your own timeline article about SIMILE.

4. Gutenkarte

Gutenkarte is a geographical literature map. For instance, say you want to see exactly all the places covered in the classic Around the World in 80 Days. You can view the book in full chapter by chapter AND view every mapped location in the Jules Verne classic. The interface could be a lot more intuitive; but it's a great way to get more out of literature.

5. MappedUp

MappedUp is a mapped visualization of global news events, tracked via multiple RSS feeds. If you're looking for up to the millisecond news updates, MappedUp probably won't be able to deliver; however, if you're looking for a visually pleasing way to view world news, then MappedUp should meet your needs.

6. Loki

Loki "pinpoints your exact physical location and then uses that location to make the web revolve around you, wherever you are." For example, if you're lost in downtown Portland because you took a left at the Chinese gardens and somehow ended up in the OHSU parking lot and are late for your cousin's wedding shower, Loki would be able to pinpoint your geo-location by instantly sending you a map via your mobile.

7. AuctionMapper

AuctionMapper is a completely unique way to view eBay listings. There are quite a few search options available to you: you can search by price, location, days left to bid, shipping costs, etc.; but the AuctionMapper feature I like best is the drag and drop. Simply find the category you're looking for and drag and drop it on the map; AuctionMapper quickly collates the geographical data for each item, potentially saving you a whole lot of costly shipping fees.

8. YES Map

YES is a map of American radio stations and the songs they are playing in real-time. Now you'll be able to tell just how many stations are really playing "White and Nerdy" (and possibly petition for more?).

9. Flickr Map

The Flickr Map has to be one of my favorites on this list of favorites. It's truly amazing how many people use Flickr all over the world, and this map has to be one of the most addicting on the list, especially if you choose to view it by "most interesting" (and yes, now I've just shot your productivity out the window).

10. Locale

Locale bills itself as a "random day out generator." It's a fun mashup of Flickr, MSN Virtual Earth, and various other programming goodies. For instance, say you've always had a hankering to visit Cannon Beach, Oregon: just check off the attractions you might be interested in, anything from Art Gallery to Music, and click "go". Locale retrieves all the local stuff you're interested in; plus, it grabs relevant photos from Flickr and maps your search results care of MSN. Pretty slick.

from here

How to create your own gadgets on the Google desktop?

2006-11-29T06:25:00.000-08:00

With so many interesting features in a single desktop, Google pack’s Google desktop is a unique multitask software tool. It includes Sidebar and Deskbar that have all the items lined up in a row and a set of mini applications that tell you everything from time to weather. These are called as gadgets and are a specialty of Google desktop. The gadgets in this desktop are to be downloaded from the site. But Google pack also gives programmers an option to create their own gadgets. These people can also create plug ins for the gadgets. Developers can now integrate Google Desktop with their own applications.

Firstly you have to download the Google desktop SDK. There are different reasons why software developers might want to create their own gadgets. One of the reasons may be that it enables displaying of personalized content in one of the desktop gadgets. These gadgets can also help the customers become aware of any new event as and when they take place. Sometimes a gadget can be customized so as to respond to a customer’s action. This may include writing of mails etc. Another process in creating gadgets is the writing of indexing plug ins. This will help your clients to search better. These may include the any email application such as Yahoo, Hotmail, Eudora or Lotus. Web history from browsers like Aol, Opal, Mozilla firefox, Internet explorer etc is also included. IM applications e.g. MSN and Yahoo messenger and file formats like Wordperfect, iTunes, Staroffice etc are also a part of the plug ins. Software developers can add Google Desktop search box and search results, to the applications.

Software developers can use their creativity to make different useful gadgets and indexing plug ins. If your creation is chosen to be included the Google directory, it will be viewed by a number of Google users. And you will get a reward for this. It is a Google hat, a Google pen and Google Desktop Developer T-shirts. This offer is however valid only till the stock lasts. To help you tackle your problems there is a Google Desktop API discussion group. Here you may find answers to your solutions or interact with other users who might have faced similar problems. This group is occasionally supervised by the Google desktop team and the queries are accordingly answered. There is also an online documentation available for answering your doubts.

Google Desktop always accompanied by API. But what is the need for API? Around a million applications are used for Windows. And around a millions of file formats are used in this process. Software developers can write plug ins, which can help Google Desktop in indexing these many files and applications. API encourages creative gadgets that are unique in the type of data content and the way it is displayed. Software developers are allowed to have Google desktop embedded in their own applications. This increases the speed of data access to users.

from here

Japanese scientist has invented Water Battery

2006-11-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

A Japanese scientist has invented a new kind of water-powered battery which can be recycled several times - and it's as powerful as a conventional battery. He said, if mass-produced, it could cost as little as a tenth of the price of conventional batteries.

Here you can find some video on EuroNews site.

"This battery can never be activated without water. It can keep for many more years than normal batteries. It could be an ideal tool in disaster prevention. ... For example, when you get lost on a mountain, by licking its surface you could get electriciy for a flashlight or radio."

Batteries Powered By Water [Reuters via Engadget]

One Laptop Per Child hardware specification

2006-11-27T02:38:00.000-08:00

Features
CPU: AMD Geode GX2-500 at 1.1W, with integrated graphics controller
CPU clock speed: 366 Mhz
SVGA 7.5" diagonal transmissive and reflective liquid crystal display used in one of two modes:
Reflective “sunlight readable” monochrome mode with 1200 by 900 screen resolution (for e-book reading outdoors—this is 200dpi)
Transmissive Color mode with approximately 800x600 pixel resolution with backlighting (for laptop use)

Depending on mode, power consumption of the display is between .1 and one watt.
128 MiB of Dual – DDR266 – 133 Mhz DRAM
1024 KiB flash ROM with open-source LinuxBIOS
512 MiB of SLC NAND flash memory
External SD card slot
VGA resolution (640x480) color camera
Wireless networking using an “Extended Range” 802.11b/g wireless chipset run at a low bitrate (2 Mbit/s) to minimize power consumption.
Marvell 8388 wireless chip, chosen due to its ability to autonomously forward packets in the mesh even if the CPU is powered off.
Dual adjustable antennae for diversity reception.
Conventional layout alphanumeric keyboard localized for the country of use.
Dual five-key cursor-control pads; four directional keys plus Enter
Touchpad for mouse control and handwriting input
Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in microphone
Audio based on the AC97 codec, with jacks for external stereo speakers and microphones, Line-out, and Mic-in
3 external USB2 ports.
Power sources:
DC input, ±10–25 V
5-cell rechargeable NiMH battery pack, 22.8 watt-hour (82 KJ) capacity

Intentionally omitted features
In keeping with its goals of robustness and low power consumption, the design of the laptop intentionally omits all motor-driven moving parts; it has no hard drive, no optical (CD/DVD), or floppy drives and no fans. An ATA interface is unnecessary due to the lack of hard drive. There is also no PC Card slot, although an SD slot will be available.

Floppy disks, hard disks, CD drives, DVD drives, USB drives, and many other peripherals can be connected via the USB ports. Further expansion is available through an external SD card slot.

A built-in hand-crank generator was part of the original design, but Negroponte stated at a 2006 LinuxWorld talk that it was no longer integrated into the laptop itself, but optionally available as a hand- or foot-operated generator built into a separate power unit.

Power consumption
The power consumption design target is 4W total power consumption for the device in laptop mode; consumption in e-book mode is estimated to be 0.3 to 0.8W. By contrast, typical Apple laptops idle around 15W and peak at around 20W; with reduced backlight and CPU performance and Wifi/Bluetooth disabled, they can reach 11W; and even in sleep mode they consume 2W.

In e-book mode, all hardware sub-systems are powered down except the monochrome display (including any display backlighting). When the user moves to a different page the system wakes up, draws the new page on the display and then goes back to sleep.

Display
The first-generation OLPC laptops are expected to have a novel low-cost liquid crystal display. Later generations of the OLPC laptop are expected to use low-cost, low-power and high-resolution electronic paper displays.

The display is the most expensive component of the OLPC Laptop. In April 2005, Negroponte hired Mary Lou Jepsen—who is expected to join the Media Arts and Sciences faculty at the MIT Media Lab in September 2007—as OLPC Chief Technology Officer. Jepsen is developing a new display for the first-generation OLPC laptop, which is derived from the design of small LCDs used in portable DVD players, which she estimated would cost about $35.

Jepsen has described the removal of the filters that color the RGB subpixels as the critical design innovation in the new liquid crystal display. Instead of using subtractive color filters, the display uses a plastic diffraction grating and lenses on the rear of the LCD to illuminate the colored subpixels. This grating pattern is stamped using the same technology used to make DVDs. The grating splits the light from the white backlight into a spectrum. The red, green and blue components are diffracted into the correct positions to illuminate the corresponding R, G or B subpixels. This innovation results in a much brighter display and a corresponding reduction in backlight illumination: While the color filters in a regular display typically absorb 85% of the light that hits them, this display absorbs little of that light.

The remainder of the LCD uses existing display technology and can be made using existing manufacturing equipment. Even the masks can be made using combinations of existing materials and processes.

The display is transmissive with backlighting when used in color/DVD mode. The conventional cold cathode fluorescent lamp backlighting, which accounts for 30% of the cost of a conventional LCD, has been replaced with a lower-power, less fragile alternative such as white LEDs for use at low light levels. This form of backlighting should also improve the color gamut of the display. The display is a reflective display (with no backlighting) when used in monochrome mode for displaying e-book pages. Mode change occurs with a change in use of the device. The landscape format color display is used in laptop mode, whereas the portrait format monochrome display is used in e-book mode, so the displayed pages can be “read vertically like a book”. This is the so-called “curl-up-in-bed mode” to enable reading of e-books for an extended time in bright light such as sunlight.[16] Negroponte has said at the Technology Review’s Fifth Annual Emerging Technologies Conference that the monochrome display has four times the resolution of the color display.

The dual-mode display was not operational in the WSIS prototype. The prototypes were shown with conventional transmission TFT LCDs.

Wireless networking
IEEE 802.11b support will be provided using a Wi-Fi “Extended Range” chipset. Jepsen has said the wireless chipset will be run at a low bitrate, 2Mbit/s maximum rather than the usual higher speed 5.5Mbit/s or 11Mbit/s to minimize power consumption.

Whenever the laptop is powered on it will participate in a mobile ad-hoc network with each node operating in a peer-to-peer fashion with other laptops it can hear and forwarding packets across the cloud. If a computer in the cloud has access to the Internet (either directly or indirectly) then all computers in the cloud will be able to access the net. The data rate across this network will not be high but similar networks like the store and forward Motoman project have supported email services to 1000 schoolchildren in Cambodia, according to Negroponte. The data rate should be sufficient for asynchronous network applications such as email to communicate outside the cloud rather than interactive uses, like web browsing, or high-bandwidth applications, such as video streaming. Interactive network communication should be possible inside the cloud.

The conventional IEEE 802.11b system only handles traffic within a local cloud of wireless devices in a manner similar to an Ethernet network. Each node transmits and receives its own data but does not route packets between two nodes that cannot communicate directly. The OLPC laptop will use IEEE 802.11s to form the wireless mesh network.

Keyboard and touchpad
Negroponte and Jepsen have said the keyboard will be changed to suit local needs to match the standard keyboard for the country in which it is used. Some versions of prototype were shown at World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) with a detachable keyboard (tethered by a cord); however, the working prototype demonstrated in May 2006 had a conventional built-in keyboard.

Negroponte has demanded that the keyboard will not contain a caps lock key, which frees up keyboard real estate for new keys such as a "view source" key.

Beneath the keyboard is a large area that resembles a very wide touchpad that Jepsen referred to as the “mousepad”. Negroponte has said that this device can be used for “calligraphy” presumably to support languages that use ideograms. This also implies that it will support both fingers and pen-like devices. The trackpad was not operational in the WSIS prototype.

Enclosure
The enclosure is dirt- and moisture-resistant and is constructed with 2mm-thick plastic—thicker than typical laptops. It features a pivoting, reversible display, movable WiFi antennas, and a sealed rubber-membrane keyboard.

The laptop will use the Sugar graphical user interface, written in Python, on top of the X Window System.

from wikipedia.org

The Greatest Chinese Inventions and Remedies

2006-11-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

Chinese are everywhere and they are invent almost everything. Here the list of some their invents.

Some of the greatest inventions in the world were by made by the Chinese. In the T'ang dynasty, fireworks were invented. These were originally for shows, but later on they used them to scare of enemies in war. The fireworks were mainly small bamboo cases filled with gunpowder, and a fuse was put on the side.

In the Han dynasty, they invented the wheelbarrow, which was for carrying loads too heavy for a normal person's back to support. The wheelbarrow was originally wood, so the Chinese nick named it the 'wooden ox'.

The compass was for religious use. When a new houses was being built, the used it to see if the house was faced in perfect harmony with nature (which meant they thought if you faced your house to magnetic north, you and nature would get along). The compass started out as a wooden circle with markings on it, and a magnetic spoon on top.

Designed with a machine called the Earthquake weathercock, which was a contraption that told them when and where an earthquake would come. This machine looked like a giant six-foot bronze pot that had dragon heads lining the top, and ivory frogs under each dragon.

Spaghetti

The Chinese first manufactured the 'fan', which was mostly carried by women and soldiers. Most of the fans were made out of bamboo and silk. The fan was basically many bamboo spines sticking out in almost a half circle with silk wrapped around it.

First to create kites, which mostly children played with. The kites were most of the time silk squares, held together by bamboo.

Created many things with bamboo, which made a lot of baskets and holders and were really strong.

The Chinese were the first to discover iron casting around the sixth century, when they mixed tin and copper together.

Revolutionized agriculture by harnessing animals

made boats modern with magnetic compasses, sternpost rudders and watertight flamboyance, plus many other things to long to tell.

The first clock that they devised was for astronomical uses. In the first clock ever, there was a puppet that would hold up a plaque that would tell the time. They also invented giant water clocks, which rang every fifteen minutes.

The first blast furnace, which was water powered.

To Chinese, jade was more valuable then gold.

They invented the first object for counting, called an abacus.

The Chinese used a method of medicine called acupuncture

They were the first to discover the rudder

Processed grain with bamboo machinery

They made most toys, machines, houses, and other things from bamboo.

The Chinese also were the first to think of harvesting silk, and make clothes, fans, kites, toys, paper, and lots of other things from it.

They produced the first planetarium, which was actually made by an emperor. The planetarium was a big enclosed place with stars and constellations on the inside. The person using the planetarium would sit in a chair that was hanging from the top of the enclosed dome.

In the 3rd century, they a found a wine that acted like anesthetic, and they also used herbs before the age of written history

Ten necessary steps to becoming an astronaut

2006-11-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

It's a long hard voyage to become an astronaut, but today in the US over 200 men and women are training and traveling into space. Here are the necessary steps:

Work hard in school and get good grades.
Study as much math and science as you can.
Do well on your SATs and go to a good college.
Study languages other than English - Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and French would all be useful.
Get yourself into good physical shape - you need to have good blood pressure and good eyesight to be an astronaut.
Be a good team player, and make sure that you can work well with others.
Learn to fly, and get a citizen's pilot license.
Attend a good graduate school, studying science or engineering.
When you're out of graduate school, apply to NASA. Another good tip that would help you out is to get involved in Space camps. They will teach you many different things, and you will know for sure if being an Astronaut is something that you would like to do.
NASA chooses its astronauts from an increasingly diverse pool of applicants that, "looks like America". From thousands of applications from all over the world, approximately 100 men and women are chosen for an intensive astronaut candidate training program every two years.

The study time involved is no more lengthy than that of any other professional career requiring graduate/post-graduate study. If becoming an astronaut is a dream, held long and steadfast, than this labor will be one of love.

SPH-P9000, the Samsung WiMAX and CDMA EV-DO PDA-PC

2006-11-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

Samsung just busted the entire planet with their latest toy! If you thought Sony had something cool with their UX90, well, think again! Here’s the SPH-P9000 Deluxe MITs, a PC shaped like a PDA, with Windows XP, a 30GB hard disk, 256MB of RAM, a 5” display, a 1GHz CPU, WiMAX, CDMA EV-DO, and a 1.3Mpix camera. It measures 143x94x29mm and weights 580g. That’s it, I officially declare now that Japan has dropped down to the level of Europe and the USA, in terms of geekiness. Korea has become the almighty country!

Seoul, Nov 07 2006 (Korea Newswire)-- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in telecommunication network systems and handsets, unveiled the latest in mobile convergence device, the SPH-P9000 Deluxe MITs at Mobile WiMAX Summit 2006. The SPH-P9000 is the true convergence device capable of voice and multimedia data communications through Mobile WiMAX technology.

The SPH-P9000 is the ideal companion for users to usher in the new era of mobile convergence technology. The expected growth of Mobile WiMAX services will result in an increasing demand for multi-functional devices. The SPH-P9000 is a PDA-based device utilizing Mobile WiMAX and CDMA EV-DO connectivity. Users will have wireless access to the Internet utilizing Mobile WiMAX connectivity. Simultaneously, the CDMA EV-DO technology provides mobile phone connection for voice communication. With Microsoft Windows XP as the operating system, users will find the contents and applications familiar and easy to use for work and play.

The SPH-P9000 comes with a QWERTY keyboard for painless typing and internet surfing, while the MP3 player function, VOD, and camera function provide a quick access to multimedia entertainment. The five inch WVGA screen is prepared for movie and document viewing, while the 30GB hard drive stores music, movies, and documents. All of these unique features are combined into one device that weighs in at a little over one pound. The SPH-P9000 is truly a unique and versatile mobile device.

Kitae Lee, President of the Telecommunication Network Business at Samsung Electronics, says “Our new SPH-P9000 is just one of the few Mobile WiMAX convergence devices to be introduced to the world. Samsung will expand our portfolio of mobile convergence devices, as we expect to expand our global Mobile WiMAX services globally.“ He adds, “Samsung will continuously drive the market with pioneering telecommunication technology and services. Samsung will meet the demands of Mobile WiMAX services and convergence devices by delivering the right combination of technology and design,”

The SPH-P9000 will be launched in Korea first half of 2007.

from here

Guide to Saving Energy in your Office

2006-10-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

The following ten energy-saving tips are offered to help reduce energy consumption.

1 LIGHTS OUT Turn off lights in any room when lights are no longer needed. Lighting accounts for 5 percent to 10 percent of total energy use; when multiplied by the number of users, the potential for waste is enormous. Make the most of natural daylight, using incandescent bulbs sparingly (they are the cheapest but least efficient light source), using task rather than general lighting, using fluorescent lighting when possible and turning off unnecessary lights. Be proactive; turn off incandescent lights whenever they are not needed, and turn off fluorescent lights if they will not be needed for 10 minutes or longer (turning a light back on does not use more electricity than leaving it on, but fluorescent fixture life is decreased if switching is too frequent). If bi-level switching or dimmers are available, use the lowest setting that meets your need.

2 COMPUTERS, PHOTOCOPIERS AND PRINTERS Turn off your desktop computer and all peripherals over weekends, as well as any office photocopiers and printers. Turn off the monitor when you leave your desk for a meeting or overnight. Monitors consume a significant portion of the energy used by PCs. Trends toward larger displays, more color, and higher resolution have increased the amount of energy required to operate monitors. If you are replacing a monitor, choose an LCD display. LCDs use much less energy than CRTs. If you must leave your computer on for off-campus access, use the power management built in to your operating system (Windows: Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options; Mac: System Preferences > Energy Saver) to automatically reduce energy use. There are at least 15,000 and perhaps as many as 18,000 computers at office. If each were turned off, or powered down during non-use periods, the potential for significant savings exists. Or, use a laptop: a typical laptop computer has a power consumption of 30 watts. A typical desktop PC, with conventional display, consumes about 5 times as much. Printers are typically left on for extended periods of time but are active only for a small percentage of that time. This means conventional printers can waste a significant amount of energy. Laser printers consume the most energy. When purchasing, select a printer with power management capabilities. Printers with automatic "power down" features can reduce electricity use by over 65 percent.

3 THERMOSTATS UNL has many different heating and cooling systems, which makes it difficult to give general rules about thermostat use. While you will almost always save energy by turning your home thermostat down (up in summer) when you're away, that action can have the opposite effect in some office buildings. Use the thermostat to maintain comfortable conditions in your workspace, and set it at the desired room temperature. During non-use periods, Facilities Management & Planning makes customized adjustments to most buildings' heating and cooling systems to reduce energy use as much as possible.

4 SPACE HEATERS While it may be cool on winter mornings after an overnight HVAC shutdown, the use of space heaters is strongly discouraged. Standard electric space heaters consume 1500 watts at their typical highest setting; that's essentially the energy footprint of 10 desktop computers with monitors.

5 APPLIANCES Turn off coffee pots and similar appliances when they are not in use. A typical coffee pot costs 4 cents per use and another 4 cents per hour to keep the coffee warm. Radios and TVs should be turned off when out of the office.

6 PERSONAL DRESS Wear clothing appropriate to the season and weather – lightweight clothing in summer and warmer clothes in winter. Wear layers so you can adapt to varying conditions in your workspace and still be comfortable.

7 WINDOWS In winter, drapes or blinds should be open when windows are in direct sunlight or you are using the daylight, and closed otherwise. During summer, close drapes or blinds to prevent direct sunlight from entering the room. Try not to use windows for temperature control.

8 DOORS Use revolving doors where available. Vestibule doors should not be propped open and should always close and latch behind you.

9 EXHAUST FANS Turn off small exhaust fans when they are not needed. Close laboratory fume hood doors whenever the hood is not being used (and whenever possible, even during use).

10 MAINTENANCE Notify your building maintenance reporter if your work area is overheated in the winter or overcooled in summer. Do not habitually open a window to get rid of excess heat in the winter.

Is Wi-Fi Bad for Your Health?

2006-09-27T01:23:00.000-07:00

By Paul Swider

With the convenience and growing acceptance of Wi-Fi, one can easily forget about the days of stringing cables and being tied to a workstation. But what if Wi-Fi itself were making you forget?

According to a lawsuit filed in a suburb of Chicago, continued exposure to 802.11 signals might be causing damage that could result in memory loss or other neurological harm, at least in relation to children. The suit, filed against the Oak Park school district by some concerned parents, may well be the first ever to contend Wi-Fi could be a physical danger.

"It's clear to us that there are a lot of experts who say there are potential risks," said Ron Baiman, a parent of two of the student plaintiffs and part of Safe Technology for Oak Park (STOP), the citizens group behind the lawsuit. "When the scientific community is so hotly divided, why should [the school] jump in?"

Not everyone agrees there is a hot debate on the issue. Baiman, whose group is seeking class-action status on behalf of the roughly 5,000 students in Oak Park Elementary School District 97, refers to hundreds of citations in the scientific literature that suggest physical or neurological damage from exposure to microwaves and other radio emissions. Others in the community suggest there is no pertinent research and negligible risk.

Baiman references a study at the University of Washington in which rats lost long-term memory after exposure to radiation and to another study in Sweden that appeared to show brain damage in "teenage" rats still growing and developing. Critics of the lawsuit argue that these studies and other research the lawsuit leans on have to do with technologies other than Wi-Fi and were performed under somewhat suspect circumstances.

"There is no compelling body of data," said Dr. David McCormick, a toxicologist at the IIT Research Institute in Chicago and a resident of Oak Park. "Anybody can speculate about anything they want but there is no body of scientific evidence to support them.

"The lawsuit has no merit to it."

The suit, filed Sept. 26, does not contend the school system's wireless local area network (WLAN) has done damage and seeks no cash awards, Baiman said. Filing suit was the culmination of a process that lasted many months, during which Baiman's and two other families sought to have the schools remove their Wi-Fi or at least adopt a formal policy recognizing conflicting opinions and giving parents the option to have their kids stay away from the system. After two different school boards refused the parents' request, Baiman and the others filed suit. A hearing is scheduled in February.

"We're not trying to burden the schools with a lawsuit," Baiman said. "We just want them to let the parents decide."

School district representatives say parents have the option to keep their kids away from the WLAN but that none but Baiman's group has shown any interest in doing so. The school district in the upscale community sent a notice this fall to all parents indicating that the schools use Wi-Fi and soliciting questions but received only one call from a parent seeking clarification.

The district has had a WLAN in use in several schools since 1995, said Steve Chowanski, the director of information services. In 1999, they upgraded to a more robust system and broadened the reach of the network. Still, the network is not pervasive, Chowanski said, and is mainly wheeled into and switched on in most classrooms on an as-needed basis. Schools' media centers have an always-on network. Only in 2001 when STOP raised the issue did any parents question the use of Wi-Fi.

Gail Crantz, the school district's community relations liaison, says Oak Park is a very progressive community full of activist people. She also said Wi-Fi is prevalent in town, and is used in many businesses, municipal facilities and even hospitals. She said the widespread use of the technology and the research the schools have done should be enough to satisfy concerned parents. The schools continue to monitor the network and students' use of it as a precaution even though experts contend there is no need for undue concern.

"We can't say there is no effect because it really hasn't been studied on humans," said Dr. Faith Davis, an epidemiologist at the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "We can say that, based on what we know, there is no reason for alarm."

Davis, also an Oak Park resident whose own son has been in the school system longer that the WLAN has been in operation, said there are no human studies related to 802.11 and that those related to cell phones or similar devices cannot readily indicate a danger from Wi-Fi. She said cell-phone studies are far from conclusive and that animal studies are difficult to apply accurately to human conditions.

"There's a tremendous amount of noise in the biological system," said Davis, who, like McCormick, had publicly addressed the school board on the Wi-Fi issue. "Just because you see a cellular change in an animal or in a petri dish, you can't conclude that you will see one in humans."

Industry representatives point out that whatever research hints at danger from cell phones or other devices cannot apply to Wi-Fi because the technologies are not identical. Not only is Wi-Fi a "bursting" technology, said Dennis Eaton, the chairman of the Wi-Fi Alliance, but it operates at much lower power [levels?] than cell phones. Furthermore, the distance from the transmitter reduces geometrically the amount of radiation that reaches the user: cell phones are often right up against heads while Wi-Fi access points are often many feet or yards away.

"I guess it's natural that people are concerned about radio frequency emissions," Eaton said. "We can certainly understand that. But you don't see warnings about pacemakers on Wi-Fi equipment the way you did on microwave ovens."

Eaton noted that this is the first such lawsuit the industry is aware of. He said there's been no concern among manufacturers or their insurers that any liability could exist from use of their products. He said government certification ought to be enough to convince people that the technology is safe. But that is not enough reassurance for everyone.

"When the school board says, 'Trust us,' I'm reluctant," said Terry Buehler, the attorney filing the lawsuit and also a parent of an Oak Park student, though not a plaintiff. Baiman likewise indicates such traditional sources of security are not always reliable.

"Most of the research there is funded by the industry," he said, "and whenever anyone turns up anything negative, they get fired or blocked so the industry can claim the research cannot be replicated."

Baiman said he doesn't consider the situation as conspiratorial as alleged in tobacco lawsuits but he is curious why there is little media attention paid to what questions do arise from such technology.

"There are a lot of vested interests," he said. "You always wonder."

Baiman said the lawsuit is an effort to question and be cautious because children are so vulnerable. Asking for a moratorium on Wi-Fi usage is a means to avoid a risk that may not appear for decades if no one steps up now.

"People say, 'Everyone's doing it so it must be safe,'" he said. "I don't find that convincing."

Volkner Mobile Unveils Luxurious Motorcoach With Built-In Garage

2006-09-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

We have earlier told you about some luxury motorcoaches that has it all you need on your outdoor vacation from luxurious comforts of your home to the hi-tech gadgets you can’t live without! You name it and they have it! The only trouble you might face is when you want to take a round of the city or explore nearby places, you have no other option than your RV, which might not be a good idea for parking space trouble. So, how about carrying one of your car along! The German RV manufactuer Volkner Mobile is now offering a built-in garage facility along with the other luxuries in its motorcoach. The Volkner Mobil mobile home features a mobile garage situated between the front and rear axles that can stow lower cars like the BMW Z4, MINI Cooper convertible and Mercedes-Benz SLK. The slide-out platform can accomodate any vehicle up to five meters in length. The luxurious Volkner Mobil mobile home is on display at the International Caravan Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany, until September 3.

Top Ten Inventor Myths

2006-09-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

By

Mike Dorkoski

Assistant Director for Technical Consulting

Bucknell University SBDC

10. I don’t need a business plan. Of course you don’t need a plan. You’re an expert at this, having done it so many times now. Big league coaches don’t bother to plan for a game; they don’t really care that much about the outcome, anyway. Generals don’t make war plans. Surgeons don’t have the right knowledge, staff and tools at the ready. Just wing it; you’ll do fine.

9. There are plenty of grants to fund my invention. If you are a PhD. involved in cutting-edge research, yes, there are grants available. For the rest of us it will not be that easy, regardless of what you heard on TV from the question mark guy. Prepare to invest your hard-earned cash, along side the hard-earned cash of others.

8. I don’t need help; I’d have to share the profit. Let’s see…didn’t some California gold rush miners have this mentality? “The mine is mine, it’s all mine, mine I tells ya’.” Too bad they couldn’t get the gold out to market without the picks, shovels, dynamite and mules potential partners had at their disposal. Inspiration may be the purview of the individual but getting it to market takes a team.

7. People will invest because of my enthusiasm. Anybody with any sense will invest because they think it will bring them a nice return for the risk they’re taking in you. Prove to investors you’ve worked long and hard enough to find out what the risks are and how to mitigate them.

6. Everybody will want one because my mom/ sister/ cousin/ best friend told me so. Ahhhhhh, just to be sure, you might want to ask a few people who are not expecting to spend the rest of their lives in your presence. Just to be sure, mind you.

5. I can license my idea. Sure, if it’s so outstanding, and so well-protected, and so good a fit with a company’s present product line, and you can get to the right people, and so on. If the planets align in just such a way, you’ll get checks in the mail without having to earn them. People have done it, but more pigs fly.

4. You’ll do that for me, right? No. Many will be happy to assist you; nobody is going to do it for you.

3. I need a patent to keep competitors away. Nothing short of heavenly intervention will keep competition away, so you may as well plan for the inevitable. Think timely action and reaction (like speed chess), not shoot and pause (like a video game).

2. If I build it, they will come. A working prototype is well, well down the road of things to do. A question we like to ask is, “If you had a warehouse full of them right now, what would you do with them?” If you don’t know exactly, see number 10.

1. It’s the idea that makes you rich! As of this writing, there are about 6,684,000 utility patents issued. Right about 2% of those make money. It’s safe to assume, too, that the likes of mega-corporations can be counted in among the money makers. For individual inventors, making money tends to have a lot more to do with the inventor’s hard work than with how great an idea they stumble upon.

The most important rule of all for successful inventing is an easy one to remember, though many forget. Lots…and lots…of people need to buy your product for you to make lots…and lots…of money. They will only buy in large numbers if what you are offering is needed by them and superior to everyone else’s offering to them.

Find a problem, solve the problem, faster to market than anyone else and you will likely succeed. Perhaps, even wildly succeed.

Development of ternary computers at Moscow State University

2006-08-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

by Brousentsov N. P., Maslov S. P., Ramil Alvarez J., Zhogolev E.A.

It is known that the ternary arithmetic has essential advantages as compared with the binary one that is used in present-day computers. In connection with this Donald Knuth assumed that the replacement of "flip-flop" for "flip-flap-flop" one a "good" day will nevertheless happen. Now, when the binary computers predominate, it is hard to believe in a reality of such assumption, but if it would happen not only the computer arithmetic, but the informatics on the whole would become most simple and most perfect. The third value (Aristotle named it snmbebhkoV – attendant) what is very actual but hidden in binary logic, will become obvious and direct manipulated. Ternary logic has better accordance with the Nature and human informal thinking. Unfortunately, the modern researches of the multivalued (non-binary) logic are formal and are not associated with practical requests.

A remarkable exclusion is the experience of creating the ternary computers "Setun" and "Setun 70" at Moscow State University. This experience convincingly confirms practical preferences of ternary digital technique.

The design of small digital machine "Setun" (Setun is the little river which flows into the river "Moscow" near the University) was initiated by member of the academy of Sciences S. L. Sobolev at 1956. It was assumed to create small, inexpensive computer, simple in use and service for schools, research laboratories, design offices and for manufacture control. For such goal at the computer center of the University there was formed a group of young men (4 MS and 5 BA). The joint seminar for engineers and programmers was organized and S. L. Sobolev, K. A. Semendjev, M. R. Shura-Bura, I. S. Berezin were its permanent participants. The problems of optimization of computer architecture and technical realization were examined and the variants of future computer were discussed.

Due to the low reliability of the computer elements on vacuum tubes and inaccessibility of transistors the fast elements on miniature ferrite cores and semiconductor diodes were designed. These elements work as a controlled current transformer and were an effective base for implementation of the threshold logic and its ternary version in particular [7]. Ternary threshold logic elements as compared with the binary ones provide more speed and reliability, require less equipment and power. These were reasons to design a ternary computer.

"Setun" is a sequential computer containing the fast multiplier, thanks to the speed of operation as in parallel devices is achieved. The small (3 pages of 54 words) ferrite RAM that has page exchange with the main magnetic drum memory works as a cash.

"Setun" has an one-address architecture with one index-register. The contents of it, in dependence of value (+,0,-) of address modification trit, may be added to or subtracted from the address part of instruction. The instruction set consists only of 24 instructions including performing mantissa normalization for floating-point calculation, shift, combined multiplication and addition. Three instructions are reserved but have never been used because of the lack of necessity.

Simplicity, economy and elegance of computer architecture are the direct and practically very important consequence of the ternarity, more exactly – of representation of data and instructions by symmetrical (balanced) code, i.e. by code with digits 0, +1, -1. In opposite to binary code there is no difference between "signed" and "unsigned" number. As a result the amount of conditional instructions is decrease twice and it is possible to use them more easily; the arithmetic operations allow free variation of the length of operands and may be executed with different lengths; the ideal rounding is achieved simply by truncation, i.e. the truncation coincides with the rounding and there is the best approximation the rounding number by rounded.

The experience of creating, programming and application of "Setun" unambiguously confirmed the significant preferences of ternarity. In spite of the fact that the designers of the first were very young and the group was small, the specimen of "Setun" was ready in Dec. 1958, i.e. in two years since the beginning. "Setun" worked correctly at once without even debugging and began to execute the existing programs. At 1960 it was sufficient amount of programs and it was possible to present "Setun" for the official testing.

Such testing was passed in Apr. 1960 very successfully. The computer demonstrated unusual for that times reliability and stability of operation in wide range of ambient temperature and supply voltage. It was found that the computer is rather simple both in manufacturing and in service, suitable for wide range of applications. "Setun" was recommended for production.

Unfortunately the officials of the computer production in the USSR had negative position about non-planned and unusual "fruit of university fantasy". Instead of supporting the innovation and taking a possible profit they permanently attempted to annihilate "ugly duckling". There were many orders of "Setun", including ones for export, but only 10-15 computers were produced annually and none of them was exported aboard. The planned manufacture of "Setun" in Czechoslovakia was also broken. At 1965 the manufacturing of "Setun" was stopped in spite of unsatisfied requests. It was replaced by a binary computer of the same performance but more than 2.5 times more expensive.

In total there were produced 50 computers (including the specimens). The 30 ones were installed at universities and colleges, the rest – at research laboratories and plants. Geographically "Setun" were scattered all over the country – from Kaliningrad to Jakutsk and from Ashkhabad to Novosibirsk.

It was found that ternary computer is very favorable for seizing and application. Simplicity of programming in codes (it was decided not to make an assembler) permitted to design a few interpreters mostly in Polish inverse (postfix) notation. On such base it was possible to program the different tasks from engineering calculations and experimental results processing to manufacturing control and computer education.

On the base of "Setun’s" positive experience it was designed and exhaustively determined in Algol-like programming language the architecture of other ternary computer. This computer named "Setun 70" was introduced in 1970. In "Setun 70" the peculiarities of ternarity are embodied with more understanding and completeness: the ternary format for symbols encoding – "tryte" (analog of binary byte) consisting of 6 trits (~9.5 bits) is established; the instruction set is updated of auxiliary ternary logic and control instructions; arithmetic instructions now allow more variation of operand length – 1, 2 and 3 trytes and length of result may be up to 6 trytes.

The possibility to vary the length of the word-operands is expanded to the word-instructions. More exactly, in "Setun 70" the traditional conception of computer instruction as a word does not exists. The program is a sequence of tryte-operations and tryte-addresses. The executed combinations of such trytes may be interpreted as virtual instructions. But there is no necessity for a programmer to think about this – he (she) constructs postfix expressions directly from the operands and operations by similar way as it is made in mathematics.

"Setun 70" is a two-stack computer. Stack of operands is the evolution of accumulator of one-address "Setun". The return stack is the base of an automata that controls the nesting of subprograms. The simple improvement of such mechanism permits to transform "Setun 70" into some computer for the proposed Dijkstra E.W. structured programming.

An adequate realization of Dijkstra ideas named the "procedure programming", wholly proved his hopes about radical improvement of programming (the goal not achieved in "structured revolution"). Construction and modificatin of the programs on "procedure programming computer" became more easily (in 3-5 times) and the perfect correctness has been achieved.

However "Setun 70" was the last "ternac". After it the research was stopped. In "Setun 70" it was implemented the CAI system "Nastavnik", the binary versions of which are the perfect example of effective realization of computer didactic up to now. The "procedure programming" was transformed into the Dialogue System of Structured Programming (DSSP). DSSP as a matter of fact emulates "Setun 70" architecture on binary computers: thus it fulfills the advantages of "procedure programming". DSSP exists and evolves, on its base there is originated a high-level "construct programming" that allows in particular to realize the very simple and effective dialogue system of Boolean algebra.

10 Smallest Cell Phones

2006-08-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson j220a

Other than Small and Lightweight, the Sony Ericsson j220a has these key features:
- Dimensions: 4 x 1.7 x .7 inches
- Weight : 2.9 oz
- Technology : GSM
- Band : Dual band "GSM 850" "GSM 1900"
- Predictive text input
- Games

Motorola V190
Appart from Small and Lightweight, the Motorola V190 also boasts:

- Dimensions: 3.37" x 1.81" x 0.91"
- Weight : 3.46 oz
- Technology : GSM
- Band : Multiband 800, 900, 1800, 1900
- Phone book numbers : 500
- Predictive text input

Nokia 6061
Appart from Small and Lightweight, the Nokia 6061 also boasts:

- Dimensions: 5.04 x 6.3 x 0 inches
- Weight : 3.25 ounces
- Technology : GSM,GPRS
- Band : 850,1900
- Phone book numbers : 500
- Predictive text input : predictive text input

Samsung a860
Appart from Small and Lightweight, the Samsung a860 also boasts:

- Dimensions: 3.30" x 1.80" x 0.90"
- Weight : 3.40 ounces
- Camera: camera
- Technology : CDMA
- Band : 850,1900
- Phone book numbers : 300

Nokia 6030
Appart from Small and Lightweight, the Nokia 6030 also boasts:

- Dimensions: 4.09 x 1.73 x 0.71 inches
- Weight : 3.17 ounces
- Technology : GSM,GPRS
- Band : 850,1900
- Phone book numbers : 500
- Predictive text input : T9

Nokia 2125i
Other than Small and Lightweight, the Nokia 2125i also boasts:

- Dimensions: 4.03 x 1.66 x 0.85 inches
- Weight : 2.9 ounces
- Technology : CDMA
- Band : 1900,800
- Phone book numbers : Variable
- Predictive text input : T9

Motorola C155
Appart from Small and Lightweight, the Motorola C155 also boasts:

- Dimensions: 4.09 x 1.93 x .94 inches
- Weight : 2.82 ounces
- Technology : GSM,GPRS
- Band : 850,1900
- Phone book numbers : Variable
- Predictive text input : iTap

Kyocera Slider V5
Appart from Small and Lightweight, the Kyocera Slider V5 also boasts:

- Dimensions: 3.48 closed x 1.89 x .90 inches
- Weight : 3.39 oz.
- Technology : CDMA
- Voice dialing numbers
- Voice note : 2 minutes
- Languages

LG MM-535
Appart from Small and Lightweight, the LG MM-535 has these key features:

- Dimensions: 3.93" x 1.89" x .98"
- Weight : 3.88 oz
- Camera: camera
- Technology : CDMA
- Band : Tri-Mode
- Phone book numbers : 500

LG 5400
Appart from Small and Lightweight, the LG 5400 also has:

- Dimensions: 3.5 x 1.9 x 1.0 inches
- Weight : 3.7 oz
- Camera: camera
- Technology : CDMA
- Band : 800/1900
- Phone book numbers : 200

Nokia 6230i Bluetooth Mouse

2006-08-17T03:06:00.000-07:00

Some guy saw an article on a USB Optical mouse that had been modded to include a Nokia Colour LCD Screen. This got him thinking, The screen was quite usefull but why go to all the effort of modding a mouse, why not use the whole Nokia?

FEATURES -
Bluetooth connection, no cable
Standard Java code, simple to port to other phones
Selectable buttons on phone for mouse buttons
Normal or Flipped orientation for phone (right way or upside down)
Uses existing Nokia Sync software to transfer data

IN DEVELOPMENT -
Standard Bluetooth mouse HID for no driver install!
Mouse over GPRS for PCs with net but no bluetooth
Display PC screen on Nokia phone

Many laptop owners carry a spare mouse because they dont like the built in control, or because they just like to use a mouse. This adds weight, things to remember etc when you go anywhere. Also, if you use somebody elses laptop you may not be able to use their pad at all! I often setup software for somebody else on a laptop and curse the wigglestick on the keyboard that they fumble on with because they are that slow anyway but it holds me up. If I had a mouse with me at all times that would be amazing. So, the NokiaMouse was born. Most phones now have a camera and can run Java, there is no reason that some software couldnt be written to watch for movement in the camera, and translate that into mouse signals for the PC. Bluetooth could be used to send the data to the PC.
So there was my challenge, a java program that took multiple frames from the nokia camera, translated that into direction and speed and sent it to the PC as mouse movements.

I dont intend to release this code as im trying to develop the Bluetooth HID before any kind of release, but it means any laptop owner need not carry a spare mouse or use the crappy touchpad!

Things didnt go entirely smoothly of course. The first thing everybody is probably saying is, but the camera only shows black when its flat on the mousepad! You are of course right, Light is needed. My temporary solution is to hold the phone about .6cm above the pad, letting light in the side. My camera picks up enough to see at this distance.

The initial code didnt use bluetooth, but a usb cable to the phone as I wasnt sure about accessing the bluetooth interface directly in java or how to make a real BT Mouse HID so it would pair as if it was a mouse. For now custom driver code runs on the PC and the phone, and data is sent over a usb lead.

After giving up on the idea of a proper mouse HID I used the bluetooth to just link the phone as normal and send the data over the Nokia driver to a special driver on the PC again, this isnt as convenient as the original plan as it needs software on the PC as well as the phone, if I can be bothered ill develop a proper HID mouse bluetooth driver for the nokia, this would mean that it could be used on ANY bluetooth pc without installing software!

A lot of thought went into the interface. Originaly the phone was the right way up with the screen at the top, but this put the buttons at the bottom! Not a good shape for a mouse. So, the phone was inverted with the screen where your palm would rest. This makes the keypad available for buttons. Not surprisingly I used three buttons, Star, Zero and Hash (pound for US'ites). Originally I intended to make the volume up/down on the side into a scroll wheel but it seems that its just not positioned right when the phone is upside down, and I decided that left right buttons were more important than scroll wheel.

The pattern is important. A nokia camera is no where near as good as a proper optical mouse detector and needs a good pattern to look at. Something with high contrast pattern that isnt too fine because,
Focus! At this distance the focus is wrong because its too close. You can artificialy sharpen the image, but something with clean edges and well defined patterns works better than the grain on your wooden desk or a one colour mouse pad.

Selectable buttons! You can now choose what buttons do what. This makes it easy to configure to your liking.
Flip-ably X/Y axis! The phone will now work either way up.
Bluetooth is now working over the Nokia PC kit

This software is only tested working on my nokia at the moment, I hope to make it work with almost any phone with both java and camera, but of course the camera interface is different on other devices...

original site of Bluetooth Mouse Project

Test

2006-08-16T01:06:00.000-07:00

Test

HiTechRavlik

Top Apple Engineer Warned Jobs About iPhone 4 Antenna Problems [Iphone 4]

Quick-Draw Gadget!

Robot Violinist

The first version of programs

HardDrive clock

OpenSource Self-replicate 3d-printer

Very comfy office chair bike

Life at Google - The Microsoftie Perspective

Think geek has a LED fan

10 Major Reasons To Switch To Linux

Today is created an adapter for pluging fingers in electric sockets

The Top Eight Computer Myths!

Making Your Home Energy Efficient Adds Up To Big Savings

Biodiesel Processor Kit

5.5g iPods can now run Linux

Gadgets That You Can Control With Your Brain

Robot Hand Controlled by Human Thought

Brain-Computer Typing Interface

Brain-Controlled Robot

Brain-to-Computer Pong

3D stereo display for mobile phone

Typewriter keyboard mod

13 Incredible Computer keyboards

Worst hi-tech products

Top 10 best MP3 players

Asimo the first advanced humanoid robot

Ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armour

The smallest mobile phone

The Leaf - Open source robot using artificial intelligence and vision

New Pen-style computer concept from NEC

TOP 10 IMPOSSIBLE INVENTIONS THAT WORK

Top 10 High-Tech Car Safety Technologies

Fake chinese electronics selling better than the originals

Afghanistan, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania herders go high-tech

Group of Colorado scientists invent breathable rubber

Top ten map innovations (non-Google)

1. Real time earthquake map

2. Atlas

3. SIMILE Timeline

4. Gutenkarte

5. MappedUp

6. Loki

7. AuctionMapper

8. YES Map

9. Flickr Map

10. Locale

How to create your own gadgets on the Google desktop?

Japanese scientist has invented Water Battery

One Laptop Per Child hardware specification

The Greatest Chinese Inventions and Remedies

Top ten video game hardware failures

Ten necessary steps to becoming an astronaut

SPH-P9000, the Samsung WiMAX and CDMA EV-DO PDA-PC

Guide to Saving Energy in your Office

Is Wi-Fi Bad for Your Health?

Volkner Mobile Unveils Luxurious Motorcoach With Built-In Garage

Top Ten Inventor Myths

Development of ternary computers at Moscow State University

10 Smallest Cell Phones

Nokia 6230i Bluetooth Mouse

Test