* Me desculpem, mas não sei redimensionar as fotos
Do you know what tablet computers and jetpacks have in common? It’s not a kerosene-burning jet engine strapped to your back, though Adobe Flash on a MacBook can feel like your pants are on fire. The shared problem is that the present reality of future technologies always seems to disappoint, often resulting in products never coming to market.
It’s called vaporware, and that would include the long-rumored Apple tablet. That tablet, like other Apple products that actually exist, has been getting all the attention as of late, and that’s a shame. There are a number of other existentially-challenged tablets not out there right now. Here are my top five, ranked by the likelihood they will remain in the ether for all time.
Michael Arrington’s CrunchPad was supposed to be “a dead simple tablet for $200,” but has ended up as a combo $500 webpad and Silicon Valley legal drama. Arrington’s partners, FusionGarage, dumped him and claimed ownership of the renamed JooJoo, which means “magical device” in “African.” Note to FusionGarage: “African” is not a language.
Overhyped by Popular Mechanics as one of the “most brilliant” products of 2009, there’s really nothing magical about JooJoo’s specs: 2.4 pounds, 12” display, 4GB SSD, Wi-Fi, camera, up to five hours of battery life. The OS runs a customized Ubuntu and WebKit browser. It’s the ‘browser as the OS’ concept, similar to what Google’s doing with Chromium/Chrome, but without the backing of a company worth $200 billion.
Despite perpetually shipping in “8 to 10 weeks” since early December, and the uncertainty of litigation, JooJoo probably will ship in early 2010. That earns it fifth place among vaporware tablets today.
Nothing says vaporware like “reference design,” and that’s the Freescale Smartbook. The former Mac PowerPC fabricator showed off a tablet prototype—another vaporware synonym—at CES. Freescale claimed the tablet could be made for $200 and reach market by summer, easy to say when you’re not doing the making.
The Smartbook is built around a 7” display and weighs less than a pound. Internal specifications include a 1 GHz ARM CPU, 512MB RAM, 4 to 64GB storage, microSD slot, Wi-Fi, 3G modem option, and camera. All-day battery life is promised. There’s also an optional keyboard and docking station that when combined with the giant bezel makes the screen look minuscule. The operating system demonstrated at CES is custom Linux, but doesn’t appear much customized for touch.
Unlike the CrunchPad, the Smartbook probably won’t even make it to the perpetually shipping phase of the vaporware life cycle, but at least one has been built.
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization has provided the world’s poorest children more than a million computers and counting, and the XO-3 will never be one of them, but then it doesn’t have to. “We don’t necessarily need to build it,” OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte told Forbes. “We just need to threaten to build it.” With a design goal like that, how can you fail?
Hypothetically available in 2012 for $75, the XO-3 “will feature a new design using a single sheet of flexible plastic and will be unbreakable and without holes in it.” The page-sized display, 8.5 by 11 inches, will have “both reflective and LCD capabilities,” making it viewable in the sun and as an e-reader. Internally, the XO-3 supposedly will have an ARM CPU running at 8 GHz, though Negroponte admits that’s a “provocative” target. You think? People in the Star Trek reboot don’t have kit like this, so yeah, provocative works as well as vaporware.
In 2001, Bill Gates introduced the Tablet PC to the world, and nearly a decade later Steve Ballmer did it again, but not with this device. Instead, a wildly gesticulating Ballmer claimed the “Slate PC” moniker at CES, showing off a nameless, nothing-new tablet from HP that will be available sometime this year, not that anyone cared. People wanted Courier.
That’s the name of this device, as first reported by Gizmodo in September. The booklet—so much for Slate PC—has two 7” displays connected by a hinge, multi-touch and stylus input, camera on back, maybe inductive charging for power. The OS appears to be designed for the device, so it’s not a Windows 7 tablet, and there are plenty of applications designed for it, so it’s not Windows 7 tablet. No word on battery life, price, or availability, except that it’s supposed to be in the “late prototype” stage of development, which makes one wonder why Courier wasn’t at CES.
Just watching the concept video for Courier, how could one not declare Microsoft the winner in the Battle of the Vaporware Tablets? Because once again Apple has been there and done that.
Even twenty years later, the Apple Knowledge Navigator concept reigns supreme among vaporware tablets. Opening the booklet reveals a pair of magical panels that appear to merge into a single display, that display having speakers on the sides, web camera and data card slot on the top. Nice touch how it tilts upward for typing, but touch is almost an afterthought.
Most of the machine-human interaction is done via a bow-tie wearing “agent,” or AI, through voice. This is vaporware at its finest, not just a demo, but like living in alternate reality, just like Apple in the late ‘80s under John Sculley. We will see whether Apple under Steve Jobs, who killed Apple’s first tablet, the Newton, can do better. Don’t expect talking heads in mock-turtlenecks, but it would be unwise to bet against the real Apple tablet in 2010.
Related GigaOM Pro Research: Is The Age of the Web Tablet Finally Upon Us?
» AT&T (NYSE: T) promises it won’t screw up its network coverage during the Super Bowl. [Business Insider]
» Google (NSDQ: GOOG) delays release of mobile phone in China. [BusinessWeek]
» The iPhone through the eyes of a BlackBerry user. [CrackBerry.com]
» Helping Haiti: Tech companies donate mobile network solutions and IT services. [ars technica]
» Aside from the tablet, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) may announce the newest iPhone 4 and iLife suite. [iPhone Alley]
Patent pending heat transfer technology offers outstanding heating capability and superior durability!
TESCOM-Emerson Management Process has released the 44-5800 Series regulator. Available in steam and electric, the 44-5800 offers an improved heat chamber and body design which allows for controlling pressures at higher temperatures and eliminates moisture in your sample stream.
With surrounding temperatures rated up to 165°F and voltage capability up to 265 volts, the durable 44-5800 is truly designed for worldwide applications.
CTS has developed as a new standard an big monobloc hight speed temperatur variation chamber
This equipment is designed for testing
– Photovoltaic panel
– Big sample ( in hight )
This equipment fullfil the international standard
Lots of option are available like dry air injection, monitoring, ethernet interface
Applications :
Printing Machines
Burning Machines
Plastic Extruders, Laminating, Film Making Machines
Uniform Temperature Equipment
Household Machines
Dust Collectors
Textile Machines
Pollution Machines
Hot Air Blowers
Dryers Machines
Incinerators
Machinery for the Food and Beverage Industries
Machinery for Cooling
Woodworking Machines
Grain Elevators
High pressure. Larger flow. Light weight.
Aluminum alloy material was Widespread be use, offer light products.
I.E.C. Designed motor (1HP UP), Squirrel Cage Induction Motors & specially designated shaft can satisfy long-time-continue operation.
Professional impeller designed, high pressure, larger flow, Low noise, and long life.
Special air-flow-adjust designs offer stable flows and easily control.
Full range styles and sufficiently finished products of each model make quickly delivery possible.
Brando’s new Steering Wheel Bluetooth MP3/FM Car Kit is a wacky little device that hangs on your steering wheel, giving you all sorts of different features probably done better by a nice in-dash stereo kit.
First, there’s a Bluetooth speakerphone for hands free driving, including an ugly little Bluetooth headset. There’s also a built-in MP3 player that reads files off microSD cards and transmits audio to your stereo via an FM transmitter.
The phonebook holds 600 numbers, the battery is rechargeable, and this thing seems like a crappy substitute for any number of better gadgets. But hey, for $48 it’s probably one of the cheapest ways to get all of these features into a beater you don’t feel like upgrading with a nice in-dash stereo. [Brando via CrunchGear]
MX is our new stainless steel fittings line. Suitable for all those applications where brass nickel-plated and acetal fittings are banned, the new AISI 316L fitting is conceived to withstand corrosive environments (substances), to channel aggressive fluids and to be used in the food and chemical industries.
MX is standardly equipped with FPM seals that will assure endurance at the highest temperatures.
The US40 portable pipe bevelling tool is de-signed for high quality beveling, facing and machining on pipes and tubes from 1.69” to 8” OD (43-219 mm). The standard tool plate accepts multiple tool bits, allowing up to four simultaneous machining operations.
Such operations may include bevelling, fac-ing, counterboring, compound bevelling and OD chamfering.
The US40 features a self-accepting torque system and an integral drive motor.
The robust US40 is capable of performing repeatable high quality weld preparations on all machinable alloy pipes including stainless steel duplex, super duplex, inconel, etc.
CONTACT AND INFORMATION
PROTEM SAS
ZI LES BOSSES
F-26800 ETOILE SUR RHONE
FRANCE
TEL +33 4 75 57 41 41
email : [email protected]
Besides mining equipment, PRODECO a.s. offers – as the only one in the Czech Republic – aerosol stationary fire extinguisher Gabar.
General characterization
The fire extinguisher Gabar (SHZG) consists of aerosol extinguishing generators and an electronic control system Schrack Seconet.
Gabar generators are used for volume extinguishing of fires class A and B and for inertization of explosive environment. It reliably extinguishes fires of solid substances, inflammable fluids, substances dissolving in high temperatures, inflammable gas, electric equipment in industrial buildings, store-houses, residential buildings, office buildings and garages. It can be used for all type of oil products, plastics, heat insulations, cable insulation, gases, river- and sea crafts and other types of transport vehicles. By activation of generators a cooled aerosol is produced and they enable multiple usage. Gabar generators can be used for fire protection and anti-explosion protection in spaces up to 12m high with volume not exceeding 5000m3 with existing electric equipment without limiting voltage.
The extinguishing mechanism works on a principle of active slowing-down (inhibition) of chemical reactions accompanying the combustion process. The main role in the inhibition plays the solid phase of aerosol. Thanks to an especially soft dispersion of the solid phase (size of the solid phase particle ranges around 1µm) aerosol remains airborn keeping its extinguishing capacity for 40 min.
Aerosol is a highly effective extinguisher and can be used as a replacement of halon extinguishers (1211, 1301, 2402), usage of which is prohibited. It does not damage the environment.
The extinguisher is equipped with en electronic system Schrack Seconet, type Integral C. Exchange Integral C is connected to power supply 230V, in case of fall-out loss the system is automatically switched over to a stand-by power supply. Stand-by operation is guaranteed for 72 hours, out of which is 15min alarm. The power supply functions and operational parameters are monitored permanently.
The whole system consists of modules on a circular line which guarantees a 100% functioning of the system. The circular line contains these modules: Button detectors – used for start of extinguishing in the given part of a building Output relay modules – relay contacts trigger liberating voltage for extinguishing generators Gabar. All states of the system Gabar (operation, alarm, failure) are optically and acoustically signalled in the exchange Integral C.
Linkage of starting push buttons and relay outputs or groups of them are made by means of a configuration software and it is possible to change or modify them anytime according to current needs. Each output is delayed so that in case persons are present in a space that is going to be extinguished they could leave the space after an acoustic signal. Time to leave the space, i.e. delay of extinguishing can be set.
Electric distribution system in the protected spaces consists of fire-resistant halogen-free twin cables and signal distribution system is made of shielded conductors. Fire-resistant cables ensure 180min function in fire.
Feeding 23V AC is done by fire-proof halogen-free cables.
The new DrumQuik® 3-Port Universal Dispensing Adapter (UDA) from Colder Products Company enables a pump to be connected to virtually any container. Suitable for use in both low-flow dosing and high-flow pump applications, DrumQuik 3-Port UDA facilitates the connection and disconnection of multiple chemical lines in a process while minimizing chemical exposure and maintaining workplace safety.
Many processes require the dispensing of multiple chemicals from varied container sizes, and this is often conducted in an unsafe, open manner. Colder was repeatedly approached by customers seeking a better solution for making multiple chemical-line connections and disconnections without jeopardizing the health and safety of their workers.
The 3-Port UDA features a 3/4-inch NPT male thread that will mate with common bung drum plugs of bottle caps with a female 3/4-inch thread. The adaptor’s three ports enable liquid removal, venting or blanket gas (N2, CO2 or air for pressure dispense) and recirculation if needed. A convenient locking nut is also available for bulkhead mounting applications.
For simplicity in making line connections, Colder quick disconnect couplings can be used with DrumQuik 3-Port UDA. Multiple materials, flow sizes and termination options are available to facilitate transfer of all types of fluid media.
DrumQuik 3-Port UDA is made from food-grade virgin polypropylene material. It is ideal for a variety of chemical use applications, such as pharmaceutical sterilant dispensing, laboratory chemical transfer, the production of fragrances, edible oils and flavorings, paint and coatings mixing, and all manner of institutional cleaning and industrial chemical dispensing.
The advantage offered by the compact, rotary grinding machines of the MR family over longitudinal table machines, particularly when it comes to grinding small and mass-produced parts or round parts, is that there is no need for reversing the worktable.
Grinding area 500 to 2000 mm table diameter
Spindle drive 11 kW to 26 kW
Distance table to spindle centerline 700/900/1100 mm
Bonfiglioli, the power transmission specialist, will be presenting two new series of reduced backlash planetary gearboxes: the TQ in-line and TQK right angle series.
Five sizes cover a transmissible torque range of 30 to 800 Nm, satisfying the needs of most industrial automation applications requiring good dynamics and precision. Both series feature a clear “Italian style” as a result of Bonfiglioli’s collaboration with one of the world’s most famous design studios.
Particularly robust bearings and the use of specially developed tooth profiling technology ensure an excellent level of precision and repeatability, and also give high safety and stability factors in torque transmission. TQ and TQK gearboxes are maintenance-free and guarantee silent running for their useful working life.
Their high overload capacity represents an important safety factor for many applications.
As you would expect from Tecnoingranaggi, numerous innovative solutions, some patent pending, have been incorporated in these top quality but highly competitive gearboxes.
TQA and TQK gearboxes go into series production in the first four months of 2010.
For maximum process efficiency, large, heavy screening machines, for example for the extraction of the various grain sizes of pebbles in the preparation of ready-mixed concrete, are always positioned at the highest point of the plant – high above the silos, crushers and concrete mixers (Fig. 1). These screening machines weigh several tons, and are accelerated up to 5 g forces by their drives (unbalanced motors, unbalanced shafts or linear exciters), which generates very high dynamic forces.
Neither high reaction forces nor excessive transmission of the vibrations are desirable on the very high steel structures of these processing plants, as they lead to material fatigue in the steel structure and inaccurate functioning of the downstream machinery and controllers. In addition, they make it impossible for the operating staff to work on the various platforms and working stages for longer periods.
When installing screens on such high steel structures, suspensions are thereby demanded that are highly isolating, reaction-neutral and have a controlled runout.
The ROSTA oscillating mountings type AB with the double-arm pantograph arrangement are offering deep spring-deflection, and thereby have a low natural frequency of approx. 2 Hz, which results in levels of isolation of up to 98 % of the vibrations from the drive unit!
ROSTA suspensions harmonically support the linear or elliptical movements of the screen and, through their pantograph construction, create relatively little dynamic rigidity, which can be transferred to the substructure as residual force.
ROSTA oscillating mountings dissipate virtually no lost energy (< 0.5 %) while the screen is running normally. During the resonance transition of the screen, the two rocker arms describe excursions that are 5 to 6 times as great, which generates a high level of energy-loss (hysteresis) in the rubber inserts. The remaining energy in the screen box will thereby be completely dissipated within a few movements! The plant remains motionless.
The D-F series for Flexlink, D-R for Rotzinger and D-B for Bosch are adapted for the respective transfer chains. They consist of an electronic cabinet with a support and demagnetizing coil. The rings are transported from the line into the coil, one at a time. When the ring is at the centre of the coil the demagnetizing pulse is applied without stopping the piece.
Electronic Demagnetizers, Characteristics and performances:
Minimum residual magnetism, Minimum energy consumption, Absolute reliability and durability, High productivity, Highest demagnetizing values repeatability, Easy movement without magnetic retention, Easy adaptation to the customer’s line.
So last week we discussed how EMI was seriously harming the ability of the latest Ok Go video to go viral, by putting on geoblocks and forbidding embedding. The band had said it was upset about this and pointed people to a Vimeo version — despite the fact that EMI is suing Vimeo for posting music videos (um, oops) and Vimeo supposedly hates commercial content.
The band has now come out with a more detailed explanation that puts more of the blame on YouTube, while also explaining how the band gets to “snort drugs off the Queen of England” (so it’s got more important things to deal with). Well, specifically, the band points out that way back when, Google agreed to give record labels a bit of money every time someone watched one of their videos on YouTube. That much is well-known, of course. However, the band claims that this little bit of money is only paid on videos that are seen directly via YouTube, rather than on embedded videos. Why? Well, because advertisers on YouTube only let ads be shown on YouTube itself, so they’re not suddenly showing up on some random website (though, of course, those same advertisers probably have no problem using Google AdSense, which does the same thing, but….). So the band suggests the issue is more with YouTube and its refusal to count embedded videos in the views… though it claims it’s been arguing with EMI to allow the video anyway.
This still seems backwards and shortsighted by EMI. Even if it’s not getting paid for the embedded videos, it seems quite likely that the embeds actually lead to more views on YouTube itself, as people click through. Instead, now, all of the views are going to go to Vimeo. The company EMI is suing. Sensible.
In the meantime, though, Ian from Topspin alerts us to the news that Ok Go is using the Topspin platform to offer up, as a part of its “reason to buy,” the uniforms and props from the video shoot. Of course, I would imagine those things would be in higher demand if EMI let people embed the video in the first place…
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TechArt is one our favorite tuners here at egmCarTech. Shortly after the Porsche focused tuner set the full-size SUV speed record at the Italian Nardo, the TechArt GT Street RS based on the 911 GT2 broke the lap record at the famous Sachsenring race track.
In a test carried out by AutoBild SportsCars, the TechArt GT Street RS managed to lap the Sachsenring track in 1:31.94 min.
With the company’s Performance Kit TA097/T2.2, the TechArt GT Street RS produces a total of 700-hp with a maximum torque of 634 lb-ft. 0 to 62 mph comes in just 3.5 seconds.
Make the jump for the press release and the high-res image gallery.
2009 TechArt GT Street RS:
Press Release:
Record drive shortly before the turn of the year
Shift down a gear, come to rest – TECHART has organized the turn of the year very differently. After TECHART’s full size SUV speed record in the Italian Nardo, the TECHART GT Street RS based on the 911 GT2 broke the former lap record at the Sachsenring race track. High speed, pace, uniqueness – 100 % TECHART.
In the comparison carried out by AutoBild SPORTSCARS, TECHART impressively asserted its superiority over the competitors. Already before the record drive on the 3,671-meter circuit, the TECHART GT Street RS impressed spectators and proved its unique versatility. Apart from the sprinter qualities demonstrated several times, which were once more unheard of (from 0 to 100 km/hh in only 3.5 sec), the sports car displayed another quality that was just as important: A 32,9-meter braking distance at a speed of 100 km/h is looking to find its match. Once again, TECHART’s basic principles were confirmed: TÜV-tested and approved components as well as OEM quality in every detail.
For the conclusion of the extensive test program, the TECHART GT Street RS was able to crown once more the performance achieved on this day. With a lap time of 1:31.94 min, the winner of the Tuner Grand Prix 2008 and 2009 repeatedly demonstrated the TECHART winning gene. With more than 1.95 sec of head start, it left not only the competitors far behind, but improved the current AutoBild SPORTSCARS lap record at the Sachsenring by an unprecedented 4.47 sec.
– By: Kap Shah
Miami-Dade, Florida | Incredible Ruins
Property developer Michael Bauman was in for a real surprise when he purchased a plot of land in downtown Miami in 1998. Bauman’s plans for the land were seemingly simple: demolish a 1950-era apartment complex and build a luxury condominium in its place.
During a routine archaeological survey of the site, however, hundreds of mysterious holes were discovered in a layer of Oolitic limestone bedrock and Bauman’s development plans immediately came to a halt. Through further investigation, twenty-four of the largest holes comprised a perfect circle, 38 feet (12 m) in diameter, and excavation results found a variety of artifacts ranging from human teeth to ancient tools.
Included in the artifacts were pieces of burnt wood which, after being tested for radiocarbon dating, are believed to be 1800-2000 years old. To date, Miami Circle is the only known evidence in the United States of a prehistoric structure built into bedrock. Evidence from this mysterious prehistoric “footprint” predates other known settlements along the East Coast.
The site is believed to have once been occupied by the Tequesta Indians, a local tribe whose known tools matched some of the shark tooth-related artifacts found during excavation. Theorists have suggested that the holes were structural postholes or part of the foundation for a building. Some believe the building was used for ceremonial purposes, as animal bones and unused tools appeared to be offerings.
Among these tools were two axe-heads made from basalt, a hard stone that is not indigenous to Florida. The finding of these tools contradicts the theory that the site was occupied by the Tequesta, however, as the volcanic rock is believed to have been from a location in Macon, Georgia – some 600 miles (970 km) away from the site.
The mysterious origin of the site has led to its nickname as “America’s Stonehenge”, (though there are a number of sites nicknamed this) and some critics and conspiracy theorists have offered alternative theories. Aliens, Mayans and septic tanks are among some of the suggested origins for the holes.
The State of Florida eventually purchased the land from Baumann after a series of high-profile disputes between Native American groups, contractors, and historic preservation committees. Miami Circle, otherwise known as Brickell Point or the Miami River Circle, was declared a National Historic Landmark in early 2009 and is currently under a 44-year lease agreement with the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Visitors interested in the history of the Miami Circle can view artifacts on display through the museum’s permanent exhibition: “First Arrivals: The Archaeology of Southern Florida.”
Listening to your Hello 😉
🙂
Apple and AT&T have come under continued criticism for not allowing VoIP over today’s 3G mobile broadband connections when using the iPhone. So much so that the matter got the attention of the FCC back in August, leading to explanations from Apple and the Ma Bell.
A few weeks ago, we had wondered why there was still no VoIP over 3G connections. More recently, others asked that very question. FCC chairman Julius Genachowski side-stepped the issue during a conversation with me and Stacey earlier this month.
Now the popular consensus is that AT&T and Apple are a conniving bunch, and are preventing “VoIP over 3G” from taking root. But VoIP industry insiders have come up with an alternative theory — they believe that because the Voice over 3G experience is so bad, it makes sense for Apple, AT&T and others to not even bother with VoIP over 3G.
Our friend, Andy Abramson has tried to make voice calls over 3G data connections via his jail broken iPhone 3GS and has found the experience truly trying. “3G VoIP is not something I could consistently endorse as it’s not really ready for prime time,” he wrote on his blog.
Karl Good, Truphone’s director of applications, gives two reasons why his company has reservations about offering VoIP calling over 3G.
The first is that although a small number of networks, such as AT&T in the US, allow VoIP calling over 3G, this capability has not been approved by most operators, and has not been opened up across all handset manufacturers, such as the iPhone. As of today, iPhone applications that offer VoIP calling over 3G would not be approved by Apple for release into the App Store.
The second relates to quality. Although it is technically possible to offer VoIP calling over 3G on devices such as the Android, the relatively low bandwidth of 3G compared to Wi-Fi means that those calls are very often of a poor quality.
Pat Phelan, founder of Cubic Telecom is of the same opinion and he offers an explanation as to why VoIP over 3G is a bad idea — at least for now
Skype, in a recent filing with the FCC said it can run its voice service using small amounts of bandwidth — between 6 kbps to 40 kbps — so it doesn’t choke the network. But given the lack of latency on the network and other related issues, I bet even they really don’t want to push hard to make its voice service work over 3G.
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