Optex-FA is going to launch new power supply for LED lightings OPPD series in Feb 2010
Dimensions: W48 * H72 * D30 mm
Output: 15W/12VDC PWM 100kHz
Brightness adjusting: 1,000 step adjustable
Channel: 1ch
Display: 3 digit 7 segment display
Input: DC24V +/- 10%
Maximum power consumption: 0.9A/DC24V
Operating temp./humid.: 0-50deg.C / 35-85%RH
Peli™ Products, the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced lighting systems and virtually indestructible cases, presents the MityLite 2340Z1.
Being certified to ATEX safe for use in high-risk hazardous locations, Zone 1 (Category 2) areas, the MityLite 2340Z1 is ideal for professionals who work in chemical, pharmaceutical, power, oil and gas, and fire or rescue industries.
The 2340Z1 is a compact, convenient personal light, but is also a powerful professional duty light. A prefocused Xenon lamp module produces a powerful, bright white, modified spot beam. The body is made of unbreakable Xenoy that resists chemicals and water. The MityLite 2340Z1 has a push button tail for easy on/off or intermittent light. It is powered by 2 AA alkaline cells and safety approved for hazardous locations. A must-have for every toolbox.
Like all Peli advanced lighting systems, the new MityLite 2340Z1 is covered by Peli`s Unconditional Guarantee of Excellence: “You break it, we replace it… forever™”
…simultaneously provides analogue and digital signals
Designed for applications requiring one or more operations to be synchronised with a motion axis, Renishaw’s TONiC™ Dual Output (DOP) encoder interface provides simultaneous digital quadrature and analogue 1 Vpp signals via a 26-way D-type connector. Typically, the interface is connected so that the analogue signals are wired to the motion controller, whilst the digital signals (with resolutions to 5 nm) are routed to the timing circuit of a synchronised operation, such as a camera flash on an inspection machine.
TONiC DOP allows the assembly of relevant systems to be significantly less complex, yet boosts performance thanks to high-speed interpolation with advanced CORDIC algorithms. When combined with the TONiC encoder’s low-noise optical scheme and dynamic signal processing, the system provides higher speed, reduced jitter, improved repeatability and enhanced velocity control.
The total encoder system comprises a TONiC readhead, a DOP interface which includes the interpolation electronics to match the fit and form of Renishaw’s SiGNUM™ Si interface, and a variety of high-performance linear and rotary scales to suit a wide range of applications.
TONiC incremental linear encoders are compatible with a range of scale options, including gold tape scale with integral optical reference marks, Invar® spars with “zero” thermal expansion and ±1 µm accuracy on lengths up to 1130 mm, and robust stainless steel spars for very high accuracy on long axes. The latest addition to the range is the new FASTRACK™ RTLC linear encoder scale system, designed for ruggedness, easy installation and rapid scale replacement, combined with ±5 µm/m accuracy.
Rotary/angle encoder options are also well served, with RESM rings available in a range of standard diameters from 52 mm to 550 mm, with even larger sizes available as special order items. Furthermore, ultra-high accuracy REXM rings have a total installed accuracy better than ±1 arc second on ring diameters greater than 100 mm, when used with dual readheads.
As with all Renishaw encoders, TONiC incremental encoders are backed by a truly responsive global sales and support network. Furthermore the product satisfies the highest environmental standards, with both WEEE and RoHS compliance.
Ultra-high sensitivity detecting trace-level compounds /
For fast LC and ultra-fast analysis /
Easy maintenance reduces running costs
Shimadzu, one of the world leaders in analytical instrumentation, has introduced a new series of fluorescence detectors. The RF-20A and RF-20Axs cover the full range of applications from routine analysis to high-performance analysis particularly in food, pharmaceutical and environmental applications as well as for the determination of amino acids. The high-end version RF-20Axs is the most sensitive fluorescence detector world-wide enabling the detection of trace-level compounds.
For fast LC and ultra-fast analysis
The detectors complete the prominence LC / UFLC families with ultra-high sensitivity and fast LC capabilities. The RF-20A and –Axs series are based on a newly developed optical system. They offer a dual-channel mode and a data acquisition speed of up to 100 Hz, enabling ultra-fast analysis of just 10 ms response and an ultra-high sensitivity. They serve applications requiring lowest possible detection limits.
The high-end RF-20Axs provides a cell temperature control with cooling function. It ensures a constant detector cell temperature leading to excellent reproducibility without any loss of sensitivity. Furthermore, the RF-20Axs supports automatic validation of the wavelength by a built-in Mercury lamp. This feature supports multiple components analysis.
Ease of maintenance reduces running costs
The flow cell and the lamp are accessible from the front-side and provide easy maintenance, reducing running costs and downtime. No tools are required to replace the flow cell. In comparison to previous models, the life time of the Xenon lamp has been extended by a factor of 4 up to 2.000 hours. Due to a pre-adjusted lamp on a special holder it is unnecessary to adjust and tune the optical system after a lamp exchange.
Both detectors, the RF-20A and RF-20Axs offer an outstanding price-performance-ratio.
Designed in special steel (upper yield point treatment) for light yet strong machine,
Blade is mounted on a mobile fitting so that the machine remains supported against the tree,
Lower grip allows to hold the wood and to guide the blade for the cutting process,
Can be adapted on a telescopic loader. For other carriers (excavator, crane, …) please contact us,
Manual inclination of the machine. This can be moved hydraulically as an option (warning: an electric connexion 12V is necessary on the loader.
Excellent principle for recycling wood:
wood is clean because not in contact with the ground before storage or further handling or chopping.
Hook function thanks to the 2 grips
This allows a good hold of the wood during the cutting and during the transport.
Time is money, particularly in the plant engineering industry and as a ready solution to reduce costs, WITT, the gas safety, control, mixing and analysis equipment supplier, is now able to offer the 737 series dome pressure regulator as a complete ready-to-install system.
Dome pressure regulators, like the 737 series, compensate for fluctuating flow rates in gas supply pipelines to ensure a consistent outlet pressure. They are suitable for use with most technical gases, including argon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen used in industrial and technical applications, such as steelworks and process plants.
The WITT 737 series is one of the most powerful dome pressure regulators of its kind. It has passed a one-time inspection by the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM/Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing) and it is burnout-safe even when exposed to oxygen at a pressure of 200 bar (2901 psi), a feature that was identified by BAM. The four models in this series provide a nominal gas flow rate of up to 650 m³/h (approx. 22950 scfh) and are designed to fit into a pipeline with limited space surrounding it.
Previously, suitable pilot pressure regulators, upstream/downstream pressure gauges and various connection parts had to be procured and installed separately. Witt, Sales Manager, Christian Flücken said: “The new complete ready to install solution saves a lot of time, which is a very significant cost benefit for customers.”
The special feature of the new calibration LEDs in the ACS-530 Series developed by Instrument Systems is their temperature-stabilized high-power LED. This characteristic marks a significant difference from the standard LEDs used conventionally. The new calibration LEDs enable customers to check their instruments easily and reliably. It also means that the photometric value can be recalibrated by customers in conformity with the CIE International Commission on Illumination. Before testing is carried out, the LEDs are calibrated using strictly traceable standards for luminous flux and luminous intensity in the Instrument Systems test lab.
The calibration LEDs have a reproducible and stable optical output power that is essential for reliable measurements. They also feature a particularly high photometric stability of 0.1 %. The high-power LED is housed in a casing with exceptionally low thermal conductivity together with a TEC element and a temperature sensor in order to achieve this high stability. The high-power LED is also cooled with the assistance of the TEC element. This eliminates sensitivity to external temperature fluctuations and demonstrates significantly reduced degradation behavior by comparison with heated standard LEDs.
The calibration LEDs from Instrument Systems are supplied in the three basic colors red, green, blue, as well as in white. Over and beyond the photometric parameters luminous intensity and luminous flux, they can also be used for checking results for dominant wavelength, color coordinates and color temperature. A temperature control unit and a constant current source are necessary for operation of the calibration LEDs. They are controlled using the LED Control software developed by Instrument Systems. A PID parameter set optimized for each standard guarantees fast stabilzation and means that the entire measuring system can be deployed immediately.
Stud Hole Flange Protectors require no additional fasteneing devices. The flange is easily installed by simply pushing it on. The FC series is manufactured of durable low density polyethylene making it weather and petroleum resistant. Choose from several different sizes color-coded for your convenience. Caplugs has a full line of flange protectors including die-cut, vinyl, snap-on, outside fitting, adhesive, raised face and more. Every part can be sampled for free ensuring you choose the best part and size for your application. To view our entire product line, visit www.caplugs.com. To speak with a Customer Service Representative call 1.888.CAPLUGS.
After a year when venture funding was in the doldrums, it roared back in the fourth quarter of 2009 to nearly $15 billion, according to a tally of the venture rounds in CrunchBase. The total value of disclosed fundings for the quarter was $14.85 billion, up 113 percent from a year ago (when the total was $6.96 billion), and up 78 percent from the third quarter of 2009 ($8.35 billion).
One of the big funding rounds of the quarter included Zynga’s $180 million, but clean tech cleaned up even more, with Horizon Wind Energy bringing in $318 million in financing, Silver Spring Networks adding $105 million to its coffers, and Sun Run Generation raising $90 million.
While the quarter saw a robust return to higher levels of investing, it was not enough to counterbalance the previous three quarters of tepid investing. The total amount of capital deployed over the full year of 2009 was $32.6 billion, which was lower than the $38 billion total for 2008. The first two quarters of 2008 were relatively healthy, with $11.5 billion and $11.8 billion raised in venture rounds, respectively. It wasn’t until third quarter of 2008 that the bottom really fell out. Venture capitalists kept their purse strings tight until the third quarter of 2009, when they started to ease them open
The total number of funding rounds increased 51 percent sequentially between the third and fourth quarters to 1,078. The number of fundings in the third quarter of 2009 was 715, and the year before it was only 618. So venture activity definitely picked up in both dollars and deals. Will these new levels set the tone for 2010?
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This happens no matter what sort of effort I am expending – I’ve tested everything from a nice walk to walk/jogging a 5K to weights with the trainer to intervals on the elliptical and it’s always the same. It doesn’t seem to matter if I start in the 90’s or the 140’s.
Now, I don’t know that this worries me horribly other than in one way – how would I ever manage this without insulin if one of the major tools (exercise) isn’t valid for me? I don’t know that it’s MY personal goal to be off the needles, but I think the dr’s think I will get there at some point. I see a lot of people exercising and bringing their blood sugar down, but that’s just not the way my body works.
Anyone have this same thing going on? Any thoughts? I’m not stressed… just curious.
thanks!
The lights of some 868 high-powered stroboscopes will be integrated into the facade of Burj Dubai, and each stroboscope will be fired individually to create a series of hypnotic lighting sequences.
Powerful strobe lights will be fixed near the pinnacle of the tower, and six narrow-beamed search lights will be positioned 700 meters up the tower.
The entire inauguration show consists of a pre-show and three themed acts, while the concluding ceremony will only include a firework display.
A giant screen on Burj Park Island, as well as several television screens placed across Downtown Burj Dubai including the Waterfront Promenade, will broadcast the inauguration in real-time.
Hundreds of international media, including Dubai TV, will report live from the scene.
The opening performance is to begin with a short documentary depicting the story of Dubai and the evolution of Burj Dubai as the world’s tallest building. A precisely choreographed sound, light, water and firework display will then follow.
Standing at more than 800 meters (2,625 ft) high and with over 160 storeys, Burj Dubai is the world’s tallest building developed by Emaar Properties.
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The lights of some 868 high-powered stroboscopes will be integrated into the facade of Burj Dubai, and each stroboscope will be fired individually to create a series of hypnotic lighting sequences.
Powerful strobe lights will be fixed near the pinnacle of the tower, and six narrow-beamed search lights will be positioned 700 meters up the tower.
The entire inauguration show consists of a pre-show and three themed acts, while the concluding ceremony will only include a firework display.
A giant screen on Burj Park Island, as well as several television screens placed across Downtown Burj Dubai including the Waterfront Promenade, will broadcast the inauguration in real-time.
Hundreds of international media, including Dubai TV, will report live from the scene.
The opening performance is to begin with a short documentary depicting the story of Dubai and the evolution of Burj Dubai as the world’s tallest building. A precisely choreographed sound, light, water and firework display will then follow.
Standing at more than 800 meters (2,625 ft) high and with over 160 storeys, Burj Dubai is the world’s tallest building developed by Emaar Properties.
Related posts:
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
The lights of some 868 high-powered stroboscopes will be integrated into the facade of Burj Dubai, and each stroboscope will be fired individually to create a series of hypnotic lighting sequences.
Powerful strobe lights will be fixed near the pinnacle of the tower, and six narrow-beamed search lights will be positioned 700 meters up the tower.
The entire inauguration show consists of a pre-show and three themed acts, while the concluding ceremony will only include a firework display.
A giant screen on Burj Park Island, as well as several television screens placed across Downtown Burj Dubai including the Waterfront Promenade, will broadcast the inauguration in real-time.
Hundreds of international media, including Dubai TV, will report live from the scene.
The opening performance is to begin with a short documentary depicting the story of Dubai and the evolution of Burj Dubai as the world’s tallest building. A precisely choreographed sound, light, water and firework display will then follow.
Standing at more than 800 meters (2,625 ft) high and with over 160 storeys, Burj Dubai is the world’s tallest building developed by Emaar Properties.
Related posts:
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Somewhere between the buttoned-up utility of the ThinkPad and the sleek efficiency of the IdeaPad sits an untapped sweet spot for affordable, entry-level notebooks. At least, that’s clearly what Lenovo is banking on with their new ThinkPad Edge series.
The ThinkPad Edge purports to be targeted towards small and medium-sized businesses, but it’s just as easy to say that it’s equally unfit for both casual users and serious professionals. While it’s a perfectly capable machine in most respects and a decent buy for the money, it often feels like a compromise to an argument no one was having.
The system we tested was loaded up with a 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 ULV processor and Intel GS45 chipset, and 4GB (2x2GB) of DDR3 RAM (1066MHz). You can also customize up to 500 GB of HDD storage. That set-up will run you $899, while the $549 base model ships with either AMD’s Turion (clocked at 1.6GHz) or Althon (1.5 GHz) dual core processor, 4GB (2x2GB) of DDR2 RAM (667MHz), and a 160GB HDD.
The mash-up is clear the instant you unbox the Edge. The rounded corners and glossy black finish are reminiscent of the IdeaPad, but when combined with the ThinkPad-like flat display back, the 13.3″ model I reviewed (14″ and 15″ models will be available in the spring) brings to mind a futuristic cafeteria tray.
The reflective gloss is also a fingerprint trap, so expect a lot of smudges unless you’re prepared to give your notebook regular wipe-downs.
The 13.3″, 720p (1366×768) screen offers better sharpness than you might expect from an entry-level rig. There’s no latch to keep it closed, but it opens easily on its hinges. And my god is this thing flexible: I’m not sure why you’d ever want it to, but the display can recline over 180 degrees.
Like the rest of the ThinkPad line, the Edge comes equipped with both a trackpad and a TrackPoint nub. The trackpad’s multitouch capabilities are appreciated, but its narrowness and frenetic responses definitely aren’t. As for the nub, I’ve never been a big fan, but it’s integrated well with the keyboard and works just dandy, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Speaking of that keyboard: the island style that Lenovo has moved to for the Edge is a welcome design improvement over previous ThinkPad models. It’s less industrial, more welcoming. The keys are raised and have some spring to them, and while they feel a bit blocky at times it’s overall a smooth typing experience.
The Edge also has the distinction of being a thin and light notebook that’s not that thin (one inch, although the 6-cell battery in our test model adds another .5 inches in the rear) and not that light (3.6 lbs. with a 4-cell battery and about 4 lbs. with the 6-cell). But it’s still portable enough that it wouldn’t be cumbersome to take on all of those small and medium-sized business trips.
The ports are distributed along the sides, as on the IdeaPad, and it’s a decent array: three USB ports, VGA out, HDMI, and a multi-card reader to go along with your standard ethernet, microphone, and speaker jacks. Conspicuously absent is a DVD drive.
The Edge’s solution to potential design blemishes like speakers and the battery appears to be to sweep them under the rug. The speakers are placed on the notebook’s underside, and offer decent—though at times tinny—sound quality. I actually love the battery solution: its placement underneath the rear of the computer creates a natural keyboard incline.
This isn’t a computer you’re going to want to do intensive gaming on (thanks largely to the integrated graphics), but then again it’s not supposed to be. To its credit, the Edge does handle streaming HD videos without a hitch for when you need a Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody fix at the office.
As far as benchmarks, the Edge falls where you’d expect it to: somewhere between the IdeaPad U350 and the ThinkPad T400. A more appropriate comparison would be another 13″ thin-and-light like the Asus UL30A, and our GeekBench testing indicates that the two are pretty evenly matched.
Bottom line, you’re not going to want to do much more with the ThinkPad Edge than get on the internet, send some emails, and bang out a few Excel spreadsheets. And that’s what it’s designed to do. Then again, so are netbooks.
Here’s where the Edge really delivers. Lenovo claims that the six-cell Intel model gets an impressive 7.8 hours of battery life. I tested our system with higher performance settings, medium screen brightness, Bluetooth off, and a page automatically reloading every 30 seconds on Firefox to simulate active web browsing.
Total Run Time: 5 hours, 20 minutes
And that obviously can be further improved by settling for lower performance/higher battery life settings.
So what has Lenovo introduced to the world? A lot of not quite. It’s a thin-and-light that’s not quite either. It’s a notebook that’s not quite powerful enough for heavy lifting and not quite affordable enough for casual use. It has a contemporary design that’s not quite, well, smudge-proof. And for all it does right, this new ThinkPad still strikes me as a computer with a target audience that’s not quite identifiable.
At its introductory price point, the Edge sounds like a competitive machine, but remember that you’re also losing most of the things that distinguish it in the first place-the ULV Intel processor and the 6-cell battery, in particular. Honestly, if you’re in the market for a new notebook, there’s a good chance Lenovo already has something that fits exactly what you’re looking for. And that it’s called either IdeaPad or ThinkPad.
Solid battery life
Good number of ports
Island-style keyboard is a welcome improvement
Glossy top is a smudge-magnet
Frenetic track-pad
Who is this really for?
There’s even a subject index, to get around Brown’s propensity for giving his episodes clever, albeit occasionally hard-to-decipher names.
Zada was creatively involved from conception to final product. This being a nonlinear creative execution, Jason worked closely with the agency creatives to conceptualize the games and help write the scripts and story trees. He also designed the set and shot all of the live-action footage, orchestrated the Web integration of live action and digital, and led the Tool digital team that constructed the Web site.
“The agency got way more than they asked for when they chose Jason to lead this project,” notes Tool digital EP Dustin Callif. “Not only is he one of the best integrated directors around and totally comfortable working with celebrity talent like Alton Brown, but he’s doing some incredibly interesting things in the cross-platform space. He handled all the live action and creative directed all the post, Web design and Web development. The interactive games are fun and flawless. This is exactly the type of project that not only Jason but all of Tool’s directors are looking to do much more of in the future.”
“This was a one-of-a-kind project, and it was an incredible experience on multiple levels,” says Zada. “First off, the agency was incredible to work with—very easy to collaborate with on the scripts, and they gave me a ton of room to run with the creative. Second, Alton is a really passionate and knowledgeable guy, and we had a lot of fun tweaking the scripts to add a touch of his peculiar humor without turning him into a character—he wanted to play himself. Finally, creating a site that was at once compelling and educational was an awesome challenge, and everyone around me, from the agency to Alton to the staff at Tool, really came together to make this a memorable experience.”
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What good would the rumor mill be if it didn’t voice our innermost desires? Apparently not content with giving us the roomy 4.3-inch HD2, HTC is now said to be actively testing out fully fledged tablet devices. Slated (get it?) to be driven by Google’s Android and minimalist Chrome OS, multiple varieties are currently being run through their paces and there’s even word that “core HTC customers” will get to check them out at CES. Who these doyens are and whether they’ll be so kind as to leak us a few photos is unknown, but word is that Qualcomm and Adobe are engaged to provide their hardware and software knowhow — making for an impressive corporate combo if nothing else. This is still strictly uncorroborated, one-source rumormongering, but ain’t it fun?
HTC testing out ‘touch tablets’ for Android and Chrome OS? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Manchester, UK (December 7, 2009) RTS Life Science, a worldwide supplier of automated sample management and drug delivery testing systems announces the launch of its innovative Tube Auditor instrument. With units already on order from 3 of the top 10 pharma and a major US Biobank, the Tube Auditor features unique vision technology, (patent pending*) allowing for fast and accurate volume measurement of samples, and is targeted at the Compound Management, High Throughput Screening and Bio-banking marketplace. RTS Life Science will unveil this new instrument on booth #644 at LabAutomation 2010, which will take place at the Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, CA from January 23-27, 2010.
The RTS Tube Auditor is a bench-top instrument suitable for manual operation or integration into automated systems. It enables fast and accurate measurement of sample volumes and, uniquely, the detection of precipitate in sample tubes. Its high speed vision technology allows a full 96-way SBS tube rack to be audited in less than 2 minutes. Unlike other automated solutions, the RTS Tube Auditor ensures complete sample safety and avoids the potential for sample degradation as there is no need to de-cap tubes during the auditing process.
During LabAutomation 2010, RTS Life Science will be hosting a workshop in collaboration with Microsonics Systems. The workshop, entitled “See and Hear how Vision and Acoustic Technology Could save $$$ in Your Screening and Library Collection,” will highlight how two complementary technologies can minimise poor quality screening and improve results by finding and then correcting solubility issues within compound libraries. With a focus on the new Tube Auditor and its innovative vision technology, and how Microsonics use ultrasonic energy to re-solubilise compounds, this workshop is sure to be of great interest. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 12:30 – 2:00p.m in the Convention Center, room Smoketree DE.
For more information about RTS Life Science, please visit www.rtslifescience.com, for preliminary Tube Auditor information click here, email [email protected] or call +44 (0) 161 777 2065 (EU) or +4 (865) 642 4095 (USA)
*Patent Application 12/565157
For further press information please contact: Celine Callender, The Scott Partnership, 1, Whiteside, Station Road, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, CW4 8AA United Kingdom Tel: +44 1477 539539 Fax: +44 1477 539540 e-mail to: [email protected]
Over-Current Protection for Primary and Secondary Circuits
In niche markets with limited space, customers might look for a solution where SMD fuses should be replacable without soldering. The successful standard UMT 250 has been extended for this reason with a clip option.
The UMZ 250 offers time-lag characteristic according to IEC 60127-4 and is a Universal Modular Fuse (UMF) with rated current values from 315 mA to 4 A. The product provides a high breaking capacity of up to 200 A at 250 VAC. The clip option allows a customer fuse replacement with the benefit that only the UMT 250 fits. This has the advantage that e.g. the technical specification in contrast to a 5×20 mm solution does not vary and spare fuses could be sold through the equipment manufacturer. With this setup, the manufacturer receives important information about equipment failures in the field. Gold caps are required in order that the clip and the fuse are not soldered together in the reflow soldering process. As replacement, the standard UMT 250 can be used instead.
Technical Feature:
– Current range: 315 mA to 4 A
– Rated voltage: 250 VAC, 125 VDC
– Time-lag characteristic according to IEC 60127-4
– Breaking capacity of 200 A @ 250 VAC according to IEC and for 35 A @ 250 VDC according to UL
One of the most compelling aspects of the location-based service Foursquare is that they are increasingly enticing users to check-in to venues by partnering up to offer special deals to those who do. A person who checks-in at a coffee shop and shows the barista, may get a free coffee, for example. It’s a win-win for both the service and the venue because it gets people using the app more and gets people visiting the venue more. But what if users and venues go around Foursquare and start using Twitter for that?
That has started to happen recently, as venues are getting wise to the idea of using these special deals. For example, Patxi’s Pizza, a Bay Area-based restaurant, recently announced that it would offer a special deal to anyone who simply tweeted that they were at the restaurant, and showed their server the tweet. To be clear, they also have the same deal in place if you check-in on Foursquare, but using Twitter in a way similar to Foursquare is interesting.
One issue with venues offering these deals through Foursquare is that the service is still relatively small and unknown. Twitter, by comparison, is much larger and has become a known entity in the media and other areas of the mainstream. A public tweet by someone that they were at a certain restaurant is potentially a much more powerful form of free advertising for the venue than a Foursquare check-in.
Of course, there’s a downside too. Since Twitter is more popular, doing deals such as the tweet one could mean the restaurant would have to give out a lot more free stuff (depending on what the deal is, obviously). But again, it might be worth it for the free advertising.
Foursquare has another potential leg up as well. Because they’re predicated around the concept of the check-in, they can keep track of who is checking in the most and give out “mayorships.” So far, deals surrounding harder-to-obtain mayorships are at least just as popular as the check-in deals. And some venues appear willing to offer more to these known loyal customers. Patxi’s, for example, offers a you one free pizza a week if you’re the mayor. For checking-in or tweeting, you only get a free soft drink or $1 beer.
Another location-based service, Gowalla, is working on its own similar concept for venue deals. Since that service is largely based around the picking up and dropping of virtual goods at venues, if you got a special good, you could trade it for a free item at a restaurant, for example. This too, is more of a game element, and beyond what Twitter can easily do.
Still, I’d bet that we can expect to see a lot more of venues offering deals to people who tweet about being at a place. And because they don’t have to work on any sort of arrangement to get their deal placed in an app like Foursquare, there’s a much lower barrier to entry for these venues. They could simply tweet about how to secure the deal, as Patxi’s did.
And perhaps Twitter is even thinking of officially offering something along these lines when it rolls out its supposedly premium offering to businesses at some point this year, as it tries to pull in more revenues.
Then of course there’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room: Facebook. If and when Facebook implements its location element, their 300-million-plus user base will be awfully enticing for a lot of venues looking to promote.
[photo: flickr/andre charland]
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Bow Wow drinks, drives, and Tweets! Where’s that “You’re A Dumb F&Ck” graphic when you need it?
-Kate Hudson’s love life may be lukewarm, but her former hubby Chris Robinson sure isn’t having any trouble! The Black Crowes frontman has welcomed a baby girl with the new lady in his life, wife Allison Bridges….
-Snoop talks Malice & Wonderland….and weed with Chelsea Handler…..
-Former American Idol finalist Danny Gokey has immortalized his late wife with a massive tattoo etched on his bicep…..
-NBA giant Shaquille O’Neal — who is going through a divorce from wife Shaunie — is accused of stalking rumored jumpoff Vanessa Lopez. Like every celebrity mistress, Ms. Lopez has retaliated by enlisting the assistance of legal pitbull Gloria Allred…..
-Is Naomi Campbell broke?
-HBO Presents: Big Moments From Big Love…..
-Lady Gaga The Box Interview…..
