Author: Serkadis

2009 is just about over, and we are just in time with our annual top 10 list of the most-watched Gear Live video episodes. Over the past year, as expected, there was a bunch of Apple gear that made the list, but Microsoft gets the top two spots with our Xbox 360 dashboard tour, and the Zune HD hands-on preview. Also getting an honorable mention is the Motorola DROID and Elgato Turbo.264 transcoding device.

Oh, and if you wanna be sure to get our new video episodes as they come out in 2010, be sure to subscribe to us in iTunes, on YouTube, or in your RSS reader!

Continue reading Top 10 Gear Live Videos of 2009

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Without and With

The position of this controversial item so close to the top may puzzle some, but unfortunately the fact is that one of the primary features which differentiates a modern smartphone in the mind of the public from a less featured one is the presence of a capacitive screen.

The capacitive screen on the HTC HD2, the only Windows Mobile example, is for example one of the main differentiators between the smartphone and the Acer neoTouch, resulting in the HD2 winning major mainstream plaudits and the neoTouch, well, not.

2010 should see a large number of Windows Mobile capacitive screens, with or without Microsoft’s support, and also eventually support for the technology in Windows Mobile 6.5 and of course 7.

Do our readers agree or disagree with this assessment?  Let us know below.

Good visibility, even in direct sunlight, is a basic precondition for the reliable deployment of signal devices in outside areas. This is a standard feature of the signal beacons and towers from WERMA Signaltechnik, located in the southern German town of Rietheim. There are however applications which place even more extreme demands on the visibility of optical signalling.

Brighter than sunlight
For example, the signalling of mobile cranes movements on large construction sites must be clearly visible over large distances, even when the signal beacon is exposed to direct sunlight. The new, “ultrabright“ LED signal tower element for the WERMA signal towers KombiSIGN 70 and 71, effortlessly meets these requirements. Its bundled light is brighter than the incidental sunlight, making it clearly visible.

Up to 20 times brighter
Thanks to its sophisticated triggering, the innovative LED element “ultrabright” is up to 20 times brighter than conventional LED beacons making it almost certainly the brightest permanent light that the world of signalling technology currently has to offer. Furthermore, the intelligent electronics ensure that the LEDs operate at maximum brightness, depending on the ambient and operating temperatures. The “ultrabright“ LED element is therefore always working at its optimum, and the energy-saving LED technology also ensures that power consumption is kept to a minimum.

“Ultrabright“ masters the reflection of sunlight in snowy conditions
Skiers on the piste enjoy the sunlight. However, at the lift turnstiles sunlight reflected from the snow can be debilitating. Even in these extreme conditions, the KombiSIGN “ultrabright“ element wins out against the blinding sunlight, providing a clear and unambiguous signal: “Please enter now!“

“Ultrabright“ triumphs over neon tubes and illuminated signs
A similarly bright environment is to be found at airport baggage reclaim areas. Harsh lighting and illuminated signs make it hard to see the warning light that indicates the operation of the baggage carousel. However the “ultrabright“ element triumphs in such bright surroundings with its light intensive signal, ensuring it is clearly seen.

In short: Wherever the sun or other lighting factors impede visual perception, the WERMA signal towers KombiSIGN 70 and 71 triumph with their new, “ultrabright” LED element.

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Kansas is revamping the way it issues vanity plates, and it means a lot of residents are going to lose their ‘duplicate’ personalized plates. They’re not really duplicates, though: Unlike most states, Kansas allows people in different counties to have the same alphanumeric combination, so while the tags might appear to be copies, they are registered in different counties and that technically makes them different plates.

According to Kansas.com, the problem with that strategy is that law enforcement officials in hot pursuit have a hard time reading which county a car’s “JAYHAWK” plate is registered to, so they have been behind the push to change the policy. The Kansas DMV is in the process of figuring out who registered each of these ‘duplicate’ plates first, and then it plans to send letters to anyone else with that same alphanumeric combo to let them know they can’t renew it.

Just as novel as finding out Kansas allowed multiple copies of a tag in the same state was the list of the top ten vanity plates chosen. It’s arguably embarrassing that the number one plate is “HUSKERS,” which amounts to cheerleading for a team in another state, like “SOONERS” in the seven spot. The home team, “JAYHAWK” comes in second, followed by Larry the Cable Guy’s slogan, “GITRDUN,” which is more popular than the Kansas City “CHIEFS” in number four. Ah, Kansas, what are we going to do with you? Hat tip to Dude!

[Source: Kansas.com | Image: Robinrkc – C.C. License 2.0]

Report: Kansas to cease allowing motorists to have ‘duplicate’ personalized plates. Wait, wha? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Overview
SICOM6424SM is layer 3 managed modular industrial Ethernet switch with up to 24 ports of 100Base-FX or 10/100Base-TX, and 4 Gigabit modules of SFP TP/fiber ports or 4 10/100/1000Base-TX ports. Offering layer 3 switching of hardware wire speed, they can support static/dynamic routing to optimize the network. They provide high performance and reliable solutions for industrial projects with modular design.

Features
1) Up to 24x100M fiber ports, 4xGigabit fiber ports
2) Support DT-Ring Suite (recovery time<50ms) and STP/RSTP/MSTP/VRRP 3) Support Qos, Vlan, SNMP MIB V1/V2/V3 and RMON(Group 1,2,3 and 9) 4) Support static routing protocol and dynamic routing protocols such as RIP v1/v2,OSPF v2 and BGP v4 5) Support multicast routing protocols such as PIM-SM,PIM-DM and DVMRP 6) Support network time protocols such as NTP and SNTP 7) 36Gbps backplane bandwidth, hardware routing, layer-three line-speed switching rate of 19.6Mpps 8) Powerful ACL, support data filtering from L2 to L7 9) Broadcast storm auto-detection and control; support the detection of IGMP V1/V2/V3 message to effectively prevent the spreading of broadcasting message 10) Support full/half duplex flow control with the speed limitation of 64K 11) Support QinQ to realize double VLAN security 12) Support DHCP,BOOTP and other address-attaining ways 13) Abundant power supply options, able to provide redundant power supply 14) Operating temperature: -40 to 85°C(-40 to 185°F) 15) Ribbed Alumnium heat disspension (patent), fanless design 16) Rack-mounting (19 Inch 1U) 17) IP40 protection class

The NEW Legato 200 Series from KD Scientific is the next generation of syringe pumps.

The Legato 200 Series offers unparalleled ease of use through the high resolution color touch screen user interface. The full touch screen interface enable the user to quickly create configurations and recall them for easy use. The intuitive run screen combines multiple parameters simultaneously with internationally recognized graphic Icons which allow the Legato 200 series to provide a new level of intuitive syringe pump operation.

Three basic models ensure the right pump for your application. Infuse only, Infuse and Withdraw and Push Pull.

Each of these pumps is available in a programmable version for maximum flexibility and capability.

Each of the basic models work with one syringe or two and can be reconfigured in the field to use with multiple syringes.

The Legato Series optimizes laboratory bench space. For limited laboratory space the Legato 200 Series can be placed on its side to reduce the footprint by 4 Times. The footprint is only 3.5 in x 9.75 in. The display also tilts with the change to allow the user operate the pump vertically.

… which ensures maximum freedom of movement through one-hand operation. The newest member of the successful KeTop product family offers genuine, one-hand operation and hence the major advantage that during operation, one hand constantly remains free for process support activities. The devices can be fitted with a variety of operating elements such as key switches, push buttons, hand wheels, potentiometers, or axis selection switches and can thus be ideally adapted to every application. The device is suitable for control, teaching and visualization functions and is therefore highly flexible. An OMAP3503 high-performance processor, based on ARM Cortex A8 architecture, delivers the performance needed for these purposes. The terminal can be easily integrated into existing automation systems via Ethernet, RS-232-C and RS-422-A interfaces. In addition, the device is also supported by standard bus systems such as CAN and PROFIBUS, as well as real time Ethernet protocols, e.g. EtherCAT und SERCOS III. KeTop T20 terminals dispose over high-contrast OLED displays, which ensure optimum legibility and are also available as touchscreens. The new, one-hand operated device is available in two versions. The KeTop T20 eco offers high computing performance, ergonomics and industrial robustness for price sensitive applications. Alternatively, as a result of its innovative, freely programmable display keyboard with tactile keys, the KeTop T20 techno furnishes a wealth of keyboard layouts for specific applications and thus facilitates further increases in operational efficiency.

Intended for integration into industrial equipment, the Ylia M20 from Quantel delivers high peak power pulses for applications such as marking, engraving, micromachining and surface treatments via a flexible output fiber and collimating optics.
The system produces ultra-bright, near diffraction-limited, infra-red laser light, is maintenance free and extremely user-friendly.
Its 100 nanosecond pulse duration from 20 to 100kHz features a high peak power even at high rep rates, making the Ylia M20 suitable for high duty-cycle productions in the semi-conductor chips marking industry for example.

Typical applications of Ylia M20 include:
marking and engraving on metals, polymers and ceramics, thin film micro cutting by ablation, laser trimming, laser cleaning…

The new Q170MCPU multi-axis motion controller is a powerful addition to Mitsubishi Electric’s line of independent motion control-lers for factory automation applications. The new controller can handle complex motion sequences with up to 16 axes simultane-ously. Designed for use with the very dynamic MR-J3-B series of servo drives, the new multi-axis controller is ideal for applications requiring both high precision and economy. The motion controller has its own integrated PLC functionality and can be deployed both as a stand-alone device and in combination with all current control-lers. Among other things, the control features include an encoder input for synchronisation with the drive systems of upstream proc-esses and four high-speed digital inputs for registration mark sen-sors. Standard equipment also includes an Ethernet port, a serial port (RS-232) and a USB port. A variety of expansion units and over 100 different I/O, special function and network modules are available for applications requiring additional interfaces or func-tions. The compact design and wide range of available servo am-plifiers and motors make this drive technology exceptionally versa-tile. Typical applications include high-speed machines and sys-tems with interpolated or synchronized axes, like those found in modern packaging and printing plants.

Chemical structure of the antibiotic tetracycline–one of the four classes of antibiotics that sampled soil microbes showed increased resistance to in the 2009 Study.

The prevalence of antibiotic resistant genes (ARG) in soil bacteria has been increasing steadily over the past seven decades, despite tighter controls on the use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes (in Europe). This is according to a recent benchmark study/analysis* of soil samples from five sites in the Netherlands. The research team, lead by David Graham of Newcastle University in the UK, found that “Seventy-eight percent of detected resistance genes, associated with four classes of antibiotics, showed increasing levels since 1940.”

Read more of this story »

This post is part of the IT Innovation series, sponsored by Sun & Intel. Read more at ITInnovation.com.
Of course, the content of this post consists entirely of the thoughts and opinions of the author.

Ah data centers. They may seem like a rather boring concept, but Data Center Knowledge recently put together a rather long list of some of the coolest data center video tours including Google’s infamous data center:

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UPI NewsTrack Health and Science NewsUPI.com"Tobacco is very attractive as a biofuel because the idea is to use plants that aren't used in food production," said Vyacheslav Andrianov, …and more »

Much more successful than Marketplace, My Phone was the service which brought the cloud to Windows Mobile.  Microsoft appeared to have stumbled over the perfect combination of features, functionality and most importantly lack of intrusiveness in the day to day usage of your phone.

With the service costing absolutely nothing, is there any reason why every Windows Mobile user have not enrolled their device already?

In 2010 we can expect Microsoft to continue to build on this platform, with further elements to sync and also increased storage, making the software even more compelling.

Do you love My Phone too?  Let is know in the comments.

Signing petition deserves same privacy protection as voting?

If signing an initiative petition deserves the same privacy protection as voting, it will have to be conducted like voting [“Will high court take R-71 case?,” NWWednesday, Dec. 30].

It will have to be done in private booths, with signatures sealed in privacy envelopes as our ballots are. This would be cumbersome and expensive, and cut way down on the number of petitions.

That might not be a bad idea. Bye bye, Tim Eyman.

— Chris Nielsen, Shoreline

Event serves as reminder to hunting community

The Humane Society of the United States, and its 225,000 members in Washington state, commends the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for its swift response to the brutal wounding and killing of seven elk in Skagit County [“Elk hunt ends after herd was cornered, 7 killed,” Seattletimes.com, Local News, Dec. 29].

Within hours of The Seattle Times running the story, the commission issued an emergency closure for elk hunting in the area. The actions of the bow hunters were reported as legal, but were plainly unsporting, cruel and inhumane, as live elk were spotted with serious wounds

While this case was the result of both hunter irresponsibility and unfortunate circumstance, it is undoubtedly a black eye for the hunting community.

It should serve as a reminder to those who consider themselves to be sportsmen that the public demands that they act in an appropriate and considerate manner when in the field.

— Dan Paul, Washington State Humane Society director, Seattle

Congress going about reform bill in all the wrong ways

It has been depressing to follow the progress of the health-care bill as it makes its way through Congress [“Congress moving to close Medicare’s ‘doughnut hole,’ ” News, Dec. 29].

The House of Representatives passed a tolerable bill, but the Senate has passed a very weak bill that sent the stock of the medical insurance companies and the big pharmaceutical companies soaring, which means bad news for the rest of us.

Unless the final bill includes a government-run public option, the insurance companies will not have to offer competitively priced policies, but the public will be forced to purchase those unfairly priced policies whether it wishes to, or not.

What is the value of that?

To those who doubt the ability of the government to provide good insurance policies, I would suggest that this is merely an option. Anyone wishing to shop elsewhere would be able to do so.

Other requirements of good health-care legislation would include: subsidies to enable all Americans to be able to purchase medical insurance at affordable prices; coverage for women’s reproductive health care; apply antitrust legislation to insurance companies, and paying for health-care reform by taxing the wealthy, thereby helping to decrease the gap between the super wealthy and the super poor.

— Ken Rasmussen, Bow

Remembering ‘forever families’ during the holidays

Opening your hearts to children

I really enjoyed the guest commentary by Nicole Sanchez, and agree wholeheartedly with her [“Every child deserves a forever family,” Opinion, Dec. 22].

I happen to have an adopted son, who was about 19 months old when we brought him to our home permanently about a week before Christmas. It has been a mutual blessing for us over the years.

Our family has always been grateful to be his “forever family.”

Thanks so much for the commentary by Sanchez. I hope many other families will open their hearts, and give a child a forever family, something each child deserves.

— Mary Bartholet, Shoreline

I’m going to record my experiences with introducing two cats in my household: one four or five month old kitten who has only lived outside and a six-year-old resident feline, Choco, who hasn’t lived with another cat since his shelter days when he was a kitten. He hisses at any cat he sees through the window.

The new kitten awaiting a name

Last night I brought the new kitten home, and my husband distracted the resident feline while I put the new kitten in his own room (which is a bathroom) with all the things he needs.

My husband had the idea that if Choco didn’t see us bring in the new cat, he’d just think it magically appeared! I’m not sure if it matters, but I think not knowing what’s in there is really making Choco curious.

So far, so good. Actually, the night went much better than I expected. I had thought Choco, who hates closed doors, would have yelled at the bathroom all night. Instead, he just sniffed outside the door and his tail fur got really big, what I call the “big tail.” Then he went about his business, but I could tell he knew something was up.

For the most part, both cats are acting normally at this point (day 1). They haven’t seen each other, but I have

The resident feline, Choco

introduced them to scents via wiping one cat with a towel and letting the other cat sniff it. The new kitten didn’t care, but Choco hissed at the towel!

I have no immediate plans to let them see each other. That will wait until after the new kitten has gotten a thorough vet check and Choco is more comfortable with the new cat’s scent. Right now, all I know for sure is that the new kitten is negative for FIV and leukemia. (My favorite vet is on vacation until Monday, so I’m taking him in then.)

Soon, I hope to get the two cats eating close to each other, separated by a closed door. Experts suggest this helps the cats associate the scents with a pleasant activity.

(Image via Peggy Rowland)

Post from: Blisstree

Introducing a New Cat: Part 1

There’s no doubt China is playing the key market role for most carmakers selling vehicles in the country and recent predictions are hinting that this impressive boom could continue in 2010. General Motors is one of the companies that are benefiting from the Chinese growth, with some of its dealers running low on inventories following high sales in the last few months.

Minivan salesman Zhu Yi has no cars to sell although the number of buyers is increasing. He says that growing numb… (read more)