Author: Serkadis

The label-backed music video site Vevo has finally launched and it’s off to a good start, in terms of traffic anyway. So much traffic in fact that the service has been rocky for several hours after launch though things should be smoother at this point. The site has been in the works for a couple of years now and features videos from three of the four major music labels though the fourth, Warner Music Group, may joint at some point and is said to be in talks.

It took a while, but it looks like the music industry is finally looking ahead instead of clinging to its old ways, though it remains to be seen if it can manage to create an experience geared towards the fans rather than their wallets. For now, Vevo is claiming that the fans come first and that it will follow Hulu’s model in this respect, by putting revenue in the back seat, at least until the site can establish itself as the best way to watch music videos online.

And it may just manage that, if only because it’s becoming the only place to watch music videos. One of the greatest moves the joint venture pulled off was great support from YouTube, which will not only provide the technology for the site but will also send it a huge amount of traffic. Most music videos which YouTube hosted so far, 85 percent, will now be hosted on Vevo an… (read more)

China has slapped protective tariffs on American and Russian steel imports.

This is truly a striking development given that its usually China who is accused of dumping steel in other nations.

It's also hard to imagine how American and Russian steel could have a lower cost-basis than local Chinese products given their higher transportation and labor costs.

XInhua: China said Thursday investigations showed the United States and Russia had dumped oriented electrical steel on the Chinese market, and the United States had subsidized the exports.

The dumping and subsidies have caused substantial damage to the domestic industry, and China will charge deposits on the imports from the two economies from Friday, according to an initial ruling issued by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

The amount of the deposit paid at customs would be decided by the dumping margins of different producers. The dumping margins ranged from 10.7 percent to 25 percent by the US companies, and 4.6 percent to 25 percent by the Russian companies.

China launched the anti-dumping probes into imports of the oriented electrical steel from the US and Russia, and countervailing investigations into the imports from the United States on June 1.

China's anti-dumping tariffs say three things -- 1) the global steel market is pretty dismal given that American steel producers can't find closer demand to take their products. 2) the Chinese steel glut may have reached crisis levels given this act of protectionism. 3) Protectionism is hotting up. After America's tariffs on Chinese steel earlier this year, China has now returned the favor.

Bloomberg: China is striking back after the U.S., the European Union and other countries slapped tariffs and filed complaints about Chinese steel and commodity products to the World Trade Organization this year. U.S. and Russia last year exported a combined $602 million of the targeted steel products to China, according to Mysteel Research Institute.

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See Also:

• Steel Giant Arcelore Mittal In Line For A £1 Billion Windfall Thanks To Cap & Trade
• China Has More Idle Steel Capacity Than Japanese And Korean Production Combined
• Efforts To Cool Down China's Steel Industry Completely Failed

Fanuc has recognized Hartness as a leader in robotic packaging and awarded their “Sales Leadership and “Outstanding Sales Growth” to Hartness Automation. Hartness International is a world wide supplier of packaging solutions with offices and customer service points stragegically placed throughtout the world

Sutton Tools have embarked on a major project in establishing a division in Europe with a new distribution centre based in Holland, Tilburg.

The new distribution centre will support the growth of the Sutton Tools brand within the European market. The foundations of a new Kardex Shuttle Carousel will allow Sutton Tools to efficiently deliver to the European market and offer a variety of Sutton Tools products.

Markets seem to have forgotten that not all United Arab Emirates are the same.

Panic-selling in Dubai-related credit has spilled over into the debt of the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, as well.

Thing is, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are far different animals. One is swimming in capital while the other's solvency is in question. As shown below, the debt burden of Dubai is far worse than that of the United Arab Emirates as a whole. According to Morgan Stanley, the UAW has a lower debt burden than oil-rich Saudi Arabia even!

Thus bond manager giant PIMCO has realized that spill-over panic-selling in the debt of Dubai's rather rock-solid neighbors is a buying opportunity. As efficient as some people like to think markets are, this is yet another example of how during periods of panic they clearly aren't. PIMCO will likely make a killing.

Bloomberg: Pacific Investment Management Co., which runs the world’s biggest bond fund, is buying the debt of Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Co., said Michael Gomez, co-head of emerging markets at the fund manager.

Pimco added to its holdings of securities sold by governments and companies in the region as the Dubai debt crisis slashed prices of bonds sold by its state-controlled companies to record lows.

...

“We’re coming in and buying,” said Gomez, who is based at Pimco’s main office in Newport Beach, California, in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “In any selloff, we’ll be accumulating even more. We think they’re cheap.”

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See Also:

• Dubai World To Sell Overseas Assets, Retain Private Equity Arm
• Creditors Gave Billions To Dubai, With Just Barren Land As Collateral
• Times Of London Censored Again In Dubai After Ruling Sheikh Is Called A "Benign Dictator"

A steadily growing movement has begun around the world,  in an effort to help transform the unique attributes of high-functioning autistic adults into sought-after job skills. This movement would also, some proponents say, make use of a large portion of the population that has been completely ignore up till now.

The company Specialisterne in Denmark makes it common practice to train people with autism as specially skilled employees. They are sent out as hourly consultants to companies to complete data entry, assembly work and other tasks that many workers tend to find tedious and repetitive. Founded in 2004 by businessman Thorkil Sonne, the father of an autistic son, the company now has 50 employees, 75 percent of whom are autistic.

More recently in the United States, the non-profit Chicago company Aspiritech has launched a pilot program for the training of high-functioning autistics as testers for software development companies. Their first client is mFluent, an iPhone application company near Chicago. Aspiritech states that those who are autistic have a talent for spotting imperfections and thrive on this predictable, monotonous work. Courtesy of msnbc.msn.com

It really was just a couple months ago that the Royal Mail in the UK was using a copyright claim to stop websites from offering public postal code data. It made no sense that such data should be proprietary, and it appears that, finally, UK officials are realizing this. Starting next year, the UK will free up postal code data so that anyone can use it. There are still some questions as to how this will be done, but it’s a huge step forward from shutting sites down to actually freeing up the data.

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Standard in higher design quality instead of “do-it-yourself”

Every safety guard of a machine or plant is, besides a safety switching system, equipped with a control panel, by means of which the operator can at least activate the emergency stop, on/off and reset functions. Usually, these control panels are manufactured by the machine builder according to the “do-it-yourself” principle. Especially for small quantities or in companies with their own auxiliary equipment production department, which only manufacture small series, this is a highly uneconomical operation, which does not always produce the desired result from the technical or aesthetical point of view.

The Schmersal Group felt a need for standardisation in this field and therefore has developed a modular system of control panels, which can be configured according to the user’s needs. The first configuration level of this system will be presented at SPS/ IPC/ DRIVES 2009. The basis of this module is a slender, shock-resistant enclosure, which can be quickly and smoothly fitted onto the customary aluminium profile system used in mechanical engineering and can accommodate four control elements. As the control elements are regarded, the user can choose from a comprehensive range of illuminated pushbuttons, selector switches, signalling devices with LED, key-operated switches and standard-compliant emergency stop control devices.

All control elements have the same contacts. In this way, the user can choose their position on the control panel depending on the individual requirements. Also for the labels, which are applied in labelling areas with plastic cover, the user has freedom of choice.

In the course of the development, the Schmersal engineers have interviewed many customers about the desired features and functions, which such control panel should include. The results of these surveys have been integrated in the design of the BDF series. The most wanted features appeared to be a comprehensive choice of control elements and smooth fitting. Many users also preferred that the label was not applied to the switch itself, but in a separate labelling area.

As they are a separate unit, which is not linked to a door-handle or the safety switchgear, the control panels can be installed in the most favourable position as ergonomics is regarded. The panels can even be fitted on top of each other or side by side.

At SPS/ IPC/ DRIVES, the Schmersal Group will present multiple configuration variants of the BDF series. In Hall 9, booth 460, Schmersal will also present many safety switchgear innovations as well as total systems for machine safety on an exemplary assembly plant, which is normally used in the Wuppertal production.

HaydonKerk Motion Solutions™, a premier manufacturer of linear motion products, offers the Kerk RGS® linear slide assembly combined with the Haydon™ MotoDrive™ PDE Actuator. The integrated linear slide, stepper motor, and electronic drive assembly combines both Kerk and Haydon technology in a single unit.

The Kerk RGS linear slide features a standard wear-compensating, anti-backlash driven carriage to ensure repeatable and accurate positioning. All moving surfaces include Kerkite® high performance polymers running on either Kerkote® or Black Ice™ TFE coatings, providing a strong, stable platform for a variety of linear motion applications.

The Haydon MotoDrive is an integrated linear actuator and electronic drive designed to operate with optically isolated inputs of pulse, direction and enable signals. The MotoDrive is programmable for micro-stepping ranging from full step mode to 64 micro steps per full step. Step resolution ranges from 200 full steps per revolution to 12,800 steps per revolution when micro-stepping. With a supply voltage of 12 to 42 vdc, the MotoDrive Actuator functions with a run current programmable at HaydonKerk up to 2.6 Arms per phase. The drive direction is enabled with logic level voltage, and is activated using +5 vdc. When operated at ground potential, the drive executes a retract move of the actuator.

By combining components into a complete optimized assembly, HaydonKerk is able to reduce risk, increase safety, and improve integration for the OEM or end user resulting in a lower overall system cost. To find out more, contact HaydonKerk Motion Solutions at [email protected].

About HaydonKerk Motion Solutions
HaydonKerk Motion Solutions is the joining of two world class brands in the field of linear motion; Haydon™ and Kerk®. Together, the company now offers a broad range of precision linear motion products. Recognized as a leading manufacturer of stepper motor based linear actuators, rotary motors, lead screw assemblies, and linear rail and guide systems used in niche market applications, HaydonKerk Motion Solutions offers high performance with its range of reliable, precise designs. HaydonKerk Motion Solutions has developed industry-renowned brands built upon its technical innovation, versatility, customization, product durability, and dedicated customer service.

An Ishida Fresh Food Weigher (FFW) is delivering the ideal solution for the packing into trays of two diverse products for the retail market – grated beetroot and half and quarter pears – at Hot Cuisine, a Belgian specialist supplier of freshly prepared meals, soups and meal components.

The FFW is part of a specially devised packing line designed and installed by Ishida’s agent in Belgium BRN. In addition to the FFW, the line comprises a tray denester, chain-and-peg conveyor, infeed elevator, and mobile weigher gantry.

The grated beetroot was previously packed using a volumetric filler, while the pear segments were packed by hand. Key requirements for the new line were to reduce giveaway on, as well as to increase throughput for the pears and achieve a tidier packing operation for the beetroot. Beetroot is manually fed onto an existing conveyor, which is controlled by the new BRN line. The conveyor takes the product to a grater, from where it is fed onto the infeed conveyor, which moves the beetroot to the top of the fresh food weigher.

The Ishida FFW features a linear design with hoppers fed by linear vibratory feeders from the infeed table. An operator is stationed at the infeed table and evenly distributes product to each of the hoppers. The weigher operates like a traditional multihead weigher, calculating the best combination of hoppers whose combined weight comes closest to the required target weight, to deliver fast throughput and maximum accuracy. Scraper type hoppers ensure a clean and complete evacuation of the product portions at each weighing cycle.

The weigher is synchronised with the chain-and-peg conveyor and discharges the weighed product into trays that have been automatically denested and presented underneath the weigher. A special dipping funnel guides the product into the trays to minimise spillages. The filled trays are then transported to a tray sealer.

The pears are placed directly onto the infeed conveyor. The remainder of the operation is the same as for the beetroot but the line also incorporates special drainage features to remove excess juice during the weighing and filling operation. After filling, an extra station on the exit chain-and-peg conveyor allows syrup to be added before the trays are sealed.

The line is packing trays in 250g and 400g sizes. Top speed is around 35 packs per minute.

Hot Cuisine is delighted with the new line, particularly the reduction in giveaway for the pears.

Master Bond’s newly developed EP42HT2ND2 has a paste like consistency and facilitates the adhesive’s application when bonding vertical surfaces. This no-run two part epoxy fully complies with the testing requirements for USP Class VI biocompatibility. EP42HT2ND2 cures readily at ambient temperatures and exhibits superior thermal stability for service up to 230°C It forms high strength bonds that are unaffected by sterilization processes such as radiation, ethylene oxide, chemical sterilants and steam along with outstanding resistance to inorganic and organic acids, alkalis and organic solvents

The cured biocompatible epoxy adhesive is an excellent electrical insulator with a volume resistivity greater than >1014 ohm-cm. While EP42HT-2ND2 is a superior adhesive, sealant and coating, it is also castable to thicknesses exceeding 2-3 inches. A post cure of 95-130°C for 2-3 hours enhances physical properties including heat resistance. As a no drip formulation EP42HT 2ND2 provides a precise and clean bonding solution for the vertical surface set ups often found in medical assemblies.
About Master Bond’s Medical Adhesives:
Master Bond is a premier medical grade adhesives manufacturer offering an extensive line of medical device adhesives, sealants and medical coatings. One and two-part medical adhesive systems specifically designed for use in both disposable and reusable medical devices stand up to standard disinfectants and sterilization procedures. Medical epoxy systems meet USP Class VI biocompatibility standards.

Contact: Sheila Frankel: Phone: +44-207-100-7251 Fax: 44-207-060-0628 E-mail: [email protected]
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Heads up, PlayStation 3 owners! The latest PS3 system software update is now live and is ready for download.
 
 
 

When I first saw this new carrier, I was intrigued, so the nice folks at Sheraton Luxuries were kind enough to send me one to test out. I’ve been using it for transport to the vet, and not only am I a fan, but my cats are, too.

The Sheraton Luxuries pet carrier is made of sturdy plastic with a large top that hinges open for easy loading. The sturdy lock snaps into place with a loud click so you know it’s secure. Two nice handles make it easy to carry and the side slats allow for plenty of light and air circulation while kitty is inside. The carrier measures 16″ x 11 5/8″ x 10 1/4″, the perfect size for small to medium cats. Simba, who weighs about 10 lbs., is shown here modeling the Sheraton Luxuries carrier.

The Sheraton Luxuries carrier is available in sky blue, lavender, spring green, and orange and sells for $27.99 US. Each carrier comes with a plush liner.

ENTER TO WIN!

One lucky winner is going to receive an orange Sheraton Luxuries carrier. Just leave a comment on this post to enter. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on December 16. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US only.

Dante’s Inferno the video game may not be ready for launch yet, but its book version sure is! EA has announced that the first issue of the Wildstorm comic book version has already been sent out to

Via Blaise we learn of a musician in Saskatoon, who heard that Google was going to be adding Saskatoon to its “Street View” efforts, and decided he was going to figure out a way to promote himself via Google Street View. He bought a sign with his band’s name, and kept it in his car. He told all his friends to be on the lookout for the Google Street View car, and to alert him, but he actually spotted it himself while eating lunch one day. After following it around for a bit, he figured out the pattern the car was driving in, and set himself up a little ways ahead and was photographed. He dashed ahead again, and got photographed a second time as well:

But here’s the thing: his face is blurred out due to pressure from various governments to “protect” people’s privacy from Google Street View. So this raises an obvious question: what do you do if you want to be seen on Google Street View, rather than blurred, and your government has taken away that ability?

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Nintendo of America is ready to admit how they really feel about the failure of GTA: Chinatown Wars DS to bring home the bacon. Yes, it is critically-acclaimed as a game, but still, sales refuse to pick

Seattle-based pet product manufacturer These Creatures is offering some very unusual holiday ornaments this year. Makers of functional and stylish raised feeders and hanging feeders, These Creatures uses their signature material, powder-coated steel, to create their holiday ornaments. Cat lovers can choose from the Rein-cat and the Mer-cat to add a bit of whimsy to your Christmas tree or to decorate your packages.

$10 US each. Available directly from These Creatures.

After the recent presentation of a unique electrical analysis solution at the ATIP meeting, 01dB-Metravib’s OneProd team innovates once again in service development. This development meets a high demand for increased reliability of machines, for reduced and controlled maintenance costs, together with less hardware investment and shorter technical learning periods.
01dB-Metravib’s solution has a name: it’s LiveProd.

Very simply, LiveProd allows implementing and using predictive maintenance with no dedicated resources: the OneProd team installs a data acquisition system on each site, which is customised to the needs of each company, and to the nature and criticality of the machines…
Then, the measurements are directly transferred to a centralised and secured database. 01dB-Metravib experts actually perform monitoring and issue diagnosis from this database. They provide the operator with clear recommendations for the maintenance of each machine under monitoring.
Very safely, this original solution allows maintenance management thus avoiding failures, while controlling expenses and benefiting from continuous support.
With absolute confidence, LiveProd is implemented with no investment: a simple monthly fee allows financing the measuring and analysis instruments, as well as the services provided by 01dB-Metravib’s experts.

01dB-Metravib, a subsidiary of AREVA, demonstrates here its innovating spirit in the domain of machine reliability, thus offering its customers simple and easily implemented solutions.

Developed in collaboration with the French Institute of Petroleum, ARAGO is an instrument for physical-chemistry applications dedicated to the refractive index measurement in suspensions for analysis applications such as the characterization of absorbent, dark or concentrated samples.

– The innovative design allows to widen the range of refractive index measurement (RI) from 1nD (air) to 4nD with a 10-4 accuracy. This new instrument, which presents the largest range of refractive index
measurements on the market allows to measure fluorated liquids refractive index (less than 1.3) and mercury’s refractive index (more than 1.7).

– ARAGO is a great instrument for oils and greases with a high fusion point, aromated oils, high refractive index perfumes and organic solvents.