Blog

UK Daily Mail
Monday, January 4th, 2010

When Britain woke up on the first day of the New Year
it was met with freezing cold temperatures, feet of snow in places and
the promise of travel chaos.

And now, three days into 2010, forecasters have warned to expect
continued snowfall for the next 10 days – bringing with it added
stress for commuters heading back to work after a festive break and
children returning to school tomorrow.

Yet as Britain struggles to cope with the freezing weather
conditions, other countries throughout the world are also finding
themselves in the same predicament.

Full article here

Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkList

First Planet Company, a subsidiary of the MindArk Group that develops and markets the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game Planet Calypso, which is based on the Entropia Platform and part of the Entropia Universe (still with me?), claims that the world record for most expensive virtual object ever to be sold has been smashed into thousands of virtual pieces.

First Planet Company about a month ago announced the public auction of the Crystal Palace Space Station, according to the release ‘an extremely popular hunting destination that is in orbit around Planet Calypso’. The lucky winner of the auction, Erik Novak (aka “Buzz Erik Lightyear”), ended up winning the bid with a $330,000.00 USD offer.

It’s 2010, so it’s no longer surprising for most people to see this kind of money being spent on virtual objects, and I doubt this world record will stick around for long.

Novak puts it this way:

“This is a stunning investment opportunity, and I have complete faith I will recover what I spent relatively quickly. To say Planet Calypso has changed my life would be an understatement. I have even found the love of my life in the game, and now we live together in real life. I feel very confident about purchasing the Crystal Palace Space Station as I have already invested years of time, dedication, work, hope and love. All of those things have already paid off more than I could have ever imagined. With the new game engine, new features and almost ten years of experience Planet Calypso is one of the few safe investments in this economy.”

For the record (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), the previous world record as registered by the authorative Guinness World Records book in 2008, was also a sale of a virtual property in Planet Calypso. The amount paid for that property was much smaller though, with a reported $100.000 USD being spent on a Virtual Space Resort and Nightclub now dubbed Club Neverdie.

Do you spend money on virtual goods? What if it would concern a significant investment that you’re confident would generate a great return down the line?

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

The Age
Monday, January 4th, 2010

A FREEZING cold front swept over much of northern China
on Sunday with snowstorms snarling traffic and air travel, while some
of the coldest temperatures in decades were forecast for coming days.

Gale-force winds sweeping down from Siberia could result in
temperatures as low as minus 16 degrees in the capital today, the
Beijing meteorological station said.

Such temperatures are believed to be the coldest in the capital in 40 years.

Yesterday, major highways in Beijing and Tianjin, as well as in the
surrounding provinces and regions of Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia
were closed due to the heavy snowfall.

Full article here

Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkList

NEIL FRANK
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Monday, January 4th, 2010

Now that Copenhagen is past history, what is the next
step in the man-made global warming controversy? Without question,
there should be an immediate and thorough investigation of the
scientific debauchery revealed by “Climategate.”

If you have not heard, hackers penetrated the computers of the
Climate Research Unit, or CRU, of the United Kingdom’s University
of East Anglia, exposing thousands of e-mails and other documents. CRU
is one of the top climate research centers in the world. Many of the
exchanges were between top mainstream climate scientists in Britain and
the U.S. who are closely associated with the authoritative (albeit
controversial) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Among the
more troubling revelations were data adjustments enhancing the
perception that man is causing global warming through the release of
carbon dioxide (CO2) and other atmospheric greenhouse gases.

Particularly disturbing was the way the core IPCC scientists (the
believers) marginalized the skeptics of the theory that man-made global
warming is large and potentially catastrophic. The e-mails document
that the attack on the skeptics was twofold. First, the believers
gained control of the main climate-profession journals. This allowed
them to block publication of papers written by the skeptics and
prohibit unfriendly peer review of their own papers. Second, the
skeptics were demonized through false labeling and false accusations.

Climate alarmists would like you to believe the science has been
settled and all respectable atmospheric scientists support their
position. The believers also would like you to believe the skeptics are
involved only because of the support of Big Oil and that they are few
in number with minimal qualifications.

Full article here

Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkList

Is Carphone Warehouse finding it hard to shift its UK stock of Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre handsets? Amid speculation that sales of the Palm Pre have been flagging in the UK, the mobile retailer is offering two free flights to one of 15 European destinations to those who buy the Pre on a two-year O2 contract before January 31.

In Q1 Palm sold over 800,000 smartphones worldwide, with the “vast majority” of those being Palm Pre, according to the company. But the Pre will be fighting for shelf space among never devices from Google (NSDQ: GOOG), LG (SEO: 066570) and Palm itself, which has said it will launch products before the end of May.

O2, which has exclusive rights to sell the Palm Pre in the UK, declines to give sales figures for individual devices. It told us: “Palm Pre sales are in line with expectations and we are happy with them.”

But, if the rumors of slow sales are true, this might not be such a bad thing. As it is, the operator has admitted that its network is already feeling the strain of too much smartphone use.

Related

• Network Upgrades Promised After iPhone ‘Explosion’

UK Daily Mail
Monday, January 4th, 2010

Nearly a quarter of boys – and one in seven girls
– is struggling to learn to talk because thousands of households
keep their TV sets on constantly making it difficult for them to
understand the speech of adults around them.

A survey revealed how 22 per cent of boys and 13 per cent of girls have trouble developing speech and understanding others.

Three per cent suffer ’significant’ problems, according
to a poll published by Jean Gross, the Government’s
communications adviser.

Middle-class children were just as likely to experience problems as youngsters from less affluent families, it emerged.

Full article here

Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkList

Article Tags: Front Page News, Met Office, UK Winter Forecast 2009/10, World Temperatures

SHIVERING Britain faces the prospect of gas supply shortages as the worst cold spell in 30 years keeps a stranglehold on the country.

The National Grid yesterday issued only its ­second-ever warning that demand for energy is threatening to outstrip available supplies unless industry quickly slashes its consumption and more gas is rushed in from abroad.

The alert prompted the wholesale cost of gas to rocket by 70 per cent and raised fears that businesses and households could soon be hit by power cuts if the freezing weather persists as forecast for the rest of the month.

Shadow Energy Secretary Greg Clark warned: “For 12 years the Government has had its head in the sand about Britain’s precarious energy security.

“Today’s alert is a taste of what is to come as a result of Labour’s negligence – gas supply shortages and regular power cuts. I have repeatedly warned that Britain lacks the back-up plans that France and Germany have for these situations.” National Grid issued its warning – known as a gas balancing alert – because an unexpected shortfall meant Britain’s demand was at risk.

Source: express.co.uk

Read in full with comments »   

I love H&M: stylin’ clothes that are made on the cheap. Sure they fall apart after a few wearings, but hey, by that time you need to hop onto the next trend anyway, so who cares?

In its 2010 menswear collection, neutral colors are mixed with small flashes of color and – perhaps most surprisingly – the retailer prominently features a kilt.

Can H&M get the average dude to start wearing a skirt? Will this be the fashion trend of the new year? Probably not, but H&M is to be complimented for stirring things up a bit.

Here’s a few more pieces from the H&M 2010 menswear collection:

Related posts:

1. Is Topless the New Fashion Trend for Women?
2. Daisy Lowe Continues the Topless Fashion Trend
3. GQ Reveals America’s Douchiest Colleges

With federal mileage standards rising and some significant political figures heading to Detroit later this week for the 2010 North American International Auto Show, automakers will show a lineup of fresh fuel-efficient vehicles in Cobo Center.

Ford is scheduled to show off its redesigned Focus while Chevrolet will show a new version of the Aveo. Chrysler and Fiat plan on showing an electric version of the Fiat 500 minicar. Coming from the other side of the world, Honda will show the production version of its CR-Z Hybrid coupe while Toyota and Volkswagen will both show a new hybrid concept.

China’s BYD Auto will also be in the house showing its electric-vehicle lineup in a space called Electric Avenue.

High-performance vehicles will also get some attention as Ford plans to show the new 5.0L V8 2011 Mustang GT and GM will unveil the production Cadillac CTS-V Coupe and the Buick Regal GS sedan.

We’ll be covering the show live starting Jan. 11th, so make sure you join us for live coverage.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Security procedures continue to evolve for air travelers. Last week we talked about the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) increasing security at U.S. airports in response to the incident on the December 25 flight.

Yesterday the TSA implemented new air travel security measures, and these will have an effect on people traveling to the United States from other countries. There will now be more pat downs, carry-on bag searches and random screenings happening in foreign airports for travelers headed to the United States. Travelers from or departing from countries the United States considers a State sponsor of terrorism will receive the highest levels of scrutiny.

The media keeps talking about the prospects of advanced imaging technologies in airports. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if advanced imaging will become a requirement before boarding a flight. There are already some of these machines in use in airports in the U.S. and I know that not everyone is very happy about the idea of widespread use of these new imaging technologies. I haven’t encountered one in my travels yet. Have you? What are they like?

October 26, 2009, Ayer, MA, USA –Capacitec, Inc. (Capacitec) (www.capacitec.com), a global leader in the design and manufacture of non-contact capacitive displacement, gap and parallelism sensing technologies for scientific and industrial customers, has announced the successful application of non-contact gap sensor systems within aircraft assembly, slot die coating and aircraft engine and power generation testing applications.

• During commercial and military aircraft assembly, the Capacitec Gapman system is used as a “portable electronic feeler gauge”, to determine appropriate dimensions of metal shims used in wing assembly other metal-to-composite surfaces. Implementation has reduced required shimming time by 5X over the previous method, which utilized feeler gauges.

• During thin coating operations, a Capacitec Slot Die Coater Gap measurement system is used to measure slot die gaps to an accuracy of 0.5 microns, while maintaining gap uniformity to < 0.25 microns across a two to three-meter length in production of labels, special films, wall panels, batteries and foam-based products. • In aircraft engine and power generation turbine manufacturing, Capacitec offers “contact wand” sensing systems, used to measure gaps between fan blades and engine cowling. The major system advantage is that it does not require grounding of the target and the handheld wand, and electronics can easily access any of the fan blade gaps without the need to rotate the blades. Since the 1970's, Capacitec high temperature non-contact sensing technology has been in use in North America, Europe and Japan to solve the most demanding applications, measuring displacement of up to 0.4” (10 mm), within extreme temperature environments where resolution of one micron or better is a requirement. For more information about these and other non-contact sensing systems available from Capacitec, please visit www.capacitec.com. About Capacitec, Inc.: Headquartered in Ayer, Massachusetts, with additional operations in Creteil, France, Capacitec is a global technology company dedicated to advancing the capacitive principle of measurement physics to its highest level in sensor system design. The company's core competencies are the design and manufacture of non-contact capacitive displacement, gap and parallelism sensing systems, which include hardware, data acquisition systems and software.

LEMO Announces New Lightweight Compact Aluminum Connector Series Designed for High-Reliability Military and Harsh Environment Applications

Ecublens, Switzerland — LEMO, a global leader in the design and manufacture of precision custom connection solutions has announced a NEW precision engineered connector series designed specifically for military, energy, alternative energy, industrial automation, performance automotive and other
harsh environment applications that require robust performance in a lightweight compact size. LEMO, known for their original push-pull connector technology, is now offering this new twist lock, lightweight aluminum connector series in a smaller compact size to address the needs of the harsh environment applications. The LEMO M Series Connector has been uniquely designed for these applications that require a durable, yet reduced weight in a compact solution. This new connector series design was focused on the designer and/or engineer that require a MIL-38999 type of connector but in a much smaller and lightweight package, giving up none of the vibration, RFI, water ingress or corrosion specifications.
The high performance M Series provides a ratchet locking, screw coupling, system that enables single grip, quick and secure, coupling of the connectors for high vibration environments. With a low luster gun-metal finish, the connectors are watertight to two meters for fifteen hours (IP68). Plugs come with two
grip designs: a standard knurl grip or an arctic grip to allow secure mating while wearing gloves. Receptacle styles include jam-nut or flange panel mount with crimp contacts, PCB pins, or in-line cable mount shells.
All connectors are identified with a laser engraved part number and production batch number to ensure complete traceability from the raw materials.
The M Series connector family provides full 360 degree shielding and high shell conductivity to ensure excellent EMI protection. The over-mold feature provides for additional cable strain and flex relief,
for improved aesthetics and cable mount reliability.

The M series is ideally suited for use in military applications such as aircraft control and sensors, land vehicles and payloads, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), UVS (Unmanned Vehicles Systems), robotics, personal battle equipment, electric vehicle applications and training simulation equipment. With its
insensitivity to oil and gas, the connectors are ideally suited in many industrial automation settings such as:
motorsports, hybrid and electric vehicle applications, and wherever the environmental conditions require rugged but lightweight components.
LEMO also provides value added services such as cable assemblies, over-molding, prototyping and custom designs with the same uncompromising commitment to quality.

K-Tron Smart Flow Meter (K-SFM-275-A and K-SFM-350) offer Metering, Registering and Monitoring of Bulk Material Flows

Niederlenz/Switzerland, May 11, 2009 — Utilizing the principles of Newtonian physics F=ma (Force= Mass times Acceleration), the K-Tron Smart Flow Meter (SFM) is used in process applications that need reliable metering, registering or monitoring of bulk material flows. Models include the K-SFM-275-A and K-SFM-350.

The Smart Flow Meter has no moving parts. The bulk material flows through two force sensor stations that have no mechanical effect on the material. Bulk material flows by gravity into the upper measuring channel, an inclined chute mounted on a force transducer where the force, acting perpendicularly on the chute is measured as mass. The bulk material then flows into the lower, vertical channel which determines velocity or acceleration rate. From the signals of these two sensors the flow rate is determined per unit of time.

The bulk material can consist of granules, chips or fibers. Bulk materials include plastics, chemicals, animal feed, cement, coal, glass, aluminum, grain, etc; with very good to good flow characteristics. Since there are no moving parts, bulk materials are handled gently.

Applications include material flow control within a production line, the measuring, filling or discharge of quantities, materials management, and quantitative bulk goods measurement. The K-Tron Smart Flow Meter offers a low-headroom and is a cost-effective solution for in-line weighing applications. To learn more visit www.ktron.com/SFM.

EFAFLEX high-speed doors are proving of immense value for the airport fire department at Charles de Gaulle airport.

They are at the hub in international air traffic operations and are proving to be ideally suited in demanding airport environments. One of the latest projects in this sector is the fire station at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris.

The French newspaper “Le Parisien“ speaks of gigantic doors which open in only two seconds. This outstanding performance provides the airport firemen with the confidence of being able to reach even the most remote corner of the airport within 90 seconds after the alarm has been triggered. No doubt: in this sector, it is particularly important that doors work properly.
“It cost 5,000,000 Euro to build the new fire department. We installed six series S high-speed doors there. Thanks to the high opening speed, the firemen can now exit much quicker thus increasing air traffic safety in Paris”, says EFAFLEX Managing Director Christopher Seysen. It all began in 2006 when the first EFAFLEX doors were installed at Orly airport. After further negotiations with Aéroports de Paris (AdP), the new fire department was planned specifying EFAFLEX high-speed doors.
Shortly after, a new order was placed. “In the meantime, nine EFA-SST-Premium doors have been installed in a maintenance hangar at Charles de Gaulle Airport”, says Christopher Seysen. “These orders are an important basis for further business relations because all airports around the world are modelling themselves on the Paris Fire Brigades.”

Encoders for Functional Safety

Safety is – not least since the EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG – an “integral part of the construction of drives”.
When choosing the right encoder for functional safety the principle applies that safety is achieved through the intelligent combination of encoder, controller and actuator.
Sendix SSI absolute encoders, with an additional Sin/Cos incremental output, and Sin/Cos versions of incremental encoders are available with certification.

But safety goes further than this: safe components are characterised by a robust reliable interface and by the ability to cope with high mechanical and electronic loads.

Encoders for functional safety

Safe Incremental Encoder Function
In order to achieve safe incremental information with the encoder, the controller must monitor the validity of the analogue, 90° phase-shifted sine/cosine signals with the help of the function: sin² + cos² = 1

Safe Absolute Encoder Function

In order to obtain safe information with the encoder regarding the absolute position, the controller counts the incremental pulses and compares the result with the absolute positions also provided by the encoder.

Safe mechanical connection

A 100% reliable mechanical connection is required for a safe function in the applications. Suitably sturdy fixing elements can help eliminate the risk of faults.

Compliance with Safety Standards

According to DIN EN 13849-1 and DIN EN 61800-5-2 up to SIL3/PLe/Kat.4 the following safety functions can be implemented with the encoder:

-SS1: Safe Stop 1 – controlled braking, STO after time or standstill.
-SS2: Safe Stop 2 – controlled braking until SOS.
-SOS: Safe Operating Stop – safe operating stop in position control.
-SLS: Safe Limited Speed.
-SLI: Safe Limited Increment of Position.
-SLP: Safe Limited Position.
-SSR: Safe Speed Range.
-SDI: Safe Direction.
-SSM: Safe Speed Monitoring.

Tyco Electronics Energy Division has launched a new Crompton Instruments energy meter that is flexible and can be used in a broad variety of applications.

The new Integra Ci3 meter is the first of a new generation of digital metering systems that complements the existing Crompton Instruments Integra range. All the main electrical and power quality parameters can be measured from any supplies. Twenty fundamental measurements are offered, including single and three-phase, total harmonic distortion (THD), currents, frequency, KWh and so forth.

The Integra Ci3 digital metering system is programmable to suit single-, three-phase three-wire and three-phase four-wire systems, while scalable current transformer ratios enable the display of any current range.
The backlit LCD display simply clicks into place during manufacturing and screens are selected by the end user using four simple buttons and an intuitive interface. Two plug-in output ports allows a combination of various output modules – for example, pulsed relay and/or Modbus output – to be incorporated.

At the heart of the instrument is a homogenous single board that houses all the electronics for the meter. The central processors have been rationalised to give a common development platform for future extensions to the Crompton Instruments range of products. Even the development tools (software) are common. This gives almost limitless scalability and a high degree of ‘future proofing’ as both the Crompton Instruments product range and end user’s systems develop or grow.

The installation of the Integra Ci3 meter is simplicity itself. The DIN 96 enclosure has integral retention clips to enable fast, safe and secure panel mounting in various material thicknesses without any external screws of clips. The meter gives true RMS measurement and is fully CE certified. An IP65 protective cover is available for harsh environments.

The design of the product started with the involvement the voice of customers and internal sales, design, product management, procurement and manufacturing teams. Apart from resulting in a holistic process to ensure design efficiency, this early consultation influenced the manufacturing methods deployed, improved and truncated the design phase and ensured a high quality, reliable product from the first production runs. www.integraCi3.com

Protection from Anthrax and other pathogens during mail screening…

MailSafe™ Mail Handling Enclosure
MailSafe™ is designed for mail handling safety, protecting the operator from exposure to airborne pathogens during the opening of envelopes and small packages. MailSafe™ uses proven HEPA technology for the capture of airborne pathogens. An effective air barrier is provided to contain any unknown substance within the workstation. All MailSafe™ units are certified at the factory prior to shipping. AirClean Systems mail handling equipment is leak tested with a 0.2 to 0.5 micron aerosol and scanned for bypass. Units carry certification results for future verification.

Since 1995, AirClean Systems® has provided quality HEPA containment systems to the law enforcement market. From small municipal agencies to large federal bureaus, AirClean supplies the solution to your mail handling safety and hazardous material containment problems.

Standard Features
•HEPA filtration for removal of pathogens to 0.3 microns in size.
•Internal 15W fluorescent light.
•Automatic sash switch — turns blowers off when sash is closed and maintains an “air barrier” during the shutdown phase.
•Mini-helic gauge monitors filter life indicating when to change HEPA filter.
•MailSafe™ is leak-tested and factory-certified.
•Lightweight and portable.
•Available in 110V or 220V configuration.
•Optional cart available

But you remember that Atmosphere album You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having? OK, good– now imagine the exact opposite sentiment. I have no idea what put these guys in such a sourpuss mode, but the celebratory “we the best” boasting of “Protagonists” proves to be a red herring instead of a mood setter. The rest of the way we get to hear Murs and Slug swap out the kickin’ back at the BBQ vibe of their previous releases and go off on so many archetypes/strawmen you wonder if they even think they have fans. Either way, it gets to be awfully oppressive over the span of Rosie Perez’s hourlong runtime for anyone other than the most insatiable consumers of complaint rap.

Hipsters, critics, “internet rappers,” rappers who rap about violence (“Deathmurdermayhem”) all get dealt with, but in a manner so vague that their dismissals become toothless. Come on, I’m wearing a cardigan as I type this review– work with it! Instead they save specificity for tracks boasting the concerned but condescending attitudes towards women I expect from a Taking Back Sunday album. It’s one thing to lack sympathy, but Slug and Murs crucially forgo empathy too often, and their subjects come off like set pieces rather than real people– oddly enough, the fantastical fairy tale character portrait of “Henrietta Longbottom” comes off like the most intensely written song on the whole thing.
Pérez started her career in the late 1980s as a dancer on Soul Train and has choreographed music videos by Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and The Boys. She was the choreographer for the dancing group the Fly Girls who were featured on every performance of In Living Color. She was noticed in a dance club by Spike Lee in 1989, who hired her for her first major acting role in Do the Right Thing.

Related posts:

1. Rosie Perez A Tribute To Rosie Perez Album 2010 The only issue with Aesop’s production is that it many…
2. Katharine Mcphee, Katharine Mcphee Blonde The album features a couple catchy numbers in “Had It…
3. The Rev Dead Video The Rev Dead Video watch and what was the…

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

BBC
Monday, January 4th, 2010

Bono, frontman of rock band U2, has warned the film
industry not to make the same mistakes with file-sharing that have
dogged the music industry.

Writing for the New York Times, Bono claimed internet service
providers were “reverse Robin Hoods” benefiting from the
music industry’s lost profits.

He hinted that China’s efforts prove that tracking net content is possible.

The editorial drew sharp criticism, both on its economic merits and for the suggestion of net content policing.

“The immutable laws of bandwidth tell us we’re just a
few years away from being able to download an entire season of
‘24′ in 24 seconds,” he wrote.

Full article here

Editor’s Note: This shouws clearly one thing that’s always been very obivious – Bono is an exellent musician, but when it comes to real world issues like this, his head is in the clouds.

Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkList

Frozen vegetables are one of our secret weapons for eating light during the winter. Broccoli has been in heavy rotation lately – we take a bag out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave for a few minutes, and it’s ready to be used in all kinds of dishes.

Read Full Post