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Gizmag is hardly a movie review site, but when a film comes along that advances the art form in such a revolutionary way as James Cameron’s Avatar, it becomes entirely relevant to fans of emerging technology. I saw it last night in IMAX 3D – and despite ten years’ worth of building expectations and a frenzied hype campaign in recent months, I was still unprepared for the enormity of the technical and artistic achievement this film represents. If you haven’t seen it yet, read on, we’ve kept spoilers to a minimum…

Tags: 3D,
Filmmaking,
Imax,
Immersion

Related Articles:

• Avatar toys ‘come to life’ on home computers
• U2 in first ever 3D concert beamed live to a cinema near you
• New Film Awards ‘calls’ for mobile phone users
• Digital cinema on the rise
• Micronas announce latest full HD frame rate converter
• AVATAR: Australian designed unmanned aerial vehicle

Eco Factor: Prototype vehicle designed to run on electricity.

Volvo has announced that the company will be showcasing an updated version of the all-electric C30 at the Detroit Auto Show to be held in January 2010. The company plans to produce at least 50 units for a group of selected users who can test drive the car in 2011.

(more…)

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Selamat Tahun Baru Hijriyah 1431 H. Semoga pada tahun-tahun mendatang kita senantiasa mendapatkan limpahan rahmat dan ridho-Nya. Semakin teguh menghadapi tantangan, semakin bersemangat, semakin bijak, semakin istiqomah dalam beribadah dan berkarya.

:: :: :: posting menggunakan WLW :: :: ::

Posted in Events, Renungan, Umum Tagged: Hijriyah, Islam, Tahun Baru

So you’ve finally got your new iPhone. You stroke its sleek shiny lines and imagine it purrs seductively at you. Then the battery goes dead. The Solar Surge is designed to get you out of the bind. It’s a lightweight slip-on solar panel that cleverly charges your iPhone 3G or 3GS and iPod Touch whenever there is enough sunlight available, making the hassle of charging on the go, well, no hassle at all really…

Tags: Apple,
iPhone,
iPhone 3G,
iPod,
iPod touch,
Solar

Related Articles:

• myPower charges iPhone on the go
• Richardsolo iPod back-up battery
• Scoshe passPORT solves iPhone / iPod charging needs
• Powcell’s green smartphone-charging solution
• Apple boosts memory for new iPhone and iPod touch models
• Award-winning ReNu personal solar-powered storage system

More Quantum Theory details are coming out shortly after its surprising announcement that it will no longer be a PS3 exclusive. Today, the game is making the Xbox 360 and the PS3 platforms share yet another item:

Eco Factor: Concept sleigh runs no batteries.

Santa has always been thought to ride on a sleigh powered by reindeers. This year GE has a green innovation for Santa Claus. The company has designed a concept sleigh that is both high-tech and zero-emission.

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“Two-in-one” products generally mean there’s a compromise. A desktop replacement laptop is great until you’ve lugged its weighty frame through five airports in two weeks, a road-trail motorcycle is fine until you hit a really snarly stretch of dirt, and a keyboard that becomes a mouse when you turn it upside down, well, lets not even go there. So when Toyota introduced its new Prado Landcruiser mid-size 4WD as a “best of both worlds” solution for both the highway and the rough stuff I was a little skeptical. But after taking on all types of terrain – including, open roads, tight forest trails and a formidable purpose built 4×4 track – I may just have been convinced otherwise. The vehicle’s versatile performance owes particular thanks to a sophisticated new suspension system and electronics suite, and although there’s no point pretending that it can be a sports coupe one minute and a monster truck the next, as a two-in-one auto solution the fourth-gen Prado comes very, very close…

Tags: 4WD,
Australia,
Luxury,
Toyota

Related Articles:

• Honda offers Motion Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS)
• Google Earth presents artworks from the Museo del Prado in ultra-high resolution
• Ford Kuga gets clever rear-view camera
• Toyota’s FJ Cruiser SUV goes from concept to production model at 2005 Chicago Auto Show
• Toyota Corolla Verso first Euro vehicle with Gentex rearview camera mirror
• Toyota’s welcoming Fine-X Fuel Cell Hybrid

Hip-Hop is coming back to games in a brand new pimpin’ ride, Def Jam Rapstar. From 4mm Games, Def Jam Rapstar is set to “provide the ultimate emcee video game experience, and captures the essence of what Hip-Hop is

Let the dog have his sofa and keep it clean too. Sure Fit is now offering new pet sofa throws that can be personalized with your pet’s name. The pet sofa cover is made of quilted soft suede and is machine washable.

The new covers present a budget-friendly way to extend the life of your pet-friendly furniture. Sure Fit’s sofa throws can help protect furniture from drool stains, smells and hair – not to mention the ocassional human soda spill or other mishap! Sure Fit also offers pet throws for chairs and loveseats.

The Sure Fit pet throws are offered in chocolate or taupe with monogramming (up to 15 letters) available in block or script.

Prices for the new pet covers start at $37.49 for the chair throw. If you’re not into personalization, Sure Fit doesn’t force that on you. They have  non-personalized pet throws as well.

How do you feel about personalized pet throws for your furniture?

(Image via Sure Fit)

Post from: Blisstree

Personalized Pet Sofa Protectors

There have been pros and cons to youngsters coloring their hair rampant shades and creating unusual appearances.  Some parents encouage this and even participate.  Other parents and grandparents object.  I wrote about this in the post, If Your Grandchild Has Weird Hair Color, and received an enlightening comment from Aimee that I’d like to share.

Just let them do it and enjoy their expression of uniqueness and creativity. Its just

hair. It will grow back if they wish it to. I’m 36 and in the 80’s it was cool to have

colored hair. My parents were Christian  and refused to let me follow the

trend. Oddly enough, now that I’m well into my 30’s and they are no longer extremists,

they both think that my hot pink striped short black hair is cool. If it wasn’t for the

fact that I’m a graphic artist, I don’t think I’d have been able to pull it off, but I am

glad I did. So maybe what I’m saying is that if you just let them do it while they’re

still kids you won’t have a 36 year old with hot pink hair!

What do you think?  Often if you do stress about it a great deal, the youngsters will be more determined to go to the extreme than if you let them experiment, if it doesn’t affect their values.

(Hair color image: sxc.hu)

Post from: Blisstree

Reader Agrees with Kids Coloring Their Hair

Vaska Scent Free Laundry Detergent was created by fashion designer Julia Fry. Using “advanced botanical solutions” in a formula Julia calls “herbatergent”, Vaska laundry detergent is safe for your skin and greywater/septic systems.

BENEFITS
Biodegradable: Won’t contaminate septic tanks or groundwater.
Hypo allergenic: Perfect for people with skin and scent sensitivities.
Softer clothing: Laundry comes out really soft, no need for chemical additive fabric softeners.
Herbal ingredient: Herbal lavender extracts are naturally anti-bacterial and purify clothing.
No static cling Leaves clothing cling-free.
HE: Ecological and designed for modern high efficiency washing machines, doesn’t corrode or clog plumbing.
Happier laundry room: Rich, sensual aroma enhances consumer’s experience in the laundry room.
Concentrated: You won’t have to carry a lot of heavy bottles or boxes home, and then to the recycling.

Vaska products have been “Recognized for Safer Chemistry by Design for the Environment, U.S. EPA.”

I am always amazed how many young children I work with at school show signs of sensitivity to laundry detergent, especially in the winter. They complain of itchy skin and try to wiggle out of their clothes. Many parents underestimate the effect chemical detergents have on their children’s skin.

Disclosure: I was sent a free sample of this product to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative

The GEMÜ 520 actuated globe and control valve is now also available in smaller nominal sizes DN 32, 40 and 50.

GEMÜ 520 is particularly suitable for use as a control valve for steam, air, water and process lines on account of its membrane actuator. The existing sizes DN 65 – 150 are now extended to smaller nominal sizes DN 32 – 50 to meet customer requirements. New actuator/valve body versions have also been developed to further increase the range of applications. In sizes DN 32 – 65 the valve can now be used with up to 40 bar operating pressure with valve bodies in cast steel GP 240 H and stainless steel 1.4408. Further new options include valves which can be actuated with a considerably reduced control pressure of 1.5 – 4 bar, depending on nominal size and operating pressure. The matched GEMÜ range of autoset valve positioners provide complete throttling control via PLC or on-board process controllers.

– GECKO, SPIDER, VIPER –
To gain the most possible information from your specimens!

The new infinitive zoom-stereo microscope series is ideal for biological and industrial applications. It features a binocular/trinocular head or alternatively ERGO head and offers parfocal and parcentered objectives. It comes with widefield eyepieces with a 22 mm field of view. Different objectives are available and delivering an accurate 3D reproduction of the original specimen.
The LED illumination system with variable light intensity can be switched on independently or simultaneously. For a maximum illumination efficiency, we recommend to use our LED ring light VENUS or the computerized SATURN.

The standard magnification of the three models is between 8x – 80x, the total magnification range between 4x – 320x.

There are many accessories like Iris diaphragm, darkfield and polarizing attachment, boom-stand etc. available.

If people’s safety is one of your main target and challenge, our steel sheet SAFBLOC enclosures are the answer to meet your needs. They insure the safety of all your staff (production operators, maintenance technicians, mechanics, electricians, subcontractors…) while equipments are being handled. Safety is guaranteed by the direct vision of the contacts, the state indicator (ON/ OFF), the double lock of the door, lateral handle to be locked in 3 points.

Main features:
-From 40 to 1600 A
-Lateral handle to operate
-Up/ Down or Down/ Down connexions
-Steel sheet (thickness: 2 mm)
-Front leaning roof (35 mm) to avoid water and dust to get in

Some accessories can be fitted with our enclosures:
-Auxiliary control buttons
-Door locks
-ISO cable gland
-Engraved labels

Our steel sheet SAFEBLOC is an enclosure very simple, reliable and robust. It can adapt to the roughest environment inside or outside a building (resistance to UV rays).

For further technical information on CEFEM’s steel sheet SAFEBLOC, feel free to contact us.

Padded protective gloves are no longer an obstacle when operating HMI stations for CCTV systems in hazardous areas which run R. STAHL’s ISview video software. Large touch buttons on the screen for quick direct access to cameras are hard to miss even for well-padded fingers. As an alternative, operators may also use mouse, trackball or joystick to select cameras and work their PTZ functions. With ISview, a monitor can display live signals of up to twelve image sources as a multiple-quad view or as single views to be switched between, as window or full image view. In addition to IP cameras video servers can also be incorporated.

ISview achieves the display of moving images with up to 25 frames per second. With a maximum delay of 120 ms the image signals of all connected devices reach the screens almost in real time. The VAPIX-API-based software is licensed for each connected camera so that overall cost corresponds exactly to the actual size of the CCTV system. In addition to powerful, industrial PC-based touch screen stations with various screen sizes, R. STAHL supplies all required network and connection technology as well as camera types that are suitable for hazardous areas and rough ambient conditions. It is therefore possible to source complete CCTV packages consisting of hardware, software and engineering from one single suplier.

Kuka Systems now makes the production of crystalline photovoltaic modules even faster: fully automated, ready-to-use robotic systems now trim, tape and frame. Taping is even performed “on the fly”. Pneumatic proportional technology from Festo ensures that the right pressure is applied to the tape roll.

öln – 2009-09-18 – Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum, a leading supplier of advanced vacuum systems for use in manufacturing industrial and high-tech processes, presents customized vacuum solutions for all photovoltaic processes. The pump systems are being exhibited at the 24. European Photovoltaic Solar and Energy Conference and Exhibition in Hamburg, Hall B5 Booth 26.

Photovoltaic processes require special vacuum solutions. The Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum team has developed special computer assisted tools (LeyCat) to design the optimum customized pumping system in combination with their application know how and experience. Examples of these customized systems with proven performance are being exhibited at the 24. EUPVSEC.

The economic and robust solution:
SOGEVAC / RUVAC Combinations

The compact design provides minimized investment for maximum benefit. The production proven system has been designed especially for fast pump down cycles, offering the perfect solution for load lock and light duty applications.
Due to the SOGEVAC type primary pump, it offers high suction speed from atmosphere and low power consumption and maintenance intervals like dry pump systems guarantees economic operation.
The system is available in modular packages from 500 to 2000 m³/h pumping speed.

The dry and flexible solution:
SCREWLINE / RUVAC Combinations

For those processes, where a dry pumping solution is required, the combination of the roots-blower with the dry screw type primary pump is recommended. The system has been especially designed for industrial applications and is production proven on coating processes. With the fast pump down cycles and dry technology it provides lowest cost of ownership.
Modular packages (up to 9000 m³/h) and speed adaptation by frequency control ensure highest flexible pumping speed.

Customer Benefits
Advantages of the SP630 combinations at a glance:

Coldest pump on market – avoids build up of layers
Gas-ballast purges out vapors and dust
Cantilevered shaft design allows manual cleaning on site
Environmentally friendly – does not produce contaminated waste oils
Completely air-cooled (water-cooling as option)
Low power consumption

• Frost protection switches for HVAC systems, e.g. for frost protection monitoring of heating registers/heat exchangers
• Different modules available:
ExBin-FR3 and ExBin-FR6 for zone 1, 2, 21, 22 (Explosion proof)
RedBin-FR3 and RedBin-FR6 for zone 2, 22 (Explosion proof)
InBin-FR3 and InBin-FR6 for safe area (not Explosion proof)
• No additional module in the panel required!
• No intrinsically safe wiring required!
• 24 VAC/DC supply
• 1-stage switch-point, mechanically adjustable
• Output is 1 potential-free make contact
• Temperature range -5 to +15 °C
• 3 meter or 6 meter capilarry
• Switching status display with LED
• Aluminium die-cast housing with integrated terminal box, protection IP66
• Dimensions (H × W × D) 177 × 107 × 66 mm
• Different accessories available for installation
• For more details and technical data sheet click on „More information…“