An on-going two year production from manufacturers Smartfish has finally been completed and is soon ready to be unveiled. The keyboard, previously known as the Pro Motion and Ergomotion, has been revamped with an elegant all-black finish and boasting a 150 dollar price tag.
The keyboard exhibits an internal motor which adjusts the two halves of the keyboard based on the individuals typing frequency. The adjustments made help combat fatigue, an effort developed in collaboration with The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
The keyboard looks impressive, and the ideas behind the self-adjustement mechanism sound very sophisticated. Until the keyboard is officially released, we're not sure how it feels to use - but stay tuned for more information when it becomes available.
Honda to Begin Sales of Honda Bicycle Simulator Developed for Traffic Safety Education
This bicycle simulator was initially built for traffic safety education but due to the buzz around the product Honda have decided to bring them onto the Japanese market early next year.
The simulator allows the user to cycle through a host of different conditions, without the risk of being knocked down by another vehicle. You won't have to experience the wet weather, or the cold conditons either, but can safely and warmly use the simulator from the comfort of your own home.
The simulator will come pre-loaded with a whole range of different scenarios, including 'Going to School', 'Going to the grocery store', 'Going to cram school' and 'visiting a local shopping street', as well as others. The simulator will appeal to many different organisations and people, including public offices, law-enforcement agencies, driving schools and educational establishments.
Honda‘s slightly bizarre attitude toward personal mobility has given us an hybrid car, an exoskeleton to strap your granny into and a gyroscope-packed Segway-alternative; however if you’d rather stay indoors, then their latest simulator might do the trick. The Honda Bicycle Simulator is intended to allow would-be cyclists to “safely experiencing the possible risks bicycle riders may face” in the hope that they then don’t end up under a juggernaut. To do that, there’s a mounted bike and large display, along with speakers that extend out to surround the rider’s head. The simulator shows various road conditions, while the bike controller itself is clever enough to recognize when the rider dismounts and walks it along, as per the road situation. Secondary displays mean you can check over your shoulder and to the sides.
The content itself varies according to the user’s age, and Honda has pre-programmed simulations of “going to school,” “going to the grocery store,” “going to cram school” and “going to a local shopping street”. As you might expect, they aren’t planning on selling very many of their Bicycle Simulators; in fact just 500 of the 732,900 yen ($8,253) systems are tipped to find buyers each year.
Press Release:
Honda to Begin Sales of Honda Bicycle Simulator Developed for Traffic Safety Education
TOKYO, Japan, October 15, 2009 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced plans to begin Japan-wide sales starting February 2010, of the Honda Bicycle Simulator developed for the purpose of traffic safety education. By safely experiencing the possible risks bicycle riders may face, users will improve their ability to predict risks and increase safety awareness. In addition, rider evaluation session which will follow the riding simulation will help users learn traffic rules and manners in an enjoyable way. Honda will aim for widespread use of this simulator by a range of customers including public offices, law-enforcement organizations, driving schools and educational institutions which conduct bicycle safety education programs primarily for school children and senior citizens. Honda will begin accepting pre-sale orders in November of this year.
In recent years, the total number of fatalities from traffic accidents has declined in Japan. However, the ratio of fatalities in accidents involving bicycles has increased. Bicycle riders aged 10 – 19 in and above the age of 50 have the highest chance to get involved in an accident, and approximately 70 percent of bicycle accidents are caused by violation of traffic rules.
Leveraging the know-how accumulated through its activities to promote traffic safety since 1964, Honda has been developing and selling motorcycle and automobile simulators since 1996 and 2001, respectively, as traffic safety educational devices which enable users to safely experience the risks based on real-world traffic situations. By offering these simulators, Honda’s goal is to improve people’s ability to predict risks and increase safety awareness. Striving to realize a richer mobility society in the future, Honda developed the Honda Bicycle Simulator as an educational tool for a wider range of people.
Key features of the Honda Bicycle Simulator
・ Compact design (length 2,270mm × height 1,400mm × width 990mm, weight 88kg)
・ Equipped with monitors to check right/left and behind.
・ Equipped with a “walking sensor” which recognizes the user’s action of walking the bicycle.
・ Contains different courses such as “going to school,” “going to the grocery store,” “going to cram school” and “going to a local shopping street” to offer realistic experiences for user groups of different ages.
・ Contains a course for the user to learn traffic laws and manners to ride a bicycle in mixed traffic. ・ After the simulation, the rider’s path can be reviewed from multiple vantage points -above/below and right/left- and the riding situation and evaluation will be displayed on the monitor.
Sales Plan (in Japan): 500 units per year
Suggested Retail Price (in Japan, including delivery fee): 732,900 yen (698,000 yen before tax)
The recent discovery of a rocky Earth-like planet with an atmospheric temperature that could support the development of life is a breakthrough. But it is just one of many recent findings that support the possibility of life in space.
A Window to the Future
The search for an Earth-like planet capable of sustaining life has kept astronomers busy for decades. It took a leap in late September with the discovery of Gliese 581 g, an exoplanet which orbits a red dwarf star located 20 light years from Earth.
By combing previous astronomical data, Steven Vogt of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C., were able to use a 10-meter Keck I telescope located in Hawaii to locate a rocky planet with the potential to harbor water, and therefore life.
As Pennsylvania State University astronomer James Kasting explains, the importance of this newly found planet lies in its solid surface, its mass compared to that of the Earth, and its position with relation to the star it orbits. Gliese 581 g, which has a 37-day orbit, is located at enough distance from its star as to prevent its atmosphere from being too hot to sustain water, yet close enough to prevent it from freezing.
“You're smack dab in the middle of the habitable zone, so that's perfect,” Kasting notes. Gliese 581 g also has a relatively low mass—between 3.1 and 4.3 times that of Earth—which suggests a rocky structure and a relatively hospitable surface potentially capable of hosting life.
Despite the fact that scientists will not be able to probe the atmosphere of Gliese 581 g, its discovery is an astronomical breakthrough, suggesting that planets such as this one may be common and within reach of scientific instruments precise enough to find them. According to researchers Gordon Moore and Greg Laughlin, the pace of discovery of such exoplanets gives room to suggest that the first habitable, Earth-like planet could be discovered soon, even as early as May 2011.
The discovery of habitable Earth-like planets, a long-time goal for scientists, is a lengthy process in which every step counts. Recent years have brought a series of breakthrough discoveries that bring us closer to the discovery of other habitable planets in space.
In March 2008, NASA discovered methane in the atmosphere of HD 189733 b, a planet in another solar system located 63 light years away from Earth. Even though the scorching atmosphere on this planet would make life on it impossible, this discovery opened the doors for the future detection of smaller, cooler planets that could offer an habitable atmosphere similar to that of Earth.
In June of the same year, a team of European astronomers amazed scientists around the world with their discovery of a rare trio of “super-Earths” orbiting HD 40307, a sun-like star 42 located light years from Earth. These rocky planets have up to 10 times the mass of Earth and, as scientists suggested, could have the ability to maintain enough warmth to support life for 35 percent longer than our planet.
In March 2009, NASA scientists paved the way for a 2020 expedition to Jupiter’s moons, Titan and Europa, in hopes of finding new clues in their search for life in space. Within the same tear, Samuel P. Kounaves of Tufts University and his team managed to discover alkaline soil on Mars, a feature that would enable plant growth on the Red Planet. These encouraging findings have given scientists a more solid basis on which to found their hopes for the discovery of other habitable planets in space.
In March 2009, NASA scientists paved the way for a 2020 expedition to Jupiter’s moons, Titan and Europa, in hopes of finding new clues in their search for life in space. Within the same tear, Tufts University professor Samuel P. Kounaves and his team managed to discover alkaline soil on Mars, a feature that would enable plant growth on the Red Planet. These encouraging findings have given scientists a more solid basis on which to found their hopes for the discovery of other habitable planets in space.
In January 2010, NASA announced that its Kepler’s Mission had discovered five new extra-solar planets. Even tough these planets, labeled “roasters,” had extreme surface temperatures due to their proximity to the stars they orbited and their short orbit time span, their discovery allowed scientists to be optimistic about the potential detection of Earth-like habitable planets in a not too distant future.
The findingDulcinea Web Guide to Astronomy offers a concise background to the science of Astronomy, together with links to astronomy history and news, telescope-buying tips, and how to find the constellations or join an astronomy club.
If every country had it’s own type of cellphones, Russian ones could look like this. It could be made of wood which is cheap and is available everywhere in Russia, it has simple functions like call and bye, it would be made in Finland cause everyone in Russia knows good phones are made in Finland (like Nokia) and one additional option is a must – a beer bottle opener from the backside of the phone – very handy!
One Russian man builds new cases for mobile phones from apple tree wood. He fully disassembles the new devices and carve a piece-of-art wooden cases for them, each small part gets its own wooden case – the antenna, the sim-card, the battery. A disassembled phone…
A battery is hidden inside a wooden bar.
A sim-card comes in the smaller bar..
And antenna is also… wooden. And the author believes that sooner or later gadget manufacturers wood turn to wood too.
Wooden Cell Phone Charger
We’ve mentioned these wooden cell phones made in Russia before, but now there is a charger that could fit it well by design, it’s below:
Actually this charger was used by Chechen troops hiding in woods without electricity they were using such devices to charge their phones.
NOKIA WOODEN MOBILE Earthfirst titles a post " Nokia Cell Phone Made of Sustainably Harvested Wood", thinks it a lovely idea and quotes Cellphone Beat, which writes in Nokia goes green with wooden body phone " This Nokia eco-friendly concept flaunts a wooden body made from sustainable timber. The design features an 8-megapixel camera, bluetooth, speaker and a Symbian S60 Operating System." Cellphone Beat continues: "Mobile phones with metallic bodies, which in the designer mode are even seen studded with diamonds and crystals, will have an environment-friendly competitor, if the eco-friendly wooden Nokia concept is realized sometime in the distant future. The natural soulful look of the phone, fitted with advanced technical features, will make it the most sought after device by environmentally-conscious, cell phone users, looking for a phone that does not contaminate the environment with its toxic elements." and links back to Concept Phones, which writes in Nokia 8 Megapixel Cameraphone Concept, Designed by Nokia’s Eco-Team: Yes, the device is branded Nokia, but the details are extremely scarce… The handset looks more like a camera than a phone to me, but it’s equally hot. Turns out that it features Bluetooth, Symbian S60, a speaker and tons of eco-friendliness. This concept phone is made of wood from sustainable forests, so Mother Nature won’t suffer as you take your pics with the aid of the handset." Concept Phones links back to its source on Flickr which is titled "Nokia eight mega pixel phone (concept phone by Nokia's eco-team)" and the only copy is "The first Nokia eight mega pixel phone? I guess we'll have to wait some time for that... Only a concept made of wood from sustainable forests at this stage but fun anyway. "
hmm, that pattern of dimples looks awfully familiar. could Singgih Kartono be in a joint venture with Nokia, carving sustainable phones in Malaysia? So from one line of commentary under two Flickr photos by a guy from Birmingham who appears to have visited Helsinki we end up with a hundred websites blooming with Nokia's new green eco-phone with tons of eco-friendliness from sustainably harvested wood. A cautionary tale of broken cellphone.
The world has become totally electronic and digital. Every device from the personal computer on your desk to the lift which carries you up to the office each day depends on electric circuitry which in turn relies on electrical power.
Power Problems
The power supply in the majority of countries in the western world is fairly stable and power outages are fortunately a rare occurrence. However, there are variations in power supply and quality which can affect the operation of sensitive electronic equipment. It has been estimated, for example, that some 60% of all computer problems can be traced back to electrical supply problems. Within an office building there are many things which occur to affect the power supply such as lifts can momentarily drain the power load so that the current reaching your equipment is lower than it should be. Moreover adverse weather conditions such as storms, lightening and snow falls can also impact upon the power supply.
Choosing the right power protection solution can be a confusing business. There are a number of different types of UPS each offering different levels of protection. Moreover, one has to consider how the UPSs are to be monitored and controlled with the correct software and what level of support and advice can be expected from your supplier. The aim of this article is to provide a brief guide through the power protection maze to enable you to select the best solution for your organisation.
Power problems fall into nine basic categories as follows.
Power Failure
Power failure is defined as a zero voltage condition that lasts for more than two cycles. It may be caused by the tripping of a circuit breaker, power distribution failure or utility power failure. This condition can lead to data damage, data loss, file corruption and hardware damage.
Power Sags
Power sags involve voltages 80 to 85 percent below normal for a short period of time. Possible causes are heavy equipment being turned on, large electric motors being started, and the switching of power mains (internal or utility). A power sag can have effects similar to those of a power surge such as memory loss, data errors, flickering lights and equipment shutoff.
Power Surge
A power surge takes place when the voltage is 110% above normal. The most common cause is heavy electrical equipment being turned off. Under this condition computer systems may experience memory loss, data errors, flickering lights and equipment shutoff.
Undervoltage
Undervoltage is a steady lower voltage state. An example of undervoltage happens during peak electrical demands in the summer, when utilities can't always meet the requirements and must lower the voltage to limit maximum power. When this happens. computer systems can experience data corruption, data loss and premature hardware failure.
Overvoltage
Overvoltage occurs when there is a sudden, rapid voltage peak of up to 6,000 volts. These spikes are usually the result of nearby lightning strikes, but there can be other causes as well. The effects on vulnerable electronic systems can include loss of data and burned circuit boards.
Switching Transients
Switching transients take place when there is a rapid voltage peak of up to 20,000 volts with a duration of 10 microseconds to 100 microseconds. They are commonly caused by arcing faults and static discharge. In addition, major power system switching disturbances initiated by the utilities to correct line problems may happen several times a day. Effects can include memory loss, data error, data loss and component stress.
Line Noise
Electrical line noise is defined as Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and causes undesirable effects in the circuits of computer systems. Sources of the problem include electric motors, relays, motor control devices, broadcast transmissions, microwave radiation, and distance electrical storms. RFI, EMI and other frequency problems can cause data error, data loss, storage loss, keyboard lockup and system lockup.
Frequency Variations
A frequency variation involves a change in frequency from the normally stable utility frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz, depending on the geographic location. This may be caused by erratic operation of emergency generators or unstable frequency power sources. For sensitive electronic equipment, the result can be data corruption, hard drive crash, keyboard lockup and program failure.
Harmonic Distortion
Harmonics are distortions of the normal line waveform and are generally transmitted into the line by nonlinear loads. Switch mode power supplies, variable speed motors and drives, copiers and fax machines are examples of non-liner loads. Harmonics can cause communication errors, overheating and possible hardware damage.
So how can you protect electronic equipment from these power problems. The answer is to use a UPS or Uninterruptible Power System. At its most basic level the UPS will provide power to your equipment in the event of a total power failure giving you time to save data and shut down files. At a more sophisticated level the UPS actually conditions and filters the electrical supply so that the power reaching your equipment is 'pure'.
UPS units vary in size from small desk top systems which can protect a single PC to very large UPS which can provide power to a entire building. Almost every type of organisation has a power protection requirement from companies with computer networks to hospitals, airports, oil rigs. In fact, anywhere where continuous power is necessary.
UPS Technologies
There are three types of UPS technology — off-line, line-interactive, on-line. Off-line, sometimes called standby, is designed to protect a single PC or workstation. It is normally the most inexpensive UPS and only offers back up in the event of a total power cut and does not incorporate any significant power conditioning facility. It is called off-line because the UPS circuit only comes on stream when there is a power outage. Such units use a mechanical switch to transfer over to battery power when the voltage drops below a certain level. This causes a delay of two to three milliseconds but generally most computers are able to ride this out. An inverter inside the UPS changes the DC power from the battery into AC which can be used by the computer's power supply.
Line-interactive
Line-interactive is a hybrid technology which offers better protection than off-line but at a lower cost than full on-line. It offers protection in the event of an outage but also line conditioning which smoothes out peaks and troughs in the power supply. For example, if the voltage drops below a predetermined level the UPS will "boost" it back to normal. This type of design works by operating the inverter in reverse during times when the input AC power is normal to charge the battery. If the power fails a transfer switch is triggered and the battery power flows to the UPS output to power the equipment. Line-interactive UPS is best used where power conditioning is not crucial to effective operation of the equipment.
On-line
On-line is widely recognised as the best type of UPS where mission-critical applications are being protected. Although more expensive than the other two technologies such systems ensure there is never a break in the power supply. It does this by what is called a double-conversion technique which continuously converts the AC mains to DC runs the input via the battery and then through an inverter to transform it into AC for the equipment load. The ideal situation is to have electricity as a pure sinewave (see Fig 1). When raw power comes in from the mains it will inevitably be corrupted and have irregularities. What an on-line system does is clean and filter the power so that pure sinewave electrical power is being output to the equipment. With online systems switchover should be almost instantaneous and the effect of spikes and surges in supply can be completely eliminated.
In terms of the nine types of power problem outlined earlier the different types of UPS solution will protect your equipment from the following problems:
Offline/Standby
Power Failure
Power Sag
Power Surge
Line interactive
Undervoltage
Overvoltage
Online
Switching Transient
Line Noise
Frequency variation
Harmonic Distortion
Monitoring software
For mission-critical applications on-line technology is the best power protection solution available. However, it can be further enhanced with the addition of UPS monitoring software. There are various levels of sophistication of monitoring software. An IT manager will want to know immediately of any potential power problems which could affect the operation of his network. Power management software can carry out a number of functions including:
• Detailed monitoring of the utility power supply to detect spikes, brownouts, sags and other variations. • Controlled shutdowns of critical equipment including selection of specific load segments of the network which need to be kept running longer. Users are normally told via a broadcast message on screen that they have X minutes to shut down their applications and save data. • Maintenance checks of UPS equipment including status of batteries and readiness of the equipment to take over in the event of a power break. • Recording a log of events so that a pattern of power problems can be established. • Automatically alerting those responsible for the network by pager or e-mail that there is a power problem.
Some of the more sophisticated power management software suites also allow remote monitoring of the UPS from anywhere on the network to analyse the performance of the UPS and carry out preventative work. This is done either through serial port communications, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) software or increasingly via the Web. This means the IT manager in London can control and monitor UPSs on the network wherever they are in the world. Whatever technology is employed the crucial fact is that the UPS should be regarded as an integral part of the network. The majority of businesses, no matter what size, rely on a computer network of some sort. When a power failure occurs many businesses without adequate protection are paralysed because not only do they cease to function but valuable data may have been lost and cannot be recovered.
UPS Planning
Installing a UPS on the network requires careful thought and planning. Many network managers feel that it is enough to protect the main server. However, they often neglect the routers, bridges and hubs which carry data traffic. Likewise there may be certain users processing data locally on their PC who require the added security of an individual UPS.
Ideally UPS should be considered when an IT installation is being planned or a building is first being constructed. Power protection specialists can advise on what equipment is needed to protect the load and any special considerations which need to be taken into account. For example, networks running a Unix operating system need to be shutdown in a specific order otherwise it could take IT staff days to reboot the system and recover files once power is restored.
In organisations which need to guarantee continuity in the event of prolonged power outages, such as hospitals or financial institutions, the autonomy time of a UPS (typically 10 minutes to two hours) is not enough. In such cases a back up generator is required. However, even here a UPS is essential as there is always a time lag before the generator reaches sufficient output to produce the required current and a switchover to emergency power can be implemented.
Companies like Powerware have many years experience of recommending and installing power protection solutions which are easy to use and manage yet effective in ensuring business continuity and maximise uptime.
Powerware Corporation:
Powerware is a part of Invensys Power Systems, a global provider of premier power systems, integrating a full line of uninterruptible power systems (UPS), telecom power systems, software, turnkey integration and 24/7 maintenance services. Customer applications include critical network and communications facilities requiring maximum availability such as IT networks, data centres, fixed line and wireless telephony and other critical applications. Powerware products are used in networking, PC, financial, medical, industrial, voice and data communications, military and aerospace applications — wherever continuous power is essential to daily operations.
Invensys Power Systems, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, is a US$2.6 billion leader in total power solutions for the IT, telecom and industrial markets. The parent company Invensys plc, headquartered in London, is a US$12 billion global leader in intelligent automation, controls, power systems and drive systems. Invensys Power Systems leads the world in power control and energy storage products for IT, telecommunications and industrial applications. Comprised of five product groups — Energy Systems, Energy Storage, Power Conversion, Distributed Solutions and Teccor — Invensys Power Systems provides customers with a single source for critical elements of their power systems.
GemNet
GemNet is the authorized distributor for Powerware Corporation (formerly Exide Electronics), and offers a large range of specialized power related products and services. The company has local offices in Pakistan (GemNet Private Limited) and Jebel Ali, Dubai, U.A.E. (GemNet Gulf). GemNet offers Powerware's entire range of products including technical and after sales support.
GemNet's target markets are the emerging markets, and it's activities are currently focused in South Asia, and the Middle East. Since inception, it has been GemNet's goal to be a leading supplier of it's power protection product range in the markets in which it is present. To this end, GemNet has been focused on getting a detailed understanding of these markets, building relationships, and setting up the required infrastructure to support such an operation.
GemNet's Services:
Service and Support:
• Qualified team of engineers provide quality installation and after sales service. • Service contracts that provide for loaner equipment if repair time is to be more than 24 hours. • Custom tailored service plans to fit the clients needs, including plans that cover the client's existing UPS equipment. • Services also include: Needs Analysis, Comparative Product Analysis, Cost Justification, Consulting, End-User Training, Maintenance and After Sales Support.
Power Consulting:
Hardware Audits: Audit of existing UPS, Recommendation of a Power Solution. Quality Analysis: Analysis of the quality of power feeding your systems, Improvements in the powertrain system. Solutions Consulting: Inspection of your complete facility, Identification of the solution, Correction of the Problem.
As they are planing to reach the Earth's Mantle by 2020. The angry volcano monsters that live in the Earth's mantle and cause volcanoes to explode may not be able to remain hidden for much longer. Never heard of the Angry Volcano Monster theory of plate tectonics you say? Well, it is one of the less accepted theories about the state of affairs below the Earth's outer crust (it's mostly just believed by me). But the truth of the matter is no one is exactly sure what the inner workings of the planet are like. Despite all our technological advances, we have yet to directly inflict more than a geologic flesh would in the Earth's surface. But this may soon change. First, a primer on the mantle. The Earth's mantle is a nearly 2,000 mile section between the crust and outer core. It is mostly rocky, but becomes gooier as you descend towards the core. The mantle makes up the vast majority (nearly 85%) of the Earth's volume and has a unique chemical makeup that is completely distinct from the solid crust. Volcanic eruptions do offer a glimpse into the geologic underworld, but the samples that plop out have already been altered on their way to the surface. Direct samples of the mantle would reveal volumes about the origins and history of the Earth. Studying the mantle could also provide insight into various forces of plate tectonics that create earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Starting next month, exploratory missions in the Pacific will begin boring further into oceanic crust than anyone has before. According to one of the team leaders UK Geologist Damon Teagle, advances in offshore drilling technology will allow this expedition to succeed where past ones have failed. The best place to drill is in the mid-ocean because this is where the crust is the thinnest. At some points in the mid-ocean, the crust is only 2.5 miles thick—still more than twice the distance of the deepest offshore drills, which have only reached to 1.2 miles into the ground. Geologist have dug deeper holes from dry land, but drilling to these depths underwater presents a variety of hazards including possessing tools can withstand the freezing cold of the seafloor as well as extreme heat in the inner crust where temperatures may reach 570°F. Not to mention the unyielding pressures of miles of seawater overhead. It will be an expensive and difficult endeavor, but the team is hopeful. Teagle claims the technology of deep sea drilling has come along way thanks to scientific drilling and because "the offshore petroleum industry has moved into deeper water" he explains to CBS news. "We also have a much better understanding of what we are trying to do—we have good understanding of how the ocean crust is formed and the difference between the crust and the mantle."
In addition to geologic measurements, scientists hope to take note of how far down signs of extremophiles can be found. "Wherever we've looked, up to 120 °C [248 °F], we've seen evidence of microbial activity," Teagle commented to National Geographic. "We would certainly test that on the way to the mantle." If there were any life that managed to adapt to the harsh conditions deep in the Earth's crust, scientists expect it to be on the microscopic scale, but notice how he didn't completely rule out the possibility of finding Angry Volcano Monsters.
