Archive for March, 2009
The technology of Bluetooth is nothing new, but in many respects it can still seem like more of a buzz word rather than an accepted technology. You may see the ads for Bluetooth enabled devices, although you still may be wondering what it is.
Capabilities
The Bluetooth definition is a wireless technology that is a worldwide specification for a small form factor, low cost solution that will provide link between mobile devices and other electronic devices. Similiar to 802.11 b/g wireless and many cordless telephone systems, Bluetooth operates on 2.4 GHz radio signals. The 2.4 GHz band seems to be a bit crowded, with interferences between the devices a bit hard to avoid. Telephones are now being offered at the 5.8 GHz frequency band, which will help to remedy this.
The technical specifications of Bluetooth will indicate a maximum transfer rate of 723 kbps with a range of 65 – 328 feet, all depending on the class of that particular device. The speed is a fraction of what is offered by wireless standards, so it’s obvious that Bluetooth doesn’t really pose a threat to replacing your wireless network.
Applications
There are numerous products that will take advantage of Bluetooth capabilities, such as laptops, PDAs,headphones, and even wireless printer adapters. A lot of laptops out there will include an onboard Bluetooth adapter which allows the system to
connect to any Bluetooth device right out of the box. For computers that don’t have an adaptor built right in, there are several USB adaptors available for Bluetooth.
For an awesome technology, Bluetooth is actually hard to compete with. For short range wireless, Bluetooth is easily one of the best. The standard for Bluetooth keeps getting better and better, making it a wireless technology that will be around
for years and years to come.
At some point in time, everyone who owns a computer will experience the trials and tribulations of hard drive failure. The reasons behind it vary, and could include everything from a human error to damages resulting from flood or water. Viruses can play a role as well, along with many other factors. For many years, the need to recover data that has been lost or destroyed has made data recovery such a very valuable asset.
Almost all hard drives can be recovered. Normally, if the drive is making a ticking or a scratching noise, you can use certain software programs to recover the data. Sometimes, due to age or bad parts, the aperture arm in the hard drive can fail, or the platters can become damaged and lose the data that they hold. If you can’t recover the information with software, you’ll need to send the hard drive off and have it either rebuilt or have technicians recover your data.
Data recovery is always an option, from hard drives that are 2 GB in size to the largest of over 300 GB or more of data. No matter what size hard drive you have, the data can generally be recovered. Keep in mind that if you’ve had a computer crash, you’ll need to send the hard drive off to have the data recovered by technicians.
One of the key benefits of data recovery is the fact that information can also be retrieved from the recycle bin as well. Partition recovery, and even information that has been lost somewhere on the disk can be retrieved as well. Even though it may seem like your data is gone forever – the technicians that specialize in data recovery can retrieve it.
From Windows to Mac, everything can be recovered. There are different filing structures and formats, including NTFS and FAT32. These are common Windows filing structures, and hold all of the information for your hard. Those of you who have multiple hard drives in your computer, can rest assured that RAID configurations can also be recovered. If a single hard drive on the RAID configuration fails, the RAID setup will absorb the blow and there won’t be a loss of data. On the other hand, if the entire RAID configuration crashes, it will crash big time. Whenever this happens, you’ll need to send it off and have technicians restore both the RAID hardware and software.
Anytime your hard drive happens to crash or malfunction, data recovery is there to help you get back your files. Whether they are personally files or very important files that are need for business – you can put your trust in data recovery and know that you’ll get everything the back the way it was.
When it comes to purchasing an air purifier, there are many individuals who are concerned with the cost of doing so. While it is important that you are able to find a product that you can afford, the cost of an air purifier is not all that you need to think about. In fact, it is important to not only examine the air purifier as a whole, but its parts as well. When it comes to air purifier parts, you are advised to place a focus on the filters used.
Before you can begin examining the filters that are used with most air purifiers, it is important to remember one thing. Most air purifiers use filters, but not all do. There are a number of air purifiers on the market that are filter-less. Many times, these air purifiers use a collection grid instead of a filter. Instead of replacing a filter, these collection grids often just need to be wiped off. Essentially, if you are looking for a low maintenance air purifier, you may want to think about purchasing an air purifier that is filter-less.
Despite the fact that filter-less air purifiers are easier to maintain, you will often find that they are relatively expensive to afford. While the cost will be worth in the long run, you may not have the money needed, upfront, to purchase one. If this is the case, it is likely that you will purchase an air purifier that uses a filter. When doing this, it is important to examine the filter that is used. It has been noted that HEPA filters are one of the best types of filters to have.
HEPA filters; are you wondering why they are considered the best? If so, you are definitely not alone. Air purifier manufacturers, who use HEPA filters, must abide by a number of different rules and regulations. These rules and regulations are often imposed by the Department of Energy. HEPA filters, thanks to these strict rules and regulations are almost twice as effective as most other filters, when it comes to trapping bacteria or harmful air particles. You will find that air purifiers with HEPA filters tend to cost money than those with other filters; however, they are often worth the extra cost.
In addition to the type of filter being used, it is also important to examine if any replacement filters are needed. There are a number of air purifiers on the market today which have filters that only need to be cleaned, often with a vacuum cleaner; however, the majority of filters need to be replaced. When examining replacement filters, it is not only important to examine the cost of those filters, but when they need to be replaced as well. It is not uncommon for filter replacements to be needed around once a year, but some filters can go for as long as three, while others only make it for a few months. Since replacement parts, including air purifiers, will have an impact on the cost of owning an air purifier, it is important that you determine that cost ahead of time.
As you should be able to see, the filters used have a significant impact on all air purifiers that use them. By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should not only be able to purchase a quality air purifier, but one that is affordable.
There is a lot of energy that we can harness if we only seek to research and develop the technologies needed to do so. We can get away from the fossil fuels and the old electrical grids by turning to alternatives to these energy sources.
One of these alternative energy resources is wind power. Wind turbines continue to be developed that are progressively more energy efficient and less costly. “Wind farms” have been springing up in many nations, and they have even become more strategically placed over time so that they are not jeopardizing birds as former wind turbines did.
Another alternative energy resource is the one that is most well known: solar energy. This involves the manufacturing of solar cells which gather and focus the energy given off directly by the sun, and translate it into electricity or, in some cases, hot water. As with wind energy, solar energy creates absolutely zero pollution.
Ocean wave energy is seen by governments and investors as having enormous energy generating potential. A generator in France has been in operation for many years now and is considered to be a great success, and the Irish and Scots are running experimental facilities.
Hydroelectric power has been with us for a while and where it is set up, it is a powerful generator of electricity and cleaner than a grid. However, there are certain limitations to the availability of the right places to set up a large dam. Many run-of-the-river, or small and localized, hydroelectric generators have been set up in recent times due to this limitation.
Geothermal energy is extremely abundant, since it lies directly beneath our feet, just a few miles below the earth’s surface. This energy is produced by the heating of water through the actions of earth’s fantastically hot molten core. The water turns to steam, which can be harnessed and used to drive turbine engines which in turn generate electricity. Great amounts of research and development should be put into geothermal energy tapping.
Waste gas energies, which are essentially methane, reverse the usual energy-pollution relationship by creating energy from waste that lies in the dumps and from some air pollutants. This gas is used in fuel cells and can be used in standard gasoline generators.
Ethanol is a gasoline substitute and is created from such things as wheat, sugarcane, grapes, strawberries, corn, and even wood chips and wood cellulose. There is controversy over this fuel with regards to its ever becoming truly economical or practical except in very localized areas, but technologies for its extraction and admixturing are continuously being refined.
Biodiesel energy is created out of the oils contained in plants. So far, the commercial stores of biodiesel have been created using soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower oils. At the time of this writing, biodiesel is typically produced by entrepreneurial minded individuals or those who want to experiment with alternative energy, but commercial interest from companies is on the rise. It burns much cleaner than oil-based diesel.
Atomic energy is created in atomic energy plants using the process of nuclear fission. This energy is extremely efficient and can generate huge amounts of power. There is concern from some people about what to do with the relatively small amount of waste product atomic energy gives off, since it is radioactive and takes hundreds of years to decay into harmlessness.
The trend toward homes that are powered by alternative energy sources, ranging from wind turbines and solar collection cells to hydrogen fuel cells and biomass gases, is one that needs to continue into the 21st century and beyond. We have great need of becoming more energy independent, and not having to rely on the supplying of fossil fuels from unstable nations who are often hostile to us and our interests. But even beyond this factor, we as individuals need to get “off the grid” and also stop having to be so reliant on government-lobbying giant oil corporations who, while they are not really involved in any covert conspiracy, nevertheless have a stranglehold on people when it comes to heating their homes (and if not through oil, then heat usually supplied by grid-driven electricity, another stranglehold).
As Remi Wilkinson, Senior Analyst with Carbon Free, puts it, inevitably, the growth of distributed generation will lead to the restructuring of the retail electricity market and the generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. The power providers may have to diversify their business to make up for revenues lost through household energy microgeneration. She is referring to the conclusions by a group of UK analysts, herself included among them, who call themselves Carbon Free. Carbon Free has been studying the ever-growing trend toward alternative energy-using homes in England and the West. This trend is being driven by ever-more government recommendation and sometimes backing of alternative energy research and development, the rising cost of oil and other fossil fuels, concern about environmental degradation, and desires to be energy independent. Carbon Free concludes that, assuming traditional energy prices remain at their current level or rise, microgeneration (meeting all of one’s home’s energy needs by installing alternative energy technology such as solar panels or wind turbines) will become to home energy supply what the Internet became to home communications and data gathering, and eventually this will have deep effects on the businesses of the existing energy supply companies.
Carbon Free’s analyses also show that energy companies themselves have jumped in on the game and seek to leverage microgeneration to their own advantage for opening up new markets for themselves. Carbon Free cites the example of electricity companies (in the UK) reporting that they are seriously researching and developing ideas for new geothermal energy facilities, as these companies see geothermal energy production as a highly profitable wave of the future. Another conclusion of Carbon Free is that solar energy hot water heating technology is an efficient technology for reducing home water heating costs in the long run, although it is initially quite expensive to install. However, solar power is not yet cost-effective for corporations, as they require too much in the way of specialized plumbing to implement solar energy hot water heating. Lastly, Carbon Free tells us that installing wind turbines is an efficient way of reducing home electricity costs, while also being more independent. However, again this is initially a very expensive thing to have installed, and companies would do well to begin slashing their prices on these devices or they could find themselves losing market share.
The ‘Social Media Marketing‘ phenomenon is there and it is HUGE. The very fact that Social Media websites are attracting millions of users is a glaring example of how successful they are.
By promoting your website using social media marketing, the instant traffic you get will literally ‘push’ your website to the top of organic search results. The repeat traffic that you will generate is a must not only for the rankings but the profits you can make by having eager buyers visiting your website.
There are several reasons that social media marketing has taken a while to catch on. The main reason is that many people do not know much about this type of marketing. The rest of the population may be interested in knowing but do not know how to go about using it and then there are those who just do not care to know. The one thing that most people do not realize is the amount of traffic that you can generate by using social media marketing is very large… if done properly.
Read More About Social Media Marketing
There are many valid reasons to start looking for alternative fuels for your car. There is the looming danger of global warming, and of course, the most pressing as of the moment, the current global economic downturn. It is for these reasons that many people are looking for ways to lower their spending on fuels. While it may take more than just decades to totally eradicate the use of fossil fuels, there are existing technologies today that can help anyone improve the fuel economy of their car and extend mileage per gallon.
One of the more promising technologies out there is Hydro Assist Fuel Cell otherwise known as HAFC. It is a system, meaning there is more than one technology and more than one theory governing how it works.
To make it easier to understand, imagine that your car is an energy generation plant. Like all electric plants, it uses fuel, in this case, petrol. This fuel burned in the engine is what makes the car go forward. Aside from the forward motion, it also creates power for the stereo, the lights, the signal lights and electrical system. The HAFC system uses the energy created by the engine to make the system more efficient.
HAFC technology works this way: workers extract a hydrogen-oxygen rich mixture from water by ionizing it with electricity from the battery. This energy rich gas (hydrogen-oxygen) is called Brown’s gas.
This energy rich gas (hydrogen-oxygen) called Brown’s gas, mixed with vaporized gasoline enriches the fuel mixture, giving out more energy as it burns. The more efficient the burn the less fuel is needed in the engine, thus improving you vehicles gas mileage.
The HAFC system also uses powerful magnets to ionize the gasoline to break it down to its component molecules, allowing it to burn more rapidly and cleanly. It is a common mistake that gas burns. Gas does not burn, and what burns is the vapor that is on the surface of the gas. In unmodified engines, the fuel injector turns the gas into a fine mist. If this fine mist were to be turned actually into gas, and the components broken down to make it burn more, you will get a more explosive mixture, meaning more power, and less emissions, using less fuel. That is why cars that run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas are more economical, the fuel the reaches the engine is in gas form, easily burned and gives off less smoke.
Although more proof is needed, various studies have already shown that the HAFC system can save you a minimum of 50% in gas expenditures. This dramatic increase in mileage and fuel economy is expected will vary vehicle to vehicle, and depending on the uses the vehicles sees.
The beauty of the HAFC System is that it will work on all existing gasoline-burning cars. And unlike conversions to LPG fuel, there will be no need for modifications, only added components that will not burden the car. It is also compatible with other emerging technologies such as Pre Ignition Catalytic Converter technology, which should be available to you soon.
Despite the price of crude oil going down in price in the world market, there is still the issue of the world economic slowdown to be concerned about. Any amount of savings is welcome in these uncertain times, and one item in particular stands out when looking for ways to cut costs – the cost of gasoline. Today, people are clamoring for better gas mileage and asking car manufacturers to improve the fuel economy of vehicles.
The good news is that there are a lot of technologies out there available now that can help fuel savings. There are newly developed bio fuels, home made bio diesel, bio diesel conversions kits, and some which are not so well-known such as Hydro Assist Fuel Cells, and one other promising technology that has been in existence for a long time but is now only getting noticed is Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter (PICC) technology.
This technology is in the early stages of development. But even at this early stage it is already showing its promise – up to five times gas mileage increase.
Already, every factory made car has a Catalytic Converter, and it is installed in the car’s emission system, right there in the exhaust pipe. It is used for emission control, breaking down the large gas molecules that were left un-burnt in your engine, turning them into smaller particles that can be incinerated in the tailpipe before being released into the air.
The PICC uses this system in reverse – instead of breaking down the gas for easier burning after it goes through the engine, PICC turns your fuel into a gas form, breaks down the fuel into smaller particles and THEN sends it to the engine. That means there is more burn happening in the engine using far less fuel. That is, theoretically, how the PICC will work.
How can fuel savings be achieved, and how much?
With modern fuel injection technology, car manufacturers have been able to control the entry of just the right amount of fuel into the combustion engine to improve a car’s fuel economy. With further tweaking and adding the PICC system, less fuel is needed to output the same amount of power from the engine, because the fuel is already primed to be burned more efficiently.
In one scientific test, a gas guzzling 318 V-8 Chrysler engine was run on a brand new state of the art dynamometer (the same testing equipment that Detroit uses) at 3,000rpms under a 50% load for an hour. Before the PICC modification, the engine used 18 pounds of fuel, which when converted approximates 22 mpg. Then researchers ran the same test with an engine with PICC modification and ran the engine under the exact same conditions for another hour. After the test, it was found the engine used only 2 pounds of fuel, a 9-fold increase in efficiency totaling a staggering 200 m per gallon, an amazing mileage from anyone’s standard.
Even in these early developmental stages, PICC is showing a lot of promise. For the regular consumer it means more savings and funds for other expenses. For the world, it means reduction in greenhouse gases. And for America, it means less dependence on foreign oil.
Although the price of gas at the pumps has eased significantly, thanks to the lowering of the price of crude in international markets, there is still much to be concerned about. For one, there is the global economic downturn that pretty soon we will all be feeling significantly. Now is the time to be saving money and for looking at ways to cut costs.
For most households who have more than one car, gasoline accounts for a large portion of the household budget. It therefore makes sense that if one can lower the consumption or improve gas mileage in their cars, there could be significant savings to be had.
Currently, there are many options available to increase fuel savings and gas mileage. If you are into alternative fuels, you can make your own bio diesel, or even modify your car to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas or (LPG), which burns more cleanly than regular fuels, and is much more earth friendly.
But for truly dramatic increase in gas mileage and fuel savings, you can take a look at two emerging technologies that look very promising – Hydro Assist Fuel Cell (HAFC) technology and Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter (PICC) technology.
What is Hydro Assist Fuel Cell?
Hydro Assist Fuel Cell technology is a two-part fuel efficiency system. First, it extracts a hydrogen-oxygen mixture from water through ionization using the electricity created by the engine. This hydrogen-oxygen, called Brown’s Gas, is added to the fuel mixture before it is burned in the engine. It is obvious that you can save a lot because part of your fuel comes from water, which is free.
The HAFC system also uses powerful magnets to ionize the gasoline to produce smaller molecules that burn more rapidly and cleanly. Gas that is broken down into its components make it burn more easily. Couple that with the brown’s gas and you get a more explosive mixture, meaning more power, and less emissions, and ultimately using less fuel.
Early lab tests peg the fuel savings from HAFC at least a minimum of 50%.
What is Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter?
PICC or Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter system is an experimental fuel improvement system that is in the developmental stage. But this early, it promises to up gas mileage by a potential 5x more.
Presently, cars have working catalytic converters, and are installed in the car’s emission system. It is now being utilized for breaking down the large gas molecules that are un-burnt in your engine, breaking them into smaller particles and incinerated in the tailpipe.
The PICC system turns this idea on its head. Instead of breaking down the gas after it exits the engine, PICC posits you break it down before it enters the engine. Gas burns better in vapor form, and if the components are broken down further, theoretically, you will need less fuel. Less fuel used, more fuel savings realized.
The best part is these two technologies can be used side by side, and together promises to end America’s dependence on foreign oil, plus keep more money in your pocket.
Water burns. It is no stretch of imagination. Water burns.
Believe it or not, according to new discoveries made by US inventors, water can be used to weld metals, cut through thick steel, and even be used as fuel for your internal combustion engine.
How is this done? By using a system that turns ordinary water into a gas called Brown’s Gas, into its constituent parts, Hydrogen and Oxygen. When these two gases are then combined and given spark, it creates an implosion that releases a tremendous amount of heat and energy.
Brown’s gas was discovered by California inventor and Professor Yul Brown. He has developed a system (since patented) that will convert plain tap water to a stoichiometric mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. This is essentially another state of water besides solid ice, water, or steam.
Brown’s gas can be used for many things, from desalinating any water into pure drinking water, welding, create a vacuum to pump water, sublimate tungsten, and cut steel.
Brown’s gas is efficient, safe, clean and inexpensive. Already there are some Brown’s Gas Welders available, based on his designs. Though these early models are from perfected and currently cost more than regular welders, the long-term savings from their use offset the cost of acquisition. This means welders no longer need dangerous oxy-acetylene tanks. Water and electricity and Professor Brown’s system will suffice.
Another, far more significant use, of Brown’s gas is in the area of automotive fuel efficiency.
Brown’s gas is a critical component of Hydro Assist Fuel Cell or HAFC, a newly introduced system that significantly reduces gas consumption in motor vehicles.
Part of what makes HAFC technology effective its ability to extract a hydrogen-oxygen mixture – brown’s gas – from water by ionizing it with electricity from the battery. The brown’s gas is then added to your fuel before it is burned in the engine making it burn more easily and powerfully.
The Brown’s gas extracted from water in the HAFC enriches the gasoline fuel mixture. Enriched fuel gives the same if not greater amount of burn with less fuel thus improving you vehicles gas mileage.
Studies show that HAFC systems improve gas mileage at least 50%. This increase in mileage and fuel economy may vary from vehicle to vehicle, and depending on vehicle’s usage.
These are the promising uses for Brown’s Gas thus far, and there will surely be more. But so far, one thing is for certain, once the use of HAFC goes mainstream, it will greatly help common Americans and lessen America’s reliance on foreign oil.