The Info Treasure Trove

Mobile phone and MP3 player have lost out to the internet as the greatest invention of modern times. This was revealed by a new nationwide poll released by the Intellectual Property Office and conducted by YouGov. The survey sample was 1,977 adults out of which a significant 37 percent voted in favour of the internet.

An exhibition at the Science Museum in London called “Cracking Ideas” had intended to use the questionnaire to mark its opening. The exhibition was featuring Wallace and Gromit, the fictional inventors. It was for this purpose that the Intellectual Property Office and Aardman Animations joined hands to find out which recent invention is considered the most important by the people in the UK.

The wind-up radio inventor, Trevor Baylis, commented that broadband has a major part to play in the belief that the internet is the best invention of the recent times. According to him, the exceptional growth of networking sites and superfast broadband networks have made the internet a necessity and something that people feel they can’t live without.

If newer and faster broadband offerings continue to hit the market, the internet is likely to remain on the top of the list of inventions for quite some time to come. For more info on the latest broadband offerings, take a look at Broadband Genie - a website all about broadband.

Baylis also talked about the relevance of invention in the growth of a country’s economy. He felt that the focus should be on developing and protecting innovations of all kinds. The future generations should be encouraged to become inventors.

Yet again Korea seems to be gearing up to make UK’s plan to establish a fast broadband network seem like a child’s play. The Korean Communications Commission is aiming for a mega fast 1 Gb service, which puts into perspective the huge event made out of Virgin Media’s 50 Mb fixed-line broadband service launch and Bournemouth residents fighting their way to get their hands on the newly launched 100 Mb fibre optic trial.

The 100 Mb speed, already available in Korea, is a boon to most Koreans, including the country’s eager online gaming community. UK, until now, has not been able to provide broadband connectivity at this speed.

The commission has decided to improve its IT infrastructure, by allocating US $24.6 billion for development of the new service. It hopes to have the service up and running by 2012, and with such ambitious plans, around 120,000 jobs would get created.

The other piece of good news for the Koreans is the wireless broadband network in the country also set for a boost. The Korean Communications Commission will improve the wireless service, and make it capable of handling speeds up to 10MB.

For a quick reality check, test the speed of your broadband connection at home to find out how far we are from the 100 Mb goal!

Fortunately for computer users things have moved forward over the last couple of years. Those wanting to use a computer are no longer tied to making use of a landline for Internet connection or trying to deal with dial-up speeds for laptops connecting while on the move.

Until relatively recently connecting a laptop outside of the home was a matter of finding a telephone connection to plug into or suffering with a mobile phone hook up which offered speeds that were often slower than dial-up of a decade ago.

Luckily now with the use of dongles laptops can connect almost anywhere at fast broadband speeds. A good place to compare the different faster broadband speeds available with different company’s packages is BroadbandGenie.com.

Now added into the mobile Internet mix is the advent of companies giving away a free laptop with broadband subscriptions. Now for the cost of a monthly fast Internet connection you can also avail yourself of a brand-new laptop for free.

All you as a consumer have to do is to take a little time to compare broadband deals that include a free laptop and decide which one best suits your specific personal needs.

All of the deals available are very similar but there are differences in the types of computers available and their capabilities. As well as the connection, speed and amount of download availability each month. So take a little time to compare these offers and then select one of the many great free laptop with broadband deals.

It was not too long ago when only a few brands produced laptops for gaming. Basically as I remember they were not actually the hottest selling notebooks but being more significantly costly they were the best revenue producing products. The most sought after notebooks were the ones that were too pricey to speculate purchasing. Perhaps they were not the most functional however I still think they were the best laptop computers. Having said that many of us most likely didn’t buy laptop computers of this type because of the price. The chief companies have recently set about taking advantage of giant opportunities in gaming notebooks, so that is all shifting.

Just envisage how much revenue these big brands could be making particularly when employing mass production. This could be one of the few profit producing lines they have as they make minute amounts on numerous others because of the giant competition. Why would anybody buy laptop computers like this? Well big brands have the marketing spend to teach them that. I am quite confident that smaller retailers will have to drop their prices in order to compete. I reckon once it gets mass marketed it will lose some of the desirability. In addition buyers just seem to trust larger brands greater.

Astonishingly, the portables they’re launching are some of the best laptop computers to present. I think this would still be the encouraging benefit for smaller resellers though. I can predict the ability of being able to customise the notebook computer to be an important purchasing decision. Consumers of this sort are generally extremely knowledgeable concerning the technology at hand, and so can make like for like comparisons. In my point of view I think people worry more about the performance instead of appearance. This will be pretty beneficial from the customers position. I can predict a few price wars going on in this sector later. Its hard to predict what could take place really because the market is a fast evolving one. Prices will be kept high as a result of the constant production of new notebooks. As the gaming laptop market gets packed up with global brands, many will take a wait and see tactic.

A common mortal from a developed country would be hard to convince that in Southeast Asia and Africa, diarrhea is responsible for as much as 8.5% and 7.7%, respectively. Yet this is the stark reality. Diarrhea is mostly caused by gastrointestinal infections. About 2.2 million people globally die of gastrointestinal-induced diarrhea. The bulk of these are children from developing countries. These are countries that lack clean drinking water- the major cause of gastrointestinal infections.

What is the role of science in ameliorating this grave situation? Many would rightly argue that provision of clean drinking water is the surest way of eradicating diarrhea. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.1 billion people lack access to improved water sources with another 2.4 billion out of reach of basic sanitation.

The world may exude optimism about providing clean drinking water to the poorest of the poor. But this remains a milieu. In the meantime, diarrhea will continue to claim the lives of millions of children, mainly from poor countries.

How can science prevent these unnecessary deaths? Can it be through provision of drugs? Oh no! They are unaffordable to the poor. The poor live on less than a dollar a day.

Modern biotechnology could offer a solution. Biotechnologists have discovered a rice variety, which would produce proteins found in human milk, saliva and tears. When these proteins are converted into powder form, they can be used in granola bars and drinks to help infants in developing countries avoid death from diarrhea. This is the best way to curb runaway diarrhea in developing world such as Africa. These drinks or granola bars would be considerably cheap compared to drugs.

African farmers can also be encouraged to grow this variety of rice. First, it will boost their household income and effectively improve their living standards. It will also make the accompanying protein-rich drinks and granola bars cheaper making them accessible and affordable to all.

The biotech industry has a role to play in hastening technology diffusion. With regard to this new rice variety, for instance, they should consider domesticating its production in Africa for this is where the action is!

Rice is an important crop in most African countries. In West Africa, for instance, rice is considered a staple food. It contributes more calories and protein than any other cereal in humid West Africa. Despite the integral place that rice occupies in the diet of African consumers, its production remains pathetically poor.

Compared to other crops such as corn or soybean, improvement of rice varieties has been regrettably slow. Only one genetically transformed rice trait - tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate -is currently available in the market. It has not reached Africa yet.

“Golden rice” genetically transformed to produce pro-vitamin A is still under discussion. It is touted as a cure for Vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. It is, however, yet to be commercialized.

James Wachai is a communication specialist who uses his expertise to increase public understanding of science and technology, specifically biotechnology. Read more from James at http://www.gmoafrica.org

Laptops have more than likely been on the top of everyones must have list lately. Manufacturers are trying to keep up with this but have said that supplies could be small. I think the bad thing for manufacturers is that it doesn’t look like anything will hinder this demand for laptop computers. The histerical thing is that even when you get the latest thing out it’ll soon be out of date.

One of the rising trends is gaming notebooks. Respectable gaming notebooks can be brought at a low price for mediocore gaming needs. System performance is also improving and gaming on laptops is becoming more sufficient for gaming by those who need to move around. A couple of the issues like heat and noise still are here to an extent but hardly in the average laptops. The cases are also pretty sleek. Desktops are greater in size and drink more energy so no matter how good gaming notebooks have become desktops will always operate better. Everyone always wants to extract insane amounts of speed from tiny packages so I would expect thats where gaming notebooks are headed.

Performance laptops are commonly custom built to the users specification. With major manufacturers you normally don’t have a clue what they fit into the system. Detailing what you require basically is the core advantage. Those notebook computers found in shops are for common use. This is the reason custom notebooks are around. I feel one also gets superior service when getting a custom laptop. The fact that there are alternatives and rivals makes its very viable.

It’s exciting to see more powerful laptops coming out every year. Basic ultra portables are the in thing. I was never predicting a large number of people to like the technology. People desire notebooks that are feather light yet also large enough to be workable and simple to use. I think you could say these notebooks are already available if you are inclined to pay the premium. Market trends suggest that gaming notebooks will get more lighter in the next few years. Though laptop technology follows roadmaps theres forever going to be a product that transforms all that.

I would recommend these if you are seeking the best laptops.

There are many theories floating around out there on how Earthquakes occur, in fact many believe that some cycles happen almost like clockwork and there is evidence, which actually seems to condone such areas of thought on seismic activity. This has prompted one online think tank to address this issue as they consider the possibility of using such data to predict future quakes and cycles.

Joe states; “Some theories about large seismic events over the past couple thousand years in the Northwest where earthquakes are less frequent and powerful in comparison to the California area. They dirt tells us that every 300 years or so there’s a fairly large tsunami that dumps a whole bunch of sand across the surrounding Puget Sound.”

I have heard of longer periods but yes, they do predict that indeed there are some possibilities that Seattle thru Vancouver BC is over do for some big time events. Regarding if there are some correlations to other events “When Cycles Collide,” which I have always thought would be an excellent title for a book, like “The Day After Tomorrow” type Sci Fi genre, indeed generally my theory of cycles, flows, patterns, where every thing affects everything else, seems to predict that in fact it makes sense that the largest of events are like the NTSB Accident reports, that is to say it is “never just one thing” but rather a compilation of events.

So to prevent an event you choose the smallest easiest to control event in the set of converging cycles and get it to skip its cycles while letting the others occur naturally. Then trigger the other event you “skipped” later at the safest time during the lowest potentially problematic period. Your pattern may not look so hot “Mathematica-Stephen Wolfram Theory” but you prevent disaster without disrupting the normal cycles.

Yet one could say screwing with such cycles, weather, ionosphere is problematic, until which time you figure out what you are doing and how the cycles inter-relate then you are safe and can easily control the system without causing imbalance, you see; all abstract theory, but you get the point and your questions therefore are also relevant to the equation? My answer is I do not know, but would like to. Although I do suspect there is a lot more too it and the CalTech guys are way ahead of me on this. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Metrology is an important term to understand, but it is a term that is widely used to mean a number of things. In basic form, metrology is the science of measurement. What this tells us, though, is that measurement is far from a perfect solution. In many cases, people will cause there to be a small amount of error in any measurement that is taken. In metrology, this is examined and explored fully.

An example that you may be able to relate to if you do not have any understanding of metrology is quite simple. If you need to measure a length of wood you would think that there is only one right answer as to how much wood is there. But, in fact, this is not a perfect answer. For example, you measured that wood using a piece of string. Then, the next person measured it as well. Why would the two units be different? Depending on the way the individual held the string including how taut the string was pulled will affect the overall outcome of the measurement.

Metrology goes far beyond that though. It studies many types of measurements. It studies not only length as in the example above but also such measurements as weight and time. Each and every one of these elements can be studied in various manners as well. In metrology, there are set standards that are set for measurement qualities to determine what the typical measurement is. In many cases, they will also have a well thought out plan as to how much of a degree of error there is as well in each measurement.

There are various answers to questions about metrology because, in many cases, each theory can be right. Metrology goes back thousands of years to early civilization and was present well before the aspects of science as well. Metrology can be fully explored throughout the web.

for more information please see http://www.metrology-shack.co.uk

An intercom is an electronic communication system that is commonly found in hospitals, schools, offices and other large buildings, in ships and liners, and even in homes. With just a push of a button, an intercom system enables people in different rooms to communicate with each other in an instant.

The intercom is now becoming a popular component not only of workplaces but also of every household. Keep in mind that the right knowledge and proper caution is important, and the guidelines below will help you in finding the perfect intercom that best suits your needs.

1. Set your budget. The first important thing to do before shopping for an intercom system is to set your budget limit. The type, make, brand, and features of an intercom system will largely depend on the amount that you are willing to spend on it.

2. Know the basics. Different brands may have different systems, but their basic components are essentially the same. In general, an intercom has the following basic parts:

*The master station - also known as the central control panel, this is the unit that controls the system.

*The sub-stations/door stations - also known as the speakers or slave units, these are connected to the control panel.

*The power supply - this feeds power to all the units in order to make them function.

3. Determine the range that you want. Different intercom systems have varying ranges, with some even reaching almost 1,000 feet (or 304.8 meters).

Choosing the range of your intercom system depends on their use and purpose, which can vary from room to room, floor to floor, and even as far as from one building to another.

In general, intercoms are usually used for the following purposes:

*To connect different rooms.

*To connect rooms to a central office.

*To broadcast announcements/as a public address system.

*To function as a ‘bell’, especially at schools (to signal the change of classes) and at home (connected to a door buzzer).

4. Check its compatibility with your home (or building) structure. The ability of the intercom system to deliver a good sound quality depends on the structure of your home (or building). Obstacles, such as metal walls, may interfere with the signals and prevent your intercom system from producing a clear sound.

5. Choose the desired type of intercom system. Intercom systems can either be hard-wired or wireless.

*Hard-wired or traditional intercom systems - these require wires to connect the entire system that is installed throughout your home (or building). Although they provide minimum interference and/or restrictions, hard-wired intercoms can be expensive to install (even far more expensive than the actual cost of the units themselves). They can also prove to be less convenient, with all the wires running throughout the walls and ceilings.

*Wireless intercom systems - these units may be more costly than the traditional, hard-wired ones, but they have the advantage of requiring simple installation: just plug them to a power source, and you’re all set!

6. Determine the power supply to be used. Intercom systems can perform with either of the following power sources:

*An AC power outlet (or a 12 volts DC power supply)

*Batteries (needs regular replacement)

7. Check the product’s warranty. In a way, the length of an intercom’s warranty, including the extent of its coverage, reflects the manufacturer’s confidence in their particular product. Make sure that you understand the clauses and provisions that are stated in the warranty certificate, and that they are backed not only by the manufacturer but the local dealer (or dealers) as well.

8. Transact business with experienced dealers that are known for their reputation. They will not only provide you with several possible options but also actually help you in choosing the best intercom that would give the best value for your money. It is also strongly recommended that you deal with certified and accredited dealers and manufacturers that have been in business for a considerable length of time, who not only offer clear warranty considerations but also extensive after-sales support.

By following the guidelines that are mentioned above, shopping for a perfect intercom will surely be an easy task for you - allowing you to enjoy the many benefits of a good intercom system minus the worries and frustrations. Happy hunting!

For more great intercom information and resources check out: www.intercomhq.info

When evaluating a data center to support your business much of your focus is on bandwidth, reliability, QoS, and so forth. But there’s much more to consider in order to make a smart decision. Over look it…and you’re liable to make a big mistake.

The Building Security….

You want to see a building that has quality security systems and staff. I want to see some form of man trap with some type of biometric or scanned ID card system at any entrance to the building. This prevents just anyone from walking in any door. After the man traps I want to see a 24/7 security guard and some type of video camera system. In the better facilities, when you get on the elevator you have to do another swipe of your card again just to get to your floor. This is good security, it stops someone who is not authorized to be on your floor or area from getting off where they have no business. Once you are on your floor you should look to see if it has video cameras that cover the entire floor. You may need to have your card scanned once more or have another form of checked access. After that you want to make sure your racks or caged area has a secure lock. In one of our data centers you have to go through 6 security scans of one kind or another plus a guard an then a lock on the cage space and the cabinets to get to your servers. You will be also covered by cameras from the second you enter the building to the time you leave. Is this to much? No not at all. When you are dealing with either customer data or customer equipment you must show that you are providing the best possible security. One of our largest clients is a medical facility. We were told we got the contract to host 30 servers for them because we had the best physical security. I don’t care what data center you are in they should have a minimum of 2 security/ID scans, 24 hour video and at least one 24/7 security person, A tech is not a security person.

Power System….

Initial Power: In the ideal situation the data center should be connected to 2 city power grids with multiple entry points from each grid to the building. This usually only happens in major cities in downtown districts where there is the normal power distributed to the area plus an additional power grid that is meant to support emergency services such as government or medical facilities. Even if the data center is only on a single power grid, which is most common, you want to make sure it has multiple entry points for power. I’ve seen several data centers that if a truck ran in to the wrong pole, or a fire started or a construction accident occurred in the underground pipes, the entire datacenter would be without power for a number of days because it was only routed one way.

The power distribution panel(s) need to be clearly marked and ID’d. Ideally the data centers network equipment will be separate from the client’s equipment. Each rack should have 1 or 2 breakers that are exclusive to that rack. General electrical outlets or public outlets should not be on the same distribution panels as networks or servers.

Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS)….

The transfer switch senses when utility power is interrupted, and starts up the generator if the utility power remains absent. In about five to ten seconds, when the generator is producing full power, the transfer switch disconnects the load from the utility and connects it to the generator, restoring electricity to the load. The transfer switch continues to monitor utility power, and when it is restored, switches the load from the generator back to the utility. Once the generator is disconnected, it goes through a cool-down routine and is automatically shut down.

Transfer switch types include open transition, momentary closed transition, and bypass isolation

Open transition transfer switches are the simplest kind, and are mechanically interlocked. They disconnect the load from one power source before making the connection to the other.

Closed transition transfer switches (CTTS) eliminate momentary power interruption when both sources are present and synchronized, by transferring the loads with an overlapping contact arrangement. The momentary closed transition switch transfers the power within one hundred milliseconds, which does not require utility protective relaying.

The soft load closed transition switch extends the overlap time to multiple seconds, for a smoother transition of load to the generator. These switches are available in 100 to 2600 amp configurations.

The better brands are Caterpillar, ASCO, MGE and Hubble

Generators….

If a datacenter doesn’t have its own generators and fuel storage don’t host there. It’s that simple. The generator should be able to handle at least 125% of the load for a minimum of 24 hours without being refueled. A really great data center will have multiple generators. One of our data centers has an individual generator for each floor and two backups. The building can route power from any generator to any location in the building and they can transfer fuel from any generator to another.

One thing you want to do and see for yourself is that they test the generator system. I’m not talking about just starting it on but that they actually put part of the data center load on the generator. I’ve asked about a dozen of the data centers we’ve looked at to allow me to be there when they did their “weekly” test of the system. It was funny how they hemmed and hawed and came up with excuses why I couldn’t be there to see the system tested. If they won’t let you watch them go through their testing it should tell you they are probably not doing more than just starting the generator and hoping the rest works in an emergency. That’s just not good enough to tell you if the generator system is really working or not.

PDU/UPS….

Every cabinet should have its own PDU. It should run a minimum of 10 minutes with a full load. It can often take generators or other systems a full 10 minutes to come on line. Ask to see the batteries of the PDU. The terminals or poles should be clean and without any corrosion or other stuff on them. Most batteries these days have dates stamped on them. Make sure they are no older than 2 years old. Ask the data center how often the replace or update their battery farm. PDUs should also provide on-line power conditioning, with a wide input supply range that reduces battery over-usage, surge protection, EMI/RFI filtering, and harmonics attenuation The better brands are Liebert, MGE and Powerlink.

Power Monitoring….

A good data center has some form of dedicated power monitoring system. The system should monitor the status of an SNMP-equipped UPS system over a standard Ethernet network. Additionally, the software should be programmed to automatically shut down network loads upon power failure, and even send alerts to notify personnel of power problems. It should also be possible to remotely control specific UPS output receptacles on single-phase UPS systems. The better systems will provide audio alerts, emails and SMS messaging

Remember to include the above factors in your data center evaluation checklist…and you’re more likely to make a choice that makes good business sense.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire
Communications….including Business-VoIP-Solution and
DS3-Bandwidth.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you’re always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, and insights.