SUNNYVALE, USA: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOS) has expanded its synchronous EZBuckTM portfolio with the introduction of its new low input voltage DC-DC step-down regulator. The AOZ1110 efficiently converts input voltages from 2.7V to 5.5V down to 0.8V, and delivers up to 4A of output current. AOS' new EZBuck product is optimized for powering the latest DSP, FPGA, and microcontroller chipsets which are widely used in advanced...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Can True Activism Be Fostered Through Social-Networking Sites? - Give and Take - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas
Can True Activism Be Fostered Through Social-Networking Sites? - Give and Take - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Dear Malcolm Gladwell: The nonprofit technology world is not very happy with you.Mr. Gladwell's article in this week's New Yorker magazine, criticizing the hype about social media's ability to stir social movements, is drawing fire from nonprofit technology...
Internal wireless antennae take new approach with fractals
WALTHAM, USA: Fractal Antenna Systems Inc. has announced the latest approach to internal antennae for wireless devices. Called a ‘Fractal Rezchip’ component, the patented, tiny, inexpensive chip-like units turn wireless devices into their own multiband or broadband antenna.Explains inventor Nathan Cohen, CEO of the firm: ”The Fractal Rezchip component harps back to the earliest days of wireless, where the antenna was considered...
A swarm of sharks
This item from the Bahamas Tribune reports on efforts to survey the local shark population. While many sharks are endangered, the number of species, at least in this area is very healthy, with six survey attempts netting 25 sharks of six species, the longer being a four-meter sixgill shark. The smallest was described by one scientist as "a Springer's sawtail catshark. This species was only described in 1998 and there are relatively...
Naming dinos - not an exact science
Is the great paleontologist one who names a lot of species? Is getting it wrong - naming species which turn out to be minor variations or otherwise invalid - a serious blow to a scientific reputation? This enjoyable article notes that prolific dinosaur-namers do get a substantial portion wrong, but that such errors alone don't diminish reputatio...
Vincotech releases new MiniSKiiP pack modules with latest IGBT4
MUNICH, GERMANY: Vincotech has extended its range of MiniSKiiP PACK modules with IGBT4 versions covering 8A to 150A for 1200V in three different housings. Designed for solderless assembly, Vincotech MiniSKiiP PACK modules are an excellent first choice for your application or a perfect second source for Semikron’s product range.The new MiniSKiiP PACK modules use the latest Infineon IGBT4 chip technology to improve EMC. They are...
Molex Japan awarded ISO 27001 certification
LISLE, FRANCE: Molex Inc., one of the world’s leading electronic connector companies, announced that Molex Japan (Yamato Technical Center, Shizuoka Plant, Kagoshima Plant, Precision Parts Plant in Kagoshima, and seven domestic sales offices) has successfully acquired the certification of ISO27001 from the Bureau Veritas, an authorized third party of ISO Certification.The ISO 27001 standard was published in October 2005 with the...
New ASAE website is live... and it rawks. — SocialFish
New ASAE website is live... and it rawks. — SocialFish: "New ASAE website is live… and it rawks.by Maddie Grant on September 29, 2010 ShareDigg DiggWe LOVE the new ASAE website!! Such a huge improvement, not least because their active community has been brought to the forefront.So I thought I’d talk to Amy Hissrich, Director of Knowledge Initiatives at ASAE, and mastermind behind the redesign, and ask her to give us a little “behind...
Sign up for eSkeptic (and a cryptozoology note)
SKEPTIC magazine offers a free eSkeptic weekly newsletter to be delivered to your inbox. It gives (of course) a skeptical viewpoint on things ranging from "mad gasser" folklore to psychics.COMMENT: The problem I have with most avoewdly skeptical publications is that they lump cryptozoology in with ghost-hunting and all the other "pseudoscientific" phenomena. Not accurate. However unscientific the methods of some amatuer cryptid...
We have a NASA bill, sort of
Well, Congress has at least done something with NASA. IRATE COMMENT: No, not pass a 2011 budget: that would be too much to ask, right, with Congress adjourning almost FIVE WEEKS before the election so they can campaign? They passed an Authorization bill, which tells the agency how to spend money but doesn't actually give it any. The billed directs the termination of Ares I but directs continued work on a heavy lift launch vehicle....
Was that a pink hippopotamus?
Yes, it was, and you have not been drinking.... A hippo's sweat is red, and the animal can look pink under the right conditions. But this young one from Kenya's Masai Mara appears to be a genuine pink hippo, or at least mostly pink. A partial albino is one possibility, but wildlife photographer Will Barrard-Lucas reports the hippo is "leucistic," meaning it has greatly reduced pigment but doesn't go all the way to albinism. Such...
Odyssey Diode Laser
The good folks at Ivoclar Vivadent were nice enough to provide lasers for the hands-on workshop at the CDA Meeting in San Francisco. Here are all the details for this great device, straight from their website. For all the info, here is a link.The Odyssey® Diode Lasers from Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc. represent the latest diode laser...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Playbook
With the release of the iPad other companies are scrambling to release their own tablet PCs. On the horizon is Dell's Slate and also revealed is Research in Motion's (RIM's) Playbook. RIM is most well known for its Blackberry phones and with the popularity of the Blackberry staying consistent throughout the years hope is high that the Playbook...
National Semiconductor intros LED driver with dynamic headroom control for automotive LCD backlight apps
HONG KONG: National Semiconductor Corp. has announced the LM3492 LED driver with dynamic headroom control that accurately and efficiently drives current to two independently dimmable strings of LEDs. The LM3492, a member of National’s PowerWise energy-efficient product family, maximizes system efficiency and reduces system complexity and cost in automotive LCD backlight applications.The LM3492’s dynamic headroom control feature...
Cabot breaks ground on world-class fumed silica expansion in China
BOSTON, USA & JIANGXI, CHINA: Cabot Corp.and China National Bluestar (Group) Corp. broke ground on the expansion of their world-class fumed silica manufacturing facility in Jiangxi Province, China. The $43 million investment is a project of Cabot Bluestar Chemical (Jiangxi) Co. Ltd., a joint venture between subsidiaries of Cabot Corporation and China National Bluestar (Group) Corp. The expansion will leverage Cabot's highly...
Electric Handpieces Continue to Cause Burns
A rip of the old electron to Kathy Kincaide and the crew at Dr. bicuspid.com for reporting on this. This article discusses that, despite our best efforts, the FDA continues to receive reports of burns from electric handpieces.This problem, unfortunately, is nothing new. In this article from Dental Products Report a while back, I discuss the reasons behind this and some strategies to help prevent it.The bottom line is, if you...
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Toshiba offers bidirectional diodes for ESD protection for mobile phones, portable audio apps and LED matrices
IRVINE, USA: Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) has added a series of bidirectional diodes in three package types for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection in mobile phones, portable audio devices and LED matrices.The Toshiba DF2B6.8 series helps protect digital and mobile equipment such as cell phones, smartphones and mobile audio players from electrostatic discharge energy that may be generated from positive...
AnalogicTech LED backlight drivers with CABC save power and smooth brightness transitions in handheld devices
SANTA CLARA, USA: Advanced Analogic Technologies Inc. (AnalogicTech) has introduced the AAT2868 and AAT2869 LED backlight drivers. The AAT2868 and AAT2869 are 1x/1.5x dual-mode, high-efficiency charge pump based white LED backlight drivers that drive four constant current LED channels and now offer content adaptive brightness control (CABC) or dynamic backlight control (DBC) to further reduce power consumption by up to 50 percent....
Diodes Inc.'s versatile 9-channel LED drivers improve LCD backlighting performance with 93 percent efficiency and 1 percent channel matching
DALLAS, USA: Diodes Inc., a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application specific standard products within the broad discrete, logic and analog semiconductor markets, announced two 9-channel LED drivers with internal charge-pumps for backlighting small-LCD screens, keypads and LED lights.Working from 2.7V to 5.5V and driving 20mA, the applications include mobile phones and other portable consumer devices....
Arrow Electronics signs global distribution agreement with Redpine Signals
MELVILLE, USA: Arrow Electronics Inc. has announced a global distribution agreement with Redpine Signals Inc., for its broad portfolio of wireless chipsets, modules and development kits.Arrow will distribute Redpine Signals’ complete portfolio of low-power, high-performance chipsets and modules that provide seamless connectivity integration with any microcontroller platform available today. Redpine’s technologies support multiple...
Armstrong World Industries and Universal Display demo highly efficient, white OLED lighting ceiling system
LANCASTER & EWING, USA: Armstrong World Industries Inc. and Universal Display Corp., the company enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED technology and materials, have demonstrated a novel white phosphorescent OLED lighting system to the US Department of Energy (DOE) in connection with the successful completion of their $1.9 million, two-year, Solid State Lighting Product Program titled “Development...
Wow - celestial fireworks
This exploding star, thanks to a phenomenon called a "light echo," put on one heck of a show. V838 Monocerotis looks to be expansing at almost light speed, and it boggles the mind to look at the sequence of phot...
Even sea slugs need respect
"The shallow-water nudibranch fauna of Southern California especially is well known, so it was pretty exciting to find a new species right under our noses here in Santa Barbara County," says Jeff Goddard. The marine scientist plucked a new species of sea slug, a colorful animal with orange-tipped spines, out of a tide pool in 2008. The 3-cm slug, named Flabellina goddardi by one of Goddard's colleagues who wrote the formal description,...
EPA Prepares to Make Dental Offices Use Amalgam Separators
Last week we underwent a site survey from DRNA in preparation of having them install an amalgam separator. We have agreed to be part of a pilot study for the company. It's something we'd been considering for a while, as it fits in with the aspect of being green and we've been trying to embrace that more and more.Then, yesterday I read this...
Monday, September 27, 2010
CFP: The 3 T’s: Exploring New Frontiers in Teaching, Technology, and Transliteracy
CFP: The 3 T’s: Exploring New Frontiers in Teaching, Technology, and Transliteracy URL: http://threetees.weebly.com/Submission: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDlmcEZlTW5wcUVnR09JSzR2YVlvQnc6MQAre you interested in teaching, technology and transliteracy? Do you use your students' fluency across media, modes, and disciplines to their and your advantage?Are you using technology to extend learning in the classroom...
CFP: 2011 Information Fluency Conference
CFP: 2011 Information Fluency ConferenceThe 2011 Information Fluency Conference committee invites you to submit proposals for the upcoming conference to be held at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, March 9-11, 2011.This years theme is "Information R/evolution".Proposals should address one or more of the various aspects of Information Fluency. Presentation proposals will be peer-reviewed and may be published in the...
You Rock Guitar stars in the Financial Times How To Spend It online magazine
There’s fabulous coverage of the You Rock Guitar in the Financial Times. Presented by Jonathan Margolis the YRG stars in the Technopolis TV section of the paper’s highly influential How To Spend It online magazine. ‘You Rock is being regarded as a real revolution as a teaching guitar aid for particularly young kids and teenagers'To view the piece follow this link....
Technology for the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector :: Tom says "mergers and alliances" - we say "mashups and interoperability." Let's think of ourselves as interoperable allies.
Technology for the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector :: Tom says "mergers and alliances" - we say "mashups and interoperability." Let's think of ourselves as interoperable allies.: "I recently had a very lively conversation with Tom McLaughlin of the Nonprofit Finance Fund. I would never need an excuse to chat with the guy who said, 'organizational culture eats strategy for breakfast,' but on this occasion, I wanted to brief...
15 Easy-to-Use Apps for Adding Multimedia to Twitter: Business Collaboration News �
15 Easy-to-Use Apps for Adding Multimedia to Twitter: Business Collaboration News �: "I love Twitter, but one thing I admit can be lacking from the service is that it doesn’t allow for embedded images, audio or video in the Twitter stream; you can only link to the...
Dentalvibe Injection System now undergoing Clinical Trial
Last week we received the Dentalvibe unit for evaluation & clinical testing. It's an interesting device composed of a retraction system with a bright white LED for illumination. This is combined with a vibration system that is designed to interrupt the pain sensation associated with dental injections.The device is rechargeable and site...
Soundcraft Vi1 takes pride of place at flagship Glee Club
Sales of Soundcraft’s new Vi1 compact digital desk have immediately gone into overdrive, report UK and ROI distributors, Sound Technology Ltd, rapidly boosting inventories in both the rental and permanent install sectors.In the latter category, Paul Duffy’s Pacific Sound & Light have been quick to install a 32-input board at the new flagship...
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Animal mysteries in the Pikes Peak area
Courtesy of crypotozoologist Loren Coleman comes this roundup of animal oddities from my own locale, the Colorado Springs area. He includes escapes from the zoo (and a buffalo processing plant!) exotic animals of unknown origin, a link to our local sasquatch tales, and the "Colorado Springs lion" episode from 2008. The "lion" was taken seriously by authorities, but they never found a big cat, and the fuzzy cellphone photo was...
Sylvia Earle pushes marine parks
Sylvia Earle has been studying the oceans for 50 years. Now she's pushing an equivalent of the parks many people are familiar with on land. The natucal versions are called marine protected areas (MPAs). We do have man ysuch areas around islands and reefs, but Earle eants to extend the idea to "fencing off" critical areas on the high seas from exploitation. The Sargasso Sea - "the golden rain forest of the sea" - is her leading...
Sirona SIROlaser Advance
Today's topic is the Sirona SIROlaser. The good folks at Sirona were also nice enough to bring lasers to the hands-on course at the CDA meeting in San Francisco. Here is info from their website: Laser therapy means state-of-the-art dentistry and modern patient care all in one. Because when you use a diode laser you satisfy your patient’s...
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Claims of UFO interference with ICBMs
Some former USAF personnel have gone public with claims UFOs were able to take control of Minuteman ICBMs, or at least interfere with them. Here's why I think memories are playing tricks, or something. Several people say things happened, but hundreds of thousands have served in ICBM units without reporting any such thing, and no official documents have leaked. UFO sightings? Sure, they've happened in missile fields (they are...
Constellation never had a chance
Veteran NASA program manager Wayne Hale, who had an inside view of the birth and slow death of NASA's Constellation program, writes that there was never a real chance for the program given two factors: the decision of the Bush administration and Congressional leaders not to up NASA's budget, and the fact it took much longer and cost much more than expected to return the Shuttle to service following the Columbia accident. COMMENT:...
Florida panthers better thanks to Texas girlfriends
The Florida panther's numbers may have gone as low as 20 animals in the 1990s. The subspecies seemed doomed despite extensive conservation efforts. Fifteen years ago, the the US Fish and Wildlife Service brought in eight females from Texas and set them loose. (Panthers don't bond as mated pairs, so you don't need as many males as females.) The Texas animals are a different subspecies, but the differences are very minor, and...
A unique bird rediscovered
This rediscovery came a few years ago (2004), but it still caught my attention because Venezuela's recurve-billed bushbird (Clytoctantes alixii) is such a unique species. Its stout bill curves upward, looking as though it was stuck on upside down. The "smiling" bird also breaks the usual avian rule about colorful males and drab females: the female is a coppery reddish color, while males are gray. One of Conservation International's...
AMD Picasso Diode Laser
In my continuing feature of diode lasers, here is another one of the companies that was gracious enough to participate in the hands-on course in San Francisco.AMD really rocked the industry when they came on the scene. Their affordable line of lasers helped drop the price of lasers to the point that almost any office could afford one.Their...
Friday, September 24, 2010
Call for Submissions for a special issue of Journal of Library and Information Service for Distance Learning (Online Instruction)
Call for Submissions for a special issue of Journal of Library and Information Service for Distance Learning (Online Instruction)The Journal of Library and Information Service for Distance Learning, a peer-reviewed journal published by Routledge. The journal is devoted to the issues and concerns of librarians and information specialists involved with distance education and delivering library resources and services to this growing...
Center for the Study of Information and Religion Call for Papers
Center for the Study of Information and Religion Call for PapersThe Center for the Study of Information and Religion in Kent State's School of Library and Information Science welcomes abstracts for consideration for its first annual Conference on Information and Religion, scheduled for May 20, 2011, at Kent State University. The conference theme is Research Frontiers in the Study of Information and Religion. Dr. Brenda Dervin,...
Finding lost amphibians: a success story
The world has lost numerous amphibian species, including Australia's unique gastric brooding frog and several of Central America's colorful poison-dart frogs. Scientists with Conservation International and the IUCN decided to take a list of 100 known extinctions and see if the animals were unquestionable gone. The answer" not necessarily. So far, three species have been rediscovered: the Mount Nimba reed frog of the Ivory Coast,...
Working Smarter with AnteriorRest - Now Undergoing Clinical Testing in Our Office
For those of you who work in dentistry, this stat will come as no surprise, to those of you outside the field you may be shocked to learn that over 60% of dentists who become disabled do so due to neck and back issues. The "dental posture" that doctors are in several hours a day, just isn't natural. we sit in an upright position...
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Call for Papers: Special Issue of the Journal of the Medical Library Association on Applying Technologies in Medical Libraries
Call for Papers: Special Issue of the Journal of the Medical Library Association on Applying Technologies in Medical LibrariesUsing technology to improve access to information has long been integral to medical and health sciences libraries. However, today’s environment of rapidly changing software and hardware, social networking tools, and increasingly tiny and mobile devices presents special challenges for health sciences libraries....
MW2011 CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Deadline September 30, 2010
MW2011 CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Deadline September 30, 2010Museums and the Web 2011: the international conference for culture and heritage onlineApril 6-9, 2011Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAhttp://www.archimuse.com/mw2011/Museums and the Web explores the social, cultural, design, technological, economic, and organizational issues of culture, science and heritage online. Taking an international perspective, MW reviews and analyzes...
Hidden technology: the Tesla Fallacy
This thought came up as I was perusing some posts in rec.aviation.military, where a couple of people tend to post a lot about assumed accomplishments of Nazi engineers. Now, engineers in Nazi Germany made some surprising advances, but because they created the first practical jet fighters and the first ballistic missiles doesn't mean they solved antigravity, supersonic aircraft, electromagnetic propulsion, etc. I have grandiosely...
Unknown population of tigers caught on video
A BBC camera crew investigating reports of tigers appearing well above the altitudes where they normally roam visited the highlands of Bhutan and came away with video proof of the endangered cats. Automated camera traps captured tigers hunting as high as 4,100 meters. The population in this highland valley may not be large, but every addition to the shrinking wild population of tigers is a major victory. Interestingly, this valley...
CFP: Journal of Library and Information Service for Distance Learning
CFP: Journal of Library and Information Service for Distance LearningThe Journal of Library and Information Service for Distance Learning, a peer-reviewed journal published by Routledge, welcomes the submission of manuscripts.The journal is devoted to the issues and concerns of librarians and information specialists involved with distance education and delivering library resources and services to this growing community of students....
Backing Up with MyBook
For those of you who have seen/heard me speak about the benefits of a chartless office, you've also had the chance to hear my crazy anal retentive backup strategy. Because portable hard drives just keep getting larger in capacity and smaller in price, there is just no viable argument against using them.They are quick, efficient, affordable,...
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
First Independent aids charity via social media | The Columbian
First Independent aids charity via social media | The Columbian: "The bank’s “Ready to Give” program aims to raise money for five Clark County charities each year by tapping its customers’ Twitter and Facebook networks, in addition to using traditional print and online advertising, said Stacey Graham, chief strategy officer at First Independent Bank. For every dollar raised online, the bank will donate $1, up to $5,000 to each...
"Get your wallet out" - full Nord C2 review now available at www.soundonsound.com
Earlier this year Sound On Sound magazine tested the Nord C2 organ. The conclusion read:"My biggest problem with this review has been stopping playing long enough to write anything ... Get your wallet out."Now to find out why you can read the full unabridged review at www.soundonsound.com.More information:http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/...
Facebook Co-Founder Is Building a Social Network for Non-Profits [VIDEO]
Facebook Co-Founder Is Building a Social Network for Non-Profits [VIDEO]: "A few hours after (RED) CEO Susan Smith Ellis kicked off the Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit by saying that she thought someone needed to create a social network specifically for connecting people to non-profit organizations, Facebook Co-founder Chris Hughes took the stage to say he was building i...
Call for presenters: The Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians: "From Vision to Implementation"
Call for presenters: The Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians: "From Vision to Implementation"We seek presenters to tell their stories at the 2nd "Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians" sponsored by the libraries at Wake Forest University and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. We will explore the paths by which librarians have developed and marketed their entrepreneurial products and services. Our keynote...
CFP: RDA @ Your Library: An Amigos Online Event
CFP: RDA @ Your Library: An Amigos Online EventWhen: 9:00am- 4:00pm, Friday, February 4, 2011Where: Amigos Online Classroom Website: http://rda.amigos.org/Do you have something to say about RDA? Amigos Library Services presents RDA @ Your Library, an online conference scheduled for February 4, 2011. We are accepting proposals for speakers, http://rda.amigos.org/node/4. Proposals are due no later than 5:00 PM central...
Anatomage is now Exclusive to Gendex and SOREDEX
As a cone beam user and a Gendex customer, I've been fortunate enough to be able to use Invivo's Anatomage software for the past several years. While there are lots of good 3D software products out there, Anatomage simply takes it to the next level, in my clinical opinion.While I could go into great (and confusing) detail on why Anatomage...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
A Whale beneath the San Diego Zoo?
Yep. The land-based institution doesn't keep whales, but it was sitting on one. Construction workers digging a hole for a new water tank found a whale fossil three million years old. The whale's skeleton was intact and in good conditi...
New species of ape described!
It is perhaps the rarest event in zoology: the description of a new species of ape. From the still little-known rainforest area where Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia meet comes the northern buffed-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus annamensis), the sixth known species in its genus. Gibbons are the most prolific apes in terms of species, with the newcomer making (by some, but not all, counts) a 17th species. The rarity of the new species is...
Reason and Record reviewed in Sound On Sound
Reason 5 provides a striking front cover for the latest issue of Sound On Sound (October 2010). Inside, a comprehensive 6 page review delves deep into the new features in Reason 5 and Record 1.5.On the new Blocks sequencing mode in Reason and Record:"To be able to back-track and remake your initial compositional building blocks without having...
How to target wall posts to specific fans - Social media and inbound marketing for non-profits
How to target wall posts to specific fans - Social media and inbound marketing for non-prof...
TED Mobile Review | Android Unknown App - PCWorld
TED Mobile Review | Android Unknown App - PCWorld: "TED Mobile is the mobile app version of the TED Website, allowing you to watch its video content on your smartphone. You may know about the TED conferences (TED stands for 'Technology, Entertainment, and Design'); TED's motto is 'Ideas Worth Sharing,' and the nonprofit group posts videos of speakers whose new ideas are transforming (or may transform) the worl...
Y5 - Watching Your Battery While Watching Your Back
As I become more and more enamored of the Android OS, I find myself looking at apps designed for it and wondering "why not me?". As most of you know, I'm currently using a Palm Pre and am none too happy with it at this point in time. When I came across the info on Y5 Battery Saver it had a double impact on me. The first...
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