Chinese Scenes from BASE-Book - Matt Gerdes on Vimeo.
Obviously, the video has nothing to do with stocks, bonds, or investments, but I thought you would enjoy it.
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Dragon Flyers in China: An Incredible Video
What a way to end the year with an amazing video about the Dragon Flyers in China. These guys make sky divers, bungee jumpers, mountain climbers, and hang gliders look like merry-go-round riders. The action starts one minute and twenty seconds into the video, so watch at least the first couple minutes to see what the dragon flyers are.
Obviously, the video has nothing to do with stocks, bonds, or investments, but I thought you would enjoy it.
Obviously, the video has nothing to do with stocks, bonds, or investments, but I thought you would enjoy it.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Top Money Videos
The following are the top five money-related videos at YouTube. As you can see, they are all music videos.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Bangkok flood situation - Nov 14
The Bangkok flood situation was our table-topic this morning at breakfast. I haven't paid much attention to the flood lately but looking it up again found that the situation is still a concern. Water level is still more than a meter high in the flooded areas.
(Source:earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
Bangkok Post reported that: City Hall has issued an evacuation order for 10 areas in Samae Dam sub-district of Bang Khun Thian district in western Bangkok's Thon Buri side as floods there have continued to rise.
The elderly, children and sick people are urged to leave immediately for designated shelters or other safe areas.
Overflow from Khlong Maha Sawat and Khlong Phasi Charoen caused the water level in those areas to rise rapidly. More..Evacuation order issued in Thon Buri
Meanwhile at Don Muang, Don Muang residents removed more of the "big bags" forming a floodwall on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road despite the prime minister's insistence that the barrier must stand.
About 40 residents helped to manually move the 2.5-tonne bags. Protest Leader, Mr Thinnakorn, insisted pulling the big bags away was to release some of the floodwater that has been trapped in more than 20 housing estates and to allow boats used by residents to get through. The removal of the bags was carried out in the presence of senior police from Don Muang police station.
On the other hand, according to Pracha Promnok, director of Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), the barrier is helpful as it slows water flowing into Bangkok through upper districts.
At the same time, many more water pumps have been deployed to hasten drainage. Read Don Muang bags protest grows
I have got here a video that allows us to have an aerial view of the flooding in Bangkok.
And here is an image taken by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite. Image was taken on October 29, 2011.
Flood waters inundate Bangkok's domestic airport at Don Muang where flooding is most obvious, but much of the area in the image is flooded. The spaces between buildings and under trees are blue. Signs of flooding are also evident throughout the large image, which includes a much wider area.
The Don Muang Airport, a domestic airport, stopped operations after the runways flooded on October 25. However, the building housed the Flood Relief Operating Center and some 4,000 flood evacuees. The evacuees were forced to leave on October 25, and the Flood Relief Operating Center moved on October 29 when the building flooded. The airplanes shown in the image were decommissioned before the flood. Bangkok’s primary airport, Suvarnabhumi, is still operating and is expected to stay dry.
(Source:earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
Some good news as well. Recovery and clean-up work have begun at four flood-hit industrial estates in Ayutthaya as water in several parts of the central province has receded. They are Rojana, Hi-Tech, Bang Pa-in and Factory Land industrial estates.
Factory Land is almost dry as 80% of the estate has been drained. Of the estate's 93 manufacturing plants, 12 have resumed full operations while clean-up work is under way at the remaining plants.
More..Recovery, clean-up starts at four Ayutthaya estates
If you are still thinking about going to Bangkok, here is more information which may be of interest:
According to The Examiner:
Travelers from the US to Bangkok beware! The ongoing flood waters have nowhere to go in Bangkok, where over 5 feet of rain fell since March. Pacific coast travelers need to know that subways, garbage and travel are seriously affected including the Grand Palace and Safari World. Normally, only 40 inches of rain fall in Bangkok. Even worse, this water is trapped with no end in sight. California residents and travelers with travel vacation plans to Asia will want to skip Bangkok for the near future.
More..Bangkok flood spreads to subways, garbage piles up under 5 feet of rain
From CNNGo:
Most major tourism attractions in Bangkok still dry but situation remains uncertain
Mixed messages from Thai government and Bangkok officials continue to leave locals uncertain about when the city's flood situation will be resolved, as waters continue to sweep through parts of the city.
As of Monday most major tourist areas in central Bangkok, such as Sukhumvit Road, Siam and Silom, are still dry. Shopping malls, bars and restaurants in those areas are open, while most major hotels are operating as usual, including those on the Chao Phraya River.
More..Thai flood crisis: Updated info for tourists
And finally, a future concern? Will Thailand flooding be a major obstacle to contend with in the years to come?
The Thai capital, built on swampland, is slowly sinking and the floods currently besieging Bangkok could be merely a foretaste of a grim future as climate change makes its impact felt, experts say. - Floods Show What Lies Ahead for Sinking Bangkok
Related posts:
Bangkok flood situation Nov 7 Suvarnabhumi Airport is dry and fully operational
Bangkok flood - Pictures
Bangkok flood situation Nov 5
Further updates on Bangkok flood situation, Nov 1
Bangkok flood situation update - October 29 2011
Should you cancel your trip to Bangkok?
Thailand flood situation and getting updates via social media
Bangkok Post reported that: City Hall has issued an evacuation order for 10 areas in Samae Dam sub-district of Bang Khun Thian district in western Bangkok's Thon Buri side as floods there have continued to rise.
The elderly, children and sick people are urged to leave immediately for designated shelters or other safe areas.
Overflow from Khlong Maha Sawat and Khlong Phasi Charoen caused the water level in those areas to rise rapidly. More..Evacuation order issued in Thon Buri
Meanwhile at Don Muang, Don Muang residents removed more of the "big bags" forming a floodwall on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road despite the prime minister's insistence that the barrier must stand.
About 40 residents helped to manually move the 2.5-tonne bags. Protest Leader, Mr Thinnakorn, insisted pulling the big bags away was to release some of the floodwater that has been trapped in more than 20 housing estates and to allow boats used by residents to get through. The removal of the bags was carried out in the presence of senior police from Don Muang police station.
On the other hand, according to Pracha Promnok, director of Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), the barrier is helpful as it slows water flowing into Bangkok through upper districts.
At the same time, many more water pumps have been deployed to hasten drainage. Read Don Muang bags protest grows
I have got here a video that allows us to have an aerial view of the flooding in Bangkok.
And here is an image taken by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite. Image was taken on October 29, 2011.
The Don Muang Airport, a domestic airport, stopped operations after the runways flooded on October 25. However, the building housed the Flood Relief Operating Center and some 4,000 flood evacuees. The evacuees were forced to leave on October 25, and the Flood Relief Operating Center moved on October 29 when the building flooded. The airplanes shown in the image were decommissioned before the flood. Bangkok’s primary airport, Suvarnabhumi, is still operating and is expected to stay dry.
(Source:earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
Some good news as well. Recovery and clean-up work have begun at four flood-hit industrial estates in Ayutthaya as water in several parts of the central province has receded. They are Rojana, Hi-Tech, Bang Pa-in and Factory Land industrial estates.
Factory Land is almost dry as 80% of the estate has been drained. Of the estate's 93 manufacturing plants, 12 have resumed full operations while clean-up work is under way at the remaining plants.
More..Recovery, clean-up starts at four Ayutthaya estates
If you are still thinking about going to Bangkok, here is more information which may be of interest:
According to The Examiner:
Travelers from the US to Bangkok beware! The ongoing flood waters have nowhere to go in Bangkok, where over 5 feet of rain fell since March. Pacific coast travelers need to know that subways, garbage and travel are seriously affected including the Grand Palace and Safari World. Normally, only 40 inches of rain fall in Bangkok. Even worse, this water is trapped with no end in sight. California residents and travelers with travel vacation plans to Asia will want to skip Bangkok for the near future.
More..Bangkok flood spreads to subways, garbage piles up under 5 feet of rain
From CNNGo:
Most major tourism attractions in Bangkok still dry but situation remains uncertain
Mixed messages from Thai government and Bangkok officials continue to leave locals uncertain about when the city's flood situation will be resolved, as waters continue to sweep through parts of the city.
As of Monday most major tourist areas in central Bangkok, such as Sukhumvit Road, Siam and Silom, are still dry. Shopping malls, bars and restaurants in those areas are open, while most major hotels are operating as usual, including those on the Chao Phraya River.
More..Thai flood crisis: Updated info for tourists
And finally, a future concern? Will Thailand flooding be a major obstacle to contend with in the years to come?
The Thai capital, built on swampland, is slowly sinking and the floods currently besieging Bangkok could be merely a foretaste of a grim future as climate change makes its impact felt, experts say. - Floods Show What Lies Ahead for Sinking Bangkok
Related posts:
Bangkok flood situation Nov 7 Suvarnabhumi Airport is dry and fully operational
Bangkok flood - Pictures
Bangkok flood situation Nov 5
Further updates on Bangkok flood situation, Nov 1
Bangkok flood situation update - October 29 2011
Should you cancel your trip to Bangkok?
Thailand flood situation and getting updates via social media
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Triple Play For Business
One of the hottest trends in consumer telecom services is called the “residential triple play.” This is a bundling that combines three electronic services that nearly every home subscribes to. They are television, telephone and broadband.
The bundling is made possible because one provider can deliver all three at a combined price that is lower than buying the same services from three separate providers. Cable companies are in the best position to deliver the triple play, but the package is also offered by telephone companies and wireless service providers. The advantage for cable is due to the very high bandwidth capability of their HFC (Hybrid Fiber Cable) facilities.
That’s great for consumers, but what about business? Is there such a thing as triple play for business? You bet. It’s available for businesses with their own business locations.
Not surprisingly, a huge provider of triple play is Comcast. You may know that Comcast is the largest Cable TV provider in the US. Comcast broadband is hugely popular with both consumers and small businesses. But did you also know that Comcast is the 3rd largest phone company in America?
The idea that the coaxial cable from a Cable company is pretty much the same as the one that connects the TV antenna on the roof is way out of date. Today’s cable is a sophisticated collection of multiplexed channels that carry voice, video and data equally well.
Multiplexing is the technique that divides the 1,000 MHz bandwidth capacity of the coaxial combined fiber and copper transmission facility into neatly spaced 6 MHz channels. Those channels are exactly the same size as over the air TV channels so it’s easy to fit one TV station per channel. However, those channels can be used for other purposes as well.
The two most popular non-TV services on Cable are broadband and telephone. You have your choice of one or more standard business phone lines or an ISDN PRI trunk line that is bundles up to 23 lines for connection to an in-house PBX telephone system.
You probably are using DSL, satellite or T1 lines now for your business broadband service. It’s likely that you’re getting something like 1 to 2 Mbps download bandwidth. DSL can go higher, but your bandwidth decreases the further you get from the telephone company central office. Cable has such high bandwidth capacity, that it delivers business broadband at 50 to 100 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. Comcast’s smallest service starts at 12 Mbps/2Mbps.
You’re probably wondering if you can afford a triple play package? It’s likely you can’t afford not to go this way if you have the type of business where your customers wait on-site, like a doctor’s office or auto service center. That's where the TV service of triple play has its value. There are also packages for businesses like bars and restaurants that serve a walk-in clientele. How much are we talking? About the price of that T1 line will get you faster broadband plus telephone service with basic TV channels included.
What if you don’t need television in your business? Is there such a thing as double play?
Of course. Many, many professional offices, retail stores and quick service restaurants need a combination of reliable phone service and high speed broadband to meet their needs. Get these two services cheaper than buying separately from a telephone company and an Internet service provider.
Can you cut costs while getting the same or better voice, data and video services for your company? It’s well worth your time to find out. Check availability and pricing for bundled business broadband, telephone and TV services now.
The bundling is made possible because one provider can deliver all three at a combined price that is lower than buying the same services from three separate providers. Cable companies are in the best position to deliver the triple play, but the package is also offered by telephone companies and wireless service providers. The advantage for cable is due to the very high bandwidth capability of their HFC (Hybrid Fiber Cable) facilities. That’s great for consumers, but what about business? Is there such a thing as triple play for business? You bet. It’s available for businesses with their own business locations.
Not surprisingly, a huge provider of triple play is Comcast. You may know that Comcast is the largest Cable TV provider in the US. Comcast broadband is hugely popular with both consumers and small businesses. But did you also know that Comcast is the 3rd largest phone company in America?
The idea that the coaxial cable from a Cable company is pretty much the same as the one that connects the TV antenna on the roof is way out of date. Today’s cable is a sophisticated collection of multiplexed channels that carry voice, video and data equally well.
Multiplexing is the technique that divides the 1,000 MHz bandwidth capacity of the coaxial combined fiber and copper transmission facility into neatly spaced 6 MHz channels. Those channels are exactly the same size as over the air TV channels so it’s easy to fit one TV station per channel. However, those channels can be used for other purposes as well.
The two most popular non-TV services on Cable are broadband and telephone. You have your choice of one or more standard business phone lines or an ISDN PRI trunk line that is bundles up to 23 lines for connection to an in-house PBX telephone system.
You probably are using DSL, satellite or T1 lines now for your business broadband service. It’s likely that you’re getting something like 1 to 2 Mbps download bandwidth. DSL can go higher, but your bandwidth decreases the further you get from the telephone company central office. Cable has such high bandwidth capacity, that it delivers business broadband at 50 to 100 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. Comcast’s smallest service starts at 12 Mbps/2Mbps.
You’re probably wondering if you can afford a triple play package? It’s likely you can’t afford not to go this way if you have the type of business where your customers wait on-site, like a doctor’s office or auto service center. That's where the TV service of triple play has its value. There are also packages for businesses like bars and restaurants that serve a walk-in clientele. How much are we talking? About the price of that T1 line will get you faster broadband plus telephone service with basic TV channels included.
What if you don’t need television in your business? Is there such a thing as double play?
Of course. Many, many professional offices, retail stores and quick service restaurants need a combination of reliable phone service and high speed broadband to meet their needs. Get these two services cheaper than buying separately from a telephone company and an Internet service provider.
Can you cut costs while getting the same or better voice, data and video services for your company? It’s well worth your time to find out. Check availability and pricing for bundled business broadband, telephone and TV services now.
Monday, July 18, 2011
When negotiations don't end in a done deal
 |
| Looking for the news? Try a taxi driver |
Ebden made a video recording of a fight at a night club, witnessed by three taxi drivers, in which a premiership football player was involved. He approached News International, which offered him £2,000 for the story if the video could be used. Ebden said he wanted £20,000 and transferred the video to News International. The video turned out to be of poor quality and didn't show the fight clearly. However, News International agreed to pay the £20,000 if the quality of the video could be improved -- payment being dependent on its publication. At this point Ebden now sought £150,000 -- which News International refused to pay -- but the company did advise Ebden not to talk to other newspapers. Following two further meetings between a News International reporter and Ebden, a contract was drafted which did not specify a price but reiterated that payment depended on publication of the video. No agreement was reached regarding payment of £150,000.
In the event, News International did publish the story, based on information provided by the taxi drivers, and told Ebden that it had used neither his information nor his video. Coincidentally, another newspaper published a story about the same footballer, this time being involved in a different fight: this feature resulted in the newspaper facing a libel claim. News International passed the video and Ebden's contact details to the other newspaper, which contacted him with a view to his assisting it as a witness; News International offered him £5,000 to assist. At this point Ebden, probably feeling somewhat miffed at ending up as a witness instead of having a large amount of money in his pocket, rejected News International's offer and asked for payment of the £150,000 which, he maintained, News International owed him. No, said News International, so off they went to court -- Ebden as a litigant in person.
Mr Justice Norris dismissed Ebden's claim for the cash. In the first place, there was no contract in which News International agreed to pay Ebden £150,000 for publication of his story. The parties had been negotiating over use of the video but did not contemplate any legal relationship arising out of the right to run the story as such. Payment was to be made for use of the video only (i) if its quality could be improved and (ii) it was actually used. However, the video itself was never published.
Ebden did not own the story. While the video was unique to Ebden, the story itself was shared by a number of other people.
News International had not infringed copyright. While it had made copies of the video, it had done so for the purpose of judicial proceedings under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988, s.45.
Nor had there been any breach of confidence. While it was agreed that Ebden was not to be identified as the source in any publication and his contact details were not to be revealed, a reporter who circulated that information within his employer's sphere of activity was not in breach of that term. Likewise, supplying Ebden's contact details to the other newspaper's solicitors did not amount to a breach of confidence since they too would be bound to keep that information confidential.
From the summary of facts, this sounds like an action which the litigant in person had little prospect of winning and which he might have been well advised not to commence.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Fukushima Fallout Update
Latest addition to the series of continuing updates of the Fukushima disaster graciously provided by Arnie & Maggie Gundersen of Fairewinds Associates. Maggie has a guest, Marco Kaltofen, expert in radiation chemistry & monitoring. He is a professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, as well as an environmental scientist & professional engineer.
They discuss the spreading nuclear fallout. This closer look examines the effects & hazards of the nano-scale particles of fallout when tracking at greater distances, as opposed to the methodology of using a Geiger counter to measure the more localized background levels.
They discuss the spreading nuclear fallout. This closer look examines the effects & hazards of the nano-scale particles of fallout when tracking at greater distances, as opposed to the methodology of using a Geiger counter to measure the more localized background levels.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A Second Video Clip of the Sex Video of 'Anwar Ibrahim'
A second video clip turned up on You Tube. I didn't get to see it this time because it has been taken down due the pornograhic nature of the clip which is in violation of You Tube's regulations. A few blogs had it posted before it was removed. I read on a blog that the man's 'family jewels' were exposed.
Meanwhile, some scenes from the latest clip made it as a poster as stacks of them were left at a bus stop in Jalan Genting Klang and was found around 11:30am on Tuesday. The posters came with captions in Bahasa Malaysia.
3D Projection Mapping: 10 Jaw-Dropping Examples
Generating extra buzz around marketing campaigns worldwide is 3D projection mapping, a relatively new technology that animates stationary objects with 3D video. With added sound effects and music, the result is a remarkable and immersive experience.
“Projection mapping can provide a great double whammy if used right, because you get a great live event, followed by a compelling video and PR opportunities. But, if that’s the aim it’s important to think about the film when planning the projection — the sense of scale you get live won’t be replicated on YouTube,” cautions Matt Smith, director of strategy for The Viral Factory.
“Good camera work, slick editing, and a rocking soundtrack will all help drive the film, but if the projection is too detailed it will still get lost.”
So, while we wait to see if this a temporary craze or soon to become standard in the marketeer’s toolbox, take a look through our gallery of great examples of such projections on buildings. This list is by no means exhaustive, so please let us know about any impressive versions you’ve seen in the comments below.
Samsung's whimsical projection to promote its 3D TV products works well.
Vienna's Tourist Board gets in on the 3D projection action with this classy effort.
Sony turned two buildings into giant football-themed pinball machines in Madrid. The spectacle was watched by around 1500 people on the day, and by nearly 20,000 more since.
A perfectly synced soundtrack helps the effect as this building sings to the transfixed audience.
Customs House in Sydney, Australia gets virtually wrecked by Mattel's 'Hot Wheels Skull Racers.'
The lucky residents of Sugarland, Texas got to witness this spectacle live on New Year's Eve 2010.
This arty German projection imagines 'how it would be, if a house was dreaming'.
ACDC go up against Iron Man on the backdrop of front facade of the Great Keep at Rochester Castle.
BMW uses not one, but two office buildings in Singapore with its joy-themed projection.
You can hardly imagine a more impressive backdrop for a 3D projection than the Kharkov state building in the Ukraine. The building's architectural features are used to great effect in this brilliant example.
Source: Mashable
“Projection mapping can provide a great double whammy if used right, because you get a great live event, followed by a compelling video and PR opportunities. But, if that’s the aim it’s important to think about the film when planning the projection — the sense of scale you get live won’t be replicated on YouTube,” cautions Matt Smith, director of strategy for The Viral Factory.
“Good camera work, slick editing, and a rocking soundtrack will all help drive the film, but if the projection is too detailed it will still get lost.”
So, while we wait to see if this a temporary craze or soon to become standard in the marketeer’s toolbox, take a look through our gallery of great examples of such projections on buildings. This list is by no means exhaustive, so please let us know about any impressive versions you’ve seen in the comments below.
1. Samsung 3D Projection
Samsung's whimsical projection to promote its 3D TV products works well.
2. Vienna 3D Building Projection
Vienna's Tourist Board gets in on the 3D projection action with this classy effort.
3. NuFormer
Sony turned two buildings into giant football-themed pinball machines in Madrid. The spectacle was watched by around 1500 people on the day, and by nearly 20,000 more since.
4. 3D Projection Mapped on Building
A perfectly synced soundtrack helps the effect as this building sings to the transfixed audience.
5. Hot Wheels Secret Race Battle
Customs House in Sydney, Australia gets virtually wrecked by Mattel's 'Hot Wheels Skull Racers.'
6. 3D Projection Mapping
The lucky residents of Sugarland, Texas got to witness this spectacle live on New Year's Eve 2010.
7. 555 KUBIK
This arty German projection imagines 'how it would be, if a house was dreaming'.
8. ACDC vs Iron Man 2
ACDC go up against Iron Man on the backdrop of front facade of the Great Keep at Rochester Castle.
9. BMW JOY 3D
BMW uses not one, but two office buildings in Singapore with its joy-themed projection.
10. Projection Mapping on the Kharkov State Building
You can hardly imagine a more impressive backdrop for a 3D projection than the Kharkov state building in the Ukraine. The building's architectural features are used to great effect in this brilliant example.
Source: Mashable
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Haitians eat dirt cookies to survive
Thanks Clinton foundation for NOT delivering the relief money everyone donated. I'm sure the mud cookies are wonderful. Maybe when you get around to it you can ship them some irritated milk from the Fukushima fallout that's all over the U.S.
Oh wait fail government will just pretend that's not an issue and continue to sell it to us...
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Smash-and-snatch thief caught on video
The Star today carries an article of a smash-and-snatch theft caught on a car-video. It is shocking to see how it was done so speedily and without fuss. This incident happened in Section 16, Petaling Jaya. The footage shows two men on a motorcycle approaching the car at a traffic light junction. Within seconds, the pillion rider had smashed the passenger window, grabbed the driver's bag and sped off. Below is the 22-sec video which has been viewed more than 337k times. Take a look.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Japan under pressure to widen nuclear evacuation zone
Pressure is mounting on Japan to expand the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, as the prime minister says he plans to review the country's nuclear energy policy.
The government has so far resisted calls to evacuate more people from the area, but said its policy was under constant review, and that monitoring of radiation levels was being increased.
More than 70,000 people living inside the 20km zone have been evacuated, but another 136,000 living between 20-30km away have been told to stay in their homes. The US has recommended that its citizens stay at least 80km away.
Radiation fears have prevented authorities from collecting the bodies of as many as 1,000 people living in the evacuation zone who died in the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.
Kyodo news agency cited police sources as saying the corpses had been exposed to high radiation levels and would probably have to be decontaminated before they could be collected and examined by doctors.
Left as they were, the bodies could pose a health threat to relatives identifying them at morgues, the agency said. Cremating them could create radioactive smoke, while burying them could contaminate soil.
Nuclear safety officials said rising contamination in the sea near the plant pointed to a constant leak of radiation. On Thursday, Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency said radioactive iodine near drains running from the plant was 4,385 times higher than the legal limit.
Experts said workers at the plant, 240km north of Tokyo, faced the problematic task of cooling overheating reactors with seawater while ensuring that contaminated runoff does not end up in the surrounding sea and soil.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
U.S. radiation experts try to decipher reports from Japan - USATODAY.com
Radiation experts in the USA say that the lack of information about radioactivity released from the smoldering reactors makes it impossible to gauge the current danger, project how bad a potential meltdown might be or calculate how much fallout might reach the USA.
Conflicting accounts of the radiation levels emerged in Tokyo and on Capitol Hill. Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said Wednesday that the radiation detected at the Fukushima plant had fallen steadily over the past 12 hours. But U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) chief Gregory Jaczko told a House energy subcommittee earlier in the day that radiation levels at the Fukushima plant were "extremely high."
History may offer hints of what's to come. At Three Mile Island, near Harrisburg, Pa., only a small amount of radiation was released before the meltdown was controlled. Chernobyl spewed radiation for days, which rode wind currents worldwide.
Radioactive iodine falls from the plume in rainfall and settles on the grass, where it's eaten by cows and builds up in their milk. Children who drank commercial milk during the Cold War nuclear tests received about one-tenth of that, on average, Hoffman said. That was enough to boost their thyroid cancer risk to one in 100, more than twice the usual risk.
Cesium is absorbed by plants and works its way through the food chain, getting into meat and milk. Unlike radioactive iodine, which has a short half life, cesium lingers in the environment. "Radioactive iodine will be gone in a month," Hoffman said. "Cesium's going to be around for decades."
Source: USA Today
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Medicine-man of time past
One or two decades ago, any market square will surely have a Chinese medicine man hawking his goods comprising traditional oils, pills and whatnots. He would be calling out in a number of Chinese dialects so that his message went across to a wider population. This brand of medicine-man is no longer seen in current times.
The following is a re-enactment of what used to be the norm decades ago - though the translation errors were part of the comedy act. This is hilarious if you understand Hokkien, Cantonese and Hakka, three common Chinese dialects used here in Malaysia. Enjoy..
The following is a re-enactment of what used to be the norm decades ago - though the translation errors were part of the comedy act. This is hilarious if you understand Hokkien, Cantonese and Hakka, three common Chinese dialects used here in Malaysia. Enjoy..
Saturday, January 22, 2011
My Blackberry Is Not Working! Great Technology Humor
Some great British humor for the weekend, mentioned in a recent Casey Research newsletter. You will hear about Apples (AAPL), Research In Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry, and Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows. By the way, non-techies should know before they watch: Orange is a European cell phone service provider, a dongle is a short wire adapter that connects a computer to an Internet cable, and black spots are wireless dead zones.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Dark Fiber Network Expansion Underway
If there is any doubt that we are a bandwidth addicted society, it should be removed with the announcement that a major dark fiber network project has been launched by Allied Fiber. When finished, it will circle the US perimeter with 548 dark fibers and 300 tower sites.
Fiber optic communications is coming into its own, and this time it’s likely here to stay. Back in the 1990’s, thousands of miles of fiber optic cable were buried in anticipation of a telecommunications revolution that fizzled along with the technology sector in general. There is still lots of unlit fiber laying quietly in the ground, but it’s probably going to get lit sooner rather than later. That telecom revolution looks to be on again.
The original fiber optic cables were installed to support telephone calls. Voice services are the least of the demand for bandwidth anymore. Data is on the rise and rising, but video is the killer app. By that, I mean the app that will kill your network bandwidth faster than anything. Video has morphed from NTSC analog television to HDTV, with 3D starting to gain a foothold. It’s not just television, either. Video means YouTube, Netflix, Telepresence, and mobile. The proliferation of all types of video services have necessitated special content delivery networks that offload the Internet up until the last mile service provider.
The traditional T1 lines that backhaul cellular towers are just about out of capability, now that every smartphone has a data service and everyone wants to download apps on the fly and watch video content while on the go. The next generation of phones will have 2 cameras, one facing out for taking pictures and recording video clips and the other facing the user for 2-way video conferencing. There’s a new bandwidth demand that far exceeds the traditional voice conversation. It’s just as expensive to bury new copper to meet the demand as it is to bury fiber optic cables, so new backhaul will be over fiber.
Independent service providers, content delivery networks, major corporations, medical center networks and scientific research labs are among those users who find that leasing or owning dark fiber assets give them the bandwidth they need, when they need it. Dark fiber is just what it sounds like. It’s glass fiber strands within a cable bundle that haven’t been “lit” or connected to terminal equipment yet. Without a laser light shining through their core, they are truly “dark.” But those who have access to dark fiber, can choose what equipment to connect for the bandwidth and protocols they want to support. If you need more bandwidth down the road, you can use the same fiber by simply upgrading modules in your terminal equipment.
Do you need the flexibility of being able to completely manage your wide area network down to the very terminal equipment at each end? If so, you may want to take a closer look at dark fiber as the most flexible way to connect between locations. Prices are lower than they’ve ever been. You might be surprised by how affordable dark fiber is in special circumstances. Let our Telarus bandwidth consultants consider your applications and offer you an array of solutions that include dark fiber network services.
Fiber optic communications is coming into its own, and this time it’s likely here to stay. Back in the 1990’s, thousands of miles of fiber optic cable were buried in anticipation of a telecommunications revolution that fizzled along with the technology sector in general. There is still lots of unlit fiber laying quietly in the ground, but it’s probably going to get lit sooner rather than later. That telecom revolution looks to be on again. The original fiber optic cables were installed to support telephone calls. Voice services are the least of the demand for bandwidth anymore. Data is on the rise and rising, but video is the killer app. By that, I mean the app that will kill your network bandwidth faster than anything. Video has morphed from NTSC analog television to HDTV, with 3D starting to gain a foothold. It’s not just television, either. Video means YouTube, Netflix, Telepresence, and mobile. The proliferation of all types of video services have necessitated special content delivery networks that offload the Internet up until the last mile service provider.
The traditional T1 lines that backhaul cellular towers are just about out of capability, now that every smartphone has a data service and everyone wants to download apps on the fly and watch video content while on the go. The next generation of phones will have 2 cameras, one facing out for taking pictures and recording video clips and the other facing the user for 2-way video conferencing. There’s a new bandwidth demand that far exceeds the traditional voice conversation. It’s just as expensive to bury new copper to meet the demand as it is to bury fiber optic cables, so new backhaul will be over fiber.
Independent service providers, content delivery networks, major corporations, medical center networks and scientific research labs are among those users who find that leasing or owning dark fiber assets give them the bandwidth they need, when they need it. Dark fiber is just what it sounds like. It’s glass fiber strands within a cable bundle that haven’t been “lit” or connected to terminal equipment yet. Without a laser light shining through their core, they are truly “dark.” But those who have access to dark fiber, can choose what equipment to connect for the bandwidth and protocols they want to support. If you need more bandwidth down the road, you can use the same fiber by simply upgrading modules in your terminal equipment.
Do you need the flexibility of being able to completely manage your wide area network down to the very terminal equipment at each end? If so, you may want to take a closer look at dark fiber as the most flexible way to connect between locations. Prices are lower than they’ve ever been. You might be surprised by how affordable dark fiber is in special circumstances. Let our Telarus bandwidth consultants consider your applications and offer you an array of solutions that include dark fiber network services.
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