Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:43:32 GMT

Awesome free tool to check your Internet connection

The new ICSI Netalyzr is an awesome new online service which runs a Java test of your Internet connection and feeds back all sorts of tech information, along with explanations. The results are also colour coded so you can tell which are serious and which not so much.

It comes from Berkeley U., so you can be sure the tech is top slice and it’s a superb way to check if your connection is all it should be. A must-have tool to bookmark! [Via]

 Please note: Netalyzr is not only a debugging tool — it is also the foundation of a comprehensive measurement study compiling a survey of the health of the Internet’s edge. By running Netalyzr and helping us spread the word you are contributing crucially to the quality of our study. Thanks for your help! Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

January 13, 2010, 8:18 AM CT

When work interferes with life

As a number of as 50 per cent of people bring their work home with them regularly, as per new research out of the University of Toronto that describes the stress linked to work-life balance and the factors that predict it.

Scientists measured the extent to which work was interfering with personal time using data from a national survey of 1,800 American workers. Sociology professor Scott Schieman (UofT) and his coauthors Melissa Milkie (University of Maryland) and PhD student Paul Glavin (UofT) asked participants questions like: "How often does your job interfere with your home or family life?"; "How often does your job interfere with your social or leisure activities?"; and "How often do you think about things going on at work when you are not working?".

Schieman says, "Nearly half of the population reports that these situations occur 'sometimes' or 'frequently,' which is especially concerning given that the negative health impacts of an imbalance between work life and private life are well-documented."

The authors describe five core sets of findings:

• People with college or postgraduate degrees tend to report their work interferes with their personal life more than those with a high school degree;.
• Professionals tend to report their work interferes with their home life more than people in all other occupational categories;.........
  
  
  Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source
  
  

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:08:49 GMT

Smart Umbrella Tells the Weather

The umbrella receives local updates from Accuweather.com. Not sure how the umbrella itself will hold up in rough weather. The website says that it was constructed with a "top-quality "gust-buster" umbrella canopy design." If you"re interested in owning a smart umbrella, you can pick one up for $129.

Via Technabob Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

January 6, 2010, 8:22 AM CT

Ferropaper for small motors and robots

University have created a magnetic "ferropaper" that might be used to make low-cost "micromotors" for surgical instruments, tiny tweezers to study cells and miniature speakers.

The material is made by impregnating ordinary paper - even newsprint - with a mixture of mineral oil and "magnetic nanoparticles" of iron oxide. The nanoparticle-laden paper can then be moved using a magnetic field.

"Paper is a porous matrix, so you can load a lot of this material into it," said Babak Ziaie, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering.

The new technique represents a low-cost way to make small stereo speakers, miniature robots or motors for a variety of potential applications, including tweezers to manipulate cells and flexible fingers for minimally invasive surgery.

"Because paper is very soft it won't damage cells or tissue," Ziaie said. "It is very inexpensive to make. You put a droplet on a piece of paper, and that is your actuator, or motor".

Once saturated with this "ferrofluid" mixture, the paper is coated with a biocompatible plastic film, which makes it water resistant, prevents the fluid from evaporating and improves mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness and elasticity.

Findings will be detailed in a research paper being presented during the 23rd IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems on Jan. 24-28 in Hong Kong. The paper was written by Ziaie, electrical engineering doctoral student Pinghung Wei and physics doctoral student Zhenwen Ding......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

December 21, 2009, 8:06 AM CT

Mystery of golden ratio

The Egyptians supposedly used it to guide the construction the Pyramids. The architecture of ancient Athens is thought to have been based on it. Fictional Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon tried to unravel its mysteries in the novel The Da Vinci Code.

"It" is the golden ratio, a geometric proportion that has been theorized to be the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye and has been the root of countless mysteries over the centuries. Now, a Duke University engineer has found it to be a compelling springboard to unify vision, thought and movement under a single law of nature's design.

Also know the divine proportion, the golden ratio describes a rectangle with a length roughly one and a half times its width. A number of artists and architects have fashioned their works around this proportion. For example, the Parthenon in Athens and Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa are usually cited examples of the ratio.

Adrian Bejan, professor of mechanical engineering at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, thinks he knows why the golden ratio pops up everywhere: the eyes scan an image the fastest when it is shaped as a golden-ratio rectangle.

The natural design that connects vision and cognition is a theory that flowing systems -- from airways in the lungs to the formation of river deltas -- evolve in time so that they flow more and more easily. Bejan termed this the constructal law in 1996, and its latest application appears early online in the International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics........ Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

December 18, 2009, 6:27 PM CT

Economic freedom to benefit from natural resources

States with small governments, low taxes and labor market freedom enjoy greater benefits from natural resource development than states with large and intrusive government policies, as per a newly released study by a Florida State University researcher.

"The size of government and level of regulation are two of the cornerstones of economic freedom," said Joab Corey, the study's author and a lecturer in Florida State's Department of Economics and the Gus A. Stavros Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Economic Education. "When it comes to resource development, research shows that states with higher levels of economic freedom enjoy greater benefits from resource development".

Louisiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming are singled out as states with high levels of economic freedom that have benefited from resource development. Conversely, Alaska, Montana and West Virginia have failed to fully benefit from their natural resources, due in part to government policies that limit economic freedom, as per Corey's peer-evaluated study, "Development in U.S. States, Economic Freedom, and the 'Resource Curse.' " The Fraser Institute, a leading free-market think tank, released the study, which can be accessed at http://www.fraserinstitute.org/commerce.web/product_files/Economic-Freedom-and-Resource-Curse-CA.pdf......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

December 15, 2009, 0:26 AM CT

Handicap Scooter

Handicap scooters, also known as mobility scooters, are highly essential mobility aids for people who have limited mobility and problems with slopes or long distances. These scooters enable people to move around with ease and without physical pain. They can restore the much needed self esteem in those who are deeply affected by their difficulty in terms of mobility and begin to feel they are liability for others.

A standard handicap scooter has three or four wheels and runs on electrical power. Being a rechargeable vehicle, one needs to be careful at the time of purchasing them. If their usage is limited to outdoors, it is best to look out for scooters that have a longer battery life and can run faster. For added suspension, opt for a scooter with a bigger wheel diameter.

When to Get a Handicap Scooter

For making the right choice for elders and stroke survivors, many factors must be considered while buying a handicap scooter as the older persons may have conditions such as:

• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Cerebral palsy

As these scooters come in a variety of sizes and shapes, finding the best match becomes a responsibility for the buyers. Remember, a small scooter for a bigger body or too high seat for a small man can be misfits and can get prone to flips as well. Therefore, look for the right size and sufficient customizability in the range of handicap scooters before finalizing. ........ Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

December 8, 2009, 8:44 AM CT

Rising trend in religious search

Religion is not just for churches, synagogues or mosques anymore -- it's a topic that is being actively searched for online, as per scientists at Penn State.

The scientists examined how people use search engines to locate religious information online. They analyzed more than 5.5 million searches collected from three Web search engines between 1997 and 2005 to investigate attributes of religious searching on the Web.

The religious landscape within the United States has been described as increasingly secularized and factionalized. However, Jim Jansen, associate professor, information sciences and technology and colleagues, Andrea Tapia, assistant professor, information sciences and technology and Amanda Spink, professor, Queensland University of Technology, Australia, found from looking at religious Web searching behaviors that no evidence of secularization exists, and that religious and religious-related interests held steady and were generally mainstream.

They also observed that the results dispelled the stereotype that religious people are not as accustomed to technology as non-religious people.

"Our results showed that people searching for these religious topics were just as tactically skilled as the general Web population," said Jansen. "This actually fits well with the historical use of technology by religious groups and organizations"......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

December 1, 2009, 0:01 AM CT

Pirate Costumes

Pirate costumes is one range of clothing that has always been genderless and ageless. Although most ancient pirates were men, women's pirate costumes have more experimental potential than men's. You can emulate female pirates such as Anne Bonny or Mary Read. If you want to look mysterious, fierce and sexy at the same time, the garb of a pirate is just the right choice for you.

Pirate Costumes: Suggestions about the Apparel

Before investing in pirate costumes, you must make up your mind whether you would like to dress up as a traditional or a modern, sexy pirate.

Traditional pirate costumes include black pants, slit at the sides along with a black and white top. Black ankle or knee length boots would add to the look. A little makeup along with the right accessories would complete the rugged, sea-faring pirate look.

For a modern pirate costume, a mini skirt with an uneven hem would be a good choice. You might or might not choose to sport cropped pants or legging with ragged edges below the skirt. For a blouse, you can consider wearing a peasant top with a corset. Pirates are known to be untidy and generally sport unruly locks of matted hair. Women can sport the unkempt look for the same purpose. You must team up the dress with a pair of knee length boots. You can also choose to add turned-down boot cuffs to your footwear......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

November 19, 2009, 10:25 PM CT

Credit Card Debt Elimination Made Easy

You can achieve credit card debt elimination quite easily with the help of a good credit card debt management company. A debt management company can negotiate on your behalf with your creditors for a significant reduction in your debts and interest rates. You can also eliminate your debts completely within two to three years through a debt consolidation loan.

Credit Card Debt Elimination: Methods

There are various ways and means with which you can pursue the process of credit card debt elimination. However, debt consolidation remains one of the most popular ways to get credit card debt relief.

Debt Consolidation: A process of merging all your credit card accounts into one single account. This way, you need to pay only one monthly installment. A reliable debt management firm can do this process for you. They will contact all your creditors and negotiate for lower debts and interest rates. Next, they will create a new savings account to which you will pay your monthly installments. The consolidation company distributes your monthly payments to all your creditors until all accounts are settled. During negotiation, a good debt management company can help you reduce your total debts by 30% to 60%.

Credit Card Debt Elimination: Consolidation Loans........ Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source