Jasele Oita's Blog A weblog about everything

On March 14, 2013, Samsung Electronics unveiled its Galaxy S4 smartphone at the Radio City Music Hall in New York before an enthusiastic crowd. During the first week of its release, Galaxy S4 reportedly sold more than four million units and the company expected to sell 10 million units by the end of May 2013. The Galaxy S4 is the main competitor to Apple iPhone which released its iPhone 5 in October 2012. During the first week of sales, iPhone 5 sold more than five million units. During the last quarter of 2012, Apple sold 27.4 million iPhones worldwide including 17.4 million iPhone 5s. During the same period, Samsung’s Galaxy SIII sold over 15.4 million units worldwide.

Samsung is trying to capture more market share with couple of things. Samsung uses Google’s Android operating system and Google is releasing a stripped down version of Galaxy S4. Samsung is also releasing three other variations of the S4. Its S4 Mini and Zoom are available outside the U.S. and there is talk of rugged water proof version coming out shortly. Who will win the race is anyone’s guess at this time and the battle between two giants could be better for the customer.

Iran proudly announced their use of locally obtained uranium ore as the much sought-after material in their quest to obtain uranium. They consider it as a large milestone in their atomic program as well as an act of defiance against international deliberations on Iran’s suspected nuclear projects. Nuclear experts say that Iran’s announcement seemed more like a display of political will instead of a substantive scientific achievement in the field of nuclear energy. It also signals a threat that the nation may be able to source its own nuclear material for either energy requirements or nuclear arms.

On another note, Iran’s success in processing locally mined uranium ore from a domestic source also highlights the country’s capability to surpass sanctions being implemented by the United Nations which ban their importation of raw uranium. It also proves Iran’s determination in pursuing nuclear capabilities despite their recent failures on processing uranium ore. The country also suffered setbacks in the form of economic limitations set put by the United Nations, bombing cases which harmed two Iranian nuclear scientists, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s acknowledgement that a few of their uranium purification centrifuges were indeed sabotaged by a malicious software by hackers over the Internet.

Meanwhile, the White House says that Iran’s announcement didn’t come as a surprise, but it did fuel more doubts as to Iran’s real intentions for enriching uranium in the country. Iran’s nuclear program head, Ali Akbar Salehi, says they had indeed achieved proper production of uranium concentrates, aptly naming it “yellowcake”,  as an early ingredient in the uranium enrichment recipe.

Apple conducted Press Conference on Friday where it attempted to fix the beleaguered iPhone 4G. The latest phone from Apple has been under attack for the poor signal reception that it sometimes faces. Criticism has been mounting over the weeks and Apple’s non-responsive state to those criticisms has further aggravated the problem.At the heart of the issue is Apple’s decision to place the iPhone’s antenna externally instead of internally as is normally the case in current competitor phones. The reason for this is attributed to saving space in the new design and making the phone altogether slimmer. Unfortunately, this meant that the antenna was wrapped around the phone, exactly where users gripped it. A problem emerged with this design when users covered the lower left edge of the phone because a significant drop in reception was experienced.The initial dismissal and highhandedness with which Apple handled the problem is what has irked many an iPhone user and potential iPhone user. This led to the press conference where Apple had to fight fires. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that all existing uses of the iPhone 4G would get free protective cases. Even those who have already purchased the cases will be given a refund so that they benefit from this solution. But although he offered a fix to the problem, Jobs did not pull any punches. He expressed his displeasure at the way the glitch had been blown out of proportion. He also proceeded to demonstrate how competitor phones also had reception issues and that the iPhone was not the only one.

If you are on the lookout for a whiteboard, then your choices are either purchasing a melamine whiteboard or a porcelain one. Most people are not aware of the difference between the two. While the porcelain whiteboard is fairly expensive compared to melamine, most do not seem to understand the price discrepancy. Here are more details:

Melamine

The more cost effective whiteboards come with a surface made out of melamine. This means the board is plastic, with a pressboard backing. The surface for writing is clear-coated. The biggest benefit is that the melamine whiteboard is the inexpensive choice of the two especially if your budget is limited. It is not recommended for constant use and does tend to get scratched fairly easily. With this whiteboard, you need to remember to clean it after practically every use, otherwise you run the risk of the surface getting stained. Melamine whiteboards do not have a magnetic surface unlike their porcelain counterparts. Remember to not use permanent markers, and only dry-erase markers.

Porcelain

These whiteboards come with a ceramic surface which has a steel backing. This type of whiteboard is far more durable than the melamine whiteboard and has a magnetic surface as well. This use of the porcelain whiteboard is two-fold, which can be used either as a whiteboard, or as a bulletin board – which can prove to be quite convenient. This whiteboard does not require constant care or cleaning, and is stain resistant. The only minus point with porcelain whiteboards is that they are very expensive. However, the investment is worth it, as you will not have to replace the whiteboard anytime soon.

A new mobile phone recharger based on fuel cell technology has been built by Taiwanese researchers. This new mobile phone recharger is said to cost very little once manufacturing partners are onboard. Handset rechargers containing the fuel cell is said to cost around USD30, while the fuel comes in small plastic blue tubes and sells for around USD 0.30 each. The fuel for the recharger is the actual innovation by the Industrial Technology Research Institute, a government funded lab in Taiwan. These plasticized solid-state hydrogen capsules can be shaped to suit the needs of different devices. Designed to react with water, it releases hydrogen to a fuel cell to produce electricity.

Usually, electricity is produced in a fuel cell when oxygen reacts with hydrogen, and it gives off water as a by-product. With the new recharger, fuel-cell, which is considered to be more environmentally friendly than traditional batteries as chemicals used are far more earth friendly. Working prototypes of the new mobile phone charger and the blue fuel tubes have already been created by ITRI. The Taiwanese research group has already started developing laptop battery chargers. However, the team said they were still unable to say when prototypes would be ready. Using one little tube of fuel will give you a two-hour charge when using the new handset recharger, which will cost you a mere USD 0.30. Toshiba too has a portable battery charger for electronic devices in the pipelines. This charger is based on a DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell).

Music videos from Warner Music Group Corp will be back on YouTube in the coming months, said the video site. This decision comes after a nine month dispute over an ad revenue split. By the end of 2009, videos from top artists such as Madonna, Metallica and Green Day will be up for free viewing on YouTube. Generally, YouTube provides content owners with the majority of revenue in ad sharing deals, however, the new contract between YouTube and Warner gets an even larger part because Warner will also be selling ads. For this purpose, Warner plans to obtain the services of an outside agency. This augurs well for YouTube as it ensures that viewers looking for Warner music will visit the site.

The new deal also means more new partnerships for YouTube with three other major recording labels: Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group, Sony Corp. and EMI Group PLC. In December 2009, Warner pulled all its music from YouTube, citing that payments received did not compensate the company, artists and songwriters. Chris Maxcy, Head of Music Partnerships, YouTube said this deal between YouTube and Warner was separate from the online music venture Vevo which is to be launched later this year by the video site and Universal. In statement he said that YouTube users would be able to access videos and other music-related content from its artists and would also possess access to channels that were feature-rich and had a high quality premium player.

Something as small as AN screws may not seem like a big deal. But in the wake of the recent Continental Airlines Flight 1404 crash, the worst in the history of Denver International Airport (DIA), it’s clear that even the smallest AN MS NAS components are vital to aircraft functionality and safety. In the case of the DIA crash, a combination of braking difficulties and a strong crosswind were likely to blame, though the federal investigation may reveal additional or different details.

The runway excursion at DIA caused the jet to smash into a ravine about 2,000 feet from the runway and the fuselage to catch fire. Additionally, one engine and part of the landing gear were torn from the aircraft. Fortunately, the 115 passengers and crew members onboard were able to escape and only two suffered critical injuries.

At APC Components, we focus on building quality components, including MS screws, that meet regulatory requirements as well as your requirements. The DIA crash reminds us that the smallest parts really are important when it comes to safety. Please read our Quality Assurance statement for more information. As an ISO-9001:2000-certified company, we are committed to meeting the highest standards in aircraft components. If you would like to request a quote from us, just complete the online Request a Quote form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

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A pressure transducer offers the user another important means of measuring the environment. These sensors are typically used to measure the pressure of either gases or liquids. Pressure is, in the most basic sense, the amount of force that is required in order to prevent a fluid or gas from expanding. This measurement is expressed as the amount of force per unit of area. The sensor will generate a signal that expresses the amount of pressure imposed. The most common type of signal used for this purpose is an electrical one. However, sensors that utilize audio or visual signals are also fairly easy to find.

There are numerous applications in which a pressure sensor is used, thousands everyday. Other variables are also measured indirectly via the use of these sensors. Some of these include altitude, fluid/gas flow, water level, and speed. Pressure sensors are known by a number of different names. The phrases pressure transducer, pressure sender, pressure transmitter, and pressure indicator are all additional names used to describe pressure sensors. Over the years, the technology to create these sensors has grown in a number of different directions. Depending on the industry and usage, the cost, performance, and design can all vary quite drastically. It is believed that there are at least three hundred different companies around the world today that are making pressure sensors for use in everything from basic engine cylinders to equipment used in space exploration.

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