Clipmarks | bookchick49's clips

From Algae to Oil - A tasty conversion

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:46:31 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: Hmmm... I don't know if I should be saying "Yum" instead.

Similarly, I wonder how the cholesterol count adds up. LOL

Clip Source: www.goodcleantech.com

Monday July 21, 2008

OriginOil Transforms Algae into "New Oil"

Sapphire Energy isn't the only company developing an algae-to-oil technology. OriginOil also has its own proprietary technology to transform algae into what the company calls "new oil," which will be a direct competitor to petroleum.

OriginOil, by the way, uses low-cost and energy efficient oil extraction method by pre-cracking algae cell walls through microwaves and then using Ultrasonic Quantum Fracturing to separate oil from mass.

The oil, for example, could be used directly as a straight vegetable oil, although it could also be refined into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and heating oil. Additionally, it could be made into solvents and plastics. The algae biomass, on the other hand, could be made into ethanol, methanol, hydrogen, and other alcohol-based fuels. In short, no part of the algae is wasted--everything could be made into fuel.

Will Silver-Zinc Batteries cut the grade?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:27:57 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49

Clip Source: www.goodcleantech.com

Friday August 22, 2008

Silver-Zinc Battery Technology to Debut in 2009

ZPower, included in the list of GoingGreen 100 Top Private Companies, has recently announced that the company is releasing the hotly anticipated silver-zinc batteries in 2009.

ZPower claims that silver-zinc batteries have 40-percent longer lifespan than other current batteries in the market. Silver-zinc is also reportedly more chemically stable than lithium-ion.

According to ZPower, the components of the company's silver-zinc batteries are 95 percent recyclable and discounts will even be given to buyers who trade in their old silver-zinc batteries when they're out in the market.

High Def in Nikon D90

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:21:12 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

Nikon D90 Adds High-Def Video Recording

08.27.08

Nikon on Wednesday announced its new D90 D-SLR, an update to the PC Magazine Editors' Choice D80. The D90 has an almost identical look as its predecessor, but boasts notable improvements including 12.3-megapixel capture, a new "Expeed" image processor for faster captures and improved picture quality, a "Live View" option, and the ability to capture high-definition video at a resolution of 1280-by-720 at 24 frames per second.

the D90 is among the first D-SLRs to be able to capture high-def video

The camera's sensor has an upgrade of its own: The D90 will have Nikon's "dynamic integrated dust reduction system,

will incorporate features from the point-and-shoot Coolpix line, including face detection, scene recognition, and automatic white balance

an improvement in the clarity of images viewed on the 3-inch LCD screen. The new screen now packs 920,000 pixels, compared to its predecessor, which was only 230,000 pixels.

available in October

Is Your Personal Data Being Shipped to China?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:10:43 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: Grrrrr

Clip Source: blogs.pcmag.com

Sunday August 24, 2008

Sending Your Data To China

Did you ever bring your Mac back to Apple for service? You might be amazed at what they do with it. Thanks to Liquid Matrix for pointing this out.

The Apple Repair Terms and Conditions agreement says that they may have to send your data abroad in order to fix your computer:

It's not 100% clear what "data" is being protected here. Is it your personal data, like your name and e-mail address, which seems to be the sort of data described in the aforementioned privacy policy? Or could it also mean everything on the hard drive? What else could they send to the PRC for repair other than the data on your hard drive? The privacy policy isn't really written to address such data, but clearly there's a general spirit in it to the effect that Apple will take all reasonable measures to protect your data. Even from the People's Republic of China.

Corporations in Brain Drain - Will Boomers Help?

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:23:23 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: Quote excerpt: "Companies historically haven't been proactive in getting older workers to train younger workers to do their jobs. "

It is my (humble) opinion that the work ethics of the younger workers have changed over the years. When I walk by a (younger) worker's desk and see them surfing the web or iPhoning, iTuning and iChatting on company time, it pisses me off.

Whatever happened to asking a co-worker who is swamped, if they could use some help? It's called "Team Work" and I haven't seen much of it coming from the younger crowd.

I also see more bully attitudes. Those of us that have been working our asses off over the years don't appreciate this attitude in the work place nor do we have time to deal with it because we're 'busy.' Hello?

And what's this crap excuse "It's not my job," or "that isn't in my job description."

I had one young gal working with me, in college, bright and intelligent and took initiative. Quick learner. However, everything she did

Clip Source: www.walletpop.com

America's corporate brain drain accelerates

Tracy Coenen
Aug 18th 2008 at 12:00PM

Did you know that the United States is in the beginning stages of a major brain drain? Baby boomers are starting to retire, and along with them goes a whole lot of knowledge. Experts predict that we're going to have a serious talent shortage very soon because of the retirement of so many experienced workers.

There are about 76 million baby boomers poised to retire, and companies are looking for ways to lure them into staying longer

Companies historically haven't been proactive in getting older workers to train younger workers to do their jobs. They're finally realizing how critical this knowledge transfer may be to their businesses long-term

Studies show that many older Americans would like to continue working some, but would like flexibility and a fair amount of leisure time blended into their work lives

Smokeless Smokers

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:05:19 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: For details of the 'smokeless,' please visit the linked web site.

Clip Source: www.walletpop.com

When you just can't quit: New forms of smokeless tobacco can help

Bruce Watson
Aug 21st 2008 at 5:00PM

By combating the smoke that causes most smoking-related health problems and the taxes that bankrupt smokers, these companies are finding ways to make nicotine addiction less expensive and more socially acceptable. Of course, quitting is still the ideal, but if smokers can't find that final reason to push them over the edge into nonsmoking, these are some other options:

Snus

Ariva

Creamy Snuff

Crown 7

That having been said, if smokeless options can reduce the negative health effects of tobacco usage, then they seem like a very good idea.

How to Downgrade from Vista to XP

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:21:18 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: Visit site to read and print article 'how to'

In an earlier clip (maybe 2 weeks ago), I presented a clip on how to create an Recovery disk by slipstreaming SP3. Remember, "Once you upgrade your XP installation to Service Pack 3, Windows won't ever allow you to install an older version (including earlier editions of XP) without either wiping the hard drive clean or installing to a different drive. Even if you do install "fresh," you'll still have to then endure a separate SP3 upgrade."

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

How to Downgrade from Vista to XP

04.04.08

by David A. Karp

Fed up with Vista? Here are step-by-step instructions for downgrading back to the warm familiarity of Windows XP.

Problem is, downgrading a Vista PC to Windows XP can be a chore, and doubly so if you want to do it without reformatting your hard disk. The main roadblock is Windows Setup, which won't let you install an older version on top of a newer one; you are left with the tedious task of fooling Setup into thinking that there's no Windows at all on your PC.—Next: Regress Without Reformatting >

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

Before you proceed, make sure you have several gigabytes of free space on your boot drive (usually C:). Take a moment to back up your entire hard drive; if you have Vista Business or Ultimate, you can do so with the Complete PC Backup and Restore tool, making it easy to get back into Windows should this process hit a snag.

Eye Shaped Camera and Bionic Eye

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:26:14 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

Eye Spy: Scientists Develop Eye-Shaped Camera

08.06.08

by Reuters

CHICAGO - Borrowing one of nature's best designs, U.S. scientists have built an eye-shaped camera using standard sensor materials and say it could improve the performance of digital cameras and enhance imaging of the human body.

The device might even lead to the development of prosthetic devices including a bionic eye, they said.

Huang and Rogers developed a mesh-like material made up of tiny squares that hold the photodetectors and electronic components. The squares are connected by tiny wires that give each component the ability to mold to a curved surface.

It works very well with computers. It's just how to connect the camera to the brain

"Currently when you take photos, the middle part of the picture is very clear but when you go to the edge, it is not so clear," Huang said. "The curved technology will make the entire picture clear."

What is on the table after Firefox 3?

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:18:28 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: read the article to find out.

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

Mozilla Looks Beyond Firefox With Aurora Browser

08.06.08

by Brian Heater and Chloe Albanesius

Firefox 3 still has that new browser smell, but that's not stopping the Mozilla Foundation from planning ahead for its next major move.

The organization on Wednesday unveiled Aurora, a concept video touting the future of Web browsing.

The key components of Aurora include: natural interaction, continuity, multi-user applications, and context awareness.

Mozilla is working on a more structured way to let users contribute concepts. In the meantime, it's asking users to just get the ideas out there.

Can You Hear Me Now? ETF Case Settled.

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:13:03 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: To think that it only costs about $38 for cell phone provider to cancel your subscription and they charge you $200 is deplorable. Read full story at site. Maybe you are one of the folks to receive a refund.

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

Sprint Loses Early Termination Fee Battle, Too

Verizon recently settled a class-action ETF case, and a California judge last week ordered Sprint to pay $18.25 million to customers who claim the company's ETFs are illegal and far more than the actual costs associated with a mobile provider losing a customer.

Sprint must also stop trying to collect $54.75 million from customers who have refused to pay their ETFs, according to a ruling from the Alameda County Superior Court.

Sprint ETFs were charged on a per-phone basis, however, so somebody with a $100/month family plan with four phone numbers on the account would end up paying $700 in ETFs.

In 2007, Sprint started offering pro-rated ETFs so customers nearing the end of their contract who decided to cancel service would not incur the full ETF.

Verizon introduced pro-rated ETFs in 2006. T-Mobile followed suit in 2007, and AT&T implemented the same policy in May 2008.

DRAM Price Decrease

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:06:14 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

DRAM Prices Expected to Drop Again

Flash Prices, However, May Rally

08.04.08

by Mark Hachman

Good news: the perpetual price drops in the DRAM industry are back again, according to an alert issued Monday by analyst firm iSuppli.

The report was targeted at OEMs, iSuppli's clients, but the news actually benefits consumers: after a mild recovery in the second quartr, prices are expected to drop in the third quarter as supplies outstrip demand.

The reason? Moore's Law. Although demand has remained somewhat constant -- and typically picks up in the second half of the year, as PC OEMs build inventory for the holiday sale season

flash prices are expected to climb in the second half of the year

could mean that any flash-based MP3 players or phones brought out in time for the holidays may not be priced as aggressively as once thought

New DSLR Design

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:59:04 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

Olympus, Matsushita Team on Smaller DSLR Spec

08.05.08

by Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Olympus Corp and Matsushita announced a new digital camera format on Tuesday that will make single lens reflex (SLR) models smaller and lighter, in a bid to drive sales of their advanced machines.

The new format, called the Micro Four Thirds System, would make digital SLR cameras thinner and lens units smaller than those based on the existing Four Thirds System.

The Four Thirds System is an open standard that specifies the size of the imaging sensor and lens mount, ensuring compatibility of lenses between products.

"Packing high picture quality into a body thin enough to slide into a pocket. That is the basic concept of Micro Four Thirds,"

Build an XP SP3 Recovery Disc

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:09:09 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: After installing XP SP3, you won't be able to use your original Windows XP disc to restore your PC. Read on for details on how to make a SP3 recovery disc!

Clip Source: www.pcmag.com

Once you upgrade your XP installation to Service Pack 3, Windows won't ever allow you to install an older version (including earlier editions of XP) without either wiping the hard drive clean or installing to a different drive. Even if you do install "fresh," you'll still have to then endure a separate SP3 upgrade. The solution is to create a new hybrid installation disc from whatever installer CD you have and a special version of SP3, using a process known as slipstreaming

To prepare a recovery CD, you'll need only three things: a Windows XP install CD (any edition), a valid Windows product key, and about 1.5 gigabytes of free space on your hard drive

The install CD can be any version, including Service Pack 2, Service Pack 1, or the original release from 2001.

When Networks Fail, Hams to the Rescue

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:08:14 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: credits:
When networks fail, hams to the rescue
By Jason Meserve , Network World , 07/03/2008

==========
I missed Field Day this year.

Clip Source: www.networkworld.com

Normally, in a time of crisis, an "amateur" is not the first person you might call. But when communications networks go down, amateur radio operators – or hams – and their gear can get communities connected to the outside world via the radio waves.

During the recent Field Day activities hosted by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), ham operators and clubs across North America spent 48 hours demonstrating their communications abilities.

Many similar camps are currently operating in flood-ravaged parts of the Midwest

Hams work in conjunction with other volunteer groups such as the Military Affiliated Radio Stations (MARS) and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)

Clip Source: www.networkworld.com

Hams are also reaching out to hospitals in an effort to keep them connected if primary communications systems fail

Clip Source: www.networkworld.com

Anyone can get an entry-level Technical Class license by taking a 35-question exam administered by the FCC

It Happened to Me and It Could Happen to You

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:19:25 GMT

clipped by: bookchick49
clipper's remarks: there are 3 work arounds as noted in the last 3 sentences clipped. You'll have to visit the article to get the full details of each of the 3 workarounds. I opted for "uninstall the hotfix" until they get it right.

Clip Source: blogs.pcmag.com

Wednesday July 9, 2008

Microsoft DNS Patch Grounds ZoneAlarm Users

One of Tuesday's Microsoft patches causes ZoneAlarm users to lose Internet connectivity. The patch appears to be MS08-037 (Vulnerabilities in DNS Could Allow Spoofing), which was part of an Internet-wide fix of a common design flaw in DNS implementations.

ZoneLabs has issued a workaround for users suffering from the problem. You have three options:

Move Internet Zone slider to Medium

Uninstall the hotfix

(advanced technical skills required): Add your DNS servers to trusted zone