Great Article by @heidicohen - 7 Top Online Marketing Trends for 2011 (with data) - http://bit.ly/dVj0sc
Monday, January 10, 2011
OmniVision's OV10810 image sensor handles 1080p video recording, 10 megapixel image capture
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/10/omnivisions-ov10810-image-sensor-handles-1080p-video-recording/
OmniVision's OV10810 image sensor handles 1080p video recording, 10 megapixel image capture originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSikorsky and Eurocopter Compete To Build Super-High-Speed Choppers
Source: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-12/concepts-and-prototypes-twice-fast
Who will build the fastest experimental helicopter?
The cabin of a helicopter flying faster than 170 knots (196 mph) is a perilous place. Vibrations experienced at such high speeds can quickly exhaust pilots, obscure instrument panels, and knock equipment loose. (Pilots commonly joke about lost dental fillings.) Now two major helicopter manufacturers have independently solved the decades-long engineering problem of increasing speed without sacrificing chopper stability or maneuverability, laying the groundwork for dramatically faster emergency-rescue operations and battlefield resupply missions.
The very thing that makes the helicopter a marvel of maneuverability—a rotor that generates both lift and propulsion—also makes it an airborne plodder. As a helicopter gains speed, the rotor blades encounter more drag and require more power to cut through the air. Complicating matters, the blade moving into the wind generates more lift than the blade moving away from the wind. This creates an imbalance known as lift dissymmetry that can cause the helicopter's nose to pitch upward and result in violent shaking, which is, of course, counterproductive to breaking speed barriers.
Sikorsky's answer is the X2, an experimental chopper that last year unofficially broke the helicopter speed record of 216 knots (249 mph), set in 1986 by the Westland Lynx ZB500. The X2 features two main rotors and replaces the conventional tail rotor with a propeller. The rotors spin in opposite directions to counteract each other's torque and balance the upward forces acting on each blade. The tail prop, meanwhile, helps the rotors push the three-ton X2 through the sky, letting the rotors spin at a safer speed and dedicate more energy to lifting the craft than moving it forward.
In September, Eurocopter unveiled its own potential record-breaker, the X3, which takes a very different approach. Instead of a tail prop, the helicopter distinguishes itself with a pair of wing-mounted propellors. In this configuration, the rotor can spin at even slower speeds and stick to what it does best—creating lift—while the propellors generate forward thurst and speed. In March, Eurocopter will put the X3 through its next round of testing, when it is expected to reach speeds of up to 220 knots (253 mph).
Is a rivalry brewing? Both companies claim to have evaluated and rejected their competitor's approach during initial planning. "We are the only one aiming at validating the concept of a cost-effective high-speed helicopter," says Jean-Michel Billig, the vice president of R&D at Eurocopter. The names of the prototypes certainly suggest a spirit of one-upmanship. Although Billig calls the choice of X3 "coincidence," Chris Van Buiten, the director of Sikorsky Innovations, says jokingly, "We'll name our next one the X-Bajillion to make sure we win the grade-school naming contest."
To be fair, neither company invented the idea of supplementing, or even replacing, propulsion from the rotor. In 1963 Bell Helicopter strapped twin turbojet engines to a modified YH-40 Iroquois, which reached speeds of over 274 knots (315 mph). It also gobbled fuel.
Balancing extra weight and speed with increased fuel demand will be a challenge for each company as they advance their designs. Eurocopter remains secretive about its next steps, but Sikorsky is aiming for the military market first; Van Buiten says it plans to produce an armed version of the X2, called the X2 Raider, by 2014.
Sponsored Post: Philips EnduraLED pt. 2
Source: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-01/sponsored-post-philips-enduraled-pt-2
Philips LED lightning saves energy, money, lives
Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is what powers the light displays on many of the tiny electronics you own. But just because your house is bigger than a digital camera doesn't mean you should waste any more energy trying to light it. Until recently, the prevailing alternative to conventional incandescent lighting has been compact fluorescent technology. But some consumers don't care for CFL bulbs and they still consume more energy than comparable LED lights introduced last year by Philips.
In addition to the Philips flood lights we reviewed recently, the "health and well-being" innovator offers a complement of lighting at lower wattages. The AmbientLED 12.5W A-Shape indoor bulb replaces the most common incandescent in use today, using less energy than a 60-watt A19 bulb and lasting over eight times as long at a savings of $140 over its lifetime.
The AccentLED candle is ideal for use in sconces and other decorative fixtures, and lasts up to 10 years using less energy than a typical 15-watt incandescent candle.
Finally, the AccentLED mini reflector in both MR16 and GU10 models, is designed for use in track lighting and recessed ceiling fixtures. These three-watt options replace equivalent standard 20-watt and 35-watt halogen bulbs, respectively, at over eight times the life and a savings up to $96 over that span. Intended to highlight objects at close range, the inherent heat- and UV-free properties of Philips LEDs mean that plants, art, wall hangings and fabrics won't be affected by the fading, dehydrating and scorching common with incandescent lights.
Native to all Philips LEDs is instant activation, quiet operation and solid-state construction at one-third the CO2 emissions of standard bulbs. They even warn you when they're dying, fading rather than burning out abruptly. Combine that with the lives saved by reducing the incidence of stepstool stumbles and we can all finally afford to stop living by cell phone light.
Make the Great Light Switch and Save
Video: MIT Media Lab Prints Out a Sweet-Sounding Flute with a 3-D Printer
As far as things that come out of the MIT Media Lab are concerned, perhaps a flute is among the less impressive. But take into account that the entire fully-functioning acoustic instrument was created via 3-D printer with a minimum of human assembly, and it sounds markedly more impressive.
The flute was created on an Objet Connex500 rapid prototyper, a 3-D printer that can print in multiple materials at the same time. The flute was constructed from a few different materials – a rigid material for the body, a softer one for the mouthpiece, another for sealing the air in at the proper places – during a print run of about 15 hours, during which time the materials were added on one thin layer at a time.
The finished product was in four pieces, which simply had to be rinsed of supporting materials and assembled by hand (the springs were the only element added after printing). It's not a perfect flute just yet – as you'll see in the video below, there is still some fine tuning to be done – but it does produce good acoustic sounds. Moreover, it heralds just how far 3-D printing technology has come over the last couple of decades.
[Engadget]
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