Once the exclusive field of Star Trek, video phone calls are now a really actual part of contemporary life. Cast your mind back to the ‘Friends’ episode when Monica was dating guest star Jon Favreau’s character ‘Pete the millionaire’ and you’ll remember the one where Monica and co had sneaked into Pete’s home, only to be interrupted by a surprise video call. So unprepared for the millionaire’s-only technology were the friends, that Pete had to indicate they all “sucked at hiding” as he revealed them one by one. Nowadays, if you have a pc, or a portable device, you can make a video telephone call. It’s that easy.
In reality, Skype (the program frequently used in making such phone calls) is gratis, remarkably simple to set up and saves you plenty of money on the phone bill. It will even make International phone calls, exactly like that! (I just clicked my fingers, but you can’t see it).
Whilst at Uni, I recollect being woken up early almost every morning by the Taiwanese girl in the room next to me as she got phone calls from her Mum and proceeded to have her sound system on full blast at the same time as they conversed in Mandarin (once my knowledge of basic Mandarin got better, however, they kept it down for fear that I’d snoop). I actually spoke to a different friend of mine who was remaining in America and was able to ‘meet’ her boyfriend’s family (oddly, where my use of Mandarin Chinese language would once again come in useful) without having to get dressed and go to the airport.
I even once had a job interview over Skype. That’s the amount people are using video calls these days.
Well, as you can obviously surmise, Skype (and other video call apps) are now downloadable via your Smart TV. Meaning that you and your friends or family can meet round and converse with other friends and family who might be as much as half a world away. It is an ideal way to keep in touch, conduct business and engage in long conversations without continuously fretting about your telephone bill.
Skype is a kind of Innovation, much like the cell phone (and soon maybe the Smart TV) that it is hard to remember a time without — and I’m only 26. I do not think I even got Skype until about 2008 or so.
Downloading Skype to a big screen TV will allow you to talk to your friends whilst sat on the couch, it will be just like they’re visiting you apart from you do not have to make then tea and so they will not scoff all the Hob Nobs.
Of all the obtainable apps accessible on Smart TV, this is perhaps probably the most universal in its charm and, I think, the most welcome. Over the course of this series, we have seen the Smart TV be a device where whatever you want to watch is actually on, a games system so you’re never bored, a computer, a network that connects you to your friends and family and now it could even take the place of the home phone.
Skype is a fast, enjoyable and interactive way to keep in touch with folks and, when connected with your Smart TV, does not even involve getting up to go to the next room. We can’t say fairer than that. Additionally, it is possible to always phone your mates and tell them they’re on the telly. You’ll receive kick from it, even if they do not quite get what you are on about and why you laugh once they ask ‘what channel?’
Thursday, 17 October 2013
Monday, 14 October 2013
Using Pee to recharge your devices, can it be feasible
Scientists functioning at the University West of England (UWE) in Bristol, UK, have found out a way to recharge a cell phone with Human urine.
The company has been in a position to recharge a Samsung smart phone by putting the liquid through a surge of microbial fuel cells. With this method, enough power has been produced to send text messages, browse the Net and even make a brief telephone call.
According to the scientists responsible, the next stage is to fully power the phone with pee…Seemingly cleaning their hands straight afterwards.
Dr. Ioannis Ieropoulos has worked for a long time with microbial energy cells; he is thought to be a specialist in harnessing energy from strange sources. The potential purposes of his work are very interesting from an environmental point of view.
Dr. Ieropoulos said, “We are very excited as this is a world first, no-one has harnessed energy from pee to try this so it’s an interesting discovery. Using the final waste product as a source of energy to produce electrical power is nearly as eco as it takes.” Eco-friendly tech is, seemingly, the good doctor’s main area of curiosity.
The microbial cells work as the energy converter, they turn the natural matter straight into electrical energy, via the metabolism of live microbes. The electricity is the by-product of a microorganism’s natural life phase, meaning that as they ‘eat’ the urine, they produce power the energy that powers the mobile. Now that is what we call ‘pee as you go’.
Bathroom humour aside, the team have engineered a world first, as nothing as large as the mobile battery has ever been charged using this process before.
There is, at the present, no plans to market this tech on a huge scale, but perhaps someday we could be signing a ‘P’ mobile agreement, the trick, as they say, might be pissistance.
PS – I’m sorry about this one. The task and its implications are actually astounding. All credit to the UWE team. On the other hand, I constantly wanted to do one to those ‘And Finally’ type tales and now I finally get to. Please forgive me, one and all.
SOURCES:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/urine-could-charge-mobile-phones-152225132.html
The company has been in a position to recharge a Samsung smart phone by putting the liquid through a surge of microbial fuel cells. With this method, enough power has been produced to send text messages, browse the Net and even make a brief telephone call.
According to the scientists responsible, the next stage is to fully power the phone with pee…Seemingly cleaning their hands straight afterwards.
Dr. Ioannis Ieropoulos has worked for a long time with microbial energy cells; he is thought to be a specialist in harnessing energy from strange sources. The potential purposes of his work are very interesting from an environmental point of view.
Dr. Ieropoulos said, “We are very excited as this is a world first, no-one has harnessed energy from pee to try this so it’s an interesting discovery. Using the final waste product as a source of energy to produce electrical power is nearly as eco as it takes.” Eco-friendly tech is, seemingly, the good doctor’s main area of curiosity.
The microbial cells work as the energy converter, they turn the natural matter straight into electrical energy, via the metabolism of live microbes. The electricity is the by-product of a microorganism’s natural life phase, meaning that as they ‘eat’ the urine, they produce power the energy that powers the mobile. Now that is what we call ‘pee as you go’.
Bathroom humour aside, the team have engineered a world first, as nothing as large as the mobile battery has ever been charged using this process before.
There is, at the present, no plans to market this tech on a huge scale, but perhaps someday we could be signing a ‘P’ mobile agreement, the trick, as they say, might be pissistance.
PS – I’m sorry about this one. The task and its implications are actually astounding. All credit to the UWE team. On the other hand, I constantly wanted to do one to those ‘And Finally’ type tales and now I finally get to. Please forgive me, one and all.
SOURCES:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/urine-could-charge-mobile-phones-152225132.html
Sunday, 13 October 2013
Stallone To Play ‘Rocky’ Again
Rumours proliferate that Sylvester Stallone is going to be playing the character of ‘Rocky Balboa’ again, in a brand new movie set inside the ‘Rocky’ universe.
The incredibly well-liked character Rocky Balboa initially appeared in the Oscar-winning 1976 film ‘Rocky’ and has been the central character in no less than six films to date.
MGM films have officially offered the brand new project, currently identified only as ‘Creed’ to director Ryan Coogler.
The planned film is invariably a spin-off as opposed to a direct sequel.
Michael B. Jordan, star of this year’s ‘Fruitville Station’ along with HBO television drama ‘The Wire’, would play the grandson of returning series character Apollo Creed. The planned plot would call for young Creed to enter the world of boxing, with Stallone’s Balboa playing the job of his mentor.
Director Ryan Coogler, who worked with Jordan in the aforementioned ‘Fruitville Station’ movie, is claimed to be enthusiastic with the concept and is eager to co-compose the screenplay.
Apollo Creed, as portrayed by Carl Weathers, was originally presented as Rocky’s rival. In the original position, Creed (who was reportedly based on a combination of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Joe Louis) was the World Heavyweight Boxing Champ also as a confidence businessman. When challenged with the lack of appropriate opponents, Creed decided to put his trophy on the line against a local, unknown fighter.
The original film mainly centred round the elected fighter Rocky Balboa as he trained for the largest fight of his life. In the later films, Apollo Creed started to be a tutor and a close friend to Rocky.
Weathers played Creed in each ‘Rocky’ film until ‘Rocky IV’, where the character was killed during a match with Russian boxer Ivan Drago (portrayed by Dolph Lundgren).
In spite of the character’s death, he’s significantly mentioned in both follow-up movies and remains popular with fans of this series.
The final movie in the original Rocky series, ‘Rocky Balboa’ was released in 2006 to strong critical and commercial reception. In 2010, Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the Worldwide Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum for his creation and portrayal of Rocky, also like the many tributes he has paid to boxers and also the sport of boxing in his career.
SOURCES:
http://www.sylvesterstallone.com/stallone-inducted-into-boxing-hall-of-fame/
http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/stallone-to-play-rocky-again-in-spin-off-creed-053257511.html
The incredibly well-liked character Rocky Balboa initially appeared in the Oscar-winning 1976 film ‘Rocky’ and has been the central character in no less than six films to date.
MGM films have officially offered the brand new project, currently identified only as ‘Creed’ to director Ryan Coogler.
The planned film is invariably a spin-off as opposed to a direct sequel.
Michael B. Jordan, star of this year’s ‘Fruitville Station’ along with HBO television drama ‘The Wire’, would play the grandson of returning series character Apollo Creed. The planned plot would call for young Creed to enter the world of boxing, with Stallone’s Balboa playing the job of his mentor.
Director Ryan Coogler, who worked with Jordan in the aforementioned ‘Fruitville Station’ movie, is claimed to be enthusiastic with the concept and is eager to co-compose the screenplay.
Apollo Creed, as portrayed by Carl Weathers, was originally presented as Rocky’s rival. In the original position, Creed (who was reportedly based on a combination of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Joe Louis) was the World Heavyweight Boxing Champ also as a confidence businessman. When challenged with the lack of appropriate opponents, Creed decided to put his trophy on the line against a local, unknown fighter.
The original film mainly centred round the elected fighter Rocky Balboa as he trained for the largest fight of his life. In the later films, Apollo Creed started to be a tutor and a close friend to Rocky.
Weathers played Creed in each ‘Rocky’ film until ‘Rocky IV’, where the character was killed during a match with Russian boxer Ivan Drago (portrayed by Dolph Lundgren).
In spite of the character’s death, he’s significantly mentioned in both follow-up movies and remains popular with fans of this series.
The final movie in the original Rocky series, ‘Rocky Balboa’ was released in 2006 to strong critical and commercial reception. In 2010, Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the Worldwide Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum for his creation and portrayal of Rocky, also like the many tributes he has paid to boxers and also the sport of boxing in his career.
SOURCES:
http://www.sylvesterstallone.com/stallone-inducted-into-boxing-hall-of-fame/
http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/stallone-to-play-rocky-again-in-spin-off-creed-053257511.html
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Communicating on the race track, motorsport and racing
Once we talk about motorsports, we are essentially touching on multiple varieties of event. We could be referring to Rallying, F1, Kart Racing, Boat Racing, and even Hovercraft Racing. Essentially, if it involves a motor vehicle in some way, it is a motorsport. Yes, that also includes snowmobiles.
These races, wherever they might be held and anything they may involve, tend to be large-scale events. Events such as these need a significant amount of planning and organization to pull off. There is smaller races, of course, but maybe these rely on the devotion and attention to detail of a committed few.
Concerns for example health and safety (including that of the drivers, technical personnel and spectators) or communication between drivers and pit crew (where applicable) are all of significant importance. Furthermore, other issues such as the creation of a safe viewing area for viewers or a steady stream of information discovering its way into the announcer’s box, are all highly central to general display of the event itself.
When televised, things become even more challenging. Broadcasters need access to appropriate information, often updated on a second-by-second basis. Cameramen require to be directed to anything of interest to the home viewer and also the production must become a part of that race without getting in the way.
A racetrack is typically a sizable portion of road, water or terrain. Keeping this zone clear and safe for racing presents many problems, in order to meet these challenges, communication needs to be instant, reliable and clear. 2 way radios, although being round in some form or another since the late 1930’s, continue to be the best method to achieve this.
Durable and solidly built, these radios are perfect for the diverse mixture of environments that motorsports can be held in (remember the snowmobile). These gadgets are not sensitive like smart phones or tablet PCs, they are sturdy, strong and tough.
When it comes to motorsports, two-way radios are an important tool. The truth is that it would be very tough for anyone to hold any type of race without them. From the Forumla 1 drivers contacting the pit crews, to those on-hand paramedics ready to rush into action at any second, to the race organizers keeping things safe and secure, 2 way radios are an important part of recent motorsports.
It’s impractical to misjudge the importance of immediate comms when you’re dealing with the degree of speed that these sports can reach. Clear indicators, easily transmitted over long areas, are the lifeblood of any racing event.
These races, wherever they might be held and anything they may involve, tend to be large-scale events. Events such as these need a significant amount of planning and organization to pull off. There is smaller races, of course, but maybe these rely on the devotion and attention to detail of a committed few.
Concerns for example health and safety (including that of the drivers, technical personnel and spectators) or communication between drivers and pit crew (where applicable) are all of significant importance. Furthermore, other issues such as the creation of a safe viewing area for viewers or a steady stream of information discovering its way into the announcer’s box, are all highly central to general display of the event itself.
When televised, things become even more challenging. Broadcasters need access to appropriate information, often updated on a second-by-second basis. Cameramen require to be directed to anything of interest to the home viewer and also the production must become a part of that race without getting in the way.
A racetrack is typically a sizable portion of road, water or terrain. Keeping this zone clear and safe for racing presents many problems, in order to meet these challenges, communication needs to be instant, reliable and clear. 2 way radios, although being round in some form or another since the late 1930’s, continue to be the best method to achieve this.
Durable and solidly built, these radios are perfect for the diverse mixture of environments that motorsports can be held in (remember the snowmobile). These gadgets are not sensitive like smart phones or tablet PCs, they are sturdy, strong and tough.
When it comes to motorsports, two-way radios are an important tool. The truth is that it would be very tough for anyone to hold any type of race without them. From the Forumla 1 drivers contacting the pit crews, to those on-hand paramedics ready to rush into action at any second, to the race organizers keeping things safe and secure, 2 way radios are an important part of recent motorsports.
It’s impractical to misjudge the importance of immediate comms when you’re dealing with the degree of speed that these sports can reach. Clear indicators, easily transmitted over long areas, are the lifeblood of any racing event.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)