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Tech-ie Tig:the new adventure

onethoughtfulwoman — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:29:49 +0000

My nick name from the guy at home is TIG-er. Always has been since we first met. Now I am becoming Tech-ie Tig as my skills in technology grows by the day. I am taking a pause from my serious women's stuff and want to spend , hopefully, a creative time explaning why I am a tech convert. Being rather shy of gadgets I have never bothered too much with them - until I became involved in photography and my studies; learning computer skills was a must for both and the need just to e-mail a few friends became a thing of the past.

The whole issue for me around technology has rested up to recently on two things. Firstly, I love nature and people, hence gadgets seemed cold, lifeless, some what stilted objects, where people fiddled and played with them because they wanted to partly dis-engage from the real world, at least for a short while. I know of one friend who did just that until he died last year. Sometimes, I still see technology, as a subtle but sinister way of removing people from the social scene. The do-it-yourself check out system is one such example. You don't talk to anybody while you press the buttons to pay, and it may mean people are no longer required to be employed. I don't want society to turn into robots. My husband in particular refuses to use such check outs and doesn't own a mobile. Funny that, because he does love the computer.

That last point says a lot for me. It is all to do with confidence and function. My husband loves the computer because he can relate to it, have confidence to use it and it serves him a useful purpose, especially when he look up his eco stuff and take part in environmental surveys. To play or communicate on the phone is another thing altogether: he hates the phone so hence, his head blocks out the enquiry and interest of using a mobile. He says he does not understand one very much, when in reality he is not that bothered about that piece of engineering.

Years ago, it was he and not me that used to play on the computer, checking share prices, as then he was a keen stock market investor. Now, it is the other way round and we smile about it. For me, I have discovered that I could not live without my computer, internet access, my blog, flickr. To be without this would be like the end of life itself for me now. The big shift for me is simply this.

I can see how technology makes the world an exciting place, to listen to music from the ipod when watching clouds and taking the dog for a walk. The pleasure of writing to my friends on-line, instead of waiting for the letter from my Australian penfriend to drop through the post. To publish my thoughts on line, knowing there are people out there, (a whole forum of people), who might just might be interested in what I have to say, even if they don't leave a comment. I don't have to be at the mercy of some publisher giving me the nod to express my thoughts.

Technology has enriched my life, given me new skills and confidence. It has brought pleasure to other people's lives. I have just had a holiday and the owner of the B/B where we stayed is now merrily uploading her images to flickr and keeping in touch. She said something which made me realise how important skill sharing is,

If you had not been here to show me how to get my flickr account and upload, I would have tried on my own, stumbled upon an internet hick-up, got in a muddle and given up.

My skill enabled her to achieve something she could not, and now she can pass this to another. And so the world goes round. I am enormously grateful for those who have taken the time (and who still are willing) to teach me about the world of gagdets. Why struggle when a piece of equipment can help you? The new iphone is the next possible step in my tech adventure. Yes, I see it just as that. To be able to find a place by a touch of a button, giving me a map. To draft my writing when away from home. The former, I could have done with that last year when we were all trying to find a place in Portsmouth, that no map could help find. It would have saved time, stress and petrol as phone directions were required to find our place of stay last year on our holidays.

Considering all of the above,I believe I can be good with technology because:

I have the patience to learn. Have nearly banged my brains out on here learning wordpress, and its great to have cracked it all but.
I can see the advantages of technology in so many subject areas.
It increases my confidence in other areas of study and the skills are transferable to other activities I have found very useful.
People see you as a clever sod. Well, it helps at work and at home. People are impressed with my blog and my computer skills. They look me up and want to read. They see I have interests, perhaps I have not mentioned. They read and learn something.
I have taught my aunt to text and now she doesn't have to write letters anymore. She is 74 and loves it. My Uncle is now enrolled on a computer course.
My photos have gained public exposure and one is now on the new iphone as part of a travel guide. This would have been unthinkable to me a year ago.

Do I want to stop learning now? Not a chance. I am a new convert, and the enthusiam of a evangelical convert to the cause of tech. Tech-ie Tig has seen nothing yet. I will continue to surprise myself and while I will always value people over objects, flowers and nature over steel; I love the thought of all those buttons.

Finally, the iphone. I can't wait to feel the smooth sleekness in my hands ( I hear the feel is wonderful) and for the lights to illuminate the screen, as it is pushing the buttons simultaneously in my brain . Bring it on!!!!!

No Glitter Solid Steel

Yousef AbuGharbieh — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:17:07 +0000

STEEL ka naya funda. Translation: No Glitter Solid Steel.

It was one of the first signs I saw in Kolkata and - undoubtedly - it will be one of the last. The ad, which graces the backs of all of Kolkata's maroon minibuses features a buff Indian gripping a steel bar with fires ablazing in the background. The bottom says: India's #1 Thermex TMT bar.

For the longest time, we all thought it was an ad for an energy bar. We couldn't fathom it being anything else. After a few weeks, though, we realized there was less subtlety to it than we thought. It's actually an ad for steel bars. Steel.

And it's everywhere. After being in this city for two months I know why. Because unlike the US, where most things have been built, where things more or less function as advertised, Kolkata still has a long way to build itself up. There's work to be done.

But that's not a negative statement. Everywhere I've gone here, I've seen a certain tenacity, a certain vibrancy that I've never seen before in my life. Not in the US, not in the Middle East, not in Thailand. Kolkata is the most full of life, the most Darwinian environment I've ever seen.

The whole city reminds me of Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago," which thanks to the standardized curriculum of Indiana public schools, I actually read. Kolkata may not be a city of broad shoulders, but it certainly is a place of breaking, building and rebuilding. Construtction is everywhere, and the whole city has very organic rhythm, from the daily traffic jams to the nightly Tata truck runs that bring in the next day's food and fuel.

Everywhere there is life and everywhere there is struggle. Everyone is trying to carve out their little niche in the urban jungle.

But slowly slowly slowly things are changing: foundations laid, scaffoldings erected and roads paved. The scaffolding on construction projects in Kolkata may be made of bamboo and the bricks transported by bicycle ricksaws, but make no mistake - the buildings frames are made of solid steel. No glitter added.

Tomorrow I say goodbye to Kolkata. I'll probably be able to breathe easier but I won't have as much of a sense of purpose.

Imagem do Dia - 26/07/2008

suserania — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:51:44 +0000

Is Damascus steel really stronger?

eknives — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:34:15 +0000

I get asked this kind of question a lot lately and I also hear things like, Jeez Damascus is a lost art, isn’t it? Or Damascus is sharper than ordinary steel and on and on. Well these are valid questions and can not be answered in a few words like yup sure is or nope it aint.

The problem of a short answer is also due to, what is Damascus steel? Many folks have heard the term Damascus, have heard of Japanese swords and have been subject to some misleading information along the way. I sometimes hear people say things like; Samurai Japanese swords are folded a million times and can cut machinegun barrels. Or how about the story of the blade that cut the anvil in half that made it. Or the Japanese sword that is so sharp that it will cut a leaf in half upon contacting the sword edge as it floats down the creek. And then there is the old falling silk scarf story. Hey Kevin Costner showed us that one in a movie, right.

In a way, I hate to lift the veils of lore and let the bright rays of enlightenment shine in, but some of us are taking these things a little too serious, aren’t we? And yet we can’t help but wonder at times if just maybe there may be a very small glimmer of truth somewhere in one or more of these tails.

In June of 2002 I held a Damascus symposium here at the shop and one of the featured speakers Dr. Sung Beck is a Grandmaster Swordsman. He delighted us with his exquisite collection of Chinese and Japanese swords and also with his finely tuned wit and story telling abilities.

His humorous stories had a point though, pun not intended, and gave us just a little insight as to what it was and is all about. His stories told us how to straighten a bent Japanese sword by banging it over a log or using a monkey wrench and how to pick out a good one for battle; they were truly enlightening and gave us all something to think about. Dr. Beck made many comments from his observations from his past training of cutting numerous things for practice with Chinese and Japanese swords over the years and some of them made perfect sense and others I will have to think about for a spell.

OK, before we get rolling let’s start with just a smattering of background to pave the way. Damascus is a place in Syria and is where westerners first observed the famed swords of the Far East. Actually they were made in India from a steel called wootz and only discovered in the city of Damascus. Wootz steel is melted in small sealed clay crucibles from steel scraps and carbon bearing materials and after solidifying, were then forged at a very low heat into sword blades. Sword remnants tested for content were often found to contain a fair amount of sulfur and phosphorous. It is believed that this made the cast ingots red short, difficult to forge and is very likely the governing secret to the success of Damascus blades. The higher heats that the European smiths were accustomed to, would have crumbled the steel and it also would not have produced the kind of steel that made them famous. Although the task of forging at such a low and narrow band of temperature was difficult, the first side-affect or benefit was tougher and springier steel with superior edge holding properties. The second benefit was the pattern formed by the ghosting of the dendrites which were formed during the slow initial cooling of the ingot. It was discovered recently by Al Pendray and Dr. John Verhoeven that the trace amounts of vanadium were responsible for forming the Damascus patterns because they aligned along the grain boundaries of the dendrites and due to forging at a reduced heat, retained the image throughout the forging process. Although it was the dendrite pattern that gave rise to the Damascening, they soon learned also how to enhance the patterns mechanically.

During this same time frame the Japanese were discovering the methods of producing fine steel blades from iron ore panned from the rivers. This panned ore was smelted in a wood coke furnace and the crude metal was broken up into pieces, forged flat and stacked into billets. These stacks were forge welded together and forged to length. Then it was folded first length wise and after welding and forging again folded sideways and welded again. This process was repeated from 8 to 16 times in order to refine the impurities out of the steel and to remove excess carbon. If you will get out your calculator, you will find that 16 folds will give you 65,536layers of steel if you start with one single layer, if you started with an 8 layer stack, 17 folds will give you 1,048,576 layers. How many layers would you get if you folded the steel one million times? Now this is assuming that you would have the time or, due to material loss from scaling, any thing left to work with.

Now when the sword is forged out of this steel, all of the layers will be lined up and going in the same direction. Any flexing of the blade sideways will be stretching half of these layers and compressing the other half. For sure, this would be as strong and resilient as a modern day forged blade of solid non layered steel. In fact I think that it can be argued that the layered steel would be more resilient because any stress cracking may be stopped as it reaches the next layer. Flexing the sword blade up or down would be the same as any other homogenous blade as each layer is undergoing the same stresses.

Modern day Damascus or Pattern welded steel is manipulated in various ways to produce some very striking looking patterns. Many of these layers will be aligned in such an order as to produce a sound blade, but some of the layers will be running contrary to that which will produce a good blade. In other words some layers will weaken a blade because of an adverse alignment of weld lines. In such a blade, if you flex the blade sideways, the layers do not just stretch or compress, they could pull apart at the welds. A multi bar composite blade or a sanmai blade will have built in factors favorable to the strength of the blade if done in the right way.

A many layered blade will likely have weld lines running across the edge and this will give the edge a micro serration edge. This edge will feel sharper than a homogenous blade and will out cut a conventional blade using a slicing motion. By folding the steel billet like a paper airplane, according to Dr. Beck, the Japanese could improve the swords cutting abilities on the tip’s first couple of inches. This is the working part, the rest of the blade is there to put the first two inches into proper reach. He also suggested that the sword could be made to cut either on a forward slice or on a rearward slice depending on the way the folds were made.

When you boil it all down, cutting is a function of blade geometry, hardness, toughness, sharpness, micro edge serration and technique. Yes Damascus can be stronger, no it sometimes isn’t. Yes Damascus does feel sharper and for many cutting tasks will out perform a conventional blade.

It is interesting to note that Damascus swords and the Samurai swords had a parallel history a world apart from each other and both had an impact on the rest of the world. It is also interesting that both art forms were very nearly lost, indeed, one had to be reinvented. The modern day Damascus or (pattern welded blade) is a blend of both ancient arts and has taken on a life of its own. According to Dr. Verhoeven, pattern welding predates both of these technologies. Check out the Historical Background of Damascus steel by Dr. John Verhoeven Today’s patterns have transcended those of ancient times, but are they as battle worthy? I believe that many modern day smiths have the capability of producing a blade just as battle worthy as their ancient counterparts and better. And yes there likely are a some blades that although very beautiful will not stand up to battle conditions.

If art is truly, “form follows function”, then where does that leave some of today’s stunning looking blades? I would suggest that the really true art form is in both beauty and functionality.

Author: Lyle Brunckhorst

A Growing Phenomenon

mradwin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:19:30 +0000

The truth movement is just that-a growing phenomenon. It is growing in the minds of average Americans, as well as high-class citizens. As an example, the groups, "Crush the New World order", and "9/11 truth movement," are growing rapidly. Everyday, there are 30-40 new members. That is a fast-growing number. That means almost 30,000 people are committed enough to join the group, attach it to their name, and help with this fight against the government each year. And that is on the social sight, Facebook, alone. Think about how many people are buying shirts, wristbands, visiting wearechange.org, infowars, ect. It is astounding how our numbers grow. We can march on Washington, protest in New York, and eventually change the world.

There are numerous celebrities that have expressed interest in the subject of 9/11 and the New World Order as well. Some flat out question the government as a whole. I know that in the large scheme of things, celebrities are just people too, and really exist for distraction and stalling purposes. However, people will believe a credible and respected actor or major figure in society more than a, "nutjob" named Alex Jones. They need someone they already feel is responsible and knowledgeable. So far we have Willie Nelson, Nas, Charlie Sheen, and Rosie O'danold.

Says Sheen,

"It seems to me like 19 amateurs with box cutters taking over four commercial airliners and hitting 75 percent of their targets, that feels like a conspiracy theory. It raises a lot of questions."

Says O'danold,

“I do believe that it’s the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel. I do believe that it defies physics that World Trade Center tower 7—building 7, which collapsed in on itself—it is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. World Trade Center 7. World Trade [Center] 1 and 2 got hit by planes—7, miraculously, the first time in history, steel was melted by fire. It is physically impossible.”

Other celebrities include Mark Cuban, Blink 182 star Tom DeLonge, David Arquette and Lou Dobbs. But can any of them lead a revolution? Together as one, along with the wacky, "nutjob," Alex Jones it is possible.

Here's rapper Nas' new song. It is about the FOX news channel and its propaganda. Nas-Sly Fox

Fact of the DAY:

David Rockefeller, co-creator and leader of the Bilderberg Group discusses killing 80% of the human race, and enslaving humanity in his biography. He openly admits hating freedom and the USA.
The 9/11 commission claims that the steels in the twin towers and in WTC 7 was melted by jet fuel fire and caused the buildings to collapse. However Steel melts at 2800 degrees fahrenheit and jet fuel only burns at 800-1500 degrees Fahrenheit.

criminogenic

kat — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:45:43 +0000

Nokia E71

Arif Diamanta — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:27:21 +0000

Sudah seminggu lebih ahirnya gua menggunakan Nokia E71, buat teman-teman forum yang minta review-nya maaf banget kalo sekarang baru sempat nulis. Lagian masa baru 1-2 hari, udah nulis review; nanti kurang akurat doang. Hehehe...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="275" caption="Nokia E71 Gray Steel (gambar dari GSM Arena)"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="275" caption="Nokia E71 White Steel (gambar dari GSM Arena)"][/caption]

Wokeh kita mulai ya.

Desain
Desain dari Nokia E71 ini asli sangat elegan, jika di sejajarkan dengan seri pendahulunya Nokia E61i bakalan kebanting banget. Dengan dimensi 114mm x 57mm dengan ketebalan yang hanya 10 mm membuat ponsel ini bahkan lebih tipis dari Apple iPhone sekalipun. Membuat Nokia E71 ini mungkin bisa dibilang ponsel bisnis / kantoran yang paling tipis dibanding pesaingnya seperti Blackberry atau ponsel berbasis windows lainnya. Ditambah casing metal yang berwarna hitam chrome yang membuatnya semakin 'nongol' jika disejajarkan dengan ponsel keluaran kompetitornya.

Fitur
Ponsel ini beroperasi di 4 band GSM (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) dan 2 band HSDPA (HSDPA 2100/900). Dengan kamera 3.2 Megapixel autofocus, dan bisa merekam video MPEG 4 dan 3GP. Layar horisontal resolusi 320 x 240 pixel 2.36 inchi 16 juta warna tipe TFT. Asiknya tipe TFT jika dipakai di luar ruangan dengan sinar matahari terik, layar TFT akan tetap terlihat jelas. Memory internal 110 Mb, ram 120 Mb plus memory tambahan via MicroSD Card yang bisa sampai 8 Gb. Sebagai ponsel yang dirancang untuk bekerja, tentu kita akan banyak memakai email dan membuka website; maka Nokia E71 dibekali dengan keyboard QWERTY utnuk memudahkan kita mengetik tulisan yang panjang dengan nyaman dan cepat. Oh ya, battery nya jenis Lithium-Polimer denga 1500 mAh (tipe BP-4L), asli ponsel ini betul-betul awet banget battery-nya. Rata-rata gua bisa memakain ponsel ini dari full charge sampai 3 hari, dengan sisa 1-2 bar loh. Padahal malamnya sering gua pakai untuk browsing internet via Wifi.

Yang paling menarik adalah Setting Wizard dari Nokia yang sangat memudahkan pengguna nya dalam menyeting ponsel. Biasanya kita harus menyeting dengan manual atau minta dari operator untuk settingan mms dan internet/gprs. Belom lagi buat pengguna email, kita terpaksa mensettingnya secara manual, dan bisa di bilang proses mimpi buruk buat pengguna awam. Buntut-buntutnya banyak pengguna tidak memanfaatkan fasilitas internet, email dan mms di ponselnya. Tapi di E71 ini kita tinggal jalankan Setting Wizard, mengisi alamat email dan password nya; dan taadaaaaa... semua setingan internet, mms, dan email sudah jadi dan ponsel ini siap digunakan secara maksimal.

Email client dari ponsel ini sepertinya sudah mendukung sejenis 'push email' ala Blackberry, dan tidak seperti push email milik Blackberry yang berbayar; yang di Nokia E71 ini gratis dan bisa untuk email dari Gmail. Untuk email lain seperti Yahoo atau yang lainnya; gua kurang tau karena belom coba. Untuk pemakai MSN, juga disediakan software MSN, dan lagi-lagi gua belum bisa mencoba karena tidak punya accountnya. Tapi sejauh ini, untuk pengiriman email pengalaman gua sih cukup lancar, dan untuk penerimaan email malah 'terlalu lancar' karena setiap email masuk akan juga langsung masuk ke inbox ponsel. Sebetulnya rada ganggu sih, karena tiap beberapa menit bisa bunyi-bunyi masuk email gitu. Ahirnya penerimaan otomatisnya gua matiin aja, hehehe..

Web Browser berbasis Safari yang disertakan, bisa me-render halaman-halaman website yang rumit sekalipun. Nokia memilih mitra yang tepat dalam hal ini. Safari adalah browser dari Apple yang juga dipakai di iMac, Mac Book Pro, iPhone beserta produk-produk terbaru Apple lainnya (sekarang juga tersedia untuk Windows). Jadi untuk urusan browsing internet, ponsel ini ditangani oleh pihak yang tepat. :)

Untuk yang butuh aplikasi Office, Nokia E71 dilengkapi QuickOffice. Dan bisa memulai, mengedit dan menyimpan file jenis Word, Exel, dan Power Point. Selain itu agendanya memiliki interface ala Nokia E90 dengan bagian sebelah kiri layar menampilkan kalender dan sebelah kanan layar menampilkan isi dari appoinment, notes, to-do list, dll. Kamera dari ponsel ini juga bisa di gunakan untuk memindai/scan dokumen tulisan dan langsung mengubahnya menjadi text yang bisa kita edit-edit. Juga bisa menjadi pemindai kartu nama dan langsung menerjemahkan nama, nomor telpon, alamat, fax, email, website, dll yang tertulis di kartu kedalam daftar contact kita. Fitur ini sudah pernah gua temui di ponsel gua yang sebelumnya, Nokia nyontek dari situ kali ya? :p

Multimedia
Mungkin ponsel ini selalu mengajak kita untuk bekerja sambil bersenang-senang menikmati prosesnya. Fitur pemutar multimedianya bisa dibilang lengkap. Mulai dari pemutar musik dan videoyang mendukung berbagai format populer, juga dilengkapi pemutar file flash yang memungkinkan kita browsing di situs-situs berbasis flash seperti Youtube. Yup ponsel ini bisa membuka situs Youtube versi desktop maupun versi mobile dengan tanpa masalah. Bahkan dengan software tambahan seperti Mobitubia kita bisa menyimpan video dari Youtube dan memutarnya atau mengirimkannya di lain waktu. Buat yang suka mendengarkan radio, juga disediakan Visual Radio.

GPS
Buat yang suka jalan-jalan fitur ini mungkin bisa sangat berguna. Dengan kombinasi penerima GPS built-in dan Assisted GPS, membuat lebih mudah menemukan lokasi fix dari kita. Karena ketimbang GPS konvensional, agak sulit dan lama untuk menemukan posisi kita secara tepat ketika kehalang gedung-gedung atau ada di dalam ruangan. Untuk petanya disediakan Nokia Map dengan peta Indonesia yang mencakup Jawa dan Bali. Untuk peta negara lain bisa di download dengan gratis dari situs Nokia. Buat yang mau peta gratis lainnya, bisa dengan Google Maps. Sayangnya untuk Google Maps, Indonesia cuma tersedia foto satelit saja, belum ada peta vector nya seperti di Nokia Maps. Tapi fungsi GPS nya tetap berjalan dengan baik di Nokia Maps dan Google Maps. Fitur penunjuk jalan di Nokia Maps (Walk n Drive) diberikan waktu trial 3 bulan pemakaian gratis, setelah itu kita harus berlangganan.

Kekurangan
Ponsel ini sebetulnya sudah sangat memuaskan, tapi memang ada sedikit kekurangan kecil yang mungkin bisa diperbaiki pada seri penerusnya nanti.
Keyboard QWERTY nya memang sudah sangat responsif dan cukup nyaman, tapi mungkin entah Nokia lupa atau gimana; tombol "Z" dari Nokia E71 terletak tepat dibawah "A". Padahal jika kita perhatikan pada keyboard komputer dan keyboard dari ponsel QWERTY umumnya, Tombol "Z" itu seharusnya ada di bawah antara tombol "A" dan "S". Ini bisa membuat orang salah ketik loh. Termasuk gua, yang sebelumnya memakain Sony Ericsson P1i. Di ponsel itu letaknya benar seperti umumnya, ketika pindah ke Nokia E71 ini pantas saja awal-awalnya gua sering salah ketik. Ketika diperhatikan, ternyata mungkin ini masalahnya. Tapi sekarang sih sudah mulai terbiasa, jadinya ga masalah lagi.
Kamera nya juga semustinya bisa lebih baik lagi kualitasnya. Jika dibandingkan dengan Nokia N95 atau Sony Ericsson P1i, kamera Nokia E71 ini kualitas masih kalah. Tapi dibanding dengan ponsel sekelasnya, bisa dibilang sudah cukup lumayan, tertolong dengan fitur auto-focusnya. Bicara soal auto-focus, ini juga rada aneh nih. Umumnya kita memakai auto-focus dari kamera kebanyakan dengan menekan setengah tombol shutter setengah, setelah fokus-nya dapat, kita menekan full untuk mengambil gambar. Tapi disini kita harus menekan tombol "T" untuk mengaktifkan auto-focus dan menekan D-Pad untuk mengambil gambar. Biarpun kedua tombol ini sangat berdekatan, tapi ini rada ganggu loh. Kita bisa dengan mudah kehilangan momen. Cara mengakalinya kita menekan tombol T dengan jempol kiri, dan segera menekan tombol D-Pad dengan jempol kanan segera setelah fokus nya terkunci. Ribet, tapi buat gua sih ini cara yang terbaik sejauh ini. Dan juga gua merasa kalo kamera nya agak under-expose 1/2 - 3/4 stop. Mungkin buat orang awam tidak berpengaruh. Tapi buat penggemar fotografi bisa agak mengecewakan. Sementara mengakalinya gua menaikan kompensasi exposure nya ke 1/2 - 3/4 stop lebih tinggi untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih memuaskan.

Saat tulisan ini dibuat, Nokia E71 warna Grey Steel sudah beredar 3 mingguan; dan untuk cewe-cewe yang suka warna yang lebih cerah dan kalem, sebentar lagi masuk warna White Steel. Harganya menurut seorang teman dan beberapa toko online di Jakarta, terus merangkak naik karena permintaan cukup banyak. Mungkin karena sekarang orang-orang lagi pada kena hype dari Blackberry, tapi enggan pindah merek dari Nokia. Dan Nokia E71 bisa jadi alternatif buat mereka, dan gua pikir juga ini lah jawaban Nokia terhadap Blackberry.

Dibawah ini gua pasang foto-fotonya, beserta gua coba buat tabel perbandingan bentuk/dimensi dari ponsel sejenis. Loh kenapa ada Sony Ericsson P1i ikutan? Karena itu ponsel yang gua pake sebelum ini, dan gua rasa masih tetap layak untuk di perbandingkan mengingat fiturnya yang sangat baik dan hasil kameranya yang bisa dibilang luar biasa untuk ponsel dari kelas bisnis.

[caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="330" caption="perbandingan ukuran ponsel, klik untuk perbesar ((ki-ka : Nokia E71, Blackberry Bold, iPhone 3G, Sony Ericsson P1i))"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_91" align="alignnone" width="599" caption="Perbandingan ketebalan, klik untuk perbesar (ki-ka : Nokia E71, Blackberry Bold, iPhone 3G, Sony Ericsson P1i)"][/caption]

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Oris Watches - A Review Of The BC3

fashionteen — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:00:02 +0000

Oris watches are very affordable, beautiful Swiss watches. They feature mechanical movements - some with automatic winding - with a trademark red rotating red rotor. The range of Big Crown watches is a particular favorite of mine and, while I was initially drawn to the Big Crown with Pointer Date collection, I've now shifted to the more modern styling of the BC3 collection.

I had my heart set on the Big Crown with Pointer Date. I wanted a large watch with a black face and black leather strap and this Oris watch seemed to fit the bill, in terms of price and design. There is a choice of case size but, to my mind, the large crown is best complemented by a large case. I liked the largest case in the collection - 40mm model reference. Oris is well known for its pointer date watches and I really liked the red-tipped horseshoe shaped pointer. I loved the simple Arabic numerals at each hour mark and the day numbers on the outer rim.

However, there is one feature I don't like, and that is the hour and minute arms. They seem slightly too ornate. By this I mean, the minute hand has straight sides that taper out slightly before forming a wedge at the top; this wedge is then topped with a slim needle-like pointer. The hour hand is smaller and features straight, slightly outwardly tapered sides that then change into an oval shape that is topped with another needle-like pointer. The overall look of the watch is very nice but I just would prefer simpler hands.

This brings me to the Oris BC3 - the 3 stands for third generation of pilot's watches. This collection is unequivocally modern in design. There are currently two models in the collection; each comes with a matt stainless steel casing, black dial and either a black rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet. Both models come with a day aperture at the 12 o'clock position and a date aperture at the 6 o'clock position.

There are two sizes of case; 40 or 42mm. The shape of the casing is the same for both, with a slightly raised though flat bezel - the Pointer Date watch comes with a fluted bezel. I really like the simpler lines of the case and bezel of the BC3. The simplicity of design is carried through on to the dial. Both the hour and minute arms are the same in design - with the hour being shorter. They are simple straight, thickish and end in 'long' wedges.

The design of the dial differs slightly on the two models. While both have Arabic numerals at each hour, one watch has a small luminescent dot above the numeral (with two above the 12), whereas the other, features dashes (rectangles) above the numerals with two appearing above the 12. My preference is for the dashes, as they better complement the straight, plain arms and general smooth-edge design of the watch.

If you're a lover of big crown, big watches then the big crown collections of Oris watches will certainly appeal. The Big Crown with Pointer Date will be for those who like a more traditionally style of watch but for those like me who want a more contemporary looking watch the Oris BC3 will be the first choice.

STEEL AUTHORITY OF INDIA LIMITED Recruits

govjobs — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:42:20 +0000

[caption id="attachment_269" align="alignleft" width="95" caption="Steel Authority of India"][/caption]

STEEL AUTHORITY OF INDIA LIMITED
(A Government of India Enterprise)
ALLOY STEELS PLANT, DURGAPUR-713208
DISTRICT : BURDWAN, (WEST BENGAL), INDIA
Advertisement No.:ASP:PL-R-5(442)/ 27
Dated: 21st July 2008
Alloy Steels Plant, a special steels plant under Steel Authority of India Limited invites applications for the following posts in the Works Area as specified herewith :-

1. NAME OF THE POST ATTENDANT CUM TECHNICIAN TRAINEE
No. of Vacancies 40 (SC= 6 , ST= 3 , OBC= 10 ,General= 21 )
Qualification Minimum Matric, ITI (preferred)
Age as on 31st July 2008 Minimum 18 Years & Maximum 35 Years with Relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST & 3 years for OBC
Pay Scale /Grade Rs. 4000-3%-5600/- in S-1 grade. Other allowances are admissible as applicable to regular employees of the company.
Stipend Rs. 4000/- per month during the training period
Training Period One year

2. NAME OF THE POST OPERATOR CUM TECHNICIAN TRAINEE
No. of Vacancies 20 (SC=3 , ST= 2 , OBC= 5 ,General= 10 )
Qualification B.Sc. with Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics or
Diploma in Mechanical/Electrical/Civil/Metallurgical Engineering.
Age as on 31st July 2008 Minimum 18 Years & Maximum 35 Years with Relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST & 3 years for OBC
Pay Scale /Grade Rs. 4170-3%-6095/- in S-3 grade. Other allowances are admissible as applicable to regular employees of the company.
Stipend Rs. 4200/- per month during the training period
Training Period One year

Male candidates can apply.

Selection Mode : The Selection will be through objective type written examination, interview and verification of testimonials
Candidates will have to appear for the written test at their own cos

Interested candidates should apply giving full particulars in the PRESCRIBED FORMAT ONLY as indicated below and shall attach all the necessary attested copies of the certificates and testimonials alongwith as may be applicable with a Passport size recent photograph and the application should be duly signed. Same photograph should be affixed for the entire process of recruitment & selection, whenever required. Application must be filled up in BLOCK CAPITALLETTERS IN ENGLISH.
Application must be accompanied by a non-refundable Account Payee Demand Draft of Rs. 300/- (Rupees Three Hundred) only in favour of SAIL A/C, ASP payable at Durgapur. SC/ST candidates are exempted from payment of application fee.
Applications complete in all respect must be sent to POST BAG No. 781, Circus Avenue Post Office, Kolkata-700017 by 19th August 2008 through ordinary post . Envelope containing the application should be clearly superscribed with “ Application for the post of “ Attendant cum Technician Trainee” or “Operator cum Technician Trainee” , as the case may be.

LAST DATE FOR SUBMITTING OF APPLICATION : 19th August 2008

Full Details are Available HERE

Fire & Steel

artintheround — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:09:12 +0000

[caption id="attachment_92" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Artist Ralph Berger at work in the studio (copyright Ralph Berger)"][/caption]

Participating Artist: Ralph Berger, North Carolina

Artist's Statement: I believe the term "negative" usually connotes something bad, less than, or unfavorable. With reference to my art and a good chunk of life experience, I've found that "negative" can become beneficial. How we handle difficult times in our lives reflects on.......... Read more about Ralph Berger.

Enter your work!

The 2008 Art in the Round Contest is publicly juried. Sign up to vote on your favorite works of art.

Hosted by BeautifulBowls.com.

Recap of Semi-Finals, July 21, 2008

prettysleepy — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:53:46 +0000

Brick Reilly and Tim Oliphant battle Beast on joust. Atlasphere is introduced. Ally and Vanessa fight to continue on to the next level. Click here to read more.

Quicksilver

xumb — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:09:25 +0000

We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results. ~ Herman Melville

China to build steel plants in Indonesia

Bao Viet Nam — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:03:44 +0000

- China will build two steel factories with a combined capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum in Indonesia, an Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) official has said.

The China Steel Resources Holding Company will build steel plants in two stages within a span of five years, Achmad Kurniadi was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying on the sidelines of an international convention of Chinese businessmen, running from July 18-19.

The first plant with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes will be built in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, he said, hoping that Chinese investors will invest in such other fields as manufacturing and transportation.-

Edinburgh Etch dan Salin Sulphate Etch

anna josefin — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:21:24 +0000

Edinburgh Etch dan Salin Sulphate Etch

Etching atau etsa berkaitan dengan proses menggerus logam yang selama ini lebih akrab dengan asam yang beracun. Sebenarnya ada alternatif lain selain menggunakan asam yang berbahaya, salah satunya dengan elektrolisis (Galv-Etch / Electro-Etching). Bagi sebagian orang Galv-Etch mungkin terlalu lama dan merepotkan, apalagi jika ingin menyusun dari awal. Namun masih ada cara untuk mengurangi efek berbahaya dari asam.

Edinburgh Etch untuk Tembaga dan Perunggu

Edinburgh etch ditemukan oleh Friedhard Kiekeben. Edinburgh Etch adalah campuran antara larutan Ferric Chloride dan Citric Acid.

Ferric chloride dapat digunakan alternatif yang lebih aman daripada nitric acid dalam etsa, karena tidak menghasilkan gas beracun, hanya sedikit iritasi jika terkena kulit, dan bisa menghasilkan gigitan yang akurat. Namun ferric chloride jarang sekali dipakai karena waktu yang dibutuhkan sangat lama. Ferric chloride akan menghasilkan sedimen di daerah yang teretsa/tergigit asam sehingga proses etsa berhenti.

Citric Acid adalah katalis yang digunakan untuk mempercepat proses etsa dengan menggunakan ferric chloride. Citric Acid akan mencegah terjadinya sedimentasi yang bisa menghentikan proses etsa. Citric acid (anhydrous) berwarna putih dan berbentuk bubuk, karena itu tetap gunakan masker dan goggle/pelindung mata.

Demi keamanan etsa berbasis ferric chloride sebaiknya tidak digunakan untuk ZINC / SENG dan ALUMINIUM karena dapat menghasilkan panas, gas hidrogen dan uap klorin! Sebaiknya menggunakan Salin Sulfat untuk mengetsa Seng dan Aluminium. Dan tetap gunakan sarung tangan dan pelindung mata karena bagaimanapun bahan-bahan ini bersifat korosif.

catatan: untuk mengetahui apakah larutan Edinburgh Etch atau ferric chloride masih cukup bagus atau tidak, gunakan strip/lembaran panjang kertas ke dalam larutan; warna oranye yang terang berarti masih baru, kalau berwarna hijau gelap berarti larutan sudah harus diganti.

Membuat Larutan Edinburgh Etch

Larutan yang akan dibuat terdiri empat bagian larutan ferric chloride dan satu bagian larutan citric acid.

Buat larutan ferric chloride jenuh.(40%)
Buat larutan citric acid, 3 atau 4 bagian air panas dan 1 bagian citric acid.
Campurkan keduanya secara perlahan.

Contoh : (4 liter air + 1600 g ferric chloride) + (1 liter air panas + 300 g citric acid bubuk)

Temperatur mempengaruhi kecepatan etsa, edinburgh etch bekerja dengan sangat baik pada kondisi hangat (18ºC sampai 30ºC). Larutan ini dapat bertahan lama, sebuah wadah besar dan penuh, digunakan setiap hari, dan ditambah sekali waktu, bisa tetap aktif selama bertahun-tahun.

Saline Sulfate Etch untuk Seng, Aluminium, Steel

Metal-metal yang berwarna perak, seperti seng, aluminium, steel bisa di etsa dengan menggunakan Saline Sulfat.

Basis larutan ini adalah larutan Copper Sulphate / Tembaga Sulfat. Waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk mengetsa dengan copper sulfat saja akan sangat lama. Karena itu dibutuhkan katalis yang bisa mempercepat proses etsa dan memperpanjang usia larutan.

Katalis tersebut adalah Sodium Chloride. Campuran ini disebut Saline Sulphate, bekerja tiga kali lebih cepat untuk mengetsa pelat seng, dibanding copper sulphate. Selama proses etsa akan dihasilkan sedimen namun mengapung-apung. Sebaiknya dibersihkan untuk memperpanjang usia larutan ini.

Membuat Larutan Saline Sulphate

Larutan ini terbuat dari perbandingan yang sama antara copper sulphate kering dan sodium chloride dicampur dalam air hangat.

Letakkan copper sulphate dan sodium chloride di wadah, di campur terlebih dahulu. (100g copper sulfate + 100g sodium chloride)
Masukkan 500 ml air panas, aduk larutan sehingga berubah warna jadi hijau.
Tambahkan 500 ml – 1 liter air hangat ke dalam larutan, teruskan mengaduk larutan, larutan biasanya tercampur setelah 5-10 menit pengadukan menghasilkan cairan berwarna hijau gelap.

Untuk studio yang dipakai banyak orang, ada baiknya menggunakan wadah yang lebih besar dan jumlah larutan yang lebih banyak sehingga larutan lebih bisa bertahan lama.

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