GmsAlexis

Transatlantic tunnel

2008-12-04T04:55:00.000-08:00

The Transatlantic Tunnel is a structure proposed by one of the engineers involved in the construction of the Channel Tunnel beneath the English Channel. It would be a tunnel that spans the Atlantic Ocean between New York City and England; the design calls for this tunnel to be raised above the ocean floor (making it a tube—not a tunnel); this is unlike most tunnels (which are dug out from beneath the floor of a water body), but like the Bay Area Rapid Transit system's Transbay Tube in San Francisco. The tunnel would be a 3,100 mile (5,000 km) long vacuum tube with maglev trains that could travel at speeds up to 5,000 mph (8,000 km/h); at this speed, the travel time between New York and London would be less than one hour. At top speed, the train would travel faster than a bullet fired from a gun. The train would be able to reach such a high speed as a result of the lack of friction and air resistance in this vacuum-sealed environment.
An alternative route that was proposed involved the train going (as a tunnel) from Newfoundland and heading north over the ice sheet of Greenland and across Iceland until it reached Scotland. This route is the cheapest but it is considered to be one of the most difficult due to the adverse weather conditions and ice sheet problems in Greenland, and such a tunnel would lose the vast speed of the mag-lev tube.
In a future time, reductions in the cost of fabrication might make a tunnel of this sort more practical than today.

Gibraltar Bridge

2008-11-04T05:43:00.001-08:00

several engineers have advanced designs for a Gibraltar Bridge on various alignments and with differing structural configurations. Professor T.Y. Lin’s proposal for a crossing between Point Oliveros and Point Cires features a 14-kilometre length, deep piers, and 5000-meter spans, far exceeding the longest current bridge spanUnited States architect Eugene Tsui produced a revolutionary design which does not resemble any existing bridge and features an original floating and submerging concept while creating a three mile wide floating island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea
Recent talk of a road bridge between Europe and Africa, spanning the Strait of Gibraltar, has centred on a slightly different type of suspension bridge

Fog Screen

2008-10-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

It’s as simple as it is stunning. With the use of ordinary tap water and digital technology, FogScreen projection screen enables projected images to literally float in the air, creating a brand new medium to captivate and fascinate audiences. You can walk right through a FogScreen projection screen without getting wet. The microscopic fog droplets actually feel dry to the touch, just like air.
The highly innovative yet simple-to-use product has been utilized to enhance product launches, trade shows, live entertainment, nightclubs, museums, theme parks and even private parties. FogScreen has won numerous honors, including the Business 2.0 Bottom Line Design Award and Best Special Effect by the Club World Awards.

how do fog machines work

2008-09-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

Fog machines and fog juice are the most common. The basic mechanism is simple -- the fog juice is heated to create smoke. When you overheat oil on the stove and create a lot of smoke, you are doing approximately the same thing. Cooking oil has a tendency to get gummy and smell bad, however. Fog machines use glycerin or glycol mixed with water.
According to a Seattle Times article, "The fog is created using propylene glycol and triethylene glycol, mixed with 20 percent water." One thing that is not clear is whether this fog has any side effects on people's lungs. It seems like it is a problem for asthmatics, but nothing has been proven conclusively for the general population.
If you would rather be safe than sorry, you can use dry ice (which is available at most ice manufacturing plants and is fairly inexpensive -- look up "ice" in the phone book, and never handle the stuff with bare hands!). When you place dry ice in hot water, it creates a dense fog that clings to the floor. This fog contains carbon dioxide and water vapor, so it is completely harmless

how self parking cars work

2008-09-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

Self-parking cars can also help to solve some of the parking and traffic problems in dense urban areas. Sometimes parking a car in a space is restricted by the driver's skill at parallel parking. A self-parking car can fit into smaller spaces than most drivers can manage on their own. This makes it easier for people to find parking spaces, and allows the same number of cars to take up fewer spaces. When someone parallel parks, they often block a lane of traffic for at least a few seconds. If they have problems getting into the spot, this can last for several minutes and seriously disrupt traffic.
Finally, the difficulty of parallel parking leads to a lot of minor dents and scratches. Self-parking technology would prevent many of these mishaps. It can also save money, since you won't have to worry about insurance claims for parking-related damage.

the 3d printer

2008-09-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

Until now, 3D printers have been large, expensive machines confined to the shops and design departments of major corporations and elite design firms. With the introduction of the Desktop Factory 3D printer, priced disruptively lower than the nearest competitive offering, Desktop Factory becomes the leader in high performance low-cost 3D printing technologies.

Smart shirt

2008-09-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

Associate Professor Francis Tay, from the mechanical engineering department at the National University of Singapore, has invented the "Memswear" device, so-called because it uses Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (Mems) engineering.
Mems are machines built on such a tiny scale that they are invisible to the human eye.
Tay's prototype is fitted with a small silicon detector, similar to the silicon chips in personal computers, which senses if the wearer has a fall.
Then, using Bluetooth technology, which transmits information wirelessly, a transmitter inside the shirt sends an alert from the wearer's mobile phone or home computer to a carer via text message, email or phone call.
"The transmitter is so small and light that you can put it in a piece of clothing. The sensor works in a similar way to an airbag sensor in a car steering wheel," he says.
"It can be taken out so that the clothing can be washed."
Tay says the design was created with the elderly in mind, but he is also developing a model for critically ill patients, which monitors their vital signs.
He also wants to see his invention used by the military and sports people.
"Eventually, you will be able to monitor a runner's cardio activity when they are on the track, and find out whether they are putting too much stress on their heart."
Tay is showcasing his invention at the Digital Convergence Conference in Singapore this week at a talk on using computer software and hardware to improve quality of life.
Andrea Lane, spokesperson for UK-based pensioner charity Age Concern, told CNN Tay's device was one of many recent inventions to make life easier for the elderly.
She says it could potentially invade the wearer's privacy and would be beneficial only if they gave full consent.
"We need to get the right balance of granting the elderly independence and respecting their rights and dignity," she says.
"I can see that this could help people to become more independent but research into preventing falls from happening in the first place is also very important."
Tay says he hopes his device will be available to buy in the near future, for about $60.

self parking car

2008-09-30T04:54:00.000-07:00

the driver is only responsible for controlling the speed of the car, via the brake pedal.
The car's computer senses when it's time to turn the car's wheel and announces when the ride is over.
The computer can be heard saying, "The assist is over."
So far, the new technology is only available on Toyota hybrid models in Britain with 70 percent of the car owners paying the $700 for the self-park feature.
Toyota says expect to see the technology pop up in the U.S. soon, Local 6 anchor Jacqueline London said.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

forecasting

2008-09-12T05:47:00.001-07:00

is the process of estimation in unknown situations. Prediction is a similar, but more general term. Both can refer to estimation of time series, cross-sectional or longitudinal data. Usage can differ between areas of application: for example in hydrology, the terms "forecast" and "forecasting" are sometimes reserved for estimates of values at certain specific future times, while the term "prediction" is used for more general estimates, such as the number of times floods will occur over a long period. Risk and uncertainty are central to forecasting and prediction. Forecasting is used in the practice of Customer Demand Planning in every day business forecasting for manufacturing companies. The discipline of demand planning, also sometimes referred to as supply chain forecasting, embraces both statistical forecasting and a consensus process.
Forecasting is commonly used in discussion of time-series data.

podcasting

2008-09-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

Podcasting is quickly becoming a buzz word among the techie crowd. So what is podcasting, anyway? Podcasting is online audio content that is delivered via an RSS feed. Many people liken podcasting to radio on demand. However, in reality, podcasting gives far more options in terms of content and programming than radio does. In addition, with Podcasting, listeners can determine the time and the place, meaning they decide what programming they want to receive and when they want to listen to it.

test

2008-09-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

I am a huge wrestling fan!!! It is awsome i love it . Its really kowl to watch everybod fight for fun its really exciting !!!! I always watch it every monday and friday!!!