XBOX Wireless adapter is used to connect the XBOX console wirelessly to the existing wireless network (that is connected to the broadband internet) to allow you play games online in the comfort of your living room without the hassle of running the network cable.
Wireless network in home provides the easiness and portability. For gamers, having the wireless network in home is a much benefits. With your XBOX console, you can find a convenience place to experience online gaming without the clutter of the wires. How can you do that? You need an interface that allows you to connect to the existing wireless network via the radio frequency band. XBOX wireless adapter will function as the bridge that will allow the XBOX console to communicate with the network via the airwave and then connect to the wild internet.
Identify Your Existing Wireless Standard
One of the main reasons you build a wireless network in home is to share the broadband internet connection with many computers or any other network clients including the XBOX in the household. Now, which XBOX wireless adapter will fit to your existing network? Firstly you need to identify your existing wireless environment which wireless standard it is: wireless b/g/n or dual band. Dual-band frequency can be wireless G/A (802.11a/g) or wireless N/A (802.11a/n) network standards.
Knowing which wireless standard your existing network is, certainly you need the adapter with the same wireless standard as your network. For example, if you use the wireless –G router for your network, you should also need wireless –G adapter for the XBOX. However that statement doesn’t always true. Basically you can connect wireless –N adapter to the existing wireless –G network. But, you need to identify if the adapter is labeled with the Wi-Fi Certified. With the Wi-Fi Certified labeled, the adapter is assured to be compatible with the wireless standards as described in the labeled (wireless b/g/n).
Should y0u choose the adapter from the same vendor as your wireless router? Wi-Fi Certified labeled will guarantee that the adapter will be compatible with any industrial wireless devices. Or you can identify the manufacturer specification if the adapter supports the XBOX console. Basically the principle of the XBOX wireless adapter is a wireless bridge. You can use any types of wireless bridges as the wireless game adapter with Ethernet port enable to connect to the existing wireless network.
Future Upgrade
Probably your existing wireless b/g network is not satisfactory for daily tasks that demand higher speed, reliable connection and longer distance coverage, and you plan for future upgrade with the new wireless technology available today – the wireless n with dual-band network. Then you need the XBOX wireless adapter that is powered by the most recent technology available in the marketplace today: the 802.11n standard with dual-band feature. With the adapter that supports the draft 802.11n and dual-band technology, you will achieve the maximum throughput when connecting to the most powerful wireless router that supports draft 802.11n, dual-band, and QoS.
Wireless –G Adapter
If your existing wireless network uses the router with wireless –b/g standard, and you will never plan for future upgrade to wireless –n dual-band, then you should choose the XBOX wireless adapter with wireless –g standard. The adapter with wireless –G standard is cheaper than wireless –N.
Microsoft introduces two types XBOX adapters with wireless –G standards, one of them supports dual-band (wireless –G/A) and the other one is wireless –G adapter that supports all the wireless b/g/n networks.
D-Link also introduces DWL-G820 and DGL-3420 which are powered by wireless –G standards, but the DGL-3420 is a dual-band (wireless –g/a) version with the maximum speed up to 108Mbps in ideal condition.
Wireless –N adapter
For XBOX wireless adapter with wireless –n standard, Microsoft also introduces the wireless –n version with dual-band features. The adapter is designed for compact and high performance and is powered by Xbox 360 to eliminate adapter clutter. TrendNet also introduces TEW-647GA gaming adapter which is also powered by wireless –n standard. Linksys also introduces WET610n Linksys Gaming Adapter which is powered by wireless –n with dual-band feature too.
If the price different among XBOX wireless adapter products are not much big different, having the wireless –n with dual-band technology would be much benefit. If your current wireless network is based on wireless –n router with dual band, the throughput would be optimum. But if your current wireless network is based on wireless –g router, make sure that your wireless –n adapter is backward compatible with wireless –g standard.
Showing posts with label ARTICLES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ARTICLES. Show all posts
Friday, May 7, 2010
Telecom Sector Expects to Raise Demand for Smartcards
On the back of rising awareness regarding the true potential of smart cards, the global smart card market has been witnessing continuous growth. The telecom sector is the biggest application market for smart cards, with unit shipment estimated at 3.8 Billion at the end of 2009. This is attributed to the growing mobile market that drives the sales of SIM cards. Moreover, with the exponential growth in the number of mobile subscribers projected over the years, especially in the two developing countries namely India and China, the demand of smartcards will also grow. As a result, smartcard shipments in the telecom sector worldwide are projected to grow at a CAGR of around 13% between 2010 and 2012, according to our new report, “Smart Card Market Forecast to 2012”.
Our report studies the performance of the global smart card market by segmenting it into various subsections i.e. by technology, by applications and by regions. The report has broadly categorized the applications of smart cards in the telecom sector, transport sector, public sector and financial sector, identifying the sectors which presently are and in future will drive the growth of the smart card market. As per our study, telecom sector will dominate the global smartcard market as it will constitute around 70% of the global smartcard shipments by the end of 2012. Moreover, our report provides data on the smartcard shipments across all the application areas for the period between 2008 and 2012.
We have done extensive research and analysis to identify the current and future smart card market trends on the regional level. Analysis has been done on the major geographic markets such as Americas, Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific. Besides this, the report also provides detailed country level analysis, which will help clients to figure out the emerging countries in this field that will witness a rapid uptake of the technology in future.
“Smart Card Market Forecast to 2012” also identifies certain problem areas that might hamper the growth of the smart card industry in near future. Besides this, our report provides analysis of the key smartcard players in the world, specially highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
Our report studies the performance of the global smart card market by segmenting it into various subsections i.e. by technology, by applications and by regions. The report has broadly categorized the applications of smart cards in the telecom sector, transport sector, public sector and financial sector, identifying the sectors which presently are and in future will drive the growth of the smart card market. As per our study, telecom sector will dominate the global smartcard market as it will constitute around 70% of the global smartcard shipments by the end of 2012. Moreover, our report provides data on the smartcard shipments across all the application areas for the period between 2008 and 2012.
We have done extensive research and analysis to identify the current and future smart card market trends on the regional level. Analysis has been done on the major geographic markets such as Americas, Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific. Besides this, the report also provides detailed country level analysis, which will help clients to figure out the emerging countries in this field that will witness a rapid uptake of the technology in future.
“Smart Card Market Forecast to 2012” also identifies certain problem areas that might hamper the growth of the smart card industry in near future. Besides this, our report provides analysis of the key smartcard players in the world, specially highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
Electronically Captured Data and the Competitive Edge It Gives Your Company
Are you spending too much time physically handling paper documents in your organization? Like most companies, you are flooded daily with the creation of documents, reports, proposals, stats sheets, as well as, countless documents which come to you every day.
Rather than physically handling each document and passing it along to the appropriate responsible party, there are document capture process systems in place today that eliminate the manually handling and recording of such documents. Welcome to the digital world.
By scanning your paper documents, you are able to view, archive, and retrieve your important data electronically with online images. It is the input of data, electronically captured, which affords many companies a competitive edge.
Most recognizable, and a very easy example to understand, is how a barcode reader at your supermarket checkout counter works. While recording your sale, it captures the inventory related data. Most likely, you may also be using a store shopping card, which identifies you as the person making the purchase. If your purchase is paid for using a credit card, then additional information is captured along with your purchase.
We take the above example of inventory capture, pretty much for granted now; it's been around for a long time. Now let's imagine the same level of efficiency with your every day documents.
Electronically captured data can be very beneficial to an organization for a number of reasons but the manipulation of the electronic data gives companies a competitive edge:
• Eliminates need for manual data entry from documents as the data is captured electronically and directly into the computer system
• Electronically stored documents make for easy archive and access from any desktop, anywhere in the world
• Distribution of documents is much easier electronically rather than physically
• Searchable text makes it easy to find the document(s) you are looking for
• Physical storage space is dramatically reduced for your document retention
• Security and access to sensitive data is controllable.
Not all documents are limited to black and white text. Most organizations will also need to deal with complex documents with color graphics. Some examples include: engineering specifications, criminal evidence, property descriptions and photographs, exhibits, charts, and drawings to just name a few.
By simple definition, data capture is the the collecting and entering of data in a computer, or the conversion of data into a form compatible with computers. A process is put into place when a company has a need to capture vast amounts of information from documents.
Also known as simply capture forms. A typical data capture form will have a fill-in-the-gaps format, often having boxes to enter details of company name, requisition number, etc. The data captured on the forms is then scanned or manually entered into a database. Here are some easily recognizable examples of data capture forms you have probable already used:
• Patient data from health service organizations
• Registration forms and feedback surveys from hotels
• Enrollment forms for schools, colleges, universities, churches
• Job application forms
• Customer application forms for banking
• Building and equipment maintenance records
• Safety forms
Often confused with optical character recognition (OCR), data capture is more complex and valuable to an organization. Unlike OCR, data capture software captures specific, targeted data, usually from a form, that is required to support a business process. OCR is just the basic conversion of any scanned alphanumeric information into a machine readable digital form.
While capturing data from structured forms is a fairly well-understood process, most companies have a great deal of 'unstructured' data to also consume. By unstructured, we mean relevant information that could be found almost anywhere on a page. Invoices would be a great example, as there is no common standard and each of your suppliers will have their own form. In the example of an invoice, not only are you interested in matching vendor information to your records but it would also be helpful to associate their invoice number to your purchase order.
Data capture services can be configured to the unique needs of your organization with the ultimate goal of improving your business processes. Typically solutions are offered on a single platform to capture data, whatever formats and wherever the needs are across your enterprise organization. Considering the mobility of your workforce, systems cater to input from any combination of paper, tablet PC, or web form. Systems today offer concurrent processing of hand-printed and handwritten forms, invoices, checks, correspondence, and any other document type, thus reducing your operating costs and increasing your productivity with a short payback.
Rather than physically handling each document and passing it along to the appropriate responsible party, there are document capture process systems in place today that eliminate the manually handling and recording of such documents. Welcome to the digital world.
By scanning your paper documents, you are able to view, archive, and retrieve your important data electronically with online images. It is the input of data, electronically captured, which affords many companies a competitive edge.
Most recognizable, and a very easy example to understand, is how a barcode reader at your supermarket checkout counter works. While recording your sale, it captures the inventory related data. Most likely, you may also be using a store shopping card, which identifies you as the person making the purchase. If your purchase is paid for using a credit card, then additional information is captured along with your purchase.
We take the above example of inventory capture, pretty much for granted now; it's been around for a long time. Now let's imagine the same level of efficiency with your every day documents.
Electronically captured data can be very beneficial to an organization for a number of reasons but the manipulation of the electronic data gives companies a competitive edge:
• Eliminates need for manual data entry from documents as the data is captured electronically and directly into the computer system
• Electronically stored documents make for easy archive and access from any desktop, anywhere in the world
• Distribution of documents is much easier electronically rather than physically
• Searchable text makes it easy to find the document(s) you are looking for
• Physical storage space is dramatically reduced for your document retention
• Security and access to sensitive data is controllable.
Not all documents are limited to black and white text. Most organizations will also need to deal with complex documents with color graphics. Some examples include: engineering specifications, criminal evidence, property descriptions and photographs, exhibits, charts, and drawings to just name a few.
By simple definition, data capture is the the collecting and entering of data in a computer, or the conversion of data into a form compatible with computers. A process is put into place when a company has a need to capture vast amounts of information from documents.
Also known as simply capture forms. A typical data capture form will have a fill-in-the-gaps format, often having boxes to enter details of company name, requisition number, etc. The data captured on the forms is then scanned or manually entered into a database. Here are some easily recognizable examples of data capture forms you have probable already used:
• Patient data from health service organizations
• Registration forms and feedback surveys from hotels
• Enrollment forms for schools, colleges, universities, churches
• Job application forms
• Customer application forms for banking
• Building and equipment maintenance records
• Safety forms
Often confused with optical character recognition (OCR), data capture is more complex and valuable to an organization. Unlike OCR, data capture software captures specific, targeted data, usually from a form, that is required to support a business process. OCR is just the basic conversion of any scanned alphanumeric information into a machine readable digital form.
While capturing data from structured forms is a fairly well-understood process, most companies have a great deal of 'unstructured' data to also consume. By unstructured, we mean relevant information that could be found almost anywhere on a page. Invoices would be a great example, as there is no common standard and each of your suppliers will have their own form. In the example of an invoice, not only are you interested in matching vendor information to your records but it would also be helpful to associate their invoice number to your purchase order.
Data capture services can be configured to the unique needs of your organization with the ultimate goal of improving your business processes. Typically solutions are offered on a single platform to capture data, whatever formats and wherever the needs are across your enterprise organization. Considering the mobility of your workforce, systems cater to input from any combination of paper, tablet PC, or web form. Systems today offer concurrent processing of hand-printed and handwritten forms, invoices, checks, correspondence, and any other document type, thus reducing your operating costs and increasing your productivity with a short payback.
High Growth Predicted in Egyptian Telecom Sector - RNCOS
Egypt being the most populous country in the Middle East region, with 83 Million people, boasts one of the fastest-growing mobile telecom markets in the region. With the impact of gradual liberalization and magnifying competition amongst service providers and manufacturers, the mobile market sees tariff reductions and the introduction of more innovative service packages, such as free e-mailing or free access to Web, which are increasingly attracting Egyptians to adopt mobile telephony services. As a result, the number of mobile subscribers in the country is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 13% between 2010 and 2013 to reach 100 Million by the end of 2013, says our new research report “Middle East ICT Market Analysis”.
Our research also finds that there has emerged a rising demand for broadband Internet in order to stay connected with the rest of the world that, in turn, has been driving the demand for broadband technologies such as WiMAX. Government is also continuously adopting strategies to encourage the use of high-speed and low cost broadband Internet access among Egyptians. Our research anticipates that nearly 84% of Internet subscribers will be broadband subscribers by the end of 2013.
Various Middle East countries that are covered in our report are Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Iran. It also covers the overview of various ICT industries that will help clients to understand and evaluate the present and future scenario of hardware, software, and IT services, as well as mobile and fixed telephony in the Middle East countries.
“Middle East ICT Market Analysis” also covers several market drivers which are fuelling the growth of ICT market. Various potential growth areas such as 3G, IPTV, IT security market and many more have also been studied in the report. The factors which can interrupt the growth of the industry if not taken care of have also been discussed in detail.
Our research also finds that there has emerged a rising demand for broadband Internet in order to stay connected with the rest of the world that, in turn, has been driving the demand for broadband technologies such as WiMAX. Government is also continuously adopting strategies to encourage the use of high-speed and low cost broadband Internet access among Egyptians. Our research anticipates that nearly 84% of Internet subscribers will be broadband subscribers by the end of 2013.
Various Middle East countries that are covered in our report are Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Iran. It also covers the overview of various ICT industries that will help clients to understand and evaluate the present and future scenario of hardware, software, and IT services, as well as mobile and fixed telephony in the Middle East countries.
“Middle East ICT Market Analysis” also covers several market drivers which are fuelling the growth of ICT market. Various potential growth areas such as 3G, IPTV, IT security market and many more have also been studied in the report. The factors which can interrupt the growth of the industry if not taken care of have also been discussed in detail.
How to Learn Real Estate Law
Real estate law involves dealing with both commercial and residential property, finalizing transactions and finding potential issues, looking into property regulations and boundaries. You can learn real estate law on your own.
Step 1
Research online law libraries. They provide a wealth of information, explaining the facets of law and providing further reading resources for you to look into.
Step 2
Take note of further resources that directly apply to the category of real estate law you’re looking into. If you are researching landlord-tenant law, for example, take note of all the resources you find on that subject. Studying all the information you can find will prove to be advantageous when you apply it in a real-life situation.
Step 3
Visit your state’s real estate commission. You’ll gain knowledge about real estate laws, regulations and requirements for licensing.
Step 4
Consider taking advantage of free real estate advice online. You can not only read online articles that keep you up-to-date on all of today’s real estate information, you can ask questions regarding home selling and buying to get answers from real estate professionals in online forums and on blogs kept by real estate professionals. Select your location and find professionals and stores of information close to you.
Step 5
Look into online universities with courses in real estate law. Courses might cover real estate contracts, closing property transactions and learning how to read a survey. You’ll be able to study from the comfort of home. There will more than likely be a small fee for each course you take.
Step 1
Research online law libraries. They provide a wealth of information, explaining the facets of law and providing further reading resources for you to look into.
Step 2
Take note of further resources that directly apply to the category of real estate law you’re looking into. If you are researching landlord-tenant law, for example, take note of all the resources you find on that subject. Studying all the information you can find will prove to be advantageous when you apply it in a real-life situation.
Step 3
Visit your state’s real estate commission. You’ll gain knowledge about real estate laws, regulations and requirements for licensing.
Step 4
Consider taking advantage of free real estate advice online. You can not only read online articles that keep you up-to-date on all of today’s real estate information, you can ask questions regarding home selling and buying to get answers from real estate professionals in online forums and on blogs kept by real estate professionals. Select your location and find professionals and stores of information close to you.
Step 5
Look into online universities with courses in real estate law. Courses might cover real estate contracts, closing property transactions and learning how to read a survey. You’ll be able to study from the comfort of home. There will more than likely be a small fee for each course you take.
Investor Question: High Cash on Cash Return AND Property Management Fee Covered - - HOW?
Someone asked me a really good question.
I said that an investor buying properties in Detroit can get a really high cash on cash return (10% to over 30%)--AND this includes the monthly fee to pay someone to manage your property for you.
He asked me, “HOW does this work?”
Here are the biggest factors to making it work:
1. Buy at the right price
2. Correctly assess repair values (be close, at least)
However, what is the BIGGEST factor that makes it work in Detroit?
The renters market is MASSIVELY HIGH. (While the house seller's market is incredibly low.)
This combination allows an investor to buy properties really inexpensively while still charging normal to higher monthly rents.
Overall goals:
• Maximize positive cash flow
• Minimize hands-on work needed
The Detroit market allows this to happen, but you HAVE to know what you are doing.
You will probably not find these great deals within Detroit's Historical Districts (i.e. Rosedale Park, Palmer Woods, Indian Village, Sherwood Forest, etc.). You can still find properties inexpensively, but too many people know about these areas for you to "sneak" anything past other potential buyers.
Detroit is a strange place--possibly for many reasons, but stick with me here. Outside of the Historical Districts, there are not many "BIG pockets" of easy to find, good neighborhoods. With the exception of these well-known nice districts and a few horrible neighborhoods, good and bad places to live vary fom street to street--sometimes from block to block, even.
Since these places are harder to find than the more noted neighborhoods, fewer investors know to look in these spots, because it takes ACTUAL investigation. (The wrong move can put you in a bad area, and a lot of people are NOT willing to do this.)
Fewer buyers mean that these properties sell for a lower amount. However, since they are in good areas, plenty of people will want to live there, increasing the amount of rent that you charge. (Higher Demand = Higher Rent)
I said that an investor buying properties in Detroit can get a really high cash on cash return (10% to over 30%)--AND this includes the monthly fee to pay someone to manage your property for you.
He asked me, “HOW does this work?”
Here are the biggest factors to making it work:
1. Buy at the right price
2. Correctly assess repair values (be close, at least)
However, what is the BIGGEST factor that makes it work in Detroit?
The renters market is MASSIVELY HIGH. (While the house seller's market is incredibly low.)
This combination allows an investor to buy properties really inexpensively while still charging normal to higher monthly rents.
Overall goals:
• Maximize positive cash flow
• Minimize hands-on work needed
The Detroit market allows this to happen, but you HAVE to know what you are doing.
You will probably not find these great deals within Detroit's Historical Districts (i.e. Rosedale Park, Palmer Woods, Indian Village, Sherwood Forest, etc.). You can still find properties inexpensively, but too many people know about these areas for you to "sneak" anything past other potential buyers.
Detroit is a strange place--possibly for many reasons, but stick with me here. Outside of the Historical Districts, there are not many "BIG pockets" of easy to find, good neighborhoods. With the exception of these well-known nice districts and a few horrible neighborhoods, good and bad places to live vary fom street to street--sometimes from block to block, even.
Since these places are harder to find than the more noted neighborhoods, fewer investors know to look in these spots, because it takes ACTUAL investigation. (The wrong move can put you in a bad area, and a lot of people are NOT willing to do this.)
Fewer buyers mean that these properties sell for a lower amount. However, since they are in good areas, plenty of people will want to live there, increasing the amount of rent that you charge. (Higher Demand = Higher Rent)
Hey, Landlords! Did You Know You Get More Money? (through Tax Deductions)
For all regular and Section 8 landlords, you can get more money just by understanding tax deductions (good) and credits (better) that you can get.
Let’s take a look at the different ways you can make more money by paying less taxes.
Mortgage Interest Payments: Any interest you pay on a loan to purchase or improve a rental property can be deducted from your income.
Credit Card Interest Payments: When you use your credit card to pay for rental expenses, you may deduct the interest that you are paying on your credit card charges.
Property Depreciation: Most investors know about this one. The building on your property will only get older—not newer. So eventually, it will wear. IRS Tax Code allows a landlord to deduct a certain amount of income resulting from the building value depreciating (since it is getting older over time and, theoretically, will need to be replaced).
Repair Costs: This is pretty straightforward. Examples include replacing broken windows, plastering, fixing gutters, repainting, etc. These costs can be deducted.
Travel Costs: As long as your travel (local or long distance) is rental related, then you can deduct these expenses. Going to the hardware store to buy repair supplies is okay. Driving your kids to daycare is not okay, even if you slapped on some sort of magnetic sign.
Office Space: This includes Home Offices. Actually, you can claim any workspace you use to handle your rental business, including a workshop or storage space.
Employee Costs: Do you pay someone to handle some tasks for your rental business? You get to deduct these expenses from your taxes. This includes money that you pay for their worker’s compensation insurance and any health insurance to buy for them.
Subcontracting Costs & Professional Fees: Did you pay someone to make repairs to your rental property? Did you pay someone to give you legal or accounting advice? No matter the service, as long as it is related to your rental business, you get to deduct these costs from your income.
Insurance Premium Costs: You can deduct any money you pay for insurance that you have to cover the rental property, including fire, theft, and any other incidentals.
Property Casualty: Hopefully, you covered yourself with insurance. However, some or all of the value casualty that your property suffers from fire, earthquake, tornado, flood, etc. that is NOT insured can be deducted from your taxable income.
You need to be careful. You may not be eligible for some or all of these tax benefits if you rent to a family member or a friend. For this and anything else, you will need to consult a tax professional. This author is not an enrolled agent and is not advertising as a tax professional.
Let’s take a look at the different ways you can make more money by paying less taxes.
Mortgage Interest Payments: Any interest you pay on a loan to purchase or improve a rental property can be deducted from your income.
Credit Card Interest Payments: When you use your credit card to pay for rental expenses, you may deduct the interest that you are paying on your credit card charges.
Property Depreciation: Most investors know about this one. The building on your property will only get older—not newer. So eventually, it will wear. IRS Tax Code allows a landlord to deduct a certain amount of income resulting from the building value depreciating (since it is getting older over time and, theoretically, will need to be replaced).
Repair Costs: This is pretty straightforward. Examples include replacing broken windows, plastering, fixing gutters, repainting, etc. These costs can be deducted.
Travel Costs: As long as your travel (local or long distance) is rental related, then you can deduct these expenses. Going to the hardware store to buy repair supplies is okay. Driving your kids to daycare is not okay, even if you slapped on some sort of magnetic sign.
Office Space: This includes Home Offices. Actually, you can claim any workspace you use to handle your rental business, including a workshop or storage space.
Employee Costs: Do you pay someone to handle some tasks for your rental business? You get to deduct these expenses from your taxes. This includes money that you pay for their worker’s compensation insurance and any health insurance to buy for them.
Subcontracting Costs & Professional Fees: Did you pay someone to make repairs to your rental property? Did you pay someone to give you legal or accounting advice? No matter the service, as long as it is related to your rental business, you get to deduct these costs from your income.
Insurance Premium Costs: You can deduct any money you pay for insurance that you have to cover the rental property, including fire, theft, and any other incidentals.
Property Casualty: Hopefully, you covered yourself with insurance. However, some or all of the value casualty that your property suffers from fire, earthquake, tornado, flood, etc. that is NOT insured can be deducted from your taxable income.
You need to be careful. You may not be eligible for some or all of these tax benefits if you rent to a family member or a friend. For this and anything else, you will need to consult a tax professional. This author is not an enrolled agent and is not advertising as a tax professional.
Retail Industry in UAE to Top US$ 21 Billion by 2013
According to our latest market research offering, “Booming Retail Sector in UAE”, UAE represents one of the fastest growing retail industries in entire MENA region. Even in the wake of economic slowdown, the industry achieved double-digit year on year growth in 2009 and outpaced recessionary effects comfortably. Our research further indicates that surging public and private sector consumption along with the contribution of strong industry verticals (tourism, trade, banking, etc.) are expected to further boost the retail sales in the country and industry CAGR for 2010-2013 is anticipated to remain in double-digit bracket.
The research reveals that service sector strongly supports the retail activities in UAE. For example, the tourism industry has boosted retail spending in recent years, and in 2009, the segment emerged as the second largest retail sales channel in the UAE. In the line of billions of dollar worth of tourism infrastructure developments, the country is anticipated to receive 18 Million foreign tourists by 2016. These tourists not only bring foreign currency into the country but also make huge contribution to the retail industry by substantially spending in malls and local shops.
“Booming Retail Sector in UAE” is an outcome of extensive research and objective analysis of the retail industry in the UAE. It facilitates statistics and analysis of all prominent market segments including food and beverage, food retail, apparel, cosmetics, consumer electronics, etc. to provide deep and informative understanding of the market. The report also examines the consumer behavior scenario with respect to purchasing decisions, spending pattern, and inclination towards domestic and foreign brands. We have also identified all the key players in the Competitor Analysis section of the report. The section talks about the business profile and strategic moves of the leading players operating in the sector.
Most importantly, the report has also given the industry forecast based on correlation of past drivers, challenges and opportunities for expansion. In this way, the report presents a complete and coherent analysis of the UAE retail industry and will prove decisive for clients.
The research reveals that service sector strongly supports the retail activities in UAE. For example, the tourism industry has boosted retail spending in recent years, and in 2009, the segment emerged as the second largest retail sales channel in the UAE. In the line of billions of dollar worth of tourism infrastructure developments, the country is anticipated to receive 18 Million foreign tourists by 2016. These tourists not only bring foreign currency into the country but also make huge contribution to the retail industry by substantially spending in malls and local shops.
“Booming Retail Sector in UAE” is an outcome of extensive research and objective analysis of the retail industry in the UAE. It facilitates statistics and analysis of all prominent market segments including food and beverage, food retail, apparel, cosmetics, consumer electronics, etc. to provide deep and informative understanding of the market. The report also examines the consumer behavior scenario with respect to purchasing decisions, spending pattern, and inclination towards domestic and foreign brands. We have also identified all the key players in the Competitor Analysis section of the report. The section talks about the business profile and strategic moves of the leading players operating in the sector.
Most importantly, the report has also given the industry forecast based on correlation of past drivers, challenges and opportunities for expansion. In this way, the report presents a complete and coherent analysis of the UAE retail industry and will prove decisive for clients.
India - DTH Subscribers to Rise 28% by 2012
Since the start of commercial services in 2003, the Indian Direct-To-Home (DTH) TV industry has been witnessing fast pace growth. This has been possible due to huge investments made by the existing and new players. Given the superior quality of DTH services, the number of DTH subscribers has been soaring. As a result, DTH subscriber base in the country is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 28% between 2010 and 2012, says “Indian DTH Market Forecast to 2012”, a new research report from RNCOS.
Our team of experts has further studied the Indian DTH market by segmenting it into various subsections like by subscribers, by revenues and by operators. Our research also reveals that by the end of 2012, rural market will constitute around 45% of the country’s DTH subscriber base, down from around 70% at the end of 2009. Various factors that are expected to drive the growth of DTH subscriber base in the urban regions have been thoroughly discussed in the research report.
Our research also studies the key marketing strategies that could set a benchmark for the Indian DTH market’s projected growth in coming few years. Furthermore, research and implementation of the key strategies will definitely enable operators to gain competitive edge over others in terms of both subscribers as well as revenues. The research study also provides in-depth analysis on the competitive market landscape, showing the share of each operator in the Indian DTH market along with providing information on key DTH players, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
“Indian DTH Market Forecast to 2012” provides an in-depth analysis of the DTH market in India. Besides this, we believe that the regulatory environment plays a very important role in the success of any new technology, and thus we have tried to explain in detail the regulatory environment in the Indian DTH industry. We have also identified various other technological options that might gain significant ground in near future and may hinder the expected growth of the DTH market and should be taken into consideration to ensure viable market growth.
Our team of experts has further studied the Indian DTH market by segmenting it into various subsections like by subscribers, by revenues and by operators. Our research also reveals that by the end of 2012, rural market will constitute around 45% of the country’s DTH subscriber base, down from around 70% at the end of 2009. Various factors that are expected to drive the growth of DTH subscriber base in the urban regions have been thoroughly discussed in the research report.
Our research also studies the key marketing strategies that could set a benchmark for the Indian DTH market’s projected growth in coming few years. Furthermore, research and implementation of the key strategies will definitely enable operators to gain competitive edge over others in terms of both subscribers as well as revenues. The research study also provides in-depth analysis on the competitive market landscape, showing the share of each operator in the Indian DTH market along with providing information on key DTH players, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
“Indian DTH Market Forecast to 2012” provides an in-depth analysis of the DTH market in India. Besides this, we believe that the regulatory environment plays a very important role in the success of any new technology, and thus we have tried to explain in detail the regulatory environment in the Indian DTH industry. We have also identified various other technological options that might gain significant ground in near future and may hinder the expected growth of the DTH market and should be taken into consideration to ensure viable market growth.
Gunners Need to Add Steel to the Silk
It is without doubt that Arsenal play some of the most attractive attacking football in the Premier League. This season, the Gunner have on many occasions, given us some wonderful displays of flowing, inventive soccer that has left experts and fans alike reeling off the superlatives.
However despite their brilliance with the ball, their problems in defending without it have played a key role in the club finishing just third in the title race and also their rather humbling exit at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League.
These problems were once again brought to head at the weekend when the Gunners traveled to Ewood Park to take on Sam Allardyce’s Blackburn in a game which was predicted to be a tough encounter. So it proved, with Arsenal once again succumbing to defeat against technically inferior opponents and Arsene Wenger again complaining at Blackburn’s approach to the game.
So is it time for Arsene to swallow his pride and take a leaf out of the book of another legendary Arsenal manager, George Graham, and add a little steel to the Arsenal side, to accompany the silk?
Certainly it is a recipe for success. Most of the great attacking sides in history have a blend of attack minded flair players, and the players who play behind them to add steel and resilience to the team. Manchester United have the angular power of Nemanja Vidic at the heart of their defence and Darren Fletcher’s bite from midfield. Liverpool have Carragher’s tenacity and Mascherano’s work rate allied to Torres and Gerrard. Chelsea have Didier Drogba who encompasses both qualities of skill and tigerish power in one all-powerful package.
In contrast, Arsenal have no comparative player to fulfill this role. The nearest they get is William Gallas, but he is hardly a powerhouse. So my biggest sports betting tip this summer would be for Arsenal to address this pressing need, by signing somebody…but only if Arsene Wenger is ready to compromise a little in his beliefs.
It is a credit to Arsene Wenger that he is true to his soccer beliefs in this way and that he refuses to bring in a “water-carrier” to allow his more creative players to flourish and yet to maintain a degree of defensive stability in the team. However it is a belief which seems to have cost Arsenal time and time again this season.
For example, if we take the current Arsenal side and place Nemanja Vidic in defence, Javier Mascherano into midfield and Didier Drogba in attack. Could you think of a team capable of beating them? I can’t.
Arsenal face a big summer in 2010. Wenger has plenty of money to spend on players and hopefully for Gunners fans, he won’t be shy spending it. However if Arsenal are to really move on to the upper eschelons of the English and European game, they need to add strength, power, bite and grit to their team. The problem is of course, these are the very attributes that Wenger seems so angered by when his team faces the likes of Blackburn.
So if Wenger has the money available this summer to bring in players, I am sure most Arsenal fans won’t mind if Arsene just for once, thinks less about flair, creativity and the future and brings in someone like Frank McLintock, Tony Adams or Martin Keown.
For as beautiful as Arsenal win at times, sometimes at the highest level you need to win, and win ugly and it is here where Arsenal have failed at times this seasonCelebrity online green sale raises $1 million
Australian actor Hugh Jackman has been bested by a Manhattan window dresser -- at least in an online green auction which raised about $1 million for the environment.
Jackman, Christina Aguilera, John McEnroe, David Duchovny and Candice Bergen were among celebrities who donated experiences such as on-set visits, lunches or VIP concert tickets, but the stars were all eclipsed by Barneys New York creative director Simon Doonan, creator of the retail store's legendary holiday season windows.
Bids for Doonan's behind-the-scenes preview of the often-edgy windows and studio tour, lunch and a $5,000 store gift card soared to $60,000, or many times the offering's stated value of $8,000 in the "A Bid to Save the Earth" auction, which ended on Thursday.
Proceeds totaling about $1 million were earmarked for environmental groups Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Central Park Conservancy and Conservation International.
A live auction at Christie's on Earth Day featured art works, luxury travel and more celebrity experiences such as a round of golf with former President Bill Clinton, raised nearly $2 million including $500,000 in donations made at the event by the well-heeled guests.
Pedestrians look at a display window in Barneys that lampoons the British royal family in New York November 1, 2005. REUTERS/Seth Wenig
Bidders had another two weeks to try for dinner with actress Sigourney Weaver, a private tennis lesson with John McEnroe, art or luxury vacations.
When it concluded, baseball executives trumped beauty queens. Lunch with New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and premium seats at a Yankees home game saw 16 bidders drive the $3,000 package to $9,500. But a $3,000 VIP tour of the Panama Canal with 2002 Miss Universe Justine Pasek peaked at less than half that.
McEnroe's lesson went for $15,000, while "Avatar" star Weaver could take pride that someone deemed dinner and a screening with her worth $5,000, or $2,000 more than the stated value.
A portrait of the Rolling Stones by Los Angeles artist Mr. Brainwash, who specializes in works made from broken records, fetched the top bid of $105,000, well above its $80,000 listed value.
"The message that Christie's, Oceana, NRDC, Conservation International and the Central Park conservancy were trying to convey with this event was simply, there is no more putting off the environment," said actor and host committee member Ted Danson.
"We have to stand up and take notice of the environment and take some action. That is just what this partnership was designed to do."
Asteroid
Asteroids, also called minor planets or planetoids, are a class of astronomical object.
The term asteroid is generally used to indicate a diverse group of small celestial bodies that drift in the solar system in orbit around the Sun.
The vast majority of asteroids are found within the main asteroid belt, with elliptical orbits between those of Mars and Jupiter..
For more information about the topic Asteroid, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Note: This page refers to an article that is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the article Asteroid at Wikipedia.org. See the Wikipedia copyright page for more details.
Antikythera mechanism
The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient mechanical analog computer (as opposed to digital computer) designed to calculate astronomical positions.
It was discovered in the Antikythera wreck off the Greek island of Antikythera, between Kythera and Crete, and has been dated to about 150-100 BC.
The Antikythera mechanism is one of the world's oldest known geared devices.
It has puzzled and intrigued historians of science and technology since its discovery.
The device uses a differential gear, previously believed to have been invented in the 16th century, and is remarkable for the level of miniaturization and complexity of its parts, which is comparable to that of 18th century clocks.
It has a differential gear arrangement with over 30 gears, with teeth formed through equilateral triangles.
When past or future dates were entered via a crank (now lost), the mechanism calculated the position of the Sun, Moon or other astronomical information such as the location of other planets.
The use of differential gears enabled the mechanism to add or subtract angular velocities.
The differential was used to compute the synodic lunar cycle by subtracting the effects of the sun's movement from those of the sidereal lunar movement.
It is possible that the mechanism is based on heliocentric principles, rather than the then-dominant geocentric view espoused by Aristotle and others..
Note: This page refers to an article that is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the article Antikythera mechanism at Wikipedia.org. See the Wikipedia copyright page for more details.
AKARI Produces Two New Infrared All-Sky Catalogues
Two new infrared catalogues, containing more than 1.3 million celestial sources, have been made public. The AKARI All-Sky Catalogues, based on the first all-sky infrared survey in more than a quarter of a century, will provide important new data for a wide range of studies that cover topics ranging from the properties of nearby stars, to the formation of planetary systems, and the star formation history of the distant Universe.
All-sky surveys are an essential tool for astronomers. The large numbers of objects that are detected in these surveys lend themselves to classification and statistical analyses of celestial bodies. The astronomical census that results from a multi-wavelength, all-sky survey provides a firm framework on which to build a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems. For more than 25 years astronomers have relied on the IRAS all-sky atlas, based on observations made in 1983 with the InfraRed Astronomical Satellite, to provide this type of information at infrared wavelengths. Today, the scientific community has an important new tool for this work: the AKARI all-sky catalogues.
All-sky surveys are an essential tool for astronomers. The large numbers of objects that are detected in these surveys lend themselves to classification and statistical analyses of celestial bodies. The astronomical census that results from a multi-wavelength, all-sky survey provides a firm framework on which to build a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems. For more than 25 years astronomers have relied on the IRAS all-sky atlas, based on observations made in 1983 with the InfraRed Astronomical Satellite, to provide this type of information at infrared wavelengths. Today, the scientific community has an important new tool for this work: the AKARI all-sky catalogues.
AKARI, the first Japanese infrared astronomical satellite, was launched in February 2006 and surveyed the entire sky between May 2006 and August 2007. The two catalogues that are released publicly contain the positions and flux values (at 6 wavelengths) for more than 1.3 million celestial sources detected by two instruments carried by AKARI: the Infrared Camera (IRC) detected ~870,000 objects in two bands (9 and 18 micrometres), and the Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS, sensitive to 65, 90, 140, and 160 micrometres) detected ~430,000 celestial sources.
These new catalogues, the AKARI-IRC Point Source Catalogue and the AKARI-FIS Bright Source Catalogue, are a significant improvement upon the previous all-sky infrared survey that was produced with IRAS. AKARI can pinpoint the location of a star to an accuracy of arcseconds (compared to arcminutes with IRAS), and it is about 10 times more sensitive (at 18 micrometres) than IRAS. These improvements will have a significant impact on the science that can be performed with these all-sky surveys.
"The release of the catalogues is very timely", notes Alberto Salama, Project Scientist for AKARI at ESA. "Many of the objects detected by AKARI and contained in these catalogues will be prime candidates for future investigation at far-infrared and submillimetre wavelengths with Herschel. These catalogues will be very useful for astronomers preparing for the next opportunity, in May, to propose observations with Herschel."
Some preliminary scientific studies using these new AKARI catalogues have been carried out by AKARI team members. These touch on: studies of the star formation history in the Universe, properties of star-forming galaxies, and searches for evidence of dust associated with planet formation in the debris disks around stars other than the Sun. These early studies, described in the accompanying article "Selected highlights from early studies with the AKARI all-sky catalogues" (see link in right-hand menu)demonstrate the role and importance of infrared observations in exploring a wide variety of astronomical topics.Cassini Returning Enceladus Gravity Data
NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully completed its 26-hour gravity observation at Saturn's moon Enceladus recently, sending back data scientists will use to understand the moon's interior composition and structure.
fractures that spew water vapor and organic particles from the south polar region.
The flyby took Cassini through the water-rich plume flaring out from Enceladus' south polar region, with a closest approach of about 100 kilometers (60 miles) occurring in the late afternoon of April 27, 2010, Pacific Time, or just after midnight April 28 UTC.
A steady radio link to NASA's Deep Space Network on Earth enabled Cassini's scientists to use the radio science instrument to measure the variations in the gravitational pull of Enceladus. Analyzing the wiggles will help scientists understand whether an ocean, pond or great lake lies under the famous "tiger stripe.fractures that spew water vapor and organic particles from the south polar region.
Results from the experiment will also tell scientists if bubbles of warmer ice in the interior rise toward that region's surface like an underground lava lamp.
Radio science was prime during the flyby and controlled spacecraft pointing. The optical instruments were not pointed at Enceladus during most of the flyby, so the imaging camera obtained some more distant pictures.
Cassini often relies on thrusters to control attitude during flybys such as this one, but this time it turned the thrusters off and relied on its reaction wheels. Using thrusters adds acceleration effects to the spacecraft, complicating the precise measurements needed for the radio science experiment.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL.
Largest Atlas of Nuclear Galactic Rings Unveiled
An international team of astrophysicists has just unveiled the most complete atlas of nuclear rings, enormous star-forming ring-shaped regions that circle certain galactic nuclei. The catalogue, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, includes 113 such rings in 107 galaxies.
An international team of astrophysicists has just unveiled the most complete atlas of nuclear rings, enormous star-forming ring-shaped regions that circle certain galactic nuclei. The catalogue, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, includes 113 such rings in 107 galaxies.
An international team of astrophysicists has just unveiled the most complete atlas of nuclear rings, enormous star-forming ring-shaped regions that circle certain galactic nuclei. The catalogue, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, includes 113 such rings in 107 galaxies.
The nuclear rings are ring-shaped, star-forming configurations located around galactic nuclei. They range in size on average from between 500 to 3,000 light years, and they are very bright because they contain an abundance of young stars, including some extremely massive ones. This kind of star has a short lifetime but shines very brightly before exploding as a supernova.
To find the rings, the astrophysicists used images from around 500 galaxies observed by the Hubble space telescope, which belongs to NASA and the European Space Agency, as well as using other references. The images were processed using filters, generating various kinds of maps to help identify the rings more easily.
Rings and Lindblad resonances
"The AINUR atlas has also looked for relationships between the properties of the nuclear rings and those of the galaxies in which they are found," says Comerón, "and we have been able to statistically prove that most rings are associated with Lindblad resonances (gravitational shoves that push objects out of certain orbits and into others)."
The astrophysicists have shown that when the rings are in a barred galaxy (within disc galaxies, which have a central cylinder or 'cigar' of stars), the maximum radius that a nuclear ring can attain is 25% of the length of the bar, and that the maximum radius is inversely proportional to the strength of the bar. This is the behaviour that was predicted for the internal Lindblad resonances, which are determined by the size of the bar and their strength (how elliptical this is). If the bar is small or very elliptical, the resonance orbit becomes small, but if it is large or not very elliptical, the orbits become bigger.
The researchers also found that, contrary to what had been believed until now, a significant proportion of nuclear rings are to be found in non-barred galaxies (around 20%). The resonances needed to form the rings in these galaxies "are probably created by strong spiral arms, weak oval distortions of the disc and some lesser interaction with neighbouring galaxies,"Radar Images Near-Earth Asteroid: No Impact for Next 100 Years
Near-Earth asteroid 2005 YU55 was "imaged" by the Arecibo Radar Telescope in Puerto Rico on April 19. Data collected during Arecibo's observation of 2005 YU55 allowed the Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to refine the space rock's orbit, allowing scientists to rule out any possibility of an Earth impact for the next 100 years.
The space rock was about 2.3 million kilometers (1.5 million miles) from Earth at the time this image of the radar echo was generated. The ghostly image has a resolution of 7.5 meters (25 feet) per pixel. It reveals 2005 YU55 as a spherical object about 400 meters (1,300 feet) in size.
Not only can the radar provide data on an asteroid's dimensions, but also on its exact location in space. Using Arecibo's high-precision radar astrometry capability, scientists were able to reduce orbit uncertainties for YU55 by 50 percent.
"At one time we had classified 2005 YU55 as a potential threat," said Steve Chesley, a scientist at JPL's Near-Earth Object Program Office. Prior to the Arecibo radar passes on April 19 thru 21, we had eliminated almost all upcoming Earth flybys as possibilities of impact. But there were a few that had a low remaining probability of impact. After incorporating the data from Arecibo, we were able to rule impacts out entirely for the next 100 years."
With more observations in the coming years, scientists may be able to accurately plot 2005 YU55's orbit even further out.
NASA detects, tracks and characterizes asteroids and comets passing close to Earth using both ground- and space-based telescopes. The Near-Earth Object Observations Program, commonly called "Spaceguard," discovers these objects, characterizes a subset of them, and plots their orbits to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.Low-Maintenance Strawberry May Be Good Crop to Grow in Space
Astronauts could one day tend their own crops on long space missions, and Purdue University researchers have found a healthy candidate to help satisfy a sweet tooth -- a strawberry that requires little maintenance and energy.
Cary Mitchell, professor of horticulture, and Gioia Massa, a horticulture research scientist, tested several cultivars of strawberries and found one variety, named Seascape, which seems to meet the requirements for becoming a space crop.
"What we're trying to do is grow our plants and minimize all of our inputs," Massa said. "We can grow these strawberries under shorter photoperiods than we thought and still get pretty much the same amount of yield."
Seascape strawberries are day-neutral, meaning they aren't sensitive to the length of available daylight to flower. Seascape was tested with as much as 20 hours of daylight and as little as 10 hours. While there were fewer strawberries with less light, each berry was larger and the volume of the yields was statistically the same.
"I was astounded that even with a day-neutral cultivar we were able to get basically the same amount of fruit with half the light," Mitchell said.
The findings, which were reported online early in the journal Advances in Space Research, showed that the Seascape strawberry cultivar is a good candidate for a space crop because it meets several guidelines set by NASA. Strawberry plants are relatively small, meeting mass and volume restrictions. Since Seascape provides fewer, but larger, berries under short days, there is less labor required of crew members who would have to pollinate and harvest the plants by hand. Needing less light cuts down energy requirements not only for lamps, but also for systems that would have to remove heat created by those lights.
"We're trying to think of the whole system -- growing food, preparing it and getting rid of the waste," Massa said. "Strawberries are easy to prepare and there's little waste."
Seascape also had less cycling, meaning it steadily supplied fruit throughout the test period. Massa said the plants kept producing fruit for about six months after starting to flower.
Mitchell said the earliest space crops will likely be part of a "salad machine," a small growth unit that will provide fresh produce that can supplement traditional space meals. Crops being considered include lettuces, radishes and tomatoes. Strawberries may be the only sweet fruit being considered, he said.
"The idea is to supplement the human diet with something people can look forward to," Mitchell said. "Fresh berries can certainly do that."
Radio Tags Could Save Lives After Earthquakes
Radio frequency identification, RFID, could be used in the immediate aftermath of a major earthquake to save lives, according to new research published in the International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development.
Yen-Chun Jim Wu of the National Sun Yat-Sen University and Ching-Yuan Hung, of the National Kaohsiung First University of Science & Technology, in Taiwan, that there is a 'golden' rescue period following an earthquake, which lasts just 72 hours. During this time the efficiency of emergency response procedures is key to the rescue operation, especially given the possibility of aftershocks and continued risk caused by collapsing buildings, fires and gas explosions. Particularly challenging is knowing how many people are present in a building, a hospital or school, for instance.
Yen-Chun Jim Wu of the National Sun Yat-Sen University and Ching-Yuan Hung, of the National Kaohsiung First University of Science & Technology, in Taiwan, that there is a 'golden' rescue period following an earthquake, which lasts just 72 hours. During this time the efficiency of emergency response procedures is key to the rescue operation, especially given the possibility of aftershocks and continued risk caused by collapsing buildings, fires and gas explosions. Particularly challenging is knowing how many people are present in a building, a hospital or school, for instance.
"Continuously updated information on casualties and losses must be made available to disaster response managers in real time so that they can arrange and deploy relief supplies in an appropriate and timely manner," the researchers say. RFID could be applied to help provide such real-time information, allowing for quicker and more efficient dispatching of rescue personnel and more precisely organized search and rescue missions following an earthquake. They have used the Sichuan earthquake (magnitude 8.0) of May 2008. 100 magnitude 4.0 aftershocks hit the area following the disaster as a model for studying how RFID might be used in such a situation. However, the concepts would be equally applicable to other disasters.
They have devised a deployment of RFID that could potentially mitigate a wide array of post-disaster logistical challenges, such as allowing rescuers and the emergency services to manage and monitor transferred evacuees and to control the flow of medical and other supplies.
Practically speaking, however, not every building can keep a pre-disaster record of its activity or install a security system that is suitable for coping with disasters, the team concedes. However, a practical count of the number of people trapped at certain public venues, offices, hospitals and schools that have already been equipped with RFID technology could be made possible. "Office workers would have their identity badges embedded in their RFID tags, while visitors would be given temporary RFID tags when they enter the lobby," they suggest. Similarly, identity tags for hospital staff and patients could embed RFID technology. There is an ethical and moral dimension to tagging schoolchildren and students or members of the public, of course.
Assuming that technological, logistic and ethical issues could be easily addressed, RFID readers installed at entry and exit points and around critical areas in a building would provide critical information about people's movements and whether or not they had escaped the building following a disaster. "Rescue personnel could gain a more precise read on the location of those trapped and helping to avoid inefficient search and rescue efforts,"Sunlight With Cooling Factor
Although it sounds like a contradiction in terms, using the power of the sun for refrigeration is proving to be an original energy concept. In Tunisia and Morocco, Fraunhofer research scientists are using solar energy to keep perishable foodstuffs such as milk, wine and fruit fresh.
"Refrigerated by sunlight" -- we could well see an ecostatement like this printed on food packaging in the years ahead. Solar energy is already being used to power air-conditioning systems in buildings, but now researchers also want to refrigerate fruit and other perishable foodstuffs using energy from the sun. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg are demonstrating that this is feasible in the Mediterranean region using the examples of a winery in Tunisia and a dairy in Morocco.
"Refrigerated by sunlight" -- we could well see an ecostatement like this printed on food packaging in the years ahead. Solar energy is already being used to power air-conditioning systems in buildings, but now researchers also want to refrigerate fruit and other perishable foodstuffs using energy from the sun. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg are demonstrating that this is feasible in the Mediterranean region using the examples of a winery in Tunisia and a dairy in Morocco.
"Our method is ideal for countries which have many days of sunshine and in remote areas where there are no conventional means of refrigeration owing to a lack of water and non-existent or unreliable energy sources. It is environmentally friendly and reduces the use of expensive electricity for conventional refrigerators to a minimum," states Dr. Tomas Núñez, scientist at the ISE, listing the system's advantages. "Refrigeration is always available when the sun shines, which means that it is produced at the times when demand is at its highest."
The scientists have installed concentrating collectors which direct the sunlight onto an absorber by means of a reflector. This makes it possible to convert the solar radiation into hot water with a temperature of 200 degrees. "This extreme water temperature is necessary in order to drive the absorption refrigeration machine for the high external temperatures that prevail there. We do not use electricity to provide the refrigeration, we use heat. The result is the same in both cases: refrigeration in the form of cold water or -- in our case -- a water-glycol mixture," explains Núñez. As the absorption refrigeration machine produces temperatures of zero degrees, the experts use the mixture to prevent the water from freezing. The water-glycol solution is collected in cold accumulators and then pumped through a heat exchanger, which cools the milk. "We use a slightly different system for wine, with the refrigerant flowing through coiled pipes in the wine tanks,"
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