Friday 18 July 2014
Tuesday 15 July 2014
GET READY FOR MICROSOFT'S BIGGEST EMPLOYEE HUNT....
Microsoft is reportedly planning its biggest job cuts for five years. Bloomberg reports that the reductions will likely affect marketing, engineering, and the former Nokia employees that make up Microsoft’s new mobile group. The cuts could be the biggest yet, after Microsoft reduced its headcount by 5,800 in 2009, and reductions are also expected to affect divisions that overlap with the Nokia phone business. Some job cuts will also reportedly hit groups like the global Xbox marketing team.
Microsoft currently has 127,104 employees as of June 5th, and previous reports fromGigaom suggest that the software maker might be planning to cut as much as 10 percent of its workforce. It’s not immediately clear when the rumored job cuts will take place, butBloomberg suggests it could be as soon as this week. Microsoft’s annual sales meeting takes place on July 22nd, the same day that the company reports its latest earnings results. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has promised to provide more details on the company’s plans "to focus on our core" on July 22nd, with job cuts expected as part of the restructuring and integration of Nokia staff.
Friday 11 July 2014
Thursday 10 July 2014
THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS FOR DETECTING DEFECTS AND ALSO "GHOSTS".
During the weekend of January 7-9, 2014, amateur "ghost hunters" were invited to "investigate" so called paranormal activity in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, at the Crescent Hotel and Spa (built in 1886). According to an announcement (from billott.eurekasprings@gmail.com), the property has become a sensation since the stars of SyFy's Ghost Hunters , Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, using a thermal imaging camera at the Crescent, photographed a shadowy "apparition" in front of a locker door.
At first the ghost hunters believed the image was merely a thermal reflection of Grant—that is, the result of his body heat reflecting off the locker door. However, when the duo were supposedly unable to recreate the effect, they gushed about having obtained "the holy grail of ghost hunting." But not so fast.
A technical analysis posted online makes a convincing case that the image was indeed "a thermal reflection of Grant." The figure's "hat," which Jason imagines he sees, is apparently only an effect of Grant's shock of hair. The analyst concluded that the duo's two recreation attempts involved-among other problems—Grant putting his hand into the shot each time, which altered the temperature scale. ) Thus, the ghost hunters' effort to reproduce the effect was apparently as inept as their creation of it in the first place.
There is, of course, no scientific proof that ghosts exist, despite the pseudoscientific efforts of ghost hunting amateurs (Grant and Jason actually work as Roto-Rooter plumbers). Their glitch-prone equipment was not manufactured for, nor is it effective for, ghost detection-neither their electromagnetic field meters nor portable Geiger counters nor thermal imaging cameras. (See my "Scientific Investigation vs. Ghost Hunters," Skeptical Briefs , September 2010, 7-9.).
In fact, last year a TV crew and I filmed a series of ghost-hunting techniques, showing how "unexplained" phenomena are often caused—not necessarily intentionally—by ghost hunters themselves. Shown here is a thermal photo of a wall where—just before—a crew member had stood.
At first the ghost hunters believed the image was merely a thermal reflection of Grant—that is, the result of his body heat reflecting off the locker door. However, when the duo were supposedly unable to recreate the effect, they gushed about having obtained "the holy grail of ghost hunting." But not so fast.
A technical analysis posted online makes a convincing case that the image was indeed "a thermal reflection of Grant." The figure's "hat," which Jason imagines he sees, is apparently only an effect of Grant's shock of hair. The analyst concluded that the duo's two recreation attempts involved-among other problems—Grant putting his hand into the shot each time, which altered the temperature scale. ) Thus, the ghost hunters' effort to reproduce the effect was apparently as inept as their creation of it in the first place.
There is, of course, no scientific proof that ghosts exist, despite the pseudoscientific efforts of ghost hunting amateurs (Grant and Jason actually work as Roto-Rooter plumbers). Their glitch-prone equipment was not manufactured for, nor is it effective for, ghost detection-neither their electromagnetic field meters nor portable Geiger counters nor thermal imaging cameras. (See my "Scientific Investigation vs. Ghost Hunters," Skeptical Briefs , September 2010, 7-9.).
In fact, last year a TV crew and I filmed a series of ghost-hunting techniques, showing how "unexplained" phenomena are often caused—not necessarily intentionally—by ghost hunters themselves. Shown here is a thermal photo of a wall where—just before—a crew member had stood.
Wednesday 9 July 2014
SIEMENS TO DELIVER DIRECT DRIVE WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY IN JAPAN..
Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation has selected Siemens to provide direct drive wind turbines for what will be Japan’s third largest wind farm.
The 51 MW wind power order from Japan’s largest wind power developer will see Siemens will provide 17 direct drive wind turbinesof the type SWT-3.0-101 to Eurus Yurikogen wind power plant, which is located on the North West Coast of Japan. The deal also includes a five-year service and maintenance agreement.
The Siemens SWT-3.0-101 wind turbines ordered for the project each have a capacity of 3 MW and a rotor diameter of 101 meters. Following orders for the Akita Port project in 2013 and recently for a project in South Korea, this latest order from Japan reinforces the increased interest of the Asian market in direct drive wind turbines.
Compared to conventional technology, the gearless wind turbine has half the components and substantially fewer rotating parts. Installation and commissioning of the Eurus Yurikogen wind farm will start in January 2016.
Siemens introduced direct drive technology to the Akita Port project in 2013 with 6 units of the SWT-3.0-101. They will start to be installed this year in spring and can be regarded as the debut of Siemens direct drive wind turbines in Japan.
The 51 MW wind power order from Japan’s largest wind power developer will see Siemens will provide 17 direct drive wind turbinesof the type SWT-3.0-101 to Eurus Yurikogen wind power plant, which is located on the North West Coast of Japan. The deal also includes a five-year service and maintenance agreement.
The Siemens SWT-3.0-101 wind turbines ordered for the project each have a capacity of 3 MW and a rotor diameter of 101 meters. Following orders for the Akita Port project in 2013 and recently for a project in South Korea, this latest order from Japan reinforces the increased interest of the Asian market in direct drive wind turbines.
Compared to conventional technology, the gearless wind turbine has half the components and substantially fewer rotating parts. Installation and commissioning of the Eurus Yurikogen wind farm will start in January 2016.
Siemens introduced direct drive technology to the Akita Port project in 2013 with 6 units of the SWT-3.0-101. They will start to be installed this year in spring and can be regarded as the debut of Siemens direct drive wind turbines in Japan.
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