Hard drive technology breaks storage density record

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, the San Jose, California-based joint venture of Japanese storage vendor Hitachi and U.S. technology giant IBM, has set a new record for storage density at 230 gigabits per square inch (Gb/in2). The company has developed technology to implement a recording method known as perpendicular recording, which allowed the increase in density above the current ~130 Gb/in2 limit.

Techworld claims there is a race between Hitachi and Toshiba for who will get the first drives to market which use the technology. According to Hitachi, they expect, “to ship [their] first perpendicular recording product in 2005 on a 2.5-inch hard drive”. Toshiba is also planning to ship a drive in 2005 that uses perpendicular recording.

According to Techworld, Toshiba will ship an 80 GB, 1.8″ drive in 2005. Toshiba’s 1.8″ drives are used in portable electronic devices such as Apple’s iPod, which is currently available in sizes 60 GB and smaller.

While all commercially available hard drives to date use longitudinal recording, perpendicular recording has roots in research done in academic circles over 100 years ago.

Hitachi Tech has produced a Flash animation that explains the rudiments of perpendicular recording in a music-video style.

Inspired by the 1970s Schoolhouse Rock series of educational animation shorts, the flash movie features whimsical moments with data bits and disk platters that speak and sing (not possible with today’s technology), it also contains realistic details. Of no importance to the viewer, but perhaps of interest to some, the animation shows Texas Instruments’ UC5608DWP chips visible briefly in the background. While TI’s UC5608DWP 18-line SCSI terminator chips have been made obsolete by the new UCC5618, the chips are indeed designed for use in hard drives.

2006 U.S. Congressional Elections

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Contents

  • 1 Issues
  • 2 Campaigns turn nasty
  • 3 Polling Problems
  • 4 Summaries by state
  • 5 Alabama
  • 6 Alaska
  • 7 Arizona
  • 8 Arkansas
  • 9 California
  • 10 Colorado
  • 11 Connecticut
  • 12 Delaware
  • 13 Florida
  • 14 Georgia
  • 15 Hawaii
  • 16 Idaho
  • 17 Illinois
  • 18 Indiana
  • 19 Iowa
  • 20 Kansas
  • 21 Kentucky
  • 22 Louisiana
  • 23 Maine
  • 24 Maryland
  • 25 Massachusetts
  • 26 Michigan
  • 27 Minnesota
  • 28 Mississippi
  • 29 Missouri
  • 30 Montana
  • 31 Nebraska
  • 32 Nevada
  • 33 New Hampshire
  • 34 New Jersey
  • 35 New Mexico
  • 36 New York
  • 37 North Carolina
  • 38 North Dakota
  • 39 Ohio
  • 40 Oklahoma
  • 41 Oregon
  • 42 Pennsylvania
  • 43 Rhode Island
  • 44 South Carolina
  • 45 South Dakota
  • 46 Tennessee
  • 47 Texas
  • 48 Utah
  • 49 Vermont
  • 50 Virginia
  • 51 Washington
  • 52 West Virginia
  • 53 Wisconsin
  • 54 Wyoming
  • 55 American Samoa
  • 56 District of Columbia
  • 57 Guam
  • 58 Virgin Islands
  • 59 Sources

As of 10:00 p.m EST November 8, 2006, the Democratic Party is projected to have gained control of both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate in the 2006 United States general elections. MSNBC projects that the Democrats now control 234 seats in the House of Representatives, 16 more seats than the 218 needed to control the House of Representatives as all 435 seats were up for election. In the Senate, where the balance of power is closer, one-third of all seats were up for grab. As of 10:00 p.m. EST, AP and Reuters were projecting that the Democrats had picked up all six seats they needed to retake the Senate, including the seats of incumbents Rick Santorum (Penn.), Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), Jim Talent (Missouri), Mike DeWine (Ohio), John Tester (Montana), and Jim Webb (VA). The Tester victory by less than 3,000 votes was projected at approximately 2 p.m. EST after the State of Montana announced the results of overnight recounts. Democrat Jim Webb has prevailed in that race by slightly more than 7,000 votes, though his opponent has not conceded and a recount may still occur.

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Looking For Cheap Taxi Insurance?

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Submitted by: Stanley Headley

There are many considerations and factors to be taken into account when choosing taxi insurance. Different insurance options are widely available to help ensure all of your insurance needs are met.

The age and value of your taxi may help you decide which type of taxi insurance to opt for. It may be a better option for older vehicles, with a value less than the cost of annual Comprehensive insurance, to be covered by a Third Party policy. This will be considerably cheaper as you will be covered for costs caused by you to other vehicles only. The cost of any repair damage to your vehicle will not be covered if you caused the accident, neither will you receive any money if your vehicle is a write off . The other parties insurance will pay for repairs if the damage was caused by their insured driver.

Third Party Fire and Theft insurance is the next cheapest option. This provides you with the same cover as Third Party Only insurance with the added bonus of being covered in case of fire or theft. Again, this type of taxi insurance is more suitable for older taxis.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrBhw_TzqkQ[/youtube]

Comprehensive insurance is recommended for vehicles which have a greater value than the annual insurance premiums. Comprehensive insurance covers the cost of repairs as well as the market value of your taxi. New vehicles may choose to have additional GAP protection which provides the price difference in costs between the insurer s payout and the amount needed to purchase a new vehicle of the same engine size. GAP protection is an additional payment; it is advisable to ask for details of this from the insurance company.

Other additional flexible taxi insurance includes Public Liability, Employer s Liability, Local Authority liability, breakdown and roadside assistance, windscreens as well as legal expenses and insurance against personal damages.

The variations in qualifying criteria differ between different insurance companies, so it is best to discuss all options with the insurers or insurance brokers to get the best deal possible.

There are also a number of other factors which may help to reduce the cost of your insurance. Drivers over the age of 21 or 25, depending on the insurance company, are offered discounts on their premiums as they are considered to be less of a risk.

No Claims Discounts can have a huge impact on the amount of insurance you have to pay. Drivers who have a history of no claims will be offered discounts which can in some cases reduce the cost of their insurance by over 50%. New taxi drivers with a no claims discount earned on private cars can also be rewarded with generous discounts.

Many insurers are offering the choice of short term policies such as weekly, monthly or quarterly for specific post codes within the UK. While other insurers have monthly repayment options on comprehensive insurance policies to help spread the cost.

All taxi insurance has an excess of around 250, to help lower the cost of insurance further it may be possible to increase the amount of the excess. This may lower the premiums; however it may not be a cost effective saving if you need to make a claim on an older vehicle.

About the Author: At Staveley Head, we provide

taxi insurance

designed to meet your coverage requirements and at affordable rates.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=330556&ca=Finances

Fußball-Bundesliga 2007–08: Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich

Sunday, October 28, 2007

October 28, 200717:00 (UTC+1)
Borussia Dortmund 0–0 Bayern Munich Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund Attendance: 80,708 Referee: Markus Merk
Tinga 45’Valdez 61’Valdez 79’Federico 79’Blaszczykowski 83’Klimowicz 83’Klimowicz 90’+1′ Match Report 66′ Sosa 66′ Altintop 70′ Toni 70′ Podolski 88′ van Bommel 88′ Ottl 90’+1′ Schweinsteiger

Bayern Munich remained undefeated in all competitions after a 0-0 draw against Borussia Dortmund. The draw leaves Bayern at the top of the table with 27 points. However, the lead is down to four points after Hamburg’s 1-0 win against Duisburg.

Franck Ribery didn’t pass a late fitness test and didn’t make the 18-man strong matchday squad. Luca Toni, Martin Demichelis an Jose Ernesto Sosa replaced Lukas Podolski, Philipp Lahm and Hamit Altintop. Jose Ernesto Sosa returned after being sidelined for almost two months after ankle surgery.

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund exchanged plenty of chances and almost had a 50/50 possession between them.

Bayern Munich plays Borussia Mönchengladbach at home in the DFB Cup while Borussia Dortmund plays Eintracht Frankfurt in the same competition.

Iraqi activist forced to change t-shirt with Arabic peace slogan

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi peace activist who lives in the United States, was forced to change his T-Shirt, which bore an Arabic slogan, because it was found “offensive”.

The incident took place in JFK airport in New York. The activist Jarrar reported in his blog RaedInTheMiddle that he had checked-in his bags and was issued a boarding pass. After waiting near the gate to board his jetBlue airlines flight, and after having to gone through a secondary search, two officials approached him.

“People are feeling offended because of your t-shirt,” Raed reported that one of the men said to him. The writings on the T-Shirt said in both Arabic and English: “We will not be silent”.

Raed asked why this has offended anyone, and insisted his right to freedom of expression was violated.

According to Jarrar, one of the inspectors said, “You can’t wear a T-shirt with Arabic script and come to an airport. It is like wearing a t-shirt that reads ‘I am a robber’ and going to a bank”. The airport official, unable to read Arabic, was unyielding to protests by Jarrar that the English language version of the Arabic was accurate, and suggested he wear the shirt inside out.

“Many people called and complained about your t-shirt. Jetblue customers were calling before you reached the checkpoint, and customers called when you were waiting here in the boarding area”, Jarrar was told after he complained.

One employee from JetBlue offered to buy Jarrar a T-shirt to replace the one he was wearing, since the activist had none other after his bags were checked. Refusing at first, he agreed to wear one with “New York” written on it.

The officer on the scene commented that it need not have gone from one extreme to the other: wearing a T-Shirt with an Arabic peace slogan on it, to wearing one with ‘New York’. There is no reason to hate New York if you are an Arab speaking peace activist, according to Jarrar.

“I feel very sad that my personal freedom was taken away like this. I grew up under authoritarian governments in the Middle East, and one of the reasons I chose to move to the U.S. was that I don’t want an officer to make me change my t-shirt. I will pursue this incident today through a constitutional rights organization, and I am sure we will meet soon,” Raed said.

He was issued another boarding pass, with a different seat at the back of the plane.

JetBlue said it was investigating the incident but a spokeswoman said: “We’re not clear exactly what happened.” The spokeswoman also said the airline does not forbid Arabic T-shirts, but that it does take into account the concerns of its passengers.

The American-Arab Anti-discrimination Committee said the US Transportation Department and the Transportation Security Administration were also investigating the incident after the committee lodged complaints on behalf of Jarrar.

“We Will Not Be Silent” is a slogan adopted by opponents of the war in Iraq and other conflicts in the Middle East.

It is said to derive from the White Rose dissident group which opposed Nazi rule in Germany.

Haze crisis over Malaysia prompts talks with Indonesia

Thursday, August 11, 2005

A week-long choking smog-like haze over Malaysia has prompted crisis talks with Indonesia. Lingering smoke from forest fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra are the primary cause. Farmers regularly burn scrub and forest to clear land during the dry season, but this is the worst haze since 1997.

Air quality in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur is so poor, health officials are advising citizens to stay at home with doors closed. Some schools have been closed to keep children from being exposed to the haze. Schools that chose to remain open are keeping children indoors and require them to wear protective masks when they are forced to venture outdoors.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport was unaffected but smaller flights from Subang airport were suspended.

Malaysia’s Environment Minister, Adenan Satem, and Commodities Minister, Peter Chin, will meet with Indonesia’s forestry minister and officials from its environment ministry in Medan, according to Malaysian media. Malaysia has offered to send firefighters to fight the forest and scrub fires estimated at numbering more than 300.

Remains of 1912 expedition plane found in Antarctica

Saturday, January 2, 2010

A team of expeditioners from Australia has found the remains of the first airplane ever taken to the Antarctic. The find was made at Camp Denison.

The expedition is in Antarctica to help conserve huts used by the Australian explorer Douglas Mawson in the early twentieth century. The team unsuccessfully searched for the aircraft for three summers. The plane, which was a single-engine Vickers built in 1911, has been lost in the Antarctic ices since 1975. It was the first aircraft produced by the Vickers plant in France.

Before Mawson’s 1911–14 expedition, the aircraft was damaged due to a crash. Mawson had apparently decided to use the machine as a motorised sled instead; however, the engine wouldn’t function properly under very low temperatures, and the plane was later abandoned.

“[We’ve used a] Magnetometer, ground-penetrating radar, metal detectors and all sorts of things to try and look for it, but in the end it was just a combination of a very low tide, good weather and a thin ice melt,” commented Tony Stewart, a member of the team, as quoted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “Our carpenter was just taking a walk along the beach and just saw the metal in 10 centimetres of water, just right next to the ice.”

“The ice melts back very quickly, it’s on the edge of a harbour which is covered in sea ice most of the year and then as summer comes the edge of the ice gradually pulls off in huge chunks,” he continued. “This is the first time those rocks have been exposed in that area for some time so we’ve been walking around that area above the air tractor not knowing it was there under our feet all this time.”

Wikinews interviews Joe Schriner, Independent U.S. presidential candidate

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Journalist, counselor, painter, and US 2012 Presidential candidate Joe Schriner of Cleveland, Ohio took some time to discuss his campaign with Wikinews in an interview.

Schriner previously ran for president in 2000, 2004, and 2008, but failed to gain much traction in the races. He announced his candidacy for the 2012 race immediately following the 2008 election. Schriner refers to himself as the “Average Joe” candidate, and advocates a pro-life and pro-environmentalist platform. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles, and has published public policy papers exploring solutions to American issues.

Wikinews reporter William Saturn? talks with Schriner and discusses his campaign.