Luke’s Weblog shows how LEGO blocks can be used to build the case for a WRT54GL wireless router and a PC. Lot’s of normal LEGO blocks and lots of work is needed to build those projects. The postings are is filled with goof pictures and videos how those fun projects were built.
I have maintained three FAQ lists for many years. Those FAQs are VGA to workstation monitor FAQ, sfnet.harrastus.audio+video usein kysytyt kysymykset (FAQ) and sfnet.harrastus.elektroniikka usein kysytyt kysymykset.
VGA to workstation monitor FAQ tells how to interface different RGB monitors to to PC VGA output and a little bit about connecting other RGB signal sources than PC to VGA monitors.
sfnet.harrastus.audio+video usein kysytyt kysymykset (FAQ) and sfnet.harrastus.elektroniikka usein kysytyt kysymykset are the official FAQs for two Finnish sfnet newsgroups. Those two FAQs are written in Finnish.
I started FAQs started sometimes in the 1990’s when I was a student at Helsinki University of Technology, nowadays from the beginning of 2010 known as Aalto University School of Science and Technology. The University web server has hosted those FAQs for all those years, even after I got my degree. Nowadays due the changes the old web system they got is retiring, so I the FAQs needed a new home.
Being the webmaster at a ePanorama.net I decided that this web site is a good new home for those FAQs. Moving the FAQs to here was easy, but making sure everybody will find the new location can be a task before the old address stops working.
I have already submitted the new URL to Google and added redirects to old address (let’s hope they will stay there active for a long time). I also need to inform the sfnet usenet newsgroup maintainers of the new web address so it gets posted to newsgroups instead of the old one. And then there are many other search engined to to take care. So what are the the best tools nowadays to add/update the URLs on the major search engines easily? I would prefer free on-line tools to do that.
Differential amplifier approach uses an operational Amplifier. Operational Amplifiers only amplify the difference between the two input lines. This method eliminates common mode noise between the incoming signals by making A-B=C, as only the difference between A & B are amplified. Operational amplifiers is maintain wide bandwidth signals throughout your system while eliminating ground loop problems that are caused by power and video. Differential video amplifier inputs are used in some video equipments (typically some video projectors) and video distribution amplifiers to fight against ground loop problems.
Differential video amplifiers have a limitation on their input voltage range which gives some limitations how much common mode signal those circuits can tolerate. If the ground potential difference is more than few volts, then operational amplifier based isolators don’t work effectively. Too high voltage difference can cause problems from very distorted video signal to damaged differential video amplifier. If the voltage difference is a substantial proportion of the DC supply voltage of the amplifier, you will probably have trouble using an amplifier alone.
It is a good idea to measure the voltage difference before using differential video amplifiers to be sure not to damage them. Measuring can be done using a multi-meter (check using both AC and DC ranges) or better using a scope earthed to the mains supply, and put the probe on the earth connection of the incoming video cable. If you many potential difference which are many volts, then you have quite probably something wrong in the grounding of the building and you should consult a qualified electrician to check and correct this potentially a dangerous problem
Image source: http://www.edn.com/archives/1997/050897/10di_06.htm#Figure%201
Look also: http://pdf1.alldatasheet.co.kr/datasheet-pdf/view/136144/MAXIM/MAX9546.html
The days when you can fix your own car may be coming to an end. New vehicles have complex on-board computerized systems densely packed under the hood. Mechanics face an ever climbing learning curve to keep up with advancing automotive technology. We need some technology to solve this problem.
Columbia University’s Computer Graphics and User Interface Lab have created a system that guides you as you make repairs. ARMAR, or Augmented Reality for Maintenance and Repair, is a head mounted display unit that provides graphic overlays to assist you in making repairs. The system has been recently tested with the United States Marine Corps on an armored turret and information on it is published in IEEE. The system guides the user to the damaged area and displays 3D animations to demonstrate what to do. An Android phone provides an interface to control the graphics you view during the process.
I saw this mentioned first in Slashdot Technology: Augmented Reality To Help Mechanics Fix Vehicles. Augmented Reality To Help Military Mechanics Fix Vehicles (Video) article gives you more detailed information and video material.
GUIs are fine, but to unlock the real power of Linux®, there’s no substitute for the command line. Learn Linux, 101: The Linux command line article is about getting comfortable with GNU and UNIX commands if you are not already comfortable with them. In this article, Ian Shields introduces you to some of the major features of the bash shell. By the end of this article, you will be comfortable using basic Linux commands like echo and exit, setting environment variables, and gathering system information.
Lazy Linux: 10 essential tricks for admins tells you tricks how to be a more productive Linux systems administrator. Learn these 10 tricks and you’ll be a powerful Linux® systems administrator. You will need these tips to play in the big leagues. Learn about SSH tunnels, VNC, password recovery, console spying, and more.
10 important Linux developments everyone should know about celebrates the 10 years of Linux accomplishments. The Linux® technology, development model, and community have all been game-changing influences on the IT industry, and all we can really do is stand back and look at it all. The Linux zone team has put together this greatly abbreviated collection of things that stand out in our minds as having rocked the world of Linux in a significant way.
The end of physical formats for movie and TV shows could be called digital convergence, a happy, wonderfully singular, unified digital world. Content moves seamlessly from your multifunction portable device to your TV, between your computers, and to every monitor and audio system and random networked appliance in between. This would be theoretically and technically possible, but in real life it does not seem to happen any time soon.
The Infinite Video Format War is Coming tells that the end to physical video formats doesn’t mean an end to format wars. In fact, once film and television content are no longer bound by physical media, we’re in for the mother of all format wars. When the physical disk media is gone, there won’t be just two, or three formats even. We’re talking 10 or 20 disc-free formats at the minimum, all with their own subscriptions, fee rates, movie selections, file resolutions and formats, use restrictions, preferred content providers and sometimes even hardware. Without discs, we may very well be screwed. The online distribution landscape is messy, uncoordinated and fragmented, and it’s going to get worse.
Convergence is the consumer’s dream: one system that supports all. Currently there is no magical box or service that will deliver everything, and there will probably be no such thing anytime soon.
But companies are doing their own daydreaming. Companies are mostly thinking about their own “ecosystems” —vertically integrated offerings. Within these ecosystems, there is limited convergence. This does now serve the customers well. This will hurt the business development in the short and long run.
For the time being, neither Microsoft’s nor Apple’s ecosystems play nice with each other. And many other companies are pushing to the market with their own ecosystems. So we’re stuck with half-assed solutions. Many of them. You’ll definitely need a hardcore PC or Mac Pro to handle new video content, not to mention multiple client applications and some ingenious and possibly unlawful way of getting the stuff to your TV.
It would seem that the solution would be to choose a single distributor. But licensing on the content side makes this impossible.
Welcome to the N-format war.
New Line Techtalk Phantom Supply web page shows how to build a very simple design for a phantom supply. Now since the question was for a simple phantom supply, fed by batteries, the choice was made to use two 9V batteries (since a lot of microphones can be run from phantom voltages as low as 10V).
On the same web page there is also another circuit for powering electret microphones is by means of “T-power”.
You can find more information on microphone powering at my document Powering microphones.
See ‘Avatar,’ Diagnose Your Vision Problems web article says that 56 percent of people aged 18 to 38 have vision problems that could make it difficult to view 3-D properly. Not everyone’s eyes can perceive perceive the stereo images correctly, and then their brain can’t merge them into one image in 3-D. This can cause a degree of discomfort, such as headaches, when watching 3D movie. That’s alarming news to people pushing 3D TV technology to every home if this figure is true.
I have already known for long time that another 5 percent of the population have problems that make it impossible to view in 3-D. But it was totally new that around half of the young population have some problems with 3D video viewing. The article says that there are therapeutic exercises that can be prescribed that enable some people to gain the ability to see in 3-D, but it won’t work for everyone.
I can imagine something like this happening in the future: A customer has bought a brand new 3D and comes back to shop to complain. The customer says: “I can’t see the image in 3D on this 3D TV you sold to me. The TV must be broken!”. The salesperson says: “There is nothing wrong with the TV. The problem is you. You have to go to therapy to get to see right way and believe that what you see is really 3D. What kind of therapy package you want to buy? I have a good selection of therapy products for this…” Is this imagination or future of the 3D TV?
The German and French governments have warned web users to find an alternative browser to Internet Explorer to protect security. Microsoft has admitted that IE was the weak link in recent attacks on Google’s systems. That Operation Aurora attack used Chinese malware. This broad attack exploits a new, not publicly known vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer. Once the malware is downloaded and installed, it opens a back door that allows the attacker to perform reconnaissance and gain complete control over the compromised system.
Microsoft says that the IE browsers’ increased security setting (security zone to “high”) would prevent any serious risk, but German authorities say that even this would not make IE fully safe. This is a vulnerability that was announced in the last couple of days. Microsoft said that all versions of Internet Explorer were affected and there is no patch yet and Microsoft has not given any details of how soon a fix will be released. The risk is lower with more recent releases of its browser, but it is still there. Google IE flaw issue was clearly a PR disaster for Microsoft. Microsoft is hoping that the knee-jerk reaction of France and Germany is not mirrored elsewhere.
So if you are still using IE 6, then it is finally time time to get rid of that very old insecure browser. Any IT professional who is still allowing IE6 to be used in a corporate setting is guilty of malpractice. If you use IE7 or IE8, you should consider to start using a safer web browser because independent research says that IE 7 and 8 can also be exploited.
When you do the change I would recommend to change to Firefox, Opera or Google Chrome. While every browser has its security issues, the alternatives I have given do not have this vulnerability and should be considerable safer alternatives to IE in many other ways as well.
Fiber optic microscopes are used to inspect connectors to check the quality of the termination procedure and diagnose problems. A well made connector will have a clean, smooth, polished and scratch free finish. There is not be any signs ofcracks, chips or fiber not even with the ferrule front. The magnification for viewing connectors can be 30 to 400 power but it is best to use a medium magnification. Dealextreme sells cheap Illuminated Pocket 60X to 100X Zoom Microscope that can be used for this if you make yourself a simple adapter that hold the fiber optic connector nicely in place when you want to look at it. It is hard to keep it steady while holding it at hand. You need to work out some kind of universal adapter for 2.5mm ferrules (works with FC/SC/ST connectors) and maybe another for 1.25 mm ferrules (LC and MU connectors) to keep the fiber well in place when you look at it.
A lot of “bad” fibers can be traced back to dirty connectors. You can see the dirt with microscope. But usually it is always easiest just to clean the connector every time you suspect it could be dirty. So always clean the fiber before plugging it into an interface. Cisco document Inspection and Cleaning Procedures for Fiber-Optic Connections gives you a lot of information on fiber connector cleaning.
WARNING: Remember to check that no power is present in the cable before you look at it in a microscope to protect your eyes! The microscope will concentrate any power in the fiber and focus it into your eye with potentially hazardous results. Some commercial fiver microscopes have laser safety filter in them but this DIY model does not have it.
