The Manufacturer

Buy a heating pad for Japan's Tsunami Survivors

(Kairo heating pads being distributed.)

 

Thousands of people who survived the tsunami on March 11, 2011 still live in temporary housing units in the Northeast Tohoku region. The temporary houses are small box-like trailers with some families living in 300-square-feet of space. This year’s severe winter weather has prompted Japanese nonprofit Project Fumbaro to fundraise for disposable heating pads to help these residents who may not have suitable heating in their housing units. This fundraiser is not only meant to keep people warm, but also to continue to give them hope.

 

(Temporary houses covered in snow this winter.)

Jonie Quimino and Christine Hitt visited the Tohoku region in September 2012 and met with Fumbaro Kyoto chapter representative Chiyoka Ajimoto (pictured left, below) on-site in Minamisanriku, an area that was completely wiped out by the tsunami. Ajimoto works directly with the people of Minamisanriku to help them understand they have not been forgotten. When Quimino and Hitt visited, Ajimoto had just completed a fundraiser to help the fishermen in the town. Donations were used to supply the fishermen with new buoys and fishing net weights. What many people do not realize is that while the earthquake and tsunami occurred two years ago, many survivors are still coming to terms with their losses and continue to need support in many areas. “Not being forgotten” is what countless people and survivors conveyed repeatedly, says Quimino and Hitt.

(Chiyoka Ajimoto, left, presenting supplies, that were bought using funds raised, to the fishermen in Minamisanriku, Sep 2012.)

 

Witnessing firsthand the impact that these donations had, Quimino and Hitt decided to help with Project Fumbaro’s efforts, along with other people from Honolulu, by extending aloha from outside of Japan.

 

 

Project Fumbaro’s goal is to raise enough money to give heating pads to as many people as possible in the tsunami-devastated regions to last them until spring, which is the end of April. One disposable, and wearable, heating pad costs approximately $11 and each has a lifespan of 16 hours. With your donation, you’ll not only be helping someone directly and personally affected by the tsunami get warm, but you’ll also be giving people hope and letting them know that they are not forgotten.

 

For more information on Project Fumbaro's efforts, visit their website at http://kyoto.fumbaro.org/?page_id=1950 (in Japanese).

Thank you for your generosity. Mahalo nui loa.

Wireless Valve Monitoring? Can Do.

There are many occasions when it would be advantageous to monitor valves wirelessly. To name just a few, remote-mounted manual valves; meter proving valves; well head valves; off-shore platform valves, where low energy is a plus; eye wash station and safety shower valves; tank farms; natural gas distribution valves; any automated valves; blind-mounted valves; tank valves; relief valves; stack valves; and contaminated area valves.

Let's start with a short history lesson. The rotary valve position indicating limit switch has evolved greatly during the past 20 years. Prior to the mid-1980s, it was common practice to mount any commercial limit switch to a quarter-turn valve device (90° rotation). Most of the switches available were typically lever type, with very expensive complex linkage and mounting hardware that was very difficult to adjust and wire.

In the mid-'80s, limit switches combined into a single box with a single output shaft. Adding a top-mounted visual indicator reduced the uncertainty about whether a valve was open or closed. This design offers switches in a rotary shaft–operated box with independently adjustable cams, providing one or more conduit connections to a single box for all valve assembly wiring. This eliminated multiple switch housings and junction boxes.

When combined with a top-mounted visual indicator, this set a new standard for the valve industry and revolutionized the valve automation market.

During the next 15 years, many other domestic and international manufacturers developed similar technologies. Some incorporated a solenoid pilot valve as an integral part of the box, making field installation and wiring even easier.

Source: http://www.isa.org/InTechTemplate.cfm?Section=InTech&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=17225

Cannes heist gang grabs hotel safe with $1m worth of movie star bling

Thieves have ripped a safe from the wall of a hotel room near the Cannes Film Festival and made off with around $1m (€780,000) worth of jewellery.

The late-night burglary happened just hours after the screening of Sofia Coppola's Bling Ring, a film about break-ins at the homes of Hollywood celebrities.

The well-planned robbery at the Novotel hotel took place in the room of a representative of Chopard, the Swiss-based watch and jewellery maker and festival sponsor that was hosting a gala event in a far ritzier hotel around the same time, officials said.

The jewellery was "very probably" in the Novotel in connection with the festival, said Cmdr Bernard Mascarelli, a judicial police spokesman in nearby Nice, though he didn't know who it might have been intended for.

 

Source: http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/cannes-heist-gang-grabs-hotel-safe-with-1m-worth-of-movie-star-bling-29277496.html

What's the Best iPad Stylus for Touch Screen Tablets?

If you enjoy using the many art apps available for the iPad, you may have considered getting a pen or stylus for iPad sketching, drawing, and painting more precise and comfortable. Or perhaps you want to scribble notes and ideas, or you don't like getting finger smudges on your touch screen glass.   

Here are a few pointers regarding factors you'll want to consider when choosing a stylus for iPad or other touch screen device:

Sensitivity - How hard or light do you need to touch the screen to register the stylus taps and drags? The lighter you need to touch the screen, the better.

Drag - This is similar to sensitivity but it relates more to the friction of a dragging motion, which is important for art applications. The tip material of the stylus will be what determines drag. Less drag or friction is better. You want the stylus tip to glide across the screen effortlessly.

Length - Judging by the design of most styli on the market, length is not something a lot of people consider--but it is important. You want a stylus with a length that corresponds to the size of the device you'll be using it with. With a short stylus on a larger device like the iPad, you are going to have your arm and hand blocking a good portion of the screen most of the time. With a stylus that corresponds to the size of your device, you will be able to see all of the screen.

 

Apple Accessories

Rumors are circling that Apple’s major parts manufacturer, Foxconn, is trying to shift its business away from being as dependent on Apple. To do this, Foxconn is reportedly both looking at creating its own branded Apple accessories as well as by finding more clients to partner with in order manufacture more products.

While no figures have been released, analysts estimate that roughly 50% of Foxconn’s revenue comes from its work for Apple. As Apple continues to hire more and more manufacturing companies to help produce its products, Foxconn is looking to find other ways to make money that are less dependent on Apple. The company is reportedly now considering to manufacture and sell its own Apple accessories, like iPhone cases, as a different means of generating revenue.

While Foxconn would still be somewhat dependant on Apple if it were making accessories for the company’s products, it would have much more control than it does now simply manufacturing official Apple products.

Foxconn is also reportedly aggressively seeking more clients to sign manufacturing deals with. Foxconn already deals with several other major companies, including Microsoft, Sony and Amazon.

Foxconn’s revenue was down nearly 20% this past quarter, as sales begin to slow with no new Apple product releases.

News source: http://www.macgasm.net/2013/05/27/foxconn-to-start-producing-its-own-apple-accessories/

Intelligent Solar Outdoor Lighting

The following is the news about the solar outdoor lighting. If you want to save your electricity, maybe you should take a look at this article. (This article is from CAPE Business News.) 

17 Aug 2011: Intelligent Solar Outdoor Lights

THE advantages of solar lighting for streets and public areas is that no cabling is required for installation and there is no power consumption. Thus installation and running costs are reduced.

One disadvantage has been that the solar panels and batteries are stolen for use elsewhere.

The new self-contained Solar Courtyard/Street lights from AC/DC Dynamics are totally self contained. They mount on a mast, pole or wall.

The PV solar panel is built in to the top of the fitting and the batteries are securely contained within the fitting.

No external solar panel, no external battery box and no interconnecting cables are required.

Solar Courtyard / Street Lights are an intelligent outdoor lighting system newly released by AC/DC Dynamics.

It combines high efficiency solar panel, controller, human infrared sensor, high- capacity lithium battery and LED lighting into a compact and secure housing.

This fully self contained fitting can mount onto a wall, such as the side of a building, or onto a mast or pole.

These are excellent for Eco estates or any new residential or business estate. They reduce infrastructure cost; there are no cable trenches to be dug or cables to be laid, no DBs or street lighting minisubs required.

They reduce maintenance costs with long lamp life and no electricity consumption. For Eco estates, these align perfectly to their core values.

Solar light captures the maximum source energy from sun during daytime and use this energy during the night for illumination, says Tino Silva of AD/DC in Paarden Eiland.

These self contained solar street lights combine a highly efficient solar panel which is connected to a high capacity lithium battery that powers the PIR sensor and the two-stage super bright LED light source.

It’s extremely versatile, light weight and is perfect for worldwide weather conditions as it captures the maximum energy from the sun.

It offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution to illuminate areas where it is difficult and expensive to install conventional mains powered lighting.

A daylight sensor turns the light on to illuminate the area for night time. When a car or person approaches the fitting, the movement sensor changes the light output to extra hi-bright to increase the illumination.

An adjustable timer maintains the hi-bright output for a period of time after there is no further movement.

Besides the features of the integrated design, portability and easy installation, it has a graceful aesthetic form with a robust and secure construction which supports the user’s personalized application requirements and creates a suitable application experience, according to Silva.

The two stage lighting feature provides adequate light when no one is near, super hi-bright light when motion is detected while saving energy to prolong available light hours from one daytime charge.

The new AC/DC Dynamics LED solar street lights come in power sizes of 5, 8 or 10W.

With one daytime charge, the illumination time from in normal light mode is 30 hours and in super hi-bright mode it is 17 hours.

 

After reading this article, you may know how to reduce your electrical bill with solar outdoor lighting.