RBSe

Pluto Mission USPS Stamp:

2012-02-11T07:16:00.001-08:00

Join the petition for a Pluto Mission USPS stamp...

<div id="change_BottomBar"><span id="change_Powered">Change.org</span>|<span id="change_Start">Start an Online Petition »</span></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://e.change.org:80/flash_petitions_widget.js?width=300&petition_id=205884&color=1A3563"></script>

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

A true LOL.. Fw: [NSFW] Alcohol + Fireworks = FAIL

2011-12-18T10:19:00.001-08:00

This is a true LOL... B-)

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

--- On Sun, 12/18/11, David Hunt <wifi.engineer@gmail.com> wrote:

From: David Hunt <wifi.engineer@gmail.com>
Subject: [NSFW] Alcohol + Fireworks = FAIL
Date: Sunday, December 18, 2011, 12:56 AM

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Untitled

2011-12-04T12:50:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Fw:

2011-12-04T12:09:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

--- On Sun, 12/4/11, Robert Stretton <rstretton@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Robert Stretton <rstretton@gmail.com>
Subject:
To: "Robert Stretton" <rbse@yahoo.com>
Date: Sunday, December 4, 2011, 11:43 AM

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Access your files from anywhere!...

2011-10-03T12:51:00.001-07:00

Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free!

http://db.tt/eVSTKKg

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Access your files from anywhere!...

2011-10-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! http://db.tt/eVSTKKg

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Scientists discover faster than light particles...

2011-09-22T19:59:00.001-07:00

Scientists discover faster than light particles...

This is a time-lapse photo taken by the Chandra X-Ray Telescope with an exposure time of about 30 hours.

It is looking straight down the center of a galactic jet from a super-massive black hole.

What i see is X-rays falling away from the center like a spray of water which is blue.

all you see in the center is white, and beyond the white that you cannot see is most of the energy emitted.

As you fall away from the center the speed slows down from the invisible to the visible like a spray of a water jet...

That would explain the energy conversion based on how much energy gets pulled in...

The black hole is massive in comparison to it's galactic jets, but the jets are spewing most of the energy in faster than light particles.

That's the dark energy.

It's dark because it is moving faster than the speed of light and cannot be seen, and is everywhere...

You heard it hear first...

B-)

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Five hidden dangers of Facebook (Q&A)

2011-08-29T08:09:00.001-07:00

1) Your information is being shared with third parties

2) Privacy settings revert to a less safe default mode after each redesign

3) Facebook ads may contain malware

4) Your real friends unknowingly make you vulnerable

5) Scammers are creating fake profiles

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20004511-83.html

===

Facebook is great, but protect yourself...

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Sunspot Breakthrough...

2011-08-25T13:40:00.001-07:00

Sunspot Breakthrough

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/25aug_sunspotbreakthrough/

The start of an Early Warning System for destructive solar flares...

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

rbse.us/freewifi

2011-08-15T12:55:00.001-07:00

I just started a HotSpot in my neighborhood...

If you are ever in the neighborhood connect to "rbse.us/freewifi" with your wifi device...

rbse.us/freewifi

(I can set you up with one too if you like... Call me...)

B-)

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

I'm sorry to announce the passing of my sister Terrylynne Stretton...

2011-07-11T10:57:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry to announce the passing of my sister Terrylynne Stretton...

My sister died in her sleep on 6/28/2011 so she felt no pain.

Although she was in a lot of pain lately.

She survived by her 3 sons Luther, Tony, Mike, and her daughter Chante

I have made a memorial website for her at:

http://rbse.us/terrylynne

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

FREE 2Gb virtual harddrive! Share files and folders with all your devices...

2011-04-21T15:09:00.001-07:00

Your files, anywhere

Any file you save to Dropbox also instantly saves to your computers, phones, and the Dropbox website.

2GB of Dropbox for free, with subscriptions up to 100GB available.
Your files are always available from the secure Dropbox website.
Dropbox works with Windows, Mac, Linux, iPad, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.
Works even when offline. You always have your files, whether or not you have a connection.
Dropbox transfers just the parts of a file that change (not the whole thing).
Manually set bandwidth limits -- Dropbox won't hog your connection.

Simple sharing

Shared folders allow people to work together on the same projects and documents.

Invite friends, family or teammates to a folder. It'll be as if you saved the folder to their computers.
See other people's changes instantly.
Create photo galleries viewable by anyone you choose.
Send a link to any file in your Dropbox using your Public folder.

Dropbox mobile

Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry keep your Dropbox at hand, even on the go.

Bring your files with you when you're on the go.
Edit files in your Dropbox from your phone.
Easily upload your photos and videos to Dropbox.
Share freely with family and friends.

Your stuff is safe

Dropbox protects your files without you needing to think about it.

Dropbox keeps a one-month history of your work.
Any changes can be undone, and files can be undeleted.
All transmission of file data occurs over an encrypted channel (SSL).
All files stored on Dropbox are encrypted (AES-256).

Use this link to sign-up so I get credit, thanks:

http://db.tt/XxRqmUD

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

UCLA researchers now 1 step closer to controlled engineering of nanocatalysts...

2011-04-21T07:58:00.001-07:00

Public release date: 19-Apr-2011

Contact: Wileen Wong Kromhout
wwkromhout@support.ucla.edu
310-206-0540
University of California - Los Angeles

UCLA researchers now 1 step closer to controlled engineering of nanocatalysts

Currently, some 20 percent of the world's industrial production is based on catalysts — molecules that can quicken the pace of chemical reactions by factors of billions. Oil, pharmaceuticals, plastics and countless other products are made by catalysts.

Many are hoping to make current catalysts more efficient, resulting in less energy consumption and less pollution. Highly active and selective nanocatalysts, for example, can be used effectively in efforts to break down pollution, create hydrogen fuel cells, store hydrogen and synthesize fine chemicals. The challenge to date has been developing a method for producing nanocatalysts in a controlled, predictable way.

In a move in this direction, Yu Huang, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, and her research team have proposed and demonstrated a new approach to producing nanocrystals with predictable shapes by utilizing surfactants, biomolecules that can bind selectively to certain facets of the crystals' exposed surfaces.

Their new study can be found online in the journal Nature Chemistry.

At the nanoscale, the physical and chemical properties of materials depend on the materials' size and shape. The ultimate goal has been to rationally engineer materials to achieve programmable structures and predictable properties, thereby producing the desired functions. Yet shaped nanocrystals are still generally synthesized by trial-and-error, using non-specific molecules as surfactants — a result of the inability to find appropriate molecules to control crystal formation.

Huang's team's innovative new work could change that, potentially leading to the ability to rationally produce nanocatalysts with desired shapes and, hence, catalytic properties.

"In our study, we were able to identify specific biomolecules — peptide sequences, in our case — which can recognize a desired crystal surface and produce nanocrystals exposed with a particular surface to control the shape," said Chin-Yi Chiu, a UCLA Engineering graduate student and lead author of the study.

"Facet-specific biomolecules can be used to direct the growth of nanocrystals, and most importantly, now we can do it in a predictable fashion," said Huang, senior author of the study. "This is still a first step, but we have overcome the challenges by finding the most specific and selective peptide sequences through a rational selection process."

Huang's team accomplished this by using a phage library that generated a pool of peptide sequences. The team was then able to identify the selectivity of peptide sequences on different crystal surfaces. The next step, the researchers say, is to figure out what exactly is happening on the interface and to be able to describe the characterizations of the interface.

"We don't know the molecular details yet — that's like the holy grail of molecular biomimetics," Huang said. "Take the catalyst, for example. If we can predict the synthesized catalyst for just one surface, it could have much more improved activity and selectivity. We are still in the initial phase of what we really want to do, which is to see whether or not we can eventually program the synthesis of material structures."

"It's always been a personal interest to learn from the natural evolutionary selection process and apply it to research," Chiu said. "It is especially satisfying to be able to engineer a rational selection process for nanoscale materials to create nanocrystals with desired shapes."

###

The study was funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research; the U.S. Army Research Office, through the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE); and a Sloan Research Fellowship.

The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, established in 1945, offers 28 academic and professional degree programs and has an enrollment of almost 5,000 students. The school's distinguished faculty are leading research to address many of the critical challenges of the 21st century, including renewable energy, clean water, health care, wireless sensing and networking, and cybersecurity. Ranked among the top 10 engineering schools at public universities nationwide, the school is home to seven multimillion-dollar interdisciplinary research centers in wireless sensor systems, nanoelectronics, nanomedicine, renewable energy, customized computing, and the smart grid, all funded by federal and private agencies.

For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Click this link to call me on Skype:
Skype: robert.stretton

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Fw: TU scientists in Nature: Better control of building blocks for quantum computer...

2010-12-25T09:24:00.001-08:00

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

--- On Sat, 12/25/10, Robert Stretton <rbse@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Robert Stretton <rbse@yahoo.com>
Subject: TU scientists in Nature: Better control of building blocks for quantum computer...
To: "Robert B Stretton" <rbse@yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, December 25, 2010, 9:19 AM
TU scientists in Nature: Better control of building blocks for quantum computer

Share:

E-mail:

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Bookmark:

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[-] Text [+]

Featured In: Industry News

EurekAlert | Thursday, December 23, 2010

HotSearch

Double-click any word to search

Highlight any phrase & click HotSearch

Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands have succeeded in controlling the building blocks of a future super-fast quantum computer. They are now able to manipulate these building blocks (qubits) with electrical rather than magnetic fields, as has been the common practice up till now. They have also been able to embed these qubits into semiconductor nanowires. The scientists' findings have been published in the current issue of the science journal Nature (23 December).

Spin

A qubit is the building block of a possible, future quantum computer, which would far outstrip current computers in terms of speed. One way to make a qubit is to trap a single electron in semiconductor material. A qubit can, just like a normal computer bit, adopt the states '0' and '1'. This is achieved by using the spin of an electron, which is generated by spinning the electron on its axis. The electron can spin in two directions (representing the '0' state and the '1' state).

Electrical instead of magnetic

Until now, the spin of an electron has been controlled by magnetic fields. However, these field are extremely difficult to generate on a chip. The electron spin in the qubits that are currently being generated by the Dutch scientists can be controlled by a charge or an electric field, rather than by magnetic fields. This form of control has major advantages, as Leo Kouwenhoven, scientist at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at TU Delft, points out: 'These spin-orbit qubits combine the best of both worlds. They employ the advantages of both electronic control and information storage in the electron spin.'

Nanowires

There is another important new development in the Dutch research: the scientists have been able to embed the qubits (two) into nanowires made of a semiconductor material (indium arsenide). These wires are of the order of nanometres in diameter and micrometres in length. Kouwenhoven: 'These nanowires are being increasingly used as convenient building blocks in nanoelectronics. Nanowires are an excellent platform for quantum information processing, among other applications.'
Sincerely,
Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

The world's first HIDE-ENGINE... [[ - GetLost - ]]

2010-12-04T12:41:00.001-08:00

~[ http://RBSe.us/getlost ]~

[[ - GetLost - ]]

The world's first HIDE-ENGINE...

"It's Nonexploratory!"

( We are not resposible for what you may find by using this link. )
If you want to be randomly teleported elsewhere in cyberspace...

Click -[ ]- Here

Since 1999... B-)

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

VOID my previous post about KAEF-TV...

2010-10-31T20:07:00.001-07:00

VOID my previous post about KAEF-TV...
It was a big misunderstanding.
Ray, the engineer, uses a cellphone in the office.
My call was dropped not ignored.
Working on a solution to my reception problem.

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

1-star review (1 out of 5) for KAEF-TV...

2010-10-27T19:33:00.001-07:00

1-star review at:
http://local.yahoo.com/details?id=21709500&tab=reviews&rvwconf=1

This was also posted to:
Twitter
Facebook
Blogspot
Posterous

===

Kaef Tv Channel
(707) 444-2323
540 E St, Eureka,CA 95501
Cross Streets: Between US-101 and 6th St

I bought a new digital TV and set it up with auto-channel detection, and channel 23 comes up and says "scrambled" audio, no sound. I call the station to ask them about the scrambled channel and the person that answered the phone says, "Oh you want to talk to our engineer Ray, he's a real nice guy." She gave me the number to call Ray, so I called and asked for Ray and they asked who was calling and I gave them my name and was placed on hold for about 30 seconds then Ray answers the phone and says, "this is Ray?" then a pause, so I said, Good afternoon Ray. I have a quick question. I bought a new TV and your channel audio is scrambled, what can you tell me about it?", and before I finished my question we were disconnected. I called back and explained we were disconnected. She put me on hold for about a minute then it went to voice-mail... Really...(?)

It would appear that KAEF TV 23 here in Eureka could care less if I can get their station or not. I called back the first person I talked to here in Eureka and told her that Ray was NOT a nice person and refused to take my call, and I want to talk to whom ever is in charge. She took my name and number and assured me someone would call... Right...
They DO NOT care about their public viewers. I filed a complaint with the FCC as well. And, I will NOT support their advertisers and I plan to tell them why. If you want good people that are helpful, care about the public, and good programming turn your TV to KIEM-TV channel 3.

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Data from NASA planetary missions, astronomical observations, and laboratory measurements...

2010-10-20T19:53:00.001-07:00

The PDS archives and distributes scientific data from NASA planetary missions, astronomical observations, and laboratory measurements. The PDS is sponsored by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Its purpose is to ensure the long-term usability of NASA data and to stimulate advanced research...::: http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/index.shtml

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

World's largest solar plant wins key approval...

2010-09-16T15:46:00.001-07:00

By Sarah McBride

LOS ANGELES

| Thu Sep 16, 2010 12:49am EDT

LOS ANGELES

(Reuters) - The world's largest solar power plant cleared an important hurdle on Wednesday, laying the groundwork for a dramatic expansion in solar energy generation in the United States and around the world.

The proposed $6 billion-plus Blythe, California plant, originally proposed by Chevron Corp. and Solar Millennium AG, won clearance to build from the California Energy Commission.

The plant has a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. By comparison, for all of last year, the U.S. installed about 481 megawatts of solar energy, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association. The largest solar plants to date are in the 200-350 megawatt range.

The Blythe plant essentially groups four 250-MW plants, with the first slated to start generating electricity in 2013. The total pricetag is estimated at north of $6 billion.

On Wednesday, Solar Millennium said it and Ferrostaal AG were the sole two co-developers, working through a U.S. joint venture, Solar Trust of America LLC. Chevron Corp. maintained it was still a co-developer through Chevron Energy Solutions.

The commission said it had received no word that Chevron had dropped out. Although Chevron is still listed as a developer on the commission's website, it didn't mention Chevron in its press release about the approval.

The developers have already struck an agreement with Southern California Edison, which has said it will purchase the full capacity of the first two plants.

The plant will make electricity by using mirrors to heat a fluid that generates steam, which expands through steam turbine generators. The technique is known as parabolic trough technology.

It is one of nine proposed California solar plants that federal and state regulators are trying to evaluate by the end of the year.

Solar plants that begin construction before December 31 qualify for a Treasury Department grant totaling 30 percent of a project's cost, as part of last year's economic stimulus package.

Building Blythe would create up to 1,004 construction jobs, a spokeswoman for Solar Millennium says. Unemployment in the area slated for the plant is above the state average of 12.35, commissioners said during a meeting Wednesday.

If all nine fast-tracked plants win approval and are constructed, they will create an additional 4,300 megawatts of solar power. But the bulk of the plants won't start generating energy until 2013.

For Blythe, the developers still need final approval from the Bureau of Land Management for use of public lands. The BLM is scheduled to rule on the matter toward the end of next month.

To win the most favorable financing from outside investors, the developers must also secure a Department of Energy loan.

The DOE is currently evaluating the Blythe plant's proposal, including its engineering and financial models.

Having the DOE approval "really lowers the risk to the eventual lender," says Burt Chao, an analyst at Simmons & Co. "The government's pretty thorough in vetting these projects."

The DOE, which has a large backlog of applications, is reviewing them "as quickly and efficiently as possible," says Julie Offner, a DOE loan-guarantee analyst.

(Reporting by Sarah McBride; editing by Sofina Mirza-Reid)

===eof===

This is a major step forward...

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Tech Industry Opposes Possible FM Chip Mandate for Mobile Devices...

2010-08-25T09:53:00.001-07:00

Tech Industry Opposes Possible FM Chip Mandate for Mobile Devices

A coalition of six technology industry associations sent a letter today to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the U.S. House and Senate Judiciary Committees urging them to resist efforts to include an FM technology mandate for mobile devices in any legislation addressing an unrelated conflict between the broadcast and recording industries over royalties.

Calls for an FM chip mandate are not about public safety but are instead about propping up a business which consumers are abandoning as they avail themselves of new, more consumer-friendly options,” the associations wrote. “It is simply wrong for two entrenched industries to resolve their differences by agreeing to burden a third industry - which has no relationship to or other interest in the performance royalty dispute - with a costly, ill-considered and unnecessary new mandate.”

The proposed imposition of an FM chip mandate is not necessary for resolution of the dispute between performance artists and broadcasters and, if adopted, it would be bad policy for several reasons:

•Mandating that every wireless device include an FM chip would require consumers to pay more for a function that they may not desire or ever use.

•The groups that are parties to the discussions over the performance rights royalty issue lack any expertise in the development of wireless devices and are in no position to dictate what type of functionality is included in a wireless device.

•Development by the technology industry and government of a mobile broadcast emergency alerting system makes the requirement unnecessary.

The following Presidents and Chief Executive Officers of CTIA-The Wireless Association®, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the Information Technology Industry Council, the Rural Cellular Association, TechAmerica and the Telecommunications Industry Association signed the letter.

To see a copy of the letter, go to: http://files.ctia.org/pdf/Leahy_Conyers_Letter.pdf
Wireless Design & Development

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Warning RETRACTED... They met my needs and refunded my money, thumbs up... B-)

2010-08-18T17:44:00.001-07:00

Warning RETRACTED... They met my needs and refunded my money, thumbs up... B-)

I am satisfied with Buy.com and their prompt response, therefore, i will continue to use their services. These are the kind of folks I like to do business with, they make sure you're happy. Nice to see that these days

Congrats Buy.com

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Warning update...

2010-08-16T13:36:00.001-07:00

I was compelled to post this warning here after I received this response:

The first sentence says;

"We apologize for UPS's rough handling of your order. "

Do you blame me?

The best they would do is offer me 15% off my next order.

Right. Like I'm going to order something else from them...

Join my crusade...

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

WARNING! Do not purchase from Buy.com and ANTonline.com...

2010-08-16T07:34:00.001-07:00

WARNING! Do not purchase from Buy.com and ANTonline.com...

To whom it may concern,

I am very angry right now!
I just opened my package to find, after close inspection, 7 broken CD cases in my order.
The packing for this product was the poorest packing I've ever seen!
There is a lot of mass in 50 CD's & cases and must be packed correctly to survive the shipment, which this was not.
You cannot put that amount of mass in a thin bubble-bag, stick the CD's in the corner of the box, and put a wad of paper in the other corner, seal it up, and expect it to survive shipment.
That is pure stupidity!
Also, nowhere on the ad does it say "5-color pak" which is what i received, and the picture in your ad does not match what you sent me, they are clear on black in the photo. That's called a bait and switch and is illegal!
I expected clear & black like most cases and I assumed that was what I was getting, again, as in the photo.
I bought this because I needed it to do a job right away, and now I have to give my customers fruity colors! WTF!
I have to use what you sent me because of my deadline (which makes me look like an idiot) so I will be keeping what you sent me, but I want the 7 cases replaced at minimum.
You can send my replacements to the same address you sent the package.
If I have to do anything beyond writing this letter I WILL give you a bad review and you will have to explain to Buy.com why I no longer will be shopping through them.
The details of my purchase follow:

http://www.buy.com/prod/fujifilm-48x-cd-r-media-700mb-120mm-standard-50-pack-slim-jewel-case/q/listingid/1285617/loc/101/10378313.html
8/11/2010 3:10:12 PM

Fujifilm 48x CD-R Media - 700MB - 120mm Standard - 50 Pack Slim Jewel Case
* Marketplace Item -- Shipped by: ANTOnline

Qty: 1(50pc.)

...

Buyer beware...

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

I NEED CASH!!! Selling off networking gear...

2010-07-14T18:58:00.001-07:00

Dear Friend,

Still no word when my benefits will go back to $1050, instead of $635/month.
I need to pay some bills so I'm selling off what I can to make some cash.
There may be something here you are interested in, if not spread the word.
I currently have 5 auctions on eBay going to the highest bidder, check these out:

Auction ends 5:27, 5:37, 5:47 PM on 7/19/10

NETGEAR RP614v2 4-port Web Safe Router:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170512782433&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Complete Westell 6100 ADSL2+ Modem / Router Kit:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170512785109&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

WGR614 v6 54 Mbps Wireless Router with 4-port Switch:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170512787908&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Auction ends 6:00, & 6:13pm on 7/21/10

New Internet Videophone WVP-2100 by Wooksung Elect. Inc:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170513783513&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

New ACN IRIS 3000® Digital Videophone - Internet Phone:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170513786907&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Thanks for any help you can give...

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Virtual Business Cards - “Let you be their next déjà vu experience...”

2010-07-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

Virtual Business Cards
Here you will find 50 background templates for business cards and matching website background images (or forward your own). The goal here is to make your website look like your business card, and visa-versa, for a strong first, AND second impression. These files are free and available for the taking so you can do it yourself on vistaprint.com, or, I can do some or all it for you and your business...

Since the beginning of the World Wide Web I have found the best the web can offer for free. Many free software & webware programs are better than what you pay for because of dedicated people. I use all free software to make websites for people and small businesses. This keeps my overhead costs low which enables me to keep my prices low. I work out of my small office in the coastal town of Eureka, CA. I can have your web presence up and running in just a few hours. Everything is custom-made to fit your needs, yet simple to change. Give me a call and lets talk about what we can do... Thank You.

http://VirtualBusinessCards.net

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Trimble Empowers Gulf Region to Map the Oil Spill with New Mobile App

2010-07-04T14:38:00.001-07:00

Trimble Empowers Gulf Region to Map the Oil Spill with New Mobile App

SUNNYVALE, Calif., /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Trimble announced the launch of Map the Spill, a mobile app and Website that empowers Gulf Coast residents and the public to report on the oil spill. Map the Spill allows those directly and indirectly impacted by the spill to capture and chronicle what they see happening to the land, sea and wildlife in their areas.

Using rich media and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, citizens can be part of a mass data collection process. The free app is currently available on Android and BlackBerry mobile phones and will be available soon on the iPhone. Scientists, government agencies and non-governmental agencies (NGOs) that are taking part in clean-up efforts can use the data and content created and shared by Map the Spill users to assist in their efforts.

Focused on helping to capture the impacts and clean-up efforts of the largest oil disaster in U.S. history, Map the Spill allows users to log reports, upload photos, map their locations and share updates with other users. Mapthespill.org will serve as a content repository as well as a source for the latest news and tweets on the oil spill.

"Map the Spill provides an opportunity for individuals who are being affected by the oil spill to get the word out on the real-time repercussions as well as the collective clean-up efforts," said Rich Rudow, general manager of Trimble Outdoors. "Map the Spill empowers citizens in a way never done before, so entire communities can be a part of the reporting and clean up. Now individuals in the Gulf Coast can have an opportunity to take part in the oil spill story as it unfolds."

Map the Spill is collaborating with response teams and non-profit groups -- such as the Alabama Coastal Foundation and Mobile Bay Keepers -- to ensure the most helpful and relevant data is being collected by the public and volunteers.

"This application will be an invaluable tool for citizens in coastal areas affected by the oil release. The geographic scope of the spill as well as the nature of the oil coming onshore makes tracking and identifying oil impacted areas a monumental task; having so many sets of eyes on the coast will be an incredible asset," said Bethany Kraft, executive director of the Alabama Coastal Foundation. "Our own volunteer field observers will be able to migrate their data collection capabilities online and the mapping feature will allow the Alabama Coastal Foundation and our partners to identify areas that are not being covered so that we can direct volunteers to those locations that need special attention."

Wireless Design & Development
© 2010 Advantage Business Media

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Positive Living Center Newsletter #0002

2010-01-21T15:41:00.000-08:00

Positive Living Center Newsletter #0002

snow in Eureka!?...

2009-12-06T14:34:00.001-08:00

"ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST... SHOWERS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL OR EVEN A FEW FLURRIES BEGINNING LATER THIS AFTERNOON."

Issued by The National Weather Service
Eureka, CA
3:59 am PST, Sun., Dec. 6, 2009

We will see...

in reference to:

"Issued by The National Weather ServiceEureka, CA 3:59 am PST, Sun., Dec. 6, 2009"
- Local Weather Alert for Eureka, CA - weather.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

People For a Human Rights Sanctuary?

2009-12-04T08:08:00.001-08:00

People For a Human Rights Sanctuary?

We’re a group of very concerned, active, and local residents who have united to address consistently ignored issues of poverty, of certain chronic suffering, and oppression of homeless people- that requires greater focus by everyone. Each day harassed, and with another pending nightfall… the necessity to rest, to sleep… and with no sanctuary.

International Treaties, the U.S. Constitution, courts at every level in this country have established the obvious- that sleep is a human necessity. Also, they’ve established that depriving someone of sleep is cruelty. However, local police, judges, and the public continue to treat homeless people who must live and sleep in public as if they’re committing crimes. In the rare instance that a homeless person has support to challenge, in the local courts, “criminal charges” of sleeping, he or she wins or the case is dismissed.

The public’s belief that homeless people are living outside of the law hardens personal prejudice and adds more conflict to a people already facing painful and critical situations. Homelessness growing, no relief in sight, all of us facing deeper economic woes, lost jobs, state budget cuts, etc.

The illegality of local police and government practices against homeless people is never mentioned in the media nor talked about by officials. It is imperative that all of us who know the truth help bring it to others now, so that these practices of harassment, threatening arrest, physical abuse, and confiscating peoples’ personal property ceases. Such practices cause great stress and injury and allow prejudice to grow. Criminalizing of homeless people must stop.

We have plans to create a well organized and well maintained camp, a human rights sanctuary, with and for homeless people- a prototype for other sanctuaries that may follow. This will take skills and effort from people from all walks of life. We are also being advised by competent legal support. Communities in other cities are busy following this same course.

Tell everyone you know about the March on September 12th . We are open to and encouraged by more folks who would like to share ideas or get involved in any way.

http://peopleproject.wordpress.com/

===eof===

Do your part in your town to help.
Support the efforts.

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

COMMENTARY - Ten emerging technologies to watch in 2010...

2009-11-30T09:01:00.001-08:00

COMMENTARY - Ten emerging technologies to watch in 2010

By Peter Clarke
EE Times (11/18/09, 11:40:00 AM EST)

LONDON — EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010.

Recessions are the times of change when R&D investments get pushed to the fore. It is well known that when markets and prosperity return they never return in exactly the same form that they went away.

We have deliberately favored the hardware- and physically based side of the technology landscape, although software is also likely to increase its impact and importance in 2010.

There are also some technology trends that are so self-evident and long-term that we have not listed them. We would include amongst these the need to reduce power consumption and the need to pursue low-carbon and reduced materials content solutions. We see these as drivers for some of the more detailed technologies we list below. We don't claim to have a perfectly accurate piezoelectric crystal ball, but some technologies and some technology providers are going to change the landscape in 2010. The ten technologies listed below, in no particular order, might just be part of our changing times.

1. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics

A number of companies and research institutions have shown how brain waves, captured using sensors on a skull cap or head-set, can be used to control computer systems. The applications are medical — giving communications and control of the environment to heavily disabled people — military and, increasingly, in consumer and computer games control interfaces. This may seem like science fiction but the thought-control human-computer interface is here now and is being promoted by companies such as Emotiv Systems Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.).

2. Printed electronics

The possibility of the rapid printing of multiple conductive, insulating and semiconductive layers to form electronic circuits holds out the prospect of much lower cost ICs than those prepared by conventional fabrication methods. Printing semiconductors usually implies the use of organic materials (although see below) with very different performance to silicon. It is also implies much larger minimum geometries than can be attained in silicon. But there are applications that can benefit from modest performance on flexible subtrates at low cost; the RFID tag is one and the active-matrix backplane for displays is another.

Kovio Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.), a privately-held pioneer in printed silicon electronics, has been plowing the printed electronics furrow since the company was founded in 2001, and in July 2009 announced that it had raised $20 million in Series E financing. Kovio said it planned to use the money to commence volume shipments of its Kovio RF barcodes.

3. Plastic memory

This is allied to printed electronics as it may well be produced using printing, it may well have modest performance compared to silicon, but it is expected to be low cost. One pioneer in this area is Thin Film Electronics ASA (Oslo, Norway) which has tried for a number of years to get the technology out the door and spent some time working with Intel.

The technology is based on polythiophenes, a family of polymers that display ferroelectric properties. The memories are rewritable, non-volatile, show more than ten years data retention and one million cycles, according to Thin Film Electronics. In September 2009 PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG (Fuerth, Germany) used the technology to make a 20-bit memory on a roll-to-roll line using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the substrate.

4. Maskless lithography

For many people the main question that hangs over semiconductor lithography is when will extreme ultra violet lithography take over from immersion lithography? But there is a dark horse in the race, maskless lithography based on an electron beam, which is being pioneered by Mapper Lithography BV (Delft, The Netherlands).

In July 2009 Mapper shipped a 300-mm electron-beam lithography platform to CEA-Leti in Grenoble, France, where it was set to be used for R&D by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. TSMC is one of the key researchers of lithography and the company's interest in the Mapper technology is at the very least keeping the likes of ASML and Nikon working hard.

5. Parallel processing

This technology is already here in the form of the dual- and quad-core PC processors and the multicore heterogeneous processors used for embedded applications. However, there is as yet little formal understanding of how multiple processors will be programmed and used for the utmost computational and power efficiency.

This is one of the core problems in Information Technology that has faced the industry since the advent of the processor and we are still working away at it. Initiatives such as OpenCL and Cuda speak to that as do the prospect of using graphics processors as general purpose processors, as well as FPGAs and software programmable processor arrays. We expect a lot more activity in 2010.

6. Energy harvesting

Energy harvesting is not a new idea. We have had the motion-powered wristwatch for many years. But as electronic circuits move from consuming milliwatts to consuming microwatts an interesting thing happens. It becomes possible to contemplate drawing power for those circuits, not from the electricity grid or from a battery but from a variety of ambient phenomena. And this is expected to have far-reaching impact.

One of the early applications is to have vibration-powered, wireless sensors in place on machinery, in vehicles. The battery-less aspect of such sensors removes the need for maintenance. EnOcean GmbH (oberhaching, Germany) has pioneered the use of wireless, batteryless switches for use in building automation and is now helping to drive the EnOcean Alliance to form standards.

Nokia is looking at energy harvesting in the context of the mobile phone but has stressed it has no prototype as yet. But in 2010 all makers of mobile equipment have to be looking at energy harvesting to, at least, augment the battery life of their equipment.

7. Bio-electronics and wetware

This might be a bit more on the research side than the development side for 2010, but the coming together of the biological and the electronic is ripe for exploitation. We are used to the inclusion of hardware within animals in the form of under-the-skin tags for animals and heart pacemakers for human beings and the need to improve and reduce the cost of medical care is being felt acutely.

As the industry's capabilities in MEMS and organic electronics fabrication improves the scope for integration of tissues and electronic circuitry increases. Lab-on-a-chip is one manifestation of the technology, and here is an example from IBM disclosed recently, but it is also possible to grow biological cells on electronically addressable substrates. The opportunities for in-vitro diagnostics are clear. Information about the electrical behavior of individual cells and their reactions to drugs is a major focus for research in cardiac and neural ailments such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

So, in short, we expect a lot of research and the continued emergence of bio-electronics as a mainstream activity.

8. Resistive RAM or the memristor

The pursuit of the universal memory goes on. It needs to be simple like a DRAM, or preferably even simpler as those capacitors are a problem to scaling. It needs to be able to retain data for years with the power off and able to be used millions of times. It needs to be simple to make using conventional methods and with materials that are not out of place in conventional wafer fabs. And we still haven't found it yet.

Or have we?

In 2009 Unity Semiconductor Corp. emerged from seven years of stealthy research with its conductive metal oxide (CMOx) technology, although we are pleased to note that EE Times was reporting on Unity in April 2006. But 2009 has also seen the arrival on our radar screens of 4DS Inc., Qs Semiconductor Corp. and Adesto Technologies Inc.

We are also aware that many of the larger IDMs are active in RRAM. And the reference to the memristor is because two-terminal devices that display a memory-effect in their resistance characteristic are effectively the practical implementation of the theoretical work, championed by Hewlett-Packard Labs, on the memristor, often described as the fourth passive circuit element after resistors, capacitors and inductors.

9. The through-silicon via

The depth of the interconnect stack on top of the leading-edge silicon surface is deep and can vary markedly in minimum geometry. We have speculated that this could result in a splitting of front-end fab production into surface and local interconnect followed by higher stack connection, possibly in different wafer fabs.

The desire, for marketing as well as technical reasons, to mount multiple die in single packages is also driving a need for more sophisticated interconnect and the arrival of the through-silicon-via passing completely through a silicon wafer or die is clearly important in creating 3-D packages.

In May 2009 Austriamicrosystems started producing TSV parts on a foundry basis, targeting suppliers of devices for 3-D integration of CMOS ICs and sensor components. Expect more of the same in 2010.

10. Various battery technologies

We have become so used to Moore's law and the steady miniaturization of microelectronics it is easy to become frustrated with a technology that does not double in performance every two years. But battery technology is relatively mature and is not driven by the same forces as the integrated circuit. Indeed if energy storage becomes too dense it can become dangerous.

Nonetheless we all rely increasingly on batteries for energy storage and to power our various gadgets. Indeed it is arguable that without further breakthroughs in battery technology for electric vehicles the compatibility of the automobile and sustainable green transportation is in jeopardy. So the pressure is on.

Recent spins on nickel- and lithium-based battery chemistries, such as nickel oxyhydroxide, olivine-type lithium iron phosphate and nanowires, are gunning to displace the venerable but problematic alkaline-manganese dioxide formulations. ReVolt Technology, a developer of rechargeable zinc-air batteries, has selected Portland, Oregon as the location for its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing center. We expect similar developments to come on apace in 2010, and every smart battery is set to provide a power management IC opportunity.

===eof===

2010 will be an interesting year. I can't wait! B-)

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Computek Computers

2009-10-03T10:02:00.001-07:00

Check out this website I found at this link

Posted via web from rbse's posterous

2009-09-04T21:25:00.001-07:00

Voice object #2...

2009-08-31T15:15:00.001-07:00

Compare this one to the other and tell me which one sounds better...???... B-)

Audio Intro...

2009-08-31T15:07:00.001-07:00

This is a test of a voice object...

No sunspots: 96-year record will fall this week

2009-08-31T13:16:00.001-07:00

No sunspots: 96-year record will fall this week

Posted using ShareThis

Wikipedia Testing New Method to Curb False Info...

2009-08-28T09:47:00.001-07:00

(AP) -- Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that has drawn some decidedly juvenile pranks, is looking to impose more discipline with new restrictions on the editing of articles.

The latest changes come as Wikipedia tries to balance a need for credibility and a desire for openness.

While anyone can still edit entries, the site is testing pages that won't register changes until they are approved by an experienced Wikipedia editor.

If the site's users respond well to the test run, the new restrictions will apply to all entries for living people in the next few weeks.

The idea is to block the kind of high-profile vandalism that has marred some pages.

In one of the most recent embarrassments, Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd and Edward Kennedy were prematurely declared dead by rogue editors.

Still, Wikipedia risks discouraging legitimate editing if restrictions on changes or additions become too burdensome, keeping articles from getting better or keeping up with events. That may be especially true on more obscure pages with fewer active volunteers to approve edits in a timely way.

Aware of the risks, Wikipedia has set the criteria for "experienced editor" status relatively low. Users who are registered for a few days can give changes the OK, said Jay Walsh, a spokesman for the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, which runs the site.

A more uniform system for filtering changes on Wikipedia represents a step back from the site's original philosophy, which called for harnessing the collective knowledge of volunteer editors without any major restrictions.

But it is not the first time Wikipedia has attached some strings.

The same flagging process, for example, has been imposed on all entries in the German-language Wikipedia for more than a year.

On the English site, too, high-profile pages that are likely to be defaced, such as Michael Jackson's, have been tightly restricted.

Some observers believe Wikipedia must continue tightening editing policies if it wants to gain credibility.

"I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop," said Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at the Santa Clara University School of Law.

Goldman envisions a future Wikipedia curated by a relatively small group of dedicated editors. Under the current model, he said, there simply aren't enough volunteers to catch all errors.

"My hope is that Wikipedia still exists and is still considered a useful site," Goldman said. "But it will be at that point a very tightly controlled site. It won't have that veneer of a site that anyone can contribute to. They haven't closed the drawbridge. People can still get in. But it keeps going up and up and up."

Separately, the Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment group started by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, said Tuesday it is committing $2 million over two years to the Wikimedia Foundation. Omidyar Network's grant will support Wikimedia's goals of bringing free educational content to people around the world and supporting more people to help create that content.

It follows last week's announcement of a $500,000 grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to make Wikipedia's software more user friendly and to develop training materials to engage new potential volunteer editors.

===eof===

I find Wikimedia to be very helpful for the most part. I think some sort of policing is needed to protect the system from vandals though.

/rbs:.:.:

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

"Location, Location, Location" Twitter to have geographic coordinates:

2009-08-21T11:29:00.001-07:00

"Location, Location, Location" Twitter to have geographic coordinates: http://blog.twitter.com/2009/08/location-location-location.html B-)

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Search Engine with many media types. Each Summary has a thumbnail, SHARE links, Preview, Save, & Trash options:

2009-08-21T11:28:00.001-07:00

Search Engine with many media types. Each Summary has a thumbnail, SHARE links, Preview, Save, & Trash options - http://www.nexplore.com/

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Twitter cofounder Isaac "Biz" Stone - watch the interview...

2009-08-14T09:53:00.001-07:00

August 13, 2009

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone shares lessons learned from the site's recent crash, talks about the growing influence of the brand and speculates on the micro-blogging site's future.

Watch the interview:
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200908/20090813.html

===eof===

After viewing this interview, I'm confident that Twitter.com is here to stay. Tweets are a very powerful tool...

/rbs:.:.:
.

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake Aftershock Map...

2009-08-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

Loma Prieta Aftershock Map

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.socrata.com/dataset/Loma-Prieta-Aftershock-Map/6gva-9gis" title="Loma Prieta Aftershock Map" target="_blank"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loma Prieta Aftershock Map&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

===eof===

It looks like a giant volcano to me...

/rbs:.:.:
.

Why FaceBook really bought FriendFeed...

2009-08-11T12:48:00.001-07:00

Why FaceBook really bought FriendFeed

August 11, 2009 | Jim Connolly | Comments 11

So, FaceBook has acquired FriendFeed. This immediately got people speculating as to why FaceBook, with all those hundreds of millions of happy users, would want to buy FriendFeed. In short - FaceBook didn’t want to buy FriendFeed!

FaceBook bought talent - Not a platform

FaceBook is huge and has no need to buy in the relatively tiny number of users that FriendFeed has. So, this was not an acquisition of eyeballs.

The FriendFeed software is (as any geek will tell you) awesome; but that’s the problem. Geeks like us LOVE it, but it’s not usable enough for mainstream use. Although far superior to Twitter technically, FriendFeed lacks the instant usability that sites like Twitter offer.

So, I don’t believe FaceBook bought FriendFeed for the platform either.

FriendFeed does have one extremely valuable asset though - Talent!

In buying FriendFeed, FaceBook has just acquired the services of four extremely smart people; Bret Taylor, Sanjeev Singh, Jim Norris and Paul Buchheit. Before founding FriendFeed, these guys worked at Google and helped develop services like, Gmail, Google Maps and Google Groups.

Their market value is huge and that’s what I believe FaceBook is paying for.

In a press release accompanying the acquisition, FaceBook confirms the value it places on FriendFeed’s co-founders - saying they will; “hold senior roles on Facebook’s engineering and product teams.” The remaining 12 FriendFeed staff members will also be joining FaceBook, as part of the deal. At the time of writing this, there’s been no mention as to what FaceBook has paid for Friendfeed.

===eof===

We shall see what Facebook has to offer with this acquisition. I'm looking forward to the results...

RBSe.us
.

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

Now posting to all my social networking sites with one email...

2009-08-11T08:51:00.001-07:00

This message was sent to post@posterous.com and is distributed to my 3 (currently) social network sites, Twitter, Facebook, & Blogspot. You can cut-n-paste to your email once and off it goes to all your social networking sites, it's that easy. Setup is simple and extensive help is available if needed. This is, by far, the easiest way to publish... Just email it!

Check out http://Posterous.com for yourself.

Sincerely,

Robert Stretton
RBS Enterprises
1.707.444.9650
rbse@yahoo.com
http://RBSe.us

Posted via email from rbse's posterous

California Names: County, City, District, Etc. (1270 data points)

2009-08-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

This dataset is derived from census.gov datasets. There are 1270 data points to this dataset that lists all the County, City, District, Region, Reservation, Etc., names. Get the names in your state from:
http://www2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/

Here is the California dataset for your review:

California Names: County, City, District, Etc. (1270 data points)

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.socrata.com/government/California-Names-County-City-District-Etc-1270-dat/7qun-2xbu" title="California Names: County, City, District, Etc. (1270 data points)" target="_blank"&amp;gt;California Names: County, City, District, Etc. (1270 data points)&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

===eof===

Just in case you were interested... B-)

/rbs:.:.:
.

Find Your Car on the "Cash for Clunkers" data-set and get up to $4,500 from the government!!!:

2009-08-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Find Your Car on the "Cash for Clunkers" data-set and get up to $4,500 from the government!!!:

Cash for Clunkers Separated by Make

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.socrata.com/government/Cash-for-Clunkers-Separated-by-Make/6k5e-6bkv" title="Cash for Clunkers Separated by Make" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Cash for Clunkers Separated by Make&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

===eof===

I hope this helps you get that money, good luck... B-)

/rbs:.:.:
.

"Son of String Art"... Nice Webware... B-)

2009-08-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

"Son of String Art" This project uses the pen to make String Art between the blue dots that you can drag around: http://tr.im/v5SW B-)

Solar - Powering the future using Micro-inverters:

2009-08-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

A relatively new option for optimizing solar system efficiency is to use a micro-inverter for each individual solar panel, instead of using a single inverter for the entire system. The chief benefit of the micro-inverter topology is that the system will continue to convert energy even when one inverter malfunctions. Each panel having its own micro-inverter has other important benefits as well, including the ability to adjust conversion parameters on each panel using a high resolution PWM (Pulse-Width Modulator).

Clouds, shadows and other environmental conditions can vary the output of individual panels. Equipping each panel with its own micro-inverter allows the system to accommodate its changing load, which provides optimal conversion efficiency for both the individual panels and the entire system.

Micro-inverter architectures also enable simpler wiring, which translates into lower installation costs. Panel and system monitoring is also improved. Large solar panel farms, in particular, require subsystems to communicate with each other to keep loads in balance and plan in advance how much power will be available and what to do with it.

===eof===

With continual advancement and miniaturization, control systems can be put just about anywhere.

/rbs:.:.:
.

2009-07-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

Why Should I Choose Reusable over Recyclable?

Addressing the skeptics about reusable vs. disposable water bottles

By Collin Dunn
Corvallis, OR, USA | Tue Jul 28 12:30:00 GMT 2009

Getty Images / Tsuneo Yamashita

Ever heard this one? "I don't need to carry my own reusable water bottle. I'll just recycle this disposable one later." It might sound like a reasonable compromise, but let's not delude ourselves here. Sure, recycling can have a green impact, but it's important to be able to triage one supposedly green action above another. For the skeptical among you, getting lulled into the recycling catch-all can seem like an easy way to be green -- or, in the case of skeptics among us, feel like you're being green. Add to that that it can be easy to confuse greener and green, and it can become quite problematic.

Recycling vs. reuse turns out to be a matter of perception, most of the time. When you think of recycling, you might think of a shiny, efficient factory where old plastic bottles are processed and turned into new bottles at the snap of a finger; old stuff goes in, new stuff comes out, but that's not the whole story; plastic's chemistry, and a couple of other factors, give the reusable water bottle (and other objects with similar lifecycle designs) a big edge. In short, there's a reason that it's Reduce, then Reuse, then Recycle.

How Plastic Recycling Works

Let's take a look at how plastic recycling works. First, we have to consider where the plastic bottle comes from to begin with. It should surprise no one that plastic is a petroleum product, a non-renewable resource; once the oil gets used to make that plastic, that's pretty much all it will ever be -- there's no going back. When it comes time to recycle it, and you drop it in the blue bin and forget about it, but that's just the beginning. Recycling involves essentially re-melting and re-casting the plastic. Though, according to the U.S. EPA, manufacturing new plastic from recycled plastic requires two-thirds of the energy used in virgin plastic manufacturing, recycled plastic isn't often used for the same products over and over again.

But, as any chef who has ever tried to re-heat a Hollondaise sauce will tell you, the quality isn't quite as good the second time around; the same goes for plastic. Plastic is made from a series of polymer chains -- you might remember the term from high school chemistry -- and those polymer chains (learn more about them from Wikipedia) often break during the heating and melting process of recycling. What does this mean to you? Plastic is often downcycled as it is recycled, leading to a lower and lower-grade product; eventually, all it's good for is as another space hog in the landfill. And that ain't green, no matter how you look at it.

How Reusing Plastic Bottles (and Other Stuff) Works

Contrast that with reusable water bottle model: You get one (if you prefer plastic, BPA-free, please) and haul it around with you. Enjoy bottle after bottle of fresh, clean, delicious tap water, while cosidering this number: Tap water has less than one percent of the environmental impact of bottled water. Recycling, and bottled water, and most everything else on the planet, does not exist in a vaccuum; that is to say, it is totally unreasonable to just compare the vessels and leave the contents (and everything else associated with them) out of the equation. There really are a million reasons to ditch bottled water; you can take my word for it or read all our coverage of the topic.

Back to the reusable scenario. Some of you might be saying, "Hey, come on, I reuse all my water bottles, and that's good, right?" It's not bad, but it comes down to a matter of design. Truly reusable water bottles -- Sigg, Nalgene, whatever you like -- are designed for reuse and will stand up to normal day-to-day wear and tear. Disposable water bottles are designed for just that -- disposability -- and, while that can be convenient, there's a big price to pay for the convenience. And I'll pit my two year-old Sigg against your 'reusable' disposable bottle any day.

Bottled water can be a little tricky to avoid entirely, but there's no reason to use it every day, and no reason to think that you can simply recycle your way out of disposability. All of our stuff has to go somewhere, so it's best to keep as much of it with you for as many cycles as possible.

More about plastic recycling and bottled water
Does Recycling Waste Precious Water?
Recycling is Bullshit; Make Nov. 15 Zero Waste Day, not America Recycles Day
Get to Know Your Recyclable Plastics by Number
How to Never Drink Bottled Water Again
Which is Healthier: Tap Water or Bottled Water?

===eof===

There is a lot to read here but it sends home the thoughts that are needed to change the way we do things... Always: Reuse, Reduce, & Recycle, in that order...

/rbs:.:.:
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"Crude oil prices 1861 - 2008" Visualization Update...

2009-07-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Crude oil prices 1861-2008 data-set from:
Statistical Review of World Energy 2009
The Visualization!:

Visualization for: Crude Oil Prices 1861 to 2008 Visualization

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.socrata.com/business/Visualization-for-Crude-Oil-Prices-1861-to-2008-Vi/4hf3-fkt3" title="Visualization for: Crude Oil Prices 1861 to 2008 Visualization" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Visualization for: Crude Oil Prices 1861 to 2008 Visualization&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

See the full version at the following URL:

http://socrata.com/d/4hf3-fkt3

/rbs:.:.:
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Crude oil prices 1861 - 2008

2009-07-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

"Crude oil prices 1861-2008" data-set from:
"Statistical Review of World Energy 2009"
Entire report available:

http://socrata.com/d/x9rz-thuv

/rbs:.:.:
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The Race For The Secret of The Universe | Parade.com

2009-07-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

The Race For The Secret of The Universe | Parade.com

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VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibrations Aquatic Clean Energy)

2009-07-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibrations Aquatic Clean Energy)

A novel approach to extract energy from flowing water currents. It is unlike any other ocean energy or low-head hydropower concept. VIVACE is based on the extensively studied phenomenon of Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV), which was first observed 500 years ago by Leonardo DaVinci in the form of “Aeolian Tones.” For decades, engineers have been trying to prevent VIV from damaging offshore equipment and structures. By maximizing and exploiting VIV rather than spoiling and preventing it, VIVACE takes this ‘problem’ and transforms it into a valuable resource for mankind.

http://www.vortexhydroenergy.com/

===eof===

This has a lot of potential. I look forward to this developement...

/rbs:.:.:
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EETimes.com - Wind power on track for 20% share by 2030

2009-07-25T20:28:00.001-07:00

EETimes.com - Wind power on track for 20% share by 2030

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GE Targets Net Zero Energy Homes by 2015...

2009-07-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

LOUISVILLE, KY – GE announced today that by 2015 it is developing a turn-key product portfolio that will empower consumers to build — both new home builders and existing homeowners — to efficiently consume, manage and generate electricity to enable an overall net zero annual energy. In addition to GE's current portfolio of energy-efficient lighting and appliances products and demand response technology that GE is currently developing, GE plans to develop residential power generation products like solar PV and residential wind products, well positioning GE to make the net zero energy home a reality.

"We have a long, trusted relationship with consumers, strong presence with home builders, demand response appliance technology and, the extremely critical, smart grid technology leadership of GE Energy that makes the GE net zero energy home an exciting prospect for our future growth." explained GE Consumer & Industrial President and CEO James Campbell.

The GE net zero energy home offerings will be comprised of three major groups within the product portfolio, energy efficient products, energy management products and energy generation/storage products.

Energy Efficiency Products: GE's portfolio of energy- efficient appliance and lighting products will help enable the net zero energy home by reducing energy consumption in the home.

In 2008, the number of GE ENERGY STAR® qualified appliance models totaled over 550 models. In fact, 54% of the GE appliance products are ENERGY STAR qualified. The number of ENERGY STAR qualified lighting models totaled over 271. The majority, 99.3%, of the 2008 GE Compact Fluorescent lamp sales were ENERGY STAR qualified models.
The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have awarded GE Consumer & Industrial the ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence award for the fourth straight year. Also, this marks the sixth year that GE has been acknowledged as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year.
Energy Management/Demand Response Appliances: GE demand response products will enable consumers to manage their costs and energy consumption while helping reduce utility demand peaks, thereby reducing the need for more power generation — depending on utility participation.

GE plans to be the first manufacturer to offer a full suite of demand response appliances that will work with utility smart meters to help shed load from the grid, while helping consumers save money during peak demand usage and pricing times. GE appliances and products will work with smart meters to delay or reduce energy use without major interruption to consumers' lifestyles by giving the consumer control over their energy use.
Residential housing consumes 37% of the electricity produced in the US. Appliances, Lighting and HVAC represent 82% of electricity consumed in the home. A recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission report has identified that residential demand response programs represent the largest potential reduction in U.S. peak demand. The potential of residential demand reduction programs represents approximately a 7% reduction in total US peak demand, or 65 GW over the period 2009 -2019. This avoided demand is equivalent to the generation capacity of 108 coal plants, ( 600 MW typical coal plant)
As the second single largest energy users in the home, incorporating highly efficient water heaters into the net zero energy homes is critical. GE will offer the its innovative GE Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater with demand response technology in late 2009. The new GE Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater is designed to use about 2300 kWh per year, which is less than half of the energy of a 50-gallon tank water heater that uses approximately 4800 kWh per year. The energy savings of approximately 2500 kWh per year represents a savings of about $250 per year based on 10.65 cents per kWh. In addition to the highly efficient Hybrid, GE plans to develop additional innovative water heating options for the Net Zero Energy Home.

Example: There are about 60 Million U.S. homes with electric tank hot water heaters, if 10% installed a GE Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater, this would save 15 Billion kWh annually of energy. In addition, the demand response capabilities of the GE Hybrid during peak demand time could reduce the energy consumption associated with the 6 Million units by as much as 22.8 Gigawatts or the equivalent of reducing the generating capacity of 40 coal plants during peak demand time.

In 2010 GE will introduce the Home Energy Manager — the central nervous system for the net zero energy home that will work in conjunction with all the other enabling technologies in the home to help homeowners to optimize how they consume energy. In addition to the Home Energy Manger, GE will introduce a line of smart thermostats, also available in 2010. Together, the Home Energy Manager and smart thermostats will inform consumers when and how they are using energy and empower them to make decisions when they should use energy from the grid, use stored energy, and self generated energy or other sources since up to 31%of the homes energy use comes from HVAC, the smart thermostats can help consumers significantly save on their energy bills.

Example: Based on data from the Olympic Peninsula, Gridwise Test Bed demonstration project, consumer awareness created by Time of use pricing (TOU) & Real Time pricing (RTP) has shown significant consumer savings. Consumers under a TOU/RTP billing plan supported by enabling technologies, such as pricing communication, a home energy display, smart thermostats, and smart demand response appliances saved as much as 27%-30% of their monthly bill.

Brattle report— The power of Experimentation — New Evidence on residential demand response, May 11, 2008, Ahmad Faruqui, Sanem Sergici
Distributed Generation/Storage

Collaborating with GE Energy, products like solar PV, advanced energy storage, next generation thin film solar, small wind - and, in the coming years, incorporate other generation products being developed at Global Research Center will play an integral part in the Net Zero Energy Home.

===eof===

It's nice to see some of my dreams come true. Ever since the 70's oil embargo...

/rbs:.:.:

EETimes.com - Audi, partners ready e-car system concept

2009-07-22T08:58:00.001-07:00

EETimes.com - Audi, partners ready e-car system concept

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EETimes.com - Stirling engine solar dish farms also seek to restart Detroit

2009-07-21T19:43:00.001-07:00

EETimes.com - Stirling engine solar dish farms also seek to restart Detroit

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Here is a link to the answer: CO2-to-Fuel Technology

2009-07-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the answer:

CO2-to-Fuel Technology

/rbs:.:.:
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A Breakthrough Technology to Transform CO2 into Fuel

2009-07-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

The recent $700 billion bailout package has extended tax credits to wind and solar energy companies. However since mostly all renewable energy projects depend upon project financing, it is suspected that only large utilities will actually benefit from the tax credits. However, companies such as Carbon Sciences, Inc. (CABN) are proving otherwise.

Transforming CO2 to Fuel

Carbon Sciences, the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into high value, earth-friendly products such as precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) is now developing a breakthrough technology to transform CO2 into the basic fuel building blocks required to produce gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other portable fuels.

“We are very excited about this breakthrough,” stated Derek McLeish, the company’s CEO. “By innovating at the intersection of chemical engineering and bio-engineering disciplines, we are developing a highly scalable bio-catalytic process to meet the fuel needs of the world. With over 28 billion tons of CO2 emitted each year, there is an abundant supply of raw material available to produce renewable and sustainable fuels for global consumption.”

The Process of CO2-to-Fuel Technology

The fuels we use today, such as gasoline and jet fuel, are made up of chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms aptly called hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are naturally occurring in fuel sources such as petroleum and natural gas. To create fuel, hydrogen and carbon atoms must be bonded together to create hydrocarbon molecules. These molecules can then be used as basic building blocks to produce various gaseous and liquid fuels. Due to its high reactivity, carbon atoms do not usually exist in a pure form, but as parts of other molecules. CO2 is one of the most prevalent and basic sources of carbon atoms.

The company’s CO2-to-Fuel approach lies in a proprietary multi-step bio-catalytic process using inexpensive, renewable bio-molecules to catalyze certain chemical reactions required to transform CO2 into basic hydrocarbon building blocks.

Other alternative fuel technologies, such as fuel cells and hydrogen, require substantial infrastructure changes in order to meet the energy and climate challenge. However Carbon Sciences tackles the problem at its root by using CO2 as the basic raw material for clean energy.

===eof===

HERE is the answer! I'm behind this one...

/rbs:.:.:

Total U.S. CO2 Emissions from energy use by sector

2009-07-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Energy Use By Sector ( Updated March 2009)

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.socrata.com/government/U-S-Carbon-Dioxide-Emissions-From-Energy-Use-By-Se/qm2v-2uup" title="U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Energy Use By Sector ( Updated March 2009)" target="_blank"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Energy Use By Sector ( Updated March 2009)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

===eof===

Socrata.com uses data-sets.
A great place to create and store your spreadsheets.
Or, use data-sets that others have created.
Embed them in your own blog.
Anything you can put on a list...

/rbs:.:.:
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Green SupplyLine | Solar inverter factory pioneers clean manufacturing

2009-07-18T19:36:00.001-07:00

Green SupplyLine | Solar inverter factory pioneers clean manufacturing

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EETimes.com - Analyst: Solar approaching grid parity in U.S.

2009-07-17T20:56:00.001-07:00

EETimes.com - Analyst: Solar approaching grid parity in U.S.

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Oregon’s Stahlbush Island Farms Launches First-of-Its-Kind Biogas Plant

2009-07-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2009 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Oregon’s Stahlbush Island Farms Launches First-of-Its-Kind Biogas Plant

Oregon Family Farm Producing Electricity from Fruits and Vegetable By-Product

CORVALLIS, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stahlbush Island Farms, a national leader in sustainable agriculture and food production, has begun full operations of the first-of-its-kind Biogas Plant in North America. The power plant will provide enough electricity for approximately 1,100 homes, nearly twice what the farm and food processing plant uses in a year. The 10 million dollar project took fourteen months to complete and is operated by Stahlbush Island Farms, Inc.

The cutting edge Biogas plant supports Stahlbush Island Farms’ goal of minimizing its carbon footprint and gaining energy independence through the creation of a renewable, on-farm energy source. A recent innovation in the United States, and most commonly associated with dairy operations, anaerobic digesters have been creating green energy in Europe for decades. This is the first plant in North America, built with state-of-the-art engineering and design techniques for the purpose of creating biogas from fruit and vegetable by-product.

The technology for creating biogas from organic matter is well-proven. Simply put, organic material, (in this case, fruit and vegetable matter) when placed in anaerobic conditions in large mixed tanks, produces biogas. The methane-rich biogas is used to fuel a combined heat and power (CHP) system (a process also known as "co-generation").

This method of energy conversion has very little energy loss and is thus highly efficient. Thermal energy and electrical energy are produced at the same time — an ideal situation for food production, which requires both.

The Energy Trust of Oregon, and the Oregon State and Federal governments provided incentives for the project. Without this financial assistance, the project would not have been possible.

About Stahlbush Island Farms

Located in the heart of Oregon's lush Willamette Valley, Stahlbush Island Farms is an environmentally-friendly farm and food processor committed to sustainable agriculture. The farm currently grows vegetables and fruits on nearly 5,000 acres of land and has practiced sustainable farming and food processing for nearly 25 years.

The company's dedication to cleaner, greener practices is evidenced through its protection of river areas, efficient water use, low tillage methods, and many other efforts to create a better food system. One hundred percent of the Farms are "certified sustainable" by the Food Alliance. There are 1,500 acres USDA Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth, a non-profit research and education organization certifying organic farmers, processors, retailers and handlers throughout Oregon.

For more information visit www.stahlbush.com/.

Contacts

Stahlbush Island Farms
Tracy Miedema, 541-757-1497
Cell: 541-760-0358
tracy@stahlbush.com

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20090717005143/en

===eof===

We need a lot more of these. I hope this is the first of many to come. Self-sustainability is the name of the game...

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2009-07-17T12:13:00.001-07:00

(AP) The world's first piloted aircraft capable of taking to the air using only power from fuel cells took off in Germany Tuesday, producing zero carbon dioxide emissions, its makers said.

"We have improved the performance capabilities and efficiency of the fuel cell to such an extent that a piloted aircraft is now able to take off using it," said Johann-Dietrich Woerner from the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

"This enables us to demonstrate the true potential of this technology, also and perhaps specifically for applications in the aerospace sector," he said.

Developed by the DLR, Lange Aviation, BASF Fuel Cells and Denmark's Serenergy, the Antares DLR-H2 motor glider has a range of 750 kilometres (465 miles) and can fly for five hours.

The system uses hydrogen as its fuel, and this is converted into electrical energy in a direct, electrochemical reaction with oxygen in the ambient air, without any combustion occurring.

The only by-product is water, and if the hydrogen fuel is produced using renewable energy sources, then the motor glider is genuinely CO2-free, the DLR said.

"Although the fuel cell may still be a long way from becoming the primary energy source for the propulsion of commercial aircraft, it does already constitute an interesting and important alternative to existing energy systems as a form of reliable on-board power supply," the DLR said.

===eof===

Anything to stop producing excess CO2...

/rbs:.:.:

Retrofit kit said to transform cars into hybrids

2009-07-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Retrofit kit said to transform cars into hybrids

By R. Colin Johnson

Courtesy of Automotive DesignLine
(06/30/2009 8:22 PM EDT)

PORTLAND, Ore. — A former IBM electrical engineer has designed a retrofit kit that he claims can transform existing automobiles into hybrids by placing an electric motor inside each wheel, thereby doubling gas mileage.
Charles Perry, a former IBM product development researcher, recently received first prize for his invention at a green energy competition at the Tennessee Technology Development Corp. The patent pending Plug-in Hybrid Retrofit Kit will be developed into a commercial product by Palmer Labs LLC (Reston, Va.).

The hybrid retrofit kit is installed in the space between the brake mechanism and the hub

"What makes our approach different is we don't need to modify anything in existing vehicles to turn them into a hybrid," said Perry. "We install the motor in the space between the brake mechanism and the hub without any other modifications."
According to Perry, 80 percent of U.S. drivers make daily trips of less than 30 miles at 40 miles per hour or slower, all of which could be powered by his 10-15 horsepower electric motors to save as much as 120 million gallons of fuel per day in the U.S. alone, he claimed. The motors would be powered by extra batteries installed in the automobile's trunk.
To develop the retrofit kit into a commercial product, Perry has partnered with the Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville), which will will build a working prototype within a year with about $100,000 in existing funding. The next step will be to retrofit the kit on 30 state-owned vehicles for testing. If all goes as planned, Perry estimates that within three years the final kits will be manufactured by Palmer Labs in a new Tennessee facility that would employ about 2000 workers.
Perry said the kit will cost between $3,000 to $5,000.

===eof===

I think this is a great idea! This means you will be able to upgrade your existing vehicle instead of buying a new one, not having the expense of recycling the old one. That saves energy and resources. Spread the word on this one...

/rbs:.:.:
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EETimes.com - Paper-thin batteries set to arrive by 2010

2009-07-15T19:52:00.001-07:00

EETimes.com - Paper-thin batteries set to arrive by 2010

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Skyscrapers Going Green

2009-07-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK – When owners of the Empire State Building decided to blanket its towering facade this year with thousands of insulating windows, they were only partly interested in saving energy. They also needed tenants.

After 78 years, Manhattan's signature office building had lost its sheen as one of the city's most desirable places to work. To get it back, the owners did what an increasing number of property owners have done — they went green, shelling out $120 million on a variety of environmental improvements, a move would have been considered a huge gamble a few years ago.

Buildings that define city skylines across the country, some national icons, are catching up to the sleek, new structures designed with efficiency in mind, as property owners and managers become convinced that a greener building now makes financial sense.

That's because in recent years environmental retrofits have begun to pay off for owners and tenants alike. Higher-profile companies are seeking out more efficient office space, and new technology at older buildings has started to translate into higher property values, leases and occupancy rates.

"In a good market, we're going to get the best rents for the best tenants," said Anthony E. Malkin, who leads a real estate group that owns the Empire State Building. "In a bad market like we have now, we're going to get tenants when other buildings won't."

Renovation specialists around the country have been plugging porous walls in numerous old buildings, adding high tech water systems and using recycled material in carpets and tile.

One of them is the Christman Building in Lansing, Mich., an 81-year-old Elizabethan Revival office that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While repairing the limestone exterior and preserving unique details like the mica light fixtures, the building owners spent $8.5 million to add water-efficient plumbing and increased the amount of natural light. They also capped the building with a reflective "cool" roof.

Chicago's Sears Tower announced late last month that it will embark on a five-year, $350 million green renovation. The 110-story, staggered skyscraper, which turned 36 this year, will crown its rooftops with solar panels, wind turbines and up to 35,000 square feet of sunlight-absorbing gardens.

When complete, the improvements will cut the tower's annual electricity use by 80 percent and save 24 million gallons of water, property managers say.

Building owners trumpet their environmental commitment when extensive modifications are made, yet in many cases those changes are being pushed by tenants.

Many high-profile tenants won't even consider moving into a property without the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, said Allan Skodowski with Transwestern management group. They may not even know what the certification means, he said, but they demand it nonetheless.

"They say 'We want LEED,'" Skodowski said, "and that's it."

Nine of Transwestern's properties received certification this year. A combination of energy efficient light bulbs and other green equipment helped those buildings slash energy consumption. On average, they've seen a 2 percent drop in energy costs, even as electricity rates jumped between 10 percent and 40 percent, Skodowski said.

Leasing rates have not risen as a result of the changes, Skodowski said, yet at the same time occupancy rates have not fallen. That's a victory for an industry hit hard by the recession. Vacancy rates at office buildings nationwide have gone from 10.9 percent at the end of 2007 to 12.4 percent in the first quarter of this year.

"If one extra tenant comes and looks at the building, if the owner gets an extra penny or so a foot, then at the end of the day it's paying for itself," Skodowski said.

A recent analysis by real estate researcher CoStar Group, Inc. found that green-certified buildings had fewer vacancies than other buildings with similar age, size and location.

The CoStar study, which included about 3,000 green-certified offices, found that buildings with the council's certification enjoyed higher occupancy rates (90.3 percent) than their peers (84.7 percent) in the first three months of 2009.

Certified buildings have fetched higher lease rates for several years. The CoStar report said the buildings rented at an average of $38.86 per square foot in the first quarter of 2009 compared with $29.80 per square foot for their peers.

"This isn't just a 'We are doing the right thing' movement," said Marc Heisterkamp, U.S. Green Building Council's director of commercial real estate. "In the end, the numbers pencil out."

At the Empire State Building, Malkin proposed a top-to-bottom renovation that included a $13.2 million investment in new green technologies. The goal was to sufficiently reduce greenhouse gases without spending more than he could justify to his investors.

What the owners settled on was a series of upgrades that include retrofitting all 6,500 windows. Under every window, radiators will be padded with extra insulation. The building's lighting, cold water and ventilation systems also will be upgraded.

The renovation should take 18 months. Afterward, the owners expect an annual energy savings of $4.4 million, enough to pay off the new technologies in about three years.

Already, the renovation has lured upscale, energy-conscious companies like Swedish construction firm Skanska, said Ray Quartararo with Jones Lang Lasalle, which is managing the renovation.

Skanska wanted its U.S. headquarters to have a LEED "platinum" certification — reserved for only the most efficient of buildings — and it found a willing partner in the Empire State Building. Skanska officials said the building's management helped them install bike racks and add other energy-saving details on the 32nd floor.

"We had looked at several downtown spaces, but the Empire State Building made the most sense," a company spokeswoman said.

Jacques Catafago, an attorney who works 16 floors above Skanska's new office, is also happy with the changes. Catafago has fought the building management before on other fees, but he said he wouldn't mind paying more rent if it goes toward renovations that cut his electric bill.

Besides, Catafago said, he's already checked out the rent for similar buildings in the city and realizes he has a pretty good deal at the Empire State Building.

"We'd be paying twice as much" uptown, he said.

===eof===

I'm glad to finally see that going "Green" is a profitable investment. This will create jobs by retrofitting old buildings in addition of the new "Green" construction.

/rbs:.:.:
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Top Media Execs Wonder How Twitter Will Make Money...

2009-07-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

SUN VALLEY, Idaho (AP) - It turns out the media elite aren't so different from a lot of less affluent folks: They think Twitter is a great communications tool, but can't figure out how the online messaging service is going to make money.

The recurring doubts about Twitter's moneymaking potential cropped up again Wednesday as an exclusive media summit hosted by investment banker Allen & Co. got under way at the posh Sun Valley resort.

One of the first sessions focused on how to capitalize on digital media. Twitter quickly became a focal point of the discussion because it has emerged as one of the Internet's fastest-growing services this year.

But Twitter hasn't attempted to profit from its popularity yet, leaving everyone guessing about how the 3-year-old startup intends to pay its bills after it exhausts its $55 million venture capital.

The participants on the panel moderated by media writer Ken Auletta of The New Yorker magazine predicted Twitter Inc. will face major challenges when the San Francisco-based company finally tries to generate revenue. Reporters were barred from the session — like all other meetings at the media summit — but Auletta confirmed the tenor of the Twitter talk afterward.

Two of the panel participants, veteran media executive Barry Diller and cable television magnate John Malone, reiterated their skepticism about Twitter's moneymaking potential in separate interviews.

"I think it's a great service. I just don't think it's a natural advertising medium," said Diller, who heads online conglomerate InterActiveCorp.

Malone, chairman of Liberty Media Corp., also believes Twitter will be hard-pressed to sell advertising on its messaging service without alienating users. Twitter's best bet, Malone said, probably is to simply get people so addicted to the service that they might eventually pay fees.

It's an idea that YouTube, the Internet's leading video service, might want to try. Malone said billionaire investor Warren Buffett confided that he enjoys watching YouTube so much that he would be willing to pay a $5 monthly subscription for access. Although YouTube is more popular than ever, it still isn't making money nearly three years after Google Inc. bought it for $1.76 billion.

Buffett declined an interview request Wednesday.

Twitter's co-founders, Evan Williams and Biz Stone, still haven't revealed their business model, but have indicated that advertising is low on their priority list. They have suggested they might impose fees on companies interested in mining the data about consumer preferences and peeves that pour into Twitter.

In an interview before Thursday's program began, Williams said he has been discussing possible deals with some of the conference's other guests. He declined to say with whom.

"It's always nice to have attention," Williams said. "I don't know that there has been that much attention on Twitter. I haven't noticed it. I am just here to learn and meet folks, actually. We are just trying to figure it all out."

Many media executives running long-established companies are wrestling with their own daunting problems as the Internet lures consumers and advertisers from them. Few of the executives attending the media summit wanted to talk about that trouble.

Some of the most best-known people on the guest list arrived Wednesday after the summit had begun. The late arrivals included Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, basketball star LeBron James and Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg — another Internet whiz still trying to prove that his service for online banter will mature into a profitable business.

===eof===

I would be willing to have ads on my twitter, but not a subscription.
I'm always looking for freeware solutions...

/rbs:.:.:
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EETimes.com - Applied jumps to top of solar equipment rankings

2009-07-10T21:02:00.001-07:00

EETimes.com - Applied jumps to top of solar equipment rankings

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MIcrosoft Sends Out Alert on New Security Hole...

2009-07-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Microsoft Corp. has taken the rare step of warning about a serious computer security vulnerability it hasn't fixed yet.

The vulnerability disclosed Monday affects Internet Explorer users whose computers run the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 operating software.

It can allow hackers to remotely take control of victims' machines. The victims don't need to do anything to get infected except visit a Web site that's been hacked.

Security experts say criminals have been attacking the vulnerability for nearly a week. Thousands of sites have been hacked to serve up malicious software that exploits the vulnerability. People are drawn to these sites by clicking a link in spam e-mail.

The so-called "zero day" vulnerability disclosed by Microsoft affects a part of its software used to play video. The problem arises from the way the software interacts with Internet Explorer, which opens a hole for hackers to tunnel into.

Microsoft urged vulnerable users to disable the problematic part of its software, which can be done from Microsoft's Web site, while the company works on a "patch" — or software fix — for the problem.

Microsoft rarely departs from its practice of issuing security updates the second Tuesday of each month. When the Redmond, Wash.-based company does issue security reminders at other times, it's because the vulnerabilities are very serious.

A recent example was the emergency patch Microsoft issued in October for a vulnerability that criminals exploited to infect millions of PCs with the Conficker worm. While initially feared as an all-powerful doomsday device, that network of infected machines was eventually used for mundane moneymaking schemes like sending spam and pushing fake antivirus software.

___

On the Net:

Microsoft support page: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972890#FixItForMe

===

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China is ratcheting up renewable resources to 15 percent by 2020...

2009-07-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. — China is ratcheting up the target of how much of its energy it obtains from renewable resources such as solar and wind to 15 percent by 2020, according to a report in today's China Daily.

China government planners said they could hit the 10 percent target by 2010. The China Daily quoted one vice minister who suggested the country might be able to hit a 20 percent target by 2020.

The new goal comes as China is also raising its projections for the amount of total annual energy it will generate by 2020 to 1,500 GigaWatts, a 50 percent increase from a target level set in 2007. China had installed capacity to generate 793 GW by the end of 2008, as much as two-thirds of that from coal, China Daily reported.

China's planners say the country will soon have the capacity to generate 1,000 GW, the amount of energy produced in the U.S. each year.

More than twenty percent of China's energy comes from hydroelectric plants. Only a small fraction comes from other sources such as nuclear (two percent). China had less than 100 MegaWatts of solar energy generators attached to its grid at the end of 2008, China Daily said.

===eof===

With China now using as much power as we do, both countries need to stop the coal burning. Modify the coal, break it down, make it so there is no CO2 released into the atmosphere...
(Dream on!) It can be done now but it needs to be scaled up fast.

/rbs:.:.:
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US to Invest $4 Billion in Broadband...

2009-07-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government will soon release $4 billion of loans and grants aimed at expanding broadband access to underserved areas across the United States, officials said on Wednesday.

The funds are part of a $7.2 billion program to build an affordable high-speed Internet structure in rural areas. The project is being pushed by President Barack Obama, in part, to shore up the U.S. economy with job creation in the telecommunications sector.

"This funding is a down payment on the president's commitment to bring the educational and economic benefits of the Internet to all communities," Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement.

The broadband program was tucked into a $787 billion fiscal stimulus package Obama signed into law in February.

Applications for loans and grants will be accepted starting on July 14 and will continue through August 14. Details of the funding process can be found at www.broadbandusa.gov .

State and local governments as well as non- and for-profit organizations are eligible to apply.

The Commerce and Agriculture departments and the Federal Communications Commission are developing a national broadband program to reach those American households and small businesses lacking what many officials consider a necessary service.

Under the rules announced on Wednesday, the USDA and Commerce will review applications, announce a group of finalists on September 15 and start naming winners on November 7, senior administration officials said.

Some industry and public interest groups applauded the release of the guidelines. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, which represents Comcast Corp, Time Warner Cable Inc and Cox, said it is reviewing the guidelines.

U.S. Telecom, a trade group that represents Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, did not comment on the guidelines and said it was reviewing them.

NET NEUTRALITY

The Open Internet Coalition, which comprises public interest groups that support so-called net neutrality, said it strongly supports the guidelines. They favor preventing Internet service providers like Verizon and AT&T from giving preference to certain content.

The guidelines said: "This requirement ensures neutral traffic routing."

"The first major decision regarding broadband policy by the new administration sets a clear course in favor of the open Internet," said Markham Erickson, OIC executive director.

Of the $4 billion to be released soon, $1.6 billion of grants will be administered by Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration and $2.4 billion of grants and loans by the USDA's Rural Utilities Service.

The grants and loans will be released in three tranches, they said.

Under the rules the minimum Internet speed an applicant can provide is 768 kilobits per second (kbps) downstream, considered slow by some standards, and at least 200 kbps upstream to end users.

However, due to likely competition, officials said they expect applicants to offer higher speeds.

===eof===

With the minimum Internet speed of 768 kilobits per second (kbps) downstream, a typical WiFi network would be enough to distribute wireless internet, at T1 speeds and greater, to many locations...

/rbs:.:.:
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Race is on to create a new world of energy

2009-06-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

From The London Times
June 20, 2009
The race is on to create a new world of energy
Jeroen van der Veer

We stand at the early dawn of a new energy future. It will be powered by alternative energy and cleaner fossil fuels. If governments adopt the right rules and incentives, by the middle of this century renewable sources will provide nearly 30 per cent of the world’s energy. Society will be on the road toward sustainable mobility. The world’s highways will rumble and whir with vehicles powered by all manner of energy: petrol, diesel (yes, still there), electricity, biofuels, natural gas and hydrogen.

In the years ahead, conventional diesel and petrol cars will go increasingly far on every litre of fuel. Biofuels will account for up to 10 per cent of liquid transport fuel in the next few decades. Our Shell scenario-makers think that by 2020 up to 15 per cent of new cars worldwide could be hybrid electrics, such as Toyota’s Prius, some of them capable of plugging in to recharge their batteries. After 2030, fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen will be a small but growing part of the fleet. By 2050, more than a billion extra vehicles are expected on the world’s roads, more than double today’s total.

Greater variety of fuel choices will be a boon for consumers. Different fuels will be stronger in different regions. In South America, biofuels will likely predominate. In Brazil, ethanol from sugar cane already supplies more than 40 per cent of demand for petrol. China, meanwhile, plans to expand production and use of hybrid and electric vehicles, tapping its vast coal deposits to generate power.

As more vehicles go electric, the environmental footprint of the world’s power generators will become even more important. Wind, solar and hydropower will account for 30 per cent of electricity generation by 2030, up from about 18 per cent today. Many new coal-fired power plants are expected to capture CO2 emissions and store it safely underground, rather than pump it into the atmosphere. Plants increasingly will turn coal into a gas, rather than burn it. They will then burn the gas to generate power, or use it as raw material for a variety of chemical products, while CO2 will be captured and stored. Such integrated plants will begin to resemble refineries. Likewise, refineries can gasify heavy oils — and use the gas to produce hydrogen — and generate heat and electricity — while capturing and storing the CO2.

Indeed, fossil fuels, coal, oil and natural gas, will continue to provide more than half the world’s energy in 2050, building a long bridge to an era when alternatives can take over. A growing population and higher standards of living for billions of people in the developing world will mean that we need all available sources of energy to keep the world’s economies humming. So, while the world races to build up alternative fuels, it must also find new sources of fossil fuels, including unconventional ones, such as oil sands. And we must accelerate efforts to make fossil fuels cleaner, by reducing the CO2 emitted in their production and use.

None of this will be easy, or cheap. Industry and government regulations must change on a huge scale and at an unprecedented pace. According to the International Energy Agency, by 2030 we will need to invest $5.5 trillion merely in renewable energy. That’s like buying more than 18,000 Boeing 747 jumbo jets at $300 million apiece (only about 14,000 have been built since its introduction in 1970). Billions more must go into upgrading electricity transmission networks to handle increased demand and the on-and-off power generated by wind and solar.

Much of this money will come from private companies, but governments will need to continue using tax credits and other incentives to encourage the growth of renewables. They are still small relative to the world’s overall energy needs. Including hydropower, renewables account for about 7 per cent of global energy. Wind today supplies about 1 per cent, with approximately 70,000 turbines. Biofuels, thanks partly to billions of dollars in government subsidies, now also supply about 1 per cent.

To judge from society’s experience with nuclear power and other technologies, new energy sources take at least 25 years to reach significant scale. To illustrate the challenge, in the case of wind the world will need another 1-1.5 million turbines covering an area nearly the size of France in order to reach 10 per cent of the electricity generated by 2030. That means expanding today’s worldwide turbine production of about 15,000 a year to just under 100,000 a year by 2030.

Energy companies are already preparing for the future, increasing production of natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel, investing in renewables, such as sustainable biofuels, and researching ways to capture CO2 and store it safely underground. But the enormity of the challenge means that government should do its part to encourage society’s shift to a new energy system. For instance, new technologies with great promise to reduce CO2 emissions will require initial government support to achieve quickly the scale necessary to have real impact.

One critical step is to put a price on greenhouse gas emissions — doing so in all leading countries, not merely a few. I prefer a system that caps emissions and allows companies to trade emission allowances, as Europe’s already does. Cap-and-trade systems should encourage a relatively steady CO2 price, which will have the strongest influence on energy consumers’ behaviour and on the efficiency designed into factories, homes and offices. It will also harness the ingenuity of industry and channel investment to the most efficient emission reductions.

While energy policy can drive technology, it may ultimately raise costs and be politically unpopular. As society and political leaders face difficult choices, they should remember that failure to act now could force us into more painful choices down the road.

Influencing consumer behaviour may prove toughest of all. While technology will give society greater energy choices, it remains unclear whether people are willing to become better users of energy.

Despite the massive hurdles, the push to create a new energy system will benefit us all. It will reverse the rapid rise in the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming. It will provide new business opportunities for companies and entrepreneurs. It will create well-paid jobs in a thriving new industry. Competition among energy sources will drive innovation, keep energy affordable and increase global energy security. The race is on.

• Jeroen van der Veer is the departing chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell

===eof===

We are upsetting the balance of nature. We are burning the candle at both ends! We produce more CO2 per person then nature can compensate for, and we are cutting down the rain-forests that nature uses to compensate with. Major changes are needed NOW!

/rbs:.:.:
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CPU-Z: Detailed report about your computer

2009-06-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

CPU-Z: Detailed report about your CPU, Motherboard, RAM, BIOS, Volts, Temperature and much more. This is a must have: http://cpuid.com ..B-)

( As seen on my tweet: http://twitter.com/rbse )

/rbs:.:.:
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2009-06-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

Eureka Solar Tower Tests Receiver in Andalusia

June 26, 2009

Abengoa Solar's first high-temperature power tower, Eureka, was unveiled June 19 by Martín Soler Márquez, director of Innovation, Science, and Enterprise for the Andalusian Regional Government. This power tower is intended to test, on an experimental basis, a new type of receiver that will achieve the higher temperatures needed for higher-efficiency thermodynamic power cycles. It is the only plant featuring these characteristics in operation in Andalusia and Europe. The aim of this new technology is to increase plant performance, thereby reducing both generating costs and the area of the solar field.

This experimental plant occupies a 16,000-square-foot portion of the Solúcar Platform and uses 35 heliostats and a 164-foot tower that houses the experimental superheating receiver. The power output capacity of the experimental plant is approximately 2 MW. The plant includes a thermal energy storage system supplying power supply to the grid for short periods when there is no sunlight.

According to Rafael Osuna, general manger of the company, "this marks the beginning of the next experimental phase for this high-potential solar power tower technology, which could lead to an important step forward in our goals of generating clean electricity at competitive prices. Our significant investment in research and development has made this groundbreaking concentrating solar power technology a reality."

Abengoa Solar now has three solar power towers in operation, two for commercial use and this experimental tower.

The new plant is part of the Solúcar Platform, a solar thermal and photovoltaic solar installation complex scheduled for completion in 2013. Thanks to its 300-megawatt power output, the plant will supply clean electricity to 153,000 households and eliminate the emission of 185,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, reaching a total of 4 million tons over the course of its useful life.

The Solúcar Platform also features a research and development area that is building several demonstration plants for new technologies. This makes the platform the only place in the world with installations employing practically every type of solar technology available, whether in commercial use or under demonstration.

===eof===

Abengoa Solar's website is full of informative data. It is a must-see...

/rbs:.:.:

ZigBee and Homeplug Alliances to Explore Smart Energy Market...

2009-06-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

San Ramon, Calif. & Portland, Ore. – The ZigBee and HomePlug Powerline Alliances today announced public availability of the next generation market requirements for Smart Energy, and supporting use cases. Smart Energy enables both wired and wireless communication between utility companies and everyday household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. Captured in the market requirements document are details for the next generation of functionality envisioned for the Smart Grid with accompanying consumer control. It includes insight to a variety of use cases including plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging, installation, configuration, firmware download for home area network (HAN) devices, prepay services, user information and messaging, load control, demand response, and common information and application profile interfaces for wired and wireless HANs.

The Smart Energy market requirements document is available for review at http://www.zigbee.org/smartenergy. It was jointly developed by ZigBee Alliance members, HomePlug Powerline Alliance members, utilities, regulators, suppliers and technology providers as a foundation for an enhanced ZigBee Smart Energy profile and as the basis for global standards development by other organizations. On May 18, the ZigBee/HomePlug Smart Energy profile was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as an initial interoperable standard for HAN devices and communications and information model.

The development of the Smart Energy profile drew upon the collective experience of members involved in the current development and deployment of the existing wireless ZigBee Smart Energy standard. Certified products and services based on this standard are available for use today from a variety of ZigBee members. The standard is supported by a comprehensive certification process that delivers secure, robust, reliable, plug and play interoperability with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and Smart Grid applications.

Chartwell’s recent “Smart Metering Technology” report found that “…40 percent of electric utilities prefer ZigBee compared to other in-premise standards.” No other technology standard garnered such a large share of preference. To date, ZigBee Smart Energy has been selected by leading utilities to reach approximately 40 million homes and businesses across North America in the next few years as part of ongoing Smart Grid and Advanced Metering Infrastructure deployments. ZigBee Smart Energy has also been selected as the HAN technology standard by utilities and regulatory agencies in the European Union, Australia and Asia.

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance is the leading industry group in the development of multi-vendor, global standards and certification for powerline communications. With more than 70 percent of the cumulative worldwide market share (per recent reporting from In-Stat), HomePlug technology is rapidly becoming a key element of the Smart Energy HAN and is already being integrated into AMI applications by utilities and meter manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe.

“We are sharing these new requirements as part of ZigBee’s outreach to assist the many Smart Grid standardization efforts underway around the world,” said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. “As a global and open standards group, the ZigBee Alliance fully understands the benefits of cooperating and lending our expertise to multitude of governmental and standards groups involved in the development of Smart Grids. We hope this early visibility will help those efforts.”

“The Smart Energy market requirements document reflects the consensus of many utility companies to maximize both the consumer benefits and ROI of the HAN and Smart Grid,” said Rob Ranck, HomePlug Alliance president. “This is another benchmark in our key objective to collaborate with other organizations to make the Smart Grid a reality.”

ZigBee Smart Energy – The Standard for Energy Management and Efficiency
ZigBee Smart Energy enables wireless communication between utility companies and common household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. It improves energy efficiency by allowing consumers to choose interoperable products from different manufacturers giving them the means to manage their energy consumption more precisely using automation and near real-time information. It also helps utility companies implement new advanced metering and demand response programs to drive greater energy management and efficiency, while responding to changing government requirements.

The ZigBee Alliance is a non-profit association of more than 300 member companies driving development of ZigBee wireless technology. The Alliance promotes world-wide adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in energy, home, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit: www.ZigBee.org.

About the HomePlug Powerline Alliance
Founded in 2000, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. is an industry-led initiative with more than 70 member companies that creates specifications and certification logo programs for using the powerlines for reliable home networking and smart grid applications. The Alliance accelerates worldwide adoption for HomePlug technology by collaborating with international standards organizations such as IEEE and through market development and user education programs.

Sponsor members include Cisco (CSCO); Comcast (CMCSK); GE Energy, an affiliate of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE); Gigle Semiconductor; Intellon Corporation (ITLN); Intel Corporation (INTC); Motorola (MOT); NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723); and SPiDCOM Technologies. Contributor members include Arkados (OTCBB: AKDS); Corporate Systems Engineering; Renesas Technology Corp., Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE:TXN and Yitran Communications Ltd. Additional information about the Alliance, including a complete listing of certified products, is available at www.homeplug.org.

===eof===

The sooner they smarten the grid the better off we'll be. This will "manage" our power distribution instead of over-loading the system to meet demands...

/rbs:.:.:

United States cannot meet its targets for stabilizing greenhouse gases unless...

2009-06-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON – Finding an economical way to capture carbon dioxide from existing coal burning power plants is key to getting China to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as well as for U.S. efforts to combat global warming, says a study being released Friday.

The report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology concludes that the United States cannot meet its targets for stabilizing greenhouse gases unless it finds a way to economically capture carbon dioxide emissions coming from existing coal-burning power plants.

Coal plants generate about half of the country's electricity and 80 percent of the nearly 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide released annually into the atmosphere from power production. China also relies heavily on coal for electricity production and in the last five years has been on a rush to build new coal plants — none of them designed to capture carbon dioxide.

"There is no credible pathway towards stringent greenhouse gas stabilization targets without CO2 emission reductions from existing coal power plants," says the report. Members of Congress, where a bill to limit U.S. greenhouse gas emissions could come up for a House vote as early as next week, were being briefed on the MIT report.

Carbon dioxide has been captured and put into the ground in relatively small scale projects — mostly in connection with enhanced oil recovery, for years, but never in the huge volumes that would be needed to capture emissions from a large coal plant.

The MIT report says there are multiple technologies being explored for carbon capture, but the government still has not adequately supported carbon capture research and is moving too slowly to develop large demonstration projects to show that capturing carbon dioxide and injecting it into the ground will work at the scale needed.

The report, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press in advance of a press conference Friday, says the federal government and industry need to "dramatically expand" its support for carbon capture research and development to the tune of $12 billion to $15 billion over the next decade.

Such technology, if shown to work in U.S. plants, could get China to reduce greenhouse gases from its rapidly growing network of coal burning power plants, the report says.

"We've got to address the carbon emissions from our current fleet (of coal plants) and also have to think how the technology we develop can be applied in China," Ernest Moniz, director of the MIT Energy Initiative and co-author of the report, said in an interview.

Together, the U.S. and China account for 20 percent of the world's carbon dioxide from coal burning power plants, said Moniz. If China doesn't address emissions from its coal plants "we really can't address the climate issue in a serious way."

The MIT report summarizes a consensus view of participants in a symposium sponsored by MIT's Energy Initiative on the feasibility of retrofitting existing coal plants with carbon capture technology. Participants included 54 representatives utilities, academia, government, public interest groups and industry.

The report said about half of the U.S. coal plants — most of those producing 300 megawatts or more of power — may be suitable for carbon capture technology. Many of the smaller plants, accounting for about 30 percent of electricity production, can achieve emission reductions through increased efficiency, use of a mix of coal and biomass as fuel and other measures. Other plants, especially the oldest, may have to be replaced, said Moniz.

Wayne Leonard, chief executive of Entergy Corp., who was a co-chairman of the symposium, said the symposium's conclusions should be viewed "in an international context" especially as carbon capture technology development relates to China.

"In the U.S. coal is the reality. But in China and India it is the future" and they won't abandon it because of climate change, said Leonard. "But offering them a technological solution, a solution that we are actively developing and deploying ourselves on our own coal plants, would be something that has a far better chance of success in getting them to act."

While Entergy, the New Orleans-based utility, relies on coal for less than 10 percent of its electricity production, it was a co-sponsor with MIT of the carbon capture symposium on which Friday's report is based.

I great tutorial on Energy...

2009-06-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

I great tutorial on Energy...
http://www.rpi.edu/cfes/edu_tutorial.html

/rbs:.:.:
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New video about global climate movement...

2009-06-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Straight from my Tweet...

rbse RT @350 BREAKING: beautiful new video about global climate movement. FREE 350 camelbak to three random ReTweeters! http://is.gd/14C23 #350ppm

/rbs:.:.:
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Recycling Revolution -- Turning Old Plastic Bottles Into Valuable Recycled Materials

2009-06-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Chemical Engineers developed a way to break down plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate -- or PET, and recycle it back into high value uses like more soda bottles, water bottles, beer bottles. Inside the recycling plant's extruder, water is removed from ground up plastic. Then, the plastic is melted and chemically broken down -- in a process called depolymerization. The breakthrough in this process is to be able to go from chips of this plastic to the recycled material in about five minutes.

http://tr.im/oK3i

/rbs:.:.:

Electricity From Waste Cooking Oil

2009-06-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

WORCESTER, Mass. – Columbia Tech, a US-based contract manufacturer, today announced its partnership with Massachusetts-based Owl Power to manufacture the company’s Vegawatt cogeneration system.

The Vegawatt system utilizes waste vegetable oil from restaurant deep fryers as its non-toxic fuel. On average, this fuel produces 10 to 25 percent of a restaurant’s electricity and hot water, reducing energy costs by up to 1,000 dollars per month. Vegawatt is a fully automated system that requires no restaurant staff intervention or maintenance, requires no additional chemicals, and produces no liquid byproducts.

“As Owl Power expands, we need a flexible manufacturing partner that will evolve with us,” said James Peret, President and CEO, Owl Power. “Columbia Tech’s ability to accommodate Owl Power’s rapid development makes the company an ideal partner to build the Vegawatt system, and a valuable long-term partner for our overall business.”

“We are proud to deliver leading-edge domestic manufacturing services so customers can concentrate on growing their business with confidence,” said Chris Coghlin, President and CEO, Columbia Tech. “Helping Owl Power keep manufacturing costs down enables restaurant owners nationwide to benefit from an affordable solution to utilize waste and conserve energy.”

About Owl Power and Vegawatt
Owl Power Company is a Massachusetts-based company that manufactures, installs, and operates clean energy cogeneration systems. The company's flagship product, Vegawatt, is an automated, combined heat and power (CHP) system that utilizes waste vegetable oil as its feedstock. For more information, please visit www.vegawatt.com.

About Columbia Tech
Columbia Tech provides the highest degree of manufacturing excellence for customers seeking turnkey manufacturing and global fulfillment services. Its business model contains a unique blend of front-end DFM and NPI services combined with worldwide purchasing leverage and customized manufacturing programs renowned for extreme flexibility and attentiveness to detail. For more information, please visit www.columbiatech.com.

===

This is a must have to save the planet. The all-around savings is immense. How many restaurants are there in the U.S.A. that use cooking oil? How many use hot water? I would venture to say, many of them. If you own a restaurant, or know someone who does, this is definitely worth checking out.

/rbs:.:.:

Here is a fun ride...(and jam)... B-)

2009-06-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun ride...(and jam)... B-)

New specification: ENERGY STAR 5.0, July 1, 2009

2009-06-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2009, the new specification takes effect Come July, 1 2009, all business desktops will have to meet ENERGY STAR 5.0 specifications in order to receive the ENERGY STAR logo. What is important to keep in mind is that there is no grandfathering. This means that as of the July 1st date, there is no ENERGY STAR 4.0 and any new systems with the ENERGY STAR logo need to meet the 5.0 requirements.

You can always refer to these government specifications to find the latest information.

/rbs:.:.:
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Scientists Create Metal that Pumps Liquid Uphill

2009-06-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

When I read this article, it opened ideas for new solar power and energy applications...

..."metal with nanostructures that reflected almost no light at all"...

The possibilities for this technology are very interesting and I look forward to the future results.

/rbs:.:.:
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Scientists Create Metal that Pumps Liquid Uphill

Ultra-Fast Laser Makes Metal that Attracts, Repels, and Guides Liquids
capillary metal in nature, trees pull vast amounts of water from their roots up to their leaves hundreds of feet above the ground through capillary action, but now scientists at the University of Rochester have created a simple slab of metal that lifts liquid using the same principle—but does so at a speed that would make nature envious.

The metal, revealed in an upcoming issue of Applied Physics Letters, may prove invaluable in pumping microscopic amounts of liquid around a medical diagnostic chip, cooling a computer's processor, or turning almost any simple metal into an anti-bacterial surface.

"We're able to change the surface structure of almost any piece of metal so that we can control how liquid responds to it," says Chunlei Guo, associate professor of optics at the University of Rochester. "We can even control the direction in which the liquid flows, or whether liquid flows at all."

Guo and his assistant, Anatoliy Vorobyev, use an ultra-fast burst of laser light to change the surface of a metal, forming nanoscale and microscale pits, globules, and strands across the metal's surface. The laser, called a femtosecond laser, produces pulses lasting only a few quadrillionths of a second—a femtosecond is to a second what a second is to about 32 million years. During its brief burst, Guo's laser unleashes as much power as the entire electric grid of North America does, all focused onto a spot the size of a needlepoint, he says.

The wicking process, which on Guo's metal moves at a quick one centimeter per second speed against gravity, is very similar to the phenomenon that pulls spilled milk into a paper towel or creates "tears of wine" in a wineglass—molecular attractions and evaporation combine to move a liquid against gravity, says Guo. Likewise, Guo's nanostructures change the way molecules of a liquid interact with the molecules of the metal, allowing them to become more or less attracted to each other, depending on Guo's settings. At a certain size, the metal nanostructures adhere more readily to the liquid's molecules than the liquid's molecules adhere to each other, causing the liquid to quickly spread out across the metal. Combined with the effects of evaporation as the liquid spreads, this molecular interaction creates the fast wicking effect in Guo's metals.

Adding laser-etched channels into the metal further enhances Guo's control of the liquid.

"Imagine a huge waterway system shrunk down onto a tiny chip, like the electronic circuit printed on a microprocessor, so we can perform chemical or biological work with a tiny bit of liquid," says Guo. "Blood could precisely travel along a certain path to a sensor for disease diagnostics. With such a tiny system, a nurse wouldn't need to draw a whole tube of blood for a test. A scratch on the skin might contain more than enough cells for a micro-analysis."

Guo's team has also created metal that reduces the attraction between water molecules and metal molecules, a phenomenon called hydrophobia. Since germs mostly consist of water, it's all but impossible for them to grow on a hydrophobic surface, says Guo.

Currently, to alter an area of metal the size of a quarter takes 30 minutes or more, but Guo and Vorobyev are working on refining the technique to make it faster. Fortunately, despite the incredible intensity involved, the femtosecond laser can be powered by a simple wall outlet, meaning that when the process is refined, implementing it should be relatively simple.

Guo is also announcing this month in Physical Review Letters a femtosecond laser processing technique that can create incandescent light bulbs that use half as much energy, yet produce the same amount of light. In 2006, Guo's team used the femtosecond laser to create metal with nanostructures that reflected almost no light at all, and in 2008 the team was able to tune the creation of nanostructures to reflect certain wavelengths of light—in effect turning almost any metal into almost any color.

This research funded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation.

From the University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu)

Sweden Helps South Korea Convert Food Waste Into Biogas

2009-06-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – The South Korean city of Ulsan lets water generated from processing food waste run off into the ocean, which can generate methane gas harmful to the environment. Now, with the help of a Swedish company, it is going to start converting that waste water into biogas, a type of clean fuel that can be used as power to heat buildings and even power vehicles.

South Korea is looking for ways to increase the use of biogas and other clean energy alternatives amid a push by the government of President Lee Myung-bak to embark on a new development model that emphasizes so-called green growth. Ulsan, a brawny industrial center of about 1 million people on the country's southeastern coast, saw biogas as an attractive way to deal with a burgeoning waste problem as well as coming tighter government regulations.

"Ulsan is running out of waste disposal sites to cover all the garbage that comes out from the city," municipal official Park In-muk said Thursday. "When garbage is processed into compost, it creates waste water," he said, which the city has been letting it flow into the ocean.

The dumping of waste water generated by the processing of leftover food into the sea, however, will be banned from 2013, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime affairs. The Ministry of Environment, meanwhile, has increased its budget this year for waste energy, including biogas plants, by five times to 178 billion won ($143 million), according to ministry official Choi Byung-chul.

The government's impending ban on the practice spurred Ulsan, home to big corporations Hyundai Motor Corp. and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., helped push Ulsan to look for alternatives. It found a partner in Scandinavian Biogas Fuels AB. The company is based in Sweden, which has been a pioneer in biogas development.

Scandinavian Biogas is investing about 10 million euros to upgrade a wastewater treatment plant in Ulsan and will soon start accepting food and other waste for processing into biogas, said Scandinavian Biogas President and CEO Thomas Davidsson.

"Producing biogas is a very effective way of taking care of the waste" as it can be used for heat, electricity and vehicle fuel, Davidsson said in an interview Wednesday. He was in Seoul to participate in the Seoul Climate Change Expo held in conjunction with the third C40 Large Cities Climate Summit.

Turning food waste into biogas can also contribute to efforts to stop global warming. "If you dump it into the sea, methane will be produced," he said. "And methane released into the air is 21 times more aggressive than carbon dioxide. So it has a great impact on the greenhouse effect."

Ulsan is not alone in looking to Sweden for help. Seoul, South Korea's largest city with a population of over 10 million people, also sees potential in biogas and has teamed up with Swedish Biogas International AB on a pilot project. "There is a lot of potential," Kjell Enstrom, who heads the company's operations in South Korea, said Thursday in an interview.

South Korea has the ability to produce biogas, Enstrom said, though not of a clean enough level to be used as fuel. That gives companies from Sweden, which has championed the technology, an advantage. "Within 10 years I think it will be the main fuel in Sweden," he said.

Davidsson, of Scandinavian Biogas, said his company plans to initially sell the biogas to an industrial user in Ulsan for internal heating. The company has an agreement to run the facility for at least 15 years, he said. Ulsan's Park said that as a long-term goal, the city wants to adopt the biogas system to all its public buses.

Davidsson said that among the advantages of biogas is that is a technology that, unlike ethanol, does not draw resources away from food production. "Here you get energy out of something that you need to do something with: waste," he said. "So it's very effective."

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Associated Press Writer Ji Youn Oh contributed to this report.

Bioelectricity May Outperform Ethanol

2009-06-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

STANFORD, CA (Carnegie Institution for Science) - Biofuels such as ethanol offer an alternative to petroleum for powering our cars, but growing energy crops to produce them can compete with food crops for farmland, and clearing forests to expand farmland will aggravate the climate change problem. How can we maximize our "miles per acre" from biomass? Researchers writing in the online edition of the May 7 Science magazine say the best bet is to convert the biomass to electricity, rather than ethanol. They calculate that, compared to ethanol used for internal combustion engines, bioelectricity used for battery-powered vehicles would deliver an average of 80% more miles of transportation per acre of crops, while also providing double the greenhouse gas offsets to mitigate climate change.

"It's a relatively obvious question once you ask it, but nobody had really asked it before," says study co-author Chris Field, director of the Department of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution. "The kinds of motivations that have driven people to think about developing ethanol as a vehicle fuel have been somewhat different from those that have been motivating people to think about battery electric vehicles, but the overlap is in the area of maximizing efficiency and minimizing adverse impacts on climate."

Field, who is also a professor of biology at Stanford University and a senior fellow at Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment, is part of a research team that includes lead author Elliott Campbell of the University of California, Merced, and David Lobell of Stanford's Program on Food Security and the Environment. The researchers performed a life-cycle analysis of both bioelectricity and ethanol technologies, taking into account not only the energy produced by each technology, but also the energy consumed in producing the vehicles and fuels. For the analysis, they used publicly available data on vehicle efficiencies from the US Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations.

Bioelectricity was the clear winner in the transportation-miles-per-acre comparison, regardless of whether the energy was produced from corn or from switchgrass, a cellulose-based energy crop. For example, a small SUV powered by bioelectricity could travel nearly 14,000 highway miles on the net energy produced from an acre of switchgrass, while a comparable internal combustion vehicle could only travel about 9,000 miles on the highway. (Average mileage for both city and highway driving would be 15,000 miles for a biolelectric SUV and 8,000 miles for an internal combustion vehicle.)

"The internal combustion engine just isn't very efficient, especially when compared to electric vehicles," says Campbell. "Even the best ethanol-producing technologies with hybrid vehicles aren't enough to overcome this."

The researchers found that bioelectricity and ethanol also differed in their potential impact on climate change. "Some approaches to bioenergy can make climate change worse, but other limited approaches can help fight climate change," says Campbell. "For these beneficial approaches, we could do more to fight climate change by making electricity than making ethanol."

The energy from an acre of switchgrass used to power an electric vehicle would prevent or offset the release of up to 10 tons of CO2 per acre, relative to a similar-sized gasoline-powered car. Across vehicle types and different crops, this offset averages more than 100% larger for the bioelectricity than for the ethanol pathway. Bioelectricity also offers more possibilities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through measures such as carbon capture and sequestration, which could be implemented at biomass power stations but not individual internal combustion vehicles.

While the results of the study clearly favor bioelectricity over ethanol, the researchers caution that the issues facing society in choosing an energy strategy are complex. "We found that converting biomass to electricity rather than ethanol makes the most sense for two policy-relevant issues: transportation and climate," says Lobell. "But we also need to compare these options for other issues like water consumption, air pollution, and economic costs."

"There is a big strategic decision our country and others are making: whether to encourage development of vehicles that run on ethanol or electricity," says Campbell. "Studies like ours could be used to ensure that the alternative energy pathways we chose will provide the most transportation energy and the least climate change impacts."

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This research was funded through a grant from the Stanford University Global Climate and Energy Project, with additional support from the Stanford University Food Security and Environment Project, The University of California at Merced, the Carnegie Institution for Science, and a NASA New Investigator Grant.

$1 billion plant to make polycrystalline silicon for solar panels...

2009-06-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) — Wacker Chemie announced Thursday that it will build a $1 billion plant with 500 jobs in southeastern Tennessee to produce hyperpure polycrystalline silicon, a product used to make solar panels and semiconductors.

Company executives, Gov. Phil Bredesen and economic development officials said the company has purchased a 550-acre site about 30 miles northeast of Chattanooga.

Wacker Chemie President and CEO Rudolph Staudigl declined to give a timetable for the start of production, saying that will be driven partly by demand for the product. He said construction will take at least two or three years. Staudigl declined to discuss wages but said workers will be "well paid" and will need special training.

Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber said his office has been talking to Wacker Chemie executives and competing for the project since 2005.

Staudigl declined to identify any other states that competed for the plant.

Kisber said the state's incentives package for the company will be worth between $75 million and $100 million and will include tax credits and help with infrastructure and job training.

The Tennessee site was picked because of its size; proximity to a chlorine supplier, OLIN Corp.; power from the Tennessee Valley Authority and the transportation infrastructure, a company statement said.

Staudigl described the product as a "gray, shiny looking material like nuggets" — extracted from sand — with a property of collecting light that can be transferred into electricity.

He said it is also the "starting material for semiconductors." The company projects increased demand for polysilicon by the solar and semiconductor industries.

Wacker Chemie is based in Munich, Germany, and is the second-largest producer of hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. It reported last month that its sales reached $5.5 billion in 2008.

In early December, Bradley County commissioners approved a $50 million incentives package for what they described as an unnamed international manufacturer that would create at least 500 jobs.

/rbs:.:.:
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Tampa Electric Plans to Build Solar Plant

2009-05-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Electric plans to build what it calls one of the largest solar power plants in the nation.

The company said Monday it has entered a partnership to build the plant near Mulberry in Plant City. It will generate 25 megawatts of solar power — enough to power more than 3,400 homes.

The utility's president, Chuck Black, says the decision is based on new clean-air standards adopted by the state and plans to require the use of more renewable power in Florida.

The project will create 200 construction jobs.

The downfall to the project? Black says customers will be paying higher electric bills since solar power is more expensive than power made from coal or natural gas.

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There is no downfall to this project. It is a renewable resource. No more burning!...

/rbs:.:.:
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The Story of Stuff...

2009-05-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Let us start with a great video that puts it all in perspective...

The Story of Stuff

Go to their website and view this video...

/rbs:.:.:
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Sometime Soon...

2009-05-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sometime soon, I will be posting things of my interest here.
( within the next decade! )

Deep down in my heart I am a conservationist.
I think I might post articles I find that have to do with energy, technology, and the like.
Anything having to do with conservation of our planets resources...

/rbs:.:.:

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

I was thinking of posting many things here,
but I have not found the time to do it.
I will get to it shortly... In the meantime:

Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

/rbs:.:.:
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Websites:

2008-11-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

When you're finished with a website, you're only half done... -- /rbs:.:.:

What is RBSe...

2008-11-26T12:11:00.000-08:00

This is where I begin...

RBSe is short for Robert B. Stretton Enterprises.
RBS Enterprises is the official name of my sole-proprietorship.
/rbs:.:.: is my digital signature, and has been since the beginning of time.
(since computers)
The horizontal "E"(":.:.:") is a lazy "E". Laziness is the mother of invention...
I have invented many things in my time on this earth. Many projects for people.
Creativity plays a big part in all that I do. Imagination sees the end product... ... ...
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/rbs:.:.:
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