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Chatbot GPT has been on everyone's lips since its November 2022 introduction. With over 100 million users in the first two months and over 13 million daily visitors, it's evident that chat bots have arrived on the public stage with a bang.
The combination of AI and Chat GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) has the potential to drastically revolutionise the software business in a variety of ways. AI and its applications have advanced fast in recent years, and the technology is projected to bring about several substantial changes in the software business in the next years.
The integration of Chat GPT and AI in customer support provides the possibility to automate the process of handling consumer inquiries. Chatbots powered by AI can respond to consumer inquiries in real-time, decreasing the need for a human representative. Furthermore, AI-powered chatbots' ability to handle several interactions at the same time can considerably increase the productivity of customer service operations. As a result, firms may deliver superior customer service, increasing consumer happiness and loyalty.
Chat GPT and AI in software development can automate monotonous processes such as code completion, problem repair, and even code production. AI's ability to read code and write coherent, grammatically correct code can save developers a significant amount of time and effort. Chat GPT's capacity to read and generate code in many programming languages also makes it a handy tool for developers throughout the business. Software development can become more efficient with the incorporation of AI, and the danger of human error can be considerably minimised.
Chat GPT and AI can also be used for content production, such as authoring articles, reports, and emails. The system can generate meaningful and grammatically correct material, giving content writers more time to focus on higher-level duties like brainstorming and strategy. Furthermore, AI's ability to produce fresh content ideas might assist content creators in staying ahead of the curve. The integration of Chat GPT and AI in content development can make the process more efficient and the resulting quality better.
Chat GPT and AI can alter other aspects of the software business, such as project management, quality assurance, and testing, in addition to customer support, software development, and content production. AI-powered project management solutions can help with work prioritisation, scheduling, and progress tracking. AI-powered quality assurance and testing technologies can automate the process of detecting and fixing issues, lowering the risk of human mistakes and increasing testing efficiency.
The capacity to handle big amounts of data efficiently is one of the primary benefits of integrating Chat GPT with AI in the software business. AI algorithms can quickly and accurately handle and analyse massive amounts of data, delivering significant insights into corporate processes. Furthermore, AI may help businesses uncover patterns and trends in data, allowing them to make informed decisions based on data-driven insights.
Furthermore, the incorporation of Chat GPT and AI in the software sector may result in the creation of new software and apps. AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots, for example, can help with task automation and boost the efficiency of commercial processes. AI can also be used to create new applications, such as predictive analytics tools, to provide useful insights into corporate processes and assist firms in making educated decisions.
However, the integration of Chat GPT and AI in the software sector poses several obstacles. One of the most significant issues is the requirement for massive amounts of data to train AI algorithms. Furthermore, the technology is still in its early stages, raising worries about its accuracy and dependability. There are also ethical and privacy considerations involved with the use of AI, particularly in the processing of personal data.
Traditional software interfaces have frequently been a source of annoyance for users due to their complexity and limited interactions. With Chat GPT, software developers may provide consumers with a more intuitive and conversational experience. Users can speak with the software via plain language rather than navigating through complex menus and commands, making interactions more human-like and smooth. This improved human-computer connection will lead to better user pleasure and engagement, resulting in greater adoption of software products.
Chat GPT can dramatically speed up the software development process by promoting better developer engagement. It can act as a virtual assistant for programmers, assisting them in writing code, creating documentation, and swiftly identifying and fixing issues. The technology is capable of analysing large quantities of code and providing fast feedback, making it a useful tool for debugging and code enhancement. This quicker development process will allow software companies to deploy products more quickly and efficiently, providing them a market advantage.
Chat GPT integration in customer support systems can significantly improve the user experience. AI-powered chatbots can effectively interpret and respond to client enquiries, lowering response times and enhancing customer happiness. Chat GPT can comprehend the purpose behind customer enquiries and give correct and personalised responses by employing natural language processing, replicating the capabilities of human help workers. This not only provides continuous availability, but it also frees up human agents to handle more difficult situations, improving overall customer care efficiency.
The software development lifecycle includes testing and quality assurance. By producing test cases, simulating user interactions, and finding potential vulnerabilities and edge cases, Chat GPT can automate and optimise these procedures. AI-powered testing has the potential to drastically reduce the time and effort necessary for manual testing, resulting in more dependable and robust software solutions. As a result, businesses may provide high-quality software more quickly while reducing the chance of severe flaws or security vulnerabilities.
As customers want personalised experiences, customization is becoming increasingly important in the software sector. Chat GPT can help with this personalisation by recognising individual user preferences and behaviour. Chat GPT can offer relevant features, products, or services to consumers based on user interactions and historical data, boosting their entire experience and driving user retention.
Chat GPT represents a paradigm advancement in the software industry, with the potential to transform how we engage with software systems. Its ability to increase customer service, optimise development processes, and promote natural language communication will surely transform the industry. Chat GPT, with its automated testing and personalised experiences, will open up new avenues for software companies to succeed in a competitive industry.
However, like with any innovative technology, there will be issues to overcome, such as data privacy, biases, and the possibility for employment displacement. Nonetheless, by responsibly and ethically utilising the power of Chat GPT, the software industry can fully realise its potential to provide creative, user-centric, and game-changing products and services for a more connected and efficient world.


Operators had been struggling to know why their level indications on the Naptha Reformer splitter tower were so different from each other. They constantly experienced up to a 15 percent level indication offset between three different level transmitters. This had been going on for a few weeks after a turnaround, but there had not been a committed effort to find the answer. Overfilling this tower could result in an overpressure situation, and the new level instrumentation was safety critical. It was designed so any one of three independent level transmitters could be utilized as the process variable for the tower level controller.
Two of the three instruments were DP transmitters, one traced with steam and the other using electrical heat tracing. At that moment the steam traced DP transmitter ‘A’, was on control and indicating 50%, while the electrically heat traced DP transmitter ‘B’ showed 34% level. Level transmitter ‘C’, a guided wave radar, pretty much split the difference with a 43% level indication. The ambient temperature was about 50 deg F, or 10 deg C.
An experienced unit Instrument and Electrical (I&E) technician was asked to help sort out the problem, and after verifying the calibration on all three instruments began trending the levels. The tech then had the operators block in the steam tracing to the controlling transmitter ‘A’ while continuing to monitor trends. Almost immediately, the other two transmitters’ indications began to rise dramatically, leveling off somewhat after about 35 minutes, and then continuing to rise slowly over the next three hours. When the levels reached a steady state, ‘C’ (guided wave radar) read 57% and ‘B’ (electrically traced DP) read 44%. The difference between the two DP’s closed from 16% to 6%, while the guided wave went from -7% to +7% compared to ‘A’, and from +9% to +13% compared to ‘B’.
The next step by I&E was to have the operators change tower level control to the guided wave radar, and pump the legs on both DP transmitters with new fill fluid. While this didn’t change the level on ‘B’, the ‘A’ transmitter dropped to 47%. This left the difference between the two DP transmitters at only 3%. Shortly after pumping, I&E had the operators put the steam tracing back into service on ‘A’. Immediately its level indication began to climb until it nearly matched up with the guided wave radar, leveling off at 58%. There still remained the difference of the ‘B’ transmitter at 44%.
The I&E technician determined that the problem in this case was not instrument failure, calibration, placement, or with the control scheme. The problem was physics, specifically the changing gravity with temperature of the fill fluid of the DP transmitter legs. Changing fill fluid gravity acted no differently than changing the gravity in the tower. If you wanted both DP transmitters to read the same, they needed to have their process legs at the same temperature.
Although both transmitters were traced, steam tracing is not modulated; it is always on once placed into service. As long as the steam trap is functioning correctly, it should maintain a pretty steady temperature. Electrical heat tracing is different. It is usually turned on by a controller when the temperature falls below the setpoint, which in this case was set to about 40 deg F to prevent freezing. It was decided to replace the electrical heat tracing on the ‘B’ transmitter with steam tracing. Once accomplished, the three transmitters read within 1% of each other.
There is a fundamental lesson here for Operations. To be able to correctly and safely control their process, understanding the characteristics and details of their instrumentation is essential. The relationship between fill fluid temperature and level readings is not a hard concept to grasp, it just needs to be taught as part of an operator’s basic understanding of their instrumentation.
Author: Charlie Smith


rndtest - FIPS 140-2 random number generator test monitor
Synopsis Description See Also History Bugs
.Cd "device rndtest"
The rndtest driver ""hooks up"" to hardware crypto devices to monitor the entropy data passed to the random(4) subsystem. This data is periodically tested for FIPS 140-2 compliance and statistics are collected. If the harvested entropy fails any of the FIPS test suite, then it is discarded and testing is continuously applied until ""good data"" is received from the device. Failures are optionally reported on the console.
crypto(4), hifn(4), random(4), safe(4), ubsec(4), crypto(9)


At it’s most basic, Gemini is a way of transmitting up to 6 pieces of discrete information to the performer without the participant(s) knowing that they have done so. These pieces of information can be revealed on their own as an outstanding revelation, or as part of a broader performance.
Each Gemini kit contains five (5) tiny sensors and one (1) receiver that the performer has on their person, usually in a pocket. Each of the five sensors has an assigned number (1-5) and, if activated, will signal the performer which one was activated through the receiver using the same number of short vibrations. In this way the performer knows exactly what sensor was triggered at exactly the moment it is triggered.
We chose the name Gemini because the sensors can work in two different ways: either as a magnetic sensor or as a tilt activated sensor, and can be changed between these two modes with a simple switch. This way your Gemini unit provides maximum versatility, allowing you to perform very different routines with one convenient device. For a more through explanation of how these two modes work and the types of routines possible with Gemini, watch the short videos below.
- A set of 5 transmitters (5cm x 1.5cm x 0.8cm); each one is switchable between tilt-activated and magnet-activated modes
- A set of magnets
- All the necessary batteries (plus extras)
- Stand-by battery life of 24 hours
- “Quick-start” instruction booklet to get y going right away
- Access to a secret page on this website that includes:
Hours of video instruction
55 page PDF with routines and handling tips from performers all over the world including, Marc Spelman, Andrew Gerard, Matt Johnson, Colin McLeod, Wayne Rogers, Mozique, Patrick Redford, Derek Kootte and Christopher Taylor
- One year warranty for the original owner
- Matchbox-sized receiver with a range of 10 to 15 meters. Note: The Gemini receiver is compatible with Machina, OHM2, Apogee, and Eclipse


You can hardly switch on a computer or scan a newsfeed on your phone these days without an article, report or blog post discussing the ‘future of Artificial Intelligence’.
AI is coming, so we’re told.
Panels of experts assemble to discuss what an AI-powered world will look like, and how our lives and jobs will change.
The things is, AI has been ‘on its way’ for more than sixty years, ever since John McCarthy coined the phrase to formally kick off the study of human-machine interaction.
Machine intelligence has been on the rise ever since, and although AI has been accelerating in sophistication in recent years, our progress remains a dot on a very long learning curve that is far from complete – and indeed probably never will be.
AI may enhance candidate sourcing in the long run, but will never replace the expertise of experienced search professionals – nor is it fit to solve senior leadership appointments.
Specialized executive search software designed to help executive search consultants every step of the way already offers huge technology potential here and now.
A long time coming
Artificial Intelligence is defined as “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.”
However wondrously clever AI systems get, they are rooted in fundamental programming initiated by humans.
This means that AI tools are driven and governed by algorithms and instruction sets built by software engineers and modelling experts. They use these ‘rulebooks’ to simulate decision-making and intelligent behaviour.
As such, what has really been powering forwards in recent years has been the complexity of the programming, allowing AI systems to mimic human intelligence more and more effectively.
Indeed, computer processing power plus human programming is a powerful combination; hence many AI platforms are capable of performance far beyond what humans themselves can actually do with the ‘processor’ that is the human brain.
But the key point is this – AI is about incremental improvement. It’s a technology concept which is by no means new and is nowhere near ‘finished’.
Being overwhelmed by the thousands of stories about the impending ‘arrival’ of Artificial Intelligence can leave executive search firms in all sectors hesitating to invest in intelligent technology systems which can positively impact their companies right now.
Software platforms are getting smarter across the board – from Gmail prompting how you might want to finish your sentences to advanced CRM systems that unlock opportunity from your client and candidate data.
Deploying advanced software within your executive search business can have big benefits that improve both top and bottom line performance, including (among many):
- Faster time to complete assignments
- Ability to manage more assignments at the same time
- Higher revenue per client account
- Better sourcing and relationships with candidates
- Ability to work anywhere via browser-based technology
- Stronger client management
- Ability to generate superior client reports
- Sharing selected candidate information through a client portal
- Faster adoption time for new members of your team
- And much more!
Being blinded by the dazzle of a promised AI future shouldn’t hold back executive search firm owners from exploring the capabilities of technology today.
Software’s ability to accelerate and enhance business performance is a game-changing advantage for competitive search firms – and those who wait for better things to come will miss the benefits that are available right now.
Contact us today to find out the competitive advantages your search firm can gain by selecting FileFinder Executive Search Software – without waiting years for the perfect (and illusory) AI solution to come along.


It’s official…the wiring for the first lower staging yard board is finished!
Well, a few days later than planned, but only a few more droppers to connect to the track bus and all will be ready for testing on the first lower staging board. Both the track buses have been installed (one for the Metra yard, one for the freight yard), connected to a PSX-2 circuit breaker to create two separate power districts in case of shorts on either one, so it doesn’t shut both down. I’ve installed the DAC20 accessory decoder for the Seep switch motors, but still have to install 3 more motors before this installation is complete. All that […]
Very productive Saturday! I’ve started adding the track feeders, switch machines and block detectors to the first staging yard board. So far I have added the feeders for the detected blocks (orange for the Freight yard, and yellow for the Metra yard), installed two Digitrax BDL168 block detectors (one for each yard) as well as a DCC Specialities PSX-2 circuit breaker (1 power district for each yard). As you can see I have used Seep solenoid switch machines – this is purely because I already have these and I have a Signatrak DAC20 accessory decoder already programmed up for these […]
2nd evening of track laying, and I’ve almost finished laying the track on the first board of the lower staging yard. All the turnouts are laid, and I just have a few pieces of flex track to lay. I’ll lay these once I have re-installed the board on the wall brackets so that I can run the flex across the board joins, then will cut the track and add aligners on the outmost two tracks. Next step is to install the track feeders, track bus and wire it all up to the two block detectors (Digitrax BDL168’s) and PSX circuit […]
I’ve finally started laying track! Tonight I laid almost half the track for the lower freight siding – so almost one of the 6ft boards. Tomorrow I will lay the track for the Metra yard on this board, and then put the two layout boards together so I can run the rest of the track across the join. I will then install the track bus, feeders and block detector, followed by the switch motors and accessory decoders. Once that this all done and tested, I can start the track laying on the second half of the staging yard.
Follow along as I continue the build of my N scale model railroad. In this episode I show you how I put together the baseboard kits I am using. Be sure to view my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/chicagosubnscale as I will be adding photos and updates to that as I build my new layout.


Minelab X-Terra 505 Metal Detector with 9″ (7.5 kHz) Search Coil is a great detector dedicated to coin, relic and treasure hunting. It has Manual Ground Balancing that allows a stable performance even in the toughest mineralized ground conditions.
The precision of its multi-segment notch discrimination makes it easy to eliminate “junk” and identify good targets. Recovery is further enhanced by the 505’s Depth indicator and rapid recovery Pinpoint function.
- Minelab’s proprietary VFLEX technology, the new class of single frequency detectors – you can change the operating frequency simply by changing coils.
- Compatible with low frequency (LF) 3kHz coils as well as medium 7kHz and high frequencies 18.75kHz. The LF coil option is ideal for hunting large, deep targets. All X-TERRA Coils can be used on the X-TERRA 505.
- Increased Ground Balance capability, range now (0-50), allowing the user to adjust to ground mineralization.
- Extra detecting pattern – Now features three preset detecting patterns, that can also be customised, plus All Metal mode.
- Choice of 1,2,3 or 4 Tone ID’s plus Multi-tone Target ID (19) response options increasing your flexibility in deciding how target signals are represented.
- Larger discrimination range allowing for finer discrimination of high conductive targets.
- Increased Noise Cancel range, now 5 manual settings, allowing greater choice of detecting channel. Increased Target Volume Adjust range, now (0-30), allowing better target response.
- Threshold adjustment, with a range of -5 to 25, allowing the user to set threshold to level where slight variations from either very small shallow, or very large deep, targets can be noticed.
- Fast recovery Pin-Point with variable tone and graphical indicator.
- Depth indicator, updates continuously, even in Pinpoint mode.
- Positive reflective LCD display.
- Runs on just 4 x AA batteries.
- Ultra lightweight, balanced design (only 2.9lbs).
Factory Included Accessories:
- X-Terra 9″ Coil Cover
- X-Terra 9″ Search Coil
- X-Terra Armrest Strap


Power electronic circuits for modern industrial applications offering a remarkable variety of exercises examples and problems including design oriented problems issa batarsehs power electronic circuits will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to analyze and design power electronic circuits for modern industrial applications. Power electronic circuits by batarseh issa author apr 24 2003 hardcover nov 17 2020 posted by anne rice ltd text id 7713353b online pdf ebook epub library to analyze and design power electronic circuits for modern industrial applications batarseh presents detailed explanations of circuit power electronics circuit analysis and. Power electronics circuit analysis and design kindle edition by batarseh issa ahmad harb download it once and read it on your kindle device pc phones or tablets use features like bookmarks note taking and highlighting while reading power electronics circuit analysis and design. Issa batarseh received his phd and ms in electrical engineering and bs in computer engineering and science from the university of illinois at chicago in 1990 85 and 83 respectively in a career spanning nearly three decades in education and research professor batarseh has served in numerous research academic and administrative positions at the university of central florida ucf . Welcome to the web site for power electronic circuits first edition by issa batarseh this web site gives you access to the rich tools and resources available for this text you can access these resources in two ways using the menu at the top select a chapter a list of resources available for that particular chapter will be provided
How it works:
1. Register Trial Account.
2. Download The Books as you like ( Personal use )


The LAMP Words for Life (WFL) app is designed to meet the communication needs of children with autism. It combines the power of PRC’s Unity language system and Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP), a proven-therapeutic approach that uses consistent motor plans for accessing vocabulary.
Unity Connect is a powerful new tool that extends the use of the proven Unity language system on your PRC communication device to an iPad. It does not contain any vocabulary but will convert your PRC device vocabulary to a format that can be used on an iPad. Having both a PRC device and an iPad with the same Unity vocabulary ensures the device user always has a backup device.


Using state-of-the-art software, our experienced surveyors complete a full assessment and testing of existing networks and identify requirements and unit counts. Using the captured data, our design team develops a detailed design in line with the client’s technical specification. During the survey and design stage, we innovate to create smarter solutions and invest heavily in Lean Six Sigma programmes to drive improvements and efficiencies.
Actavo provides a complete aerial survey and aerial inspection solution. The use of cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV/Drone) technology allows us to carry out aerial surveys to collect topographical data and imagery that is only possible from the air. From the resulting data, we can provide our client with precise geo-referenced data, stunning high-resolution photography, smooth video footage and a range of high quality 3D deliverables....read more
Mobile mapping is the process of capturing geospatial data from a vehicle, it bridges the gap between terrestrial and aerial laser scanning. Actavo deploys the Mobile Mapping System to collect point cloud data and imagery of route corridors such as highway networks, railways systems and urban areas. From a vehicle the System can capture data while travelling at speeds of up to 70km per hour, often in a single pass....read more
Actavo has in-house design capability with a full in-house network design team. Actavo’s detailed network design provides all specifications, design drawings, costings and bills of materials required to proceed to the network build phase.
In April 2015, Actavo commenced the survey, design and construction of a new optical Fibre-To-The-Building (FTTB) network in Ireland on behalf of SIRO. The network is being built on existing ESB overhead and underground infrastructure. Actavo is responsible for the design and construction of the Metro network, the PoP and the design and construction of the access network, including the fibre drop to the home. Actavo has also carried out a number of design projects for Digicel in the Caribbean, including Guyana, Aruba, Dominica and Turks and Caicos.


Optimization of spectral network parameters
Dereplication is a process of using information about the chemical structure of previously characterized compounds to interpret mass spectra of compounds in an experimental sample. Identification of a Peptidic Natural Product (PNP) from its variants is called variable dereplication and for this process a special data structure called spectral network is used. Spectral network is a graph where two spectra are connected if their similatity score is higher than some threshold.
In this work, we develop the method for optimizing this threshold by matching the spectral network onto the peptide network (the graph, where two PNPs are connected if they differ on one amino acid) and then calculating a special similarity score between the graphs using personalized Random Walks with Restart.


Allegheny Surveys has utilized Global Positioning System (GPS) technology since 1997 in the performance of numerous Static-GPS Surveys for control points, aerial photo targets, gas well location and corehole location. Allegheny Surveys has four Trimble 4000ssi receivers, which have been the workhorse of its GPS Control Network Surveys over the years and are still used today for certain projects.
Allegheny Surveys purchased its first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Real Time Kinematic (RTK) system in 2007. Having recently purchased two additional Trimble R8 RTK Systems, Allegheny Surveys currently has seven Trimble R8 GNSS RTK Systems. One of these RTK Systems also has the capability to utilize the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) Virtual Reference Station (VRS) service, or Real Time Network (RTN). This technology eliminates the need for a Base receiver onsite and allows the units to work as independent Rovers on the RTN. Allegheny Surveys utilizes RTK technology in the performance of topographic, as-built, ground control, and pipeline surveys. RTK is also used for construction stakeout on various projects. Both the static-GPS and RTK data are processed using Trimble Business Center software.
In addition to the survey-grade GPS equipment listed above, Allegheny Surveys also has the following mapping-grade units: two Trimble GeoXH 6000 series handhelds with external Tornado antennas and three (3) Trimble GPS Pathfinder ProXT receivers with Nomad data collectors. All the mapping-grade GPS units have Trimble's TerraSync software installed and the GPS data are post-processed using Trimble Pathfinder Office software.


“The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming “simulated” events in the real world into actions and reactions of the network. The IoT nodes connected to the network can monitor the simulated events and transform them when the events that need to be reported occur. Report to the application via the Internet to complete the corresponding task. The most prominent category of IoT applications is battery-powered sensors, which are placed in areas without wires to monitor events and communicate with the IoT through wireless networks.In most cases, these products are always-on, battery-operated wireless sensors that support wireless protocols, an MCU, and at least one
The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming “simulated” events in the real world into actions and reactions of the network. The IoT nodes connected to the network can monitor the simulated events and transform them when the events that need to be reported occur. Report to the application via the Internet to complete the corresponding task. The most prominent category of IoT applications is battery-powered sensors, which are placed in areas without wires to monitor events and communicate with the IoT through wireless networks. In most cases, these products are always-on, battery-operated wireless sensors that support wireless protocols, an MCU, and at least one analog sensor.
The challenge is how to maximize the battery life of the product enough to perceive the environment on a single battery or a single charge.
The challenge can be refined into the following aspects:
1. Competent for real-time perception tasks according to application requirements;
2. Complete sensor measurement while using as little energy as possible;
3. Keep “periodically working” MCU peripherals and let the CPU core sleep as much as possible.
In this kind of application, the typical approach of many MCUs is to wake up the MCU core and then use various peripherals to complete sensor measurements (Figure 1). When there is an event (such as door opening) that needs to be reported, the MCU reports and returns to its periodic work routine. This will consume a lot of power and cannot maximize the battery cruise time, because the running “entire MCU”, including many peripheral devices and unrelated core operations, is consuming power.
In fact, this approach is likely to lead to a poor customer experience: customers put the device in their environment, set it up on the network and enable it, but after a few months, the device is affected by poor battery power management capabilities. stop working.
Figure 1 The CPU queries and remains active in each measurement, resulting in higher power consumption
1 Ideal battery-powered and wireless sensor node solution for IoT applications
The best solution will deal with every aspect of the above-mentioned challenges, and maximize the working time of the product to complete environmental sensing on a single battery charge.
Considering the above situation, battery-powered IoT sensor equipment should provide:
1. Autonomous and energy-saving sensor management and measurement system;
2. Sensor input/output, threshold and configuration that can be configured independently for each sensor;
3. Low-power, configurable logic engine, will wake up the MCU only when absolutely necessary;
4. Low-power memory used to provide cache for multiple measurements, and to extend the CPU wake-up interval;
5. Low wireless power consumption.
2 Silicon Labs Gecko Low Power Sensor Interface (LESENSE)
A few years ago, Silicon Labs foresaw the importance of battery-powered wireless sensor applications. Since then, we have made large-scale investments in low-energy wireless, MCU and sensor technologies.
Our Gecko MCU has an energy-saving architecture and provides several key systems to enable it to operate more efficiently, and its battery life is longer than other MCUs.
Gecko and Wireless Gecko (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Gecko MCU”) use low-power sensor interface (LESENSE), peripheral reflection system (PRS) and other low-power technologies to operate at extremely low power consumption levels while at the same time Most of the core and MCU are still in deep sleep mode.
Combining the above features with other features can save a lot of power.
Table 1 Requirements for battery-powered IoT sensor systems
3 Gecko LESENSE details
LESENSE is a highly configurable sensor interface and system that can autonomously and continuously manage and monitor up to 16 resistive, capacitive or inductive sensors, while keeping the entire chip in deep sleep mode, and the core (CPU) is always turned off.
LESENSE includes a sequencer, a counter and comparator unit, a configurable decoder, and RAM for configuration settings and measurement results storage.
1) The sequencer can operate the low-frequency oscillator, and process the interaction with other peripheral devices through the PRS, and can set the sensor’s duty cycle and measurement timing.
2) The counting and comparator unit counts the pulses from the sequencer and compares the information with a configurable threshold.
3) The decoder/state machine receives sensor measurements and takes actions based on up to 16 configurable states and related actions.
LESENSE configurable sensor threshold
It is not a revolutionary concept to wake up the CPU when an external event exceeds the sensor threshold. Essentially, it moves the constant MCU duty cycle from Figure 1 to a single event; when the analog event exceeds a given threshold, the MCU wakes up and performs various actions.
However, LESENSE is different from it in that it provides a complete sensor system in order to manage and monitor sensors and related peripherals, without the involvement of the CPU, and the MCU participation is also the lowest. This is the basic concept of LESENSE, and additional functions further expand the concept.
LESENSE also buffers a configurable number of threshold events without waking up the CPU. This allows the system to monitor external events over a long period of time. LESENSE collects the required peripheral blocks (such as analog comparators, low-frequency oscillators and the sensor itself) autonomously and periodically in order to complete sensor measurements, while the CPU remains in deep sleep mode.
In the conceptual diagram below, LESENSE is configured to allow sensor 1 to exceed its configurable threshold twice before waking up the CPU.
Figure 2: The input/output of each LESENSE-enabled sensor is independent and configurable.
LESENSE also provides additional functions to manage and monitor up to 16 different sensors with unique thresholds. When using the built-in low-power state machine (decoder), LESENSE can evaluate several events before sending an interrupt to wake up the CPU.
In Figure 3, LESENSE buffers the measurement information of event 1, 2 and 3 of sensor 2, and combines this information with the measurement data of event 1 and 2 of sensor 1 before waking up the core. This simple use case uses LESENSE’s individually configured sensors, low-power memory, and low-power state machine.
Figure 3: Before the CPU interrupts, multiple sensors and a unique configuration support multiple events.
The sensor node is recalibrated from the LESENSE buffered measurement
Since many sensor systems are implemented under a variety of different environmental conditions, they must be able to operate reliably under constant changes in parameters such as temperature, humidity, power supply voltage, air permeability, and connectivity.
The cache function of LESENSE allows the CPU to recalibrate multiple readings when it is woken up. This can avoid multiple re-calibration events as the situation changes, further save energy and provide a larger system calibration sample set.
LESENSE enables Gecko MCUs and wireless MCUs to monitor resistive, capacitive, and inductive (and IR) sensors, while keeping the energy-intensive cores and most MCUs in deep sleep mode. LESENSE can monitor up to 16 sensors that use less than 1 μA and provide configurable thresholds, RAM that can buffer multiple events, and a state machine for configurable wake-up interrupts.
Get to know Gecko MCU, Wireless Gecko MCU and LESENSE:
・ Training videos about LESENSE
・ Training presentation on LESENSE (slides from video)
・ Application description
o Capacitive sensing LESENSE (AN0028)
o Inductive sensing LESENSE (AN0029)
o Resistance sensing LESENSE (AN0036)
o IR sensor LESENSE (AN0053)
o PRS C Energy-saving Peripheral Equipment Reflection System (AN0025)
・ LESENSE C Silicon Labs Community
・ PRS C Silicon Labs Community
・ Gecko MCU (EFM32)


How 3G Booster Signal Box Works?
3G signal is also boosted throughout our place using 3g booster which is available in the market. In some of the building, 3G signal only get while standing near to the window or door. In order to avoid such type of difficulties for the users, 3g booster came into play. It does not require any type of external antennas and complex type of set up rules to follow. It only requires two boxes. We need to place one of the boxes in the place where we are getting 3G signal and another box should place in middle of the office. There is also more type of signal boxes available in market both for personal use and as well as for small type of businesses. Some kind of people is getting difficulties on getting 3G signals at their home because of thick walls, thick basements and some type of glasses that is reducing the signals.
There is a signal box in market and it is using our home broadband connection and amplifies it in order to supply the signal all over the places in home. This type of signal box is getting connected to the home broadband router machine and creating links to EE type of network in order to give better coverage either for indoor or outdoor as well. It is very simple to set up such signal box and we need to get continuous access over making and receiving the calls. This type of signal box is not over priced and using other features like calling and texting messages are charged separately as per our usage.
Signal box is working within the space limit of 15 meters and person within this range can able to access to attend or make the calls and also enjoy of texting messages. It is also limited to holders like Orange, EE and T-Mobile. In order to get better and faster data rates, it is advised to connect it to home WiFi network and it is also saving some of our monthly allowance. To get such 3G service, it is advisable to have broadband connection with the minimum speed of downloading as 512kilobytes per second and minimum uploading speed of 256 kilobytes per second.
There is also some online software available in internet to test the speed of internet and commonly used online software is speedtest.net. It is working for all kind of broadband connections available in the world. To get better performance on signal box, it is advisable to keep the signal box at least 60cm of distance away from home or commercial office router device. We should not mount it as well. To give better result, we need to place it on floor with table height in order to achieve the maximum amount of range. There are also online customer supports provided by the company through chat, email or through telephonic conversation. Four people can able to use internet access at a time by using signal box and this usage of people is also depends on speed of broadband connection offered in home or in commercial work place.


- Model NO.: CH-GC-10
- Trademark: LAB-KITS
- Standard: CE, ISO
- Origin: China
This instrument is a late-model gas chromatograph equipped with large LCD. It has the function of Power-down, Overheat, gas-cutting protection, can suggest the user in English and fifth-order temperature-programmed. This kind of gas chromatograph is equipped with two testing room-- FID, TCD and methanator. It is widely used in power sector, corporation that produce oil immersed electrical apparatus--- Transformer factory, wire cannula factory and enterprises-power plant, power supply bureau, other units for gas analyzing like chemical processing of coal and Bruckhausen. The high-effective gas chromatograph for exclusive use owns the most superior capability, the most convenient operation and the most sensitive detection.
Main features and correlation parameter:
1. The large LCD in English displays the abundance intuitionistic contents, it is very convenient to set parameter.
2. It is adopted with automatic micro-computer controlled spark device.
3. It adopts stable and reliable zeroing, which avoid the unstable situation of baseline caused by potentiometer zeroing.
4. It adopts doubled intelligent automatic cooling system which has the function of frequency conversion and opens the door from the back. Such system makes the operation under the room temperature come true.
5. The column compartment heating up itself in a tracking way particularly which can avoid the pollution to the detector caused by the previous warming up in the column compartment.
6. It is functioned with gas cutting protection and can suggest the user in Chinese, which can protect TCD tungsten filament and chromatographic column from damage.
7. It can diagnose the breakdown by itself, present the reason in English and give an alarm at any moment.
8. Microcomputer controlled, keyboard setting, LCD displaying, on board memory.
9. The capability of the high performance detector and methanator can definitely meet the requirement of ministry of electricity's gas component determination to transformer.
10. It adopts the system of First injection, Secondary column diversion; Such kind system is fast in analyzing and good in reproducibility.
11. Doubled hydrogen flame designed, which can detect the CO, CO2 characterized by low level of hydrocarbons and the high level of hydrocarbons respectively and avoid mutual interference.
12. It adopts late-modeled column filler, doubled column-temperature process which advance the detect time of C2H2, improve the sensitivity and shorten the cycle time
Technical parameter and index:
1. Column compartment temperature: With a room temperature from 4 to 420; Temperature control accuracy is ± 0.1.
2. Testing room temperature: With a room temperature from 16 to 420; Temperature control accuracy is ± 0.1.
3. Reborner temperature: With a room temperature from 15 to 420; Temperature control accuracy is ± 0.1.
4. TCD sensitivity, minimum detectable concentration: H2<2ppm, O2<5ppm, N2<10ppm
5. The range of detectable concentration for hydrocarbon such as FID methane\ethylene and acetylene is below 0.1ppm; For co and CO2 is below 2ppm.
6. TCD sensitivity, S>3000mv. Ml/mg(C6H6)


Have you ever done this?
My trip to Las Vegas last week is the first time I've flown since I've had my GPS and I was eager to see how it would work from the confines of the sardine tube in the sky.
The answer is GREAT. Other than taking a bit longer to lock onto the satelites it easily tracked the speed, altitude and location of the aircraft.
I was even able to attach the GPS to the window of the plane so I could have it in front of me for the entire flight.
It was neat to follow the map and be able to identify the cities, towns and even bodies of water we were passing over. If you noticed the power cord coming from the unit, that's because I attached it to my laptop to power it for the duration.
The only downside is the restrictions on using electronic devices below 10,000 feet. (It would have been cool to see the GPS track us right down to the runway!)


NANOSYSTEMS: PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, MATHEMATICS, 2021, 12 (4), P. 453–461
Influence of silver and gold nano particles on luminance properties of n-hexyloxy-cynobiphenyl liquid crystal through image analysis
D. R. Roopa – Department of Physics, SJB Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
C. M. Subhan – Department of Physics, SV Degree and PG College, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
K. Fakruddin – Department of Physics, Ghousia College of Engineering, Ramanagaram, Karnataka, India; firstname.lastname@example.org
P. Pardhasaradhi – Department of ECE, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Guntur, India
B. T. P. Madhav – Department of ECE, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Guntur, India
G. Srilekha – Department of ECE, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Guntur, India
In this work, gold and silver nanoparticles are separately dispersed in n-hexyloxy-cyanobiphenyl (6O.CB) liquid crystal in the ratio 1:100. The optical textures of pure and nano-dispersed compounds are recorded by using polarizing optical microscope. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) is used to compute enthalpy and transition temperature values. Due to the dispersion of nanoparticles, the clearing temperature of the compounds are slightly reduced but there is no significant change in the nematic phase exhibited by pure 6O.CB. Further characterization is done by various spectroscopic techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The optical textures have been analyzed using MATLAB software for the evaluation of display parameters viz., Luminance, Luminance coefficient, Luminance uniformity and Contrast ratio.
Keywords: Liquid crystal, luminance, polarizing optical microscope, differential scanning calorimeter, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction.
PACS 42.70.Df, 42.79.Kr, 87.15.mq.


In this project, two arduino boards have been programmed for a bicycle lighting system. The theory and application of the electronic system is based on a swarm behaviour algorithm. The bicycle is equipped with ultrasonic and acceleration sensors. The ultrasound sensors are used to determine if any objects are close to the bicycle. The acceleration sensor determines the speed and motion of the bicycle. With these sensors, the arduino sends signals to LED lights on the bicycle wheels giving information about the bicycles location and speed. When the bicycle rides in a peloton the LED's glow red and when the bicycle is alone the LED's glow green. Similarly, when the bicycle rides fast, more LED's glow, whereas when the bicycle is moving slowly, a single LED is lit.


Ever wandered what astronauts see everyday while working on the international space station? Well you can actually see it for yourself as if you’re right there.
NASA has provided a live video from the International Space Station which includes internal views when the crew are on-duty and Earth views at other times.
Added to there being video there is also audio conversations between the crew and Mission Control.
The service is only available when the space station is in contact with the ground. You will just see a blue screen when there’s “loss of signal.”
The space station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes experiencing a sunrise or a sunset about every 45 minutes.
When the station is in darkness, the external camera video may appear black, but can sometimes provide spectacular views of lightning or city lights below.
To view click Here
We have also attached some images below for your pleasure.


Varying direction and energy distribution of the ambient illumination, together with the 3D structure of human face, can lead to severe differences in the shading and shadows on the face. Such variation in face appearance can be much larger than the variation caused by personal identity.
A novel approach is proposed to obtain ambient illumination invariant faces using active Near-IR imaging. Active Near-IR illumination projected by a Light Emitting Diode (LED) light source attached to a camera is used to provide a constant illumination. The difference between two face images captured when the LED light is on and off respectively, is the image of a face under just the LED illumination, and is independent of the ambient illumination.
The idea of employing the difference imaging distinguishes the proposed approach from the other approaches based on Infrared imaging. Simply applying infrared filters, which is usually adopted by those approaches to obtain the infrared face images, will admit the infrared component from ambient illumination. Therefore, the captured infrared image is NOT independent of ambient illumination. This problem is solved by applying the differencing technique in the proposed approach.
A face database with 40 subjects, 2 sessions with a interval of weeks, 4 ambient illumination conditions and 6 shots per condition are captured indoor using the system shown in Figure1, 40*2*4*6=1920 ambient faces in total and same amount of LED faces. A ring of 4 fluorescent lamps are used to provide ambient illumination from different directions.
Face recognition experiments are carried out on the ambient faces and LED faces respectively. Different face representations and classifiers are employed. Three test protocols are defined: Cross Session, Cross Illumination, and Combined test (cross both session and illumination).
The results in Table 1 show that:
For automatic face localization in Near-IR face images, a multistage approach is proposed by combining a feature-based face localization method and a global appearance based method using FloatBoost. The LEDs attached to the camera lead to bright-pupil effect which is very beneficial for automatic face localization. The circular shape of the bright pupil is a scale and rotation invariant feature which is exploited in the first method to quickly detect pupil candidates. Support Vector Machines (SVM) trained on local eye region appearance and global face appearance are employed to finally validate the candidates. Sometimes bright pupils can be missing in the face image or failed to be detected which leads to the failure of this feature based method. In this situation, the second face localisation method based on FloatBoost can be employed as a remedy.
Localisation experiments are performed on LED faces. As shown in Figure 6, taking deye=0.05 as the threshold to distinguish a successful localization, the success rate achieved by the bright pupil detector is 96.5%, which is 6% higher than the FloatBoost detector. A further improvement of 1% is achieved by the multistage approach.
Face recognition experiments are conducted on the LED faces registered by the automatic localization results from the multistage localization approach.
As shown above in Tables 2 and 3:
1) Very low error rates are achieved for all the tests on the automatically localized faces. Nearly all the error rates are below 0.8%, whether trained on manually registered data or automatically registered data, which confirms once again that the proposed multistage approach provides accurate face localization.
2) A practical application scenario is best represented by the combined test of the face recognition system on across Auto/Auto faces, yielding an error rate of less than 0.8% surprisingly. This error rate is better than the result obtained using manually registered training images. It shows the excellent performance of the proposed automatic face recognition system in a practical environment with varying illumination.
For more information, please contact Prof. Josef Kittler.


Super Slim SuperDrive
Apple offers an external SuperDrive for use with the MacBook Air since the MacBook Air has no internal SuperDrive of any sort. The problem with this, is although a beautiful product, it is intentionally crippled not to work with any other computers other than the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini Server (which also doesn't have an internal SuperDrive)! Insanity! To make it even worse, they embed 12mm thick drives into these things, when much smaller 9.5mm drives exist. If they used those, this thing would be much thinner.
I still had my external SuperDrive from when I had a MacBook Air but it was useless in my new MacBook Pro. My solution was to do something similar to what tnkgrl posted in '08 and swap the Apple circuit board with a generic one from the internet. Instead of stopping there, I hacked the stew out of mine and went ahead and replaced the actual drive with the one taken out of my MacBook Pro in a 'Solid State swap' I did and modified the SuperDrive enclosure too. The result is a thinner, more beautiful SuperDrive, that now works in all computers. Even in Windows based ones! CD Drives never looked so good!


7 th National Conference on Advancements in Communication Computing and Electronics Technology [ACCET-2021] (19th June-2021)
The Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering is established in 1999 and emerged as a leading source for providing up-to-date knowledge and technological developments in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. The department has technically rich and industry experienced faculty providing sound foundation of knowledge in Electronics and related areas. The Department has 19 dedicated faculty members including seven doctorate professors and ten perusing their PhD degree. State of the art computational and experimental facilities enable the department to undertake basic and applied research and provide support to R&D organizations. Department offers sponsorship for BE in-house projects. Various programs and activities like Roboclub, ETSA etc. are conducted for uplifting students continuously throughout the year. The department organizes several FDPs and workshops for technical upgradation of faculties. The graduating students are well placed in leading academic institutes, research organizations and industries.
The department has started M.E.( Signal Processing ) course from 2013. To make students ready for industry requirements the department has started offering 3 Honors Program from AY 2020-21 as follows Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Data Science and Internet of Things.


Information and communication technologies are the state of the art way to control a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, create, store and manage information.
At Armstrong our ICT systems will control a wide range of diverse systems in your office, factory, apartment block, hotel, retail outlets and much more.
ICT will control:
- Automated access control
- Multiple user access
- Integrated intruder detection
- Scheduled arming
- IP monitoring
- Emergency egress
Armstrong technicians are the ICT experts and will ensure that your installation is fit for purpose to keep your building, contents and occupants safe and ensure you are protected against burglars, petty thieves and vandals as well as helping to meet Health and Safety options.
After installation Armstrong provide a maintenance service to ensure the smooth running of your ICT system.
Call the ICT experts on 0800 506 111.
Armstrong is a trusted installer of Integrated Commercial ICT Systems.


An instant playback/quantizing midi looper. Current goals are to implement one track with mute that syncs to external clock only.
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CERN Open Hardware Licence 1.1 / CERN OHL 1.1
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The paper entitled "FSB-System: A Detection System for Fire, Suffocation, and Burn Based on Fuzzy Decision Making, MCDM, and RGB Model in Wireless Sensor Networks" was published by Wireless Personal Communications (Springer) on 25 March 2019. This paper proposes a detection system, called FSB-System, to predict the fire, suffocation, and burn probabilities over areas using fuzzy theory, MCDM, and an RGB model. The system uses sensing data of the temperature, smoke, and light sensors to determine appropriate, assorted decisions under different conditions. Three fuzzy controllers are suggested in FSB-System: fire fuzzy controller (namely FFC), suffocation fuzzy controller (namely SFC), and burn fuzzy controller (namely BFC). FFC determines the fire probability, SFC measures the suffocation probability, and BFC calculates the burn probability. Sensor nodes are randomly scattered over areas in a way that they form multiple clusters. Non-cluster heads (NCHs) transmit their sensing data to cluster heads (CHs). Furthermore, CHs transmit the gathered data to the native sink to report environmental conditions toward a base station (e.g., a fire department). The number of sinks is determined by a suggested MCDM controller based on network size and the number of clusters. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed system surpasses the threshold methods in terms of remaining energy, the number of alive nodes, network lifetime, the number of wrong alerts, and financial losses. This system can be applied in various environments including forests, buildings, etc.
You can find more information about this paper via the link.


Solar panels are not new. But with solar power storage becoming mainstream — especially since Tesla released its Powerwall last year — it is more possible than ever to completely generate your own electricity from the sun.
And if you’re Australian, solar power is already mainstream. At least a quarter of homes in Australia have solar power.
If you’re considering a solar system for your home, then keep reading to find out what options you have with the latest solar battery technology.
Why even consider an alternative energy solution
Let’s get one thing straight.
Solar power is not the perfect alternative to fossil fuels.
At least, not if you need to store it with batteries.
As I’ll discuss below, solar batteries contain materials that are non-renewable.
And depending on the battery technology, some resources are less abundant than others. Which brings into question the scalability of these technologies.
And the cost of mining these resources could potentially be as damaging as fossil fuels.
But as of right now, there is no alternative energy solution that is 100% renewable with no impact to the environment.
And the bottom line is, fossil fuels is a finite resource that we can’t count on forever.
With the world’s population exploding, and third world countries becoming industrialized, we’re using up whatever resources we have left faster and faster.
There may be enough to last our lifetimes, but it’s unlikely to last for our children and grandchildren.
So we have to be open to all alternative options.
And in the case of solar power with storage, we have some feasible options for individual homeowners.
Even better when we can this kind of alternative energy to rebuild communities when standard options have failed, as in the case of Tesla using its solar panels and batteries to bring back much needed electricity to Puerto Rico.
Battery solutions today
Just like all technology, as it becomes more mainstream, the quality increases and the cost to manufacture comes down.
And solar batteries are no different. Prices have fallen 24% even since 2016.
So it’s more possible than ever to to own a complete solar system with storage.
Types of battery storage
There are three main types of solar batteries.
The technology that has been used for decades is lead acid. It has a short lifespan but is cheaper than the other types out on the market today.
A saltwater battery is a new type of technology which doesn’t contain any toxic or flammable materials. It uses a saline solution as its electrolyte.
Aquion Energy is the first company that has developed a saltwater battery for solar use.
The advantage compared to lithium ion is that the battery capacity doesn’t fall with multiple cycles of charge and depletion.
However, the power output is lower.
By far the most popular option is lithium ion, which is the same technology used in our cell phones and laptops. These batteries are smaller and more lightweight than lead acid, with longer lifespan, but they also cost more.
The main disadvantage of lithium ion is that its capacity decreases with each charge cycle. And capacity decreases even faster with higher charge rates and higher temperature.
For example, over time, the capacity of a Tesla Powerwall decreases significantly, if its warranty is any indication. The warranty 5 years into ownership drops from 5.44 kwh to 3.8 kwh, a 30% drop.
(courtesy of Aquion Energy)
This is the newest technology on the market. The interesting thing about zinc bromide batteries is that the energy storage capacity never declines. And you can drain it 100% and it won’t suffer any consequences. It’s also non-flammable and recyclable.
However, it doesn’t match lithium ion in life cycle, efficiency, or power output.
RedFlow Technologies in Australia is the first company to deliver a commercially-available zinc bromide solar battery.
How much in energy cost could you save?
This depends on what kind of system you implement.
If you decide to go completely off-grid, that means you’re not connected to the utility company as a backup.
So you would need enough batteries to store the excess energy that your solar panels generate during the day to be able to use it at night when your panels are generating nothing.
And you would also need to account for extra storage in the event that you have a stretch of cloudy days are you’re not producing enough excess energy to store.
Depending on how much energy you use and how much direct sunlight you get, you might need anywhere from 17-42 panels. The average home uses 900kwh of electricity per month, or almost 11,000kwh per year.
Then you would also need batteries to store the excess power. For example, you would need two Tesla’s Powerwall units (total usable capacity 27kwh) for backup.
In this scenario, you would obviously not be paying for any energy usage from a utility company.
On-grid, mostly using solar power
Another option is that you can stay connected to the utility company but you still have the solar panels and batteries to mostly or exclusively use the solar power that you generate.
The good news is, if your system is generating excess power, and your batteries are topped off, you can sell it back to the utility company.
These rates aren’t anything to write home about (probably a few cents per kwh in the Bay Area), but you can feel good about contributing energy to the utility company’s customers.
Depending on how much electricity your system produces, you could theoretically not use any energy from the grid and even make a small amount from selling the excess power.
On grid, small battery
A third option is to stay connected to the grid and only maintain a small enough battery to reduce your total energy usage from the utility company.
The solar panels would power any usage during the day and top off your battery. Then the battery would be just big enough to give you enough power during peak evening hours.
It would be reasonable to significantly reduce your utility grid consumption and cost with a bare-minimum type of solar system.
Is it worth having a solar system in a cloudy climate?
Solar panels don’t produce as much electricity in cloudy weather compared to a clear, sunny day.
So is a solar system still worth having?
The short answer: yes.
SolarCity has done studies in the cloudiest climates and have determined that total annual output can still be quite significant.
In fact, a 6-kw system can produce over 80% of a household’s annual electricity usage.
In some cases, partial clouds can generate more electricity than a sunny day because of the “edge of cloud” effect. The sun hits the edge of a cloud and intensifies the sunlight, boosting the power generation.
This is a similar effect to sunlight reflecting off snow or water.
And using solar batteries to store enough power to accommodate the cloudy days should dispel any remaining concerns.
What the future holds for battery technology
Could solar batteries go mainstream? Many technology experts say yes.
But lithium ion batteries may not be the type to scale.
Gel zinc bromide technology
In response to some of the limitations of lithium ion and existing zinc bromide technologies, Australian-based company Gelion Technologies has developed a zinc bromide battery using gel instead of a liquid based electrolyte.
Essentially, the gel moves the electron charges faster.
Which means that a solar battery with this technology can charge in minutes.
Gelion also says it beats lithium ion in efficiency, lifespan, and cost.
However, this product isn’t yet available in the market.
But what’s exciting about this is that the technology can be incorporated into building materials.
In other words, your walls and your roof are batteries storing electricity.
Zinc and Bromide also have more supply and are cheaper materials than lithium and cobalt and would be able to scale easier.
Is this a perfect replacement for fossil fuels?
No, it’s not.
While producing electricity from sunlight IS renewable, the manufacture of batteries uses resources that are not renewable.
Namely, lithium, cobalt, zinc, and bromide.
Even salt is non-renewable (at least at the rate that humans consume it), but it is one of the world’s most abundant resources.
But while it’s not perfect, solar power with batteries does give us options.
It helps us be less reliant on public utility companies that may have frequent blackouts and brownouts.
And we can each make the choices we feel are best for ourselves and for the greater community.


Chairwoman Johnson, Ranking Member Lucas, and Members of the Committee, thank you for holding this hearing, and thank you for the invitation to testify today.
I am Jordan Gerth, an atmospheric scientist who holds an honorary fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC). My professional service includes chairing the American Meteorological Society Committee on Radio Frequency Allocations. Established in 1965, SSEC is an internationally respected organization for the research and development of remote sensing and environmental applications. Madison, Wisconsin, is the birthplace of satellite meteorology, in large part due to the work of the late Dr. Verner Suomi, a professor that developed the spin-scan cloud camera to provide the first animations of weather patterns in the 1960s.
In holding this hearing today, you implicitly recognize the importance of radio frequencies for Earth and space science applications. There are a growing number of important issues related to spectrum sharing with 5G wireless communications, both for the atmospheric and oceanic sciences and radio astronomy, and also related to the transmission and collection of weather information. My testimony today will focus particularly on the criticality of protecting the clarity of Earth-emitted radio frequencies to maintain the quality and public confidence in weather warnings and forecasts and the need for transparent processes to facilitate that objective.
Importance of sustaining passive microwave sensing for weather forecast accuracy
Basis for microwave sensing. While the accuracy of weather forecasts is popular fodder as a conversation starter among Americans, the reality is that weather forecasts have never been more accurate in history. Weather forecasts for the contiguous United States are particularly accurate. The seven-day forecast today is as accurate as the five-day forecast was 20 years ago. The most important aspect of making the right forecast is taking the right observations and using them effectively. That is where the nexus between radio frequencies and weather forecast lies.
While visible or infrared satellite imagery as shown on the evening television news weather report partially contributes to the quality of weather forecasts, the most valuable frequencies are microwaves, particularly those between 20 and 200 GHz. It likely comes as a surprise to many that the Earth’s atmosphere emits microwaves, but they are naturally occurring and not harmful to us.
Molecules such as oxygen and water vapor emit microwaves at unique frequencies, and those emissions help meteorologists identify and characterize weather systems and develop a vertical profile of temperature and humidity without releasing a weather balloon. Microwaves are additionally useful for weather analysis because they typically traverse through clouds without absorption and thus enabling meteorologists to examine the internal structure of storms in determining whether strengthening or weakening is likely.
Current instrument for microwave sensing. Given the benefits of microwaves, satellites have been designed to sense them for over 40 years. The most recent NOAA instrument to sense atmospheric microwaves is the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder, or ATMS. The ATMS is considered a passive sensor because it is “listening” to the atmosphere. This is unlike a radar which itself emits a pulse and then “listens” for the return.
As soon as next year, NOAA will launch its third satellite, the second in the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), with an ATMS instrument. As each JPSS satellite orbits the poles every 100 minutes from 500 miles above the surface of Earth, ATMS collects 22 distinct observations of the atmosphere every 10 to 50 miles within a 1,370-mile swath. A single JPSS satellite observes every location on Earth at least twice daily. Of those 22 observations, ATMS is designed to sense at 23.8 GHz, among other frequencies, to collect information about water vapor. 23.8 GHz is sensitive to concentrations of water vapor near the ground and when used in combination with other frequencies can contribute to a vertical profile, or distribution, of humidity at various heights above the ground. This is useful information for precipitation forecasts.
Numerical weather prediction. The importance of JPSS and other weather satellites that NOAA, NASA, and other nations operate in providing observations for weather forecasts created with supercomputers cannot be understated. Approximately 99% of weather observations that supercomputers receive originate from satellites, and after quality control, approximately 90% of observations assimilated, or integrated, using complex algorithms into computer weather models are from satellites.
The collection of complex algorithms is known as a numerical weather prediction model because the model converts observations into a numerical representation of the atmosphere and then advances it forward in time. At its core, weather forecasting is an initial-value math problem. Thus, if observations do not provide a complete assessment of the atmosphere, then weather forecasts will be less reliable and less accurate over time.
Improvements in numerical weather prediction performance over the past 20 years can be attributed to satellite observations, especially microwave sensing of water vapor, such as at 23.8 GHz and other frequencies. Today, approximately 15 to 30% of the assimilated observations are from passive microwave sensing. A 2020 study from Europe found that microwave sensors led to forecasts that were “very significantly improved at short lead times, 12 to 24 hours,” and also beneficial but, to a lesser extent, out to four days in the Northern Hemisphere. These observations are approximately twice as valuable in reducing model errors out to six days as the three next most valuable observation types individually, including hyperspectral infrared radiances, radiosondes, and radio occultations.
Microwave sensing harm from 5G. Terrestrial radio systems that emit 5G signals too closely to defined bands for weather sensing are a formidable threat to weather forecast and warning services because they are much louder than the atmosphere that satellites are trying to observe. Harmful interference is likely because if the 5G signal is so loud that it is obvious, it will easily mask the atmospheric emission such that it is irrecoverable. Even if the 5G signal does not overpower the atmospheric emission completely, it will still be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to separate the contribution of the atmosphere from the 5G signal with current assets. Because the satellite sensors are only “listening”, there are no good options to mitigate this interference.
To state it clearly: If there is no observation of a portion of the atmosphere because of 5G signal interference there, it cannot be the basis for a weather analysis and global and local forecasts may suffer alike, leading to a loss of lead time for storms. Using a 5G-inflated observation could lead to a worse forecast unless numerical weather models are configured to use microwave observations with a decreased confidence in their quality, a mitigation that would have far-reaching complications for weather forecasts beyond where there is interference.
Policy options for protecting spectrum for science applications through improved processes
A growing challenge. Spectrum allocation issues have been a growing concern for the weather enterprise beyond the Federal Government. Previously, NOAA and NASA worked behind the scenes to resolve issues with limited if any contributions from academic and industry partners. However, as the appetite for more wireless spectrum has increased, more scrutiny of each proposal is necessary. At a minimum, NOAA and NASA should share their studies publicly and expediently, something that was missing for 24 GHz in 2019.
When the FCC issues a new notice of proposed rulemaking for 5G services, there are two separate questions that should be addressed:
1. Will this rulemaking proposal lead to interference with satellite sensors?
2. If it does, to what degree will that interference lead to a degradation in the accuracy of weather forecasts?
Collectively, the answers to these two questions can inform the best course of action for spectrum sharing, and tough decisions may need to be made. However, the answers to these questions are not straightforward, take substantial time to address, and the best way to answer them is with better coordination and cooperation between the FCC, NTIA, NOAA, and NASA and in a manner that is transparent. In particular, the second question is most challenging to answer because to depends substantially on the deployment strategy of the new 5G network.
Actively valuing spectrum for weather prediction. As part of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, NOAA is required to conduct an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) before buying or leasing a new weather satellite or new weather satellite data set that costs at least $500 million. This directive could be expanded, potentially using spectrum auction revenues. NOAA, NASA, and other agencies that operate satellites for environmental sensing should regularly audit the use of spectrum and recent, peer-reviewed studies from federal and federally supported scientists, such as those at NOAA Cooperative Institutes, should reflect the application and value of each radio frequency sensed, in terms of contribution to numerical weather prediction skill through a data denial experiment or otherwise.
This valuation should be conducted routinely because the speed of peer review is much slower than FCC proceedings. FCC proceedings have timelines of 60 to 90 days for comment while funding research for peer review related to a new proceeding is likely to take 18 to 24 months at a minimum. A new satellite currently takes 5 to 10 years to build and launch, and those program costs are in the billions per satellite. The estimated total cost of the JPSS program from 1995 through 2038 is $18.8 billion, so a loss of sensing capability that diminishes its intended mission has a real tangible cost for taxpayers even without considering the economic loss from the reduction in weather predictability.
Integrating science into transparent decision-making. In light of the GAO findings and recommendations, I am left wondering what recourse NOAA, NASA, or another government agency has if the FCC and/or the Department of State does not allay their raised concerns about shared spectrum rulemaking proposals. Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas were rightfully concerned about the potential of weather forecast degradation in calling for the GAO to investigate the governmental processes that have led us to this point. Yet, as a scientist, it is discomforting that the FCC can conduct rulemaking without studies that could have an impact on another agency to accomplish its Congressionally directed mission.
This Committee should consider whether oversight or involvement from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), federal advisory committees, or other mechanisms that, at a minimum, conduct and make publicly available all relevant scientific studies prior to a rulemaking decision, may facilitate a process with more integrity for all stakeholders. While I understand that the FCC does not fall under this Committee’s jurisdiction, legislative remedies that require proactive and closer cooperation on the sharing of Earth exploration-satellite service-allocated spectrum between the FCC, NTIA, NOAA, and/or NASA specifically may also be necessary. Policy priorities for expanding 5G with sustaining the quality of weather forecasts must be balanced.
Working together. Despite the importance of maintaining the accuracy of weather forecasts, the weather enterprise is not a competitor of the telecommunications industry, and we should not characterize this issue as one of us versus them. The telecommunications industry is an essential partner is delivering urgent weather messages to cell phones and establishing communications immediately after a disaster to assist in the response. I truly believe that with a better understanding of how satellite sensors collect weather information and how those observations improve weather forecasts that industry partners can work with us to deploy equipment outside of pre-existing bands for Earth sensing.
The future of spectrum allocations and weather satellite observations
In our national conversations about 5G, we are forward-looking into how technology will evolve the economy, expand opportunities, connect Americans, and improve society. We should apply the same mindset to weather prediction and satellite observations. The accuracy of weather forecasts improves by one day every decade, and this is a trend that we can continue with sustained investments into NOAA and NASA satellite programs and exploring options to partner with the expanding space enterprise.
On the horizon, the capability of small satellites and cube ‘sats’ is increasingly promising to enhance the temporal frequency of passive microwave sensing, though they are not yet a proven replacement for flagship missions like JPSS. In the coming decades, there is the prospect of microwave sensing from the geostationary orbit, approximately 22,500 miles above the surface of Earth, to provide continuous monitoring of the internal dynamics of hurricanes over our adjacent oceans for the first time. Though not imminent solutions, both innovations would benefit from protected allocations for Earth exploration-satellite service (EESS) at microwave frequencies and increase weather predictability.
Finally, the United States has been a leader in weather satellite observations that now extends back 60 years, a history that began in Wisconsin. We should continue our national leadership in demonstrating stewardship of our spectrum resources for science applications and particularly weather sensing. Pushing the frontiers of weather forecasting out to and beyond 10 days will depend not only on our domestic spectrum policy but also our current and future ability to conduct passive microwave sensing over the remainder of North America, our adjacent oceans, and other continents, particularly Asia and Oceania. The United States should advocate at future World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC) accordingly.
While the contentious circumstances surrounding 24 GHz were far from desirable, and 23.8 GHz sensing contributes useful water vapor information for weather forecasting that we may partially lose, the longest heritage of microwave sensing is between 50 and 60 GHz, where there are 13 ATMS bands. We should be especially careful of sharing arrangements in and around 50 to 60 GHz or the consequences for weather prediction may be more dire.
Thank you for holding this hearing and allowing me to explain the science that underlies the importance of passive microwave sensing for weather forecasting and how processes that require scientific input can benefit from increased transparency. Despite its complexity, establishing a process that enhances decision-making for certain spectrum allocations with science applications will benefit all parties and the American public. I appreciate your support in increasing confidence in our nation’s weather warnings and forecasts and maximizing the value of the United States investment in weather sensing from space.
 Instrument: ATMS, https://space.oscar.wmo.int/instruments/view/atms (accessed on 17 July 2021)
 Fact sheet: ECMWF’s use of satellite observations, https://www.ecmwf.int/en/about/media-centre/focus/2020/fact-sheet-ecmwfs-use-satellite-observations (accessed on 17 July 2021)
 Geer, A. J., F. Baordo, N. Bormann, P. Chambon, S. J. English, M. Kazumori, H. Lawrence, P. Lean, K. Lonitz, and C. Lupu. “The Growing Impact of Satellite Observations Sensitive to Humidity, Cloud and Precipitation.” Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 143, no. 709 (October 2017): 3189–3206. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3172.
 Liu, Quanhua (Mark), Changyong Cao, Christopher Grassotti, and Yong-Keun Lee. “How Can Microwave Observations at 23.8 GHz Help in Acquiring Water Vapor in the Atmosphere over Land?” Remote Sensing 13, no. 3 (January 30, 2021): 489. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13030489.
 Duncan, David, and Niels Bormann. “On the Addition of Microwave Sounders and NWP Skill, Including Assessment of FY-3D Sounders.” EUMETSAT/ECMWF Fellowship Programme Research Report, 2020. https://www.ecmwf.int/node/19760.
 Saunders, Roger. “The Use of Satellite Data in Numerical Weather Prediction.” Weather 76, no. 3 (March 28, 2021): 95–97. https://doi.org/10.1002/wea.3913.
 H.R.353 – Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/353 (accessed on 17 July 2021)
 Joint Polar Satellite System FAQ, https://www.jpss.noaa.gov/faq.html (accessed on 17 July 2021)
 STAR JPSS – Instruments – Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/jpss/ATMS.php (accessed on 17 July 2021)


Systems & Control
Key Stage 3 Introduction
Students visit Systems and Control over a 7 week period on a rotation basis. They design and make a steady hand game. This introduces them to a wide range of skills and knowledge. Students create the circuit board and solder components in place. They create a function and attractive housing for their circuit to complete the game.
Year 8 and 9
Students develop their knowledge of Systems and Control learnt in year seven by incorporating electronics into other Design Technology Products. A Textiles product in year 8 and lamp made in year 9.


What we are looking for :
We are looking for an IT Solutions Integrator specialising in Data Science to join our team. This role involves the creation of innovative integration solutions for the transfer of applications to cloud environments, in particular the integration of software and the migration of applications (Tomcat, WebSphere) to the cloud. This role requires a strong ability to innovate and modify existing gateways to meet the specific needs of our organisation.
Votre rôle :
- Installing, configuring and industrialising applications developed by the Data Science team;
- Install, configure and industrialise Unix software packages (mainly Linux RedHat), in compliance with the customer’s standards;
- Migrate Unix software packages to hosting solutions proposed by the customer
- Participate in defining the target architecture for Unix software packages and integrate them into the information system;
- Provide technical support for software packages in non-production and production;
- Resolve incidents, including performance problems, and coordinate corrective action;
- Write and maintain technical documentation, including business continuity plans;
- Participate in production launches and quarterly releases;
- Manage requests via Jira and monitor the backlog.
Want to know more ?
View the job offer and apply now!


These days, there are various mobile development services have evolved in the marketplace. The latest mobile application service providers have lots of advantages, such as mobile subscriber and the use of digital content. A mobile application service provider is based on IT services and develops several kinds of products. This service provides the caliber and caliber of mobile operators. Mobile application service provider refers to customer service. It provides the services, such as ringtones, news, wallpaper and program. The mobile application service provider is designed for specific mobile content. The mobile is also suitable for tv, music, software and programs. However, if there's a problem in mobile, then you can directly connect with the mobile application service provider through GPRS and EDGE connection. Check out the following site, if you are hunting for more details concerning mobile application service provider.
Although, the mobile application service provider also calculates cloud computing and virtualization through their design of transmitting and receiving the solution. Additionally, it includes a backup of mobile data. In the mobile application service provider, the huge data application development contains many information like documents, images, videos and websites. Additionally, the growth of social media, IOTS and mobile phones are the biggest utilization in big data application development. Substantial data application development might contain very strong hardware and software. Significant data application development comprises a lot of information, and it's also utilized to boost the organization. Mobile application development platforms are used in many applications, such as, GPS system that's used to navigate the location. Nowadays, it is also very well known in games in three-D and animation process. It is also used in the mixture of the two services. Moreover, it also targets mobile phones features like split-screen, graphics, animation, clarity of camera.
Mobile application development is very important in channels to improve quality. Recently, mobile application development is looking for cloud processing. This feature is eco friendly with android gadgets. Mobile application development is used for recent apps and for future apps. Some advantages of mobile application development are: it's used for the GPS system. It operates in android, windows telephones and IOS. It works on both software and hardware. It also built up your own experience. Mobile application development program may be used again. It develops at a minimal price. Some software is there which have installed over and above, however, the mobile application development program shouldn't require installation. Some disadvantages are: there are different apps, so for apps, the different programming language is used. It's expertise only in system software. Its programs are very lengthy, so time-consuming is more. However, if There's Lots of websites, then SEO does not have any platform in search engine. For programming, there is a requirement of the internet. Web apps are less used for hardware devices.


Silvia is a Senior Data Scientist in the Customer Success team at Stemly. She studied Computer Science and Physics at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. When she is not busy improving the accuracy of a demand forecasting model, she is probably advising customers on how Machine Learning can improve their processes.
Chang Wei is a Data Scientist at Stemly. He studied Electrical Engineering at Monash University, Melbourne, and further his studies with a Ph.D. in Machine Learning, specializing in Scalable Time Series Classification.


Camcorder to DVD Conversion for Space Exploration: Preserving Space Footage on Mars for Future Analysis
Learn about the importance of camcorder to DVD conversion for preserving footage from Mars. Discover how this process captures information for future analysis.
4 minutes to read
As space exploration advances, capturing high-quality footage is becoming increasingly important. With the use of camcorders on space missions, converting the footage to DVD format ensures its preservation and accessibility for future analysis and research. In this context, the conversion of camcorder footage to DVD for space exploration is a critical process, especially for missions to Mars and beyond.
Converting Camcorder to DVD for Mars Capturing Space Footage
The human fascination with space exploration has been a never-ending quest for knowledge and understanding of the universe around us. From the earliest times, mankind has been looking up at the sky and wondering what lies beyond our atmosphere. With the advent of technology, we have been able to send probes and rovers to other planets in our solar system, and the images and data that they send back are truly awe-inspiring. However, as technology continues to evolve, it is essential that we preserve this valuable space footage for future generations.
Converting camcorder tapes to USB or transferring camcorder to USB is a great way to preserve space footage from Mars and beyond. The process is simple and easy, and it ensures that your footage is stored in a format that can be easily accessed and viewed. In this article, we will discuss the importance of preserving space footage and how camcorder to DVD conversion can help you achieve this.
Why Preserve Space Footage?
Space exploration has been a significant achievement for mankind. The images and data that have been sent back from other planets have helped us understand our universe in a way that was not possible before. These footages have allowed scientists to study geology, atmosphere, and climate of other planets, which has contributed significantly to our understanding of the universe.
Moreover, space exploration has also inspired future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This footage has motivated students to pursue careers in space exploration, and it has led to the development of new technologies that have helped us explore space in more detail.
However, the technology used to capture this footage is constantly evolving, and the formats used to store them become obsolete over time. It is, therefore, essential to preserve this footage to ensure that it can be accessed and viewed in the future.
The Importance of Camcorder to DVD Conversion
Camcorder to Dvd conversion is a great way to preserve space footage. It is a process that involves transferring the footage from the camcorder tape to a DVD, which can then be stored and accessed easily. DVDs are a reliable and durable format that can last for a long time if stored properly.
Moreover, DVDs can be easily duplicated, which means that you can make multiple copies of your footage to share with others. This is particularly important when it comes to preserving space footage because they are valuable to the scientific community, and sharing them with other scientists can help further our understanding of the universe.
The Camcorder to USB Conversion Process
Converting camcorder tapes to USB or transferring camcorder to USB is another way to preserve space footage. This process involves transferring the footage from the camcorder tape to a USB drive, which can then be easily accessed and viewed on a computer or other device.
The process of transferring camcorder to USB is relatively simple. First, you need to connect your camcorder to your computer using a USB cable. Then, you need to use video conversion software to transfer the footage from the camcorder tape to the USB drive.
Once the footage has been transferred to the USB drive, it can be easily viewed and shared with others. USB drives are also small and portable, which means that you can easily take them with you wherever you go.
Preserving Space Footages for Future Generations
Preserving space footage is essential for future generations. These footages represent a significant achievement for mankind, and they must be preserved so that future generations can learn from them. Camcorder to DVD conversion and transferring camcorder to USB are two great ways to preserve this footage.
In conclusion, camcorder to DVD conversion and transferring camcorder to USB are two effective ways to preserve space footage from Mars and beyond. These processes are essential for ensuring that this valuable footages are stored in a format that can be easily accessed and viewed for years to come.